Quote Originally Posted by KCNelson View Post
Wow! Thank you, rcc56!
Your generous and thorough reply is a reminder of why MandolinCafe is one of my favorite sites on the 'net.


In reading various interviews with Norman, I was stunned by this particular Q&A:

What kinds of mandolins do you favor?
I have a 1929 [Gibson] F2 and a 1913 natural-top F4, double flowerpot. I also have a very rare 1910 two-point F4 with the wire and pearl peghead like the three points, which is also natural top and finish. And I have a ’38 raised fingerboard F4, a Vega – not a cylinder-back – but like those, except it isn’t cylinder-back or top with a sunburst finish, which is unusual.

Regular old-time lute-style mandolin, that’s a Vega with pearl inlays around the top. Very nice mandolin. Then I have a ’26 Martin Style B. Brazilian rosewood style B Martin, round-hole mandolin. And I have the rarest of the Martin mandolins. I have a Style E with all the pearl trim, like the Style 45 except it’s double-bound. There’s two borders of pearl on the top and around the hole, side to side. They made 62 of those. I have a ’22 Gibson A2. I’m not very fond of snakeheads. I’m not fond of the Loar-era, round-hole mandolins. The necks are too narrow and their intonation is rotten. Many Gibson and Martin instruments have rotten intonation, always have had from day one. The Loar period at Gibson was their low point.

Here's a link to the full interview: https://www.vintageguitar.com/2902/norman-blake/
that interview would have been around the year 2000, i guess. I'm a little surprised that he didn't mention a Lyon & Healey.