Guitar Jeremy
Apr-21-2006, 12:21pm
The last three weeks have been quite eventful for me. #I moved from Brooklyn to Manhattan, as I realized that I and my relationship could no longer handle living with my girlfriend in a small, one-bedroom apartment. #After nearly driving her crazy (I am already there), I found a great place on 87th St just off of Central Park West. #It has lots of light, and my two cats are with me. #I am happier.
Obviously, the process of moving and nearly breaking up took its toll. #In my weakened condition. I had a severe attack of GAS/MAS. #I recently sold a Paul Reed Smith and a Taylor, and the money from the sale was never meant to last. #Last Wednesday, I boarded the Ferry and headed to Mandolin Bros.
Sometime soon, I will get a Phoenix Neoclassical. #I almost bought one while I was there. #I think Stan was hoping I would buy one, because I'm not sure he wanted to sell me what I ended up on. #I played 6 Phoenix mandolins, including an Ultra, and they were all amazing. #However, I needed a mandolin that I can take to the Park at night or the Subway, and all the Phoenix mandos are just too beautiful and eminently mugging-worthy.
I played and again was impressed by a bunch of Collings, including a varnish model. #Although to me the varnish lacks the focus of laquer, it was fun to finally play one. #I played a superlative and lovely Bourgeois Country Boy Deluxe. #I got tempted and slightly off-track. #I played a 1925 Gibson mandola that was worth way more than the 6K that Stan was asking. #But my personal epiphany was really giving some time to the banjos. #Banjos are f-ing cool.
Stan yelled at someone else this time for playing too loud. #I smiled. #I had a burger at Duffy's and those delicious onion rings. #I was in gustatory ecstasy. #I told Stan that Mandolin Bros. is one of my favorite places in the world.# Here are some pics of my new lady:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v55/meskalito/PICT0011.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v55/meskalito/PICT0014.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v55/meskalito/PICT0018.jpg
If you don't recognize the old mandolin, it's a Vega Style 203 from 1920. #Here's Stan's description from the Mandolin Bros. site:
48-4386 Vega Cylinder back mandolin #37809, bird’s eye maple sides and back, stained spruce top with bat-wing style tortoise shell celluloid pickguard, “Vega” in a star headstock inlay.
This fine sounding, easy-to-play mandolin comes in original worn hard shell case that has a chain for a handle (this fact references many folk songs). The instrument shows finish checking and normal signs of playing wear and use; the back shows an area of worn finish near the bottom, possibly from a buckle but in an area only the size of a postage stamp. There is a tiny split at the right-angle edge of its slide-on, small scalloped tailpiece cover, whose chrome is, like ourselves, a little worn. The ebony fretboard, inlaid with 4 large dots, has a scallop or wave figure at the bottom that projects into the crème bound oval soundhole. The bridge has been shimmed and there is touch- up on the top, adjacent to soundhole on the bass side and above and below the inlaid tortoise shell batwing pickguard, where the top was worn. The bar frets do show some wear and the tuners are replaced, but the newer Schallers are an excellent quality tuner that will allow the piece to be played, nightly, in bars or churches, for decades to come. The oval port is surrounded by red, crème and black marquetry and the top is bordered in black-crème-black purfling. The humped-back is bird’s eye maple of great beauty and decent vision, while the sides are merely curly. Top and back are bound in black and the rest, as they say, $*,*** or at our cash discount price, $*,***.
I took out the price, because I don't want to feel bad about my purchase by having someone say I paid too much or too little. #If this post is too long and too boring for you, why are you still reading? #I'll be around, I hope.
Obviously, the process of moving and nearly breaking up took its toll. #In my weakened condition. I had a severe attack of GAS/MAS. #I recently sold a Paul Reed Smith and a Taylor, and the money from the sale was never meant to last. #Last Wednesday, I boarded the Ferry and headed to Mandolin Bros.
Sometime soon, I will get a Phoenix Neoclassical. #I almost bought one while I was there. #I think Stan was hoping I would buy one, because I'm not sure he wanted to sell me what I ended up on. #I played 6 Phoenix mandolins, including an Ultra, and they were all amazing. #However, I needed a mandolin that I can take to the Park at night or the Subway, and all the Phoenix mandos are just too beautiful and eminently mugging-worthy.
I played and again was impressed by a bunch of Collings, including a varnish model. #Although to me the varnish lacks the focus of laquer, it was fun to finally play one. #I played a superlative and lovely Bourgeois Country Boy Deluxe. #I got tempted and slightly off-track. #I played a 1925 Gibson mandola that was worth way more than the 6K that Stan was asking. #But my personal epiphany was really giving some time to the banjos. #Banjos are f-ing cool.
Stan yelled at someone else this time for playing too loud. #I smiled. #I had a burger at Duffy's and those delicious onion rings. #I was in gustatory ecstasy. #I told Stan that Mandolin Bros. is one of my favorite places in the world.# Here are some pics of my new lady:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v55/meskalito/PICT0011.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v55/meskalito/PICT0014.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v55/meskalito/PICT0018.jpg
If you don't recognize the old mandolin, it's a Vega Style 203 from 1920. #Here's Stan's description from the Mandolin Bros. site:
48-4386 Vega Cylinder back mandolin #37809, bird’s eye maple sides and back, stained spruce top with bat-wing style tortoise shell celluloid pickguard, “Vega” in a star headstock inlay.
This fine sounding, easy-to-play mandolin comes in original worn hard shell case that has a chain for a handle (this fact references many folk songs). The instrument shows finish checking and normal signs of playing wear and use; the back shows an area of worn finish near the bottom, possibly from a buckle but in an area only the size of a postage stamp. There is a tiny split at the right-angle edge of its slide-on, small scalloped tailpiece cover, whose chrome is, like ourselves, a little worn. The ebony fretboard, inlaid with 4 large dots, has a scallop or wave figure at the bottom that projects into the crème bound oval soundhole. The bridge has been shimmed and there is touch- up on the top, adjacent to soundhole on the bass side and above and below the inlaid tortoise shell batwing pickguard, where the top was worn. The bar frets do show some wear and the tuners are replaced, but the newer Schallers are an excellent quality tuner that will allow the piece to be played, nightly, in bars or churches, for decades to come. The oval port is surrounded by red, crème and black marquetry and the top is bordered in black-crème-black purfling. The humped-back is bird’s eye maple of great beauty and decent vision, while the sides are merely curly. Top and back are bound in black and the rest, as they say, $*,*** or at our cash discount price, $*,***.
I took out the price, because I don't want to feel bad about my purchase by having someone say I paid too much or too little. #If this post is too long and too boring for you, why are you still reading? #I'll be around, I hope.