Summit mandolins

[Markelberry]

just wondering if any of you own a Summit mandolin or have played? general opinions thanks Mark

[F5G WIZ]

Don't own one but met the builder at a booth in Smithville TN this year at the Fiddler's Jamboree. Real nice guy with some real nice mandolins.

[Joe Mendel]

I've owned two of them an A-100S, and an F-100. The A was a very nice instrument, I wish I could get it back, I traded it of to satisfy a case of G.A.S. The F was OK, but I never really warmed up to it. Like all makers, some you really like and some just don't do it for you. I've played many of them and liked a whole lot of them, none were bad, all were at least pretty good.

[pickinNgrinnin]

There are a couple of dealers in my area that seem to have a steady supply of Summit Mandos on hand. I've had a chance to play a quite a few over the past 3-4 years. Paul Schneider, used to work for Flatiron and Gibson before starting his own operation. I think he also used to work with Kansas Bill Davis. Paul's Mandos are usually X braced and I believe he uses Engelmann Spruce for the tops. Fit and finish work is top drawer. Excellent tone and volume from the bulk I have played. Not sure why he does not get more props around here. First class Mandos.

[Kevin K]

I've played a Summit F100 custom for four years now and love it. It's an x-braced engelman top with a amber color. I've asked alot from it over the years and it's never let me down. No problems, just a very toneful sound.

Kevin

[WJF]

One of my students has an upper end F model of his that I *really* like ... just basing my opinion on this one example but if its representative of Summit's usual quality and sound, I'd say they're a really good value ...

[goldtopper]

I have an F100 that I adore. Best bang for the buck IMHO. Workmanship is excellent, wood is beautiful
I'm using my F4 now more often as I play less bluegrass. I was going to list this mandolin on the classifieds or the dreaded fleaBay.
PM me if you are interested. Condition is nearly new, serial #222.

[Tim333]

I have owned an F100 (#295 completed in Sept of 2004) since Apr of 2005. #I have really enjoyed playing it. If you check out #Gruhn Guitars (http://www.gruhn.com) he has several in stock. #Based on my inventory search with other dealers Summit looks to be putting out a lot of new mandolins with radiused fretboards. #Mine happens to have a flat fretboard, but it plays easy. #I think Paul Schneider makes a fine instrument.

[red7flag]

I have played three Summits at Gruhn Guitar. The ones I played were very good, but none would have been one I considered buying. I have said this before, but for me, buying an instrument is like getting in a long term relationship. There has to be that something very special happen between me and the instrument. The Summits didn't do that. The MF was the last instrument I played. I hit that chop and played a few notes and went WOW. I guess that is why I walked out with the MF when I was only going into Gruhn's to pass time before going to lunch. That was one of the most expeensive lunches I have had. Back to the Summit. I liked the fit and finish. The sound was full and round. For me, just not great.
Tony

[Kevin K]

red7flag,
Your story was like mine, I went with a friend to Gruhn who was going to buy a banjo. I picked up the Summit and went WOW. I had been many places and played numerous mandolins from different builders for close to a year waiting to find the right one but just didn't find it until that day. I played that Summit mandolin for close to an hour and knew it was the one, but to make sure, I left it on the wall. Boy was I sick by the time we got home and made the call the next day to purchase it.

[red7flag]

Kevin, My WOW was for the Collings MF not the Summit. So actually our adventures were quite different, but we were at the same place. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Tony

[Kevin K]

I understand but referencing how everyone is different. The Summit wow'd me while the Collings wow'd you.

[Scott Schmidt]

I have Summit #80. It's a custom A100 model built in Kansas. It is a pretty good little mandolin. Plenty of volume and a pretty good bark. Fit and finish are nice too.

[Terry Braund]

I have a Summit F-100S #169 with upgraded flamed maple back and spruce top. I love it! I bought it very slightly used after Paul had loaned it to Jesse McReynolds for a recording session with Bobby Osborne. Jesse wrote a nice letter to Paul about how much he enjoyed playing the mando and Paul sent me the original handwritten letter signed by Jesse when I purchased the mando. The CD this Summit was play on by Jesse is "Bobby & Jesse Masters of the Mandolin".

I just wish I could play it half as good as Jesse!

[Kevin K]

Cool story Kinyo.

[Taube Marks]

I have had an unassuming lloking A with F holes for about five years (if you want specifics I'll look up the serial number tonight). But I think it was made in 2001. I had notintention of buying another mandolin after my Gibson A4 (little did I know about MAS in those days), but one evening George Gruhn telephoned me (here in the UK) and said he had a "very plain looking A mandolin, a Summit", that he thought was really superb...so good he had taken it home and played for three or four hours himself. At the time I had been grousing that sometimes I felt the A4 was overpowered by the seven or eight banjo honchos in our session (familiar story?).

George quoted a price, and I said send it. I have never been sorry that I bought the Summit A, and I doubt that I would ever sell it. It had good tone from day one, though one or two mando maven/builders at Sore Fingers (a UK blugrass and old time camp) thought the treble a little harsh. Sure does not sound like that now.

We do not always get to play a lot of high end mandolin this way, but it stands up well against some of the better Czech (EK springs to mind), and the F holes give it good projection.

Taube