Don

If by fiddle-back you mean arched and carved as opposed to flat, yes those
guitars usually have a slightly different sound to them because of the shape of
the body.  And for some reason, virtually all of them are maple, and most of the
maple is fiddle backed.  The first steel stringed guitars were like this, made
by Gibson, who had a violin background.  He made mandolins and guitars but made
them the same way as violins - down to the “f” shaped soundholes.

Here is one with great provenance and really well played:

https://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=8XZi1MFVmxE ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XZi1MFVmxE>


Might go for $50,000+.  Here is one of the best mandolins - yow $175,000:

https://cartervintage.com/collections/loar-signed/products/1923-gibson-
f-6?variant=23455852867">https://cartervintage.com/collections/loar-
signed/products/1923-gibson-f-6?variant=23455852867 <https://cartervintage.com/collections/loar-signed/products/1923-gibson-f-6
?variant=23455852867">https://cartervintage.com/collections/loar-
signed/products/1923-gibson-f-6?variant=23455852867>

That whole maple/carved body thing got out of hand in the 20’s when there were
entire bands of just mandolin instruments:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/37043297674/in/dateposted-
public/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/37043297674/in/dateposted-
public/ <https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/37043297674/in
/dateposted-public/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/37043297674/in
/dateposted-public/>

Here are mandolins (violin sized) mandolas (viola), mandocellos (cello) and even
a rare mando-bass (bass).  This was a fad right before ukulele’s and just after
banjo’s - must have been quite an experience.  Here are 7 different sizes -
check the contra-bass:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/37043366244/in/dateposted-
public/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/37043366244/in/dateposted-
public/ <https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/37043366244/in
/dateposted-public/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/37043366244/in
/dateposted-public/>

People are amazing

Ed Minch