Sumi F5

[Frank Russell]

I made my Spring Break trip to Buffalo Bros. in Carlsbad today, to do a little trading and see the new location. While I was there, I took the time to play at least 15 or 16 mandolins, to see if I needed a new plan. Here are some of my really non-expert evaluations. The Collings MF5 and MT2 I played were the sweetest sounding, especially the F, and they were absolutely beautiful. Nicest finish work and wood selection I have seen so far, even the tops were bearclawed. I could never afford one, so I just played them for kicks. They didn't have any of the no-frills models there. The two biggest surprises I got were a Sumi F5 and the Rigel G5(?)scroll model. I had passed that Rigel by on previous trips because I didn't like the non-traditional look, and the price was out of my reach. Man, that funny looking little thing sounded great, and played like a dream. It was the only one there that really had that dark, Gibson-type tone I love, and strangely sounded a lot like my F9. Go figure. The best overall model in my price range was a Sumi F5. Great tone, good volume, and excellent finish and playability. I'm still thinking about how I can get my hands on that one. I know Sumi's history, and have played some Dawg models that I liked, but this was on a par with a Gibson F5G, with no back binding, and a cool Loar-style sunburst. Any apprehensions about having a Japanese mandolin evaporated after I played it. I didn't end up with anything new, and left feeling pretty satisfied with my F9 and A9. Even the A5L there didn't have the same tonal qualities and volume as my dirt cheap A9, although that's obvious personal preference. Check those Sumi's out before they go up in price. No financial interest here, just a happy customer of Bob and Co. The new store is great. Frank

[AlanN]

Nice objective write-up, Frank. I liken the Sumi to an F5G, also. I played a Collings A recently that sounded simply great, surprised the heck out of me how strong it sounded. I've played one Rigel 5 and thought it sounded pretty darn good, too. Just the soft scroll lines and overall rounded curves to it are a bit strange, but it's something I'd probably get used to.