Jbovier

[manicmando]

i cant find any info on where these nice instruments are made and i even own one lol and when i look at them on there website they never say anything about an A5-G model which is what i own what does the G stand for?

[Joel Spaulding]

There was a review of Jbovier in the most recent Mandolin Magazine. Jeff Cowherd of Mandolins and More (http://www.mandolins.net) is in Kentucky and is the force behind Jbovier. The mandolins are made in Korea if I recall the article correctly.

The Mandolin Magazine website does not appear to have been updated in quite a while - so see if you can find a copy - or contact Jeff to find out more about his instruments.

The G stands for Guess. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif or Good or maybe even Great. No idea.

Good luck,

Joel

[Jim Broyles]

The mandolins come in a Satin or a Gloss finish. Could mean gloss.

[manicmando]

it is a gloss finish and i was also looking noticed mine has a nice inlay on the headstock and the a models on the website don't just jbovier on the headstock?

[trevor]

G is an upgraded model from the original, I call it deluxe on my website. Solid tailpiece, gold fittings, flamed maple.

[leathermarshmallow]

mine has stenciled on the back of the headstock "Korea".

[Kbone]

I have a great one for sale in the classifieds - they sound very woody, with good mids and great bottom end. I had one of those new K 1000's & the Boviers had much more spank + it has an ebony fretboard, double bound - really a great mando for the price.

[Steelee]

I have a JBovier Tradition that is about 6 months old. As another poster mentioned, "Korea" is stamped on the back of the headstock.

I am very pleased with the tone of my mandolin. Good bang for the buck.

[manicmando]

mine has nothing on the back of the head stock other than tuners

[Richard Russell]

My A5 has "crafted in Korea" on back of headstock. It's a 2008 model. No inlay on headstock, just JBovier. Nice sound. It's opening up nicely, and I've been skeptical about the whole opening up process, so, this model has really proven to me that this does indeed happen. Mine has a nice deep, resonant tone, surprisingly so for an f holed model. Very nice.

[Rick Cadger]

There was a review of Jbovier in the most recent Mandolin Magazine....
What did they reckon?

[Joel Spaulding]

Parapharasing from reading the article 7 - 10 days ago:

They "reckoned" that the instruments were a good (excellent) value, well made and that Jeff Cowherd is very personally involved in the set up of all instruments. The only item in the article that might be construed as a ding, was in regards to volume, but I believe that was loosely in reference to more expensive instruments.

Jeff was able to respond in the same issue and his only disagreement with the review was that most Jbovier players would disagree with the review's volume issue.

And they are made in Korea. The review mentioned that Jeff interfaces with a guy at the shop and that he (Jeff) doesn't speak Korean. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

I didn't learn to do much "reckoning" until I married into a family from Green county, KY. Wow, I have certainly learned an almost entirely new dialect.
They enjoy teaching this "city-boy D*mn yankee" a few things now and then. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
...anyone who has ever visited Vermont can see the irony of "city boy". #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Rick Cadger]

I have a tradition I bought from Trevor. It has had a few tweaks, but I think it was pretty loud out of the box.

Now it's had the finish cut back much thinner, a CA bridge added, strung up with J75s and had the heck played out of it for a few months...

Pfff... plenty of volume! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

If I had to try really hard to find an area that could bear some improvement I'd say that the bass is a tad strong. With a really heavy pick it booms a bit, and the treble can lose a tiny bit of definition in comparison. That said, sometimes I string up with J74s and replace the E course with 115 instead of 11. That, and 1.5 mm pick instead of 2mm and everything balances perfectly.

In general I actually prefer to play with the bass-heavy setup as I don't solo a great deal. I'm delighted with the power of the chop and open chords the Bovier delivers.

Couldn't be happier with mine. A decent quality mando, but cheap enough that I can tweak without fear.

[trevor]

I have sold quite a few and have over 20 in stock, all models. I haven't had a volume problem with any of them.

[DryBones]

I noticed with mine that the body is a tad thicker than my Eastman was. I had to order longer barrels for my armrest when I moved it between mandolins. maybe the deeper body has something to do with the sound/volume??? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[Steve L]

Trevor, I'm curious if you've had the A4 model come through your shop and what you thought about it. Anyone else's impressions would be very welcome too.

I just bought one of their new Irish bouzoukis and I like it. It was built in Korea.

[trevor]

The A4 is my most popular model, in the price range its hard to beat.
I am not sure why there seems to be an ongoing debate about Korea. As far as I know they are all made in Korea, its no secret.

