View Full Version : How to ignore the classifieds
Br1ck
Aug-01-2018, 11:37am
For a good while now I've looked at the classifieds every day. Yesterday I realized I had not looked at them for three whole days. My secret? If you have a new mandolin, you obcessed over it, and you are so eager to see responses to your questions you ignore the classifieds. So buy a mandolin every fourth day and it reduces your classifieds exposure by 75%. Pretty effective.
Mark Wilson
Aug-01-2018, 12:46pm
Yesterday I realized I had not looked at them for three whole days.
3 whole days? Ok - here's some highlights of what you've missed:
nice Eastman F5 (https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/127539#127539)
Northfield F5 (https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/127498#127498)
Collings MF (https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/127513#127513)
Passernig Mandola (my favorite) (https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/127538#127538)
Passernig F5 (https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/127459#127459)
We're here for you anytime you need it :mandosmiley:
Having bought several things that were advertised on the classifieds, I would say that there is an inverse relationship between time spent perusing the classifieds and my bank balance. As my time goes up, my bank balance goes down. :disbelief:
pheffernan
Aug-01-2018, 4:05pm
Passernig Mandola (my favorite) (https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/127538#127538)
Passernig F5 (https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/127459#127459)
Do you have something against two-points? :whistling:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/126857#126857
DHopkins
Aug-01-2018, 9:06pm
I just spent a small chunk on a new f-style octave. Eddie Blevins gave me a good deal but it still depleted my "Mandolin Fund" to the point that my MAS has gone into remission (temporary, I'm sure). That being said, it's a great OM and I love it. It's worth every penny.
So buy a mandolin every fourth day and it reduces your classifieds exposure by 75%. Pretty effective.
I've also found this to be an effective method to avoid the issue of changing mandolin strings.
Luna Pick
Aug-01-2018, 10:14pm
Strange for me to admit this after the many mandolins I've owned, but I've become so happy with my mandolins that the classifieds are at most only an occasional curiosity. Really don't know what I'd be interested in. YMMV.
Br1ck
Aug-02-2018, 12:08pm
Thing is, you can think you're going to be happy with what you have forever,then one day.....
I think I've reached the point with guitars where I've found the sound. But if I found a screaming deal on a banner Gibson, well....
A friend just bought a $6000 guitar. Just beautiful, but I sent him back a picture of what I'd buy with that kind of dough, a beat up old J 45 or LG2.
NursingDaBlues
Aug-02-2018, 1:29pm
Thing is, you can think you're going to be happy with what you have forever,then one day..... I think I've reached the point with guitars where I've found the sound. But if I found a screaming deal on a banner Gibson, well....
It's been said, you don't find the instrument; the instrument finds you.
soliver
Aug-02-2018, 5:20pm
Saving up myself!... almost there!
But I can help myself... in fact I'm gonna click over to the Classifieds right now!
soliver
Aug-02-2018, 5:29pm
And here's the little gem that I found... this looks stunning:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/127585#127585
Em Tee
Aug-02-2018, 7:25pm
I'm gonna take a swing at this in an honest way but I cure mas by using my kentucky as my main mando. Then a couple times a week I pull out the pava and get that satisfaction of being blown away by the difference. Really helps to keep me from wanting to upgrade to a 6k ellis i will never be able to afford. lol
pheffernan
Aug-03-2018, 9:36am
And here's the little gem that I found... this looks stunning:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/127585#127585
What a deal, too. I know that you weren't knocked out by the Flatiron, but that little Poe Scout looks great too:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/127598#127598
Really helps to keep me from wanting to upgrade to a 6k ellis i will never be able to afford. lol
Having owned a Pava, I found that I did not need to spend in the $6K range in order to upgrade. :whistling:
Em Tee
Aug-03-2018, 10:42am
Having owned a Pava, I found that I did not need to spend in the $6K range in order to upgrade. :whistling:
To each their own! I appreciate the bass response of my pava and think it sounds pretty dang excellent.
What do you think is an appropriate step up from a pava that won't break the bank like an ellis?
Mark Wilson
Aug-03-2018, 11:21am
What do you think is an appropriate step up from a pava that won't break the bank like an ellis?
After 2 years and some worn frets on my new Pava, my wishlist for upgrade included:
(1) Improved E & G string performance. My Pava's A & D were fierce but noticeably stronger than it's G & E
(2) James tailpiece, fully bound, and a varnish finish
Em Tee
Aug-03-2018, 11:26am
Does binding impact the tone of a mandolin or is it more about the physical integrity of the instrument?
Pretty sure pava's come stock with a james tailpiece now; mine did.
pheffernan
Aug-03-2018, 11:44am
To each their own! I appreciate the bass response of my pava and think it sounds pretty dang excellent.
My comment was not intended as a criticism of Pava mandolins. I was very excited about the opportunity to buy an Ellis shop creation at a more modest price point and greedily pounced on the first one that I saw offered used at standard depreciation. Like you, I enjoyed the darker tonality and its complexity. It wasn't the loudest mandolin that I've owned, however, and the neck profile was a bit fuller in the shoulders than I typically prefer. Still, if it was the only mandolin that I'd ever own, it would have more than met my needs and still exceeded my abilities.
What do you think is an appropriate step up from a pava that won't break the bank like an ellis?
