Stan miller #31

[Russ Partain]

Here are some pictures of Stan Miller #31. #I got it new in November. #It is in the shop being tweaked and having some new parts of my preference installed. #I took a few of these pictures today. # I think it will be out of the shop on Friday. #This is Adirondack top with Sugar Maple sides. #I am having Elite ivoroid tuners, ebony Steve Smith bridge and abbreviated pickguard installed with a James tailppiece.

[Russ Partain]

Here is the Top.

[Russ Partain]

Here is the back.

[K3NTUCKI8oy]

Looks great! link or website??

[Russ Partain]

Try this. I have no monetary interst here. #I bought the mandolin because I liked the feel, tone and volume. #I thought about it overnight and I said this deal will only come around once. #

http://home.comcast.net/~ukecat/mandolin/mandos11c.html

[Andrew Lewis]

Beautiful piece! I love the colors in the burst.

[JEStanek]

Like the Altoids in the back I bet that one sounds Curiously Strong. Great looking Fern.

Jamie

[Bill Halsey]

I got to hear Jody Stecher's Stan Miller mando close-up at Old Songs last year, during his workshop. If yours sounds that good, you must be one happy player! Beautiful instrument, thanks for posting it.

[eightstrings]

did you order it or buy it from some place? i'm really interested in this......

[Russ Partain]

John Green from the Fifth String of Sacramento is a longtime friend of Stan. #Stan was building mandolins in the Bay Area of California in the 1970's. #He quit building when he persued a professional career in Washington state. #

I have bought several instruments from John Since 1999. #I was told by our mutual friend and a mandolin instructor in the shop that he would be the exclusive dealer for Stan's work. #He has retired from an accounting career,(I believe).

My mandolin was in the store and I ran across it accidentally. I liked it for a ton of reasons. #I did want to teak a few things. #This mandolin is Varnish finish, Adi top and Sugar maple back/sides. #IMO it has great tone and good midrange. #It has excellent volume and the neck suited me very well. #I jumped on the mandolin because he only had two and the fact that Stan had not built one in a long time. Several professional musicians of California notariety have had one of his mandolins. I believe John Reischman had one during the 70's time period also. Alan Bond's Mandolin link has a ton o information on Stan. Other than talking to John and Gregg, Alan Bond is my only other source of information.
Here is the link. http://home.comcast.net/~ukecat/mandolin/mandos11.html

Al Shank of the Notoriuos Shank brothers bought the other one. #My mandolin is the first serial number he made in over 30 years.

My friend said John Green had and A model with Brazilian Rosewood back and sides and one more F-5. #I got this information over lunch last Friday. #

I called Stan back before Christmas and asked him a few questions. #He said the finish is Spirit Varnish. #

John Green can be reached at
930 Alhambra Blvd # 110
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 442-8282

http://www.thefifthstring.com/about.html

Tell him Russ From South Carolina gave you this information

I hope this helps. #I will post the final pictures this weekend sometime.

[Russ Partain]

Here is a picture of #32 and Al Shank.

I better give someone else a chance to post before I bore you guys and girls.

[Mark Walker]

Curad band-aids and Altoids - 'must-haves' for all luthiers, eh? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Nice looking mandolin! I'm sure you'll enjoy it in its 'enhanced' version!

[BlueMountain]

What a beautiful fern! One of the nicest I've seen. I hope yours sounds as wonderful as mine does. http://home.comcast.net/~ukecat/mandolin/mandos14a.html

A question about the numbering. Alan Bond's Stan Miller site says that Stan made about 30 mandolins before giving away his tools in 1981, Mine doesn't have a serial number--just a place and date. But evidently he also made a few in the mid-80s. I wonder if your #31 is actually his 31st instrument, or if he started numbering from 1 at some point after 1981.

My understanding is that John Reischman has owned two Millers, the second one the 1981 that I have. I was told that Reischman owned it for 15 years. A couple weeks ago I was chatting with Chris Thile after a show (!), and when he asked what I was playing, I told him Reischman's Miller. He said he'd played it, and that it was a wonderful mandolin. Actually, it sounds a lot like the Dudenbostel Thile was playing that night. That sort of tight, focused, controlled tone.

[eightstrings]

Does anyone have any sound clips or videos of Miller F-5's? This thread and a little bit of research has got me seriously interested...

[Russ Partain]

Here are some final pics.

[Russ Partain]

Back.

[Russ Partain]

Headstock with elite ivoroid tuners

[Russ Partain]

The Back Full