Heiden F v. Altman F

[Winfield]

John A's thread comparing the Ellis A v. Heiden A got me wondering about how the Heiden F would compare against an Altman F mandolin. Has anyone had the chance to a/b these two builders in an F style mandolin?

[Astro]

I have not played any. I have some speculative thoughts.

Descriptions are close to meaningless unless you've already heard them and are talking to someone who has already heard them. Even then its at best just an exercise in conversation. Clips are only slightly better and you need a good understanding of recording differences in room acoustics, microphones, and processors in order to even roughly approximate their meaning.

Interesting to me that Acoustic Music Works and Gregg Boyd's has excellent recording set up for their clips, The Mandolin Store's is not very good, and Carter's is somewhere in between. Have to keep this in mind when comparing. Great recording set ups will sound better and richer than the lesser set ups for the same mandolin. And great players with a great recording set up will sound better than you will ever hear the instrument sound once you buy it. :)

Not to mention the differences in playing style (pic/strings/set up) and skill of the musician playing. As always stated, different instruments even by the same maker will be a little different and any generalization may not apply to whatever you are looking at. Also early Altmans will be different from his later models emulating Sizemore's Loar.



Spend some time on utube:

Altman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9KUjgbhyQI

Stiver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyJ310Rmn7M

Heiden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsx5s8diIiA


Ive gone back to edit this many times because I cant even agree with my own descriptions of individual makers manodlins. Good luck.

[Cary Fagan]

The two best mandolins I've ever played were an Altman and a Heiden, but not at the same time so I couldn't really compare them. The Heiden was the more handsome instrument, if that matters.

[red7flag]

Like the Heiden the best. Of the Altmans I liked the middle one. Stiver not really in the same class. The Herchel's Loar: well mercy...

[Atlanta Mando Mike]

There is currently an Altman and a Heiden at Carters. I spent a good bit of time playing the one Jack Pearson is playing in Astro's post and its a truly great mandolin. Loud, super easy to play. Its just a year or so old so needs to mellow a little but that was my favorite mandolin there, hands down. The Altman was good too but to me, that particular Altman wasn't as strong as that particular Heiden. Don't think that really means anything about the makers, just my view on those 2 specific mandolins.

[f5joe]

I think Atlanta Mando Mike makes a good/fair comparison, as he says, "just my view on those 2 specific mandolins".

Over the years, I've been blessed with better mandos than talent. I have learned one universal truth. There are a lot of nice mandolins built by a bunch of luthiers. I've also learned that some luthiers are a bit more consistent than others. I've also learned that it doesn't matter what brand you own/play as long as you like it.

My personal favorite? Most any Loar that someone else owns. No getting around it for me .... they are the best for a very big reason.

[SternART]

At the Symposium I got to try Grisman's new Giocommel.........thought I was getting pretty nice tone out of it........handed it back to David and he said "here's what it really sounds like" and he proceeded to just pull much more out of it, way deeper, brighter, quite a bit louder.......so I've learned a lot is in the the hands that are playing the instrument.

[f5joe]

SternART .............. SO true!

[Atlanta Mando Mike]

That's 100% true. I've played plenty of other folks mandolins that I can't make sound good but in their hands, they sing. Years ago I played Sierra Hull's Webber and I just didn't like it. When she played it it was killer. There ya go.

[AlanN]

Yes, and even worse is when I play my mandolin and sound like ca-ca, then another picker plays it and sounds wonderful...that is bad.

[Winfield]

Thanks for the replies.