Gibson F12 rebuild by Jonathan McClanahan, owned by Bryan Paige

Welcome to McClanahan Stringed Instruments
In this video, you will see Master Luthier Jonathan McClanahan perform a "rebuild" of this vintage 1949 Gibson F12 mandolin. Jonathan has decades of experience working with all makes and models of vintage instruments ranging from mandolins, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, violins, lutes, basses, stand up basses etc...
McClanahan Stringed Instruments is based in Nashville Tennessee where Jonathan McClanahan builds his musical instruments by hand with many of the Old World traditions. Jonathan began his career as a teenage musician doing his own repair work. This knowledge of Luthiery eventually landed him a job at the Gibson Custom Shop where he and his co-workers built guitars for world renown Artist such as: Jimmy Page, Angus Young, Eric Clapton, Vince Gill, Paul McCartney, Ozzy Osbourne, Chet Atkins, Slash and many more. Jonathan eventually answered the call to build his own musical instruments and hasn't looked back. His primary focus is building his own line of McClanahan mandolins and Carve Top guitars as well as doing extensive repair work on Legendary Vintage instruments of all kinds.
You can also find Jonathan's work on his website: www.mcclanahanstringedinstruments.com
Email - [e-mail]
Cell - 615-557-3342
Send all comments or questions to:
Facebook: / jonathan.a.mcclanahan
Instagram: / mandolin_architect
Website: mcclanahanstrin...

[@robbychism]

I love these re-voicings. It makes me wonder what my F5-G could become after something like this

[@McClanahanStringedInstruments]

Hey Robby…. To be honest, the F5 G’s sound great and are very consistent in their construction.

[@boco1951]

Wow that’s really fine! Would love to see more videos of your work!

[@McClanahanStringedInstruments]

Hey boco1951…. Check out my channel! You’ll see a lot of stuff like this on there. Thanks!

[@lemurbait2]

That thing sounds sweet now. Nice work!

[@McClanahanStringedInstruments]

I’m glad you like it! Thanks!

[@dr.p3637]

Well done sir. You are a master luthier if I have ever seen one. The work and finish on is gorgeous. So impressive. If Mr. Paige decides he wants to sell it Lord have mercy..... let me know🙂

[@McClanahanStringedInstruments]

He loves this mandolin. I doubt he’d sell it 😊. I’m really glad you like it. Thank you

[@BenAdam-om2hr]

Bostin job, Jonathan! It looks and sounds better than ever, I'll bet. The customer must be well pleased with it.

[@McClanahanStringedInstruments]

Thank you Ben! Yes, he is overly pleased with it 😊

[@luvbgrass]

Great work! Really good sounding mandolin now.

[@McClanahanStringedInstruments]

Thank you!!!

[@simon-oy6um]

Like what you did its singing now 😊😊😇🥰

[@McClanahanStringedInstruments]

Thank you!!!

[@peterjames2580]

Great job!! Wonderful tone WOW!!!

[@Mandolin1944]

Those mandolins from 1949 - 51 right at the time Gibson first "re-introduced" the F-12/F-5 mandolin (after WWII) had a fret boards laying on the top board (like the F-2/F-4s) and only later circa '52 did they start to elevate the fret board again (although not Loar style). This '49 is elevated off the top board like a post '52 F-5/F-12 -- did you do that? Sounds and looks awesome!

[@McClanahanStringedInstruments]

I was rebuilding a few of these at the time I was doing this one. I may have got the year wrong? 😢

[@Mandolin1944]

@@McClanahanStringedInstruments Thanks! Apparently, weird as it might seem, when Gibson decided to start making F-style mandolins again in the winter of 1948 (an 8-year hiatus) there was no one still at the factory who had built a Loar-spec F-5 ?? Another story that went around is that they had a lot of F-2/F-4 fret boards around to use up -- but that one does not make sense does it? Those fret boards would not have worked right?

[@McClanahanStringedInstruments]

I can definitely see many fingerboards made up in advance, as well as tops, backs, necks etc…. It was definitely a production setting so they would’ve made up all the pieces in advance. Jim Hutchins was my boss (and Gibson Historian) at the Gibson Custom Shop. He worked at the Kalamazoo plant for decades and he told me stories of how production was done back then. It was very different than what you would expect.

[@WildwoodvalleyBoy]

...wonder why...-on all of my Gibson Fs,... the 15th fret inlay is even with the center of the scroll ,...this one is off by about 1/2 fret ?...can you explain ?,...also -white binding lines are supposed to line up precisely with the 15th fret on both sides ??

[@McClanahanStringedInstruments]

It’s just the way it was built. That happened a lot in that era. It can also be because of the angle that I took the picture.

[@velvetunderpants44]

Fabulous sound!

[@McClanahanStringedInstruments]

Thanks!