Northfield mandolins

[Jim Garber]

Adrian: Pardon my ignorance but what exactly is an F5S? It looks very nice and understated. What are the specs and what makes it different?

[yankees1]

Adrian: Pardon my ignorance but what exactly is an F5S? It looks very nice and understated. What are the specs and what makes it different?

Same here! I would like to see the specs for this new model !

[Jim Garber]

I couldn't tell if that was a bare-bones model or one with dark binding. Either is very appealing to me. BTW doesn't that guy Steffey know how to play? I thought he was about to wail away on that mandolin. All he did was roll it around in his hands.

[Northfield mando]

Hi Jim. Thanks for the post and interest. Our new "S" line is a little dressed down like you're noticing in the video. We'll be officially releasing these models in the next 30 days--just as soon as we catch up from the time spent in Nashville during the IBMA. So, until then..I'll give you a few details on these models:

- North American materials (Adirondack Red Spruce or Engelmann), Quartered Red Maple and some with flat sawn Sugar
- Burst top. Single color dark brown (think Sheraton with our own twist) back, neck and sides.
- 3 piece hard maple neck with rosewood or striped ebony center stripe. This is a horizontal 3 piece design, not a scarf joint or stacked heel.
- Single ply top and back binding (some with dark drown tortoise, some with ivoroid) Unbound board and peghead--but with inlaid purfling on each. Photos coming soon will show this a little more.
- Striped Ebony fretboard and pickguard.
- Ultra thin NitroCellulose lacquer finish...some satin, some gloss top, some with french polished top.
- Will be available in a few different finish color combinations...
- Made as F5 or F2 styles (yes Jim, we've taken your past comments seriously and have made our first ever oval holes after intensely studying a very fine example from the early 20's)
- Will be made available at a few select dealers around the USA.
- Same exact Northfield Team + 1 (sanding)
- Available in limited qtys, starting in December 2012.
- $2695 MSRP

Regarding Adam: He sure can play!! That video is not finished...and we have several to share which are now being editing, starting with one from Aaron Ramsey that will be posted this week. He test drives several new ones as does Adam, Emory, Martino...even me. Lots to share with all of you very soon. Thanks for all the interest. -Adrian

[Jim Garber]

yes Jim, we've taken your past comments seriously and have made our first ever oval holes after intensely studying a very fine example from the early 20's.

Ah, yes, very interesting...

Regarding Adam: He sure can play!! That video is not finished...and we have several to share which are now being editing, starting with one from Aaron Ramsey that will be posted this week. He test drives several new ones as does Adam, Emory, Martino...even me. Lots to share with all of you very soon. Thanks for all the interest. -Adrian

You knew I was joking, right?

[Northfield mando]

Over the past few years we’ve been fortunate enough to make a variety of different customized mandolins. During 2012 we’ve seen a big increase in inquires and orders from fellow mandolin players all over the world. We’ve made multiple instruments for players in Belgium, Norway, Italy, Australia, Canada and Japan. It’s very rewarding to think we’ve been a part of making music in so many great places.

Earlier this year we were commissioned to make our first ever left-handed F style for a great talent from Belgium, Jefferson Louvat. Playing mandolin since the age of 11, Jefferson had a keen sense of what he was looking for in a mandolin. We were a little gun-shy at first. As you might imagine, flipping everything around to make an F for a left handed player, let alone a really experienced one, was going to be a challenge. But, as we got to know Jefferson and had the chance to listen to his great recordings we realized it was an adventure we wanted to be a part of.

We settled on our ‘Big Mon’ variety and made a special peghead inlay to match an A he’s been playing for many years. In July we shipped # 177 off to its new home in Jodoigne. We’ve been keeping in touch and just the other day he sent us this nice video of him playing.

Thanks Jefferson. This is why we do it!

-The Northfield Workshop team.




For more information of Jefferson Louvat and his upcoming projects please visit http://www.louvatbros.com/

Check out these albums while you’re there:



http://www.countysales.com/products....lk-With-You%27





http://www.louvatbros.com/index.php/en/store/new-album

[Jim Garber]

Man, that mandolin sparkles in his hands. That is beautiful! Thanks, Adrian!

I like the new peghead inlay. Is that a new thing, just putting the Northfield script on the TRC instead of on the actual headstock?

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

The mandolin sounds fantastic, and the kiss at the end was just precious. It really shows how much he loves his new Northfield. congrats.

BTW what's the name of the tune in the video?

[Paul Statman]

BTW what's the name of the tune in the video?

"Brilliancy" (Trad. Arr. Bush)

[Phil Rourke]

"Brilliancy" (Trad. Arr. Bush)

Beautiful tune and so beautifully played! Talented lad! That mandolin sounds gorgeous!

[Northfield mando]

Jim,
It was a special design to work on the left handed peghead, since the orientation of the logo would be completely backwards. We're still putting our logo on the peghead on everything else, except for on our most deluxe peghead inlay design, our take on a torch and wire type of inlay pattern. Glad you liked the clip. He sure knows how to make that mandolin sing. I'll post some more pictures of this particular mandolin soon.

[lukmanohnz]

For more information of Jefferson Louvat and his upcoming projects please visit http://www.louvatbros.com/

Check out these albums while you’re there:



http://www.countysales.com/products....lk-With-You%27

I've been eyeing a used copy of this CD at my local music retailer for months. Finally bought it after seeing this post. The music is wonderful - excellent musicianship. But the frosting on the cake is that the CD includes .pdf files with tablature for all the tunes!

