Eric F.
Apr-11-2004, 11:41am
The spousal equivalent had the girls over for brunch Saturday, so I had to get out of the house for several hours. Now, Chicago is not the most mando-intensive town in the world, but I figured I could play a decent variety of mandolins in a few hours if I planned it right. At the risk of boring you all to tears, here's a report:
I managed to get my hands on a Collings MF, Tacoma M3, Nashville Flatiron Performer A, Weber Yellowstone, Absaroka, Bridger F octave mandolin, Gallatin oval, Hyalite D hole, used Gibson F9, Mid-Missouri mandola, used Kentucky 380s, and a couple of others that clearly didn't make much of an impression on me. I could have played a bunch of Mid-Mos, but I'm familiar with their line so I just tried the mandola.
There were a few surprises.
I don't want to bash Weber, but, man, I have to say, I have never played an Absaroka or Yellowstone that impressed me. They are beautiful and obviously made with love and care, but to me they sound tight, constricted and almost metallic. Talking about tone is pretty difficult, but I have to say neither of these mandolins sounded better _ TO ME _ than my $250 Kentucky. Flame away, but that's how I have reacted to each one I have played and these were no different.
On the other hand, the Weber Hyalite with D hole was everything I would want in an oval hole mandolin _ warm, sweet and loud. It was amazing to me that so much volume was coming out of such a little box. I couldn't put it down. It sounded great, even better than the Gallatin with oval hole, which also was a very nice sounding mandolin.
I picked up the Bridger F octave thinking I could never learn to play it, #and put it down thinking "I want one." Way, way cool. It just gave this fabulous growl to "Swallow Tail Jig."
Similarly, the Mid-Mo 'dola convinced me that I need to explore the other instruments in the mandolin family. I really liked the extra warmth and rich, chocolatey goodness of the bottom end.
The Flatiron was nice. Played well, sounded good. Very even. A quite respectable mandolin that, at $1800, was way more than I would pay for it.
I liked the way the Tacoma played, but the tone just didn't do it for me. I have played one Tacoma that flat rocked, and the others have left me kind of cold. At close to $900, I'd look at a Breedlove or Rigel A Natural instead.
The Kentucky 380s must have been the first out of the shop in China _ it was terrible looking, with glue slopped around under the fingerboard extension, and sounded harsh and unmusical. Made me wonder again if my KM 250 is an anomaly.
The big surprise for me was a used Gibson F9. It had a bunch of dings on the front and the finish was taken off the neck in a rather inelegant manner, but that thing sounded just like I want a mandolin to sound. It was woody and open, and had pop and a crispness to it, but on the mellower tunes it did just fine, too. I really, really, really liked it, even without the dots. (Sorry, Dale!) While I would prefer a radiused fretboard, I found playability to be acceptable. If I had had $1880 in my pocket, I would have walked out with this mandolin.
The Collings MF was, well, everything everyone says. It sounded 50 years old. Sweet and kind of shimmering, with just enough enough growl. I really, really liked it. It was a lot of money, though, and I wish I could get my hands on one of the A styles. If the sound is close, what a deal those most be.
I don't think I would have bought the Collings, even if I had the cash in my pocket. I would have bought the F9 and the Hyalite, and still come out $1000 ahead.
Well, I arrived home just as the girls were putting on their coats to leave. Yep, I told them, I'm a mando-dork, and that's how I spent a free Saturday in the third-largest city in the country. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
I managed to get my hands on a Collings MF, Tacoma M3, Nashville Flatiron Performer A, Weber Yellowstone, Absaroka, Bridger F octave mandolin, Gallatin oval, Hyalite D hole, used Gibson F9, Mid-Missouri mandola, used Kentucky 380s, and a couple of others that clearly didn't make much of an impression on me. I could have played a bunch of Mid-Mos, but I'm familiar with their line so I just tried the mandola.
There were a few surprises.
I don't want to bash Weber, but, man, I have to say, I have never played an Absaroka or Yellowstone that impressed me. They are beautiful and obviously made with love and care, but to me they sound tight, constricted and almost metallic. Talking about tone is pretty difficult, but I have to say neither of these mandolins sounded better _ TO ME _ than my $250 Kentucky. Flame away, but that's how I have reacted to each one I have played and these were no different.
On the other hand, the Weber Hyalite with D hole was everything I would want in an oval hole mandolin _ warm, sweet and loud. It was amazing to me that so much volume was coming out of such a little box. I couldn't put it down. It sounded great, even better than the Gallatin with oval hole, which also was a very nice sounding mandolin.
I picked up the Bridger F octave thinking I could never learn to play it, #and put it down thinking "I want one." Way, way cool. It just gave this fabulous growl to "Swallow Tail Jig."
Similarly, the Mid-Mo 'dola convinced me that I need to explore the other instruments in the mandolin family. I really liked the extra warmth and rich, chocolatey goodness of the bottom end.
The Flatiron was nice. Played well, sounded good. Very even. A quite respectable mandolin that, at $1800, was way more than I would pay for it.
I liked the way the Tacoma played, but the tone just didn't do it for me. I have played one Tacoma that flat rocked, and the others have left me kind of cold. At close to $900, I'd look at a Breedlove or Rigel A Natural instead.
The Kentucky 380s must have been the first out of the shop in China _ it was terrible looking, with glue slopped around under the fingerboard extension, and sounded harsh and unmusical. Made me wonder again if my KM 250 is an anomaly.
The big surprise for me was a used Gibson F9. It had a bunch of dings on the front and the finish was taken off the neck in a rather inelegant manner, but that thing sounded just like I want a mandolin to sound. It was woody and open, and had pop and a crispness to it, but on the mellower tunes it did just fine, too. I really, really, really liked it, even without the dots. (Sorry, Dale!) While I would prefer a radiused fretboard, I found playability to be acceptable. If I had had $1880 in my pocket, I would have walked out with this mandolin.
The Collings MF was, well, everything everyone says. It sounded 50 years old. Sweet and kind of shimmering, with just enough enough growl. I really, really liked it. It was a lot of money, though, and I wish I could get my hands on one of the A styles. If the sound is close, what a deal those most be.
I don't think I would have bought the Collings, even if I had the cash in my pocket. I would have bought the F9 and the Hyalite, and still come out $1000 ahead.
Well, I arrived home just as the girls were putting on their coats to leave. Yep, I told them, I'm a mando-dork, and that's how I spent a free Saturday in the third-largest city in the country. #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif