...Smith Creek

[chirorehab]

A friend of mine is thinking about getting a Smith Creek mando. Anybody have any info good or bad?

He actually played it and loved it...

Thanks,

Eric

[Scotti Adams]

Smith Creek Mandolins





Famous Old Time Music Company is the sole distributor for the Smith Creek line.
See the fabulous details of these amazing mandolins!

Smith Creek mandolins are made by Dave Smith of Rhode Island. Dave used to live in Cincinnati and was a banjo student of my husband, Vernon McIntyre. He got started building some banjo necks and graduated from there to building mandolins.

Dave Smith became friends with Ted Davis, a master instrument builder from Tennessee who is an expert on vintage instruments. Over the years, Ted has provided Dave Smith with a great deal of practical advice and guidance. Dave compiled and studied this information and started building his instruments based mainly on the dimensions of an early 1920s Lloyd Loar Gibson F-5.

Dave uses a special tailpiece designed by Gary Price, PHD. A regular mandolin tailpiece has a cover which slides off to expose the little fingers which hook the loop end of the string. I can never get the cover off (or back on) without ruining both thumbs and two fingers.

This tailpiece, specially engraved with the Smith Creek Logo, was designed is a solid piece with no cover to remove. The little fingers are on the underside of the tailpiece and always accessible. This tailpiece is ever so much easier to use!

To ensure the quality of the materials he uses, Dave has selects and cuts trees himself. Each year he spends 5 days in the woods of Maine, finding and cutting 2-3 of the best red spruce you will ever see.
Once it is cut, Dave makes sure that the wood is processed and dried to his precise specifications.






Dave only makes about 10 instruments each year and is presently working on serial number 80. His first instruments had a lacquer finish which was nice enough. However, he has started using a varnish finish which I like even better. The last two batches have been varnish. He does a really nice sunburst or can use unstained exotic woods.


Smith Creek Rave



Freddie Harris played mandolin for Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys and did some recording with the band. He now plays with Blue Velvet out of Michigan.


Hey there Y'all,

I just thought I'd drop a quick email to say hi and let you know that I absolutely love this mandolin!!! Vernon, I'm sorry that I couldn't stick around for awhile. But, I did have to get back home at a reasonable time. Anyway, next time we'll have to pick! I'm really looking forward to it.

I thought I'd send you the photo of me and my brand new Smith Creek! Keep in touch.

~Freddie

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The one I picked out for myself (Kitty McIntyre) from the most recent batch is an F model with a beautiful, transparent brown sunburst fading to amber against a highly figured curly maple back. The sound is exquisite; the chords really bark. Playability is superb; I am first and foremost a fiddle player and find mandolins strings are somewhat difficult to press down hard enough to get a clear sound. I enjoy this one because it doesn't fight me when I play it.

See and Hear Smith Creek Mandolins
Here are links to several sites that will give you a chance to see and hear Smith Creek mandolins in action, being played by two of the finest players on the bluegrass scene today. With a touring schedule that takes them to both coasts and everywhere in between, Randy "Bobo" Lindley of The Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show is sure to be visiting a town near you soon. Check out Karl's website for their schedule, and get lots of other information about the band, and their upcoming release on Rebel Records. Randy's hard driving traditional style is a pleasure to hear, and watching the band perform using a one microphone setup makes for a great show.

If you can't wait that long, click here to check out "Whisper in My Ear", a wonderful song from The Gibson Brother's latest album "Bona Fide", available on Sugar Hill Records. This album features Marc MacGlashan on Mandolin. Marc has been with The Gibson Brothers for over a year now and is sure to turn quite a few heads with his winning combination of traditional and contemporary mandolin styles. Marc can play Monroe style with the best of them, then turn around and throw in a tasty lick that will make you say, in the Gibson Brothers' own words, "My word, that sounds like something I've never heard!"


They have a big powerful sound..full of bass and plenty woody..Rhonda Vincent plays one now..

[Greenmando]

That's what I was going to say.
I got to visit with Rhonda after her recent show near by and asked her what she plays, she said she could not be any happier with the Smith Creek. She is incredible on stage, she ended up playing unamped for the first part of the show.
http://mediaservice.photoisland.com/auction/Apr/20044298160965977196282.jpg

[AlanN]

Ditto to the words about Marc, that boy don't do nuthin' but pick...as Lester Flatt might have said, had he heard Marc do nuthin' but pick.

[Garrett]

Saw the Gibson Brothers last night. Marc was great, and the Smith Creek sounded fabulous.

[PCypert]

Hey there was an older post about this. I too saw the Smith Creek on ebay and was wondering about it. The older post however keyed me on the three piece Smith Creek back in the earlier mandos. They had a problem of coming apart. The early Smith Creeks in general had this problem from accounts of owners. The problem is taken care of now. He's on up in his numbers so the one on ebay seems to be an early one. Hope it doesn't suffer from this problem or has already been fixed.
Paul