Eric F.
Oct-11-2007, 12:28pm
Brian Dean posted a couple of pictures of the mandolin he made for me along with a sound clip
in this thread (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=15;t=47182)but now that I've had it for a couple of weeks, I feel capable of giving a brief review.
I was after a haunting, ethereal sound. I don't know if that's what the best ancient instruments sounded like, but it's what I imagine them sounding like. I wanted something that begged to be played in a minor key or haunting mode.
That's exactly what Brian delivered. This mandolin, which Brian calls a "cytole," has a deep, semi-bowl body with a back made of walnut and an unusual bracing system that he has described elsewhere and I won't take a stab at explaining.
The bass is deep and dark, the trebles sparkle just right and the mids have an almost percussive pop to them. Playability is as good as it gets. It's very comfortable. I tend to lose myself while playing this instrument. I start with a tune and 10 minutes later I realize I've just kept going off into the foggy beyond.
I've been so busy that I did not get a chance to really fall for this instrument until the past couple of days. I can pinpoint the moment it happened, actually. I was playing "The Morris Dance" and suddenly realized, "I absolutely love this mandolin."
Any kind of ballad or air sounds lovely on this mandolin, but it's right there with the perkier tunes as well. It sounds great strummed, and doublestops are as rich and clear as I can make them with my modest skills.
Brian's photography is wonderful, but I think it almost makes this instrument look too pretty. That's not a criticism of the instrument! It is beautiful, but in a low-key, rustic sort of way. That, also, is what I was hoping for. I told Brian it was a walk in the autumn woods rather than a stroll down a city street.
Brian was great to work with. He was enthusiastic about the project and was great about communicating with me during the building. We had a telephone conversation just before he began building and he sent me frequent e-mail updates and photos. I would recommend him to anyone who wants something lovely and different.
I ended up with an heirloom-quality instrument that I love to play, that perfectly suits the music I am increasingly drawn to and that looks great to boot.
in this thread (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=15;t=47182)but now that I've had it for a couple of weeks, I feel capable of giving a brief review.
I was after a haunting, ethereal sound. I don't know if that's what the best ancient instruments sounded like, but it's what I imagine them sounding like. I wanted something that begged to be played in a minor key or haunting mode.
That's exactly what Brian delivered. This mandolin, which Brian calls a "cytole," has a deep, semi-bowl body with a back made of walnut and an unusual bracing system that he has described elsewhere and I won't take a stab at explaining.
The bass is deep and dark, the trebles sparkle just right and the mids have an almost percussive pop to them. Playability is as good as it gets. It's very comfortable. I tend to lose myself while playing this instrument. I start with a tune and 10 minutes later I realize I've just kept going off into the foggy beyond.
I've been so busy that I did not get a chance to really fall for this instrument until the past couple of days. I can pinpoint the moment it happened, actually. I was playing "The Morris Dance" and suddenly realized, "I absolutely love this mandolin."
Any kind of ballad or air sounds lovely on this mandolin, but it's right there with the perkier tunes as well. It sounds great strummed, and doublestops are as rich and clear as I can make them with my modest skills.
Brian's photography is wonderful, but I think it almost makes this instrument look too pretty. That's not a criticism of the instrument! It is beautiful, but in a low-key, rustic sort of way. That, also, is what I was hoping for. I told Brian it was a walk in the autumn woods rather than a stroll down a city street.
Brian was great to work with. He was enthusiastic about the project and was great about communicating with me during the building. We had a telephone conversation just before he began building and he sent me frequent e-mail updates and photos. I would recommend him to anyone who wants something lovely and different.
I ended up with an heirloom-quality instrument that I love to play, that perfectly suits the music I am increasingly drawn to and that looks great to boot.