Nugget A5 deluxe

[trevor]

Our first Nugget just arrived..

[Oggy]

Lovely, just lovely.

Brighton, here I come...

[amowry]

Wow!

[Jill McAuley]

Stunning!

Cheers,
Jill

[CES]

Killing me, absolutely killing me!

[trevor]

By a happy coincidence my black curtains also arrived today, allowing me to photograph at some different angles. Please excuse my indulgence.

[mdlorenz]

holy cow

[CES]

Seriously, man, stop it...you're killin' me!

[Jake Wildwood]

Did I mention I've always loved black tops?

But that black top... hatchi matchi!

Too cool!

[Glassweb]

apologies to all, but to my eyes this mandolin (much like the Monteleone A-Model that was posted from Italy a while back) is not a successful design. too much going on! and that unattractive, natural finish so effectively clashing with and killing whatever grace the black top and the wood purfling might provide... yeesh! and why a traditional Gibson style tailpiece on such a radical departure from tradition? and don't ya think gold hardware would go better with these colors? I don't know... i realize many folks are turned on by this sort of attempt... and perhaps it sounds spectacular as Mike K built it, but for me this "more is better" trend rarely succeeds as "good design".

ah, i see the rope is being hung from the tree as i speak! ;)

[trevor]

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

[sgarrity]

I would have added some stain to the back but other than that, I like it. I certainly wouldn't mind owning it!

[AlanN]

Why the apologies, Steven? Afraid you'll get the 'You Lie!"? ;)

I too find the colors at odds with each other. Other than that, it looks like a mandolin to me.

[Glassweb]

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

I totally agree with you Trevor... potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto...

[Scott Tichenor]

Enough of the political references guys. Use your PM and knock yourselves out, but spare the rest of us please.

[Ray(T)]

Now, if it had gold hardware I might be tempted!
Ray

[Wesley]

And how does this model differ from the Tim O'Briens that Collings and Nugget makes?

[Larry Simonson]

I pretty much agree with Glassweb on these design issues -its looks are not my cup of tea but I'd wager its sound is.

[Elliot Luber]

I like it.

[SternART]

I really like the wood binding especially in the f holes!

[Ivan Kelsall]

Unashamed,up-front,blatant advertising Trevor - i'll be down directly to have a sniff,it's all i could afford (maybe!),
Ivan:grin:

[Chris Biorkman]

I think it's cool, but that it would look better if the back weren't natural. Nuggets are awesome and anyone who gets their hands on this is a lucky guy.

[45ACP-GDLF5]

I think it's cool, but that it would look better if the back weren't natural. Nuggets are awesome and anyone who gets their hands on this is a lucky guy.


Look better? Really? Maybe Mr. Kemnitzer will hire you, so you can make his mandolins look better. :whistling:

[nick a]

And how does this model differ from the Tim O'Briens that Collings and Nugget makes?

besides the waverlys, there are a few aesthetic differences, like the natural back/sides, pickguard, bound "S"holes, headstock inlay...etc. its also entirely built by mike, as opposed to being a joint effort between mike and the folks at collings.....its 100% nugget....beautiful work mike.

[grassrootphilosopher]

About 20.000 USD (12.500 GBP) may seem a bit high. On the other hand, it´s a spiffy little box that will make any musician stand out. So the not faint of heart will have to prove that with this mandolin they make the music that this instrument is built for. (I imagine some punk rock looking person playing Bartok and throwing in some Monroe licks)

[Ivan Kelsall]

''Beauty is in the eye of the person who can afford to buy it'' - the rest of us don't like it ! (i can't believe i just typed that) I totally retract that statement - it's a stunner !!!,
Ivan

[Bob Stolkin]

About 20.000 USD (12.500 GBP) may seem a bit high.

$20k? Please tell me you're kidding!

[pickloser]

WOW! :disbelief:
Indulge yourself quickly. I don't think you will have it very long.

[trevor]

BTW I didn't want to bring up prices, my post was not intended to be a sales pitch but my prices include UK taxes, etc.. I am also not prepared to enter into a discussion about that here..

