Best prices Gibson F5

[Zach Wilson]

We all have strong opinions and are somewhat obsessed about mandolins, or we wouldn't be here... Looks to me like the intensity of the discussion may have frightened the OP away. Sorry if that's the case, we're really not that scary.

I was just thinking about that myself. Were not scary at all!

However, I wonder sometimes if folks ask a question, get the answer to their question, buy their mando, and move along. I know we all like to talk through Cafe discussions like our lives depend upon it but I'm guessing others just simply need assistance.

[Bazz Jass]

Not a criticism - but the OP has been a member since Jan 2020 and has a post count of 10.

In terms of not replying yet, might be just that they don't stop by very often.

Different to someone who joins a forum, asks one question, and is very seen again. I'm sure many of us have been guilty of that!

"I wanted your opinion on which model( year and style) of Gibson F5 gives the best "bang" for the buck? "

That does narrow it down - there are plenty of years and variations of F5s. No need for 9s, 12s etc to enter the mix any more than non-Gibson suggestions.

Unless of course the OP was actually asking - "what's the best bang for buck in a Gibson F5-style mandolin." Which is the question I would have asked.

[Zach Wilson]

Not a criticism - but the OP has been a member since Jan 2020 and has a post count of 10.

In terms of not replying yet, might be just that they don't stop by very often.

Different to someone who joins a forum, asks one question, and is very seen again. I'm sure many of us have been guilty of that!

You're right, my bad dawg.

[Bazz Jass]

You're right, my bad dawg.

Maybe. Just theorising anyway. We'll know for sure if the OP turns up here in 6 weeks to reply

[dhergert]

Hey all,
I wanted your opinion on which model( year and style) of Gibson F5 gives the best "bang" for the buck? I know Gibson also built under different names( Flatiron/ Bradbury etc). Looking forward to your advice. Thanks Jan

...
That does narrow it down - there are plenty of years and variations of F5s. No need for 9s, 12s etc to enter the mix any more than non-Gibson suggestions.
...

Hmmm, actually the OP sort of opened the door for more than exactly "Gibson F5" models with mention of "Flatiron/ Bradbury etc".

And, since Gibson builders themselves have discussed the F-9 in terms of similarity to F-5 in design and other ways, I'd say they're at least a safe bet for this discussion... That said, I acknowledge that I'm biased, although being an F-9 owner, I've done my homework about it and F-5s.

Charlie Derrington CGOW interview:

"
...

Q1

Q - Why did Gibson stop making Flatiron mandolins? They were of good quality and reasonably priced. Will Flatirons be brought back?

A - Basically it was an issue of self-competition. The Flatirons (since the re-tool of 97/98/99) were basically the same mandolins as the Gibsons. It made no sense to continue to offer two different models that were basically identical in spec., at different prices. We therefore decided to introduce the F-9 and A-9 models at a lower price-point than the Flatirons, which allowed a more affordable mandolin (carved to Loar specs.) to be offered. I don't think anyone would have been happy to see us change the Flatirons to only be offered in a lower price point. In other words, the other option would have been for us to make only F-9 Flatirons instead of Festivals (which were basically F-5Gs).

Some may argue the original Montana Flatirons were mainly X-braced, but again I have to state the tooling change to accomodate this would have been prohibitive on a production basis. That said, however, one can custom order any mandolin we build with the X option. Building one or two instruments with non-standard specifications is a lot different than tooling up an entire line with those spec. changes in mind.

We've made no decision to permantly shelve the Flatiron brand and if someone wants to purchase one, we'll certainly build it. The descision was not to do away with Flatiron, but to exclude it from the catalog and regular production.

...

Q5

Q - A lot of people speak negatively about the F-9 Gibson. A major complaint is that it is supposedly built inconsistently. At Folk of the Wood they have video clips of some one playing it and it sounds very bluegrassy with good bass response. What would you say about the charges that you can't rely on one F-9 to be built as well as another? How does the A-9 match up to the F-9? Also, how does the F-9 and A-9 sound for more folk oriented music and other styles? At the beginning of the year I had my heart set on one day owning an F-9 or an A-9 -- either one would be my only shot at ever owning a Gibson -- but with all this negative talk you can't help but wonder.

A - I don't know about that statement "a lot of people speak negatively about the F-9 Gibson". We build and sell more F-9s than any other mandolin we offer. That speaks volumes.

The F-9s have the same attention to detail as any of our other mandolins when it comes to tone and playability. We are able to offer them at a lower price for three reasons. The wood selection process (in reference to streaks, knots, curl, anything related to the visual and not to the tone) is less stringent and therefore less costly, and the fact that we don't have to scrape the binding (which is extremely labor intensive) and we don't have to buff the finish (again very labor intensive). We still spend the same amount of time in graduation, neck-fit, etc. as we do on our most expensive mandolin. The A-9 should (as an average) sound just as good as the F-9 and both make great alternative music mandolins.

Back to your question. What is better? I think we have all stressed the importance of playing any mandolin before you purchase it. Every hand-built instrument (Heck, any machine-built instrument) will sound different than the preceding instrument and the following instrument. That is the nature of musical instruments built of wood. The mandolin you think is horrible will be wonderful to the next guy that comes along and visa-versa.

