New Lebeda

[tremolo jones]

Ok, this new job is cutting in on pickin' and postin' time. #Stupid job.

Since I have vicariously shared new mando mojo with so many of you, I wanted to return the karma. #Admittedly, this is not our first mando, but it is our first that is special. #(A very nice sounding Kelly got us into this.) #It is my first taste of the narcotic that is MAS. #Since I am not at the twelfth step like a few of you, I'll continue to "look" at other mandos, but for now this is our sweetie.

And sweet she is. #The tone is still opening on the A and E, but other than that, it is a wonderful, balanced machine. #The sound box is amazing. #Just pretend your pick is the vermouth in bone dry martini - that is all it takes. #Sustain? #Take few strokes, pause for a slow sip on that martini, chat a bit with the lovely Mrs. Jones, and you can still feel the back vibrating on your belly. #Loud? #My HD-28 shivers when Mrs. J gets this honey out. #Visually, the pictures speak for themselves.

[tremolo jones]

here's the back

[tremolo jones]

yes, that is tortoise shell binding...

[tremolo jones]

I love the way that the seams of the abalone flow through the inlay...

[tremolo jones]

ok, I'll stop gloating after this one...
Special thanks to Jeff at Mandolins.net for the photos and for turning us on to this instrument. NFI

[Jonathan James]

Great looking mando! Congrats.

[JEStanek]

Crazy Pretty wood. Congrats and enjoy it!

Jamie

[Skip Kelley]

That is one sweet looking mandolin!! Perfect woods!!

[John M. Riley]

How do the new lebedas sound? I played a couple new ones about a year or so ago and wasnt real impressed. I heard they have started making them a little different and wondered if they sounded much different...

[tremolo jones]

Traditional -
I'm too new to this to give you a reference on older Lebedas vs. newer Lebedas. Before the purchase, we played a Weber fern, a Collings MT, an Eastman F (can't remember the model) and a black Breedlove A (the Obsidian model?). I did not care for the neck on the Eastman (although now I understand that they can vary), the Collings and Breedlove were nice but lacked scroll, and the Weber was, as our British friends would say, pretty dear. The Lebeda seemed to offer the most value. The woods and the workmanship are outstanding, and the instrument is easy to play. We have had a number of more experienced players compliment the tone of the mando, including a full-time, professional, makes-a-living-being a musician fella whose regular hachet is a Heiden. Admitedly, we're all polite when we try out someone else's mando, aren't we? But the professional is a friend and he seemed sincere, as did the experienced player who helped us during the trial period. Was it as nice as the Gibson MM that CD Vest so graciously let me play??? No, but at about one fifth the price, I again conclude that the Lebeda is a real value.

Oh, and by the way, I am so over that MM. I have totally forgotten about the richness and beauty of the back, the ease with which my rookie fingers moved around it, the purity of the tone, the simple matte of the varnish...

[Burner]

Very attractive instrument. Is that top Englemann?

[Jim Broyles]

Nice mando, jonesy, but I thought you were going to change your name to "tremolo?" http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[tremolo jones]

yes, I do want to negotiate a name change. It is one of the many things on "the list" since I got a job. I do not want to reinforce bad speling on this websight.