Lebeda Mandolins

[Ivan Kelsall]

Hi - I bought a Lebeda F-5 Premium plus mandolin in August last year & it's starting to sound very good indeed (to me
that is).I have no way of comparing it to a Gilchrist,
Brentrup or any of the other top makers instruments.Do any of you guys have a Lebeda & have you any comments on them & how best to set them up to get the best sound?.
I'm very impressed with the build quality & the attention to detail.I use D'addario FT74s,practice at least an hour a day & the Mandolin has responded by becoming a much more 'solid' sounding instrument with
a beautiful tone.I just wonder if there is anything that can be done to help make it even better.I did change the Rosewood bridge for a good quality ebony one & that did
improve the tone quite a bit.It had been a bit 'zingy',but
the ebony bridge sorted that out,it tightened up the sound
& increased the volume a fair bit,
Saska

[Bradley]

I just traveled along with a friend (who is a newbie) who purchased the same mandolin about 6 months ago.My purpose was to help him pick out a mandolin, and for his price range he came home with a Lebeda. I wouldnt worry about comparing it to anything, just play the tar out of it and have fun. Too many times we worry about comparing in the mandolin world If yours is like the other ones I have seen, you have a instrument to be very proud of

As far as sound, a professional set up goes a very long way in not only playability but sound as well.Also try some different strings, you would be amazed at how this affects the tone and volume.The FT74's to me sound a little soft, so try J74's, GHS, John Pearse,Sam Bush strings and all of the other ones we talk about here.
I had a F5 Fern a few years back that sounded great with GHS Silk and Steel....but havent had a mando since that one that liked those strings. Also try different pick material and shapes to add to the equation.

Happy Pickin

[mandroid]

Off the Classifieds I got one of the other styles he has made [2nd hand]
F5 body but not with a Gibby style headstock outline, though .
tortoise binding , orange brandy toner 3pc block markers.
local Ace, replaced the original tailpiece with a James.

Its a keeper.. may have to get a Calton case for it next..

[trevor]

Saska,
I've got loads in my shop but I guess that doesn't count. I've had a mandola Jiri Lebeda built for me for about four years now. It continues to open up and I have compared it to every mandola that's come through the shop since (including several vintage Gidsons, H1 and H2), its still on my wall at home (when I'm not playing it), it has the darkest, deepest tone I’ve heard in a ‘dola.

I would recommend J75s and having a reasonably high action (as high as you are comfortable with) to get the strongest tone from your F5. Of course different people are looking for different tonal qualities but that is what I would do.

[swampstomper]

I've posted before about my A5+ Premium and B5 (blackface) standard. Yes, these keep getting better, they are wonderfully playable, and have nice tone; the A5 has gorgeous tone. Jiri makes really good instruments in a variety of styles -- check out Jeff Cowherd's add in the classifieds for a photo of a big selection. The price is very reasonable at every level of decoration and woods.

He also makes mandolas, mandocellos, guitars and resonator guitars.

[Gaelen]

I too have a Lebeda Premium Plus F5 which I have had for about 7 months now.

I bought it secondhand and I believe it was one of the 2004 NAMM exhibition pieces.

I really like it and it has been great for both live and recording.

The build quality is excellent.

I can understand there being some scepticism about the Chinese buit Eastman instruments just by the very nature of the economy and communist state etc but
I don't know why there is any shock or bias about European built instruments as it is in fact where the things originate from and the USA is after all a very young country in terms of world history.

Look at Vassar Clements violin that he got from John Hartford, they reckon that was built around the mid to late 1500's !!!!!!!!!!

So the Euro luthiers were going well before any of them decided to sail across the seas to the USA.

[tremolo jones]

any of you Lebeda owners ever try flatwound strings?

[swampstomper]

Mine are not designed to be used with flatwounds -- although I guess they would sound OK. These are meant to project and have a bluegrass sound. Jiri uses SIRT PB Mandolin strings, medium gauge (11/15/26w/40w) at the "factory" (workshop); these are very similar to D'Addario J74. (I use EXP74 for longer life and a slightly mellower tone at the beginning).