Duff owners/gilchrist owners

[JAK]

Since both Duff and Gilchrist mandos are from Australia, how would you compare them (besides the price?). Evaluations please! Both are from one-man shops aren't they?

[sunburst]

I own neither, but I've worked on both.
Being from the same country is about the closest similarity between the two. They are about as similar as...say...a Lewis and a Brentrup. I Just pulled those two out of the air because they were the first two quality American mandolin makers I thought of. It's not a comment on their quality, or the quality of a Duff or a Gilchrist. It's just that each builder builds instruments in his own "style", and trying to compare them just because they come from the same country is like comparing apples and oranges just because they come from the same country.

[bradeinhorn]

they both sound the same on the bahhhbee, mate.

[f5joe]

I've played many Gilchrists over the years, almost all X-braced. #Great instruments with a bit of a tubby tone to me as compared to the old Gibson F5's. #Not an indictment, just a description to my ear.

I played an X-braced Duff four years ago and was taken with its brighter tone (as compared to a Gilchrist). #I decided to order one with tone bars to get a more Gibson-ish tone. #The results were unbelievable for me.

I play my Duff as much as my Dudenbostel. #The Dude has a darker tone and the Duff the brighter tone of the two.

I have played one Gilchrist with tone bars and it was fantastic (Aubrey Haynie's). #I believe Gilchrist now builds the tone bar model as his standard.

You cannot go wrong with either.

[JAK]

Thanks for the information, much appreciated. I know that being from the same country has nothing to do with comparisons, unless the two builders are identical twins. In any case, input from those who have played or owned both is interesting.

[Big Joe]

If your mando budget is in the 5-6K range, a Duff is as good as it gets for the money. If your budget is 20K+, a Gilchrist is an excellent choice. Both are great mandolins for the money. Depends upon the tone and looks you want. I've played both and owned several Gil's over the years and I like both of them.

[Sonomabob]

Hi John:

Sounds like you are looking to buy another one??

Bob

[Crowder]

I've played about a half-dozen Duffs. I've found them all to be very well-made, but to be quite variable in tone. Some I LOVED, some were just okay in my hands. That being said, two of my favorites have been ones delivered in the last two years.

One thing to note about Duff's building style is that it is very, very vintage. He uses very small frets, for example. I've played some that were a challenge for me to play, as I'm used to something larger than minimalist frets.

I've only had one Gilchrist available to play extensively, and it was one of the if not the best mandolin I've ever had the pleasure to play. It was an A-style. Sadly, it mysteriously vanished during my friend's ugly divorce. I suspect it's in ashes.

[JAK]

Sonomabob, just "research" at this point. You know, you're happy with what you've got, but it's the MAS thing that's always lurking somewhere in the brain. I've never played a Duff or a Gil, so am interested in others' experience. Maybe I'll wait til the housing market goes up again, sell the house, and go for one of those used Gil Mandos; have to check with my wife (yeah, sure!). Actually, if I had the bucks, that Brentrup "Lloyd" in the classifieds would be the way I'd go.... I heard another "Lloyd" that Hans (Brentrup) had at the last Supergrass that was for sale, being played against a real-deal Loar, and I preferred the sound of the Brentrup. So did the prospective buyer, and that Brentrup Lloyd went home with the new owner.

[JimRichter]

I think the mistake is that many--myself included at one time--people think the Duff is a "poor-man's Gilchrist." And, truthfully, I've seen that term used both here and on Co-Mando.

Outside the early X-bracing and both being made in Australia, the comparison ends.

I think the early Duff mandolins were variable in tone. I had a 2000 Duff that was a good mandolin, but it had it's weaknesses--which led me to trade it.

But, Paul Duff's hit his stride as a builder and I wouldn't hesitate playing one of his new F5s. I had the good fortune to hang out with Paul last summer and spend quite a bit of time jamming with him. In tow was a brand new F5 he was taking to IBMA. I sat across from that mandolin and then played it myself and it was breathtaking both in tone and fit/finish. I wanted it then and there.

