Anybody played a Mike Black Octave Mandolin?

[EvanElk]

http://www.blackmandolins.com/octave-mandolins.html

I'm planning to order a Northfield octave and spotted this builder online

[Mike Snyder]

I've played a couple of his octaves and own #27 A4 mandolin. He is an old-world style builder in a one-man shop. It would be worth your time to look into a Black OM. Build quality and sound are excellent. He's a nice guy. The octaves were resonant and throaty. He will do a rim port which really puts the sound up to the player. Beautiful guitar body instruments.

[Kevin Stueve]

go check out the Mike Black builder social group. Pheffernan just posted pictures of his gorgeous OM again.

[pheffernan]

I'm planning to order a Northfield octave and spotted this builder online

Well, I haven't played one today . . . yet. ;)

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The challenge in playing a Black octave is that, to my knowledge, Mike has only completed four of them to date: #1 (which is still in his possession), #3, #6 (which is mine pictured), and #33. I'm also under the impression that he has been working on a batch of GBOM's for the last year that might be approaching completion. A lot of information can be found in the Mike Black social group here: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/group.php?groupid=301

I don't have firsthand experience with other octaves to compare, but in my opinion, Mike builds a beautiful instrument priced favorably against the competition (Old Wave, Austin Clark, Fletcher Brock, etc.). The biggest difference between it and the Northfield I believe would be the backs, as Mike models his octaves on an old Epiphone guitar with an arched back while the Northfield if I remember correctly is patterned after a Martin with a flat back. I'm sure that Mike would be happy to discuss his octaves with you if you were to send him a Personal Message: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/member.php?11325-Mike-Black

[Don Grieser]

Wow. That's incredibly beautiful. Everything works together so nicely design-wise. Congrats!

[pheffernan]

Wow. That's incredibly beautiful. Everything works together so nicely design-wise. Congrats!

Thinking of trading your Heiden for it? :))

[EvanElk]

Thanks everyone...#6 is a beauty!!

[Matt Harris]

I'm having one built right now, #42. I've posted some in process pictures in the social group.

Here are a couple of threads that have sound clips in them:

Black #6 (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?64969-Black-6)

Black #3 (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?55205-New-Octave-Mandolin)

Mike also has a video on his Facebook page.