While lost in an ocean of Loar signed F5s in Knoxville this weekend, this gem was on display. An old Gibson F4 with a factory original F5 neck. I've always liked that configuration, especially with an elevated fingerboard.
While lost in an ocean of Loar signed F5s in Knoxville this weekend, this gem was on display. An old Gibson F4 with a factory original F5 neck. I've always liked that configuration, especially with an elevated fingerboard.
James: Do you know what year that was made? Late 20’s? I also wonder if it has F-5 bracing or some hybrid thereof.
Jim
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19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
I remember this F-4 from the last gathering down in Knoxville, I thought it was neat! I don't remember the exact year as it was pretty much all in all instrument overload. It looks like the peghead inlays are from 1928. I'd say late 20's but Gibson did use "floor sweep" parts in the 1930's. So without the # hard to exactly say.
Beautiful. Gibson’s best finish color, imho.
Not all the clams are at the beach
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Arrow Jazzbo
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Gibson F5L
Gibson A-4
Ratliff CountryBoy A
Am I seeing correctly; 32 frets? Never seen that many before.🤔
Last edited by FLATROCK HILL; Jan-16-2023 at 5:06pm.
"I play BG so that's what I can talk intelligently about." A line I loved and pirated from Mandoplumb
Beautiful mandolin...but, I don't know, that bridge position bothers me. Did you have a chance to play it James? If so, how did it sound?
Charley
A bunch of stuff with four strings
And that pickguard size/location. Reminds of that "One Piece At A Time" (Johnny Cash) song...
2018 Kentucky KM-950, 2017 Ellis A5 Deluxe
I think the bridge position looks odd as well. Almost as if someone changed the neck and to make intonation correct, the bridge HAD TO BE THERE.
The rest of it looks great but I've just compared it with my own F4 and the bridge is way forward to where it would normally be.
I think it looks great! The bridge is where it needs to be with the 5 scale longer neck-board. It's either a custom ordered job or a prototype that never took off due to the depression. Gibson had many neat prototypes and one offs from its inception all the way through the pre-war years, well all years really.
Rare and amazing! But just looks darn wrong to me.
I'll stick to my regular F4s and 5s thanks
If it plays and sounds good, that's what I'd care more about than looks or rarity. YMMV
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