If I go back to playing an F5, I could see myself trading my F2 for a newer used Duff. Excellent mandolins.

Jim

[Joe Parker]

I have a Duff and a Gilchrist,both new and delivered this year.I received the Duff in early spring and I drove to Nashville on Father's Day and took possesion of the Gil from Steve. I was not expecting to get them both so close together but waiting lists don't always go as planned. Both have tone bars.The Duff has a beautiful 1 piece back and a Fern inlay. I opted for the Waverly machines and can't say enough about how well they work. The Gilchrist has a 2 piece slab cut back,Flowerpot inlay, and Waverly machines standard.Both have very straight grained red spruce tops and they both have full size pickguards at my request.The necks and sides are highly figured on both.I prefer a flat fingerboard and ordered them both that way. The neck profiles are similar with a rounded V shape,although I requested the Gil with a 1 1/8" nut and I really like having the extra room.The Duff is maybe a hair narrower. Steve continues to use his own tailpiece with the twist latch through the cover in bright silver while Paul Duff has switched to the James tailpiece in a matte silver finish.Both are equally functional as they are beautiful. The Duff came with a Presto case,the Gil with a new,mint green Calton with a regal red interior.I received an extra MOP tuner button and replacement screw,an unslotted ebony bridge top(if I want to change the string spacing),and a Hines(of Australia)braided 'Roo strap with the Gil ..Whew! Both are warrantied for life to the original owner against defects in craftsmanship.
I personally do not compare my mandolins to each other.They cost what they cost and at this level you get what you pay for. I am extremely satisfied with my choices. They are both wonderful instruments and the sound is unique to each instrument and they both play/ sound incredible! The high heat and humidity here in the south has limited me to short periods of playing in order to let the varnish cure to the point where it is not so prone to damage.My picking buddies think I'm too extreme but that's just me. I'm enjoying the process of playing them in and noticing how they change from day to day. As they say-"Life is Good!"

JPP

[dasspunk]

Very soon I will be able to opine with reckless abandon on at least half of this subject. Mr. Duff is currently massaging deliciousness into my new mandolin for me. The wait has been stinging a bit... yes.

[grassrootphilosopher]

To each his own, as they say. And according to the price structure, availability, my pocketbook and other facts I have become a truly satisfied Duff picker.

I have had the chance to listen to a Duff (x-braced), a Nugget and a Gil (x-braced) in a jam session with pickers worth their instruments. On another ocasion I had the chance to testdrive the Gil mentioned above back to back with my Duff. The Duff in the jam and my own Duff held its own among the other instruments mentioned.

My family and friends immediately commented on the beautiful artistic workmanship on my Duff when I received it. I ordered the average version with no upgrades. That makes it an x-braced model that responds very easily and has quite a bit of bass to it while the mids are very present and the highs are crystal clear.

The comment that Paul Duff builds very traditional looking instruments says it all. Just look at the beautiful detail, the fingerboard extension. Its shape is a salute to the teens F 4. What a nice idea to stray just a little bit from the beaten F 5 path and stay traditional all the same. I like the very traditional brown/Lloar sunburst of my mando while I have seen others extremely nicely executed with the reddish (fern ?) sunburst (that is just not up my alley). Depending on the angle you look at the mandolin the color seems to change. I´d like to compare that to the many facetes of the mandosound given the right coaxing. Over the period of more than a year the mandolin has develloped very nicely in sound.

While I have heard an early Duff from the 90ies - and it sounded quite good, the mandolins Paul Duff builds now are probably the best ones in his carreer (keep in mind that he is a teacher, plays bluegrass in Australia´s own "Bluegrass Parkway" and therefore builds mandolins on the side).

If you go to www.mandolincentral.com you can look at some examples of Paul Duff´s work. The only thing I presently dislike is the scooped out fingerboard extension. I´d go with faux frets or no extension at all.

Overall, if you play a mandolin of that caliber, you better have some picking buddies that play instruments of similar quality or you´ll never be able to pick your instrument to its full potential without drowning the other instruments out.