Newson F5's at Gruhn

[E.Jessup]

Has anyone played the two new Newson F5's at Gruhns and willing to share their opinion ?

[Ivan Kelsall]

Have a look at this YouTube clip - ''Greensky Bluegrass'' with their mandolin player,Paul Hoffman,playing his Newsome mandolin. It sounds pretty good to me - my own Weber "Fern" sounds very similar. ( Watch on YouTube for full screen)
Ivan

https://youtu.be/zwsJIB6aBhI

[Willie Poole]

Just like I posted on another thread...."Call it what you want but this ain`t bluegrass"....closer to R&R...The name of the band says they are Bluegrass...

[Atlanta Mando Mike]

Willie, I don't agree. I would call that modern bluegrass. They have the right instruments, the right beat, they are playing bluegrass chords and bluegrass rhythms. Banjo is using a three finger roll, bass playing 1/5, signing harmony. Maybe the melody and lyric content aren't exactly traditional but there isn't anything weird there. It might not be your style of grass but I would call it grass none the less.

[Atlanta Mando Mike]

Back on topic, Chris Burcher really liked the used Newson at Carters. Maybe he can chime in as he recently visited both stores.

[DataNick]

Much of what I would simply label as "Progressive" Acoustic Music gets a "....grass" label these days because there's a fiddle, mandolin, and a banjo (sometimes, not all)....not what I would call it but you can't fight city hall...YMMV

...now back to the Newson at Gruhn's...

[chris.burcher]

Thanks for the referral, Mike:) I loved, loved, loved the Newson at Carter's. Think it is a new one. Great everything. Tone, fit and finish, playability, and sidebound. I was just not willing to spend the money but I stacked em all up (I think it was close to 100) and separated out the ones under $6500 and it came down to the Duff A and the Newson for me. I played em both for a couple of hours. Having owned a 2015 Yellowstone I will say the newson was nothing like that mando. It was close in tone to the duff, gils, altman, heiden - not quite there but sonically ripping. Played great, looked great, just too much for my wallet. To me, a perfect example of a traditional cool F5.

I'm not even gonna touch the Greensky thing except to say they employ a full time light guy, but it's pretty cool . . . . .

[Rick Duvernay]

Greensky Bluegrass has been my Pandora station for years. I love them and have grown to love the artists that Pandora associates with them (however they do that) ...Stealdrivers, Sam Bush, Yonder, Trampled by Turtles, Tim O'Brian, Hot Rize, Devil Makes Three, Wood Brothers, etc. It's all good stuff.

[E.Jessup]

Mike and Chris, Thanks for chiming in on this. I've had my eye on that one at Carters, it's a 2013 but must be in very good condition to come across as new. Yes, a bit pricey and the nut width is a bit tight for me but good to hear that it's as good as I thought it might be. Did you have a chance to play the two at Gruhns?

[Ivan Kelsall]

I'll chime in on the ''Greensky' side of things - they are NOT trad. Bluegrass & never claimed to be,but they are a ''style of'' Bluegrass as were ''Newgrass Revival'' in their day. Along with the ''Stringdusters'','Greensky' are my favourite alternative band to pick along with. Different timings & rhythms to try out,& some of them are pretty hard to keep up with,not in tempo,but in the chord changes - it all extends one's abilities which can only be good (IMHO). What a backdrop on this YouTube clip - Wow !!!,:disbelief:
Ivan;)

https://youtu.be/KVfX1qiZWEs

[ferrousgeek]

Not the one at Gruhn's , but Skip Gorman has been playing this one since last year. His Monroe Signature Model has subsequently gone on the market.

https://youtu.be/h_4KIsoQzjI

[Mandobar]

Skip has played the Newson mandos at Gruhn. That's where his came from. You can contact him. He is always interested in talking mandolins.


As per his FB page he is selling his Duff too and some other instruments.

[Bigtuna]

Greensky put Newson mandolins on my radar. I still have not had a chance to play one yet. But, it appears their prices have jumped up since I first heard about them.

I'm set to see Greensky twice in the upcoming months. They will be back on the main stage at the IBMAs again this year, hard to think they would sign on a non bluegrass band for that. Sure they aren't your granddaddy's bluegrass band, but they can play the traditional songs with the best of them.

[E.Jessup]

I was fortunate to play Skip's just after he got it, he was playing a show here in town. He really loved it - I could see why.

[Mandobar]

Skip's has that dry woody sound that other builders rarely capture. The only other new mandolin I have played that sounded like that was the recent Campanella that was at TME.

[Bill Kammerzell]

Have a look at this YouTube clip - ''Greensky Bluegrass'' with their mandolin player,Paul Hoffman,playing his Newsome mandolin. It sounds pretty good to me - my own Weber "Fern" sounds very similar. ( Watch on YouTube for full screen)
Ivan

https://youtu.be/zwsJIB6aBhI

Nice. I like these guys. To my knowledge never heard them before. Need to check out more of their stuff.

[ccravens]

Have a look at this YouTube clip - ''Greensky Bluegrass'' with their mandolin player,Paul Hoffman,playing his Newsome mandolin. It sounds pretty good to me - my own Weber "Fern" sounds very similar. ( Watch on YouTube for full screen)
Ivan

https://youtu.be/zwsJIB6aBhI

These guys are amazing! That's my kind of Bluegrass!

Thanks for the introduction.

[tiltman]

except to say they employ a full time light guy

:)):)):))

We've been at the same Festivals...but I've never seen them. 'Nuff said.

Kirk

[Luna Pick]

Sooo, this reminds me, back to OP, has anyone tried the Newsons at Gruhn's and want to report back?

[E.Jessup]

Thanks for that!...:)

[Timbofood]

Ivan, that "top tension" Mike is playing was made by my banjo player and very skilled cabinetmaker! Feel free to PM me of you want to chat about that, I know you are "banjo infected" a touch. That goes for anyone, NFI but, the boy does love the banjo!
"The sun and the wind may change but, not Willie Poole!" To paraphrase a line from an old John Wayne movie.
I get the sermon Willie but, that's a different thread.
See, I can go off on some tangent too.
The Newson sounds pretty good though.

[Jonathan James]

I've known Paul for a some time now and have felt his mandolins have been under the radar for a long time. He is definitely a luthier to check out; builds mostly by hand (no CNC), develops instruments with great tone and he's a heck of a nice guy to interact and talk mandos with!

[E.Jessup]

From the Gruhn website it looks like one of the Newson F5's has a new owner. I'm wondering if it ended up with a Cafe member who would share the good news.