View Full Version : Poe f-4 complete.
My new Poe F-4 was finally done yesterday. Andy was kind enough to send me these pics to keep me going until next week's delivery.
Russ Partain
Jun-14-2007, 7:39pm
It looks like a realy faithful reproduction. I would say he got the pickguard looking pretty good too. Great details and coloring. The wood has great flame.
Steve Cantrell
Jun-14-2007, 8:15pm
Wow, Barry. Makes me itchy for sure. Mine isn't far behind. It looks great. I hope you can post some sound clips when you get it. You must be chomping at the bit.
Nice mandolin. The only thing that I don't like about F4's are the rudder sized pickguards. Is there a reason so many of them extend all the way to the bridge?
JEStanek
Jun-14-2007, 8:32pm
Wow, that is an excellent example of a faithful reproduction. Better looking, in fact, than many originals. Fine woods, exquisite detail... Congrats to you and Andy on this one.
Jamie
Chris Biorkman
Jun-14-2007, 8:43pm
Very nice!
cooper4205
Jun-14-2007, 8:45pm
wow! i really don't like you Barry, its just not fair for one man to have a mandolin that nice http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
jasona
Jun-14-2007, 9:18pm
Nice mandolin. The only thing that I don't like about F4's are the rudder sized pickguards. Is there a reason so many of them extend all the way to the bridge?
Yes those old ones attached to the bridge via a pin.
Looks like a real Gibby, except a better flowerpot! That blue abalone makes it sparkle!
Crowder
Jun-14-2007, 9:20pm
Very nice.
bones12
Jun-14-2007, 9:28pm
What a fine looking F4- it has all the grace and curves of my F4s. The finish looks beautiful. Congratulations. Doug in Vermont
Kevin Briggs
Jun-14-2007, 9:38pm
I've always liked Andy's work. His price point is so reasonable too. He's clearly making his way to the top of the mandolin world.
I love the way Andy's finish brings out the grains on the top of your mandolin. There are few things more visually pleasing than beautfiul mandolin wood..: my wife's smile, my daughter's beautiful face. That's about it!
eightstrings
Jun-14-2007, 9:44pm
poe is on my list of builders for a potential future f-5. the back on your f-4 is absolutely awesome!
F5G WIZ
Jun-15-2007, 2:35am
Barry, looks great! Wow, bet you are really gettin' hyped now! Very nice reproduction of the original. Hope to get to see it someday.
Mark Walker
Jun-15-2007, 7:17am
Beautious! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Enjoy!
B. T. Walker
Jun-15-2007, 8:14am
Help! MAS is striking again! That mando is stunning. Congrats.
sgarrity
Jun-15-2007, 8:28am
I wanna play one of these so bad I can't stand it!
Steve Cantrell
Jun-15-2007, 4:23pm
They play as good as they look, Shaun. I played an early Driftwood that was enough to make me place my order. If experience brings more skill, then my F-5 should peel my eyelids back.
F5G WIZ
Jun-15-2007, 4:32pm
Hey Steve, where's your in progress pictures? How far out are you? Still getting the same color as that Red Diamond?
Darrin
Steve Cantrell
Jun-15-2007, 4:36pm
That's the plan Darrin. I've asked for a traditional look and judging by that F-4 it shouldn'tbe a problem. I talked to Andy last week and he was going to be getting binding and inlay done, so I'm waiting for some pics right now. The time is growing short...or long, depending on how you look at it.
Dean Henderson
Jun-21-2007, 11:48am
That's the plan Darrin. I've asked for a traditional look and judging by that F-4 it shouldn'tbe a problem. I talked to Andy last week and he was going to be getting binding and inlay done, so I'm waiting for some pics right now. The time is growing short...or long, depending on how you look at it.
<span style='font-family:comic sans ms'><span style='font-size:10pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:navy'>Hey Steve,
It's been awhile. #I heard from Andy last week, just wanting to confirm the details on Poe #15. #It was good to get an update. #Sounds like you're a bit closer than me, but I think we're right on schedule.
