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Thread: Fletcher Brock Cittern - 5 string

  1. #1
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    Default Fletcher Brock Cittern - 5 string

    Just acquired this Brock cittern and am very impressed. First time for a 5-string zouk/cittern, but got comfortable with it right away. Love that deep sonorous tone!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8Yc...57lo_VPYLJx1vA



    EDIT NOTE: Check out the Sobell mandola too that's tuned like an octave. Very nice an comfortable to play, has a big enough body too to sound like an octave. 20" scale.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmOH...57lo_VPYLJx1vA
    Last edited by Laurence; Nov-20-2014 at 7:12pm.

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    Registered User Mike Anderson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fletcher Brock Cittern - 5 string

    I'm assuming this is the Brock that was in the Classifieds Lawrence? Gorgeous instruments, both of them, and very fine playing!
    "But wasn't it all stupid nonsense, rot, gibberish, and criminally fraudulent nincompoopery?"
    - Neal Stephenson, Quicksilver

  4. #3

    Default Re: Fletcher Brock Cittern - 5 string

    Very nice instruments, and very nice playing, Laurence!

    That's the first traditional styled Brock I have heard and must say I am impressed.

    It's interesting you call your Sobell a mandola. One of my Sobell's was 20" scale and came to me as an Octave Mandolin. I always stringed it and played it that way, anyway. I got it from a gent in Scotland and he called it a Tenor Mandola. I had heard that is what they called an OM across the pond and we call them Octave Mandolins over here. I could definitely be wrong. I am relying on my memory and that can be pretty scary!

    Regardless of all that, thank you for the most excellent videos.

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    Butcherer of Songs Rob Zamites's Avatar
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    Default Re: Fletcher Brock Cittern - 5 string

    "What's in a name? that which we call a rose
    By any other name would smell as sweet;"
    Substitute your favorite CBOM nomenclature for 'rose', and change 'smell' to 'sweet'

    =============================
    Apollonio Acousto-electric bouzouki (in shop)
    Mixter 10 string mandola (still waiting 2+ yrs)
    Unknown brand Mandocaster (on the way!)
    =============================
    "Doubt begins only at the last frontiers of what is possible." -- Ambrose Bierce

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    Default Re: Fletcher Brock Cittern - 5 string

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Anderson View Post
    I'm assuming this is the Brock that was in the Classifieds Lawrence? Gorgeous instruments, both of them, and very fine playing!
    Thanks Mike! This is the one!

  7. #6
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    Default Re: Fletcher Brock Cittern - 5 string

    Quote Originally Posted by Gerry Cassidy View Post
    Very nice instruments, and very nice playing, Laurence!

    That's the first traditional styled Brock I have heard and must say I am impressed.

    It's interesting you call your Sobell a mandola. One of my Sobell's was 20" scale and came to me as an Octave Mandolin. I always stringed it and played it that way, anyway. I got it from a gent in Scotland and he called it a Tenor Mandola. I had heard that is what they called an OM across the pond and we call them Octave Mandolins over here. I could definitely be wrong. I am relying on my memory and that can be pretty scary!

    Regardless of all that, thank you for the most excellent videos.
    You're welcome, Gerry! Thanks for the kind words. The Brock was the first I'd ever seen or played. I didn't intend to buy it (I was after the short scale spruce top octave), but as soon as I strummed it, it kind of stole my heart.

    Re the mandola...I was about to leave, but asked what was in that other Clark case. A Sobell mandolin! First strum and I knew I had to have it too. About to leave, and thinking af the greater Sobell mando family, I asked if he had any mandolas. He said "I think so" and pulled out the one in the video. At first, I didn't really take to it, and had my doubts about whether it really was a mandola, but decided to get it anyway. When I got home and began to understand the size and string setup, I totally fell in love with it. It has a cedar top like the mandolin and the 5-string ccittern. The larger bodied Sobell octave has a spruce top, and all I can say is...CEDAR RULES! Not to diminish spruce or anything (it's a Sobell afterall). It's everything you'd expect from a high quality instrument.

    I've decided I don't need both the cedar and spruce octaves (the spruce is 2 frets longer in scale) so it's about as easy of a reach as the mandola (20.25 vs. 22.75"). If any one wants the Sobell spruce top octave...let me know. Don't PM me...I don't login here very often. I will put up a YouTube video with my contact info.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yuaj...ature=youtu.be
    Last edited by Laurence; Nov-21-2014 at 8:07pm. Reason: Added video

  8. #7

    Default Re: Fletcher Brock Cittern - 5 string

    Do you know when the Brock was made?

    Fletcher seems to have pretty much stopped making that style of instrument, and moved to making F-5 style mandolins and K-5 mandocellos. Wonderful craftsman, nearest we had to an American Sobell.
    Joseph

    Quote Originally Posted by Laurence View Post
    Just acquired this Brock cittern and am very impressed. First time for a 5-string zouk/cittern, but got comfortable with it right away. Love that deep sonorous tone!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8Yc...57lo_VPYLJx1vA



    EDIT NOTE: Check out the Sobell mandola too that's tuned like an octave. Very nice an comfortable to play, has a big enough body too to sound like an octave. 20" scale.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmOH...57lo_VPYLJx1vA

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