What would you choose for a $5000 A-style?

[mandolirius]

Anyway, that's what I'm looking for in a $5000 A-style. I don't need pearl. I don't need scroll. I want to put any and all available dollars into what's under the hood. I want to feel that tone and I want to get chills and I want my hair to stand up again.

I still say he's talking about a Givens.

[pjlama]

Shaun's Kimble A5 in the classifieds is pretty sweet

[terzinator]

I still say he's talking about a Givens.

Forgive my ignorance, as I'm still learning about all of these great builders...

Bob Givens died in 1992, right? So we're talking about "Givens Legacy" mandolins, built with Bob's jigs by Steve Weill? Or are you talking about original vintage Givens mandolins?

Looks like a Legacy A-6 is around $3k.

[doc holiday]

TZ, A Legacy is not in the same league Givens (seen & played both)
...... You want the real thing (if Givens is your choice). Greg Boyd in Missoula MT is the man to talk about, he has more of them, knows a ton about them. info@gregboyd.com t. 406-327-9925.
And besides my predilection for Ellis & Heiden (in alphabetical order).... Givens thoughts... Apart from age of the instruments, both Tom Ellis & Michael Heiden have been building since the '70s. Ricky Skaggs just missed having his Ellis for the Skaggs & Rice recording.

.....anything passing through Shaun's hands is bound to be good.

[mandolirius]

Doc's right. I'm talking about an actual Givens. They are not exactly easy to find but not all that difficult either. Greg Boyd seems to be the main dealer for them but there are others. They really are fantastic mandolins. I played mine for 25 years. I think it wound up in England.

Many great builders have been mentioned and I've no doubt you (or I) would love a lot of their products. But something about what you said in the bit I quoted just screamed Givens to me. They are plain, unassuming little workhorses. Nothing fancy but killer sound. They've all got a bit of mojo. Bob Givens is a major figure in this golden age of mandolin building we're living in and was a colourful character who did things his way. And his way was pretty darn good.

[red7flag]

One I would add to the list is Gail Hester. Check YouTube for Alan Bibey playing one of her As

[GKWilson]

I'm with Paul B. You don't have to spend 5K to get a quality built, easy playing, great sounding mandolin.
If I were in the market. [And I was last year] I would call Mike Black or Jim Hillman.
They both build awesome A's. And at a price that you can replace your Blue Chip if you lose it.
My Black A5 has been played and approved by Reischman and Stiernberg.
Mike specializes in A style mandolins. And if I ever get scroll envy I'll be calling Jim.
So, You have to decide whether your a guy that has to wear Gucci.
Or, whether your happy with the same quality or even better for half the cost.
P.S. Go to the SAW group and check out OldSausages Silverangel. Amazing.

[pjlama]

Isn't she building you something now Tony? Chris told me you played the finish off your Stanley. I recently got his latest and am completely blown away. He's killing the super trad thing right now.

[Mike Bunting]

Chris told me you played the finish off your Stanley. I recently got his latest and am completely blown away. He's killing the super trad thing right now.

I gotta say that I'm loving my Stanley more and more every day. It's opening up beautifully and it makes you play it since it will go to sleep if you take a couple of days off. I'd have no qualms about getting an A style from Chris.

[pjlama]

I'll do a whole review with pics and video soon but Stanley #63 is a beast and it's still so new. It doesn't matter how many instruments are being played while jamming you can just dig in and it rips your head off and everybody elses anywhere near it. I'll be playing the finish off of it over the next couple years. Here's a sneak peek...

[Greenmando]

I have always been interested in a King Brown

[Jim Garber]

I'm with Paul B. You don't have to spend 5K to get a quality built, easy playing, great sounding mandolin.
If I were in the market. [And I was last year] I would call Mike Black or Jim Hillman.

Do you mean Jim Hilburn?

[Kevin Turinsky]

Has anyone mentioned Deerstone or Pomeroy yet? I love the way Shawn Lane's Deerstone rings. I got to hear Jack Dwyer's Pomeroy a bunch last week. It sounded great!

