First Step Towards the CBOM World and Looking on Instrument Advic

[Mandobart]

As always, I have to recommend Tom "TJ" Jessen at Cricketfiddle. I have a 17" 10-string mandola from him, a 21.5" OM from him (showed in the Cricketfiddle link) and a 26" 10 string mandocello he built for me. I have played several other instruments by fine builders big and small, and you will not find a better instrument for your money than one built by TJ.

[Rob Zamites]

To be honest, it's almost worse than buying a laptop or computer - so many options, so much quality. I'm fortunate in that I get to go to Elderly and plunk around on what I want to see how things sound...

(Now, If I could just sell my soul for that $3500 I need for that Nyberg 'zouk!)

[garryireland]

Hi Eldrich. I played quite a few of these zouks and i gotta say, i wouldn't be getting a luthier made one straight away. You dont know yet whst you're looking for in a zook. After owning several im confident in telling my luthier whst i need. At your level i would agree with 2nd hand. If you want to talk more you can pm me

[Daniel Vance]

Thanks everyone for all the advice.

I randomly found out that my boss's husband has a bouzouki at home that he really never uses, and he is willing to lend it to me. It is a Trinity College. So that will give me something to work on for a bit (at the perfect price of FREE) and give me a go starting point.

[Rob Zamites]

Thanks everyone for all the advice.

I randomly found out that my boss's husband has a bouzouki at home that he really never uses, and he is willing to lend it to me. It is a Trinity College. So that will give me something to work on for a bit (at the perfect price of FREE) and give me a go starting point.

Nothing wrong at all with a TC - they're solid instruments, and with a little TLC from an experienced luthier, can end up being a life long instrument for many folks. Congrats!

[Daniel Vance]

So, I got the Trinity College Bouzouki (I believe it is a TM-375) from my boss's husbanded this afternoon, and it has been a lot of fun.

At this point, my biggest personal issue is that he has it strung GgDdaaee (I tuned the e's down to dd). This octave set-up on the lower courses does provide for some nice chords, but I find it odd when playing melody. I also personally like more of a bass side to things so my attempt to change it up over the week, although the bridge and nut do not seem to be set up for that kind of change and I am sure he would want me messing with those sorts of things.

Construction and finish seems to be fairly solid, the sound is decent, but as of yet does not seem to be in the same realm as the professional (Foley) ones I have heard in person, at least to my ears, but really some of that could be the octaves on the lower courses. I am also not thrilled about the neck, it is a little uncomfortable.

If anyone out there has played a Trinity College / Gold Tone or other mass produced instrument and a high quality hand made one, I would love to hear / read about their comparisons. I know I have seen the differences in basses, mandolins, and ukuleles in my own musical journeys with these instruments at this point, and assume there are differences in tones and construction in these as well, and simply interested what those differences are.

Still hope to get out to a few music stores over the summer break (Elderly currently has a nice Nyberg and some Weber instruments).

[Rob Zamites]

Still hope to get out to a few music stores over the summer break (Elderly currently has a nice Nyberg and some Weber instruments).

This Nyberg?



It's sure sweet.

[Rob Zamites]

As always, I have to recommend Tom "TJ" Jessen at Cricketfiddle. I have a 17" 10-string mandola from him, a 21.5" OM from him (showed in the Cricketfiddle link) and a 26" 10 string mandocello he built for me. I have played several other instruments by fine builders big and small, and you will not find a better instrument for your money than one built by TJ.

You are not kidding. Those are some GORGEOUS instruments.

/must get more money

[Daniel Vance]

Yes Rob, that Nyberg...it sure looks great, and the sound clips I have heard of his instruments are all amazing. Also, yes, more money would make all of this easier.

@Mandobart, those are some really great looking instruments. Beautiful woods, and the wooden cases look amazing, how heavy are they?

[Daniel Vance]

Yesterday I decided to start again with the Trinity College, sat down, pulled out a tuner and started checking things like intonation. The way it was set up had the 7th fret about a 1/2 step sharp and the twelfth a whole step sharp. I ended up pushing the bridge 1/2" towards the tail piece with a slight angle. In addition to making it possible to drone the 7th fret with the adjacent open string without being faced with a terribly out of tune drone, this also really opened up the instrument.

I then took the advice of all those on the forum and looked at it as a totally new instrument. I took advantage of the 20% discount on Homespun videos and started working on the first song of the Zan McLeod DVD, and I have to admit it was a totally different experience.

What is even better is that my wife was like, "That is so much better than the mandolin." She doesn't really like the high pitch. And, when I asked her, "Well when can I get my own," she said, "Well your birthday is coming up in February."

While this was all theoretical in nature, it is now actually possible as I have the "OK" from my wife to move forwards, who was very skeptical in September when this all started about how I could need yet another instrument.

Planning on sending out a few e-mails today (based on sound clips, build threads, and overall aesthetics I am really leaning towards Lawrence Nyberg, but also want to include Phil Crump), but continuing to watch the classifieds.

[Denman John]

Planning on sending out a few e-mails today (based on sound clips, build threads, and overall aesthetics I am really leaning towards Lawrence Nyberg, but also want to include Phil Crump), but continuing to watch the classifieds.

Running late this morning, but I will write more this evening. My Nyberg still puts a on my face every time I pick it up.

John

[Mandobart]

@Mandobart, those are some really great looking instruments. Beautiful woods, and the wooden cases look amazing, how heavy are they?

The cases are plenty solid and heavy. The side and top wood on the big case is about 1/2" thick, I'm guessing it weighs 10-15 lbs. The 'dola and OM cases weigh less, they are about 3/8" thick. The instruments themselves weigh about what you'd expect for any mando instrument of their size. Though since playing the 10 string mandocello (liuto moderno) everything else feels small and light.

[Denman John]

I sent you a PM. I think you will be very happy if you go the Nyberg route. I was/am

[Colin Lindsay]

Sorry for any offense. I more meant for me personally I worry that that 5 courses would be too many. I started my string playing life as a bass player. I attempted to play some guitar in college, but never got very good as I could never really get may hands and mind around the 6 strings.

Interesting view Eldritch - hello from a guitar player who went the other direction and now plays with less strings rather than more…. I played guitar for years before trying a bouzouki (Greek one). Possibly for the very reason you state - but in reverse - I found the narrower neck quite easy to play but missed the rest of the strings. I played a cittern for some time and found complaints about the chunkiness of the neck - from mandola or bouzouki players - quite unfounded. One of them claimed it was like playing a spade handle.. but I found it quite simple. I’ve missed the other strings so much this past while that as well as buying a Waldzither I’ve commissioned a new 10-string from Roger Bucknall at Fylde, and am looking forward to a few strange chord / finger combinations that the OM will never be up to… so it’s interesting to hear the opposite view from mine.

[Tim Griffin]

I would check the classifieds everyday. I found a great deal on a used TC, a one-off guitar bodied zookeeper from a small builder Ben Viera, a Nyberg, then a Crump. They were all worth what I paid for them and I could not have tried them anywhere that I know of. They each had a different sound and feel. The TC had a skinny mando neck and octave strings. The Nyberg is very full and cuts through in the mids. The Crump more zingy. The guitar bodied one-off made by Ben Viera is perfect for pub gigs amplified w K&K. I would not have known the differences had I not found them here. I sold the TC and Crump to friends as I was not playing them. I kept the other two though I play mando and tenor banjo and guitar mostly. Good luck and keep looking.