Re: Northfield F5S consistency (or buying without checking)
I have the good fortune to live within driving distance of a great mandolin shop (and forum sponsor!), Fiddler's Green, so I bought my Northfield F5S in person. I can tell you that every Northfield I played during my visits there was deeply impressive, and I ended up picking my F5S over similar instruments from other brands (including in a slightly higher price range). In the end, I was split between two F5S models, one in Adirondack and one in Engelmann. As you can tell from my signature, I ended up going with the Engelmann (but that's purely due to my preferred sound profile).
It's hard to answer your question with certainty because differences in sound are so subjective, but if you already know you like the general sound profile that Northfield is known for, there's little room for disappointment. The fit and finish on mine (and all the other Northfields I played) is spectacular, and it plays like a dream.
1913 Gibson F2 (Blacktop)
2022 Big Muddy Mandola (M-16, Ziricote back and sides, Adirondack top)
2022 Kentucky KM-120 (Elevated fretboard conversion)
1940s Kay Banjolin
1930s Martin Style 0 Ukulele
1920s Vega Senator Plectrum Banjo (GDAE octave mando tuning)
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