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graeme: brothercrow
Feb-21-2007, 12:09pm
Hi folks, first time poster here...

Some pictures of my new Capek A4 Exclusive (Serial #338 - built December 2006). I bought it from The Acoustic Music Company (TAMCO), Brighton, England.

http://www.brothercrow.co.uk/instruments/media/capek_338.jpg

Thanks to the guys at TAMCO (John Pickard and Trevor Moyle) for their help. They fitted the instrument with a Mcintyre MF-200 Acoustic Feather pickup, though to be honest, I usually mic up with an AKG c1000s...the Feather is only for noisy venues!

I tried a number of instruments at the shop - Capeks, Lebedas, Webers etc., and this is the one that "did it" for me...it plays like a dream, very smooth all the way up the kneck, and has tone and volume to die for...particularly the bass end.

Doug Edwards
Feb-21-2007, 12:32pm
Very nice! Lots of good thing working on this one. Great matching flame on the back, nice even burst, cool headstock, and I love block position markers.

Are the tuner buttons MOP?

graeme: brothercrow
Feb-21-2007, 12:55pm
You know what, I'm not actually sure - I didn't think to ask...I wouldn't have thought so, but the colouring is very close, and there's no mould lines, so if you know of a surefire way to tell...

The block position markers weren't something I expected to like in a mandolin, I thought it might be a little OTT, though I do like them in guitars (I play a Gibson SG). In the flesh though, they look really special and the fretboard seems smoother to me when playing. It helps with those long slides...

Doug Edwards
Feb-21-2007, 1:07pm
No mold lines is a good start. When you compare to simulated buttons the MOP really shines out. They have more light reflecting properties. Other than that I have no clue.

graeme: brothercrow
Feb-21-2007, 2:00pm
Well, judging by the difficulties I've had getting a photograph of the headstock without being blinded by reflections from the tuners, it may well be MOP !!!

Fliss
Feb-21-2007, 5:27pm
Welcome to the forum! And congrats on your new mando. Have you only just bought that, i.e. within the past week or so? If so, I think I tried it when I visited Tamco a week and a half ago. The tone is incredible, I remember picking it up, playing a couple of notes and just going "wow!"

Fliss

graeme: brothercrow
Feb-21-2007, 6:14pm
I bought it on Friday 2nd February and left it to have a pickup fitted. I received it on Wednesday 7th February. TAMCO had two Capek A4 Exclusives in stock when I visited, and there was absolutely nothing to choose between them tonewise.

The one I bought had the extended fretboard, the other didn't...that was all there was to it in choosing. I would guess, from the timing of your visit that you played the other. It had a Sept 06 date inside if that helps.

I went to buy one of the A4 Basics they had in stock...the tone (and, to a lesser degree, the look) of the Exclusive was worth the extra cash, at least to my ears. Well happy.

It's getting it's first gig tomorrow!!!

Fliss
Feb-22-2007, 2:41am
It must have been the other one I tried then, I was down there on 10th Feb. If yours has the same tone I'm not surprised you're well happy http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Enjoy the gig!

Fliss

sean cannon
Apr-30-2012, 12:51pm
graeme im from crook in county durham and was wondering if you have any tab for either of your albums it was your hollow hills which inspired me to take up mandolin cheers

Bill Snyder
Apr-30-2012, 10:45pm
Sean, according to graeme's profile he last logged in about 5 years ago so you might not be getting a response.

sean cannon
May-03-2012, 1:12pm
yes ive just noticed thanks Bill