I apologize in advance for my ignorance, but I am still a relative newcomer to mandolin. I am still trying to understand why players of certain genres of music gravitate towards certain mandolin styles. It seems that F style is the Bluegrass choice, while A style is often the choice for folk, old time, Celtic, etc. Even though many have voiced the opinion on this forum that the scroll of an F style doesn't really contribute to the sound quality. This viewpoint would imply that A style CAN be used for BG. And the F style choice for BG is simply a tradition (due to the "Monroe effect"?) or a personal choice based on a preference for the appearance.
Now I am puzzled by 2 points. I have never played one, or even seen one in person. But based on pictures I've seen they don't look that much different than a regular A style. Are they that much different? Do the points make a sound difference, or is it like the scroll on F style, mostly for looks? The ones I've seen sure are pretty. And it seems like they are the mandolin of choice for jazz. Why is that? Like I say, I'm just curious and still trying to sort out this big wide world of mandolins.
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