Can you name(remember) all the mandolins you've ever owned?

[FrDNicholas]

I'm going to try, but now this goes back 30+years:
Harmony, 2 Aria's, 2 Alvarez's, Some kind of mandolin with a wooden rim like a banjo but all wood, Gibson A, Gibson A4 snakehead, Collings MT. That's all I can remember now. There might have been something else in the middle there, but I'm not sure.

[Mike Herlihy]

Mid-Mo, Weber Abroska, Martin A, National Resonator, Weber Sweet Pea

[FrDNicholas]

Mike, is that in the order you got them?

[Timbofood]

Sure, 1972 Harmony (black with that awful reddish "pseudo-flame")
in 1976- 1931 Kalamazoo KM11
1977- "The Alvarez" A-700 (the block inlay model)
1978 Guild D-25M (Custom inlay and overlay came later) Oops, dropped the guitar in there.

[Chris Biorkman]

Franciscan A style
Epiphone F
Gibson F5-G
Phoenix Bluegrass
Collings MF5
Ellis F (still own)
Poe F
Kimble A (still own)

[Glassweb]

easily more than 100... maybe as many as 150 including all the vintage A and F model Gibsons, Martins, Lyons, Strad-O-Lins, Silver Bell, Harmony, Ibanez, Unicorn (Rolfe's), Gilchrist, Nugget, Flatiron, Givens, Collings... on and on... after owning all of these and playing hundreds of other mandolins it all comes down to my current two... a 24' Loar and a 26' Fern. these are the keepers and, believe it or not, it's only because of their "value" as tools for my musical expression. has nothing to do with their monetary worth...

[Denny Gies]

Auria 2 point
1916 Gibson A2
late '80s Kentucky 1500 (or was it a 100 then?)
1993 Randy Wood F5
I'm done looking. The Wood is all I could ever want short of a $225,000 investment.

[Jim MacDaniel]

I am still a neophyte compared to many here, so I can still remember all of them...
Fender plywood emando (received for Xmas in 2000 to kick-off my addiction) long-gone
Spicer flat-top (spruce over birch) gone
Eloree solid-body emando - gone
Kentucky KM-250S
Tacoma M3 (spruce/rosewood) gone
Mid-Mo M-1 (spruce/mahogany) gone, although I would like an M-3 someday
Malagoli solid-body emando (actually an eCavaquinho/Cavaco "mini-Strat" from Brasil, scale-length of ~12.75", but it tuned nicely to GDAE) gone
Freshwater 10-string large body mandolin (spruce/walnut -- with sustain that rings for days)
Gypsy Vagabond (spruce/maple -- a real workhorse, nice wide neck, solidly built, and LOUD) gone, although I envision commisioning a 10-string cocobolo custom-build from Walt someday
Arches flat-top (spruce over cocobolo -- the most beautiful instrument I've ever owned) gone (sadly I needed the money recently)
Kentucky KM-174 (burgundy oval hole -- a very nice performer for the price)
Redline Traveler (spruce/walnut -- the nicest playing mandolin I've ever owned) I suspect will eventually own another one or two more Travelers in different wood & color combinations, as this is one fun little mandolin, with incredible performance, fit, and finish.

[allenhopkins]

Well, they're all listed below, except for:
Gibson A-1, found in my grandfather's attic late '60's, traded in on
Gibson F-2, late teens, bought c. 1972, traded in on current F-5 in late '70's.
Weymann Mandolute, purchased late '70's, traded in on Eastman mandola two years ago

Currently holding, not listed in my signature:
Holdrio "pocket" mandolin, German made, gift from a great-aunt
Jordan (?) brand solid-body electric mandolin, bought about ten years ago
No-name banjo-mandolin, gift from a friend of my wife's, maybe 15 years ago
Regal Octofone, bought two years ago from Bernunzio.

Everything else below.

