Not done this before

[Br1ck]

I had a buzz on the high e course on my Silverangel, and since I've had it a couple of years decided to take it to Gryphon for a look over, as the nut slot looked like it might be too deep. Turned out to just need a minor tweak and I could wait for it.

What do you do while waiting for your mandolin? Play mandolin of course. So I tried out a bunch. When the tech had me try my Silverangel, I'd been playing Weber, Northfield, and Collings mandolins. I'd never had my SA right there to compare.

Turns out I like my SA a lot. More than I thought.

And yes, I think I'd like a Northfield too, but not instead of. Northfields are a terrific value.

They also have a nice 1965 D 18, my favorite era for those.

It's always nice to walk out of a shop like Gryphon feeling upbeat about your instrument.

Now if I only had an extra ( fill in your own amount here) dollars....

[Mike Arakelian]

Good music stores are dangerous places. Both of my present mandolins were impulse purchases. I just need a bit more will power!

[MikeZito]

Good music stores are dangerous places.

I used to work directly across the street from one of the better music stores in the region . . . talk about dangerous!

It's nice to walk away from a stash of top-notch instruments and know that you have a winner. Congrats!

[indexless]

Gryphon is a fantastic store, great people, the best luthiers, amazing stock and a great attitude. I try not to go cause there are some fine treats in that place...+1 for Frank and the crew

[Ray(T)]

If you like the instrument you're already playing, never take it to a mandolin shop with you. You're unlikely to find anything you like better and, therefore, are never likely to acqure a sufficient number of instruments to be able to call yourself "addicted".

[KEB]

I felt the same way when I went to Carter Vintage. I played a LOT of great instruments, but few that sounded as good to my ear as my Silverangel.

There was a Vega Cylinder back that sounded great, there was a vintage Gibby 'Dola that I loved. I was intrigued by a Mid-Mo, and I really liked the Phoenix Bluegrasser, but in the sub $25k category of instruments, I left feeling super happy with my Silverangel.

[Br1ck]

If you like the instrument you're already playing, never take it to a mandolin shop with you. You're unlikely to find anything you like better and, therefore, are never likely to acqure a sufficient number of instruments to be able to call yourself "addicted".

Well I hear you. But taking an instrument into a store with you, while maybe dampening your desire to buy, will certainly verify when you've found another instrument to take home. I've been wanting a brighter mandolin, and a scroll, to complement my SA. There are plenty of brighter mandolins out there, but nothing within my budget that would send me over he top, except I keep coming back to the Northfield F5S.

It amazes me how loud my SA is. Yes, it's good to have a first class shop or two nearby. It is not a place you want to wander into all the time though if you value your bank account.

[Bertram Henze]

If you like the instrument you're already playing, never take it to a mandolin shop with you. You're unlikely to find anything you like better and, therefore, are never likely to acqure a sufficient number of instruments to be able to call yourself "addicted".

Reminds me of that Viking saying: Never go to a feast hungry.

[Willie Poole]

Bertram, I won`t allow my wife to go grocery shopping on an empty stomach either, if I did she would come home with a huge bill..

Willie.

[SS Hedgecoke]

Glad to hear the positive comments about the Silverangels, I just ordered one of the Econo models

[Roger Moss]

When I read the title of this thread, I thought you were going to tell that old joke about the farmer with the dead cow who said "Funny, she's never done that , before."