I've gone mando crazy NMD Flatiron Performer A

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Br1ck

Tell me your thoughts haven't already gone there, and I'll feel guilty. It's like a guy having a Matisse and lusting for a Monet. Or two. But really, you have at least six months reprieve. At least you should.

You know, my thoughts haven't gone there, and I'm collector of instruments by nature. But with mandolins, I wanted an F model, and A model, and an Oval, I have all of the above. When I had my Breedlove A and the F models, I loved the tone, and I recorded a lot of songs with them, but was not a fan of the wide neck. So I'm replacing them with the Gibsons and the Flatiron, which frankly is a Gibson in disguise. I am huge fan of Gibson tone as it works well in the blues and rock and roll genres that I live. My F5G will be used on most of my rock and roll recordings, the A1 Oval for the blues, and the Flatiron for the gentle stuff.

[Br1ck]

OK, now I feel guilty. Just don't pick up an Ellis.

For those wanting a really good mandolin for non bluegrass styles, you can get a Silverangel new or used for around $1500. You can play BG on one, but it really shines on softer styles where lush is more important than slam. A SA was my first good mandolin, bought used for $1400 six years ago. Really pretty tone. I've been thinking of selling it and my 13 A1 and buying a snakehead from 22-24.

Man, seven years has flown by since I bought that Eastman MD 505. The Eastman got me hooked, but lasted a mere two months. Just didn't have a good G string.

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Br1ck

OK, now I feel guilty. Just don't pick up an Ellis.

For those wanting a really good mandolin for non bluegrass styles, you can get a Silverangel new or used for around $1500. You can play BG on one, but it really shines on softer styles where lush is more important than slam. A SA was my first good mandolin, bought used for $1400 six years ago. Really pretty tone. I've been thinking of selling it and my 13 A1 and buying a snakehead from 22-24.

Man, seven years has flown by since I bought that Eastman MD 505. The Eastman got me hooked, but lasted a mere two months. Just didn't have a good G string.

Don't feel guilty I was only joking about pitting those seeds in my ear

I agree you need to play a few mandolins to get the feel for what you want. And sometimes a few of the same brand and model as they all have individual personalities. And sometimes playing the high dollar ones is like getting a taste of something addictive. I have played some serious high dollar mandolins and they do have a responsiveness that is great, and they are beautiful to boot!

And you have to figure out what sound is going to work best for your playing style. There is so much difference in the sound of an oval to a f-hole mandolin. And then there's the width of the neck, that's another whole Oprah

That said. I'm a Gibson man, and it doesn't end with mandolins, my two main gigging acoustics are a J45 and a Nick Lucas Special. And as many people here know, there are many high dollar boutique acoustic guitar builders that probably use better woods and techniques than Gibson does, but my Gibson guitars have a bronze-y sounding tone that just works for me.

[Br1ck]

My daughter was trying out cello bows in a high end string shop, Roland Feller's in San Francisco. Bows in the plus or minus $3000 range. A nice looking cello caught her eye and she picked it up and played for about thirty seconds and abruptly put it back. It was just wonderful. Later we asked and found out it was 200 years old and $75,000. Worth it.

I'm done with the not worth the money argument. Many instruments are, but I try to stay away, because I really have instruments that are good enough, and I use the term in the most positive light. The Ellis I played was one of those ok, put it down quick before your brain imprints the tone. That said, my Weber is plenty good enough. My A 1 is like a completely different instrument because it is, but you get the gist.

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Br1ck

My daughter was trying out cello bows in a high end string shop, Roland Feller's in San Francisco. Bows in the plus or minus $3000 range. A nice looking cello caught her eye and she picked it up and played for about thirty seconds and abruptly put it back. It was just wonderful. Later we asked and found out it was 200 years old and $75,000. Worth it.

I'm done with the not worth the money argument. Many instruments are, but I try to stay away, because I really have instruments that are good enough, and I use the term in the most positive light. The Ellis I played was one of those ok, put it down quick before your brain imprints the tone. That said, my Weber is plenty good enough. My A 1 is like a completely different instrument because it is, but you get the gist.

