What aspect of tone defines a superior instrument to you?

[harmonist34]

I enjoy mandolin, but I have to admit that my ear is MUCH more finally tuned to the nuances of guitars. I can hear the difference between various mandolins, but as far as better/worse goes, I don't always have strong opinions. Obviously a good place to be, since I can be happy with any of a large number of very different mandos!

So for those of you who have bought/sold/played many mandolins, what is the single biggest differentiator for you between ok mandos and great mandos.

For example...when it comes to guitars, I tend to detest the "boxy" sound that many inexpensive guitars have and that is more common in smaller-bodied instruments. I also really appreciate clarity and deep bass response without muddiness.

So if you give me a guitar that sounds open and uncompressed with a deep, clear bass register, I'm going to like it and consider it a "better" instrument.

Your turn...


Andrew

[jim_n_virginia]

It's hard to describe but I know when I hear it. I hate instruments that sound "thin" and I love instruments that just resonate in my hands.

Hard to describe I just know when I hear it.

[Chris Biorkman]

One thing that I have always noticed about top notch instruments is how resonant they are. I can feel my Kimble and Ellis vibrating in my hands when I'm talking. Just an observation.

[Arve Hermundstad]

Dynamics! I've had some "affordable" instruments that sounded good, but only played in a certain way. I went from a Simon & Patrick guitar to a Collings. Man, what a difference. The Collings sounds good no matter what I do, the S&P has to be played with a flatpick, fairly loud, but gives up if I bash it too hard. No such restrictions with the Collings.( The bad thing is, I can't blame the guitar anymore).
Same story with my mandolins. Started with an Epiphone MM-30 (gave it away for some studio time, best deal I ever made), and now play an Eastman 605. The dynamic range is in a different league. But I've also compared the Eastman to some high/mid range Gibsons, Collings and Furchs. As soon as I've got the money............. well, you can guess what's gonna happen.
For me it's about dynamics.

[Dfyngravity]

I am with Jim, I first will start with what I do not like and that is a mandolin that sounds "thin".

Having owed both high end and fairly low end mandolins and guitars I can definitely tell when I have a good one. I prefer a mandolin that has a nice balance across the strings. I have noticed with lower end mandolins that they either have a nice low (bass) end or a nice high (treble) end. But great mandolins really have a great balance where you really can't tell where the bass ends and the treble starts. Going from that G to A string should sound as if you haven't even changed strings. For me the overall tone needs to be crisp and clear and resonant all over the mandolin.

[Ken_P]

One thing that I have always noticed about top notch instruments is how resonant they are. I can feel my Kimble and Ellis vibrating in my hands when I'm talking. Just an observation.

This is an excellent point. It was one of the first things I noticed with my Collings, when I took it out to show people, the top would vibrate in response to people talking at normal volume.

Another thing that I notice about great instruments is that not only can you get a great sound, they make getting the sound you want easy. The best instruments are responsive to every nuance in your playing. You can produce noticeable variations in tone with simple adjustments in pick attack or angle.

For me, the most important thing about an instrument is that having it makes you want to play more and discover what else it can do, or what else you can make it do. It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, but if it keeps you coming back for more, you've got the right one.

[Chuck Naill]

So for those of you who have bought/sold/played many mandolins, what is the single biggest differentiator for you between ok mandos and great mandos.


I have played more than I have owned, but in general I always notice the weight (lightness) of an instrument as the initial indicator of a tone that I am going to like.

I prefer an instrument that resonates with sustain, but not a thin metalic string sustain, but from within the box of the instrument and projecting outward with little effort with the pick, bow, or fingers.

The 2006 Horner F5 that I have on loan is very light. I can "feel" the instrument through my shirt. It has severals flavors depending on where I use the pick, and I only exert minimal effort while playing yet the other players no I am there because of it excellent projection. I wish I had $3500:grin::grin::grin:

chuck naill

[Greg H.]

I agree with both Dfyngravity and Ken, the best have an even range from the open G to high up on the E string. Also, it will sound just as good if you're playing very softly or if your really driving it. A good instrument will sound differently if your playing softly or really hard, but still sound great. A weak instrument will never sound fully, no matter you you're playing it. (that is unless you're like Thile, Marshall, Reichman, Bush. . . ..who could sound great if they were playing a toilet plunger!)......