[mandolirius]

60's/70's Ibanez A with a badly warped neck.
1920 Gibson A2
Roberts Tiny Moore mode 5-string electric
1978 Givens A
1928 Gibson A
1995 Phoenix Ultra
1989 Flatiron Artist
Floodtone Benttop A

[Wesley]

In order :

A Conqueror - I still own it

Mid Missouri 4 - sold years ago

Weber Bridger - soon to be seen in the classifieds

Weber Fern

Brentrup M-21

Smart Mandola

Davy Stewart Octave Mandolin

So it looks like the MidMo is the only one I've ever sold.

[Capt. E]

Mid-Missouri MO
Epiphone MM-50
Shiro A (70's vintage Japanese w/ carved spruce top and mahogany body)
Weber "Bighorn"

That's all so far. Been thinking about an octave mando lately.

[man dough nollij]

Fender cheapie ("loaned" out forever)

Weber Gallatin (still have)

Trinity College OM (sold)

Eastman 504 (still have)

Weber Sweet Pea (still have, with caved in top)

'50 Stadium (AKA Strad-O-Lin, still have)

Weber Bridger OM (still have, for sale)

Eastman 505 (still have, the only one within 9000 miles of my present location)

[mrmando]

We've done this before a few times, although my list is due for an update.

[John Malayter]

Ratliff- F5 very early serial maybe number 17, sold

Ratliff- F5 maybe 2006, sold

Davis- F5 top had been Monroeized by an orbital sander, sold

Eastman- F4 complete DOG............ sold

Weber- F5 Custom Yellowstone, great mandolin, sold 'cause i'm an idiot!

Ratcliff- Distressed F5, one of the loudest mandolins i've heard, sold

BRW- F5 black top very collings(ish), sold

Pomeroy- F5 simple plain but sounded fantastic, again an idiot sale

Gibson- Custom F5, great mando just no power, sold

Collings- MF5 probably the nicest mandolin i've had yet, it competes in quality to my Huss and Dalton Guitar. Brand new but sounds GREAT! Still own.

Ratliff- F5 Another sleeper, this had opened up more than any other mandolin i've owned. When I first bought it, sound was pretty poor but almost overnight it was a different animal. Still own.

Wow, I shouldn't have written this down. I may have a problem

[carleshicks]

1925 Gibson A-4 snakehead, still have it
1977 Gibson f-5
2003 Gibson Fern
1922 Gibson F-4
2002 Gibson f-5 Master Model, still have it

It appears that i am partial to Gibson.

[mrmando]

Here (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36066) is one of the previous threads. Considering that my list could be twice as long now as it was then, I definitely have a problem.

[mrmando]

Started on a 1925 A-4 snakehead, still have it

That's one heck of a start!

[FrDNicholas]

I forgot to include in my intitial list:
Gibson H2 mandola-sold so we could eat that month
Trinity College Mandola- still have this one.

[woodwizard]

Here goes: again

1. Tator bug (bowlback of some sort) can't remember the name.
2. $30 used Sears special (can't remember the name and don't want to.
3. Suzuki 2 pt. Copy of Jethro's Gibson (my first halfway decent one)
4. Epiphone F5 (It was decent)
5. Gibson 1906 A model (had the fancy inlayed pick guard w/mop border around it) Very Pretty
6. 1969 Gibson F5 (nothing special) Got my money back after 10 yrs of use.
7. A model Washburn
8. 2003 A5L (Nice)
9. 1942 Gibson A50 (MOP Old Gibson script inlay w/little diamond)
10. 2001 Gibson F5G
11. 2004 Custom Gibson F9 (had dot inlays on fret board and exceptional flame thru out) (brown) One of the nicest sounding I've ever owned until #12
12. 2006 Gibson Goldrush. This one is it for me. Outstanding!

Not many for 3 decades ... I may have left some out

[woodwizard]

after owning all of these and playing hundreds of other mandolins it all comes down to my current two... a 24' Loar and a 26' Fern. these are the keepers and, believe it or not, it's only because of their "value" as tools for my musical expression. has nothing to do with their monetary worth...

