What do you consider to to be the best recorded mandolin tone?

[Jim Hilburn]

I have to agree that everything Reischman records is wonderful but there are so many great recordings it's hard to say any one.
Take modern bluegrass. Grasstown, Balsam Range, Blue Highway, Blueridge, Blue Moon Rising and on and on. Whenever I hear them I'm blown away by the sound of the mandolins.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Jim - You listed a few of my own favourite bands there & i agree,their mandolins sound terrific. Shawn Lane's 'Dearstone' is a glorious sounding mandolin.

I've always loved the tone of Chris Thile's 'Dudenbostel'. It's tone on the CD ''Nickel Creek'' is beautifully full & rounded,it's simply one of the finest mandolin tones i've heard & IMHO,superior to that of his 'Loar',
Ivan

[Dagger Gordon]

Hard to beat the Melonious Quartet from France.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mSpQLnVhZqw

[Mike Snyder]

Mike Black in any of the Three Bean Salad recordings. Something about playing an instrument he built himself, for himself. He is a Kansas state champion and nice guy. If you care to listen, be aware that it is the only F5 he has built, if I'm not mistaken. He once won the Ks state competition with a Black A4. Awesome tone. Tichenor gets some tone out of his Nuggett also.

[guitarpath]

I am surprised that nobody has mentioned Dave Peters' Art in America. Great tone and remarkable playing.

[fentonjames]

There's this too.



Great sound, but there is a lot of pick noise. (like a schlep like me can criticize the awesome playing...:-) )

[Chanmandolin]

Check Jim Van Cleve's "No Apologies" record. Steffey on mandolin. Some of the best music out there. And some of the best mandolin tone I've ever heard

[LillianBelle]

I am surprised that nobody has mentioned Dave Peters' Art in America. Great tone and remarkable playing.

I have heard OF this recording, but the only thing I have ever seen is a mediocre-quality youtube video.

[darylcrisp]

for me, its Reishman in "Walk along John"

There's just something about his sound.

http://www.mandolincafe.com/news/pub...s_001532.shtml



have to include this whole album also:

[bones12]

As with the above listed gems, also consider Joe K Walsh on Sweet Loam and Mr Sun projects. He brings a wonderful sound to the recordings. Just my opinion.... Doug in Vermont

[goose 2]

My current favorite recorded mandolin is Monroe on the Smithsonian live recording from 1956-1969. I just love all that raw power and snap he gets. These recordings really show how magical Bill was especially in a live format

[Jim Hilburn]

Several years ago there was an independent CD store in my town. He had a $1 sale on what was mostly bad stuff but there was Up in the Woods in the pile.

[woodwizard]

Reischman's tone he get's out of that Loar is just hard to beat.

[barry]

The "best" is, of course, subjective. I agree with all the Grisman and Reischmain references.
I want to add this one. I don't know if it is "best" or not. But, it is what I think a mandolin tone should be.

[Skip Kelley]

Butch Baldassari on whatever he plays does it for me!

[Tempotantrum]

The majority if not all the cuts on Skaggs & Rice. In the liner notes Ricky thanks Dawg for the use of his mandolin - I assume that it is Crusher. I don't think all cuts use the same mando - but they are all fantastic and represent what I want my mandolin to sound like when it grows up!

[Dave Simmons]

I love the rich tones that Butch Baldassari achieved on Evergreen, no sewing machine just sweet melody and rich tone...

[tree]

Surprised that no one (I think) has mentioned Wayne Benson and Alan Bibey's The Mandolin Chronicles.

There, I just did. Incredible recorded mandolin tone to my ears.