[Pete Martin]

The full woody sound of a good acoustic instrument.

[John McGann]

The right voodoo combination of:

• Punch/Projection
• Sustain
• Responsiveness to touch/dynamic levels (sounds great played quietly, loudly and in between)
• Headroom (doesn't break up too soon and you dig in for maximum volume and projection; doesn't just start loud and get louder with bad tone if you play softer, warm across the spectrum)
• Even response across the strings, no one 'voice' standing out; no wimpy A and E strings
• Harmonic content, especially as you up the neck on the wound strings- a 'piano like' roundness that doesn't die instantly
• Good feel on the fingerboard, not too much or too little string tension
• A variety of tone color as you move the pick between the bridge and fingerboard
• A personality that says "I will do what you tell me to do, I'm here to work with you" rather than "this is what I do, deal with it, chump!" :))

[Don Stiernberg]

John, you've been talking with your instruments again....(insert funny emoticon here..)

I vote also for sustain and evenness. There should be no notes on the board that give up or sound unsupported, and no string should be more assertive than the others. If you have to really push the strings down hard or pick too hard to get your sound, it's the wrong instrument for you.

[sgarrity]

Mr McGann summed it up pretty well. I'll add that I like a deep, resonant, woody pop to the notes.
Tone is so hard to describe in words!

[Spruce]

Every "great" mandolin I've had the pleasure of playing sounds musical on the high E string above the 12th fret...

Don't play up there all that much, but that little test sure tells me when a mandolin is working or not...

[Bill Van Liere]

1. Clean tone, my wife describes one of my instruments of having a ring like tapping a crystal wine glass.

2. Responsive tone, I want sound with out always pounding on the thing. Somrthing I can play lightly.

3 An even reponse across and up and down the fret board, no jumpy notes.

4. The obvious: pleasant to your ears. I sometimes envision the treble notes as little squares coming out an instrument. Sure, loud, it cuts, but it has little edges on it that kinda hurt. Hard to put to words, I am looking for more a O sound that an E sound on the upper notes.

YMMV

[Steve Ostrander]

I've noticed that with the good ones you can feel the back vibrating against your chest when you play (without a Tone Gard) Also, I like to hear the wood, not the twangy steel of the string. After you play enough of them, you can start to pick out the ones that are exceptional.

[John Malayter]

This is a very interesting topic. I've noticed 2 different camps with the mandolin community of late. It seems there's a large group of players who love the woody chomp, this seems popular among silver angels, collings, daley mandolins. The other camp is a loarish sound which is a even sound across the board with an emphasis on the midrange aspect of the instrument.

To me its funny watching people critique other's instruments, i've personally witnessed people who like that woody tone play a loar or a loar copy and say that is sounds like junk..........?

I completely agree with Don and John that evenness is what is superior not just a thud when you chop. An instrument should have the same volume on the 3rd fret that it has on the 13th, there are plenty out there that don't.

[JeffD]

The right voodoo combination of:

• Punch/Projection
• Sustain
• Responsiveness to touch/dynamic levels (sounds great played quietly, loudly and in between)
• Headroom (doesn't break up too soon and you dig in for maximum volume and projection; doesn't just start loud and get louder with bad tone if you play softer, warm across the spectrum)
• Even response across the strings, no one 'voice' standing out; no wimpy A and E strings
• Harmonic content, especially as you up the neck on the wound strings- a 'piano like' roundness that doesn't die instantly
• Good feel on the fingerboard, not too much or too little string tension
• A variety of tone color as you move the pick between the bridge and fingerboard
• A personality that says "I will do what you tell me to do, I'm here to work with you" rather than "this is what I do, deal with it, chump!" :))

Wow, that's what I would have said if I had been able to articulate it all.

Especially the last item, I hate having to 'work around' an instruments quirks.

[woodwizard]

Yup! John said it pretty good! One of the things I notice the most first is if it's got the bell like ring on the A & E strings and that real woody tone (hard to describe sort of percussive drum sound) especially on the D string. I can tell pretty quick if it's got what I like tho.