Yup! ... I would say that you have a couple of keepers for sure Glassweb.

[Rick Schmidlin]

Prucha F,Weber Yellowstone Cedar Chad Fadley,Collings MT

and the winner for the last three and half years and only one in the stable

My Collings MF5

[Mike Herlihy]

Mike, is that in the order you got them?

1. Mid-Mo - starter
2. Weber Abroska - main axe
3. Weber Sweet Pea - travel
4. Martin A - Rory Gallagher!
5. National Resonator - blues

I sold the Mid-Mo, it's a great starter mando. I still have every other instrument.

[John Malayter]

Ratliff- F5 very early serial maybe number 17, sold

Ratliff- F5 maybe 2006, sold

Davis- F5 top had been Monroeized by an orbital sander, sold

Eastman- F4 complete DOG............ sold

Weber- F5 Custom Yellowstone, great mandolin, sold 'cause i'm an idiot!

Ratcliff- Distressed F5, one of the loudest mandolins i've heard, sold

BRW- F5 black top very collings(ish), sold

Pomeroy- F5 simple plain but sounded fantastic, again an idiot sale

Gibson- Custom F5, great mando just no power, sold

Collings- MF5 probably the nicest mandolin i've had yet, it competes in quality to my Huss and Dalton Guitar. Brand new but sounds GREAT! Still own.

Ratliff- F5 Another sleeper, this had opened up more than any other mandolin i've owned. When I first bought it, sound was pretty poor but almost overnight it was a different animal. Still own.

Wow, I shouldn't have written this down. I may have a problem

Duhhhh,

Forgot 2 Freshwater OM, at different times. Both superb, idiot both times...

[JeffD]

Yep, 'cuz in the last 33 years I have only sold one, I still have all the others.

Main instrument is shown in my avatar. See the entire family in my photo album in my profile. Other than that I have my first mandolin, now unplayable, which was a pac rim from the 70s, that I got for 80 bucks at a television repair shop, and the instrument I sold, which was a Sobell bouzouki.

[mandozilla]

1.) Old cr***y Silvertone ~ 1979...what a wretched dog!
2.) 1916 (?) Gibson A model blackface ~ 1979 This one was sweet,
shoulda kept it.
3.) Kasuga (Japanese as if you couldn't tell by the name) F5 copy ~ 1980
4.) Kettler KF-5 1982 OMG it was awesome, I wish I'd kept her
5.) "The Loar", as opposed to "A Loar" (if only) LM-500 (I think the LM
stands for lame. 2007
6.) Robertson F5 copy 2007 Loud but kinda crude with unbalanced tone
7.) Kettler KF-5 2008 OMG, it is awesome and it's only a couple digits
newer than the last one I had...she's a keeper for life.

:mandosmiley:

[rich9236]

Oscar Schmitt OM10
Gibson A3 (1920)
Collings MT
Collings MT2
next ... got my eye on a Clark A5, or a Miller

Rich

[GTG]

-2003 - Borrowed for a while some plywood wall-hanger MSO thing
-2004 - new Antonio Tsai ebay thing - first mando I actually paid for; pretty much cr@p (frets weren't parallel!), lost through various loans to friends; happy to not have it around anymore
-2004 - Michael Kelly LFS (2003) - surprisingly good, still my travel/campfire mando
-2005 - new Eastman 515 - ok, but not much better than the MK and hard to play - returned
-2006 - Collings MF custom (2005) - the player, very nice, and still love it

[JEStanek]

Lone Star Venice (given to nephew)
Johnson All Plywood A-oval (now my kids')
Kentucky KM140S (gone)
Morgan Monroe Chery Burst (sold and money donated to mandos for elementary school)
Johnson NA120 (sold and money donated to mandos for elementary school)
Eastman 814 (gone)
The Globe Bowl (wall hanger)
Trinity College OM
Weber Sweet Pea (gone)
Weber Beartooth (gone)
Stradolin Jr (gone)
Spira
Labraid
Eastman 805D
L&H Conservatory Bowl

Jamie

[mandocrucian]

Hmmmm........ I can (but I won't... list 'em).

