View Full Version : buying a good mandolin
recently, I played a Givens Legacy F-model mando. It felt and sounded great but I've never heard of them before. I know of Givens but not the legacy. Can anyone tell me more?
Windflite
Nov-10-2005, 7:57am
Try...
1)
Givens info link... (http://www.burtsmusicandsound.com/givins_mando.htm) #
2) Search the cafe for Givens Legacy. #There have been several threads in the past...
3) Give the nice folks at Greg Boyds a shout. #They are considered by many to be the Givens guru's...
Hope this helps. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Frank Russell
Nov-10-2005, 9:46am
I've only played a few Legacy mandolins, as opposed to the many Givens I've played, (and owned a few). The ones I played were nice looking, and played pretty well, but were not in the same league tone and volume wise as the real thing. I recently bought an R.L. Givens A4 that is a killer, and it only cost a few hundred more than one of Steve Weill's deluxe models. I think that they are a tad overpriced, and I personally would like to see Mr. Weill branch out on his own and make mandolins under his own name. I just think there's something a bit off about continuing to use the same name when the creator is dead. I don't think people would react the same to "Sim Daley's Gibson Legacy Mandolins." Didn't mean to get too snippy, these Legacys are solid and well-built, and if one came along at a good price, I'd jump on it. I would just prefer to see Mr. Weill put his own distinctive stamp on his creations, as he appears to be a capable builder. Besides that, how is my Givens' value going to triple when someone is still making Givens-style instruments? Frank needs some equity here.
RolandTumble
Nov-10-2005, 1:52pm
Orville has been dead for a while now....
Mandobar
Nov-10-2005, 1:57pm
the F5's are very nice. i have a used F5 for sale. had a few offers. why sell it? the b-word (brentrup). steve made a lot of mandos with bob- remember, towards the end bob was pretty sick. stevee makes nice mandos at a good price. lots of value there. frank, i hate to tell you, but i've played a lot of bob givens mandos and some are not er, not as good as others (trying to be politically correct). i've decided that if you like it play it, hold onto it, but don't expect it to accrue. look at the d'angelico guitars. several years ago the prices on those bottomed out.
Frank Russell
Nov-10-2005, 2:10pm
Yes, Roland, I was waiting for someone to bring that up, but as you well know, we no longer see the Orville-style A's or 3 points with the Orville Gibson label being produced widely. #Givens Legacy mandolins are like carbon copies of the originals, right down to the signature inlays. There's a big difference between carrying on a company or corporation name like Gibson or Ford, and a small (though prolific) builder like R.L. Givens. Boy, this is turning into a rant, and I have absolutely nothing against the Legacy mandolins. I just always thought this was a weird deal, especially since the real Givens are still out there and available, even to working folks like me who really have to think hard about dropping so much money on an instrument. To answer Mary Y, maybe my experience is more limited than your own, but of the several Givens I've played, and the two I owned myself, I have yet to hear an outright "clunker." The one I played that was not as loud made up for it in pure sweet tone. A friend I play with used to own three, until I bought one of his, and they all scream with volume, tone, and playability. The others have all been in music stores and at jams. So far, never met one I wouldn't buy. Frank
I didn't know mandolins could be so controversial(did I spell tghat right?)
John Flynn
Nov-10-2005, 3:59pm
I didn't know mandolins could be so controversial
Man, you have no idea. Compared to what can happen on the board here, this exchange is so mild and respectful as to not even deserve mention. You obviously have never seen a full-blown "flame war" over mando models!
Mandobar
Nov-10-2005, 4:01pm
mac, even dog food brands are controversial. over on the alaskan malamute board the moderator deleted a thread over different breeders. egads!
ok... I get the point. But I still don't know how a legacy stacks up.
Aside from Givens, how does it compare to a flatiron or Gibson or Collings or Weber?
mandopete
Nov-10-2005, 4:28pm
Mac,
Welcome to the Mandolin Cafe! Celebrating mandolin controversy for nearly 10 years.
Don't worry about it, it's all good.
It seems like everyone wants to compare "Legacy" to "Givens". I'd still like to know how they stand on their own merit. I know Givens is top-of-the-line, and it's starting to sound like "Legacies" are as well. Are they?
Eric F.
Nov-17-2005, 8:44pm
Mac, it's all in what you like. What's top of the line? The top of the line Gibson will you run you more than 20 grand these days. I have a mandolin that cost less than a tenth of that but I consider it a great mandolin. Is that "top of the line"? To me, it is. a Givens Legacy a serious mandolin? Sure. Will you like it? I have no idea. There's another thread somewhere right now, sparked by the appearance of a Legacy A on eBay. You might want to check it out. At least one Givens Legacy owner has contributed to that one. I think there are a lot of attractive options in that price range, which is in no way meant to deter you from a Givens Legacy. As for malamutes, I have no opinion.