Darby delivered #16 to the house yesterday and it sounds great. Woody and loud. Fir top, radiused fingerboard, guitar frets. Lots of love and effort went into building this one.
Hope the pictures are OK. I had to work to get them compressed to fit.
Shaun
I need to practice...
Triple bound...
Last pic. Darby didn't want to give this one up. "The" was my idea. Why not? (rhetorical question) I really need to practice now.
Very nice. Love that quilted back.
Alan
Beautiful. I've got one of Darby's F4s and even though its relatively new, it already has that classic tubby sound. He used an ageing agent to make the binding look older. This guy is making great instruments at a very affordable price point. My $0.02.
Very nice, indeed.
...He used an ageing agent to make the binding look older...Gee, I wonder if that's the same stuff I use on my hair
..my son says I need to use "Just for Men"...I dont get it..Im aging nicely thank you....yep..that is a great lookin mando...I really love that color....I may have to look that way when my new one is ready for stain...
I ordered one ( me second )just like the one in the picture - Darby is really putting out some quality mandos for an incredible price , his finish work is really coming along , and the tone is what sold me. These mandos sound as good as any $5000 mandolins I've played . Darby is a builder on the rise...
keith madison
shaun,
I have to say that this one is a monster. The tone is so woody but it is also so clear and crisp also combined with that dry throaty sound, I guess the stars were aligned just right when it was strung up or it could be the Ghs strings. custom inlay did a nice job as well with the new peghead design. I am very happy with the way it turned out. It is possible to get a nice piece without breaking the bank.
Rosemando@wmconnect.com Darby
Rose mandos and the tone they produce
Great work Darby!
Welcome to the Rose family mandohusband...
Thanks, proud to be a member of the family.
I first saw Darby's work on the 'cafe last fall. I was deployed to the desert (the one 7,000 miles away) and was excited to learn we had a builder just down the road. When I got back home Darby took a look at my wife's F-9's set-up and had nothing but compliments about The Gibson (sound/set-up). He offered a lot of information about his mandolins, and let me take a look at a couple in the works. I was also able to take a look at Mike Andes' of Nothin' Fancy in Berryville, VA, and got my order in early.
Tiffiany and I are very excited to own number 16. It is very easy to look at the mando and see the time and care that went into building it. I wish y'all could judge the sound for yourselves. We're more than satisfied.
Thanks, Darby. We are very proud, satisfied owners. (BTW, no financial interest. It's just a pleasure knowing someone who's able to do what they love--and do it well.)
Shaun
Thought I'd add a comment:
I drove out to Darby's this weekend (I live in DC, which is pretty close) to have him look at the setup on my mando. He had #16 in for something (a new bridge, I think), and I got a chance to play it a bit.
All I can say is wow. Really nice looking instrument, and the sound knocked me out. Also, whoever is getting the next one is in for a treat. He wasn't quite finished, so I didn't get a chance to hear it. But it looks *really* nice.
He's doing some great work, folks.
..hey Shaun..how about an update...I absolutley love the color of yours...and I really like the color of Scott M's....mine will be in that mix somewhere color/burst wise and Im going varnish.......Darby has been so great to work with...May baby..can you say May? #lol
wow, only $.02, that is a good priceOriginally Posted by
Scotti,
I've been meaning to travel over to Darby's place to take a look at his latest work. That's the neatest thing about being just down the road from him. I'd also like to see what was chosen for your back wood.
Darby's had the mandolin a couple times to fine tune the set-up (bridge fit and nut action). It's playing and sounding great. I haven't played it enough to really hear it open up (I think, and still do, that it sounded great out of the box). I'm too much of a guitar player. My biggest issue with the mandolin is the neck is a little chunky--especially comparing to my wife's F-9. That stops her from playing it, but not me. Darby has offered to shape the neck more to my liking (and all of his recent mandolins I've seen have a more Shaun friendly neck shape), but I haven't opted for that. Two reasons: I hope I can get used to the shape and I don't want to mess with the neck finish.
If you ask Darby, he'd say I don't know what I've got (tone-wise). I know enough not to sell it (and the the thought has crossed my mind---GAS--but I can't bear to do it). If you have any more questions, I'm not checking the cafe during the week. "shaunpski--at--adelphia--dot--net" We can chat off cafe. The waiting is the hardest part.
Shaun
thanks for the update Shaun...heres the wood that was chosen for mine...as for the top...it will be Fir also....Darbs got a couple choices....which ever one taps out to suit him he will go with...hes talked about using a board thats 100 yrs old...
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