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Cragger
Jun-29-2004, 7:28am
here is #52 from Don Paine. it should be completed in about a week and i will have it in about a month. i'll post more when i get it. i can't wait.

Cragger
Jun-29-2004, 7:32am
the front

Cragger
Jun-29-2004, 7:32am
the back and sides.

Jonathan James
Jun-29-2004, 7:51am
Beautiful! Don has really got it down when it comes to combining great tone with cool finish work. Is that a one-piece back?

Cragger
Jun-29-2004, 9:21am
yeah, that's a one piece back. i can't wait to hear it.

Ken Sager
Jun-29-2004, 9:50am
Wow! It looks just like my #43! I love the one piece back on mine, and the tone is more than I expected.

Enjoy, and congratulations!
Ken

Tom C
Jun-29-2004, 10:03am
Sweeeeeet

ethanopia
Jun-29-2004, 10:29am
Loks nice...
I'd like to see one his in person some day.

He made my short list of builders that I was considering for my recently purchased custom F5...but alas I'd never seen one in person so he lost out.

/insert sag fog horn noise here

but they look spectacular and seem to be great value in terms of detail, finish work and rave reviews from owners.

mandorado
Jun-29-2004, 11:15am
Looks good cragger! Another Pomeroy beauty.
I just put some Thomastik Stark strings on blackjack ... they sound GREAT!

Cragger
Jun-29-2004, 11:53am
ken, i believe the back came from the same wood as yours . i had him send some pictures of the wood he had available for backs. i liked that one the best and he sent me a picture of your mandolin to see the finished result. i told him to copy the color from #37.

Mandobar
Jun-29-2004, 4:51pm
look at the pomeroy website and see the mando that he built for his son. i believe it is #50. wow!

Scotti Adams
Jun-29-2004, 4:54pm
..a very fine specimen of the mando family indeed..the man sure has a way with finish doesnt he?

mandorado
Jun-30-2004, 6:26pm
I think I saw that one [50] when it was in the white ... man, thumping it produced quite a nice sound. I think that's going to be a sweet sounding mando.

Cragger
Jul-01-2004, 7:46am
mandorado, did you see #52? don told me it had a really good sounding chamber. #i told him he could play it for a couple of days because i will be in canada on a fishing trip until the 12th. #go play it and post back on here about it. #that way when i get back, i can have some feed #back on my new mandolin while it is being shipped.

mandorado
Jul-02-2004, 5:36pm
Cragger ... 52 is still on the drying stand, not strung up yet. But I will probably be down there again this week and will give it a spin if Don says it's ok. (I left two of my mandolins there for him to tweek a little this week.)
I played Janet Nelsons last night, #45 I think, it sounds so awesome ... I love that mandolin. it's one of the best Pomeroys I have ever played.

mandorado
Jul-07-2004, 4:26pm
Cragger ... I got to play #52 for a little bit yesterday. Very nice! You're gonna love it. Don said it only had a couple of hours play time, so it still sounds a little green ... but it's a beautiful mandolin, great inlay, nice finish and a beautiful back. It's already nice and loud and will certainly be a great sounding mandolin.
Don said you're a climber too?

We'll have to chat cliimbing some time ... I've been involved in the sport for almost 30 years, and am professionally connected.

Cragger
Jul-12-2004, 12:37pm
well, i just got back from a fishing trip in canada yesterday. #i got to work and had some finished shots of my mandolin. #looks good. #i'll post them a little later. #it will be at my house tomorrow so i will give the feedback. #only one more day to wait.

mandorado, i have only been climbing about 8 or 9 years with a 5 year break in the middle. #i like all types of climbing and have climbed mostly here in the southeast although i have done some mountaineering in b.c. and spent a couple of weeks in the valley. #my real passion is multi-pitch but i'm a little far away from it so i stick to mostly just cragging at some local spots around chattanooga. #i have some friends that just moved to denver. #if i come see them, we should meet up and climb and pick a little. i'm not connected or anything but i have been privelaged to hang out and shoot pool with mark synnett in one of my friends basement and get a private slide show of his expeditions. we also have been climbing a couple of times toether in alabama. that is all the connecitons i have.

