Anyone played the Roasted Red Diamond at Music Emporium?

[Atlanta Mando Mike]

Just wondering if anyone has played and had thoughts on it. MAS is flaring a little...

[JAK]

Is that a good price for a used one?

[Mandobar]

A new one is $14.5

http://www.morganmusic.com/red_diamndo.html#!/RED-DIAMOND-VINTAGE-F-JULY-9th-ROASTED/p/72778409/category=4398139

I believe the one at TME is consigned, so the price may have been set by the seller.

[Glassweb]

i like them baked, not roasted... as in Frank Wakefield's Red Loar F5!

[guitarpath]

I have not played the one at TME, but if you are considering it, you should get it. Red Diamonds do not come up on the used market too often, and roasted/torrefied ones are even more rare. You will not find a used roasted one for less, if at all.

[Atlanta Mando Mike]

Red Diamonds come up on the used market pretty frequently in my experience. There's one at Carter's now. Although the voiced ones and Torrefied ones admittedly less so. At $13,500, there's little difference between the 2 new torrified ones at Morgan Music currently for $14,500 so the new vs used issue is a little moot. I'm not hot after a Red Diamond of any kind per say, really just looking for a great mandolin. I'm through buying site-unseen without some third party verification on tonal qualities at least, even with a return policy, unless the deal is spectacular. The deal on that Red Diamond "MAY" be fair, but it isn't spectacular. IMHO

[Jim Roberts]

I haven't played that RD but Don's roasted mandolins are something special.

[guitarpath]

I think there is a pretty big difference between the early standard non-voiced Red Diamonds and the later vintage-voiced ones. I do not see the vintage-voiced models (Crusher, Reischman, Osborne, July 9th, etc) come up very often in the used market. The roasted ones are even more rare.

btw, I bought Jim's Vintage F'22 (Crusher)-voiced Red Diamond nearly five years ago, and it remains my one and only mandolin. I don't think one can buy a better mandolin than a vintage-voiced Red Diamond. If I were searching for a lifetime mandolin and a used one of the caliber of the one at TME came available and I could afford it, I would jump on it.

[Gary Alter]

The Music Emporium has now posted a video of Matt Witler playing the Red Diamond for anyone wanting to give it a listen: http://themusicemporium.com/mandolins/red-diamond-vintage-f5-july-9th-roasted-2015

[FLATROCK HILL]

Sounds very nice...dry and balanced. Someone should buy it so I don't have to think about it.

[Astro]

So do you think anyone actually just presses the "add to cart" button on an instrument like this?

[MarkHunter]

50-50 chance I will be at Music Emporium this weekend. If so, I will check it out and submit a report...assuming it's still there. It was as of yesterday.

[Denny Gies]

Mando Mike, give Randy Wood a call if you want a great mandolin. I have had one since 1993 and, IMO it is great. Good luck.

[Don Grieser]

The RD sure sounds nice on "Father's Hall" by Nancy Blake in that video. Very nice.

[red7flag]

Listening as I type. WOW. That has some real tonal depth and drive. The player is really solid, but the instrument stands on its own. What a beast. For the first time is a while I can feel myself scheming to get that sucker. That mandolin is a step above the signature RDs that I played at IBMA in Nashville a number of years ago (granted IBMA is a loud and difficult environment to judge an instrument in). MAS strikes again.

[Mandobar]

i sold a high end instrument through TME a few months back. it was someone who hit the add to cart button, a fairly well known and successful musician too they tell me. so, yeah, there are folks who hit that button and don't look back.

[Atlanta Mando Mike]

Denny,
I owned a mid 90's randy wood for about 13 years and recorded many albums with it. It was a great mandolin but I was ready for something else.

[Josh Levine]

50-50 chance I will be at Music Emporium this weekend. If so, I will check it out and submit a report...assuming it's still there. It was as of yesterday.

Let me know how it compares to the Campanella Due. Thing seems like a beast in its own right.

[Mandobar]

The Campanella is on hold.

[Marty Jacobson]

Let me know how it compares to the Campanella Due. Thing seems like a beast in its own right.

The Campanella Due I played recently was very different... I wouldn't compare it apples to apples vs. a mandolin intended for traditional bluegrass.

[Mandobar]

Joe makes a fine bluegrass-voiced mandolin. I think you need to evaluate each instrument on its own. Most of the Dues I have played were euro topped. The one in question here is adirondack. Different sound.

[Gary Alter]

If you check TME YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqa26zh6IZnQn3K07yyRjmg) there are recent videos of Matt Witler playing the Red Diamond July 9th Roasted, Campenella Due two point, Collings MF5 and and an Ellis A all with the same setup so a pretty good opportunity to hear their sonic differences.

