Pasons flat top

[cooper4205]

well i got my birthday present a day early! i ordered a flat top from Will Parsons a few weeks ago, and just picked it up this morning. it sounds great already, but Will said it was still pretty green, so it should open up nicely.

it's got a red spruce top, sugar maple back, ebony fretboard and adjustable bridge and it's bound with rosewood. here are some pics

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/wesb4217/NewFlattopFront1.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/wesb4217/FlattopSoundboard1.jpg

[cooper4205]

he used the same maple on one of his recent F5's

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/wesb4217/FlattopHeadstock1.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/wesb4217/FlattopBack1.jpg

[pettyman]

gorgeous instrument you have there. This place aint healthy for me! But I still keep looking!

[cooper4205]

thanks pettyman. it's beauty is in the simplicity, i think. it's the first quality flat-top i have got to play, and i'm really impressed so far by the volume and tone only after a day of picking on it. i have been wanting one of Will's mandolins for a while, and i don't have enough funds (or chops) for a custom F5, so i got this to tide me over http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif .

any of you out there have a Parsons flat-top? if so, i'd like to hear what you think about them.

[John Flynn]

I have one of his early "no-frills" models, made in 2001. It is the same size and shape as yours, but it has no binding and no pickguard, walnut back, sides and neck; a "dirty blond" spruce top and a solid bridge. I like it a lot and play it often. For Christmas I had it in ADAE tuning to play "Little Drummer Boy." I have tried a lot of different strings and after some experimentation, I really like D'Addario 80/20 Bronze strings on it. Here is a picture with my other mandos:

[cooper4205]

i like that one you have (and the two flanking it). i thought about going with the walnut, but opted for the maple instead. i wonder how different the walnut sounds compared to the maple?

[John Flynn]

I am no expert on tonewoods but my the reading I've done on the topic seems to say that maple is somewhat more powerful and projective, but with less sustain than some other tonewoods. That's why it is prized for bluegrass and jazz. Wheras walnut is described as more "warm, woody and bright," with a bit more sustain, but less volume. It is possibly better suited to old-time and folk music.