mandolin blind guess test

[Upis Land]

Here is a little test for all those experts at mandolin models and their respective tones. Attached here are three audio files of three mandolins I own. Your task is to guess what each one is by brand, model, style, or state something about each you detect in the tone. Or maybe you can tell which one I've owned the longest, I don't know... but from surfing this forum over the last few months it seems there are quite a few here that can do this.
Beside that it is all your fault that I own 3.

Caveat:

I've been playing mandolin just under a year so if you don't want to listen to newbee playing feel free to skip this post.

[David Lewis]

Here is a little test for all those experts at mandolin models and their respective tones. Attached here are three audio files of three mandolins I own. Your task is to guess what each one is by brand, model, style, or state something about each you detect in the tone. Or maybe you can tell which one I've owned the longest, I don't know... but from surfing this forum over the last few months it seems there are quite a few here that can do this. Beside that it is all your fault that I own 3. Caveat: I've been playing mandolin just under a year so if you don't want to listen to newbee playing feel free to skip this post.

Where?

[sunburst]

1. Merkel, Spagetti, oval hole, cross brace.
2. Shmergal, Destroyer, oval hole, X-brace
3. Shemergel, Devestator, f-holes, tone bars

[Upis Land]

Ok, I know you would have to download the attachment, my bad-- and the playing is poor too. Test failed, MAS cured.

[Gary Leonard]

1. Weber
2. Collings
3. Gibson

[MysTiK PiKn]

Just don't know what they ARE - but I don't think any are very expensive.

I liked file 17 - it has more tone depth than either of the others.
I rate file 16 next cos I think it might have solid woods; but not expensive.
I rate file 18 as worst - I thought I detected essence of plywood in the sound

I'm probably way off - can't guess brands.

I think 17 is your most played, you have better "touch" on it. If there's an Fstyle, this might be it. I thought this sounded like a "The Loar" - maybe 500ish model numbers(?)

That's me - that was fun.

HOW DID YOU "UPLOAD" - I didn't know that could be done, except with pix, images.
Nice comparable file sizes, bitrates, and similar playing.
Thanks for the ride.
~o)

[Upis Land]

Gary- Pretty close
1. not quite
2. no
3. yes

Mystic- thanks for playing. Yes 17 is solid wood and an F, though not my most played it has a wide nut and I make fewer mistakes on it. 18, not plywood just that Gibson woody sound. I haven't fully gotten used to the narrower neck, so I make a lot of mistakes on this one.

Recording with built in mics of Sony pcm-m10 at 128bps. I couldn't get larger files to load. Definitely learned a lot as posting here caused me to listen harder to the recordings. What you hear seems so dependent on what you are listening for, and an aspect of tone that is striking on one instrument is suddenly apparent in the next.

[MysTiK PiKn]

Sorry, I seem to have underestimated your mandos. It would be interesting, in another test, if I thought cheap instruments were high end. But with no hints, I did my best.

DOH = I should have known.

But it was fun to play the game. ;) Thanks. I'm surprised more didn't participate.


.... and thx for response to my questions also. ;)

[mandobajo]

thanks for posting, the quality is really fine, Im interested to hear the results, seems I like 1 and 2 more than 3

1 maybe x-braced Flatiron?
2 something older?

[slk]

When I first heard the files I thought #16 sounded the clearest. After listening to them several times after I was then confused as to which one sounded the best to me. I am a newbie on mandolin, so I did not want to chime in and give an opinion and insult anyone.

Steve

[Steve Ostrander]

Trick question. It's the same mandolin with different picks, right?

[Upis Land]

No tricks, same primetone pick on each one. I guess there's a saying -- that its more the player than the instrument -- applies here, and that could be the reason the instruments may have sounded cheap. Thanks to those who played the game. Anyway, the answer is as follows:

1. Lafferty A (essentially same as Summit A100)
2. Bitterroot F (red spruce)
3. F9 (2002)