John Garrity mandolins

[notalent]

Hi, newbie (to mandolin and the forum) here. Great site! I have the chance to buy a John Garrity mandolin locally. Just curious if anyone has one they can comment on and what a reasonable price range on these are. I dont have a ton of info on it, blonde spruce top and flamed maple back. Thanks for any advice!

[Tom C]

I played a couple that were great. No idea of price. I've wondered what happened to him as I believe he no longer makes mandos.

[sgarrity]

As I recall he kind of suddenly dropped off the radar. I always wanted one of his mandolins for obvious reasons.

[Rob Gerety]

I always wanted one of his mandolins for obvious reasons.

Me too.

[mandroid]

Saw one online, a Monte GA like design , was built with a hollow scroll, as I understand..

No Clue, perhaps not many made... what was the asking price ?

[notalent]

Maybe a better questions is what more famous brands/models would it equate to? Is it entry level, first step up, solid pro, elite? Thanks again for any advice.

[JEStanek]

Just guessing by the thoughts shared so far (I have no knowledge og the builder but some of the posters) this should be a good mandolin. Then consider this article on John from MelBays Mandolin Sessions by builder Joe Mendel (http://archive.mandolinsessions.com/apr04/interview.html) and the evidence is more compelling. WAY better than a starter instrument, for sure! PRobably a long term keeper.

Jamie

[Joe Mendel]

He got many good reviews on the cafe & then disappeared. I would really like to have played one of his instruments, but never have. They sure did look nice.

[epicentre]

Just my opinion, and I'm no expert, but if you can swing the price, go for it. He made excellent mandolins.

[notalent]

Well, since I didnt hear any negatives at all, Im off to purchase her right now. I will post some pics tomorrow. Thanks for the advice!

[notalent]

In house! Now I just need to learn how to play it!

[notalent]

Couple more..

[JEStanek]

Way cool. Congratulations.

Jamie

[Mike Snyder]

Very nice. Big soundholes.

[Andrew DeMarco]

what a beaut-- call her "Hydrocephalus" haha - the large f holes remind me of enlarged ventricles on a ct/mr scan!

[notalent]

Last pix (i promise) headstock detail. 950 seem okay on price? I couldnt find any previous sales to compare to. Came with a used, not abused case and that actually describes the instrument also. Thanks again for the advice along the way. Got a beginner book today so off we go..!

[JEStanek]

If you got a small shop builder instrument that looks that good and is comfortable to play, you scored! Big. Congrats.

Jamie

[G. Fisher]

For $950 it'd be hard to find a better first mandolin. Congrats!

[Dustoff]

..

[Dustoff]

In house! Now I just need to learn how to play it!

The mandolin you have is one of only maybe 6 or so that he built that I know of. I met John in the late 90's in his shop in Lyons Colorado. He was building Guitars then. I asked him if he could build me a mandolin. He told me he couldn't make any money at it as they took too long, bur he showed me a blond on like yours that he built for himself. It was in the Monteleon style with a large curl. Flash ahead a year and I stopped at his shop again and asked him where my mandolin was? He told me to build my own....and...he would teach me. Challenge accepted.
I spent the next two years, one day a week working with John and learning the fine points of old world craftsmanship and attention to detail not found in many instruments built today. John created beauty in wood that had a voice.
We built my mandolin arch top of Sitka Spruce hand carved and tuned. Sides, back and neck tiger maple and bindings and perflings in maple and rosewood. (The Rosewood being harvested in Belize from stumps discarded in rainforest clearing.)
You may find some highlights like a thin slice of maple sandwiched below the rosewood fretboard with another slice of rosewood where it joins the neck or a piece of rosewood burl where the neck joins the body on the underside, or a thin slice of maple below the rosewood truss rod cover. He was right, you could never make money building these with all the time required to get the to this level of perfection.
While I was there in his cabin workshop on the South Saint Vrain river in Lyons Co. i watched him build the mandolin that was given to Tim O'Brien at Rocky Grass.
The cabin is no longer there, as it was washed away in the floods of 2013.
What you have is a treasure, as John passed two years ago. Nevermore will these be built.
Appreciate what you hold.