FWIW, my short-term memory is OK too ....do you remember this recent (Jan 30, 09 - Feb 06, 09) discussion? : One reason not to advertise what instruments you own (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47709&highlight=Reason+list+instruments):crying:


:))

[sgarrity]

We have done this a few times. So I'm not even gonna try and remember them all. But I'm down to two, my Heiden A5 and a Kimble A-0. Just sold a guitar and I'm on the hunt for a keeper. Maybe a Bourgeois....

[Brad Weiss]

2002 eBay special "Sun" mandolin . . . had it for 10 days and bought a
2002 Fender A style (sold in 2006)
2003 Kentucky km 675 (sold 2007)
2003 Mandobird (sold 2007)
2004 Harmony Tenor Guitar (sold 2005)
2005 Djangolin (sold 2006)
2005 Phoenix Europa (sold over my dead body)
2007 Mowry (don't even think about trying to buy it)
2007 Mid-Mo Mandola (sold 2008)
2008 Gibson A4 1920 (not going anywhere)
2008 Bandolim, David Gomes Almeida (sold 2009)
2009 Mann 5 string (soon to arrive...)

Wow- I didn't buy anything in 2006!! Well, I did order the Mowry that year...

[mandopete]

1) Cheap-a-phone A-Style
2) Sunburst F-Style
3) Brown/Greenish F-Style
4) More Brown F-Style

[mandorando]

1) Hofner 545 (all mahagony A style with cat's eye sound holes) Short scale neck, but good "folky" sound. Still have it. Lot's of upgrade work to make it really playable.
2) Epiphone MM-30, never cared for this one much. Traded for:
3) Avarez A model. Yes, all plywood, but it sounded great, can't explain it.
4) Sammick F model. Had to have the scroll. Sounded and played OK, but had to send it back twice for brace repairs, and the top was still caving in. Sold
5) Flatiron Performer A. Perhaps the best neck on any mando I've ever played. But it never had a good bark, not a good bluegrass mando. Sold
6) Michael Kelly Dragonfly II electric. Lots of mixed reviews on the MKs, but I'm very happy with this one. Plugging in is important for the gigging situations I'm in, so I really love have the built in preamp. Might put a better Fishman bridge on it though.
7) ????the next one (MAS is rearing it's head once again!)

[scgc.om]

MandoPete: You wrote:

1) Cheap-a-phone A-Style
2) Sunburst F-Style
3) Brown/Greenish F-Style
4) More Brown F-Style

Firstly: Okay, shoot me . . . ! I do NOT know how to properly lift and part a quote!

Secondly: I LOVE your list -- very cryptic! But seemingly, not very informative. However, I'm gonna guess at least one on your list is a Collings . . . am I right??

[Plectrosaurus]

Hondo:learned to chop/Aria 'A' model:gift from my parents in 1976,started reading tabs and learning fiddle tunes/Eastman 515:purchased in 2005 great little mandolin.

[Bradley]

Kentucky KM250
Kentucky KM1000
Kentucky KN1500
1991 Gibson F5L
Sam Bush Gibson
Collings MF5
Smith Creek
Adam Steffey
Kimble F5 #24
Gibson MM
Gibson Skaggs DMM #9
Ellis #101
Gibson MM
Ellis #87

Wow how spoiled I am...

[Jill McAuley]

I only picked the mandolin up in the summer of 2007, here's what's come and gone since then...