[Joe Parker]

Trevor,if you are a dealer and this instrument is for sale,wouldn't it be more appropriate to place it in the classifieds. If any one wants to discuss it from there,great,but your involvement in this discussion,intended or not,might be seen as a promotion of the sale. My $.02.thanks.

Joe Parker

[trevor]

I hadn't intended for it to go this way. I didn't bring up prices. Its obvious from my details that I am a dealer (I am also a player,enthusiast and collector). I have asked Scott to pull the thread.

[Scott Tichenor]

I saw this thread when it came out and didn't think it was inappropriate and the moderators never made mention either. Is it for sale? Probably, but no one's hawking this, and to me it was an honest person just really excited to see something one doesn't get to see often, particularly in England. He's showing off a unique instrument. Lots of builders post pictures of instruments they've just built. Are some of those for sale? Sure they are.

What we don't allow is someone coming online and saying: "I have product <fill in name> for sale, here are the details, here is the price, here is the shipping cost, here's, etc. Do some users try to game the guidelines? Yes, they do. Sometimes we call them on it but we don't do it publicly when possible.

Guidelines are meant to be followed, yes, but please leave the moderating to the moderators and myself, thank you. I don't a line has been crossed by Trevor here. If you have concerns about user behavior, contact us first.

[mtucker]

I hadn't intended for it to go this way. I didn't bring up prices. Its obvious from my details that I am a dealer (I am also a player,enthusiast and collector). I have asked Scott to pull the thread.

Thanks for posting pics, Trevor. Always great shots. It's a stunner, maybe not everyones cup of tea but fabulous in its' own right. Keep 'em coming. Love seeing your temptingly tasty eye candy! More MAS...

[Joe Parker]

I stand corrected.

Joe Parker

[grassrootphilosopher]

Since I was the person bringing up the price, I would like to comment on it. I am not acquainted with Trevor and I neither want to bash anyone nor promote anyone.

When you import a high caliber instrument to Europe you´d better be prepared to give the government its share of import duties, taxes and on top of it all the government gets all of the said figures including the shipping costs (that´s the way it is in Germany). So for a dealer, you have to calculate acordingly to make your dime.

Regarding an astounding instrument like the Nugget that´s discussed here, it is - for most folks in Europe - the one in a lifetime chance to purchase/invest in a musical instrument this special. Would you travel to the USA (or let´s say Australia...) and purchase an instrument over there, you´d still be stuck with said duties and taxes if you´re not willing to cheat your authorities out of their dues.

If you in adition to what has been said consider our EURO´s standing versus the dollar right now, it might seem quite a nice thing to jump at the instrument. If I were not just a stinkin´ traditionalist (in addition to having a great little box) I might be sorely tempted. For us Europeans the price is right (if you don´t have other options).

To break a lance for Trevor: Just look up his website. He has (had) Kimbles, Brentrups... well, all the goodies that we rightfully dool over here. Mind you, us Europeans probably do not have a better place to go to in order to do some mando spankin´.

Trevor, I´m sorry my post about the price shedded an undeserving light on your thread.

Joe Parker, I´m sorry my post got your thread about selling to someone overseas shut off. If you did sell it overseas would you mind bringing the buyer and me together? I´m mighty interested in playing a tonebar Duff.

[Joe Parker]

Olaf,should I post some pictures?:)

[JEStanek]

Please post photos of your Duff in another thread. I would like to see them.

Jamie

[Ivan Kelsall]

For my part - Trevor being the dealer i 'deal' with,simply wished us to see the beautiful instrument
that he has in stock & i for one am pleased that he posted the pics.on here. No mention of price was made on his part,but it's hardly surprising when the matter is raised by others - it often has been in the past in relation to instruments,parts etc.
'Nugget' instruments command a high price - we know that, so why the surprise ?,especially as this one is a De Luxe model. Personally i'd have been shocked if it wasn't that expensive. I'd be thinking that Mike Kemnitzer had sold out & gone 'cheap' on us,a bit like a $50 Dude. or Gilchrist. All i can say is that if i was in the market for a top end Mandolin,i'd be on my way down to Brighton UK,ASAP !
Ivan:cool:

[trevor]

On the black top/natural back and sides theme I have two more coming from Weber and Andrew Mowry. I will post pictures when they arrive if folks are interested...

