multidon
Mar-03-2018, 10:19am
Has anyone here ever played a Cross mandolin? What did you think of it? This builder seems to be relatively new. Gruhn has three of them, one used and two new, and Red Line Acoustics is now advertising one. The builder is in Tennessee. It seems pretty amazing that he can make a quality handmade F style for under 2000 dollars. I have looked at the pictures of all four of the above instruments pretty carefully. The workmanship appears to be fairly clean and the woods look nice. My only two criticisms would be that his ground stain seems to tend a bit on the overly yellow side, and his logo inlays look a bit sloppy, surrounded by a good amount of filler. Perhaps this is considered acceptable when the inlay is done by hand rather that machine. He apparently uses walnut overlays on his headstocks, and this may make the filler stick out more than black filler on ebony.
Most importantly. How do they sound and play? Could these be underthe radar sleeper bargains? The holy grail of reasonably priced American made F style mandolins?
Anxiously awaiting the collective wisdom here. By the way, he is not in our builder database.
Most importantly. How do they sound and play? Could these be underthe radar sleeper bargains? The holy grail of reasonably priced American made F style mandolins?
Anxiously awaiting the collective wisdom here. By the way, he is not in our builder database.