1) Jimmy Moon "one point" flat top (sold)
2) Harmony oval hole beater, circa early 70's (gave to a pal for birthday present)
3) Gibson A-50 (sold - impulse ebay purchase that wasn't my cup of tea)
4) Flatiron 2M pancake, circa 1985
5) Weber Custom Aspen II (on it's way - might be here tomorrow!)
6) Redline Traveler (being built as we speak)

Cheers,
Jill

[Ivan Kelsall]

a) Micael Kelly 'Legacy' solid. - (part-exed for the Lebeda 'Premium Plus')
b) Lebeda F-5 Premium Plus. - (part-exed for the "Beartooth")
c) Weber "Fern" - still have it.
d) Weber "Beartooth" - (part-exed for the Lebeda 'Special')
e) Lebeda F-5 Premium "Special" - just got it.

I think that's about it re.my Mandolin 'aquisitioning' unless i win the National Lottery, & then i'm going to buy a Dude. & a Gilchrist & a Heiden & a Brentrup & an Ellis & .......................
Well,i can dream can't i !!! - Saska :grin:

[wreded]

Easy, i still have all but the first one

80s East German plywood mando, gave it away
Kentucky KM 180s, on loan; marked for grandson
Flatiron Performer A, solid bluegrass instrument and my main learning tool
Flatiron F5, got a steal on this one and it's pretty loud
Eastman 514, still pretty new and getting used to the sound. Gotta put this one in the picture too.

Dave

[Santiago]

Easy for me: Eastman (A) 605.

[mandroid]

Former... having released: A40, EM150, C.F. Martin Bowl-back.

mandolin :mandosmiley: wanker

[Gary Hedrick]

Ok I'll play along........this topic is almost one of those male oriented, whose the big man on campus kind of a thread....or it can be an education as to what paths folks have gone through to find the "holy grail"......it also shows their financial ups and downs and screw ups that happen through life....
Presented for educational purposes...:
1. Silvertone A model
2. Gibson A-40
3. 1917 F4 purchased from the great god Mandolinus in 1963
4. 1966 F12
5. 1967 F12 Randy Wood reworked to look like a Fern
6. 1923 Jan 12th Loar
7. Martin 2-30
8. 1920 F4
9. 1924 F4 with Virzi
10. 1924 F4
11. 1923 F2
12. 1923 F4
13. 1927 F4 that came with a rectangular Loar case
14. 1935 F4
15.1933 F4
16. Lewis Cocabola F5 Blond
17. 1924 H4
18. Monteleone Grand Artist......made for Larry Wexer
19 Monteleone F5 sold to Finn Taylor
20 Gibson F5 Monroe model
21. Dudenbostel #12
22. Dudenbostel #13
23. Gilchrist 1989 F5
24. Nugget standard F5
25. Gibson A4 1918
26. Gibson A2 1917
27. Wiens F5 #9
28. Woodley Kalamazoo F2
29. Woodley Blond F5
30. Woodley Blond F4
31. 1941 Martin 0-18T
32. 1960 Martin 0-18T
33. 1929 Gibson T1
34. Kimble A model mandola that Dexter just had in stock
35. Kimble F5 #116
36. Kimble F5 #117
37. Banister F5
38. 1987 Gibson F5 Fern
39. Andersen F5....a block inlay one like Sam Bush owned
40. 1992 Gibson Master Model
41 1993 Gibson Master Model
42. 1927 F4 Elevated fretboard from Ken Waltham
43. 1929 F4
44. 1955 Gibson ETG Tenor guitar
45. 1929 Gibson TB1......placed second at a banjo contest with that one.... playing Cincinatti Rag!!...Banjo revenge!!!!!

and I'm sure that I've missed a few F4's and perhaps another one or two odd mandolins here and there.....

What do I wish I still had......the Dudes....the Loar.....the 27 F4 with the elevated board.....
and I will keep the Kimbles.....

Yes I'm a mandolin whore.....

[JoeD]

Easy, but then I've only been playing for 3 or 4 years . ..

1) Around 2005, I bought a $50 Rouge from Musicians Friend, ostensibly for my wife. My then 3 year old daughter snatched it up and ran off hoping to get into a game of tag. She dropped it and the headstock snapped off, which, in 20/20 hindsight was maybe the best thing for it.

