New Gibson Cremona Rush

[rskibo]

Thought I'd share a few pics of my new mandolin. Dave Harvey done an outstanding job. Bought it from The Mandolin Store couldn't ask for better customer service.

[LongBlackVeil]

I thought the goldrush was just a color scheme and tortoise binding?

What's the difference between this and a fern besides the binding?

Either way, awesome! I prefer the tortoise binding myself. Love it!

[rskibo]

Well you're right this is made after the GoldRush but Dave decided to go with a different color on this one. I spoke with Dave before I bought bc I didn't know what it was about and he said the coloration of the wood led him to do thi mandolin in the Cremona finish thus calling it the "Cremona Rush" to his knowledge this is the only one. He 100% sure since 2007 there is not one like it. So I had to have it lol.

[Marty Jacobson]

Yeah, that's a winner. Nice snag.

[Clef]

Congrats with the one of a kind Cremona Rush mandolin! Someone posted a few pics from David Harvey's facebook page of your mandolin last week. I was hoping the owner would post something about it. Thanks for sharing some pics. You got yourself a great instrument! It's a unique one as well.

I've been playing my Goldrush for almost two years now. I can say I'll never need an upgrade as it is a lifetime keeper. If I ever get a second instrument, it will be a beater, campfire player, mandolin.

To LongBlackVeil's question about the difference between the goldrush and Fern, there is more than just the color and binding. The F holes are a little smaller on the Goldrush so the tone and projection is different. Also the nut width is different. The goldrush is wider than the Fern and narrower than the "wide nut" mandolins. Sorry, I don't know the exact dimensions off hand. And the obvious is the goldrush doesn't have the fretboard extension like the Fern. They are very similar, but the differences are big enough to make them two different mandolins.

[rskibo]

Clef, you're right there are some slight diff between the Goldrush and the Fern. I knew about the nut width but was unaware of the diff F hole size. Little story behind this purchase. I had a 2002 Rattlesnake that was a decent mandolin but never had that "Gibson" sound it had the feel and it was a beautiful instrument. Well undecided I wanted something new so I sold the Rattlesnake and ordered a Big-Mon Northfield. Well when I got it I was not happy with it and they were kind enough to refund my money. It was a very nice mandolin and craftsmanship was awesome and so was the finish just didn't have the sound I was looking for. So I was back to looking. I had seen some really good reviews on the F9.'s that Dave and the boys at Gibson was making. So I got on the Mandolin Store website and started listening to all the mandolins on there. Well there was this Goldrush on there that stood out and when I called Denis I asked about and he said he didn't have any in stock but Dave was making a "unique" mandolin built like the Goldrush. So they had my interest. So I messages Dave on FB to ask him about and he asked for my number so he could call me and talk to me about it which is pretty awesome of him considering how busy he is. So after talking to him he had me sold on it especially it being one of a kind Gibson. The more I play it the better it sounds!

[J.Albert]

Looks like the frets on the "Cremona Rush" are the larger-sized ones that are usually found on the Bush model.

My '06 GR has small (Fern-sized) frets (which I prefer).

Also -- and I can't tell from the pics -- does the fingerboard have any radius on this one?

[rskibo]

Yes radius fretboard but the frets are not as large as the Sam Bush model.

[Clef]

Yes radius fretboard but the frets are not as large as the Sam Bush model.

That's cool you got a radius fretboard. I think all of them are standard that way now. Before the goldrush was temporarily discontinued in 2012 they were all a flat fretboard. I'm guessing David pushed at Gibson to start building them again about a year or so later.

When I bought my goldrush, it was new and came from a shop in CO. They had it for about 8 months before I bought it.

After I got it I noticed the label said, "Custom Goldrush". For the longest time I had no idea what was custom about it. It turns out that mine has a 14" radius fretboard and the color is a darker, deeper golden color than the others.

I never talked to David about it to see if there is anything else different about mine. I would like to chat with him because I've been curious about my GR and the word custom written on the label. He has pics of mine on his Facebook page as well.

[rskibo]

Sweet. Mine also is labeled as custom. Hit Dave up on FB I'm sure he would answer your questions. He is a super nice guy. He was telling me after the flood they had got their hands on Ricky Scaggs Lore and another and studied them and went back to some techniques that had been used in the 20's that they had gotten away from. Pretty awesome to get to talk to him about that kind of stuff.

[DataNick]

Congrats again Bro!...and that was me who posted David's Facebook pics of your mando in another thread.

[tburcham]

Congrats! Beautiful mandolin.

[Astro]

Love it !

And great story.

Congrats !

[Perry Babasin]

Beautiful Instrument!

[rskibo]

Thanks guys. Sounds better everyday. Ill try upload some videos of e playing it.

[almeriastrings]

I like the wood choice on the back/sides there, a more diffuse, 'creamy' kind of figure than on most. Goes very nicely with that particular finish. Both 'Goldrush' models I've encountered have been superb.... congratulations, you have a wonderful instrument there! A future classic, for sure.

[hank]

Congratulations on your new Cremona Rush. On the leading particulars of change in appearance, I have an April 13 2006 Casey O'Sullivan S/N 60413020. The nut is pearl 1 5/64" or approx. 1.100" width the outside to outside G string to E string is .940" flat board classic Gibson small fret wire. The differences I'm seeing besides the color finish is the binding color(mine has black with white inner stripe) a different shaped abbreviated fretboard extension(sort of a neutered Florida extention with the fretboards binding enclosing it). The neck shape is like the 20's Era V necks with about .10" removed from the V point rounding it and making it slightly thinner. I've noticed mine in a darker Gold than others I've seen with a not as fancy rim run horizontally like on acoustic guitars instead of vertical highly flamed rims. I replaced the original abbreviated tortoise finger rest with a black ebony abbreviated guard and armrest by Doug of McClung armrest fame. I also replaced the original pearl tuner buttons.

[rskibo]

Interesting mandolin you got Hank.

[hank]

Thank you rskibo. This thread reminds me to update my early Goldrush registry photos and info. I bought YellowBell three months out of the factory in July of 06. For a birthday gift in September of 08 I ordered a custom set of Mike Blohm's Handel inlaid tuner buttons. While talking to Mike about the dimensions of the tuner shafts I learned there was another Goldrush owner in my area that had made an order as well. I later learned it was Mike Parks a great Old Time Music artist from Knoxville, Ar. with another 2006 model.

[rskibo]

Cherokee Shuffle in A
http://youtu.be/heFnKEmQ564

[Josh Levine]

Sounds great! Yall are giving me the gibson fever.

[Clef]

Cherokee Shuffle in A
http://youtu.be/heFnKEmQ564

Nice picking and your Gibson sounds really good. You got yourself a keeper!

[MiG-19]

I'm a fan!

[Bernie Daniel]

Ya done good rskibo with your new Gibson! Great tone! Congratulations!

Now you are a member of THE CULT. DataNick will soon contact you with details on the secret handshake and decoder ring.

PS Hank I really like way you have decorated that Goldrush with all the ebony trim. I love tobacco sunbursts a lot but nothing can match a blonde for sheer knock out visuals!!

[Kevin K]

Nice looking mandolin indeed.