Gibson goldrush

[frankenstein]

played a gibson goldrush yesterday, i've never tried one before.. my humble opinion of the instrument is.. allowing for the fact it was new and taken from the wall cold and plucked for a brief time ,it is a fine looking thing the tone seemed balanced if not a little tight but it is new.. it didn't seem loud but had a nice jingly character that i enjoyed. all in all i liked it but found it more expensive than it should be. but then again most mandos share the same elusiveness.. why is that. ?? kinda takes the fun out of music don't it ?? anyway i would like to hear what youse have to say about them.. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[Fretbear]

I have never played one. That said, these are factory instruments. If a builder used the same woods, techniques and specs. on two different instruments, he could probably pretty closely replicate his results, but even then, they would be different. Bearing this in mind, to evaluate a factory instrument, which has more chances of variables coming into play, is difficult. One would have to take each one on it's own merit. You could conceivably find a plain F-9 that sounded better than a Goldrush, for less money, as the tone is not much affected by inlay and binding.

[mercenarymandolinist]

I bought one about a year ago in unplayed condition (used) for $4200. Best money I ever spent. It's the only mandolin I've played in the last twenty five years I couldn't pass up. What I found to be special was the laser-like projection. It's a personal choice, but some "woody" mandolins are too unfocused in tone for me. Like an old wool sweater. Don't get me wrong, I like old wool sweaters, but sometimes you want a freshly pressed silk shirt. My particular instrument has a brilliant and cheerful "punch" and a rapid decay. I play a lot of bluegrass, but it works great for playing Psychobilly rock with the aid of an invisible under-soundboard piezo wired to an endpin jack and into a preamp.
You won't find a F9 that sounds like the F-GR. They have different shaped F holes, a longer fretboard and maybe some other differences which aren't obvious.
Mine is plenty loud and the balance of tone up the neck and intonation are impeccable. I had to refit the bridge feet which helped the volume considerably. Fit and finish fell somewhat short of something like a Collings, but better than any Loar era Gibson I've seen, but it's a tool, not a shrine. I probably wouldn't have bought it for retail price. As it is, I had to borrow some cash to make it happen. But I haven't gone a month without making more on gigs than the amount of my payments.
$.02

[MikeEdgerton]

Here (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=Search&CODE=02&SID=47ee37f81c21ecca) are some previous discussions about the Goldrush.

[Chris "Bucket" Thomas]

Calling a Gibson a factory instrument may not be the best representation when you consider the facility. #

I have played 4-5 of them. #They all have been attractive looking instruments, distinctive looking. #All have sounded good considering the price point. #But not "the one" to my ear.

[Bill Snyder]

I have never played one. That said, these are factory instruments. ...
Gibsons are supposed to be hand made instruments. Each made individually. Not CNC'd like Collings and some of the individual "handbuilt builders".

[MikeEdgerton]

I can say that the day I stood at Opry Mills and watched a man with a Dremel take a neck blank and make an F5 neck I was shocked. I assumed that Gibson (Like Martin) used CNC machines to make all of their necks. I don't see anything wrong with using CNC machines by the way.

[Daniel Wheeler]

I had never really played many gibsons that I liked right off the shelf but yesterday I did get a hold of a goldrush that I did find quite well. The tone and volume were all better than most new Gibsons that I have come across.

[Slim Pickins]

I looked at 2 F9s a few years ago. I asked the manager of the store if they would set them up. She replied, " They are already set up at the Gibson factory" Yeah, aha.

[MikeEdgerton]

I looked at 2 F9s a few years ago. I asked the manager of the store if they would set them up. She replied, " They are already set up at the Gibson factory" Yeah, aha.
Do you think she would have answered differently if they were Collings, Weber, Eastman, or MK's?

[woodwizard]

Got mine about Dec. 06. It was about 2 months old from the factory built date signed inside (Oct. 20, 06). I've got to say when I first sat down and played it I just couldn't beleive the sound and how easy it was to play. It was like it was already played in. Smelled new but felt and sounded to me like it was several years old. I gotta tell you ... that was a wonderful feeling knowing that it will even get better after it gets a few years of playing time. Well now it's not quite a year & half old and it has been played almost everyday ... YES!it's even better. It's cured my MAS for over a year now ... who knows maybe forever.
I am very very happy with my Goldrush. Guess I got a good one.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Bernie Daniel]

woodwizard: I am very very happy with my Goldrush. #Guess I got a good one.

I am not surprised to hear that -- I picked on two different Goldrush mandolins in the last three-four months both were fine sounding. #

In retrospect I think they were very similar in tone and projection to my 2002 F5-Fern - not very surprising as they are made to nearly identical specs at Gibson. #

One of the two GR's left a special sound reverberating around in my head. #It was a very balanced mandolin across all 8 strings -- that made a big difference in the sound of songs like Jerusalem Ridge or Tallahasse two songs that I played on it were you have signigicant parts of the tune across the entire fingerboard. #A very constant volume-for- effort across the entire board -- noticable, nice!

If I would have been offered a trade (fat chance!) I probably would have given up my Fern for that Goldrush. #

Of course the Goldrush is so stunning to look at.

[jim_n_virginia]

There's a woman who has one that comes to a jam I go to. It was hanging on the wall at a local music store for a year before she got it. I have played it several times and it is a very nice looking mandolin but set up TERRIBLE and she is a very nice person and a beginner and can hardly plays it.

The mandolin hasn't even started to open up and sounds so tight that it sounds like it was just put together yesterday. I made her promise me if she doesn't stick with the mando to give me first crack at it!

It's driving me nuts... it need a good set up, new strings and someone to play the heck out of it for a couple of years! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[allenhopkins]

...it's a tool, not a shrine.
I'm thinking of having this phrase
[1] inlaid into the neck of every instrument I own
[2] stenciled onto each instrument case
[3] tattooed on my forehead.

Right, right on, MM!

[frankenstein]

thanks for your input everyone. seems like most of you agree about most aspects on this one.. i will go back and try it again. the sound does linger in your head.. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Mandomaiden]

I had the chance to play 5 Goldrush mandolins before I found the one I settled on--all fine, but different enough for me to keep on looking until I found IT.
If you have the chance to play more than one before you buy, do so. They all sounded good, but this one's a keeper, for sure.
And it's only gotten better with time.

[mercenarymandolinist]

There's one in the classifieds for $4199. Kevin is a good guy to do business with from my experience.

[frankenstein]

There's one in the classifieds for $4199. Kevin is a good guy to do business with from my experience.
thanks for info. it's got a broken scroll. not the kind of distressing that appeals to me.

[mandroid]

as it' said, You tend to notice things more if you are looking for them.

{ it's inverse, of course is: nothing is more difficult to see ,
if it's in your interest, not to look ]

if a well repaired dollop knock off, which is apparently a rather common Oops, not affecting sound, on those F headstocks,
then the added advantage of buying brand new and benefiting from the original owners lifetime warranted for defects ownership plan, [not including accidental Oops] will do the job..