View Full Version : New Girouard mandola arrives!
Don Grieser
Apr-24-2015, 4:08pm
A near twin to dan in va's Girouard mandola arrived here today. I have to say, this is a fantastic instrument. Red cedar top, extremely flamed maple back, sides, and neck. The C string is amazing right out of the case. Wonderful tone everywhere. Max did a special slim neck profile for me and it's a joy to play and he nailed the neck profile.
I am one happy camper and what a pleasant experience it was working with Max and Lauri. Wonderful folks who are doing work at a very high level of craftsmanship and attention to detail.
I'll post a video in a few days.
Edit: And it came with a fantastic case too.
Spruce
Apr-24-2015, 4:38pm
Red cedar top...
I can really vouch for the wood in the top of your 'dola...it's simply some of the most perfect Western Red Cedar I've ever seen...
"That" waxy feel, hard to the fingernail, not too light in weight, but not too heavy, a nice even color, tight graining...etc. etc.
It came out of a mud bog, was 300% MC ( :disbelief: ), and took about two years to loose all that water...
Great wood...
http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee22/e_stamp/P1170625_zpsqde3kv4w.jpg (http://s231.photobucket.com/user/e_stamp/media/P1170625_zpsqde3kv4w.jpg.html)
I'll post a video in a few days.
I really want to hear this one...
I'll bet the aforementioned C-string is just badass....
GKWilson
Apr-24-2015, 6:46pm
Nice work Maxx and Laurie. And congrats Don.
That's one beautiful dola.
To bad with such a nice instrument you couldn't
find a better piece of maple for the back.:grin:
Hope to hear it soon.
Gary
I'm thinking lately that I may need a mandola.
And, like you I'm leaning toward a thin neck profile.
Could I ask the measurement of yours and the
width of the body?
Don Grieser
Apr-24-2015, 7:23pm
I talked Max into making it 1 3/16" at the nut, and going as slim/slender as possible on the neck using some measurements from my Heiden mandolin as a template but enlarging it proportionally. If you're familiar at all with the Phoenix mandolin necks, it's very much like those--they're also 1 3/16" at the nut. Max did put an adjustable truss rod in it. He also put Evo frets in and the setup is top notch.
Body is around 11" across and a little less that 2" deep. I didn't specify any of that--I figured Max would take care of those details. The only thing I really specified was the nut width and the neck shape. I let him deal with what it would take to get the tone I was looking for. He came through big time there.
One of my main gripes with the bigger makers like Collings and Weber is that they seem to think mandolas need 1 1/4 or 1 3/8 nuts and big chunky necks. It makes some sense in that everything should grow in proportion with the additional scale length and body size, but it makes no sense as a player.
dan in va
Apr-24-2015, 8:14pm
Hey Don, it was fun seeing the pics of these mandolas being built together. Yours is such a beauty that i keep looking at the pix over and over. Max sure has figured out how to get such great tone from the C strings, so they are balanced with the others. i agree that mandolin width necks work just fine. Max made mine exactly 1 1/8" and could've even gone a large 1/32" less with ease. Now that may be against conventional wisdom, but it really can work great for those who like 1 1/16" mandolin necks.
i hope you do some recording and videos soon. You know my request! :) Thanks for posting!
GKWilson
Apr-25-2015, 12:57am
Thanks Dan and Don. I was wondering if a 1 1/8" neck would hold up.
I also need an 11"/ 11 1/2" body width. Been thinking of putting
together a little 'Frankenstein'. I'll hold off on any other ideas as it
may turn out to be a 'Frankenstein'.:)
Congrats to the both of you. I wish you two were here.
I'd love to play them both.
Gary
PH-Mando
Apr-25-2015, 5:53am
That is a beautiful mandola!
Rosemary Philips
Apr-25-2015, 4:40pm
Gorgeous! Can't wait for video/sound clips!
