John Rosett
Jun-26-2004, 2:22pm
well, i had to leave weiser early to play a gig last night. i was thinking that i would get to play some cool instruments there, and i wasn't wrong. paul lestock was there with mandolins(4,5, and 8 string), octave mandos, mandocellos guitars, and the coolest tenor guitar i've ever seen. he brought a rack and just set them out for people to play and comment on. how cool is that?
the guitarist that i play jazz with has an arrow django style guitar, so i knew that paul makes nice stuff. i wasn't expecting the range of really fine instruments that he makes. i was thinking that the "jazzbo" 4 and 5 string mandos wouldn't sound all that great acoustically, but after spending two hours with the 5 string at a jam, i have to say that i was wrong. not exactly mandolin-like, but great tone and plenty of volume.
i took paul's prototype of his new "G" style to a jam session, and it was all over. he never did get it back-well, i had to give it back when i left, but only so he can buff out the finish and put an end pin in it. it's the lightest, most responsive mando i've ever played. plus, it looks cool-kind of the offspring of one of those old multi-point kays from the 30's and a F style. it held it's own with my friend's gilchrist F5, but has a unique tone all it's own.
so that's my little report from weiser. sorry, once paul got out all his stuff, i kinda lost interest in the other stuff. greg boyd was there, and i still think that those prucha F's are the best bluegrass mandos around, and he also had a 1966-67 givens A that was really cool, but not for sale.
now i'm going to go take a nap...
john
the guitarist that i play jazz with has an arrow django style guitar, so i knew that paul makes nice stuff. i wasn't expecting the range of really fine instruments that he makes. i was thinking that the "jazzbo" 4 and 5 string mandos wouldn't sound all that great acoustically, but after spending two hours with the 5 string at a jam, i have to say that i was wrong. not exactly mandolin-like, but great tone and plenty of volume.
i took paul's prototype of his new "G" style to a jam session, and it was all over. he never did get it back-well, i had to give it back when i left, but only so he can buff out the finish and put an end pin in it. it's the lightest, most responsive mando i've ever played. plus, it looks cool-kind of the offspring of one of those old multi-point kays from the 30's and a F style. it held it's own with my friend's gilchrist F5, but has a unique tone all it's own.
so that's my little report from weiser. sorry, once paul got out all his stuff, i kinda lost interest in the other stuff. greg boyd was there, and i still think that those prucha F's are the best bluegrass mandos around, and he also had a 1966-67 givens A that was really cool, but not for sale.
now i'm going to go take a nap...
john