Don't let negative talk disuade you from owning an instrument you desire. You have to make a very personal decision based on what speaks to your heart and is affordable to your pocket-book. There is a very real tendency out there in the world to speak bad about the big guy. I don't really understand this tendency as Gibson is hand-building every mandolin we sell just like all of the small guys. And also, I'm one of you !..... as is Danny Roberts, Tony Wray, Erik Sullivan, so-on and so-on. We're all Bluegrass nuts and real good (at least for the other guys I mentioned) players to boot. We support the musical community relating to mandolins, Dobros and banjos, and nobody loves the instruments we build more than us. Just give us a small break and realize we are here to try and please and at the same time build the greatest instruments we can.
...
"

[Rose #1]

My vote is an F9

[allenhopkins]

IMHO this quote from Charley D should be a mandatory addition to any thread that requests comparisons between mandolin models, vintages, manufacturers, or whatever:

I think we have all stressed the importance of playing any mandolin before you purchase it. Every hand-built instrument (Heck, any machine-built instrument) will sound different than the preceding instrument and the following instrument. That is the nature of musical instruments built of wood. The mandolin you think is horrible will be wonderful to the next guy that comes along and visa-versa.

Inevitably, we generalize about the "differences" between Mandolin X and Mandolin Y, based on who made 'em when, and where, and outa what. Not saying these generalizations don't have some value; if someone wants to compare a Gibson F-5 to a Harmony Monterey, we know enough about each model to impart some wisdom on the subject. But the significant differences between individual mandolins can't be addressed by just listing make, model, and year.

I'll try to remember that before I pontificate in the future; may not always adhere to that resolution, but it'll be in the back of my mind somewhere...

[grassrootphilosopher]

IMHO this quote from Charley D should be a mandatory addition to any thread that requests comparisons between mandolin models, vintages, manufacturers, or whatever:

I think we have all stressed the importance of playing any mandolin before you purchase it. Every hand-built instrument (Heck, any machine-built instrument) will sound different than the preceding instrument and the following instrument. That is the nature of musical instruments built of wood. The mandolin you think is horrible will be wonderful to the next guy that comes along and visa-versa.

As an instrument accumulator you surely have experience. I am somewhat guilty myself. And the more instruments you play the more you will know how important it is to try out the instrument before a purchase. The only instruments I haven't played before I bought them is my Wyatt Fawley mahogany Retrotone and my pricey mandolin. I did some in depth research (on the internet). In both cases the purchase was what anyone could/should hope for. But there's always that caveat.

[Big Joe]

I was blessed to spend a lot of years with Charlie Derrington, and he was one of my best friends. Danny Robert’s is in that same place. All those that were in the bluegrass division while I was there were all incredible people who worked their best every day. Gibson was the big dog on the block, and because of that some always want to discredit Gibson. Others would really upset if someone said something negative about Gibson. It’s about the same in every market. What I do know is that every mandolin is different from any other in some way. I was very fortunate to spend a good number of years with some of the best builders, designers, and repair men on the planet. I was fortunate to see and learn from the best. Not only that, but so many other great builders are friends and they make some incredible products. I’ve owned some incredible mandolins, and owned a number of them, and not all of them were Gibson made. I wish I were able to still have them, but someone has them and they are blessed to have them. One of my most exciting moments was many years ago and I was able to trade my Alvarez F model for a new Flatiron. The day I got it I played for hours just amazed at how it played and sounded. It opened my ears to what I heard on so many good recordings and good bands live when I heard them. Good mandolins we’re hard to find and they were expensive for that time. F models were very hard to find and Gibson were impossible to find. I went from an instrument I thought was pretty good to a true professional quality instrument. That is the mandolin I had when I was with Charlie at first. Since then I have had several builders instruments as well as some vey fine Gibson. I have got to hold and play some of the finest on the planet and even got to spend some good times with what is my favorite…real Lloyd Loars. It would be impossible to get a better education in mandolins and all acoustic instruments than what I got at the hands of the masters. The thing is, everybody has an opinion. Just because it is not the same as yours does not invalidate your opinion. Some people like city ham. Some like country ham. Some don’t like ham at all. The best mandolin is the one you can afford that sounds like you want it to. Everybody’s ears are different and so are their hands. Every mandolin is the best for someone. The fun is to find the one you like. That mandolin is the best bang for the buck for you. The more you play and the more you hear may well alter what sounds best over time, but then you can have the thrill of discovering your new best for your buck. So many of the things I read on here is based solely on personal opinion or the opinion of their idol. The truth is two fold. In reality, there is no best mandolin that everyone could agree on. Second, they are all the best mandolin for someone. Often I’m asked which is best to me. My favorite answer is the one I’m playing. Ok, I’ve wandered a bit here, but it all points to the same result. The best bang for the buck is the one you will spend your hard earned cash for.

[BradKlein]

Nice to hear from you at the Cafe, Joe. You've made many valuable contributions to this 'place' over the years. All the best.

[f5loar]

I understand the OP only wanted to know the best price for the year Gibson made the F5 in. NOT an F9, F12 or Flatiron (they mentioned they know Gibson made other brand name mandolins, but they are not F5s) A Gibson F5 is really specific. Sounds like they want the real deal from Gibson and which years are the best buy for the buck. I'll say the F5Ls (which for many years were the only F5 style Gibson made) made during the 90's to early 2000's seem to be the best used buy these days. Other years like from 60's through mid 80's might be priced less but for me are not the best bang for the buck. For new Gibson F5, the F5G is probably the best buy. Now if the original OP said Gibson F5 STYLE.......... when then, it's a wide open field and there is no real best answer.