Dean</span></span></span>
Steve Cantrell
Jun-21-2007, 11:53am
Hi Dean. Yeah, I've been getting itchy too. I heard from him by email yesterday and it sounds like things are on schedule. I started to restring my beater yesterday and decided I'd tough it out on my rapidly-greening ones. Hopefully I'll haver a brand new set--with mando included, very soon. I'll post pics as soon as he passes them along.
sean parker
Jun-24-2007, 4:22am
barry, steve & road dog - can you tell me more about poe mandolins? it was the photos of barry's F4 that led me to poe's site and was floored. now, i'm thinking of ordering one, maybe a mandola. i've contacted andy and the wait time is about a year. what's your experience been like? thanks.
One of Andy's earlier mandolins " Driftwood # 19 " is for sale on E-bay right now if anyone doesn't want to wait.
Steve Cantrell
Jun-24-2007, 5:57pm
That's a nice-looking two-point. Sean, Andy has been great to work with so far and I recommend him. He has taken all of my input graciously and given good opinions on what I should and shouldn't do. A good guy.
atetone
Jun-24-2007, 9:48pm
Andy used to build under the name Driftwood Mandolins.
The website is still up and running. Look in the Gallery section of the site to see some great pictures.
I have Driftwood #22 and it is a great piece of work.
Andy is a good guy to talk to also.
sean parker
Jun-25-2007, 7:27am
steve, thanks. what are you having built?
atetone, your driftwood #22 is mighty fine. what is that bridge? i'm rather fond of 2 points. how does yours sound, and why exactly did you choose the oval hole over the F hole for the 2 point? andy poe's 2 point on his site was the final blow
http://www.poetone.com/Photos/0011/Poe__011_web_-_3.jpg
it just killed me. you know from my other posting, i am debating whether to get an early gibson A or not. i'm thinking now, that'd like to spend less on a mandolin and spend more on a poe mandola.
MandoSquirrel
Jun-25-2007, 3:48pm
2Point on the bay now:
<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Beautiful-Two-Point-Driftwood-Mandolin-Like-Gibson-A5_W0QQitemZ180133303528QQihZ008QQcateg
oryZ10179QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem" target="_blank">2 point Driftwood</a>
atetone
Jun-25-2007, 9:16pm
Sean, the bridge on my Driftwood on the site is an ebony base with bone saddle.
I actually have an ebony saddle on it right now (which Andy supplied) but I still have the bone saddle. I can't remember why I took it off,,, probably just to try the ebony one and then didn't bother to change back.
I chose the oval hole because I had some nice A style F hole models and I like oval holed mandos sound but didn't have a long necked version so I had to try it out. It truly is a great piece of workmanship.
Every mandolin I have has a different sound and I am not very good at describing sound/tone.
The best I can say is that it has a sweet, full, oval type tone but does not have a great deal of the "tubby" sound of the old Gibsons.
The bass notes have good separation and clarity to them and don't get as muddled as some oval hole mandolins.
It is a very nice mandolin.
Chris Cantergiani
Jun-26-2007, 6:41am
Dang, dude! That looks mighty sweet.
So... is it in your hands now?
How about a review?
Oh yeah! #Mando was delivered last Wednesday. #I have been intending to post a review. #But with a busy work schedule and a family, I've used any free time to play it instead of write about it.
As I mentioned, this instrument was inspired by Compton's Gil F4. #I wanted a copy of a Loar-era F4 with a few modern touches. #The top is red spruce, back and sides are sugar maple, and the neck is also sugar maple like the Gil. (This is really the modern touch to which I was referring as most of the old F4s still had mahogany necks.) #The maple neck gives it the different character. #As Compton is quoted as saying< "It's a 4 that thinks it's a 5".
Andy took measurements from a Loar era truss-rodded F4 and I sent him what I consider an exceptionally good sounding snakehead Ajr. just to shake things up a bit. He used it to cross-reference and average some of the graduations he measured with a Hacklinger guage. #I had also requested that the neck profile be similar to the A jr.
Let me just say. #Andy nailed it! #It came out even better than I expected. #Two months ago, I had a moment to sit down and play Compton's F4. #I had played it when it was about 4 months old a few years back. #Now I played it after a few years later knowing this mando was being delivered in the near future. #I was very careful to "download" it into my cerebral data base. #This Poe is close. #Real close. #Maybe even a bit more open than the Gil when it was new. #Workmanship is beautiful. #Finish is flawless to my eye (and I'm pretty picky). #Playability is top notch. #Andy really listened to what I wanted and delivered.
