Phoenix mandolins

[Mark53]

Has anyone owned or played the Phoenix Bluegrass mandolin.

Any opinions?

[Lee]

Where's Dale?
I've got a Deluxe and it's exquisite. The consensus with Phoenix' is they're works of art, extremely sensitive, with the most playable neck in the industry. My Deluxe has a bright airy crystalline sound to it, made a bit woodier with TI's.

[Bowzette]

I have one and it is a very good mandolin. Rolfe does great work and if you need work on one, he puts repair work at the top of the list so the turn around is very quick. I have a Bluegrass for sale, with a friend trying it out, email me off line if you're interested.
mmcmanus100@yahoo.com

[otterly2k]

I don't have one, but I played a Phoenix Neoclassical at Mandolin Bros. store on Staten Island. I was in there sampling all their mandos off the wall, and it just jumped out to me from all the rest... which was a pretty varied and honorable collection!

It was SO light (but not fragile) in the hands...felt almost like a violin. Had a very light touch and superb, clear tones with plenty of volume. I've been gravitating to CBOM instruments of late, but if I was looking for a mandolin, I would make a beeline for the Phoenix Neoclassical. I haven't played the Bluegrass model, but understand it is of similar tone and quality. And I have heard nothing but praise for the luthier.

KE

[erick]

I have a Neo Bluegrass model that is a great instrument, though the access to the highest frets is somewhat limited by how the neck block hits your hand. Also wish that the neck widened a bit more as you get towards the body. Rolfe is making his newer instruments with slightly thicker tops, and I haven't heard much about them. My instrument has amazing treble response and volume, and though the bass end of things is better on other instruments, for certain kinds of playing the Phoenix is hard to beat.

Hey Erick, if that's the Neo I think it is I'll trade you a new 2004 Neo with the new graduations for it....Dale

[Lee]

Erick, TI strings work well on my Deluxe, making the tone a bit thicker on the lower end. Funny, I like the way the neck doesn't expand in width so much higher up the neck. I think that's why it's such a comfy fast neck.

[evanreilly]

I have two Phoenix Bluegrass mandolins; #164, which was a prototype for the model, made in 1995, and #301, which is a prototype for the BLuegrass Master Model, from 2002.
Both are exceptionally well crafted; both play exceptionally well, both sound great. #Both are visually works of art, altho the older one has been subject to indignities such as D-I-Y neck strippage and bears a good bit of wear.
Am I a fan of the builder??? He is a great guy also.

[Mando Dan]

Dale, what do you mean about new graduations? I would think that the graduation (degree of thickness increase) of the plates would vary from plate to plate. Since all wood grows different and will have slightly different densities. Should we be looking for older models? What year model is your Neo Bluegrass Erick?

I am like many others, looking for the holy grail in mandolins. I would have to say that Phoenix is one of the top ten mandolins period. Currently I have been playing alot of my Moon Beam which has a very meaty tone, but the old standard (Pheonix Deluxe) is always close at hand.

Erick's Neo is a custom of mine that I sold & wished I'd kept.....

I prefer the voicing on the Bluegrass & NeoBluegrass as the Deluxes have seemed a little brite for my taste.....but that's just me.

Dan, I think we are all chasing "THE" mandolin. For my taste & limited abilities I've yet to find a mando I feel fits me better than the Phoenix.