View Full Version : John reischman's new heiden.
Ivan Kelsall
Apr-05-2008, 7:39am
I know that there a a small number of folk on here that have taken (or are still taking) lessons with John Reischman. Has anyone heard his new Heiden yet ?. With the pedegree of John's Loar to set the benchmark,i would expect his new Mandolin to be a bit special to say the least as well as looking awesomely good,
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # Saska #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif
UncleNorm
Apr-10-2008, 11:15am
Surprised nobody has replied. Yes, heard John play it at River City, Portland in January. Looked at it, played it myself too.
A thing of beauty! Believe a few pictures of it floated around on Mando Cafe earlier. IMO, sounded "new" on stage (John playing), same under my chin, but "new" is a good thing. Easy to play out of the chute.
Ask us 84 years from now.
SternART
Apr-10-2008, 11:50am
here you go
trevor
Apr-10-2008, 12:33pm
I just added three Heidens to my website. They sound amazing but I'm afraid I concluded that I couldn't adequately describe them so haven't written any sound descriptions. When I have had a bit more time with them i might take a shot at it.
mandopete
Apr-10-2008, 2:54pm
I too heard him play it (for one song only) at the River City Bluegrass Fesitival in January. It sounded real nice, but I can't really give you much of a comparison as I didn't really get to stay for the whole set.
I'm wondering why John felt the need for the Heiden after having a world-class instrument in his Loar. Just looking for something different maybe? Perhaps. I was wondering if it had anything to do with protecting the investment of the Loar. Once your instrument is worth as much as some people's houses, do you start thinking "maybe I shouldn't be traveling around so much with this thing"? It certainly hasn't stopped Grisman, but I wonder.
Chris Biorkman
Apr-10-2008, 3:01pm
I'm wondering why John felt the need for the Heiden after having a world-class instrument in his Loar. Just looking for something different maybe? Perhaps. I was wondering if it had anything to do with protecting the investment of the Loar. Once your instrument is worth as much as some people's houses, do you start thinking "maybe I shouldn't be traveling around so much with this thing"? It certainly hasn't stopped Grisman, but I wonder.
Well, he also has a distressed master model from what I hear and who knows what else. Just because you have a Loar doesn't mean M.A.S. is in permanent remission. Most of the people out there with Loars have other mandolins as well.
Glassweb
Apr-10-2008, 3:14pm
Just because you have a Loar doesn't mean M.A.S. is in permanent remission.
An undeniable fact on the face of it...
scgc.om
Apr-10-2008, 5:55pm
JR has had an earlier Heiden (custom built for him) for many years (I wonder if he still has it . . . ?).
Heiden has been his luthier for many, many years. When amidst so many fine mandolins for so many years, it's no wonder that JRs inventory od Heiden F5s is growing . . . .
Brandon Flynn
Apr-10-2008, 6:31pm
Just because you have a Loar doesn't mean M.A.S. is in permanent remission.
If I had a Loar, I believe my M.A.S. would be safely suppressed. At the moment, I have terrible M.A.S., as I believe my skill has outgrown my Michael Kelly, and every new mando I see intensifies M.A.S., and that Heiden doesn't help. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
I heard it at RiverCity in Portland too. I remember him saying that Santa brought it to him - so maybe an admirer figured he need a new mandolin. He made it sound fantastic, of course.
I was lucky enough to be able to schedule a lesson with John during the festival. He is a really great guy. Interestingly, he played his Loar during the lesson and not the Heiden. I even got to play it for a while .. that was a trip!
Cheers,
Rob
mandodan1960
Apr-10-2008, 7:10pm
It has to be a burden to travel with a 250k instrument. They must have good insurance to have any peace of mind. I find my mando to be quite a burden when I'm at a festival and have finished playing,the summer is particularly bad. It has to be really a chore to lug it around 24/7 especially in these times when just about everyone knows its value. I would go hear John no matter what he was playing a real class act and very sincere and genuine person.
Mandodan1960
imstrider
Apr-10-2008, 7:15pm
Fiver or six years ago, I heard John talk about his this great builder who was making mandolins in Canada (Michael Heiden). He said something to the effect of "I love this F5. It is the closest thing to my Loar out there."
I seem to remember that Heiden prices were in the $4k range then, now I think they are three times that and in hot demand. I can see how Heiden might decide to play Santa with that sort of endorsement.
doc holiday
Apr-10-2008, 7:37pm
I heard John twice last month on his last tour. He had his Loar with him.
