View Full Version : Woodley mandolins
Don Grieser
Jan-09-2009, 12:43pm
Anybody own or play a Woodley? Care to share your thoughts on them?
jasona
Jan-09-2009, 3:54pm
I think SternART has, or used to have, a Woodley. That mandolin in the classifieds also caught my eye.
Gary Hedrick
Jan-09-2009, 4:26pm
I have own three Woodleys.....the Kalamazoo F2.....a blond F5 and a blond F4. All of them were very very well built....extreme attention to detail. All were joys to play and had great acoustic properties. I sold them along about the time I had to sell my Loar do to medical bills and financial hardships. I really loved the F5 and the F2 .....they were supurb instruments.
violmando
Jan-10-2009, 6:37am
Marilynn Mair also plays a Woodley--don't think there are many around, tho'.
John Flynn
Jan-10-2009, 7:15am
He's not listed in the Cafe' builders' database. Is he no longer building?
Don Grieser
Jan-10-2009, 8:26am
I didn't pull the trigger on that one. I've got what I need in the oval department (see avatar.) ;)
SternART
Jan-10-2009, 9:28am
I've owned three.......I bought Gary's blackface Kalamazoo F2, which was a long neck oval & a veddy nice mandolin. I traded it to Will Kimble, who lusted after it, for an early Kimble F5. I think Will had played it at a Comando gathering Gary had one time. Lets see........then I had an F5, that is now owned by Jim Kendrick in NY. That is the one I wish I had back. I always thought it was tight & wasn't sure if it was going to open up, even though it was remarkable in every other way. If I still owned it, would be a great candidate for Siminoff's dedamping process, maybe a double dose. It was a great instrument. Then I had a blonde birdseye A model, ummm, ummm it was purty. I traded that one towards a Monteleone Grand Artist Delux.
Doug had some personal problems & wasn't building, but I had heard he was doing better awhile back. He is a fabulous craftsman, VERY fine luthiery, outstanding feel, fit & finish. I know Will Kimble has been in touch with him. Peter Mix has owned several Woodley built instruments as well. Possibly one of those fellas know more about his current status. The world needs more of Doug Woodley's mandolins!
The one in the classifieds caught my eye too, but I've been in the selling rather than buying mode lately. Tough times for everyone, especially artists. I'm trying to hold on to the few I have left, all keepers & stellar instruments.
Wish I still had that trio of Woodley's but greatly enjoyed my time with them!
djeffcoat
Jan-22-2009, 3:51pm
I own a lefty Woodley F5 made in 2000. It is a very fine mandolin.
Click on the first thumbnail in this link:
http://www.12fret.com/retail/mwoodley.htm
Don
T Little
Jan-24-2009, 11:28pm
On the link mentioned above (http://www.12fret.com/retail/mwoodley.htm) I have the 4th one down. It has a very full oval hole sound and is one of the most beautiful mandolins I've seen. The binding is ebony and after building it Doug vowed not to do that again because of how much trouble it was, but it does look good.
SternART
Jan-25-2009, 12:29pm
The long neck F2 I used to own & traded to Will Kimble is the 3rd one down in the link above.
Gary Hedrick
Feb-01-2009, 8:28am
Will sold the F2 through Cotten Music. Wish I could get that one back. Like Arthur, I miss it greatly. Good instrument and visually striking which is something that seems to be true of every mandolin that Arthur has owned that I know about. The artist eye has an eye for an artist's creation.
Doug Woodley is a true artist.
Jeroen
May-27-2010, 2:27am
Yesterday I went to see Jenny Whiteley and Joey White, from Canada, here in the Netherlands. Joey is a very creative mandolin player, and from the back of the bar I could hear the amazing quality of his Woodley A style, f holes, mandolin. I had never heard of Woodley mandolins. Joey is a very friendly guy and he let me play it. Great mandolin, fantastic dry and clear tone. Trebly in a very positive and balanced way.
Jim Garber
May-28-2010, 2:55pm
I played that black faced F2 for about 30 minutes straight that Will had at the 2004 CMSA convention. It was one of the finest sounding and playing mandolins I have played. I just could not figure out how to buy it. Too bad that he doesn't build any more.
I still have the Woodley that was in the classifieds, It is a wonderful oval sounding mandolin that in some ways i like it better than my '22 A2. and sometimes i like the A2 better. Well made with great sound. It's the only Woodley i have played, but very nice. I heard he is considering making mandolins again. Time will tell.