Charlotte NC Mando Shopping

[Hog on Ice]

I'm going to be in Charlotte NC the first week of October for a conference. Don't tell my boss, but I figure by Saturday I'll be pretty burned out and hope to skip out and go mandolin shopping.

A search on the Cafe and on Google turned up very little in the way of mando availability in the Charlotte area, except for Harry & Jeanie West (http://www.harryandjeaniewest.com/index2.ivnu) in Statesville, about 45 minutes north of Charlotte. So far, it's the best shop I've been able to find within 50 miles. Does anyone know of anywhere else a guy might find a mandolin?

My problem is that I won't have a car while I'm there (the university I work for is too cheap to rent me one, and I'm trying to save money for a new mando). Is there anyone in the Charlotte area that wants to go to Statesville on Saturday, Oct 7 to visit the Wests and play some of their instruments? I'd sure like to ride along, and I'll buy lunch.

Let me know by PM if you want to take a road trip....

Cheers, y'all!

c~

[Big Joe]

Jackson's Music in Winston Salem will have a good supply of Gibson Bluegrass instruments. They are great people and a joy to deal with.

[csstanley]

Big Joe, that'd be an aweful big cab ride for the fella to come up to Winston. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

You may want to check in the phone book when ya get into town. You'll find more like that than on the internet. A lot of music stores don't have web sites up and running yet. Hames Music across the border in South Carolina has a HUGE inventory from what I hear. But nothing on the internet.

But Big Joe is right, if you could make it up this way, Jackson's is a superb shop to sit and jam in. I've gone in quite a few times now this summer and went back in the "special" room to salivate. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

Too bad ya aint up no closer or I'd come and get ya. But thats a 2 hour drive for me.

[Russ Jordan]

Hames Music would not be worth the effort if looking for a mandolin.

[batman]

I think that CE Ward still lives in Concord. Might give him a shout. DB

[csstanley]

Hames Music would not be worth the effort if looking for a mandolin.
I was only goin by what someone else passed along. Thanks for the correction. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[AlanN]

Go to F5Loar's house, you won't be sorry.

[Russ Jordan]

Quote (Russ Jordan @ Sep. 20 2005, 15:23)
Hames Music would not be worth the effort if looking for a mandolin.

Quote ccstanley: I was only goin by what someone else passed along. Thanks for the correction.

Didn't mean to appear "short". Hames is a pretty good place for sound gear and electrics. They have a small acoustic room where they might have a few Martin guitars, and other acoustics. When they were a Gibson dealer, they may have had 2 or 3 Gibson mandolins in stock and a couple of Washburns or something similar or cheaper. But not enough mando stock to make a special trip for, IMO.

[f5loar]

F5Loar ain't got no mandos to sell only to look at.
Without a car to get around it's going to be tough to go to all these places listed. Hard to find willing souls to visit Harry on the whim. Takes lots of time to see his stuff if you know what I mean. Not sure what CEWard is up to these days so not sure if he has anything to sell at all. There is a Sam Ash in South Charlotte. You need wheels!

[Hog on Ice]

No doubt, wheels would help...

I just looked at Hames' web site (http://www.hamesmusic.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=mandolin&x=0&y=0) - about all they show in their catalog are low end pac-rim mandos. There's a Sam Ash and a Guitar Center in Charlotte, but I'm thinking if I'm going to sneak out of work, it may as well be to go where there's a good chance of finding a decent selection.

One of the things that attracted me to Harry and Jeanie West (http://www.harryandjeaniewest.com/index2.ivnu) was their focus on acoustic instruments, and apparently a pretty large selection of new and used mandos in a wide range of prices. Looks like a place where you could spend the better part of a day.


I'm taking a mando with me to the conference, so even if I don't hook up with someone with a tank full of gas and itchy fingers, I can do something besides talk about Authorware all week.

c~

[Links]

Russ is right about about Hames - not worth the trip just to look at mandolins.

