Vintage Instruments in Philly

[JEStanek]

Last week my wife and I celebrated our Birthdays in Philly by seeing Wicked and then hitting the Body Works exhibit (both were very good).

On Thursday morning while she shopped for clothes I scooted ahead to Vintage Instruments (http://www.vintage-instruments.com/navigate/catidx7.htm) for a looksey. #This was my first chance to get into a music shop with lots of old instruments. #The store is in two physical locations. #The guitars, banjos, ukes and mandolins are on the 1600 block and everything else on the 1500 block of Pine St. #I was taken by Calvin to the Guitar shop given an instrument stand, a tuner and a pick and let loose in the back while he fiddled with the guitars up front. #The shop is very comfortable with a leather sofa and chair to sit in while playing mandos.

The place has a great old smell. #I'll post photos as we go... #First I played a 1916 and 1917 A3(?) Paddle heads. #Pumpkin tops red beech backs. #Just a joy to play, great tone, and actions. #They were in the $1600 range FWIW.

[JEStanek]

The next thing I played was a new National Resonator mando. I hear people talking about their mandolins being cannons or loud… This thing was a neutron bomb! Again my first time with a resonator, this thing was heavy. The tone was pleasant too. The E and A were very bright and the G and D were still deep. Different but still pleasant. I didn't know what to do with it but it was fun to play a couple of fiddle tunes and open string chords on.

It is in the bottom left of this photo

[JEStanek]

Then I played the two black face mandolins. The Snakehead is from 1925 and the Paddlehead from 1929. To my ears the Paddlehead sounded better. Both were deep and nice tone I just liked the paddle head better. They were both very nice looking and the action was good all the way up the neck (As were the other mandos I played there). The Paddlehead was about $800 less than the Snakehead at $3k.

I played back and forth on these the longest even though it was a toss up between this and the 1917 Pumpkin top. The tuners were pretty stiff on the snakehead, more so than on the paddlehead, but, I've not handled old instrumenst so this may be more par for the course than my 1year old Eastman.

[JEStanek]

I played a Martin cant top style B (I think) but compared to the Gibson A's it didn't do it for me. #On the wall awaiting repairs was a Gibson 3point Black face Artist model. #Beatiful but in need of some cosmetic surgery. #There are also a number of old Gibson dolas (A style) waiting for work as well. #I got to see a Gibson Style O guitar (has a scroll) in the flesh too. #So many beautiful things to look at.

I had made it clear I was just there to lòók and Fred Oster, the owner, and Calvin, let me take my time so special thanks to them. #I didn't want to stay too long as my wife was shoping unattended in a Talbots and, left alone for too long could easily spend as much as that 1916 Pumpkin top on a new wardrobe!

Granted they weren't in tune when I got there but I had a tuner to get them up and the strings were old but I didn't expect everything to be in tune and freshly strung (it is a vintage shop). #I wish I had my Eastman there to AB against everything #but the mojo factor on those old instruments was really high. #I still love my Eastman but I'm really jonesing for an old Gibson A-oval. #I really liked the tone out of the plain jane beech backed one a ton.

If you are in Philly, this is a stop worth taking. #I hope to go back one day and maybe snag up the one that calls me instead of putting it bakc with a happy sigh to have played it at all.

One last photo of the mando wall.

[JEStanek]

One last post as I struggled with my MAS (actually I couldn't struggle... there's no money for it http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif ) I got these from my qotd.org subscrition after I returned. They deal with possessions so they seem appropriate for signature lines here at the cafe'.

Complete possession is proved only by giving. All you are unable to give possesses you.
- André Gide, 1869 - 1951

It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly.
- Bertrand Russell, 1872 - 1970

Before we set our hearts too much on anything, let us examine how happy are those who already possess it.
- François, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, 1613 - 1680

My riches consist not in the extent of my possessions, but in the fewness of my wants.
- J. Brotherton

Why grab possessions like thieves, or divide them like socialists, when you can ignore them like wise men?
- Natalie Clifford Barney, 1876 - 1972

The creative impulses of man are always at war with the possessive impulses.
- Van Wyck Brooks, 1886 - 1963


Thanks for reading this far...

Jamie

[Moose]

...and thank YOU for sharing!. Moose. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[brunello97]

JE
Great blog entry. With these kind of posts, it does make me feel as if I am in a 'Cafe' eavesdropping on interesting conversations around me.
Mick

[Jim Garber]

Before we set our hearts too much on anything, let us examine how happy are those who already possess it.
- François, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, 1613 - 1680
Hmmmm... I am not sure about that one. Just listen to some folks about how happy they are with their mandolins.

Jim

[JEStanek]

Jim,
I'm using that one as an excuse to get a vintage Gibson A! Look at all the really talented people who play just an old Gibson A and don't seem to need more. Statman, Frye... Why not, me...

I also just popped up the whole list of quotes. It's a nice service that sends quotes on a theme almost everyday. I'm a fan.

Jamie