View Full Version : Supreme MAS: Which Would You Pick? Top Three?
Al Trujillo
May-22-2018, 11:14am
The Fiddlers Green Music Shop has a site with videos of their mandolins and after reviewing them here are my top three:
1. Pava F5 Pro
2. Ellis F5 Deluxe
3. 99' Weber Bitterroot F5
There are a couple other that intrigue me, of course. :)
Link to website: http://www.fiddlersgreenmusicshop.com/videos
Out of those 3 it would probably be the Ellis but there were a lot of beautiful choices and out of all of them it would be the 2004 Gibson F5G For me :mandosmiley:
Jess L.
May-22-2018, 12:01pm
I listened to all of the videos but there were only 2 of the mandolin-family instruments that 'spoke' to me:
1936 Gibson A1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZVArBQnSWc
(or direct link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZVArBQnSWc))
and a 1993 Flatiron bouzouki:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIP3Z7nKabU
(or direct link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIP3Z7nKabU))
Neither of which I'm salivating over, as such things are no longer in my price range, but I still appreciate the sound. :)
(Most of the other mandolins on that page just sounded, I dunno, shrill or something. Might be my ears.)
Oh, and for what it's worth, for purposes of testing, I clicked on the videos without wearing my eyeglasses (which are necessary to read text that's more than about 8 inches away) so I couldn't read the videos' text or descriptions - so I wasn't influenced by brands/names. Figured that would help reduce any bias based on names/models/years etc.
sgarrity
May-22-2018, 12:20pm
Give me that Mike Black oval!
Em Tee
May-22-2018, 12:21pm
All three of 'em are excellent, but I think I'm leaning towards the ellis. I think the ellis and weber are the front runners though, as the ellis and pava have a similar tone to my ears. Really just down to signature sound I think. Which do you prefer?
Eric F.
May-22-2018, 12:29pm
Give me that Mike Black oval!
Plus one on that.
Al Trujillo
May-22-2018, 12:33pm
All three of 'em are excellent, but I think I'm leaning towards the ellis. I think the ellis and weber are the front runners though, as the ellis and pava have a similar tone to my ears. Really just down to signature sound I think. Which do you prefer?
I'd probably go with the Weber Bitterroot just because at $2,400 its $4,600 less than the Pava...and I think I'd be happy with it. They don't have a video posted of it but they have a Weber Bighorn I'd consider, simply because I've got a thing for two-points.
yankees1
May-22-2018, 12:43pm
Always Ellis !
MikeZito
May-22-2018, 3:01pm
Upon quick review . . .
- 1918 Gibson F2 . . . in first place
- Collings MF
- Weber Yellowstone Distressed F-5
- Gibson F-5G . . . all tied for 2nd and 3rd.
Trav'linmando
May-22-2018, 3:29pm
Give me that Mike Black oval!
+1 for me also. I seem to have a thing for ovals. If I had to choose one of the 3 the OP mentioned, then the Pava gets my vote.
pheffernan
May-22-2018, 7:40pm
I'd like to have a go on that Passernig mandola!
Denny Gies
May-22-2018, 7:50pm
None of the three. I'd call Randy Wood and see if he could make you an F 5.
Upis Land
May-22-2018, 10:07pm
Supreme MAS?
In that case I would say you are less than a Texas day's drive to try playing them in person. Or you could go the other direction and try some in Surprise, AZ.
Or if you want to stick to your original 3 (you didn't think you could get people to do that did you?) just buy all 3, play them for 6 months and sell the two you least prefer.
See, now maybe you don't have supreme MAS after all. Maybe you just have MAS.
nickster
May-22-2018, 10:23pm
If money isn't an issue, I would choose the Ellis F5. I've played several of them and they were all fantastic mandolins.
Em Tee
May-22-2018, 10:57pm
Upon quick review . . .
- 1918 Gibson F2 . . . in first place
- Collings MF
- Weber Yellowstone Distressed F-5
- Gibson F-5G . . . all tied for 2nd and 3rd.
I was impressed with that Weber Yellowstone as well, and I don't usually like Webers (just not into the Weber sound).
Jess L.
May-23-2018, 7:17am
Out of those 3 ...
All three of 'em are excellent, ...
... If I had to choose one of the 3 the OP mentioned, ...
None of the three. ...
... if you want to stick to your original 3 (you didn't think you could get people to do that did you?) ...
I didn't think we were supposed to only consider the OP's choice of top 3. :confused: I thought the OP's question meant to go to that other page and listen to all those videos and then choose our own Top Three.
I did *not* get the impression that the OP wanted us to select a favorite from among the 3 that the OP had already selected, even though I see that other posters have interpreted it that way.
Maybe I read it wrong.
Language can be a strange thing - it's supposed to facilitate communication, but as often as not it just seems to create confusion when there are different interpretations of the same passages. :confused:
Al Trujillo
May-23-2018, 8:34am
I didn't think we were supposed to only consider the OP's choice of top 3. :confused: I thought the OP's question meant to go to that other page and listen to all those videos and then choose our own Top Three.
I did *not* get the impression that the OP wanted us to select a favorite from among the 3 that the OP had already selected, even though I see that other posters have interpreted it that way.
Maybe I read it wrong.
Language can be a strange thing - it's supposed to facilitate communication, but as often as not it just seems to create confusion when there are different interpretations of the same passages. :confused:
OP here....
The three listed were my favorites but I threw this out there to see what others liked in this group. An exercise in fun...thats all.
:)
Mark Seale
May-23-2018, 12:16pm
Easy, as I've had the privilege to play a lot of the instruments on the video list. The 2009 Collings MT2 Blacktop was a stunning instrument easily worth the asking price and by far my favorite instrument I've played in the shop. I wish I knew where it went...
The Passernig A model was also exceptional.
Josh Levine
May-23-2018, 12:47pm
Ben sure can pick. Love his style. He makes em all sound great.
Al Trujillo
May-23-2018, 1:21pm
Easy, as I've had the privilege to play a lot of the instruments on the video list. The 2009 Collings MT2 Blacktop was a stunning instrument easily worth the asking price and by far my favorite instrument I've played in the shop. I wish I knew where it went...
The Passernig A model was also exceptional.
The fun in this tread has been to go back to the website and take a closer look at those selected by others. Yup, that '09 Collings MT2, and the Mike Black A2Z as well, are fine instruments.
MandoAblyss
May-24-2018, 10:12am
I guess it has gone without saying, so I'll say it : ) -- what a fantastic resource is Fiddler's Green! Compelling inventory, detailed descriptions and pictures, many video sound samples. All you left out was the staff (hey Ben!), wonderful folks who are friendly and honest and a pleasure to deal with.
Oh yeah, I bought my Ellis F5 from them last summer and it has been a many-times-daily delight ever since, sold two equivalent quality mandolins because I need only the Ellis, stunning materials and workmanship and the sound I was always looking for.
As fabulous as is Fiddler's Green, Music Emporium and Mandolin Store, just to name two more real places with great websites, also have strong mandolin inventory and descriptions and lots of videos. And Carter Vintage! I'll stop now, bound to leave out someone's equally-deserving favorite. But we are blessed to have the web for deep virtual exploration and extensive pre-purchase research should we be so lucky.