Well, for the first thread I start here on this fantastic forum, I figure I may as well jump in right up to my neck...
So here's what I've been pondering for awhile:
It's no mystery why people make F5 style mandolins, as they are truly beautiful instruments. But, I'm wondering why people keep reproducing F5 copies including all the obvious inaccuracies and inconsistencies. For example, the curves on the sides aren't symmetrical. The section between the point is more bulbous than the other side. The neck is woefully off-center. I can't imagine that this was done by design...my guess is that if Gibson and Mr. Loar had access to good a CAD system and good machinery, these instruments would never have had necks attached on a funky angle. There are also two waist areas, one for the point at the upper bout (to borrow from guitar terminology), and another for the scroll area. To accommodate the scroll, the neck block has also been modified to be asymmetrical at the neck joint area. The curve on the scroll side has been pushed inward to allow for the scroll.
So why not redesign the F5 to have all of it's great styling, and yet give it a more balanced and symmetrical look, while retaining the scroll and points? Is it purely out of tradition that this isn't done? What gives? I'm wanting to make an F5, but find that the two sides of my brain are at odds with one another...one side wants it to look like an F5, the other wants it to look "right".
All thoughts welcome to the conversation.
Thanks!
Don
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