Martin mandoins

[mandosonthemarsh]

Has anyone out there owned or played those A style Martin mandolins from the 50's or 60's? How do they compare to the Gibson A style of the same era?

[mandroid]

Not really a proper heading for this , But.

. . entirely different type of construction .
top is not not carved , but flat spruce (rarely also used Koa, from the Uke construction materials)
Spruce like all those Martin Guitars, Mahogany Backs and necks , [a few rosewood backed ones]
at the bridge the material is bent across the grain.
a wider shallower body ... a derivation of the bowl back soundboard construction
CF Martin made those too, in the 1800's when the company started up.

I used to own a Bowl back Martin with relatively plain decorations, like none.
just the pickguard glued on top similarly shaped to what the flat backed ones use..

moderator , may wisely shift this to the Information About Mandolins Section
where oodles of similar conversations have already taken place..

[pops1]

Totally different sound from the Gibson, but very nice also.

[Bob DeVellis]

I like 'em. They're very different from the Gibson mandos. Their construction is more guitar-like in some respects. They're nice for folk music, Irish, or old-time. They wouldn't typically be a first choice for bluegrass. Good ones are very playable, with wider fingerboards than Gibsons. I remember the first time I played one, when the only mandolin I'd ever had was a Kentucky. The feel of the Martin was a huge improvement and I really wanted to get one. I eventually got two, both from the teens. Although they're something unto themselves, I consider them among the best of the flat-topped mandolins.

[Greg Stec]

Check out the recordings of the Blue Sky Boys (Bill and Earl Bolick), almost strictly mandolin and guitar. The mandolin (played by Earl) was a Martin, a 1929 Style 20. In my mind it is the #2 American mandolin of all time, #1 being Monroe's 1923 Gibson F-5.

Corrections welcome.

Greg

[MikeEdgerton]

The Martin Style A mandolins are really sweet little instruments. They were made from the teens to the 70's. The early models had the pickguard inlaid into the top. They really don't compare to the Gibsons, different animals all together. Flat back, flat bent top. What kind of music do you want to play?

[allenhopkins]

Well, there aren't really many "Gibson A styles of the same era," since G was only building A-40's and A-50's, and the weird 2-point cherry red A-5, at the time.

Martin made two models of mandolin in the period 1950-1969. The Style A was their basic, flat-back mandolin, mahogany back and sides, spruce "bent" or "canted" top. It had a relatively short scale. Martin built about 4300 Style A's between 1950 and 1969. The Style 2-15 was a carved-top, f-hole mandolin, 13 3/4 inch scale, sunburst top. Martin built about 1050 Style 2-15's between 1950, and discontinuing them in 1964.

I assume when you stay "A style Martin mandolins" you're thinking of the Style A, which is vastly more common. IMHO the Martin mandolin is a close relative of the classic bowl-back design, with the same bent or canted, non-carved top, but with guitar-like back and sides rather than a bowl constructed of a series of staves. The sound of the Martin mandolins is often described as "sweet" or "thin," and they don't seem to project the volume of the carved-top Gibsons. You seldom find Martins used in a bluegrass context, though in the country/hillbilly field, Bill Bolick of the Blue Sky Boys used his Martin effectively for vocal accompaniment.

The Gibson A's, based as they are on Orville G's adaption of carved-top violin technology, tend to have a "beefier" sound, more volume, more of what bluegrass/old-time mandolinists prefer. They're also generally significantly more expensive -- supply/demand determined -- although you can still find some that are comparably priced with Martins. That's the lower end of the Gibson price range, though, in my experience.

I guess it depends on what kinda music you're playing. Martins, as might be expected, are well-made instruments, with a nice and distinctive sound, but not as popular for the general run of mandolinists, as the carved-top Gibson A's.

[Eddie Sheehy]

I have a Martin Style 1951 and a Style B 1926. I like them. Great for Old-time and Celtic. Very very light instruments with a short scale. Sweet tone. I have the action set low on mine - the way I like it. Gibson are LOUDER and more cutting - difference between chalk and cheese....

[mhacker]

Hi Greg,
Just came across this posting. First of all, I'm also a ham (K2CA) and have been since 1958. Also, I own a 1931 Martin Style 20. I wonder what you know about the instrument?
Regards,
Michael Hacker
mhacker@nycap.rr.com

[dan in va]

Hi Bruce,

Once upon a time I owned a mid-1970's A and have played an old B. I also found them to be very, very sweet sounding and resonant, but not loud. No truss rod, so be sure the ones you look at have straight necks...light strings sound fine. Necks are a little wide and round with 13" scale and flat board. There is an earlier and later body shape, the latter being more dew drop shaped at the neck. The A model I had could have been made during the employee strike with neck angle a little off, some incorrect fret spacing, very common pickguard crack, and warped neck. Mine was not the typical specimen, but not a surprising ebay special...seller denied knowledge about the issues.

But I would own another if issue free and fair price. Not a grasser, but good sounding and like light gauge strings.

There used to be a Bruce Grover or two in Staunton VA...any kin?

[JeffD]

I have played a few and loved them. Very sweet sound.

[Richard Moore]

I owned and played (especially in ITM sessions) a 1970's Martin A-style for a number of years and liked it. It is still providing good service for a friend in the West of Ireland. Not really comparable to a Gibson A style for the reasons explained by several posters already but a nice mandolin in its own right.

[Garyinboston]

When I was in High School my Art Teacher had one. It was always knocking around the art dept. I remember it be very loud for a little instrument. He would strum Irish toons on the slightly bawdy side of things. It seemed well made to me then, well made and simple

Gary

[raulb]

As you can see from my avatar, I have a '53 Martin Style A that I love dearly. To compare it to a Gibson, or any other, is an exercise in futility. As with Martin guitars, the Martin mando is woodier sounding than other brands. I find it projects well and is easy to play. I play all kinds of music on it and the only limitation I have for it is that I don't like to play a lot of chords with heavy strumming, but that is just me. For picking, or even occasional strumming, it can't be beat.

[Perry Babasin]

OK, so I see discussions about Martin mandolins and the bent flat-top is the only one discussed... What about this?

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31123830&l=b7f04a469c&id=1160480025

I see these every once-in-a-while, carved but kind of funky looking... How do they sound? (photos stopped imbedding for me for some reason!!?)

[Bob DeVellis]

I think Martin's flatback mandolin designs were more successful than their arched mandolin designs, from a tone perspective. The arched top oval hole ones can be pretty nice,though.

Then there's the Martin bowlbacks, of course. They can be very nice instruments of their type.

The two Martins I've kept are a fancy Style 5 bowlback and a one-of-a-kind flatback employee model that most closely approximates a Style D. Both are very nice in their own ways.

[Ed Goist]

My mandolin instructor often plays this Martin mandolin (http://www.woodsys.com/p-890-1955-martin-2-15-mandolin.aspx) during my lessons. Very good tone, and it's the loudest mandolin I've ever heard.

[JeffD]

Then there's the Martin bowlbacks, of course. They can be very nice instruments of their type.


I have a Style 3 bowlback on which I play a lot of OT. Very loud and thick toned. (Thick being the opposite of the thin almost airy sound one often expects of an old american bowlback.)