Kevin

[GKWilson]

Yes Jim. I did mean Hilburn.
I was multi tasking and I guess I can't type with one hand and half a brain.

[JimRichter]

My 2 Cents.

For a new or used A mandolin, it is hands down Will Kimble.

First, from a practical point of view, statistically it is not guaranteed that you're going to hang on to the mandolin. I don't know you, so I may be off base. But, the odds are that this instrument might be sold or traded. If you're going to have something new built for you, you also have to consider it's resale value. Some builders that have been mentioned do not have the test of time to guarantee good resale (or even if their resale might increase). I've seen some people bank on an up and coming mandolin builder to be left with an instrument they can't sell or sell at a price that they even get close to some of their money back. Buying used, to me, is always the smartest route, but if you want a new small builder instrument, put time in researching. Will has tons of street cred and to my way of thinking, he's at the top of the second tier builders (1st tier being Gil, Nugget, Monteleone, and Dudenbostel).

Second, if you build with Will, he's a wonderful person to get to know and you're put at ease with the choice you've made.

Third, Will is a fine musician himself and understands what goes into producing both a fine playing and sounding instrument.

Fourth, Will's A5--at $5K--is the best value in a professional grade mandolin. You'd be hard pressed to find another A5 or F5 at that price that could beat it.

Fifth, you should strongly consider Shaun G's A5 in the classified. Great price, good vintage, great sound, and save yourself a thousand bucks.

Both Shaun and I have many YouTube videos showcasing the Kimble A5 sound. Additionally Mike Guggino and Andy Statman play Kimble F5s and there are many YouTube videos demonstrating the sound. There is no appreciable tonal difference between A5 and F5s.

My very biased perspective.

[goose 2]

I was in Fiddler's Green in Austin this past Sunday and played the two Ellis mandolins they had in stock. BTW it was my first time in that store and my oh my what a nice shop. Anyway, one was an A the other an F model. Both were hard maple with a red spruce top. Both absolutely gorgeous. To my ears, the A model was superior and is exceedingly fine in every respect. It was perfectly set up and I cannot imagine ever finding a better sounding instrument for 5K or really for any sum of money. I owned a Red Diamond A model once and I would buy that one back in an instant. This Ellis was just as good. Those are what I would be after. The Ellis at Fiddler's Green is available...

[mommythrice]

I was in Fiddler's Green in Austin this past Sunday and played the two Ellis mandolins they had in stock. BTW it was my first time in that store and my oh my what a nice shop. Anyway, one was an A the other an F model. Both were hard maple with a red spruce top. Both absolutely gorgeous. To my ears, the A model was superior and is exceedingly fine in every respect. It was perfectly set up and I cannot imagine ever finding a better sounding instrument for 5K or really for any sum of money. I owned a Red Diamond A model once and I would buy that one back in an instant. This Ellis was just as good. Those are what I would be after. The Ellis at Fiddler's Green is available...

I noticed the same thing. The A sounded much nicer than the F. I have no idea why.

[lonestar_shawn]

Yep. I've played it and thought it was the best mandolin in the shop. I instantly started considering things I could sell to acquire it but came up short.

[stratton7584]

Daley, Daley, Daley, Daley, Daley, Daley, Daley!!!!! lol

[Dan Margolis]

There are lots of human hands on every Collings instrument they build.

[johnsoba]

1) There is a tremendous sounding Parsons A at Gruhn's for #1500, a steal! 2) I'd really want to give a test drive to the Summit Artist for under 4k just post here in the classifieds--not by me or anybody I know. I just bought an Artist, and, well . . . I'm in love.

[johnsoba]

That's Summit Artist #400 that I saw this morning in the classifieds 7/3/12

[johnsoba]

7/6/12 and looks like Summit #400 is sold

[Cheryl Watson]

Just spotted this on the Collings site...

I really love that tangerine color with the tortoise binding. Very fine, handsome mandolin!

[rich9236]

I have to chime in here with a big plug for Stan Miller's A mandolins. I have both a Collings MT2 and a Miller A. The Collings is very nice but the Miller is something very special. I haven't played anything, A or F style, that i like better.