New-to-Me Pava F5 #198

[Mike Stewart]

Remember that Pava F5 that was in the classifieds, and you said to yourself, "man, that's $2K less than a new one!"? I said the same thing, so I bought it. I did have reservations about buying sight-unseen, even if it was from Café sponsor The Mandolin Store. But TMS' reputation precedes it, so what the heck. Dennis kindly answered my questions, stating that the person who traded it trades with him a lot, and the trade-ins are "practically unplayed". Shut up and take my money.

FedEx stops by Friday morning, and thus begins the acclimatization wait. Wintergrass was just getting fired up, so I had something to keep me occupied whilst I resisted the temptation to open the box. Saturday morning, and it was time. Holy moly, Dennis wasn't exaggerating. At first I thought it was as mint as the day it was purchased. In three hours I put more fret wear on it than in the four months the prior owner had it. After a few hours, and the sun hitting just right, I found the flaw: a few tiny dents in the lacquer on the bass side of the side of the instrument. Small enough that I obviously didn't notice the first go-around, so I'll say it's a small price to pay for such a discount. As an added bonus, it would appear that the prior owner had an Ellis pick guard installed. I could do without, but the Ellis' are small, so I think I'll leave it for now.

Setup was outstanding, nothing that I am even tempted to "fix". And the sound...I had played a few Pavas when she and Ellis were at Wintergrass last year. I had apparently forgotten why I decided a Pava was probably going to be my next mandolin. That thing is heavenly. My Gibson is no slouch, so I wasn't expecting a big improvement (having forgotten how they sound), but the Pava is head-and-shoulders above in complexity of tone and general pleasantness to my ear.

I feel that I got really lucky on this one. First, finding a used Pava F5 to begin with (first I've seen). Second, getting a huge discount over new. And third, getting a "used" discount for a mandolin that barely saw any time outside its case. TMS was a pleasure to deal with, responsive to email, and they followed up when it shipped to let me know it was coming.

Pics, which are really only interesting if you want to see what they look like with a pick guard: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/al...p?albumid=1974 (EDIT: holy cow, hope you like your photos hi-res. I'll try to trim those down later.)

[Canoedad]

She's a beauty! I've got a question though, why are these models being referred to as Pava "Player" Fs? The binding, tailpiece and headstock inlay are that of the "Pro" model for the Pava As. I'm thinking this is an error and that they are "Pro" Fs.

[Mike Stewart]

I've got a question though, why are these models being referred to as Pava "Player" Fs?

Are you referring to something in my captions (which would be a mistake on my part), or the ad copy on The Mandolin Store? (EDIT: oh, I see, there's a new one in the classifieds now, listed as a "Player".) If the latter, I think it's a mistake on the part of TMS. The only F5 that Pava makes is a "Pro", at least according to every bit of copy I've seen from the Pava side of the business. I was confused when looking at this one, but every new and used Pava F5 on TMS' site lists it as "Player", and no "Pro"s, so I assume it's a simple mistake on the part of TMS.

[Northwest Steve]

Say that one. It is a beauty and glad it sounded a good as it looks. That was a deal.

[Canoedad]

Mike, The first one they had, I emailed to suggest a correction. But every one gets listed the same. Must be something in their computer.

[LadysSolo]

Congratulations! Pavas are a great value for their price.....

[Mark Wilson]

Very nice F5. I like the bound pick guard personally - looks great.
Yours is as far up the chain from my brown satin A5 Pava as it gets (and still be a Pava)
Congratulations!

[Capt. E]

If you want, don't be shy about giving Pava a call (or Tom Ellis either). She will be quite pleased to hear how much you love your new girl.

[Ron McMillan]

Congratulations on scoring a great bargain. It's lovely. Are they Rubner tuners?

[The Mandolin Store]

I have corrected our website to read Pava Pro F - enjoy the new mando!!

[Mike Stewart]

Are they Rubner tuners?

Ya know, other than glancing at them, I can't confirm the brand of tuners (too busy looking at the purty wood; and playing it). The specs say "Gotoh MA40". I'll post a retraction if I get home tonight and they're not Gotohs.

[Mike Stewart]

If you want, don't be shy about giving Pava a call (or Tom Ellis either).

You know, I just might do that. From my perspective, I think, "nah, they don't want to hear from l'il ol' me." On the other hand, when you spend all that time carving out a piece of wood, might be nice to know someone appreciates the work. Appreciate I do.

[Mike Stewart]

enjoy the new mando!!

Enjoying it I am; can't put it down. And your shop was great, answering my questions, and being responsive. And the setup is lovely, not a thing I'd change. Your store has found a new fan.