stevebenn
Mar-07-2007, 12:10pm
A couple of months ago I got real nervous when a few posts on Pricetones hit the forum. I was thinking ... the secrets out, my ship better come sailing in soon ... and it did.
A few months ago I was beginning the process of mando upgrade ... pricing, playing, scheming to find money etc. I had been at a local workshop with Matt Flinner ... 5 Gilchrists, 2 Randy Woods, a DMM, and Olin Davis was there with his own Rattlesnake. I got to play some and listen to all. Very impressive mandolins, but also pretty depressing when I realized I might have to sell one of my children (one of the good ones) to get the sound I wanted.
About a week or so later I was at Bill's Pickin' parlor here in Columbia SC for the Friday night session and open mike. I had my Foley OM with me that night and a gentleman walked up and said " I need to build one of those". I said something like, oh you build instruments. He said yes, and introduced himself as Lewis Price, builder of Pricetone mandolins. I said that Bill had told me about him, he plays mando and fiddle in Bill's band, and had recommended his mandolins. I said I would love to see one. Well he had one, his personal mando, in his van. He went and got it and let me play it all night (a great sales technique!) and I was mightily impressed ... it was the sound and playability I was looking for! Of course then reality set in and I asked him what he sold them for ... I get $2500 for them he said.
So I told him I would be contacting him soon to buy one ... he had 2 for sale at the time. Well it took longer to get my financing set than I had hoped and by the time I was ready he had sold those 2 ... I believe the happy purchasers were responsible for my recent "nervousness" with their posts. So I saw Lewis at Bill's about 2 weeks ago and told him I would have the money soon and he told me he was working on 2 new mandolins. When my ship sailed in I called Lewis and asked him if I could reserve one of the new mandolins ... then he 'fessed up' seems he had 2 "personal" mandolins, his regular "player" and another with a quilted maple back, that he had thought he might keep for himself, but if I wanted it he would sell it to me.
So last Saturday I drove over to Sumter and spent the morning with Lewis. He brought out both mandolins, the one he regularly played and the one he had been "hiding". He told me I could take my pick ... he would sell me either one. Well, both of us being southerners we did the "dance". I said I would feel better if he chose the one he wanted keep. He insisted that I choose ... and after a few "turns" He told me had sold every mandolin he played, so it really didn't matter to him.
So I chose the one with the quilted back. Both were excellent mandos. The quilted back mando has a low-profile neck, the other has a V neck. Lewis' player had a more "open, deeper sound" ... but it has been played regularly for a couple of years. The "quilt" was finished in May 2005, and according to Lewis he finished it, strung it up, never played it, and never even showed it to anyone! Considering how good it sounds now, I'm sure it will "mature" very nicely. Pics to follow.
Bottom line ... Lewis builds a great mandolin (and dreadnough guitar), is an excellent musician and an all-around great guy!
SteveB.
A few months ago I was beginning the process of mando upgrade ... pricing, playing, scheming to find money etc. I had been at a local workshop with Matt Flinner ... 5 Gilchrists, 2 Randy Woods, a DMM, and Olin Davis was there with his own Rattlesnake. I got to play some and listen to all. Very impressive mandolins, but also pretty depressing when I realized I might have to sell one of my children (one of the good ones) to get the sound I wanted.
About a week or so later I was at Bill's Pickin' parlor here in Columbia SC for the Friday night session and open mike. I had my Foley OM with me that night and a gentleman walked up and said " I need to build one of those". I said something like, oh you build instruments. He said yes, and introduced himself as Lewis Price, builder of Pricetone mandolins. I said that Bill had told me about him, he plays mando and fiddle in Bill's band, and had recommended his mandolins. I said I would love to see one. Well he had one, his personal mando, in his van. He went and got it and let me play it all night (a great sales technique!) and I was mightily impressed ... it was the sound and playability I was looking for! Of course then reality set in and I asked him what he sold them for ... I get $2500 for them he said.
So I told him I would be contacting him soon to buy one ... he had 2 for sale at the time. Well it took longer to get my financing set than I had hoped and by the time I was ready he had sold those 2 ... I believe the happy purchasers were responsible for my recent "nervousness" with their posts. So I saw Lewis at Bill's about 2 weeks ago and told him I would have the money soon and he told me he was working on 2 new mandolins. When my ship sailed in I called Lewis and asked him if I could reserve one of the new mandolins ... then he 'fessed up' seems he had 2 "personal" mandolins, his regular "player" and another with a quilted maple back, that he had thought he might keep for himself, but if I wanted it he would sell it to me.
So last Saturday I drove over to Sumter and spent the morning with Lewis. He brought out both mandolins, the one he regularly played and the one he had been "hiding". He told me I could take my pick ... he would sell me either one. Well, both of us being southerners we did the "dance". I said I would feel better if he chose the one he wanted keep. He insisted that I choose ... and after a few "turns" He told me had sold every mandolin he played, so it really didn't matter to him.
So I chose the one with the quilted back. Both were excellent mandos. The quilted back mando has a low-profile neck, the other has a V neck. Lewis' player had a more "open, deeper sound" ... but it has been played regularly for a couple of years. The "quilt" was finished in May 2005, and according to Lewis he finished it, strung it up, never played it, and never even showed it to anyone! Considering how good it sounds now, I'm sure it will "mature" very nicely. Pics to follow.
Bottom line ... Lewis builds a great mandolin (and dreadnough guitar), is an excellent musician and an all-around great guy!
SteveB.