Of all the choices, I would go see Jeannie amd Harry West (you will enjoy meeting Harry). Jackson's Music is also good, but about an hour further than Harry's.

[diamond ace]

Good luck with Harry and company. He's not that easy to deal with in my experance. He has lots of great stuff and some very rare instruments but he don't care if you or anyone ever buys anything from him or not. If you find somethig you like he is likely to say...."If you can find me a <insert rare and hard to find instrument here> I will trade with you. That's just my experiance. But is is fun to go look if your in the area.

Good Luck.

[mandoman4807]

Harry is a very eccentric individual for sure! It is true what was said earlier about Harry. He don`t care if you buy anything he has. I think he just likes to be surrounded by his acoustic instruments. When you try to make a deal with him, he starts to talk in circles. Thats when I walk out!

DS

[f5loar]

The hardest thing to get out of Harry West is the price he wants. Not the price he is asking or is on the sticker(usually the newest retail price) but the price he is willing to part with it. He's got some really great mandolins in stock right now and he don't mind you plucking on them all day but if you find one you want getting the price is pretty tough. Many do walk out empty handed. He still does mail orders.

[kudzugypsy]

everybody needs to at least visit and meet harry at least once in their lifetime. i'll never forget the first time i visited his shop - i about fainted - this was years ago, but the place was STACKED with old pre-war instruments - it was like one of those dreams where you found a basement full of pre-war goodies. you're all right though, he aint gonna sweat it if you leave their empty handed. i will say the best pre-war d-28 herringbone i ever laid hands on was in his shop - of course i asked him about it, and of couse, it wasnt "for sale" - little did i know, thats how he replied to almost everything or i would have made him an offer. he had one room off to the side with 20's rectangular gibson mando cases just stacked up - there is no telling what he has accumulated over the years.

[AlanN]

Does he still have the green Paganoni? He told me a rambling 'dream' story about it once.

[Hog on Ice]

Sounds like I may have to rent a car for a day just to go see him. I've only played my cheap Kentucky mando, and wanted to play some others to help me decide what I'm looking for in an upgrade. Harry's shop sounds like the perfect place for that.

It's pretty unlikely that I would buy anything that day, unless I found something that would bring me enough joy to offset the grief I would catch from my wife... that would have to be a lot of joy!

[kudzugypsy]

hey alan, the green pag is for sale on his website for a mere $37K!!!! hahaha, and all you folks thought that dudes, nuggets & gils were the hier to the Loar throne : )

alan,
what bewilders me is that mando is #35 dated 1973...yet doyle's is #9 and is a 73-74? not only that, but I OWN paganoni #35...its sitting right here getting ready to go play a gig at the Biltmore Estate this weekend. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[AlanN]

kg -

37k, huh? Reminds me of the time Dempsey Young told me he was offered 40 for his old Hutto F-5. I said "And you didn't sell? Foolish boy!"

Good gig at the Biltmore http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif . Pray for the Texas folks http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

[f5loar]

Rent a car to see Harry? Well by this weekend Gas will be $4 a gallon. Car rental maybe as low as $40 for the day.
Sure I'd go for it to spend 3 or 4 hours picking on Harry's current wall display(I was just there 2 weeks ago).
Don't expect to see the Green Pag though. Loars are all gone now. He's got some real odd ball things there worth picking a few on. He has quite a few new mandolins worth getting. If I were you I would go there and if something strikes your fancy get the model number and all information on the ticket but don't ask him what he wants for it. Go back home and call him and get a price over the phone and if you like the price he will ship it saving you the NC 7% sales tax. Harry pricing the Green Pag at $37K is a nice way of saying "it ain't for sale".

[Links]

Not only did Harry have a green Pag, he had all kinds of other F-5s in various and sundry colors from various builders. Have to admit I never cared much for any of them, even the Pag.

Still worth the visit and Harry's OK!