It's funny that you brought up the bow, as the dean of music of the local college who is one of the best viola-ists in the country, sits in with me. And we've discussed the costs of bows, and he explained the differences to me numerous times. So yes, there are expensive items that are worth it to people who can hear and appreciate what they bring to the table. I also don't like the not worth the money argument. My pedal board when I play live is all top of the line stuff and that makes my pedalboard cost more than many peoples guitars, but I use it 5 times a week and it makes my job easier, my tone consistent, and is ridiculously reliable. Worth it to me!!!

As for the A-1, yes I get the gist. The are part of the evolution of the Gibson mandolin, and they have a sound that is perfect for certain things. But they are rudimentary in ways, and the neck width is a bit wide, so you have to adapt to that. Also the overtones of the oval holes can be a bit too much sometimes I love what they bring to the table tonewise, but I appreciate the feel and tone of my modern built F5G more.

[Br1ck]

Ha! I've got a violist daughter too. One day halfway through her doctorate at UCLA (shameless dad proud plug) her prof just said, you can't go any further with that bow. What's another $2000 on top of a hundred grand already. Oh do I regret saying I'd pay her car insurance and cell phone until she was out of college. Little did I know...

But different instruments are a joy to own. My A 1 has the finest finish checking I've ever seen. You have to bounce light off of it and look at a steep angle to see it. Gibson F styles just have THE tone for bluegrass.

[Gibcaster000]

Congrats on a beautiful new mando, it should make a fine and worthy companion to your others.

Originally Posted by Br1ck

The Dave Harvey era is truly a golden time. And really, if you want a Gibson tone you need a Gibson. The lowly ( Ha, $5,000+) F 9 is a fine sounding mandolin.

I'll second this. I stumbled into a Gibson Jam Master (basically an even more dressed-down A-9 with a wider nut, radiused fretboard and jumbo frets) that is an absolute blast to play. Kind of a sleeper with the simple looks and dumb name, but it definitely punches above its weight class.

[Chickee]

Happy Belated Birthday DannyBoy! Just saw this post.

What a cool little flattop that A body looks like. Crisp and clean. Great duet you posted too! I really enjoyed it.

No wonder I haven't seen you on the electric line lately, between buying and selling mandolins, nylon strung resonators, an archtop brought back from the brink of disintegrating, you’re a busy guy.

Happy Birthday again Dano!
fd

[Brent Hutto]

I'm a lover of a nice A-style mandolin, especially with flatwounds and that's a fine one.

[Br1ck]

Going to Gryphon today for strings. Dare I play the Dudenbostel? I have very mixed feelings. I'm so happy with my Webber right now.

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Chickee

Happy Belated Birthday DannyBoy! Just saw this post.

What a cool little flattop that A body looks like. Crisp and clean. Great duet you posted too! I really enjoyed it.

No wonder I haven't seen you on the electric line lately, between buying and selling mandolins, nylon strung resonators, an archtop brought back from the brink of disintegrating, you’re a busy guy.

Happy Birthday again Dano!
fd

Thanks Frank, the A is actually a carved top! My photography skills must be crap

And yes I have been more busy with the acoustic instruments lately, typically I go back and forth. My gigging season is almost to the slow down period because the resorts that I play at for most of my steady gigs don't really do much from November till about the 2 week in December (then all hell breaks loose), so I plan on doing some songwriting and recording. That way when I get into the winter season, I have new original music to play and sell. When performing, I usually play an original song every other song. Most of the music I write is acoustic based, so it makes it fun to start with some new acoustic instruments every season

Another thing I've been doing is upgrading my home recording software. I know this might seem backwards to some people, but my recording computers are still running Windows 7. As they just run so solid, but many of plug-in companies won't support 7, so I bought another Windows 10 laptop and have been slowly migrating my stuff over to it. I also am trying the newest version of Samplitude (7) as a DAW alternative to what I was using, SONAR. I just started a little love song for my girl as a test, when I finish it, I will send you a copy.

