Prucha Mandolins

Anyone here have experience with prucha mandolins???. Had a listen to sound clips on Greg Boyds web site and I find them really nice sounding with very strong voice. Curious if anyone here is or did play one. Thanks.:mandosmiley:

While you're waiting for an answer take a stroll through these threads.

Old time music has one that is outstanding! I played it a few weeks ago and it has terrific sound with a nice bottom end. Loud!! I could not put it down. They bring in a good price. This one is used and is listed at $6500. It was the best sounding mandolin on the wall when I played it. Nick

They are nice but I traded my for a Collings, but that is me. And that was four and a half years ago, from Greg and I have not looked back.

Jarda is quite a craftsman and always looking for new woods and tweaking his designs. All of his instruments are good but some are really special, in different ways. I have an A5 and an F5T. The A5 sings like a bird, it has lower mass and just sparking trebles and beautiful tone. The F5T is his take on an F9/Jam Master idea, a bluegrass mandolin without the frills. But still very nice, dark and woody. I've played and heard others from earlier years, all were quality instruments, and the F5 that Oliver Waitze recently sold was, IMHO, an absolutely top-drawer instrument.

If you are thinking of getting a new one, it's worth talking to him about your needs. See the web site for gorgeous pictures of his standard offering and prices. The prices are very reasonable for the workmanship! Although if you are paying US dollars the falling dollar will really hurt.

His is a small factory, just he and his son do most of the work, and he really enjoys making instruments that satisfy the customer. The attention to detail is outstanding. Of course, he's better known for his banjos and got started with banjo parts (used in many top-name banjos) so the mandolins are a bit of a sideline, but certainly he has the old-world craftsmanship to make them more than just a clone.

I was going through the wonderful candy store (called IBMA) trying out different mandolins. I wasn't really looking a Pruchas, as I'd heard more about his banjos and not really about the mandolins. Then a friend (who was over there looking at the banjos picked up a mandolin) called me over there and I feel in love. I felt it was one of the best mandolins I'd tried under $10,000. I couldn't afford to do it that day, but two years later I order one from Greg Boyd (a used one) and I've been in love with it since. Before getting the Prucha I had been through about 5 different mandolins (in about 10 years--MAS) it this is the first one where I'm not thinking of selling and trying something more.

I played one at Gruhn's music in Nashville the other day. It was one of my favorites in the store and his workmanship looked great. I think its still on his website inventory......

I fell for a 9 year old Prucha A5 at a festival last summer after doing the A/B testing for 2 days at Boyd's booth. They had better, but not for the money.
It's months later and I'm a happy camper.