[manicmando]

my jbovier doesn't hold a candle to my eastman i use j74's on both although i still like it and sounds better than most in that price range

[Rick Cadger]

my jbovier doesn't hold a candle to my eastman i use j74's on both although i still like it and sounds better than most in that price range
Really? Which Eastman?

I had a 504 a while back. It was cool, but not overloud.

I have a friend who has Eastman A styles in both f and oval hole. His f hole A mando cuts through a bit better than my Bovier, but isn't really louder. The oval hole is muddier than my Bovier, and again is no louder - just bassier.

Both of those are a good 2 years older than mine and have been played regularly, so I'm expecting further improvements in mine as it ages.

Indulge my curiosity... What aspects of your Bovier don't equal your Eastman? And what models are they?

I'm getting a shortlist of candidates together for my next mando purchase. Maybe another Eastman should go on the list... Although I think I'm drawn in a Collings direction...

[powercat]

I went to a local dealer here in the Kansas City area and played four JBoviers they had in stock. I was completely underwhelmed. I REALLY wanted to like these as I have read such good reviews of this brand in the forums here. I honestly think that my Fullerton Gloucester sounds as good or better than the JBoviers I tried. My instructor even went over and tried them out and felt the exact same way. Either these weren't set up very well, or I had hyped these up to myself too much, but I was just not impressed. I'm sad. I REALLY wanted to be impressed. I'll try these again later before I decide between an Eastman 615 or JBovier Vine (still love the satin antique carmel look though).

[Jkf_Alone]

john,

i used to feel that way about everything i played. i only have 1 mando ( a kentucky) and most of the mandos i played didnt sound as good to my ears as it did. i realized though that i learned to play in a way that accented my mandos string points and got the most out of it. now when i play something new, i will ask myself "what will make this mando sing?" and find myself blown away by mandolins i used to find boring and dull. most noticably a lyon & healy at a local shop.

[manicmando]

my jbovier doesn't hold a candle to my eastman i use j74's on both although i still like it and sounds better than most in that price range
Really? Which Eastman?

I had a 504 a while back. It was cool, but not overloud.

I have a friend who has Eastman A styles in both f and oval hole. His f hole A mando cuts through a bit better than my Bovier, but isn't really louder. The oval hole is muddier than my Bovier, and again is no louder - just bassier.

Both of those are a good 2 years older than mine and have been played regularly, so I'm expecting further improvements in mine as it ages.

Indulge my curiosity... What aspects of your Bovier don't equal your Eastman? And what models are they?

I'm getting a shortlist of candidates together for my next mando purchase. Maybe another Eastman should go on the list... Although I think I'm drawn in a Collings direction...
i have a eastman 615 my eastmans overall tone is way better, more woody, more punch, my chop has more bark, but i dont do alot of chopping the eastman plays better even though mine is an older one with hardly any radius on the fingerboard my jbovier has a little buzz sound on the d strings in the 12th fret its just not as nice "to me" i also have put a solid tailpiece on the jbovier

[DryBones]

I went to a local dealer here in the Kansas City area and played four JBoviers they had in stock. #I was completely underwhelmed. #I REALLY wanted to like these as I have read such good reviews of this brand in the forums here. #I honestly think that my Fullerton Gloucester sounds as good or better than the JBoviers I tried. #My instructor even went over and tried them out and felt the exact same way. #Either these weren't set up very well, or I had hyped these up to myself too much, but I was just not impressed. # I'm sad. #I REALLY wanted to be impressed. #I'll try these again later before I decide between an Eastman 615 or JBovier Vine (still love the satin antique carmel look though).

the JBoviers come with SIT strings which I don't understand. I changed mine almost immediately to EXP74's and WOW what a difference. I also had a good setup done locally with the string change. It came pretty good but I just needed the nut a bit lower for those pesky 1st and 2nd frets. As always...YMMV

[Rick Cadger]

I went to a local dealer here in the Kansas City area and played four JBoviers they had in stock. I was completely underwhelmed. I REALLY wanted to like these as I have read such good reviews of this brand in the forums here. I honestly think that my Fullerton Gloucester sounds as good or better than the JBoviers I tried. My instructor even went over and tried them out and felt the exact same way. Either these weren't set up very well, or I had hyped these up to myself too much, but I was just not impressed. I'm sad. I REALLY wanted to be impressed. I'll try these again later before I decide between an Eastman 615 or JBovier Vine (still love the satin antique carmel look though).

the JBoviers come with SIT strings which I don't understand. I changed mine almost immediately to EXP74's and WOW what a difference. I also had a good setup done locally with the string change. It came pretty good but I just needed the nut a bit lower for those pesky 1st and 2nd frets. As always...YMMV
Yep. J74s/J75s and a bit of personalisation to the setup makes a world of difference.