2) Fall 2006 - Collings MT. Still have it. Wonderful mandolin. I'd still be spending all my time on the UMGF if it weren't for that mandolin.

3) Jan. 2007 - I inadvertently bought a Mid-Mo M1 on Ebay for a ridiculously low price. Turns out I overpaid. Since my kinds don't seem to have any ambition to become the next Sierra Hull, I will most likely either donate it or sacrifice it to an attempt to learn how to set up mandolins.

4) Sometime in 2008 - bought an electric mandobird made by a company named "Eastwood." It has less than 10 minutes playing time, including my mandolin-destroying kids have put into it. Still, they think it's cool because it's electric, and they're sort of right.

5) Mowry F5 mandolin - Arrived when I was still without power following Hurricane Ike in Sept. 2008. It's terrific, but probably not my last ever mandolin.

6) Ellis A - I don't own it yet, and Tom doesn't know he's going to build it for me yet. But it's coming as soon as the economy picks up a little. A friend of mine just got an Ellis F that's probably the best mandolin I've ever played. Can't afford one of Tom's F's (and I'd be kind of embarrassed to show up with one given my mediocre playing). But one of these days I'd like to get one of his A's.

[mandozilla]

In my previous post I listed the following mandolin;

"7.) Kettler KF-5 2008 OMG, it is awesome and it's only a couple digits
newer than the last one I had."


It too was a 1982 build not a 2008 as it shows...My Bad...Someone sent me a PM inquiring about when Mr. Kettler returned to mandolin making...I wish.

[red7flag]

2005 Weber Bitterroot Custom F
2006 Collings MF
2006 Pomeroy F-4 12 fret
2007 Lebeda AM-4 (Still have)
2007 Stanley F5 (Still have)
2005 White Dove A (bought used from maker in classifieds)
2008 Weber Vintage A (Still have)
2008 Collings MF5 (Still have, but for sale in classifieds)
2008 Ellis MF5 (Still have)

[red7flag]

I think Gary Hedrick has the longest list, but wait til Allen Hopkins chimes in.

[Gary Hedrick]

Oh I'm a real novice when it comes to mandolin ownership...there are those on this list that have owned hundreds of instruments over a 25 year period......

[Joel Spaulding]

Yes. I still have all of them. All four.

Plywood beater with solid top
Vietnamese Beater- with less inlay than you might believe
Greek Bowlback - decent but I want an Embergher - or Calace or....
Triple III # 17 - in my albums

Only the III has any serious value - and it doesn't say Gibson on the headstock so most thieves wouldn't even know its a Mandolin. :mandosmiley:

Guess I am like many here - I won't leave expensive instruments in the yard with a "Steal Me" sign but whether a thief is coming to steal my Mandolin or my change jar, the result will probably be the same. :whistling:

[Eric Platt]

Not sure, and definitely no order -
(all these were sold/traded off years ago)
Mid Mo Mini Mo
Harmony (oval hole, don't remember much about it)
Rigel A natural
Washburn Jethro Burns model (early run, didn't sound good, but looked nice)
Mid Missouri M-0
Flatiron pancake
Kalamazoo flat top oval hole.

There may have been a bowl back owned in the early 1980's. I seem to remember one. At that time was trading a lot of guitars and basses. And, unfortunately, mandolins were more a side hobby or afterthought.

And own two at present -
Mid Missouri M-0 (different from one above)
Glenn Student A style mando

(Wow! That's a lot. Especially as I've never really considered myself a "serious" player of mandolin.)

[srichards]

Here goes: You know what they say....if you can't play them then collect them!!

Global A Model, my 1st, bought in 1960's for $20 at a pawn shop, a real piece of junk but got me hooked...still have it.

Gibson A50, great tone, no volume, short neck gave me fits. Had a baby boy, got laid off and had to sell it.