His daughter is now playing the older Heiden. The new one has the neck shaped carved closer in size to the Loar.
lovethemf5s
Apr-10-2008, 9:02pm
It's a treat but every time I see someone playing a Loar at a concert I'm both amazed and holding my breath at the same time. What if it was dropped on the floor and lost the headstock scroll ala Thiele with his Dudes? What would be the depreciation? 50 or 75M?
Rick Schmidlin
Apr-11-2008, 12:38am
JR has had an earlier Heiden (custom built for him) #for many years (I wonder if he still has it . . . ?). #
John's daughter ownes it.
Also Heiden does the maintnence on the Loar for John. John said he has fret work done before he records each new CD.
Ivan Kelsall
Apr-11-2008, 1:19am
Wow !!! - No replies,then i get 15 at once (a bit like buses in the UK ). Thanks folks.
I was interested because - NO disrespect to any other mandolin players - John Reischman is my favourite Mandolin player,possibly along with Herschel Sizemore,so you can most likely guess my stylistic preference.
# My late & much missed Canadian friend,David Tinkoff had an early Heiden Mandolin which he brought over to the UK when he came to stay with me in 1994. I wasn't playing Mandolin then but i knew a couple of chords & i remember wondering how an instrument that weighed in at
not very much,could produce such an incredible sound & with such volume.
# At a Bluegrass festival,we had a chance to compare David's Heiden with a Paganoni Mandolin belonging to another friend of mine,one that he bought from Doyle Lawson when he & Quicksilver came over quite a few years back. The Heiden was very obviously to all,a much better sounding Mandolin than the Paganoni,that's possibly why Doyle Lawson chose to sell it,it wasn't up to his personal standard - that's purely surmising on my part.
#Regarding John Reischman's latest aquisition,i think that his new Heiden,apart from being one of the most beautiful Mandolins i've ever clapped eyes on - the gorgeous Amber colour & the combination of a black nut & the lack of position markers just blows me away - i think that it must also sound terrific. #Unfortunately Trevor,unless i win the lottery,i won't be able to relieve you of one of your new Heidens - i wouldn't part with my Weber 'Fern' though,
thanks for that one,
# # # # # # # # # #Saska
Jim Roberts
Apr-11-2008, 8:56am
"Also Heiden does the maintnence on the Loar for John. #John said he has fret work done before he records each new CD."
Michael's set up work is simply the best. #I have had one of his A5's now for a year and a half and the set-up is still perfect. #
I think if you ask why John Reischman felt the need for a Heiden tells me that you haven't played one of Michaels instruments! #His recent mandolins are top-shelf without a doubt. #Great guy, too. #I can't wait to meet him at his shop in BC this summer after the Bluegrass Workshop Camp at Serrento, BC, Canada in August. #Coincidently, one of the mandolin instructors is John Reischman!
Rick Schmidlin
Apr-11-2008, 11:19am
"Also Heiden does the maintnence on the Loar for John. #John said he has fret work done before he records each new CD."
Michael's set up work is simply the best. #I have had one of his A5's now for a year and a half and the set-up is still perfect. #
I think if you ask why John Reischman felt the need for a Heiden tells me that you haven't played one of Michaels instruments! #His recent mandolins are top-shelf without a doubt. #Great guy, too. #I can't wait to meet him at his shop in BC this summer after the Bluegrass Workshop Camp at Serrento, BC, Canada in August. #Coincidently, one of the mandolin instructors is John Reischman!
I will be seeing you there I hope http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
scgc.om
Apr-11-2008, 2:22pm
Someone above said "black nut" - yeah, it is black! What's it made of? Do you think this was an aesthetic thing? Or is there some black material that would sound "better" than bone??
jasona
Apr-11-2008, 2:39pm
When is Sorrento this year? I was thinking of going if possible myself.
Hey Rick, I'll be in Vancouver end of the month, from the 30th to the 5, basically (including the drive times). The jam at Trout Lake Rec Centre still going?
Rick Schmidlin
Apr-11-2008, 2:43pm
When is Sorrento this year? I was thinking of going if possible myself.
Hey Rick, I'll be in Vancouver end of the month, from the 30th to the 5, basically (including the drive times). The jam at Trout Lake Rec Centre still going?
Yep, and contact me when you get here.