Thanks for the birthday wishes!

And I'm glad you liked the duet with the archtop. That was the first time that I recorded an archtop guitar. And it was fun recording the acoustic tone of it instead of the pickup. I'm not really an archtop player, as I'm not really jazz oriented, but I liked that tone with it's dryness and quick decay. It really does sound like an old guitar, in the best of ways.

Originally Posted by Brent Hutto

I'm a lover of a nice A-style mandolin, especially with flatwounds and that's a fine one.

Thanks Brent, it really is a nice little mando. It's not very loud, but with the flatwounds it has a warmth/woodiness to the notes with a very balanced tone, not plinky, like so many lesser mandos.

Originally Posted by Br1ck

Going to Gryphon today for strings. Dare I play the Dudenbostel? I have very mixed feelings. I'm so happy with my Webber right now.

Yeah play the thing, you might find that you like your Webber even more when you see how favorably it compares

It really is a beauty though... https://www.gryphonstrings.com/colle...-mandolin-used

$14,000 must be more for the rarity than the tone though, as I'm sure there are plenty of GREAT mandolin builders that can build that fine of an instrument for less. How much better can it be than an Ellis A?

As I always tell you, my Gibson F5G does it for me, and the only thing that limits me with that mando is me. I plan on using it all over my next CD as it is so dang inspiring.

[Chickee]

[QUOTE=rockabilly69;7090633]Thanks Frank, the A is actually a carved top! My photography skills must be crap

No Rocky, it certainly isn’t your photographic skills that are lacking. It’s my senior citizen brain confusing flattop with Flatiron!!! As always, your lens work is impeccable.

And send me a copy of the new ode du love upon completion please.

All the best to you, Rocky.
frank d.

[Brent Hutto]

Originally Posted by Br1ck

Going to Gryphon today for strings. Dare I play the Dudenbostel? I have very mixed feelings. I'm so happy with my Webber right now.

A good few years ago I actually met Lynn Dudenbostel and got to see his workshop. Really nice guy to talk to and very well spoken when it comes to explaining his craft and his process.

He makes instruments that go beyond being "well balanced", I'd say they sound "complete". Gorgeous stuff.

[Br1ck]

I find these jewels to be worth the money for what they are, the creme de la creme. There was a Red Diamond too. I let them hang on the wall. I find no use playing something I would not buy. It's certainly educational, but once tone gets etched in your brain, well you can't unhear it. I did play an 04 Custom D 28 that was really good. Had a big fat neck and an adi top. That was bad enough.

There is a tier of F 5 that is around $12,000 that are pretty good. The Ellis, Collings varnish, some nice Gibsons, etc. Then there is the Dudenbostel, Gilchrist, Gibson master $20,000+ tier. Only thing above that are the Loars. They sell them, therefore they are worth it. At some point they become too good to use, by that I mean really take out to play.

An interesting footnote, when I picked up my Weber from my luthier, he said he had a customer that had money and could buy what he wanted. He collected Gilchrist and Weber mandolins. I thought it an odd pairing from the expensive to the fairly reasonable, but it was what he liked, so there you go. I do know my Weber was very much in the Collings/Northfield ballpark when I bought it. Sounds so much better now, and being a relic with 14 years worth of honest play wear, I don't worry about it at all. That is worth a lot.

I do know that there were probably thirty guitars in Gryphon I could happily live with. Certainly the $6000 SCGCs aren't twice the guitar a D 18 is. There was a Brazilian/moon spruce SCGC OM that was a beauty. It seems the fingerstyle folks go nuts for expensive guitars. As always the $80 I spent on strings bought a fair bit of entertainment. I'm finding that changing strings every three week's worth of playing is well worth it. Every time I think it's foolish to change strings, I find that, no, it isn't. I resolve to change mandolin strings more often too.