Gibson has announced the imminent release of a pair of new mandolins, surely of interest to bluegrass musicians. The Sierra Hull F-5 Master Model mandolin and a Sierra Hull F-5G are set to begin shipping on October 7.
Sierra is clearly among the most creative and technically advanced players to ever hold a mandolin, certainly worthy of being the first female artist so honored. She is a six-time winner of the IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year award, for which she is nominated again this year.
Both signature mandolins will be finished in a new sunburst that Gibson is calling a Sierra Burst, using their VOS varnish process which closely mimics the look of a much older instrument on the Master Model.
Both will be based on her 2009 F-5 Master Model, with custom modifications yet to be disclosed.
Hull says that this has been a very exciting time of discovery.
“We spent about two years talking and dreaming about what this mandolin would become. The exciting thing for me is that the mandolin that I have played exclusively since 2009 was signed by Master Luthier David Harvey. It’s become my voice after so many years of playing it. Being able to work on this project with David personally gave me the confidence that we’d be able to achieve something unique, while still honoring the legacy and history of those beloved Master Model mandolins. It’s exciting and full circle to see these new mandolins with my name on them and his signature inside.
When I finally played the prototype for the first time, I knew these instruments would be something that I could be proud of. They are hand-built with the highest level of quality by the team at Gibson—many folks who have worked there for years. Mandolins can also be very expensive. They take a lot of time and care to build right. If I’m going to put my name on something with that kind of price tag, it needs to be a great instrument and something long-lasting.
I truly believe these mandolins are, and I’m really proud of that.”
Pricing hasn’t been announced for these two new Sierra Hull models, but the standard F-5 Master Model carries a price of $19,999, so expect hers to be in this same range. The stock F-5G sells for $5,999 by comparison.
We hope to speak with Sierra later this week to find out more about the process that has led to her signature mandolin models, and perhaps we can learn more then.
This is something to eagerly look forward to!
