Signed & dated Feb 18th 2026.
Wiens F5 #53, Feb.18 2026
This instrument features an off-quarter Adirondack spruce soundboard with tone-bar bracing and a 2-piece spiral flame sugar maple back with matching sides & neck. This instrument is among the lightest Sugar maple F5’s I’ve ever built. It’s powerful and has the upper mid response and chop that says Bluegrass, along with a very strong E string . I’m very proud of this one.
The back sides & neck of this instrument are hard sugar maple cut on the rift (Spiral flame). The flame figure is my personal favorite both visually and tonally, and the soundboard is some very fine quartersawn Adirondack Spruce. Both were sourced from Old Standard Wood company. The instrument is constructed with hot hide glue and features the latest evolution of my hand applied color and finish treatment
The Fingerboard is of the finest Ebony of course. This one features a subtle compound radius neck that starts at 7.25″ R at the nut and flattens to 20″ R at the bridge. It is scooped at the top end with inlaid silver wire faux frets.
Speaking of the Bridge. It is a handmade Wiens replica of the Loar-era Gibsons, It’s been blacked and polished. A replica patent stamp completes the vintage look. I’ve installed this one with a 5 degree back angle. Leaning back slightly and digging in nicely. Tone town.
Pickguard is all celluloid and completely made by hand using no glue. Only acetone is used to weld the material together. The Wiens pickguard incorporates an inlaid steel rod in the reinforcement strip just like the Loar-era examples. Again a replica patent stamp completes the vintage Loar look. Satin Nickel Golden Age tuners and a James tailpiece round out the hardware on this one.
This instrument is sold
Please feel free to contact me directly by phone @ 250-421-1550