Gibson A models

[flipper]

I bought an Elvenwood mando back in March at a bluegrass festival for $300 and since that time, I've been spending more practice time on the mando than guitar and dobro combined. I really have the mando bug now. The fun factor on this instrument is incredible.
My girlfriend and I are saving for an apartment, so I can't touch my savings right now, unfortunately. I've considered selling one of my Martin dreads to help finance a really nice mandolin, but I won't let myself do that. I'm mostly teaching myself bluegrass, celtic and dawg music on the mandolin right now. The mandolin I have is an A model and I chose this one over several other Elvenwood models, both A and F style. I think I actually prefer the simplistic look of A models and have been wanting to upgrade to a nicer mando. Right now, I am considering getting an older Gibson or a new Rigel. The problem I have is that I live in France and there aren't a bunch of mandolins around to go try out. I was in Paris on Friday and went by all the music stores and found very few mandolins and the ones they had were all low end models. The only place with decent mandolins is RF Charle and his store was closed at the time I went by there.
If I bought from the states, I'd have to buy without trying the mando out first and by the time I paid for shipping and taxes, the price would increase greatly.
Before I go and try out the Gibson mandolins at Rf Charle, I was wondering if I could get some opinions on the mandolins he has. I just don't want to pay 1400-2000 €uros for a mandolin that I could go to the states and get for $400-$700.

I am especially interested in the A Jr. & A1
Here is the link: http://www.rfcharle.com/HTML/ListeA.html

[Eugene]

Definitely, try them if you can. #I favor oval-holed tone, but this is not the standard bluegrass tone. #If your intent is to mostly pursue bluegrass and its derivatives, you might favor the loud, focused puch of the f-holed A-1; if your intent is to mostly pursue Celtic and other non-bluegrass styles, you might want the fuller voice and stronger over-ring of the oval-holed A-Jr. #Of course, these things are pretty variable, so the tone of neither...or both might be everything you want...or not remotely like anything you'd want. #How's that for wafflin'? #You wouldn't be likely to find either in the US for $400-700 unless thay had had or needed some amount of work.

[Jim Garber]

Hi Flipper:
Do me a favor and check out this one (http://www.rfcharle.com/HTML/PhotosInstruments/Charles.html). That looks pretty different... I am just curious about the sound. I love the way it looks. Sort of Gibson meets Breedlove meets vintage Lyon & Healy.

Eugene knows whereof he speaks... I have nothing at the moment to add to his advice. Keep us posted.

Jim

[danb]

flipper- you can get a nice old Gibson A at the top of your price range if you're willing to forgo looks. They are out there, a quick search on ebay turned up several..

I feel that an old beater Gibson beats a new instrument for sound & price any day of the week. Even if it's been refinished, repaired, or otherwise messed about.

You might consider contacting a friend in the states and offering a little towards their plane fare to bring one over..

[Eugene]

If the refinish is well-executed, I tend to actively seek out refinished instruments that are structurally sound. It can greatly reduce sale price without reducing function as a player's instrument.

[FrankenMouse]

My 1914 A1 is a great example. It's the nicest sounding mandolin I've ever owned. Its action is perfect. And yet, because it was refinished, it sold on eBay for only $680. There are definitely bargains out there in teens Gibsons!

[pickinNgrinnin]

[QUOTE]I feel that an old beater Gibson beats a new instrument for sound & price any day of the week. Even if it's been refinished, repaired, or otherwise messed about.


Like this one:

I'll definitely agree with Dan - this old messed about Gibson Ajr. has tone to die for. Keep your eyes open for one!

BTW, I got this one for a song http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[jlb]

An old Gibson 1914 A is the best money I've ever spent on a mando. I mean I fell in love with this thing from the get-go, it really redefined the tone I want out of a mando, and the price was right as well.

You'll have to do some hunting to track one down at the top of your price range. Good luck!

[Christopher Howard-Williams]

Hi Flipper,
I live in France and I have a fine Gibson A5L I bought second hand (almost new) from a guy who imported it direct.
There are some nice second hand mandos available direct from the owners in France, I'm certain.
You could come onto the fbma forum and post an ad (post on the general discussion board not the "annonces" as n-one goes on there!!).
If you want contact me off-board.
Christopher (Mandochris on fbma board).

fbma discussion forum (http://groups.msn.com/FBMA/general.msnw)

[telepbrman]

How do you like that A5-L? What is your style and how's the tone? Thanks, dy.

[Christopher Howard-Williams]

I love my A5L - dated February '96. I do not have a wealth of experience playing other mandolins and I play a decent intermediate level. I play Bluegrass and fiddle tunes, fairly traditionally .
This mando gives me the nice, rounded, woody, "Gibson" tone that I like and has plenty of bark if you tear into it (which I don't, but that's down to me, not the mandoline, and it's something I need to work on).
I haven't yet played a mandolin whose sound and tone I would prefer to have (but again, I have not played that many and only in France) - although I liked an F9 I tried.
Until recently I used Sikl and Bronze strings, but have a set of Tomastik on now which are great.

[flipper]

Thanks for the responses.jgarber, that is an interesting looking mando. I'll try out all the mandolins out at RF Charle for comparison. It'll at least give me more of an idea of what I ultimately will buy when it comes the time. I'll probably be going back to the states again next year to visit my family, so that's another possibility. It's good to hear all the postive feedback on these older Gibson A models. I think an older instrument will have more mojo, if you know what I mean.
Hey Xtopher, I'm a member of FBMA, but I haven't posted there yet, my scren name is Resojo on there. Are you playing in a band? I posted an ad on the country junction site probably almost a year or so ago and didn't get many responses. It's hard to find people interested in bluegrass in France. I'm in St Cyr L'Ecole, right next to Versailles.

