Clean c.1930 Martin Style 15 archie mando

[Jake Wildwood]

I just strung this up this afternoon after repairs yesterday. It's a great old mando, I'm real pleased. I picked this up for myself from MCafe member Andrew Wright and am super happy I did. After taking photos in the pumpkin patch, I serenaded our little daughter on it for the last couple hours while she toured our garden with Mr. Dog.

Pics, below -- of course -- and click here for many more & a full writeup.

[Jake Wildwood]

MP3 link: click here

[billhay4]

Beautiful job, Jake. A lovely instrument that sounds as good as it looks.
Bill

[brunello97]

Nice, Jake, and nice photos, too. I love the TINY position dots that Martin used.

You ought to turn that big PG screw to 3 o'clock or 12 o'clock..

Mick

[billkilpatrick]

very sweet - in looks and sound - hope that was nashville on the line for you

[Jake Wildwood]

Thanks, fellas!

Mick: I'm partial to tiny dots myself. Real classy. On the PG screw-- when it loosens up as it inevitably will, I'll turn it to something more aesthetically pleasing. :D

RE the phone -- wasn't Nashville, but it was my friend Sam telling me he was coming up for a visit on a whim, so not a bad call to disturb my playing at all...

He's a die-hard banjo player, though, so I have to stuff cotton in my ears when he's up. Just don't tell him that! Something about that hypnotic drone in double C causes me momentary lapse of memory...

[Charles E.]

Jake, when you said it was an "archie" mandolin, I expected to see decals of Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica. A beautiful instrument none the less.

[brunello97]

Jake, when you said it was an "archie" mandolin, I expected to see decals of Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica. A beautiful instrument none the less.

Jake has his own Vermont patois, Charley, and I've been a little stumped by it some times, myself. Considering that half my family is from Louisiana, that is saying something I'm glad some regionalism survives in this country of ours. But any man who appreciates Martin mandolins is a-o-k in my book.

Mick

[billkilpatrick]

"archie" ... missed that

[Jake Wildwood]

Hah, it's not even just Vermont, it's goofball regionalism. I tend to call archtop instruments "archies" just so I can say it faster. As in: "I'm gonna go grab my archie." Or, "I'm gonna go grab my jo." for banjo (a much more accepted shortening).

That said, it's fairly easy to settle into this state over time. I still can't say "creamie" for soft-serve ice cream, though. I just can't do it.

But about Martin mandos? I really love the flattops. I had no idea what to expect with an archtop Martin since they're not exactly everywhere to try out, but I like it a lot. I played it a bunch against the grain with my banjo-pickin buddy and it held up really nice on the chops. It's definitely not a Gibson dark chop, but it has some spring to it. Hard to explain. Of course, melody-line picking is closer to oval-hole Gibs, but a bit more crisp. Might be this particular mando, though, since it doesn't appear to have been played-in and opened up much, but I'll deal with that soon enough.

[brunello97]

Jake, they've had a couple of Martin archeros up at Elderly which I have played for annoyingly long stretches up there, a 15 and a 20. I know some of my mando-pals here don't think much of them which I guess I don't really understand. I thought they both sounded really great, very special. I know it is human nature to be always comping stuff and mandolins are no exception, but I think each one has their own voice and deserves their own attention. At least that is how I treat my posse. I get the feeling that you feel the same way. I don't think I could handle getting much further north than my Ann Arbor gig, but if I am ever over in Yankeelandia I'd love to play with you sometime. I think we would get on just fine.

Mick

[Jake Wildwood]

Mick: Agreed. About all of that.