What do love most about your prime mandolin

Tone Monster · 04-03-2009, 08:32 PM

Mine

the tone and balance and way she looks feels and is built.

Fred Keller · 04-03-2009, 08:39 PM

All the money it makes for---hmmm

All the attention I get when I---errrrr

The way it makes me sound bett--welll....

Looks and sound. Guess you about covered it TM

Cayenne · 04-03-2009, 08:46 PM

It's also my worst mandolin.

Mike Snyder · 04-03-2009, 09:39 PM

It's paid for.

Ivan Kelsall · 04-03-2009, 10:44 PM

Mainly that it's MINE !!!!,
Saska

Geoff B · 04-03-2009, 11:13 PM

Having built it, I can do whatever I want to it.

mandozilla · 04-04-2009, 12:01 AM

Besides good tone and volume I love the radius fretboard and the slim neck on my mandolin and its ease of playing.

Oh, and that it's mine and it's paid for like saska and mike said.

Chris Biorkman · 04-04-2009, 12:09 AM

I look really cool holding it.

mandolooter · 04-04-2009, 04:12 AM

When I hold it Im on Primetime!

8ch(pl) · 04-04-2009, 04:50 AM

My Mid Missouri M-4 has become like an old friend. I have played this instrument for 8 years. She is fitted out with a home made ebony pickguard and a Cumberland Acoustic armrest. I am thinking of putting a good set of Grover tuners on her. I just spent a big chunk of cash getting some new frets, new bridge, new nut and setup. She has always been easy to play, but since the work, even better.

In a word, lovely. That is how she sounds and I get a lot of compliments. My playing has grown in leaps and bounds since I got her. I love her elegant, understated looks, those tiny fretboard dots,the way she has held up over the years, carrying her scars with dignity.

There may be better instruments out here, but not for me. I call her Marina R., after a girl I met in Quebec about 20 years ago. I would have ran away with her if she had just said Oui.

Joel Spaulding · 04-04-2009, 05:16 AM

All of the above.
# 1 reason is that I am truly complelled to take her off the wall and play something everytime I walk by. Might be a few bars of Bach, the head melody from Dawgma , a rerun of today's scales, quick version of Ground Hog or a gratuitous stab at whatever Mega-pop my wife has on the radio.

The feel, tone and craftmanship of iii #17 simply make me want to play Mandolin incessantly.

Chris, the lack of humidity in your replies is always good for a hearty

.

Philphool · 04-04-2009, 07:02 AM

Besides all of the above, tone, beauty, plays great, etc, I enjoy the memories of getting it built.

I spent almost a year encouraging, visiting, staying up late with, and cajoling the luthier. It was really a lot of fun and formed a great friendship and appreciation. I can never lose that.

Jill McAuley · 04-04-2009, 12:06 PM

My favorite thing about my Weber would be the neck profile and radius fretboard - it's a joy to play, things that were a wee bit challenging to play on my Flatiron 2M are played with ease on the Weber.

Cheers,
Jill

Jim MacDaniel · 04-04-2009, 01:20 PM

My wife like it because the mandolin is not a babe magnet.

Hans · 04-04-2009, 04:18 PM

It looks like this...

And sounds even wilder!

billkilpatrick · 04-04-2009, 04:35 PM

a whole host of clever things to say ... but most of all - what i love most about my mandolin is that it's here, in my hands ... when i pick it up ... it reciprocates ...

Jim MacDaniel · 04-04-2009, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hans

It looks like this...

And sounds even wilder!

Wow -- that looks absolutely stunning, Hans.

Bob DeVellis · 04-04-2009, 05:04 PM

I guess the distinguishing feature of my favorite mandolin is its wide fretboard and ease of play. It also sounds great but so do other mandolins. the thing that makes this one -- the Sobell shown in my avatar -- is that it practically plays itself.

Mando_Lynn · 04-04-2009, 05:31 PM

What I love most is that it was an unexpected gift and has led to other good things. I had been saving money for a mando and ended up spending it on something else before Christmas. Just for fun I went to Maple Street Guitars anyway just to poke around the day after Christmas. They had just gotten in an Eastman 505 and were selling it for $499 with the case. It wasn't even shop worn yet! It was just lovely and sweet and my playing immediately improved. Thank goodness for credit cards. It went home with me.

And even better.... I don't really play my Ovation much anymore so I'm selling it to one of my students for a rather decent price. Now I can buy ANOTHER pair of shoes. (For those that may remember my old thread, I had spent my mando money on shoes....)

David Back · 04-04-2009, 10:27 PM

When I get it out of the case I remember the look on my wifes face when jeff cowherd told us the price. Then she whispered in my ear its beautiful I'm gonna need a big bottle of wine.

Michael Cameron · 04-04-2009, 11:40 PM

...I could probably sell it(maybe a guitar too) and get one like Hans'.