[Christopher Howard-Williams]

Flipper, I'm president of fbma. We have nearly 150 members and I know of more who play. There must be about 30 active bands and we just produced a cd of 22 bands called "France Bluegrass".
My band is Moonshine Bluegrass Band but our banjo player just moved back to the States so we are reviewing our options.
E-mail me at chowardwilliams@wanadoo.fr if you want to know more about fbma or bluegrass in France in general.

[Christopher Howard-Williams]

PS I live in the Alps near Geneva.

[Scott Tichenor]

Been awhile since I've been to Francois shop. Nice guy and he knows his mandolins, but boy, some of those prices look really high. Hodson Djangolin for 850 Euro? That's a $700 mandolin I'd say at $1000+ US. Of course being in Paris isn't exactly the place to shop for bargains I guess. Still, it's unlikely he paid import on that I'd guess since Hodson frequents the Django festival.

Xtopher, you must be pretty close to L'Alpe d'Huez. Tell me you were one of those guys on the side of the mountain screaming at the Tour riders while they part the sea of mad humans who've been partying for three days straight and you'll be my hero.

Sorry to get off-topic.

[mando andy]

Flipper
One more vote for the older Gibson---they will always go up in value, so if you get one and decide to part with it a year or two later, you will come out ahead financially. Not to mention that you enjoyed playing it for all that time.

Andy in Madison, WI

[grandmainger]

It's hard to find people interested in bluegrass in France. I'm in St Cyr L'Ecole, right next to Versailles.
Not so hard! If you're willing to drive about 30 minutes, go to the AEGC Bluegrass Association (http://www.aegc-bluegrass.org/) which has weekly jams in La Garenne Colombes (a bit after St Cloud, coming from St Cyr).

[Christopher Howard-Williams]

I'd love to be your hero Scott, as you are one of mine, but alas, I cannot tell a lie: I fail to get excited by the Tour (I know you do from past posts). However, I have the greatest respect for Lance Armstrong and his achievements, and I did get involved through my company one year when they came by here .
PS I love those malt whiskies though, so that may save me a little bit ;)

[flipper]

[quote=grandmainger,Sep. 06 2004, 10:50]Not so hard! If you're willing to drive about 30 minutes, go to the AEGC Bluegrass Association (http://www.aegc-bluegrass.org/) which has weekly jams in La Garenne Colombes (a bit after St Cloud, coming from St Cyr).

I found that website several months ago and would love to be able to go, but unfortunately, I can't drive right now. When I moved to France I had a TN drivers license which isn't one of the states with an agreement with France. I was going to have to spend over 1000 €uros to go through drivers education again and I've been driving for over 15 years! I went back to the states in March and spent a week in Florida (4 days at the Suwanee Springfest Bluegrass Festival with friends) and also to exchange my TN license for a Florida one so that I could just come back and exchange it for a French license. Anyway, to make a long story even longer, the prefecture sent me a letter saying that I waited to long and since it had been over a year since I first came to France, I'll have to take the examination and some training. I filed a protest letter because I originally came to France on a student visa and had my work visa under a year, so maybe I'll get the French license the easy way. Sorry for the novel......I remember looking on that website and I remember that it didn't look like there was a train station there; otherwise I would have been able to come and jam sometime

[Dan Adams]

I have a late 16 or early 17 Gibson 'A' that needs some work. Its been stripped, and a poor attempt of refinishing with what appears to be tung oil. No bridge, and three side/back seperations that need to be reparied as well as on crack at the tailpiece screws. It would take very little work to get it in playing condition, but it is so hard to get ideas as to current value, and cost of repairing. Ideas? I would appreciate the information. It would be a shame to see this thing scraped, due to no interest. I'm trying, but information is hard to come by. Thanks, Dan.

[Scott Tichenor]

I'd love to be your hero Scott, as you are one of mine, but alas, I cannot tell a lie: I fail to get excited by the Tour (I know you do from past posts). However, I have the greatest respect for Lance Armstrong and his achievements, and I did get involved through my company one year when they came by here .
PS I love those malt whiskies though, so that may save me a little bit ;)
Single malt whisky (and mandolins)! There is something we should definitely discuss at length some day... in person I hope. My wife and I have bluegrass pals near Olten (south of Basil) so if we fly in, Geneva is always an option, and having a single-malt with on the way would be most welcome--on me, please.

[Christopher Howard-Williams]

I'd be happy to see you across a glass. I know a few people from around there too in SBMA.

[grandmainger]

I remember looking on that website and I remember that it didn't look like there was a train station there; otherwise I would have been able to come and jam sometime
Flipper,

Have a look at the access section (http://www.aegc-bluegrass.org/acces.htm) of their website, they provide a pretty good set of maps.

If you take the train from St Cyr, towards St Lazare, get off at Bécon-Les-Bruyeres or Asnieres (Asnieres has many more trains stopping than Bécon...), or go direct to St Lazare.
Take a train back to Les Vallées (4 minutes from Asnieres, 11 from St Lazare)

Then, follow the map!

http://www.aegc-bluegrass.org/images/plan_foch2.jpg

I reckon 45min-1hr tops from St Cyr Station to the AEGC.