Don Grieser
Apr-26-2015, 1:17pm
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Tunes are Hard Times Come Again No More, Mandola Mandala (Dan's request: an original of mine from Hillbilly Chamber Music), and Big Sciota. Audio was recorded on a Zoom H2, no EQ, no effects just normalized. Sorry I messed up a few times--just left it all in there. Listen to the ring at the end. :disbelief:
Thanks again, Max and Lauri! Fantastic job all around!
GKWilson
Apr-26-2015, 2:02pm
Beautiful Don. Another fine addition to a thoroughbred herd.
Can't wait to here all the music played on it.
Gary
Spruce
Apr-26-2015, 2:54pm
Woof...
Nice midrange....
Rosemary Philips
Apr-26-2015, 6:25pm
Great playing on a great instrument! Unfortunately, now I think I need a mandola...
amazing dola! i would love one!
It sounds fantastic. Nice playing too.
Jim Roberts
Apr-26-2015, 9:56pm
What kind of strings are on the 'dola? Real nice.
tmsweeney
Apr-27-2015, 7:03am
Wonderful tone on that, nice playing too
Max Girouard
Apr-27-2015, 8:01am
I can really vouch for the wood in the top of your 'dola...it's simply some of the most perfect Western Red Cedar I've ever seen...
"That" waxy feel, hard to the fingernail, not too light in weight, but not too heavy, a nice even color, tight graining...etc. etc.
It came out of a mud bog, was 300% MC ( :disbelief: ), and took about two years to loose all that water...
Great wood.
I really want to hear this one...
I'll bet the aforementioned C-string is just badass....
Spruce, I remember when you first sent this stuff over. When I split the billets, they were still wet on the inside from hanging out in that bog for who knows how many years! So far this cedar has been my favorite wood :)
What kind of strings are on the 'dola? Real nice.
Jim, we string up all our instruments with Curt Mangan strings. They make a really nice dola set for the 15.9 to 17 inch scale lengths.
Thank you to all for the kind words on our work. It is truly appreciated.
Toycona
Apr-27-2015, 9:31am
Excellent sound sample (great playing), really nice photos too. I'm really happy that other people are satisfied/curious about the Girouard mandola. I love mine!
Mike Arakelian
Apr-28-2015, 3:26pm
That's a really beautiful and great sounding instrument. Congratulations!
ccravens
Apr-30-2015, 12:31pm
The tone is spot-on awesome.
The mid-range, richness and depth, oh, my...
At some point in the future I may have to order a 'dola to go with my Girouard mando (he says as he looks around to see what other instruments he can sell....)
Jeff Hildreth
Apr-30-2015, 1:36pm
Beautiful instrument, congrats !
Am I correct that the back is not bound ? If not.. nice touch, I like it.
Spruce
Apr-30-2015, 2:19pm
So far this cedar has been my favorite wood...
Yeah, it's one of mine as well...
I was worried as to how it would take a 'burst...
Cedar sometimes can get "blotchy"...
And man, what a split.
Hard to find the center seam in that pic...
Max Girouard
May-01-2015, 5:06pm
I was worried as to how it would take a 'burst...
Cedar sometimes can get "blotchy"...
Lauri has developed her special technique for getting a nice burst on cedar. She uses a combination of hand rubbing and spraying. This piece was pretty streaky before staining, but the staining seems to even those things out. Great wood all around.
Don Grieser
May-11-2015, 5:41pm
I set out my Zoom H2 and recorded a little bit of some Saturday morning picking with a friend of mine who plays guitar and knows a lot of songs. This is a good one from the folk scare written by Richard Farina called Pack Up Your Sorrows.
Girouard mandola, Martin guitar, 2 human voices. Sitting in the living room picking. I'm liking how these instruments sound together.
VHEmSNKkDb8
Richard Singleton
May-11-2015, 6:36pm
lovely version! And great sounding dola...thanks for sharing!. I can't believe next April 30th will be the 50th anniversary of Richard's death. I was about 12 when I first started hearing their music, thanks to my 5 years older brother, who was old enough to go to Newport on his own, and I was being influenced by his musical tastes. Got my first stringed instrument about then, a Kent mandolin from a pawn shop. Songs by Richard and Mimi, and also by Phil Ochs, were I think the first songs I attempted on it.