SWEET,Mr. B. ! Thanks for the eye candy. I wonder,really,what that mandolin might sound like ?

man dough nollij · 04-04-2009, 11:44 PM

Hans,

It looks like an unbelievable nightmare to bind one of those. Is the scroll really as tight as it looks?

Lee

mandozilla · 04-04-2009, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Now I can buy ANOTHER pair of shoes. (For those that may remember my old thread, I had spent my mando money on shoes....)

Lynn
Can you be a bit more conservative with the shoes this time around?

Jim Kirkland · 04-04-2009, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hans

It looks like this...

And sounds even wilder!

It looks as if it is flying. I love it. I have a F5 mando tattoo with harley wings on my left forearm. I get lots of comments about it being different, like me. I play mando and ride a harley. I am sure you get a lot of comments about this mando being different.

Rob Powell · 04-05-2009, 02:35 AM

Hans, you are truly a a design master! I have to say that, IMHO, your design ranks up there with Monteleone's. The scroll is is very Dali

One day I hope to have you build one for me.

Now to the topic at hand:

Playing it transforms me.

I also love that it's not my only mandolin

I am lucky enough to have 2 very fine mandolins. In fact, both statements (and many of the statements in other posts) could really be said of either of them so which one really is my prime?

04-03-2009, 08:39 PM	#2
Fred Keller Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sandstone, MN Posts: 473	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin All the money it makes for---hmmm All the attention I get when I---errrrr The way it makes me sound bett--welll.... Looks and sound. Guess you about covered it TM __________________ Check out "Fenceline" at cdbaby.com the whistlepigs http://www.myspace.com/ravenridge my vids

04-03-2009, 08:46 PM	#3
Cayenne Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Thibodaux, Louisiana Posts: 364	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin It's also my worst mandolin. __________________ Singer/Songwriter/Troubadour http://www.myspace.com/papapat1 http://www.myspace.com/mosspickers http://www.cdbaby.com/patricksylvest

04-03-2009, 09:39 PM	#4
Mike Snyder Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: CHERRYVALE KS Posts: 809	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin It's paid for. __________________ Mike Snyder

04-03-2009, 10:44 PM	#5
Ivan Kelsall Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Manchester - Lancashire - NW England Posts: 2,973	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin Mainly that it's MINE !!!!, Saska __________________ Weber F-5 'Fern'. Lebeda F-5 "Special". Stelling Bellflower. Tanglewood TW-1000SR. Tokai - 'Tele-alike'.

04-03-2009, 11:13 PM	#6
Geoff B Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 494	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin Having built it, I can do whatever I want to it. __________________ -Geoff www.iiimandolin.com

04-03-2009, 08:32 PM	#1
Tone Monster Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Vancouver BC Posts: 2,315	What do love most about your prime mandolin Mine the tone and balance and way she looks feels and is built. __________________ Ciao, Rick Schmidlin "The answer is blowing in the wind" Roy Noble Eng/Mahogany Dred http://www.answers.com/topic/rick-schmidlin

04-04-2009, 12:01 AM	#7
mandozilla Mark Evans Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Simi Valley, Ca Posts: 1,282	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin Besides good tone and volume I love the radius fretboard and the slim neck on my mandolin and its ease of playing. Oh, and that it's mine and it's paid for like saska and mike said. __________________ "You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't wipe your friends off on your saddle."

04-04-2009, 12:09 AM	#8
Chris Biorkman Registered User Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Camarillo, CA Posts: 1,982	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin I look really cool holding it. __________________ Chris

04-04-2009, 04:12 AM	#9
mandolooter Jeff Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Idaho Posts: 2,880	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin When I hold it Im on Primetime! __________________ Look up (to see whats comin down)

04-04-2009, 04:50 AM	#10
8ch(pl) Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Suburb of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Posts: 1,617	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin My Mid Missouri M-4 has become like an old friend. I have played this instrument for 8 years. She is fitted out with a home made ebony pickguard and a Cumberland Acoustic armrest. I am thinking of putting a good set of Grover tuners on her. I just spent a big chunk of cash getting some new frets, new bridge, new nut and setup. She has always been easy to play, but since the work, even better. In a word, lovely. That is how she sounds and I get a lot of compliments. My playing has grown in leaps and bounds since I got her. I love her elegant, understated looks, those tiny fretboard dots,the way she has held up over the years, carrying her scars with dignity. There may be better instruments out here, but not for me. I call her Marina R., after a girl I met in Quebec about 20 years ago. I would have ran away with her if she had just said Oui.

04-04-2009, 05:16 AM	#11
Joel Spaulding once upon a time, drmole Join Date: May 2007 Location: not too far from Rosine; formerly and always a Yankee Highlander from Vermont Posts: 471	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin All of the above. # 1 reason is that I am truly complelled to take her off the wall and play something everytime I walk by. Might be a few bars of Bach, the head melody from Dawgma , a rerun of today's scales, quick version of Ground Hog or a gratuitous stab at whatever Mega-pop my wife has on the radio. The feel, tone and craftmanship of iii #17 simply make me want to play Mandolin incessantly. Chris, the lack of humidity in your replies is always good for a hearty .

