mandolute
Mar-19-2015, 6:34pm
I had no intention of buying a new mandolin when I was browsing the classified ads a few weeks ago here on the cafe. Especially because I had just bought a late teens A4 only 2 weeks earlier. I bought the A4 to replace the A4 I had sold 20 years ago. That was my favorite mandolin and I sold it because when I love an instrument too much it begins to own me, that's when I know it's time to sell. Maybe that sounds odd, but for me it's a way to open the possibilities of owning a new instrument.
Mike Fox plays in the Philadelphia Mandolin Ensemble with me. He is a great player and a big fan of the cafe. Mike's often mentioning ideas and tips he picks up here on the cafe. I hadn't visited these pages for many years. Then through Mike's enthusiasm regarding the cafe I decided to browse through the pages. When I started browsing the classifieds, I saw many instruments that looked great but none inspired me to purchase another mandolin.
Then as a browsed deeper into the classifieds I saw Matthew Tolley's 2 point mandolin and I was really taken back by the beauty of his design. I corresponded with Matthew and eventually spoke with him on the phone. His description of the sound of the instrument gave me enough confidence to make the deal. Now, after a week of playing the mandolin, I couldn't be happier. The sound is warm and balanced and has continued to improve and open up the more I play. The feel is great, it plays quick and with ease. I sent a set of Thomastik starks to Matthew and he was happy to set up the instrument to accommodate these strings. One aspect I really like about this mandolin is that the tonal sweet spot for picking is not above the fingerboard enabling me to access a large pallet of tones. Bluegrass is not my primary style, I mainly play classical and folk music and I love where the two styles meet. This mandolin seems to be suitable for many styles and I plan to put it to good use with many upcoming gigs. I am certain that Matthew will continue to create new and wonderful instruments and I hope you can take the time to see, play and hopefully own one of his instruments. Take a look at his website Tolleyguitars.com
131974131975
One more note. A week after buying the A4, I showed my wife a photo of the Tolley mandolin. When I told her I was buying it she said “Oh no your not!” Yikes, I was in trouble. Then I started looking at a $10,000 mandolin, decided not to buy and now she is relieved and feels she dodged a bullet. I really love my wife!
Joe Todaro
Mike Fox plays in the Philadelphia Mandolin Ensemble with me. He is a great player and a big fan of the cafe. Mike's often mentioning ideas and tips he picks up here on the cafe. I hadn't visited these pages for many years. Then through Mike's enthusiasm regarding the cafe I decided to browse through the pages. When I started browsing the classifieds, I saw many instruments that looked great but none inspired me to purchase another mandolin.
Then as a browsed deeper into the classifieds I saw Matthew Tolley's 2 point mandolin and I was really taken back by the beauty of his design. I corresponded with Matthew and eventually spoke with him on the phone. His description of the sound of the instrument gave me enough confidence to make the deal. Now, after a week of playing the mandolin, I couldn't be happier. The sound is warm and balanced and has continued to improve and open up the more I play. The feel is great, it plays quick and with ease. I sent a set of Thomastik starks to Matthew and he was happy to set up the instrument to accommodate these strings. One aspect I really like about this mandolin is that the tonal sweet spot for picking is not above the fingerboard enabling me to access a large pallet of tones. Bluegrass is not my primary style, I mainly play classical and folk music and I love where the two styles meet. This mandolin seems to be suitable for many styles and I plan to put it to good use with many upcoming gigs. I am certain that Matthew will continue to create new and wonderful instruments and I hope you can take the time to see, play and hopefully own one of his instruments. Take a look at his website Tolleyguitars.com
131974131975
One more note. A week after buying the A4, I showed my wife a photo of the Tolley mandolin. When I told her I was buying it she said “Oh no your not!” Yikes, I was in trouble. Then I started looking at a $10,000 mandolin, decided not to buy and now she is relieved and feels she dodged a bullet. I really love my wife!
Joe Todaro