It's probably clear from my signature that I'm a fan of mandolins from independent luthiers, and some builders who for whatever reason remain a bit under the radar offer tremendous value. I first experienced this phenomenon when I acquired my Hester A5. Better and more experienced players have lauded Gail's work, saying that it stands up to the Gibson originals and belongs among the top tier of today's builders. But for whatever reason -- perhaps low output? -- her name isn't mentioned as often as Gilchrist or Kemnitzer and her prices haven't climbed into that territory. Another favorite is Stefan Passernig who, like Pava Knezevic, worked at Collings and is building currently out of Austin. Stefan seemingly does nothing in the way of self-promotion -- he maintains no website and as far as I know does not accept orders -- and as a result his instruments typically swing way above their weight class. I liked one of his A5's so much that I grabbed one of his F5's when a bargain hit the classifieds. A final recommendation would be Mike Black, who builds his ovals and A5's in the old Gibson way. I asked Mike to build my first custom order, a blacktop A2-z with a Virzi, and subsequently acquired one of his GBOM's when it became available. Now I will admit that I have never played an Ellis A5, or others that I think of in that territory like a Kimble or a Duff, but I have kept these independent builds while moving the Pava along to a new home. I would also note that each of them was purchased used for roughly the same amount of money as a new Pava except for the Black A2-z, which still hit that price point as a new custom build.
Em Tee
Aug-03-2018, 11:56am
I've not heard of Hester before. Would you mind posting some audio of your mandolin?
pheffernan
Aug-03-2018, 12:06pm
I've not heard of Hester before. Would you mind posting some audio of your mandolin?
Consider visiting, or perhaps joining, the Hester social group:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/group.php?groupid=304
I've posted seven videos of Gail's instruments in action there, all in hands far more able than mine.
It also might interest you to know that Gail (along with Pava Knezevic, Laura Ratcliff, Stephanie Reiser and Lauri Girouard among others) is one of the few women actively building mandolins.
Em Tee
Aug-03-2018, 12:25pm
Is Laura Ratcliff still building?? For some reason I thought she was not.
I have never heard of Stephanie Reiser. What brand of mandolins does she build?
pheffernan
Aug-03-2018, 1:09pm
Is Laura Ratcliff still building?? For some reason I thought she was not.
You might be right. I felt like I saw a new instrument from her in the last year or so, but it might have been a used one like the A5 that sold through Bernunzio's and is now available on Reverb.
https://reverb.com/item/9722247-laura-ratcliff-silverangel-a-laura-ratcliff
I have never heard of Stephanie Reiser. What brand of mandolins does she build?
I think that she has built under her own name, including violins and cellos.
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/member.php?6735-Stephanie-Reiser
I think once you have something like a Pava, you look to augment rather than upgrade. I just did a comparison this morning in the Builders forum. Compared a Pava to my Arches kit build.
What a Pava does is heavenly, but there is a valid reason to have multiple flavors.
I've avoided playing an Ellis. Don't want to know. I'm sure I'll break down at some point.
To get a real good variety, I fear you need to go to Nashville, and if you do that, it would be a shame not to buy something. Really getting one body to Nashville is cheaper than shipping a dozen mandolins back and forth. And how did this thread about avoiding the classifieds devolve into a roadtrip to Nashville?
Mark Wilson
Aug-03-2018, 1:28pm
Does binding impact the tone of a mandolin or is it more about the physical integrity of the instrument?I wanted full binding cuz I like the way it looks.
Em Tee
Aug-03-2018, 1:42pm
To get a real good variety, I fear you need to go to Nashville, and if you do that, it would be a shame not to buy something. Really getting one body to Nashville is cheaper than shipping a dozen mandolins back and forth. And how did this thread about avoiding the classifieds devolve into a roadtrip to Nashville?
We're like mandolin addicts and rather than suggesting ways to kick the habit we recommend the good s@$t you should try next.
No Mandolin Addicts Anonymous here. lol
Bill Bradshaw
Aug-03-2018, 6:39pm
Not that anybody asked me, but a Kimble would do it. Sorry, oral FI. Bill
Bill Bradshaw
Aug-03-2018, 6:40pm
meant to say "total financial interest"
Binding is functional in that it protects the edges from chips and dents. It is glued into an area with little sonic impact. The top starts vibrating a bit inboard from the edge. Structurally, you remove wood, but replace it with the binding.
Bertram Henze
Aug-04-2018, 1:21am
I just never look into classified, nossir.
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/superfanon/images/f/f6/Classified-Stamp.png/revision/latest?cb=20170817222057
MikeZito
Aug-04-2018, 8:48am
I have PROMISED myself that I will not look at the classifieds again, until I can get at least some work as a mandolin player . . . so it may be a LOOOOOONG time before I look again.
LadysSolo
Aug-04-2018, 10:07am
I no longer have MAS due to owning my "forever" mandolins now, but I still look at the classifieds almost every day because I like to look at "eye candy." I like to look, no desire to buy....
Br1ck
Aug-04-2018, 12:23pm
I have PROMISED myself that I will not look at the classifieds again, until I can get at least some work as a mandolin player . . . so it may be a LOOOOOONG time before I look again.
I'll send you a dollar if you send me a 30 second sound bite. There now, wasn't that easy?
MikeZito
Aug-04-2018, 1:15pm
I'll send you a dollar if you send me a 30 second sound bite. There now, wasn't that easy?
I was hoping for more than 30 seconds of work - but then again, considering my level of mandolin skill, 30 seconds might only be as much work as I could get away with . . . .