Kind of odd knob placement as well.
Kind of odd knob placement as well.
"The problem with quotes on the internet, is everybody has one, and most of them are wrong."
~ Mark Twain
Mandolin shirts, hats, case stickers, & more at my Zazzle storefront
Some people will pay 10's of thousands of dollars for knob placement like that.
GIBSON SPF-5 (1938) at Elderly
(Well maybe not, since no one has actually bought it yet)
It does look pretty similar (pickup and knobs) to the Epiphone electric banjo that seller also has:
Epiphone Elec banjo
>Kind of a fixer-upper...
Looks like the player lost his flatpick and decided to use a icepick...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws...._widget
Another by this fellow.
And <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/HANDMADE-SOLID-WOOD-ACOUSTIC-MANDOLIN-ONE-OF-A-KIND_W0QQitemZ190081650115QQihZ009QQcategor
yZ10179QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">another</a>.
I really get a kick out of some of the common themes in his auctions.
1) VET!!!!!
2) He does this as his only living / He has to make ends meet / He will die of starvation if you don't buy his "instruments"
3) Hand made = expectation of poor fit and finish. We all know those really nice mandolins were built by robots. Lynn Dudenbot and the like.
4) VET!!!!!
Schwab 5-string No.29 (1982)
Old Wave C# No.311 (2003)
Mann SEM-5 No. 60 (2007)
He should have added that his children created his plans using crayons.Originally Posted by (Kid Charlemagne @ Feb. 11 2007, 05:47)
"The problem with quotes on the internet, is everybody has one, and most of them are wrong."
~ Mark Twain
Mandolin shirts, hats, case stickers, & more at my Zazzle storefront
"The making of this instrument took me 3 1/2 months to make"
The making of the instrument itself, hardly any time at all to slap stuff together.
Elrod
Gibson A2 1920(?)
Breedlove Cascade
Washburn 215(?) 1906-07(?)
Victoria, B&J, New York(stolen 10/18/2011)
Eastwood Airline Mandola
guitars:
Guild D-25NT
Vega 200 archtop, 1957?
I've never seen eight-on-a side before...
http://www.sojournerrecords.net
Check out the Michael Lampert Schwab Mandolin
I'm a fan of funky, aesthetically challenged styling (especially on emandos), but he's kind of a little too proud of his lack of craftsmanship for my taste.
Plus, how much must they reek of cigarettes that he has to actually warn you about it? Kind of scary to think about.
This guy is a virtual music junk yard.
As per his ebay store, he is
Michael's Music
Freeport, Long Island, NY
On his site he says that he is a "Licensed and Bonded second hand dealer in the State of New York."
I never before heard this strange statement.
New York State has strong laws pertaining to something called "pawn brokers".
He appears to make an outright purchase but not a loan.
Bob Brain from the UK did an 8-on-a-side emando. But yes, they are rare, as indeed they should be.
Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!
The Priest and the Publicans: Gospel bluegrass out of the box.
Emando.com: More than you wanted to know.
Donaldson • Rigel • Thormahlen • Andersen • Old Wave • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Roberts • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls
Allen comes in for a lot of criticism here. No doubt his stuff is poorly made, but at least all the caveats in his item descriptions give you a reasonable idea of what to expect.
It looks like he spends part of his VA benefits on wood & parts and then tries to recoup the cost by selling the instruments. I guess I don't see the harm in his having a hobby. It's a lot better than what my alcoholic uncle did with his VA benefits.
Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!
The Priest and the Publicans: Gospel bluegrass out of the box.
Emando.com: More than you wanted to know.
Donaldson • Rigel • Thormahlen • Andersen • Old Wave • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Roberts • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls
He should have added that his children created his plans using crayons.
He says on the ebay listing:
"This mandolin is all solid woods. The top is all hand carved with a good arch to it. It is one solid piece of redwood."
Is this a California coastal redwood or a high Sierra redwood. It makes a difference in sound. I remember this when I dropped my dish on our redwood picnic table.
It seems like a very soft wood for a mando.
True enough, it's not as if the photographs don't let you know exactly what you're getting in for.Allen comes in for a lot of criticism here. No doubt his stuff is poorly made, but at least all the caveats in his item descriptions give you a reasonable idea of what to expect.