Kentucky A Model, bought it for my oldest son, (little baby boy) when he wanted to learn to play. He played it in the Indiana State Mandolin contest when he was 11 years old and got beat by some guy named Dave Harvey. LOL

Flatiron, the loudest mandolin I've owned....top caved in (now we know why it was loud) sent it back to Carlson who replaced it with the first tone bar Flatiron he ever built. Still in the family, oldest son has it.

Apitius, I saw the liner notes on an AKUS album where Adam Steffey thanked Oliver Apitius for the mandolin. Tracked down Oliver in Canada and ordered one and it had the tone just like on the album. Sold it to a fellow in Florida.

Taggart, built by Bruce Taggart from Bloomington, In. Really a good mandolin..sold it to Mark Royal (a Cafe Member and real Fern owner) we both wish we had kept it.

Stiver, bought it from Elderly and it was the easiest playing mandolin I've owned....strange fret design but it worked.

Gibson Steffey, an Ok mandolin.... traded it to a fellow in Georgia for a Tucker.

Tucker, good volume and tone, solid built. Sold it along the way.

Buckeye, made by Pete Hart in Ohio, loud with the old sound right out of the box. Sold it to a fellow in Chicago I think.

Zeidler Carrara, built by Zeidler for Stan Jay at Mandolin Bros. Had to have it, it was a work of art, the most beautiful craftsmanship I've ever seen. Sold it to a collector who has it stashed in his basement.

Gibson MM, Derrington. I've had the opportunity to play a lot of MM's and DMM"s over the years. Mr. Sullivan at FQMS in Louisville always calls me when a new one arrives and lets me play it. This one caught my ear, sounded like an old Fern to me, wrote the check on the spot. Still have it and my youngest son has requested I leave it to him in my will. Yeah it's that good.

Smith Creek, reminded me of the Gibson sound..sold it to a fellow in the northeast who was from Cincy and knew of the builder.

Gilchrist X-brace, the story goes like this and I don't know if it's true but maybe we'll find out. Joe Vest had Gilchrist build this mandolin to his own specs and he had to sell it. At one time it was played by Aubrey Hayne who had Charlie Derrington drill a hole under the pickguard for a pickup when he was playing on the Ryman TV shows.

I do know this is true, I sold it to Michael Cleveland who still owns it. It had the loudest D&G strings I have ever heard. It was spooky!! If you think Michael can fiddle you should hear him play mandolin.

Gilchrist tone bar wide neck. I bought this from Michael and played it for several years. Sold to a fellow in Alabama. Great mandolin.

Monteleone F5. Funny story on this one. A great guy who has posted on this thread, Gary Hedrick, owned a Loar that I lusted over every time I played it. Knowing I'm too cheap to ever own a Loar I asked him if he had ever owned any other mandolin that was similar to it. He told me he had once owned an old style Monteleone that somewhat reminded him of it. The hunt was on...it took 5 years but I found one I liked and still have it.

Speaking of Gary, and those of you who are fortunate enough to know him know what I'm talking about. Gary hosts a mandolin picking party at his home with a feast of food, drinks, and fellowship of mandolin players from all over the area. I've had the opportunity to attend and to play probably 100's of mandolins from every luthier you can imagine and have played most of the ones Gary listed. I'm like a kid in a candy store who wants one of each.

This past year several luthiers were at Gary's party, Dave Harvey of Gibson, Lynn Dudenbostel, Bruce Taggart, Will Kimble and possibly others I didn't meet. If memory serves me correctly....several years ago a young luthier, Will Kimble, was at one of Gary's parties letting people play his A model. He would ask each player what they thought of it. He listened, he learned, and he is now building, in my opinion and to my ear, some of the finest mandolins on the planet.

So thanks Gary for what you've done for us mandolin players!!

And thanks to Scott for this website where we can talk about, find, buy and sell these mandolins.

