My Silverangel is a 2004 model with a 100 year old redwood top. The sound is incredible and improves everytime I play. I've played many mandolins, but this has to be the best mandolin ever. I live about 30 minutes from Ken's shop and I've been there several times. This one has an oil painting on the back of an angel. Here's a few pics of the way it looks......
another...........
another........
Very nice. I've certainly enjoyed mine. Someday I'll have to add another.
I've always admired that painting on the back of it - the grain in the wood and the way he's stained and highlighted it sure make that angel appear as if ascending into clouds!
Is that the distressed one he has/had on his website for a while?
Congratulations on holding that angel next to your heart! #
PS - Mine (which you can see in my avatar) is the second Silver Angel Ken crafted for me. Both are tone monsters - this one more woody and deep with the same 100-year old spruce and a varnish (versus lacquer as on my first one) finish. I'm distressing it myself!
"The more I learn, the more I realize how ignorant I truly am..."
Beautiful! I have played one of Ken's F models and one of Laura's they are both superb instruments in sound and playability. Each one is truly an original even though they hold to traditional designs. The looks are off the beaten path a bit but I adjusted. Yup, I likes!
This is the same mandolin that he had on his web-site. I wanted an x-braced redwood top mandolin, so he made the top for it last summer from 100 year old redwood from an old bridge in California. It went from cannon to an atomic bomb of a mandolin. It's really unbelievable what this thing sounds like. It's got it all.
Oh - gotcha. # I recall - redwood rather than spruce. #Mine's got 100-year old spruce from an old building in upstate New York if I recall correctly.Originally Posted by (kycarl @ Mar. 06 2008, 11:27)
I'm sure they both really bark! I know mine does!
Congrats again!
"The more I learn, the more I realize how ignorant I truly am..."
Another satisfied Silverangel customer here! I've tried several different brands and models but, havent found a mando in that price range that has the dry woody power like Ken's mandos. My latest was finished in Nov. 2006, with the 100yr spruce and a distressed varnish finish. It's got the horsepower, I just wish I had the talent.
KyCarl...I dont live to far from Ken either. PM me and maybe we can get together and trade a few licks.
I like Ken and Laura's mandos.
Ken's F5s do best if you give 'em a good weekend-long jam whipping with a thick pick.
The sound really deepens.
I love my Laura, and since I changed my pick grip and have started playing louder, if this thing hasn' responded in kind. I thought it would be finished opening by now, but it appears to have a little further to go. Very sweet tone and aggressive chop.
"...while a great mandolin is a wonderful treat, I would venture to say that there is always more each of us can do with the tools we have available at hand. The biggest limiting factors belong to us not the instruments." Paul Glasse
Stumbling Towards Competence
And still another satisfied customer. I took delivery of a distressed model #268 last October...it's got it all - tone, volume, playability - and I think it's still opening up...but I guess I'm just preachin' to the same congregation here!
BTW how do you attach pictures to these posts?
Mike
Those who think they should think, like they think others think they should think, need to think out their thinking, I think.
Michael - hopefully this THREAD will give you adequate directions to post pictures!
Good luck!
"The more I learn, the more I realize how ignorant I truly am..."
I have played one of the newer f5 models they got good woody tone but appearance wise
I'm not quite sure...
appearance wise? Take a look at the pix of this mandolin. I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful work of art. Ken goes his own way, he's 100% original, but still maintains a traditional look. There's nothing cookie cutter here, just running over with character and personality in his mandolins, authentic.....
I'll try to post a few photos...Ken took the pics right before shipping.
Front...
Mike
Those who think they should think, like they think others think they should think, need to think out their thinking, I think.
Here's the back...
Mike
Those who think they should think, like they think others think they should think, need to think out their thinking, I think.
And the headstock...
Mike
Those who think they should think, like they think others think they should think, need to think out their thinking, I think.
Mike - that'a a beauty. What are those tuner buttons? Ebony or some other wood? Or ar they stained dark?
Regardless, they add to the uniqueness of the whole 'look.'
"The more I learn, the more I realize how ignorant I truly am..."
Just noticed the 2005 model that Ken has in the classifieds.... I was over at his shop last week and had a chance to play it. Its the real deal. Its a cannon and a well played in road warrior. If my wife liked mandolins as much as I do, I would have grabbed that one up.
They were stained dark. I like 'em.
I sent you a PM explaining [just to try the PM option]...did it come through?
Mike
Those who think they should think, like they think others think they should think, need to think out their thinking, I think.
Yup - thanks. I got your PM.They were stained dark. #I like 'em.
I sent you a PM explaining [just to try the PM option]...did it come through?
They sure do add to that 'unique' look of the mandolin.
"The more I learn, the more I realize how ignorant I truly am..."
I've got this mandolin for sale now in the classifieds. I can't hardly stand to think about parting with it, but I need the funds for a new business. I'll get Ken to make me another one later anyway. Take a look. This will make sombody a killer mandolin. One in a million.
Hey kycarl, I own silverangel #253 and Ken built this one for me in Oct 06 and man does it bark. It is loud and deep and woody sounding. I visited Kens house & shop after he built my mandolin and it was still in the white. Ken does have a beautiful home, I couldn't believe he built it all himself. I play my mandolin everyday and it just keeps sounding better and better. I had Ken put a dark finish on it, looks about the same as yours. Ken and Laura are very nice people and Ken is wonderful to work with and he does what he tells you he will do. There is no finer sounding and looking mandolins out there
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