It looks like he spends part of his VA benefits on wood & parts and then tries to recoup the cost by selling the instruments. I guess I don't see the harm in his having a hobby. It's a lot better than what my alcoholic uncle did with his VA benefits.
I just think that the descriptions are vastly overblown from what the instruments, so to speak, are. If you were provided with a photo of a nicer instrument and that description (aside from the "hand made, so bad fit and finish" hogwash), you'd chalk it up to a builder who wasn't perhaps the greatest of writers, but could build a really nice mandolin.
Combined with the photographs of instruments that appear to be severely aesthetically challenged, and the warning that the maker is a smoker (??), it just looks sad.
Seriously, how can someone look at the shape of that "Les Paul-inspired" thing and not recognize the horrible problems of appearance alone? And the worst part is that is the second instrument of his that I've seen with that exact shape, which means that his template is what's really screwy.
Yeesh. Caveat emptor never got such a workout as it has since Ebay made it possible for almost anyone to sell their handmade "instruments" online.
Schwab 5-string No.29 (1982)
Old Wave C# No.311 (2003)
Mann SEM-5 No. 60 (2007)
I would say that his description has evolved over time in response to questions and comments about his instrument. I agree with Martin. I think he is trying to be genuine in his description. More so than most of these guys comparing their instrument to a Gibson.
Personally, I'm glad to see his instruments on ebay. It makes mine that more attractive and easier to sell.
Andrew
...And yet, I still crave a Wishnevsky.
Yeah, what happened to Steve? He was pretty up front about his stuff without making all the excuses/apologies that Allen does.
Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!
The Priest and the Publicans: Gospel bluegrass out of the box.
Emando.com: More than you wanted to know.
Donaldson • Rigel • Thormahlen • Andersen • Old Wave • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Roberts • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls
I dunno...
Speaking of mandos only I could love, here's a Carvin emando. Bunch of these around LA nowadays; but they're priced to the heavens.
Not just you my friend, I love me some Carvin e-mando.:laugh:
Clem
I'm with Andrew. It's easier for us to sell ours if other people's mandos look a bit agricultural or if they have Galveston on the headstock!
My eBay descriptions tend to evolve and become long winded too. By the time you've answered the same question 20 times you figure you might as well just include the info in the listing. You still get the tossers who go to the trouble to tell you that what you have for sale couldn't possibly be a mandolin becuse it only has 4 strings and doesn't look like something some famous dead bluegrass guy would have played, but I have a standard reply ready for cutting and pasting. ;-)
Rob - Jupiter Creek Music - Australia
I've found that the more information I put in the more questions I get. I used to rate my finishes, because that was one area I recognized I struggled, but eventually gave up because people wanted very detailed photos of any finish issues, and then they would threaten to send it back. The last three I listed just the specs and haven't had anything but compliments. I think that some builders are self critical and are concerned about misrepresenting an item. Sometimes it comes across cheesy.
Its an ever evolving process, and each one is better than the last which is why the price goes up each time.
Is that a guitar on your mandolin, or are you just happy to see me?
Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!
The Priest and the Publicans: Gospel bluegrass out of the box.
Emando.com: More than you wanted to know.
Donaldson • Rigel • Thormahlen • Andersen • Old Wave • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Roberts • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls
Wow, what an oddity!
Elrod
Gibson A2 1920(?)
Breedlove Cascade
Washburn 215(?) 1906-07(?)
Victoria, B&J, New York(stolen 10/18/2011)
Eastwood Airline Mandola
guitars:
Guild D-25NT
Vega 200 archtop, 1957?
My guess: Builder already had an electric archtop guitar and didn't want to bother removing all the electronics to install them in the mandolin. Solution was to cut off the guitar neck, bolt the instruments together, mount the guitar's pickup on the mando (leaving the other electronics intact inside the guitar), and voila!
Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!
The Priest and the Publicans: Gospel bluegrass out of the box.
Emando.com: More than you wanted to know.
Donaldson • Rigel • Thormahlen • Andersen • Old Wave • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Roberts • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls
A couple from the same store in Newberg, OR:
<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/5-String-Electric-Mandolin-Humbucker-Luthier-Built_W0QQitemZ150095661779QQihZ005QQcategory
Z10179QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">RL Customs</a>
<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Electric-Mandolin-w-Case-GD-Armstrong-Luthier-Built_W0QQitemZ150095664365QQihZ005QQcategor
yZ10179QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">GD Armstrong</a>
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