Gibson Master Model F5L 2007 'Fern' Mandolin - Pre-Loved

Dating from March 22, 2007, and hand built in Nashville, Tennessee, this Gibson F5L Master Model 'Fern' is an exceptional instrument. This one is in very good condition, with only the slightest amount of shrinkage around the fret ends, but no real marks or scratches. It comes in a fitted hardcase.

This Gibson F-5L Fern has the ‘L’ designation, for Lloyd Loar; the F-5L model was introduced in 1978 as a return to the specifications Lloyd Loar used on his original F-5 Master Model instruments between 1922 and 1924.

While Gibson arguably invented the modern mandolin with the combination of violin and mandolin elements, and Gibson mandolins were the standby for perhaps a century, Gibson mandolins have been hard to come by for some time, particularly in Australia. This is partly due to a focus by a lot of the musical world on guitars, but also partly due to the devastating effects of the 2010 floods in Nashville. These floods destroyed key elements of Gibson’s mandolin and banjo production, and it was two years before we started seeing any mandolins from Gibson – no banjos have been made since.

The Gibson F-5L Fern mandolin features the classic F-style scroll body, with a carved spruce top, flame maple sides and a carved flame maple back. The neck is flame maple with a rounded V profile, bound ebony fingerboard, and a lovely fern inlay on the headstock. Of course, it sounds like a Gibson F-5 mandolin – lots of volume, presence and projection, with a great mix of brightness and depth.