View Full Version : Red Diamond A-style
mando_toss_flycoon
Jun-14-2006, 10:43pm
I've had this mandolin a few months now. I like it a lot. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif
Antlurz
Jun-14-2006, 10:48pm
I can see why! Beautiful Instrument!
Ron
mandoforme
Jun-14-2006, 10:50pm
Very nice!
B. T. Walker
Jun-15-2006, 12:26am
Shoot, I bet you do. Nice looking mando.
Soupy1957
Jun-15-2006, 5:02am
Personally, I've been strugglin with the issue of the "A style" body. "Issue" you say? Yea for me it is. I've been completely sold on the "F" bodied Mandolins, but I admit the price IS lower for the "A" body, (You can get a heck of an "A" bodied Mandolin for the thousand you've been savin up for an "F" model!).
What are your thoughts on the Morgan-Munroe models? Less money! Good sound? Stay in tune? Durability?
-Soupy1957
barricwiley
Jun-15-2006, 6:06am
Or, If you need to go pack rim, I would say go for an Eastman.
Morgan Monroe? Been there done that, Eastman.
Richard
JEStanek
Jun-15-2006, 9:46am
My Eastman has better fit and finish than my Morgan Monroe and also has better sound, perhaps b/c the Eastman is hand carved (better tolerance and accuracy in plate thickness) and has a thinner spirit varnish than the Morgan Monroe heavy lacquer finish. #Your milage may vary. #
Look at the photos of the Eastman plant from the cafe front page link about the baby adoption. #
The higher end Morgan Monroe's (prettier mandos) cost similar to the 600 series Eastmans. #I would go with the Eastman based on tone. #
For the same $1200 for a 615 or 614 Eastman you could get a vary nice used A style Rigel, Oldwave, vintage or newer Gibson. There are so many good options once you're willing to /can afford to break the $1000 mark. #
Those Morgan Monroes are close to it anyway. #10 years later you won't regret buying all the mando you can hold out to afford.
Jamie
Lane Pryce
Jun-15-2006, 10:36am
Very nice Red Diamond A. I'll bet its a cannon too. Lp
Kinda looks like the old Flattys --- lp
JEStanek
Jun-15-2006, 1:23pm
By the way... That Red Diamond is a beautiful mandolin. Is that a James tailpiece or does it ha ve trad one with an engraved border?
Jamie
Eric F.
Jun-15-2006, 3:46pm
Man, Don makes nice-looking and sounding mandolins. Very, very few mandolins get my MAS going these days, but his always do. Congrats!
mando_toss_flycoon
Jun-15-2006, 5:47pm
Thanks, guys. Jamie, the tailpiece is something worked up by Don MacRostie, the Red Diamond maker. It's a traditional-looking tailpiece that he engraved. He put an hidden hinge along the right-hand side of the tailpiece so that it opens like a book and snaps closed. He added a couple of strips of cork in there to dampen the strings. I'm happy with the tailpiece.
Sorry I don't have a closeup photo of that, but here's one I took of the headstock.
Jonathan James
Jun-15-2006, 6:49pm
That inlay is nice and Nuggety.
I would suggest affixing the strap bt. tuner rows 2 and 4.
mando_toss_flycoon
Jun-15-2006, 7:43pm
AlanN,
Why is that?
Thanks,
Mando_toss
Antlurz
Jun-16-2006, 1:44am
What are the top worm tuners? Shaller?
Ron
mando_toss_flycoon
Jun-16-2006, 5:35am
>>>What are the top worm tuners? Shaller?
Yes
MFT,
If it were me, I'd loop the strap bt. rows 2 and 3 or 3 and 4 - under the strings.
(1) Keeps the strap more out of the way,
(2) Better balance,
(3) Less stress on the slim nut area.
Lovely mando, btw.
Jerry Byers
Jun-16-2006, 6:39am
I would think the opposite. Both locations are going to exert some perpendicular force to the axis of the neck. However, the farther that you move from the nut, the greater the potential of a rotational force and leverage exerted at the fulcrum point, or the nut.
From the first picture, it appears to be an elevated fretboard. I would suggest taking advantage of that and loop it there.
Darren Kern
Jun-16-2006, 8:20am
To me seeing Don's work gives more credibility to his Stew-Mac videos, since he can most certainly practice what he preaches. Very very nice mandolin.
Larry Simonson
Jun-16-2006, 3:12pm
That indeed is a great looking and sounding instrument mando_toss_flycoon. (I know cause you brought it down to my house a month or so ago). My own Red Diamond A has gotten raves on many occasions at picking parties and festivals. Don sure deserves star billing in the luthier ranks. Lets get together again soon. -L
Kevin Briggs
Jun-18-2006, 5:39am
Re: Morgan Monroe
I owned a $300 Alvarez A style, the A-100. I upgraded to a Morgan Monroe MMS-2, but there really was very little difference. In fact, the Alvarez played a little easier.
I recently played a MMS-3 that sounded pretty darn good. The tone really jumped right off the strings. It was not a great sound, but, as I said, it was pretty darn good. I woulnd't mind owning that one as my beater mandolin.
I agree that the Eastman is the best deal in a under $1,000 mandolin. I personally love those Eastman two points.
I also agree that you will be happier in the long run if you shell out the bigger bucks for a good American mandolin. For example, you can get a good A style with F holes from Weber, Breedlove, or a number of indepedent luthiers for under $2,000. Then there's the ol' Collings MT that lots of people rave about.
A better instrument is a better investment mostly because it will help you become a better player. I struggled with tuning and low volume with my Morgan Monroe and Alvarez, but when I got my Breedlove Spirit, man what a difference. It had the same effect as when I upgraded from a Takamine acoustic guitar to my Martin HD-28. I suddenly was able to do things a lot easier, because the tone was so superior.
Of course, once that experience was out of the way and I spent a bunch of minutes and hours practicing because I loved my new instrument, I got to be a better player (still sucky). Now, I can get a satisfactory tone out of most mandolins I play, but nothing compares to my Weber, simply because it was made with a lot of care and passion, and because I am so used to it.
Dfyngravity
Jun-18-2006, 9:23am
Don makes an absolutely awesome mandolin. I have yet to play a mandolin that I like better. Don is definitely doing it right and has been for a while. The Vintage is on my wish list, but for now I'll keep plugging away on my RD F5.
BTW....that A5 is stunning! I've always wanted to play an A5 of Don's
Lane Pryce
Jun-18-2006, 10:42am
From the first picture, it appears to be an elevated fretboard. I would suggest taking advantage of that and loop it there.
Attaching the strap around the neck works very well on my Mowry A. The instrument is suspended confortably too. Lp
Kevin Briggs
Jun-18-2006, 11:23am
How much do the Red Diamonads run? I couldn't find prices on the website.
Thanks
mando_toss_flycoon
Jun-18-2006, 8:49pm
Newtonamic: Thanks for your note. Just now I sent you an email off-line. (Aside to other readers -- Newtonamic gave me some very helpful information about his Red Diamond experience before I went ahead and bought mine. And I had the pleasure of playing mandolin with Newtonamic shortly after my own mandolin arrived.)
Ratherbpickin: Sorry--I don't know what Don M.'s F-styles go for. He told me a while back that he isn't currently making the A-styles because he's concentrating on the "Vintage" F-style mandolins that Dfyngravity mentioned.
m_t_flycoon