Interesting French Mandolin

[Petrus]

Never saw this style before.




Custom French, Handmade Mandolin "The Bravura"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-Frenc...-/181562805217

[renoyd]

I want one! Very nice design, looks inspired buy Duffy's The Duck, in fact his website suggests this, though I don't know French. His site is pretty interesting, shows some details of shop construction, with a link to the French Bluegrass Association! Anyone ever tried playing one of these?

[darrylicshon]

Not bad i think i like it

[Hudmister]

Looks like it will make a great l'herbe bleu mandolin.

[Ray(T)]

You could probably do some damage with that scroll

[journeybear]

Picasso tried, but this guy succeeded!

[Bill Snyder]

That is built by Jean Lacotte. He used to post here some and also on the MIMF. His user name is french guy. I suspect it is a good (or great) instrument.

[journeybear]

Exactement! His website is pretty interesting. He has been building since 2002 and has built 18 instruments so far; this looks like it's #17. Those numbers imply he takes his time in order to get things right. He has built a variety of body shapes, starting with the classic F-style, and moving on from there. This is a more original design, inspired, as he says, "by the Teardrop guitar luthier John Monteleone, which itself was inspired by the work of D'Aquisto and D'Angelico." It's been used professionally, which is usually a pretty good indicator of quality.

[Bernie Daniel]

Interesting, but I think I would like it better without the point on the scroll.

[Hudmister]

Interesting, but I think I would like it better without the point on the scroll.

+1

[Marty Jacobson]

Looks like this was Craig Coleman's mandolin, the same mandolin previously discussed here:
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...man-s-Mandolin

And here's Jean's original Web page for the instrument: http://jl-mando.pagesperso-orange.fr...317/us_17.html

Too bad you can't hear it in this video:

[billhay4]

He's quite an interesting designer. Sounds good on the videos I've seen.
I'm not crazy about the soundholes, but the rest of the design appeals to me.
Bill

[journeybear]

It sounds just fine in the rotating sound clips at the Coleman Brothers' web site.

As much as I hesitate to speculate it seems the builder learned his craft pretty quickly, and rather than limit his endeavors to the classic form, has devoted his time and efforts to following his imagination. I think some of these builds are custom orders, which means the buyer has had some input in the design.

[catmandu2]

Interesting, but I think I would like it better without the point on the scroll.

Well, this is "strap hanger.14" ... it seems superfluous at first, but will soon give rise to ineluctable st*-scroll envy...






Having said that...as a banjo player, I kind of dig it. I like a utilitarian point

[LoneStar Boy]

You guys are right as usual. Can't put anything past this bunch. I used this mandolin in our band for a few years before I received my Gilchrist. I actually used this instrument over my Gibson Monroe Model #143. It was built by Jean Lacote in France. He did a great job with the instrument including adding curly maple wood bindings. It is really loud with a great tone. I have actually placed this mandolin on the classifieds. I have to thin the herd to help pay for college for my son.

[journeybear]

Thanks for ringing in. I figured it was something like that, that you would have to be in some sort of financial situation to want to sell such a fine-sounding instrument. (I'm assuming that's what we hear on the cuts at your website; please correct me if I'm wrong.) And I was hoping you had stepped up to an even better instrument and had to let this one go. Sounds like you did! Good luck with the Gil - as if you need it! I'm sure it will do just fine by you.

[LoneStar Boy]

You are right. I recorded with it on our Second Time Around album. It's the one playing on the website.

[journeybear]

Cool. Thanks! If you don't mind my asking, I'm curious how you ever came to buy it in the first place. I mean, he's only built a few instruments, and he's all the way over in France. It's not like you could go to your local store and find something like that. Also was it a custom build, or was it just something he'd already built that you liked? I appreciate your taking the time.

[LoneStar Boy]

It was a custom build. I saw some of his previous mandos that had aspects of what I wanted. I was looking for something different and thought that the larger sound chamber might add to the volume and tone. I think he got it right.

[journeybear]

Thanks! It's quite an eye-catching instrument.

[JEStanek]

I've always loved Jean's aesthetic. Works of art that bring the tone to the table.

Jamie

[LongBlackVeil]

Looks like something Giacomel would design

[Bill Snyder]

LBV, I think you owe Jean an apology for that.

[Grommet]

LSB- Do you recall the scale lenghth and not width? Thaks,

Scott

[LoneStar Boy]

Grommet,
I don't recall. Very sorry!