F5 , the Classic Gibson or the new era Collings?

[MashMeister]

Greetings! I’ve been playing around with the idea of leaving the Gibson brand behind. I’ve always enjoyed Collings guitars and their mandolins seem to be top tier for the money. I currently have a Gibson F5-L and am thinking if trading this towards a Collings F model. That being said, to those who owned both or currently own both, what do you get from each of them? Which do you prefer, which if any are lifers? Thank you in advance. Looking forward to feedback

[FLATROCK HILL]

Collings builds a great mandolin. Fit and finish unquestionably top notch with outstanding tone... in the opinion of a great many players.

Gibson F5-Ls/Ferns etc. don't all sound exactly alike of course but for the most part, they have a distinct Gibson sound. Collings mandolins sound very different to my ears. Some people like that difference, some don't. My best advice is to try before you buy.

[Bill McCall]

Chose the sound you like. Pay no attention to the name on the headstock. As they say about jazz, if it sounds good it is good.

[rcc56]

I've owned neither, but have played both.
I spent quite a bit of time playing a better grade Collings F-5 that belonged to a band mate. Like every other Collings I've played, it was a very good instrument. Collings instruments do have a sound of their own. Some folks swear by them, others swear at them. But they are consistently well built, and you'll just have to play them to see if the sound suits you.

I don't encounter modern era Gibsons very often, and I've played a few that were quite disappointing, and a couple that were so-so. But the last one I played was quite good. So it's been my experience that Gibsons vary too much to make generalizations about their tone.

Whatever you look at, pay attention to make sure that the neck is comfortable to you.

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And there are quite a few other alternatives these days. There are some very good builders out there these days, and some of those instruments can be found in your price range.

My current favorite among modern F-5's are Paul Newson's mandolins. Prices for his mandolins are around 8 to 9 thousand, so they're competitive with Gibson and Collings, but he doesn't make many of them. Gruhn Guitars is the exclusive dealer for his new instruments. If you're ever near Nashville when they have one [they don't right now], it would be worthwhile to try one.

[MikeEdgerton]

I've just never played a Collings F style that sounded right to me. My 2005 Gibson does sound right to me. I have friends that love their Collings mandolins, it's just not my preference. Another friend of mine has one of their guitars that I'd kill for. Play each and decide for yourself. When you find one that speaks to you buy it.

[marbelizer]

I own one of each. (see signature) I love them both. The Gibson is sweeter sounding in a way. It has the high lonesome sound in spades. It will produce a great old timey tremolo which sounds spot on to my ear. Think Louvin Brothers. I do a couple Stanley Brothers tunes that the Gibson is exactly what is called for.

My Gibson doesn't have much in the way of throatiness in its voice and I was wanting to fill that void. After playing a few Collings MFs I found the tone I was looking for. With it's red spruce top the Collings outshines the Gibson in volume and pop and has the darker throaty sound.

FWIW after comparing the two I noticed the Collings has a deeper tone box by about 1/8".

I hope I never have to part with either one.

[MashMeister]

I appreciate that. That’s exactly the info I was looking for ! Sounds like a great combo. Maybe it’s best to keep the Gibson and buy an additional mandolin ….

[Mainer73]

I appreciate that. That’s exactly the info I was looking for ! Sounds like a great combo. Maybe it’s best to keep the Gibson and buy an additional mandolin ….

And like that, you have the answer to your question! 😆

[FLATROCK HILL]

Maybe it’s best to keep the Gibson and buy an additional mandolin ….

Well "Duh!" comes to mind but it sounds rude so I went ahead and looked this up. From Merriam Webster...

Epiphany:

: an intuitive grasp of reality through something (such as an event) usually simple and striking

: an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure

: a revealing scene or moment

The other term that comes to mind... 'Slippery Slope'.

[rcc56]

Assuming you have the money:

If unmarried, no problem.
If married to a musician, you have to buy her one too.
If married to a non-musician, you have to buy her several things of her liking . . .