Don Grieser
May-26-2015, 5:32pm
Here's a little ditty I wrote for the mandola. If I ever get to Vol. 2 of Hillbilly Chamber Music, this mandola and tune will be on it. Recorded with a Neuman KM184 into an Apogee One. I think it's a pretty accurate recording.
https://soundcloud.com/girouard-mandolins/mandola-granola-written-and-played-by-don-grieser
Spruce
May-26-2015, 5:42pm
Recorded with a Neuman KM184...
Placement?? Just curious...
Really digging the mids...
I just really love hearing wood that was destined to spend the next 40 years on top of a house, making music instead... ;)
Grommet
May-26-2015, 7:31pm
Nice tune Don! That 'dola does sound great as well. And thanks for posting the images of Richard and Mimi Farina and friends on the previous clip of your moving rendition of Richard's song.
Scott
Don Grieser
May-26-2015, 8:48pm
Thanks, Scott. That song is one of my favorites. Needs to be played more.
Spruce (or do we call you Cedar now?), it was out about 8" between my picking hand and the neck/body joint. Maybe closer to my picking hand. Just moved around till it sounded like I thought it should sound. I'm digging it all--very rich tone.
Here's a little ditty I wrote for the mandola. If I ever get to Vol. 2 of Hillbilly Chamber Music, this mandola and tune will be on it. Recorded with a Neuman KM184 into an Apogee One. I think it's a pretty accurate recording.
Very nice ditty!
And if that is a pretty accurate recording of that mandola then I need to start a savings account!
Baron Collins-Hill
May-27-2015, 2:36pm
Beautiful sound! Thanks for sharing!
Baron
Drew Egerton
May-28-2015, 6:50am
I've just recently decided to start looking for my first mandola, so this thread has me drooling big time.
Was planning and spending a bit less on my first one...but.....so tempting.
dan in va
May-30-2015, 10:39am
Yes, it seems that Max has redesigned the mandola and come up with a great sound. My #112 was built right beside Don's and is about as warm sounding as his, even with different top wood (Carpathian spruce), and its longer 17" scale is very easy to play with Max's neck shape.
Of all the mandolas i've heard on the 'net and have played, the Girouard seems to have more of a warm mandolin tone than anything out there, and i do mean everything else. i don't know how they can sell them for so little. i would surely choose a Girouard again.
That's a really catchy tune, Don. i hope to hear more…maybe a mix of "Llamas in the Forest", "Hill Country", and "Zumi Mtn Ramble" will find its way onto a video someday. "Mandola Mandala" was great--thanks! Another session of HCM would be awesome!!!
Don Grieser
Jun-29-2016, 9:46am
Trying out a dual mic set up. KM184 and OctavaMod 012 with omni capsule mounted side by side about 8-12" away from the mandola through a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 interface using built in pres. The omni didn't grab as much room as I hoped it would. A little Elephant limiter to raise the level.
https://soundcloud.com/hillbillychambermusic/girouard-mandola-111-pigs-foot-and-sandy-river-belle
Perilous Deep
Jun-30-2016, 9:16am
The mandola is sounding very fine, Don. Rich and even all the way down, and the higher notes are focused and clear, just lovely. The recording setup sounds good to my ears as well. The room reflection you were able to pick up really lets the notes bloom. Thanks for posting it.
Don Grieser
Jul-02-2016, 12:38pm
Thanks, PD. I appreciate the feedback.
I see you have a Girouard F5 in your avatar. Max and Lauri are building some great instruments these days.
Perilous Deep
Jul-06-2016, 10:16am
Yes and when I have a chance, I'll make a decently recorded video to compare the tone of that bog cedar on a mandolin versus on this mandola. They're definitely in the same tonal family.