BTW, I am also a very happy Fullerton Gloucester owner (outrageous value for money when they were closing out!), but my Bovier now beats my Gloucester in terms of both volume and tone.

[Richard Russell]

Well, mandolin tone and the search for that great mandolin can drive one crazy! I like my JB A5, but, I won't brag it up tonally too much because although it's sound suits me and I like it's playability, those two aspects may not suit another players needs. There are louder A5 models out there, and perhaps that loudness is very important. Maybe not, because the overall tone and feel that a player ends up liking when playing a mandolin is based on so many things that make up a mandolin's "character". This stuff gets so subjective, as I said, this can drive a person crazy! Some day I'm gonna just buy an Eastman 505 and the Kentucky 505 and enjoy them all and then sell off one or two of them when I figure out which one is my favorite! I love the fact that so many great mandolins are available in this sub-$1000 price range and JB is a strong contender, though there sound is wonderfully different than other brands.

[Caleb]

I'd really like to find a dealer with some JBs in stock. I've been keeping a close eye on these and would love to test drive one. I don't think I'll ever buy another mandolin without playing it first.

[Rick Cadger]

...I like my JB A5, but, I won't brag it up tonally too much because although it's sound suits me and I like it's playability, those two aspects may not suit another players needs...
Quite right. A lot of people would prefer the cut from my friend's Eastman f-hole mando. Lucky for me I like a pretty mid-rich chop and some bass in my open chords. If I played lots of breaks and needed to be heard clearly over the banjo I'd probably be looking for an additional axe.

[Rick Cadger]

I'd really like to find a dealer with some JBs in stock. I've been keeping a close eye on these and would love to test drive one. I don't think I'll ever buy another mandolin without playing it first.
If you do try one, bear in mind the poor strings that will likely be on it.

[Richard Russell]

Flattop, you're right about the mid-rich chop and the nice bassier open chord. That's what makes my particular JB a bit more versatile for what I tend to play, because it gets a some of that sweet tone that typically comes from the oval holed mandolin, but, can still pull off bluegrass by having actually a quite impressive chop, though , not the dry chop of the Eastmans and other models. Interestingly, I once owned a nice Flatiron A5 that had the dry sound, but, my ears never really liked the sound, it was so bright. Not my sound, but, it was a gem in the jam circle.. really cut through!

[powercat]

flattop, Jkf_alone, DryBones,

Thanks for your replies. I am still a beginner and have a lot to learn and much ear development to go through. I have been quite happy with my Fullerton (ebony bridge replacement), but have been thinking about a future purchase with a little more bass to it. It'll be a while before I can upgrade, so I'll have to revisit the JBoviers. I'll remember the strings and setup the next time I try them out. The one mando at the store that just about knocked my socks off (and did when I looked at the price http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif ) was a Weber Yellowstone. I think I'll have to stick to the JBovier/Eastman range.

[Rick Cadger]

flattop, Jkf_alone, DryBones,

Thanks for your replies. I am still a beginner and have a lot to learn and much ear development to go through. I have been quite happy with my Fullerton (ebony bridge replacement), but have been thinking about a future purchase with a little more bass to it. It'll be a while before I can upgrade, so I'll have to revisit the JBoviers. I'll remember the strings and setup the next time I try them out. The one mando at the store that just about knocked my socks off (and did when I looked at the price http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif ) was a Weber Yellowstone. I think I'll have to stick to the JBovier/Eastman range.
Powercat, like I say, I own both a Fullerton Gloucester and a Bovier, amongst others.

While the Bovier does have a bit of a volume and tonal margin over the Fullerton now it's been tweaked and played-in a little, the difference is not vast. If I were in your position, knowing what I know now, I would hold out and save for something that really is a step up, rather than a half-step. Personally, I'm saving for a new mando, and judging by what I've read here, and the two Collings mandos I've played, it is likely that I'll go for a Collings MT.

I'm also pretty tempted by the Kentucky KM-1000, which I have tried, but I don't know if I have the patience to wait for red spruce to loosen up (which is what put me off it when I tried it last time).

I'm very happy with both my cheapies (and the Bovier is better than a couple of more expensive mandos I have owned), but if you have one decent entry level mandolin, why get another? Hold onto that cash, grit your teeth, and save a little longer.