Quote:
Originally Posted by posternutbag
There are people who say they can tell the difference between an F5 (Florentine body with violin like F shaped holes) and an A5 (pear shaped body with F holes). I can hear variations in tone between F5 mandolins and A5 mandolins, but I don't think there is a clearly defined F5 tone that can be differentiated from an A5 tone, and the tonal characteristics inherent to a builder far outweigh the variations that can be attributed to body style.
To put it another way, an Ellis F5 will sound more like an Ellis A5 than it will sound like a Gibson F5. A Gilchrist F5 will sound more like a Gilchrist A5 than it will sound like some other, "insert brand here".
To make the situation even more complicated, what is a "Gibson" tone? I have played many Gibson mandolins and heard even more, and there is much variation even between Gibson F5s. Some are fantastic, some not so much.
Of course, there can be similarities. A 1990's Gibson will sound a lot like a 1990's Flatiron, as they were built side-by-side, more or less.
To your point about the value of an F5 vs. an A5. I think it is a personal decision about how important the looks of an instrument are vs build quality, fit and finish and tone.
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I agree about builder similarity. Sort of where the caveat "all things being equal" comes into play. Even within builders, the differences can come from the approach to building A's versus F's. You do see more variation in A builds with X bracing and oval sound holes coming onto the mix.