[blauserk]

If you check TME YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqa26zh6IZnQn3K07yyRjmg) there are recent videos of Matt Witler playing the Red Diamond July 9th Roasted, Campenella Due two point, Collings MF5 and and an Ellis A all with the same setup so a pretty good opportunity to hear their sonic differences.

I agree. Great recordings. I particularly like how the Red Diamond sounds there.

Incidentally, great video here of Don McRostie discussing mandolins in which he shows the apparatus he uses to "voice" mandolins like particular Loar-signed instruments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzrmDUgKWh4

[Mandobar]

And the Red Diamond is gone.

[blauserk]

And the Red Diamond is gone.

Crap. This has happened in 100% of the "has anyone played" threads I've started/participated in on the Mandolin Cafe. Mind you, that is a class of 2.

I've had the Music Emporium's pictures and video open all day on my computer since I first saw it. A lovely sounding mandolin.

[JAK]

These days you often have to "jump on it" the first time you see or hear about a high end, highly desired mandolin. With over 2,000 views of this thread on the Café, and 444 views on You Tube, it's an example of "If you snooze, you lose."

[Mandobar]

The Music Emporium is now a dealer for Girouard:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eAcnqSacIU

[JAK]

Hey Mandobar, got Brentrup?

[Mandobar]

Nope. Quite content with what I have now.

[PVia]

I've posted this before, but here's my July 9 vintage RD...a fantastic sounding instrument.

https://soundcloud.com/paul-viapiano/5-24-16-rd-gm-adagio

[Jim Roberts]

Wow, Paul, that is truly beautiful picking...stellar. I own a July 9 Vintage RD and it has the roasted wood. It is serial number 259 so just eight numbers away from yours. They really are special mandolins built by a man that is so sincerely devoted to his craft.

[Jim Roberts]

Not sure why the photo is turned sideways and I am tech-challenged (by choice) so hoping one of the moderators will turn the photo 90° to the right for me!

[Gary Alter]

Beautiful playing Paul!

[Winfield]

I have the Red Diamond July 9 non-roasted mandolin. Exceptional in every way. I traded an Altman to get it from Morgan Music several years ago. The Altman was a fine mandolin but much prefer the Red Diamond.

[FLATROCK HILL]

Not sure why the photo is turned sideways and I am tech-challenged (by choice) so hoping one of the moderators will turn the photo 90° to the right for me!

Six hours like that now and the pint is still on the table!

[Al Trujillo]

If you check TME YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqa26zh6IZnQn3K07yyRjmg) there are recent videos of Matt Witler playing the Red Diamond July 9th Roasted, Campenella Due two point, Collings MF5 and and an Ellis A all with the same setup so a pretty good opportunity to hear their sonic differences.

I've been watching all the videos on this site - thanks for posting the link. First time I've listened to Matt Witler - a very accomplished mandolin player. Has anyone else noticed just how long Matt's fingers are? First there was MAS, now I've got 'pinkie envy'. :redface:

[Mandolin Cafe]

I flipped over the two at Morgan Music probably 15-18 months ago, promptly advised a couple of good friends in the area to seriously consider grabbing them (so I wouldn't). They both did, both still have them and are happy as Jim is above. Those two were at Morgan Music less than a week before they were gone. Don is a builder at the top of his game and I wish his name came up more often. He's onto something great with his new builds. I'm an admirer.

Link again to the one at Morgan Music (http://www.morganmusic.com/red_diamndo.html#!/RED-DIAMOND-VINTAGE-F-JULY-9th-ROASTED/p/72778409/category=4398139) that showed up recently.

[bobrem]

If price is an issue for a roasted or vintage Red Diamond, I would seriously consider an earlier model, such as #158 now in the classifieds. I have not played #158 but I had an RD from the similar era and it was very very good. #158 would be very close to the time Don began transitioning to the vintage voiced models. If you can get it on 48-hour approval, it would be worth a look.

[Winfield]

The look and head shake from Matt Witler at 2:09 says it all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLZSrKo7RN4

[Mandobar]

Matt has a "tell" if you watch his face here: https://youtu.be/Y_8VlnXN1Lo

He smiles a bit as he starts Dangerfield here, and then again at the very end.

Probably one of the strongest voices I've heard on a Collings A.

[Josh Levine]

I recently got to pick on the one that recently sold from Morgan. A buddy acquired it and we picked some tunes. It is very nice. Powerful and dry with amazing mid range. I would love to take that thing out to a jam.

[erick]

As someone who's owned both A and F style RD's, I can say with some authority that you don't lose any tone mojo when you get an A model from Don. The fancy "strap hanger " adds over $4K to the price of an F, and while the A's sex appeal is lower, the sound doesn't suffer.

Eric Kilburn

[JAK]

Well there's still three RD's at Morgan Music.

[Jim Roberts]

One is a recent build...

[JAK]

Looks like the last RD "July9R" at Morgan Music is gone, gone, gone. No financial interest, just cerebral interest.