My mandocello's going to be famous--

[allenhopkins]

My K-1's off to the recording studio in the hands of Andrew VanNorstrand, who with his brother Noah and mother Kim make up the Great Bear Trio. Andrew and Noah were finalists in the Prairie Home Companion national talent search for under-20 traditional musicians, and already have an impressive listing of recordings, festival and concert appearances, and rave reviews, before reaching legal drinking age! You can find more on their website.

Of course, Andrew will make the old Gibson sound incomparably better than I ever could, but it's nice to be helping out a nice, talented musical family continue to produce great music. And I'm promised album credits and an autographed CD...

[JeffD]

Woo hoo!

I have seen the Great Bear Trio live here locally, and those Van Norstrand brothers are amazing. I wish Noah was less enamored with drums and percussion (at which he is equally amazing) because I really love his fiddle work.

[allenhopkins]

Andy brought the K-1 back today, with a new set of strings but minus a pickguard screw (he took off the bracket 'cause it rattled during recording). Said he also used it at a performance with Jay Ungar and Molly Mason "since he had it in the car anyway."
Andrew and Noah are going to try to get a national label to pick up the new recording, which is all original music, including some vocals. He left a rough mix and it sounds really interesting. For people who'd like to check out Great Bear Trio (Andy VanNorstrand, his brother Noah, and their mother Kim on piano), they'll be in North Carolina and Georgia in March, and in the Pacific Northwest a later in the spring and summer. Mostly playing dances, but some other gigs as well.
Can't wait to get a final copy of the new CD... In the meantime, off to find a screw for the pickguard bracket.

[MandoSquirrel]

Sorry, but losing parts off someone else's vintage instrument seems Extremely irresponsible to me; he should replace the screw with as near accurate to original as possible, you shouldn't have to do it yourself, unless you now don't trust him, also he should compensate you for possibly affecting the condition & value due to his lack of care & disrespect shown you.

[allenhopkins]

Well, Andrew offered to either replace it or pay for the cost of a new screw, but I said "screw it" (pun intended -- does this get me bounced off the thread?). He is quintessentially respectful and responsible, and I know that if I go up to Dave Stutzman's shop he has drawers full of parts and fittings cannabalized off trashed instruments over the past 50 years. No doubt that I'll find the little screw I need. So I didn't make an issue of it.
Andrew put a new set of strings on the mandocello, and I'm sure when I acquire the replacement screw, the cost will be substantially less than a set of D'Addarios. I understand where Elrod's coming from, and I do value vintage instruments and try to preserve them, but in the end -- in my opinion anyway -- they are tools used for making music, not artifacts to be placed in a case for preservation. There's not a vintage instrument I own, that won't leave my hands with more wear and tear than when I got it. So if I let someone else use one of my instruments for recording, and it comes back with more wear and tear than when I lent it, I expect nothing different.

[FlawLaw]

#I understand where Elrod's coming from, and I do value vintage instruments and try to preserve them, but in the end -- in my opinion anyway -- they are tools used for making music, not artifacts to be placed in a case for preservation. #There's not a vintage instrument I own, that won't leave my hands with more wear and tear than when I got it. #So if I let someone else use one of my instruments for recording, and it comes back with more wear and tear than when I lent it, I expect nothing different.

Amen.

[MandoSquirrel]

Yes, instruments are for playing, but borrowed property of other people is to be cared for, regardless of what it is.
The screw is only a little thing, it's the lack of respect for other peoples belongings that really bugs me. It's good he offered to replace it, it almost makes his losing it forgiveable.

[Bill Van Liere]

Good for you Allen. You can certainly replace the screw, likely even the Mandolcello (let's not think about that, but what a way to go anyway). But you cant' replace the wonderful memeory of having your instrument played on National Radio.

I've got a great sounding little Flatiron A-5 Junior that I have lent out to working musicians around my state. They are all great guys with great instruments. If my Junior comes back with a scratch, I figure it to be the signature of a friend of mine.

[allenhopkins]

Since what happens to my ol' K-1 has become a matter of some interest, I got the missing pickguard screw replaced today at

Stutzman's Guitar Center

And Dave and Richard didn't charge me a cent. Now she sits back in her case, no doubt cherishing her memories of recording with Great Bear Trio and peforming with Jay Ungar & Molly Mason. I, on the other hand, grabbed my two bowl-backs, the Merrill aluminum and the Victoria, and played some tunes while Rick Huff taught fourth-graders to dance the Virginia reel and Boston Tea Party, at the Genesee Country Village restoration. So the beat goes on, endlessly changing and endlessly fascinating...