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My good pal Randy Clepper, who just recently joined here as a part of the saga of having -just- missed a short-scale Sobell cittern by being sniped out in the very last seconds of an auction, now reports that he has actually, really and truly bought one from northern Europe!
Hooray and congrats to Randy.
This one is a cedar-topped 23" (ok, actually 22 and some more, almost 23) five-course, made, I think, in the mid-'80's. Randy's relationship with seller, a veteran Irish music player, is reported to be most pleasant. It has a pickup adn some other minor mods. Randy has also corresponded with Stefan about it, and all seems copacetic on all fronts. Woohoo!
Of course, I'm delighted. Randy is in Ohio, not all that far from me, so I'll get to hear it, and maybe play it a little (I have trouble grasping five courses... <G>), but the real treat will be to hear him play it. Randy is very well accustomed to five courses, and I think that the classic 'Sobell sound' will be the perfect complement to the way he thinks and plays.
And, of course, with every new instrument in the hands of a veteran player, some other ones will change partners! Randy has some lovely Doug Dieter Kennaquahair citterns and maybe he'll even offer the big Brazilian rosewood Nigel Forster for sale... who knows? <GG>
Stay tuned...
I'll bug him to post some pix, maybe of the whole famdamily of his instruments, here.
Congrats, Randy!
stv
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Good for him! A great catch. I'd love to see what he may now be willing to part with.
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ruh roh! the OM vultures begin to circle....
(myself included...)
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Steve, sounds like great news for your friend - hope it turns out to be his "grail" - but I'm confused by your headline statement about a "return" to the US http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/...icons/rock.gif
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Steph,
Perhaps "returns" is the wrong word, since it wasn't ever here before... sorry!
This one has been in Scandinavia and will now (in fact it is to leave Europe today!) come to live in the lush suburbs of the midst of America, in Ohio. #<GG>
Sorry for the misstatement.
Late word has it that the two Doug Dieters are going to go thru the Cittern Spa treatment <GG> and emerge all trim, toned and tanned, so to speak (no, Steph, he won't really put 'em in a tanning booth... <GGG>) and ready to find new homes.
Randy says that he'll let us know here when they are ready (... for the 'runway,' to stretch the metaphor even further... <GG>)
for sale.
It seems that he's been having some fun bonding with the Nigel Forster cittern, too. #Tough task, that! #<GGG>
In other citternish news, hobby-luthier Lawrence Washington here in Indiana, is bringing his latest instrument, a lovely (so far) short cittern, into the last stages of completion. #The last time I spoke with him, he was carving a tailpiece for it.
It will show influences of Stephen O Smith (Lawrence has a -fine- SOS bouzouki) and the classic pre-war Gibson A's that he loves so much. #One of Lawrence's own instruments is a 20's Snakehead A, and he's done a good deal of reverse-engineering for his sounds from that. #This is Lawrences sixth instrument, I believe, and his last two mandolins, both oval-As, are splendid sounding, much less decorated than most (he's not doing the Gibson-replica look at all), and with slightly deeper bodies.
stv
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Ahhhh... the 'Wonders' or should I say 'Wanders' of the Sobell.
They could be anybodys' Grail.
Steve, sounds like your Bud's is a lot like mine. Just an inch, or two longer in scale. He should love it. If not, I know a guy in Arizona that would be interested! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/...ons/tounge.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/...ns/biggrin.gif ... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/...andosmiley.gif
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Hey Gerry,
You're one of the fortunate, it's true! LOL!!
If not... well... prying even the ones he -doesn't- like from Randy's grip is like open warfare... <GGGG>
(Just kidding, Randy!)
stv