This order sort of took Andy out a bit from what he was doing. #I really wanted what could almost be considered a bench copy and he accomodated. #Fine work and top notch customer service.
sean parker
Jun-26-2007, 7:31am
well barry, i'm sold on andy poe's work. you've got a great mandolin there and sounds like it was a great experience having it made. when i've decided whether to get a mandolin or mandola, i'm getting one made. once again, lovely mandolin.
atetone, long neck? what's the difference in scale between the two?
Sean Parker asked....
atetone, long neck? what's the difference in scale between the two?
If I may answer...
The scale length is the same. It's just a matter of where the neck joins the body. This F4 was made in the same style as the old Gibsons with a "short neck". Same as Compton's Gilchrist. The binding line meets the neck at the 12th fret. This, as opposed to an F5 style neck that joins the body at the 15th fret.
But, once again, the scale lengths are identical. It's just a question of where the bridge gets positioned on the top.
Steve-o
Jun-26-2007, 6:52pm
Hey Barry, that's an exquisite F4 - congrats. I'm glad to hear that you are pleased with the playability as well as the fit and finish. My A5 is in his next batch.
- Steve
F5G WIZ
Jun-26-2007, 7:48pm
Barry,
Congrats! I'm glad Andy was able to nail down what you were looking for. #Give me a call when you get the chance and we can talk about it a bit.
Darrin
F5G WIZ
Jun-26-2007, 7:50pm
We need to get on Andy so he will update his webpage with pictures of all the Poe mandolins.
sean parker
Jun-27-2007, 3:21am
ooohhhhhhhhh.... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif silly me. long neck as in where the neck joins the body. like guitars, 12 or 14 frets. got it. got to get up with the lingo.
thanks barry.
Dean Henderson
Jun-28-2007, 4:35am
barry, steve & road dog - can you tell me more about poe mandolins? it was the photos of barry's F4 that led me to poe's site and was floored. now, i'm thinking of ordering one, maybe a mandola. i've contacted andy and the wait time is about a year. what's your experience been like? thanks.
<span style='font-family:comic sans ms'><span style='font-size:10pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:navy'>Andy has been great to work with. He listened to what I was looking for and I think a great mandolin is on its way. I ordered mine in January, when his wait time was 6-8 months...sounds like Andy's getting some well-deserved notice. He appears to have access to some beautiful wood, and his work is impeccable.</span></span></span>
sean parker
Jun-28-2007, 4:53am
road dog - i'm prety sure i'm going to do it, from what i've seen and all the comments, andy's work is fantastic. the instruments on his site are tremendous. i have e-mailed andy about an inlay i hope to have, to find out an approx cost. then i got to decide whether to get a mandola or mandolin. thanks for your reply, and yeah, he uses beautiful wood.
F5G WIZ
Jun-28-2007, 6:41am
Sean, You won't be disappointed. Andy does outstanding work and is great to work with. He will listen to whatever ideas you may have and make suggestions as needed. But you will have a custom one of a kind instrument when he is finished. His selection of tone woods is amazing!
Andy has access to some very nice wood. He lives near Old Standard Wood. That's the same place that supplies Gilchrist and Collings. He's able to drive over and personally search through their stash. That's how he found the back for this F4.
atetone
Jun-28-2007, 9:16am
Ah, so that is how Andy finds all of that beautiful wood.
I had wondered how he did it.
b.pat
Jun-28-2007, 10:12am
Aaaah,
Who told you guys that Andy had acess to beautiful woods ?
I think that's just an unsupported rumor.
Phil Hopkins
Jun-28-2007, 3:11pm
Barry,
Very sweet! Just beautiful! How about some sound clips of that special commission?!
Does anyone know what Andy's deposit and wait time are lately?
The F4 is fantastic.
Chris Biorkman
Jun-29-2007, 7:33am
10 percent and about a year.
pheffernan
Feb-05-2017, 1:27pm
It looks like #13 has turned up with Kevin Douglas over at MandoMutt:
http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/106746#106746
And, at $3499, it represents more than a $14K savings over a similarly inspired Gilchrist:
http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/106619#106619
Charles E.
Feb-05-2017, 8:31pm
Kevin is a great guy to deal with and that looks like an outstanding mandolin at a great price.