Cragger
Jul-12-2004, 12:49pm
here is the front.

Cragger
Jul-12-2004, 12:50pm
here is the finished back. it is a little darker in the picture than the front is in the picture. i'm sure it is just the lighting.

Ken Sager
Jul-12-2004, 12:53pm
Spectacular. Truly. If it sounds anything like mine, you'll be very surprised at how great it sounds. I see Don is back to using his own tailpieces. He put an Allen one-piece on mine.

Wow.

Tom C
Jul-12-2004, 12:57pm
That looks great!

Cragger
Jul-12-2004, 2:59pm
he asked if i wanted the allen tailpeice and i did but my budget is pretty thin as it is. #i know it might not sound like a whole lot extra but i was scraping up pennies to get what i have. #if i feel that i need a tone improvement, then i might upgrade to the allen.

Scotti Adams
Jul-12-2004, 3:02pm
..man that is one bee u tee ful mando!!!.....I really like it alot....way to go Cragger....enjoy

ethanopia
Jul-12-2004, 3:36pm
Wow I don't mean to butt in here fellas but how can you guys be into climbing and playing fretted instruments?

I used to climb a bit but I found that my hands and forearms were so shot after any climbing that playing guitar or mando was out of the question. I just couldn't stand the odd calluses blister cuts and general abuse to my hands. But I guess maybe after 30 years of doing your hands are used to it mandorado?

forgive me for threadjacking...

and cragger thats looks sweet!

craigtoo
Jul-12-2004, 4:31pm
That's a sweet scroll... Looks real tight... Great finish.. and I love the Loaresque 1 piece back.

Love to hear a clip when you get it....!

mandorado
Jul-12-2004, 4:40pm
ethenopia ... you get used to it.

And cragger ... yeah, let's get together next time you visit the Rockies ... sounds like fun. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
Did your mando show up today?

Cragger
Jul-13-2004, 6:55am
he shipped it yesterday and i tracked it this morning when i got to work. #the usps said it went out for delivery this mornign at 6:30. #i was planning on going home for lunch to wait for it but i might have to leave a little earlier. #i hope i'm there when it shows up or i might have wait until tonight. #i guess i could wait another few hours. # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

mandorado, how far are you from the diamond and lumpyridge?

mandorado
Jul-13-2004, 7:11am
ah ... the waiting game. Isn't it fun?

I'm about 5 hours from Estes Park. I'll be up in that area for RockyGrass here in a couple of weeks. Planning on going fly fishing at Moraine Park with my bud Tim. Stealth fishing.

Cragger
Jul-13-2004, 8:01am
Sounds fun. We must have the same interests because I used to guide out of Bill Mason Outfitter's in Sun Valley. Fly Fishing is one of my passions. I just got back from fishing for muskies on the fly in Canada. I was catching them on big saltwater poppers.

Cragger
Jul-13-2004, 1:46pm
I just picked it up. Here is what I had to say to Don:

Don,

I’m speechless. I just picked up my mandolin from the post office. I must have opened the case three or four times on the way home. It is truly breathtaking. I couldn’t wait to play it when I got home. I wasn’t expecting much out of it since it is only about a week old. Most mandolins I have tried that were new felt really tight, brassy in tone, and pretty quiet and unresponsive. I pulled yours, or mine, out of the case, tuned it and played the first thing that came to mind. I played Whiskey before breakfast. To my astonishment it was loud, the tone in the lows were very pleasant to the ear, and it was very responsive. I could barely play it and get the prettiest sound or I could really put a lot into and get more of the same sound but with a lot of volume. The next couple of tunes were waltzes. I love to play waltzes because I feel that I can put more emotion into them since they are a little slower paced. Wow. I played Midnight on the Water which was very pretty sounding. Then I played The Lonesome Midnight Waltz and it sounded so good. It sounded deep and sad like I imagine it to be. I can tell I am going to love this mandolin for a long time. I think we will grow together to become a wonderful pair. Thanks for building me such a sweet sounding instrument. I can’t wait to listen to it to progress. Oh yeah, and the finish, I don’t know if it is the lighting in my house or what, but I could not quit looking at it. Beautiful wood and a beautiful color in the stain. You can see the figure all the way to the binding but yet you were able to keep a nice dark sunburst. Anyway, thanks again. One last thing, I got all of this out of only playing it for about 10 minutes. I had to get back to work before they knew I was gone. No telling how good the comments will be when I get to play it all night!

