Red diamond

**Rick Schmidlin** · Oct-09-2006, 10:29pm

I played a Red Diamond F Varnished at Merlefest last year and was very impressed. I am starting to get MAS ,so who has played one?

**Rick Crenshaw** · Oct-09-2006, 11:26pm

Local player has a fantastic sounding A model (#104 according to the website). I wouldn't mind having one of those one bit!

**Soupy1957** · Oct-10-2006, 7:51am

Still want an Epiphone MM-50. It's in the price range I can afford, and as close to a Gibson Loar as "I" can get I guess.
-Soupy1957

**Mandomax** · Oct-10-2006, 7:59am

I got to play Lou Reid's old Red Diamond varnish F. Absolute monster with tone to die for. It was the first excellent mandolin I got to play for an extended period of time (3-4 hours). It made me realize how subtle gradations in tone could be. Don Macrostie is making amazing mandolins these days, and I would get one immediately if I had the money.

**thiggins** · Oct-10-2006, 9:45am

I believe Josh Pinkham is playing one.

Tim

**Jack Roberts** · Oct-10-2006, 11:42am

Dumbest thing I ever did in my life was to get off Don's waiting list just because I lost my job. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

**kyblue** · Oct-10-2006, 12:07pm

I haven't played one, but my teacher Daniel Carwile recently played one and said it was a monster.

He doesn't say that about many, so I would like to hear it.

Paula

**WJF** · Oct-10-2006, 12:24pm

Josh does play one and its sound is really very impressive!!

**Don Grieser** · Oct-10-2006, 8:18pm

I used to own Red Diamond #100, an F-5, and it's one of the few mandolins I'd really like to have back. I get to play it every couple years and it's really turned into a Tone Monster, so to speak. I helped a student of mine get a Red Diamond A with f holes. I kick myself for not buying it myself--it's great. But I made up for all that by getting a Red Diamond oval hole A. It's got the A-5 length neck instead of the shorter Gibson A neck. A really interesting combination of oval and f sound. It gets a lot of playing time.

Don MacRostie is a great guy and his workmanship and woods are just top notch. So's the tone and playability. I haven't had a chance to get my hands on his vintage model, but knowing Don, I'm sure he gets it right. Hope that helps.

**luvmymando** · Oct-11-2006, 9:36am

I HAVE KNOWN DON FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND USED TO GE TO STOP BY HIS SHOP AS i USED TO LIVE IN THE SAME TOWN. EVERY SINGLE ONE I HAVE EVER PLAYED (NEVER OWNED ONE.. JUST PLAYED THE ONES IN THE SHOP) HAS BEEN AWESOME. I MEAN ABSOLUTELY AWESOME. THEY ARE WORTH EVERY PENNY EVEN THOUGH THEY COST MANY PENNIES. I DON'T KNNOW IF I HAVE EVER PICKED UP A MANDO THAT WAS ANY BETTER. HIS ATTENTION TO EACH AND EVERYONE IS INCREDIBLE AND TOO BOOT HE IS A HECK OF A NICE GUY WITH A REALLY NICE FAMILY. IF YOU HAVE THE DINERO MY SUGGESTION IS GET ONE!

**sgarrity** · Nov-20-2006, 1:58pm

I was fortunate enough to pick up a used RD F5 this past weekend. And let me tell you, it is absolutely outstanding. I've owned quite a few nice mandos but this is far and away the best one I've had. It really has that pop and projection to each individual note. This mando has definitely beaten my MAS into submission. And that is no small feat!!

Shaun

**Larry Simonson** · Nov-20-2006, 4:06pm

My Red Diamond A model was exactly the right medicine for scroll fever.

**swiba** · Nov-20-2006, 8:04pm

I know Don Rigsby owns about 3or4 of them.:blues:

**Tripp Johnson** · Nov-21-2006, 8:26am

I sat across from Shaun at a jam this past Sunday and I have to say that the RD F5 he picked up sounded awesome. I had never heard one before. Just as he said, great pop and projection. Great player too! (Shaun, that is).

Tripp

**John Jesseph** · Nov-21-2006, 2:26pm

Hi guys. I have a Red Diamond F5. It never fails to elicit a "wow!" reaction from listeners. It has a fantastic classic bluegrass sound. I would love to hear one of Don's Vintage models.

**hlebowi2** · Nov-21-2006, 2:51pm

I own #170, a standard "F".
It is great and everyone else who has heard/played it (Frank Wakefield, Butch Baldassari to name drop a couple) think so too. Chris Hillman owns it's twin (#172) so I guess they must be good #

Howard

I saw a Red Diamond "F" last week in the cafe classifieds that sold quickly for $2600 (I thought a a very good price).

**sgarrity** · Nov-21-2006, 5:24pm

Thanks for the kind words Tripp, about the mando and my playing.

I bought the one from the classifieds. It took me all of 2 seconds to make that decision. And I couldn't be happier! I had never played one before. But as rarely as they come up for sale on the used market, I figured they had to be good.

Shaun

**Mando Gil** · Nov-21-2006, 8:50pm

I saw Johnny Staats playing a Red Diamond this past weekend. Staats is probably the most underrated mando monster out there. I went to the show with a friend who has been a professional fiddler and mandolin player for over thirty years he was more than impressed by Staats' playing and the mandolin. We talked to Staats after the show, he was nice enough to allow my friend to check out the Red Diamond, he said it easily beat any mando he'd ever played. This guy wailed on that mando through 15 songs and never had to tune it at all!