[Oggy]

Please do, Trevor!

[david blair]

How about a sound clip?

[Mark Walker]

Looks quite 'deluxe' to me! I hope it makes a big splash there across the pond! :)
Congrats in advance to whomever winds up with it!

[Steve Davis]

I think it looks fantastic and thank Trevor for sharing. I'd love to get a chance to play one someday.

[DougC]

Maybe this should be another topic, but does the sound hole trim change the vibration of the top? That is maple, I assume, attached to a spruce top, right?

[Bradley]

That thing is "Beeeeeee U Teeee Ful"

Thanks for sharing it !!

[Ivan Kelsall]

Trevor - Please keep the pics.coming. I need know what you have in stock for when i win the lottery !!,
Ivan:grin:

[Ray(T)]

Anyone who knows Trevor will be aware that he would much rather have the mandolin for sale than actually sell it. Therefore, anyone who thinks he would try to advertise the Nugget via this thread clearly doesn't know him!
Ray

[grassrootphilosopher]

How about a sound clip?

Here´s a second vote for a soundclip (and a video demonstration). Go for it Trevor.

[Tom C]

20K? Seriously? An "A style. New record. It is beautiful but for the price, I would expect gold binding and diamond inlays. It's just a mando.

[KCrook]

Well, that is a beautiful instrument. And, while it is out of the price range for most of us there is certainly a buyer out there who will snap it up, and cherish it.

I would need a 2nd mortgage on my house and be willing to risk a divorce before I could purchase it ..

[trevor]

We are working on sound clips and a video but it might be a while yet.

[grassrootphilosopher]

Don´t hurry trevor. It´s just nice to see a video and hear a soundclip of a very interesting instrument. May I therefore propose you should record "Autumn Leaves" or "Swing 42" (for the non traditionalists looking at a non tradititional mandolin) and "Bluegrass Stomp" or "Wheel Hoss" (to show the traditionalists what a mando of that calibre can do).

[blacktop]

this instrument knocks me out every time i see it. i put it in my favorites the very first post. i love the contrasts all around. the f-hole binding is so killer. somebody's going to get real lucky soon. keep building these beauties, and making me crazy.

[BradKlein]

I was wondering about the binding on this instrument, which at first glance seemed like nicely stained maple -- but of course that would be near impossible since the body is natural, UNSTAINED maple.

Checked the web site to find that the binding is dark curly koa.

As a cabinetmaker for many years, I often thought about how woods contrast, and how they age and change over time in interesting ways. For example I loved contrasting new pink cherry with dark black walnut -- but I was aware that with time, the cherry would darken, and interestingly, the walnut would get lighter.

Please post another round of pictures of this mandolin in 10, 20, and 30 years!

Brad

PS Thanks, once again to the MODERATORS for moderating with moderation. You folks are the best.

[trevor]

The sound clip is now up.

[SchlazzGraft]

Wow what a beauty... listen to it ring! :disbelief:

[buckles]

Trevor, your site says "spruce top." What type of spruce?

[jasona]

I want.

[trevor]

I have emailed Mike about the spruce, will let you know.

[trevor]

Mike's answer;

"The spruce in your A5 may be Engelmann but it is very non typical. I sent two carved mandolin tops from it to Bill Collings some years ago and he commented that it was very nice red spruce. In spite of the uncertainty, it is one of the favorite go-to spruces for my work.

As mentioned in an earlier email, I plan for the next A5 to have more of an untamed "woomph" to the sound. For it, I'll probably use red spruce that I harvested in 1992. Your A5 spruce is from that same time period, purchased from a wood dealer here in the US who was of the opinion that it was Engelmann. I'm more concerned with the quality of the piece than the species although general differences in species is a useful guide and a very interesting topic."

[Shelagh Moore]

Duplicate post deleted

[Shelagh Moore]

I really like the design, aesthetics and finish, and the attention to detail is excellent. I think I would have personally preferred gold fittings with that combination of colours though as well. A lovely mandolin.