[Northfield mando]

Here's are friend Joshua Rilko trying out a new Northfield F2S model:

[mando-man]

Would be interest in a chinese mandolin by the name of Northfield if Adam Steffy did not play one and give it his endirsement?

[Paul Statman]

Would be interest in a chinese mandolin by the name of Northfield if Adam Steffy did not play one and give it his endirsement?

Yes. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. -Bill The Bard

[Marc Berman]

Would be interest in a chinese mandolin by the name of Northfield if Adam Steffy did not play one and give it his endirsement?

I think that most people are interested in a well made good sounding small shop mandolin. I for one could care less who endorses it. If I was in the market for a new instrument I would definitely consider a Northfield.

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

Would be interest in a chinese mandolin by the name of Northfield if Adam Steffy did not play one and give it his endirsement?

Who's Adam Steffey?

I think most people are interested in Northfield because they have heard one or played one and realize how good they are, not where they were made.

[mando-man]

It may be true that the Northfield is a great mandolin. However there are a lot of other mandolins on the market that are great mandolins. What actually makes the mandolin buying public aware of the instrument. The answer is makreting and one marketing strategy that Northfield used was to give one to Adam Steffey. Don't really know if Adam likes the mandolin well enough to play it very much.

Shawn Lane has played only his Dearstone mandolin since he has been playing with Blue Highway. He has played it on all of the Blue Highway Albums. Shawn was not given the mandolin he bought it.

If one could buy an american made mandolin by a well known luthier for a price equal to or slightly more that the Northfield pricing would there be an interest?

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

If one could buy an american made mandolin by a well known luthier for a price equal to or slightly more that the Northfield pricing would there be an interest?

If the domestically made mandolin sounds better than the Northfield, then sure.

I, for one, will buy the best sounding mandolin I can find for the money that I can afford, no matter where it is made.

[coletrickle]

It may be true that the Northfield is a great mandolin. However there are a lot of other mandolins on the market that are great mandolins. What actually makes the mandolin buying public aware of the instrument. The answer is makreting and one marketing strategy that Northfield used was to give one to Adam Steffey. Don't really know if Adam likes the mandolin well enough to play it very much.

Shawn Lane has played only his Dearstone mandolin since he has been playing with Blue Highway. He has played it on all of the Blue Highway Albums. Shawn was not given the mandolin he bought it.

If one could buy an american made mandolin by a well known luthier for a price equal to or slightly more that the Northfield pricing would there be an interest?

I think you are way underestimating the mandolin buying public on this forum. Sure, Adam Steffey plays one...so does Emory Lester and a lot of other players. And these guys aren't just appearing in ads with them or making a nice quote for their website, they are touring professionally with them...picking them over anything else to play day in and day out. Even if they didn't, the mandolin public is constantly looking for the best sounding instrument they can get. Some have the means to buy top tier, others mid level and others on the lower end. Some will only buy American made, others want the best they can get regardless. Some will only play a Gibson...the list goes on. Clearly Northfield has make a strong presence in the market by creating a great sounding instrument first. If they were also able to get some great players to take them up as their primary axes...added bonus for them and an illustration that they are doing something right. I think it is disingenuous to imply that people are only buying Northfields because of some pro player who was given one. Also, you can get an American made mando by a well known luthier for equal or less than a Northfield. Breedlove, Weber, Pava...I don't think, however you can get a Dearstone.

[Links]

I think you are way underestimating the mandolin buying public on this forum. Sure, Adam Steffey plays one...so does Emory Lester and a lot of other players. And these guys aren't just appearing in ads with them or making a nice quote for their website, they are touring professionally with them...picking them over anything else to play day in and day out. Even if they didn't, the mandolin public is constantly looking for the best sounding instrument they can get. Some have the means to buy top tier, others mid level and others on the lower end. Some will only buy American made, others want the best they can get regardless. Some will only play a Gibson...the list goes on. Clearly Northfield has make a strong presence in the market by creating a great sounding instrument first. If they were also able to get some great players to take them up as their primary axes...added bonus for them and an illustration that they are doing something right. I think it is disingenuous to imply that people are only buying Northfields because of some pro player who was given one. Also, you can get an American made mando by a well known luthier for equal or less than a Northfield. Breedlove, Weber, Pava...I don't think, however you can get a Dearstone.

Right on the money!!!! I would always first buy a mandolin based on trying it out in person, but if I were going to buy one any other way, it would be from reviews from folks here on the Cafe rather than from which professional that played it. I look at it more of a reinforcemnt of a choice rather than the reason for a choice.

[Mandosummers]

....... Don't really know if Adam likes the mandolin well enough to play it very much.....

If one could buy an american made mandolin by a well known luthier for a price equal to or slightly more that the Northfield pricing would there be an interest?

Adam played a Northfield on his last two albums with the Boxcars so I think its fair to assume he must like his Northfield(s) pretty well. If he just wanted a free mandolin I believe a player of his stature could have about any endorsement he wanted. But, if it weren't for folks who resist accepting the fact that Northfields are superior instruments (regardless of where they come from) I would probably have had to pay 4 times more to get my Northfield! So thanks!! LOL!!

[almeriastrings]

I note most of the pricing info on the 'Master' models and various options seems to have disappeared from the Northfield web site....not even a base price listed that I can find....

[Glassweb]

i note most of the pricing info on the 'master' models and various options seems to have disappeared from the northfield web site....not even a base price listed that i can find....

Dum...da-dum-dum!

[yankees1]

I note most of the pricing info on the 'Master' models and various options seems to have disappeared from the Northfield web site....not even a base price listed that I can find....

Prices going up ?