04-04-2009, 07:02 AM	#12
Philphool Phil Goodson Join Date: May 2006 Location: Statesville, NC Posts: 860	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin Besides all of the above, tone, beauty, plays great, etc, I enjoy the memories of getting it built. I spent almost a year encouraging, visiting, staying up late with, and cajoling the luthier. It was really a lot of fun and formed a great friendship and appreciation. I can never lose that. __________________ Phil

04-04-2009, 12:06 PM	#13
Jill McAuley Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: scenic Oakland, CA or forgotten East Galway, take your pick. Posts: 825	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin My favorite thing about my Weber would be the neck profile and radius fretboard - it's a joy to play, things that were a wee bit challenging to play on my Flatiron 2M are played with ease on the Weber. Cheers, Jill __________________ 2008 Pomeroy A4 (#126) 2008 Weber Custom Gallatin F oval hole 2009 Gold Top Red Line Traveler 2009 JBovier EMC emando 1920 Stromberg short scale tenor banjo my mp3's, vids, blog... "you don't have to leave, but your coat's in the front garden..."

04-04-2009, 01:20 PM	#14
Jim MacDaniel Carpe plectrum. Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 2,813	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin My wife like it because the mandolin is not a babe magnet. __________________ "The Spirit of Wine Sang in my glass, and I listened With love to his odorous music, His flushed and magnificent song" ~ William Ernest Henly "Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence" ~ Robert Fripp "I hate quotations" ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

04-04-2009, 04:18 PM	#15
Hans Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 2,138	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin It looks like this... And sounds even wilder! __________________ Johann D. Brentrup, Builder http://www.brentrup.com

04-04-2009, 04:35 PM	#16
billkilpatrick Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: italy Posts: 3,075	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin a whole host of clever things to say ... but most of all - what i love most about my mandolin is that it's here, in my hands ... when i pick it up ... it reciprocates ... __________________ http://www.youtube.com/user/billkilpatrick http://billkilpatrickhaiku.blogspot.com/ http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...ick&ref=search ------------------------ today's guest avatar: henri rousseau

04-04-2009, 05:04 PM	#18
Bob DeVellis Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Chapel Hill, NC Posts: 1,511	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin I guess the distinguishing feature of my favorite mandolin is its wide fretboard and ease of play. It also sounds great but so do other mandolins. the thing that makes this one -- the Sobell shown in my avatar -- is that it practically plays itself. __________________ Bob DeVellis

04-04-2009, 05:31 PM	#19
Mando_Lynn Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Miami Beach Posts: 53	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin What I love most is that it was an unexpected gift and has led to other good things. I had been saving money for a mando and ended up spending it on something else before Christmas. Just for fun I went to Maple Street Guitars anyway just to poke around the day after Christmas. They had just gotten in an Eastman 505 and were selling it for $499 with the case. It wasn't even shop worn yet! It was just lovely and sweet and my playing immediately improved. Thank goodness for credit cards. It went home with me. And even better.... I don't really play my Ovation much anymore so I'm selling it to one of my students for a rather decent price. Now I can buy ANOTHER pair of shoes. (For those that may remember my old thread, I had spent my mando money on shoes....) __________________ Lynn Tillman

04-04-2009, 10:27 PM	#20
David Back Registered User Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 35	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin When I get it out of the case I remember the look on my wifes face when jeff cowherd told us the price. Then she whispered in my ear its beautiful I'm gonna need a big bottle of wine.

04-04-2009, 11:40 PM	#21
Michael Cameron V70416 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: georgia Posts: 439	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin ...I could probably sell it(maybe a guitar too) and get one like Hans'. SWEET,Mr. B. ! Thanks for the eye candy. I wonder,really,what that mandolin might sound like ?

04-04-2009, 11:44 PM	#22
man dough nollij Yearling Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Near the bottom Posts: 2,430	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin Hans, It looks like an unbelievable nightmare to bind one of those. Is the scroll really as tight as it looks? Lee __________________ Lee "Pen" Gwin http://pen-gwin.blogspot.com

04-05-2009, 02:35 AM	#25
Rob Powell The Forrest Gump of Mando Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Reston, VA Posts: 766	Re: What do love most about your prime mandolin Hans, you are truly a a design master! I have to say that, IMHO, your design ranks up there with Monteleone's. The scroll is is very Dali One day I hope to have you build one for me. Now to the topic at hand: Playing it transforms me. I also love that it's not my only mandolin I am lucky enough to have 2 very fine mandolins. In fact, both statements (and many of the statements in other posts) could really be said of either of them so which one really is my prime? __________________ "If you can make it to 50 without growing up, you don't have to..." Rob Powell AKA The BeerGeek 2008 Weber Custom Distressed Yellowstone Mandolin 2008 The Loar LM-700-VS Mandolin #001 2005 Blueridge Carter Stanley Memorial Guitar 2009 Gold Tone Paul Beard Signature Solid Mahogany Resonator But all I need is a Nugget