Thanks,

Greg Reeves

Ken Sager
Jul-13-2004, 2:17pm
Cool. Very cool. I know the feeling and couldn't be happier for you. Thanks for sharing.

Best,
Ken

mandorado
Jul-13-2004, 5:54pm
Yeah ... you gotta love that action!
Congrats Cragger!

Cragger
Jul-14-2004, 6:36am

Cragger
Jul-14-2004, 9:39am
sorry about that last post. i was still speechless. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

mandorado
Jul-16-2004, 7:09pm
Yo cragger ... two days with no post ... I'll take that as a sign things are going well between you and #52 ... lol.
I asked Don about removing the finish off my neck today ... let's see if he will do it. I don't know if he's going to like the idea, or hate it. But I played a San Juan Mandolin recently with a clean neck and it was freaking awesome.
I might buy one of those San Jauns some day when I have a few extra grand in the piggy bank.

levin4now
Jul-19-2004, 7:38am
What is it about the Pomeroy mandolins that give them that unique and beautiful color? It is almost a 'fruitiness' to the red and gives such a wonderful glow!

Truly beautiful - congrats cragger. I take it that Pomeroys are out of my current price range.

mandorado
Jul-19-2004, 7:48am
levin ... Don isn't a retail store ... if you are interested in his mandos, or seriously want one, you should give him a ring. I'm sure he can do something for you. His A models are sweet too, and less expensive. I have been considering having an A5 built because they are really nice. All of his A's that I have played are louder than my Flatiron ... and it's 6 years old and as open as it's going to get.
pomeroyinstruments.com (http://www.pomeroyinstruments.com)

mzbanjo
Jul-19-2004, 8:29am
around what dollar price is the base price for one of don's f5s?

matt

mandorado
Jul-19-2004, 8:35am
$2500 will get you one sweet F5.
Starting prices for all models are listed on his site ... see the link in my previous post.

Cragger
Jul-19-2004, 10:20am
i think he just bumped up his starting price to $2800 on the website. #he is very willing to work things out and is great to work with. #i just got an email that said ken sager did some nice work with #43 at the utah mandolin picking championship. #maybe he will ring in here and tell everyone about it. ##52 is doing great and everyone in alabama is stunned by it's sound and it's looks. #i'm taking it to a big bg gathering this weekend so i'm sure it will get plenty of exposure. #maybe it will even get played by someone that can do it justice.

Ken Sager
Jul-19-2004, 10:33am
I'm happy to inform you that #43 helped me win the Utah State Mandolin Championship on Saturday. First prize was a new Weber mando and an automatic entry into Winfield.

I also happened to win the guitar championship (not playing the Pomeroy, though 8*), so I have a new Martin coming, too, and TWO paid entries into Winfield.

I emailed Don with the news on Saturday as soon as I got home. He wrote back that he was very pleased, and I'm honored that he's spreading the word.

Can't say enough good things about that mandolin.

Joy to all,
Ken

Ken Sager
Jul-19-2004, 10:34am
Here's a photo of #43 in action.

Pete, thanks for the photo!

Cragger
Jul-19-2004, 12:41pm
congratulations ken.

Scotti Adams
Jul-19-2004, 12:53pm
..Way to go Ken..thats great news!.....which leads me to this thought....most mando players are kick ### guitar players....

mandorado
Jul-19-2004, 1:04pm
Wow ... congratulations Ken. That's freaking awesome man. Sounds like we local Pomeroy fans should start planning on a trip to Winfield ... I would love to see you play there (and win)!

What tunes did you play on 43 to win?

Ken Sager
Jul-19-2004, 1:29pm
Red Haired Boy and Soldier's Joy. Those are the absolute simplest songs I know for playing straight once through, then opening them up for some improv, and dialing it back in for a clean finish. After the first few contestants did some far out stuff that was pretty technically challenging I decided it was best to keep it simple and just play cleaner than anybody else. I got some advice last year from the national flatpick guitar champ who told me contests are about playing cleanly, playing within your ability, and playing simple arrangements.