Steve Richards

[D C Blood]

Kingston oval hole - my first
Kay f holes
blond Gibson A-40(?) first good one
50s F-12 bought in a South Philly pawnshop for $125 in 1965 ...this was traded to John Duffey for
teens black-face F-2 (is that politically correct) plus cash in '69. (OK so I was young and stupid but it was JOHN DUFFEY)
'37 (?) F-7 from Duffey for previous F-2 plus $700 (he needed a car) This should have been the all-time keeper). (He put an F-hole top on the F-2 and sold it to Buzz Busby)
1898 3-point Gibson F for which I traded previously mentioned F-7 (I was young and REALLY stupid)
teens F-2 which I got for the 3-point
1934 F-7 original mint from Gruhn in 1971 for $1000 (I gave this away to a young mando picker in 1971 when I went to Vietnam for my second tour-hey, he needed it and I didn't)
1971 Paganoni - ordered from John after I met him and saw his first couple (sold to Randy Wood for financial crisis when I got ---
two Aria Pro II Pac-Rims got these by endorsement from the importer
1969 Charles J. Horner F-5 copy bought at a Hendersonville, Tn music store in 1978
1970s Bob Givens A-model, bought from George Chestnut for $200 in early 80s when the neck went bad on the Horner and I was having work done on it. Good sound
1990s Ratliff R-5bought from Gruhn in '96.. great sound but neck went bad twice so took it back to Gruhn and got
1982 F-5L great sound, beautiful mando, but traded back to Gruhn for 1995 Scotty Jackson F-5 wish I could have kept this, but sold and traded it for cash plus a mando which for the life of me, I can't remember its name. Sold it at Gruhn...
2000 Rigel G-110 bought on the Cafe, and it sounded OK but it just didn't suit me so I sold it at Gruhn. Finally, took the original Horner (and it was the original, being the first mandolin he ever made) back to Charles and traded it plus a 1970 D-41 for
1983 Horner great sound, chop, tone...torch and wire headstock. Loved it. Wish I could have kept it. Had to trade it at Elderly for
1996 Ratcliff Silver Eagle As far as I can tell right now, this will be a lifer...unless something better presents itself...after all, the old saying goes "never say never".
Now this list doesn't include a large number of antique wall-hangers and odds and ends picked up and sold in the early years.

[James P]

None of them matter since I got the "Wowry."

[Jack Roberts]

Samick, Gibson A5, Collings MF, Gibson A1. I still have the last three. They share my music room with two guitars, a fiddle, a uke, an autoharp and a concertina.

[Patrick Gunning]

March 2003: Unnamed 80's Pac-Rim junker - bought by my dad, quickly adopted by me
April 2003: 1918 Gibson A - Frustrated by 1/4" action and bleeding fingers, emptied my bank account for a the Gibson.
April 2005: Arrow G-style - My first custom mandolin, a fine instrument by Paul Lestock. 14 7/8" scale began annoying me though.
July 2008: Collings MT Custom - Purchased as a placeholder mandolin to keep me busy on a normal scale-length while waiting for...
expected arrival May or June-ish 2009: Dan Voight F5 #7 - Ordered after being blown away by Dan's work at the Symposium. Probably the last one I'll be getting for a couple decades.

[Youda]

Some of you have a serious case of mandolin acquisition disease! :)
I thought I was bad with four, and now practicing self-denial over a mando that won't fit on my credit card. <Sigh> Unrequited love is a terrible thing.

[8ch(pl)]

A couple that I would love to forget that I ever had. they were a plastic bodied Russian model and an el Degas. both junk.

After I got out of the service I struggled financially for a lot of years, so I was stuck with these 2 instruments. When my Mother passed away I bought a Samick A, made in Korea. Solid top, still solid sound after 13 or so years. I am thinking of upgrading the tuners and tailpiece. The instrument, when compared with Chinese made new ones at $275 new is likely not worth more than $100, but since I am not selling it, it is worth fixing up.

With another modest inheritance I bought my Mid Missouri M-4. It has a Weber tailpiece, Cumberland Acoustics armrest and I am thinking of better tuners for her as well. I spent a considerable sum getting it setup, bone nut, new bridge and 9 new frets installed. Worth every penny of it. This is my main instrument.