I guess it worked. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif The judges later told me I won both contests hands down.

Best,
Ken

AZmando
Jul-20-2004, 12:50pm
Cragger,

#52 is beautiful!

About a year and a half ago, I bought #23, a round hole A style "off the shelf" from Don when he had a few extras (those days are gone now, I think). #Don's workmanship is fantastic, and the sound of #23 just gets better and better - really clear, and balanced up and down the neck and across the strings. #It's also the loudest mando I have ever played. #You would think there is a mini-Pignose amp in there. #Whenever I pick it up after playing another mando, it's a big jolt with all that volume rattlin' my ribcage.

I couldn't be happier with my Pomeroy, so I'm not surprised you are smilin' big time.

Tom C
Jul-20-2004, 1:00pm
Congratulations Ken. I just find it easier to buy my instruments. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Cragger
Jul-20-2004, 1:02pm
i pick it up every chance i get and am the added inspiration i get from #52 is really helping my playing progress. i have ventured out of the first position and am learning my way around fretboard more. it used to frustrate me to the point where i would put my mandolin down. now, i just keep on playing. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

Ken Sager
Jul-20-2004, 2:53pm
Congrats, Cragger. The perfect instrument for you is the one you can't stop playing.

All the best,
Ken

recklessmando
Aug-09-2004, 4:07pm
Mandorado, have you talked with Don any more about removing the finish from your neck? I'm getting near the top of his waiting list and I am thinking very seriously about asking him to leave the neck bare. But if he's going to swing a chainsaw at someone in disgust I'd rather it not be me (nothing personal, mind you). Just hoping you'll do the guinea pig work.

mandorado
Aug-09-2004, 5:12pm
reckless ... he said he was fine doing it. No problem. However, I'm having a hard time making the final decision because the neck is SO PRETTY! Arg. Just don't know if I can bare to see it stripped! I'm still thinking about it. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

mandorado
Aug-09-2004, 5:15pm
oh ... that reminds me ... I hooked up with Anthony Hannigan last week when he was in Dillon, we picked a little after the [food, beer, shots] and show. He was totally amazed with the sound and playability of Blackjack. Played it the whole time we were jamming. I got to play his San Jaun, which is also a sweet mandolin ... [sorry Bobby] but I like Blackjack better!

CHPorter
Aug-23-2004, 3:21pm
Yo, Mandorado, did you decide on the bare neck for Blackjack? Seems like a radical step to me, coz I love the smoothness of the finished neck on my Pomeroy F4 (#27). sorta scary..
Also: how do you like the Thomastiks? I've had a set on the F4 for about 3 months and am about to change back to some phosphor bronze strings to remember how it sounds with those. I do like many aspects of the TIs and may stay with them after another round of experimentation. sorta quiet, but great tone and balance across the strings. The F4 is really sustaining with them, too. Whatja think?

Best,

Craig

mandorado
Aug-25-2004, 8:30pm
Hi Craig ... how's it going? Long time.
I'm very happy with the TI heavies on Blackjack. I did a bluegrass camp last weekend, and everyone who played it was blown away. It is sounding great. And the TI's, although they are a little quiter than bronze stings, just have such a nice tone. That and the deep dark sound I'm getting out of blackjack, is a good combination. I'll be sticking with the TI's.
I haven't done the neck yet. Still thinking about it. It's kind of nice to have Don right down the road, and I see him pretty often at jams ... Tomorrow night as a matter of fact. Will be fun.

CHPorter
Aug-26-2004, 8:04am
I envy you being so close to Pomeroy mandos home base, though I'd probably have more than one by now if I lived any closer. I jones for an F5 once in a while, though heaven knows I don't _need_ one...actually the mando I really want is an octave mando. I don't think Don is making those.

I too have been using the TI heavies and love the tone. I'll probably change back to PB strings soon to do a comparo and head back to the TIs. The F4 w/TIs has that Simon Mayor tone I'm chasing; wish I had Simon's technique..

Do you have any recordings of Blackjack I could hear?

Have fun at the jam; say 'hi' to Don for me.

Craig