View Full Version : WOW, I can't believe I did this
peterleyenaar
Nov-03-2004, 4:08pm
I just picked up the phone and called Steve Perry at Gianna
Violins (toll free), to talk about the Eastman 615 F and bought it,right then and there, after a few minutes talking and listening to him playing it over the phone, as I was watching am image of this instrument on his website.
What makes perfectly rational people do this ?
I should destroy my credit card and disconnect my internet.
But it is soooo much fun.
brandon
Nov-03-2004, 4:19pm
I hate you.....but I'm just jealous.
squeally dan
Nov-03-2004, 4:21pm
Steve Perry sells violins. Did he quit Journey?
Andrew Reckhart
Nov-03-2004, 4:24pm
Impulse buying is so much fun........ Especially when it involves mandolins!
mandorado
Nov-03-2004, 6:59pm
Steve is a pretty slick salesman ... he has a way of getting that CC# out of you before you even know what's happening.
Fortunately for us all, what you will get from that transaction is a LOT of satisfaction.
I bought a very nice fiddle from him recently, and I have no regrets.
Stephen Perry
Nov-04-2004, 5:58am
Hmmm. I hadn't thought of myself as a salesman at all. I just anwer questions honestly. That seems effective in music stuff. It doesn't always get a reasonable response with my law clients! I'm really quite pleased with the MD615. I like them enough that I called Eastman and ordered all of them. I'm VERY pleased with the MD814. I may keep it. Whole different animal. Probably get the MD915 and MD814 photographed today. We seem to be very busy. I'm trying to finish a violin and I just got some technical work (an environmental assessment). Who needs sleep?
peterleyenaar
Nov-04-2004, 7:43am
I did not at all feel that Steve was doing a sales job on me , as he said, he just answered the questions I was asking him and we had a nice conversation, not once did he ask me if I was ready to buy and I didn't feel pressured in to the deal,
it was all my own doing :-).
Once I receive the mandolin i'll let you all know how I like it.
atetone
Nov-04-2004, 10:03pm
Peterleyenaar, I am interested in hearing what you think of it.
I am sort of just lurking in the weeds on the Eastmans.
I kind of want an F style oval hole sometime in the future but I have a few reservations about the Eastmans right now.
One thing that I notice from the various pictures is that the scrolls don't seem to be very consistent. Binding on the inside seems a bit rushed and inconcise.
I am thinking that this is probably a growing pain sort of thing. Maybe they will sort it out.
peterleyenaar
Nov-05-2004, 3:28pm
atetone, I just received word from fedex that the Eastman is ready for pickup at the airport, it was send yesterday from Gianna Violins, very quick delivery to Canada and through customs.
I have had a variety of mandolins, Colling A and F, Givens,Webers and many older Gibsons" A1,A2,A3,A4, A2Z, and now own a 1917 Gibson F-2, A 1921 Gibson F-4 , and a Sawchyn a-5.
Although I am certainly no expert, I should be able to make a fair comparison in terms of tone and finish.
Steve Perry, who is a violin builder, tells me the the tone and finish is outstanding.
Regarding the oval hole mandolins, I like them the best and I am still wondering if I shoudn't have taken the Eastman 814 oval hole that Steve has, it sounded ever so sweet over the phone.
I'll let you know as soon as I have played it for a day or so,realizing that this is a brand new mando and has some opening up to do, although my custom built Sawchyn sounded great right out of the shipping box.
Best Regards
Peter
I suggest you.. ; let someone keep your checkbook..,Visa, MC.., etc. ; do not frequent ANY music stores(if ya' need strings.., send someone..) - do not look at music instrument catalogs(particularly of mando content - esp. glossy photos of same). The MAS syndrome has periods of acute anxiety, but "that too shall pass" -- "tough-it-out" - If you have a spouse/subsequent "other" your MAS can be compounded. - These suggestions have been very helpful to me in the past - "One day at a time" hee.. hee... There's no cure.. ; but, remission IS possible with constant vigil!!! Good luck. Moose.
atetone, I just received word from fedex that the Eastman is ready for pickup at the airport, it was send yesterday from Gianna Violins, very quick delivery to Canada and through customs.
I have had a variety of mandolins, Colling A and F, Givens,Webers and many older Gibsons" A1,A2,A3,A4, A2Z, and now own a 1917 Gibson F-2, A 1921 Gibson F-4 , and a Sawchyn a-5.
Although I am certainly no expert, I should be able to make a fair comparison in terms of tone and finish.
Steve Perry, who is a violin builder, tells me the the tone and finish is outstanding.
Regarding the oval hole mandolins, I like them the best and I am still wondering if I shoudn't have taken the Eastman 814 oval hole that Steve has, it sounded ever so sweet over the phone.
I'll let you know as soon as I have played it for a day or so,realizing that this is a brand new mando and has some opening up to do, although my custom built Sawchyn sounded great right out of the shipping box.
Best Regards
Peter
what a slut http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
hee... hee.... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
peterleyenaar
Nov-05-2004, 4:50pm
What can I say? , yes it is ludicrous to have had so many nice mandolins, I enjoyed each and every one of them, never had a bad one, it is a addiction and I need help, is there a mandoholics anonymous ?
Seriously, I wanted to learn about mandolins, different makes,builders , styles, sounds, etc. and this is how I did it , by buying mandolins, keeping hem for a while and then selling them and buying others, never made any money and didn't loose a lot and what I did loose , I consider the price of learning.
I now have a good idea what I like in a mandolin and learned how to recognize it ,sometimes you come across an instrument that you think you don't like and you play it for a while and it grows on you, it is a great journey.
Hey!! - Great attitude!! - Enjoy your music and mandos ; In the last few years I think(!?#) I have "settled-in" with my instrument buying (i.e. MAS) - You are correct.... as you play a "range" of instruments(mandos), you WILL "get a feel" for what you like/dislike. Do keep us "posted" - There's years of experience on this CAFE, so if any of us can help/suggest give a 'holler'... Moose. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Mandodoc
Nov-05-2004, 5:42pm
Count me in, went into a local shop (Brass, Reed and Guitar, Vancouver WA) last week and there she was on the wall, on consignment, a late 70's Alvarez F. The price was very nice and the wife happened to be along and said if I sold some vacation time at work I could have it. Say no more. It's mine now and it is very sweet. Add another to the long list. Love that MAS.
jon
atetone
Nov-05-2004, 6:33pm
Peterleyenaar, I am doing exactly the same thing except I am not quite at your level in the dollars spent department.
3 years ago ( maybe 4) it was a very hard sell to get my wife to buy into the fact that that I wanted to spend $1000 on a mandolin (of all things).
Well now I have about 14 of them.
Some of them of of little value but I have since bought a Fender F, Breedlove,2 Teens Gibson As, Gibson A5L, Sawchyn A5, 2 Stradolins, Vega cylinderback, Flatiron 1N, a couple of non playable bowlbacks, and various other lower level mandos.
The only one I ever sold was the Breedlove Quartz and I am sorry that I did that.
Unknown to my wife there is another low priced one coming in the mail also.
I am quickly running out of wiggle room though so unfortunately I am going to soon sell 1 or 2 in order to come up with some cash to buy something different.
I live in a mando deprived area so the only way I can try them is to buy them first.
It will probably cost me a few bucks overall to wheel and deal but I just look at the loss as rent to have possesion of them for a while.
I definately have to tone it down a bit though!
I am cruising for a bruising.
peterleyenaar
Nov-05-2004, 9:19pm
So I picked up the 615 at the airport, drove home,( I live 30 miles N.W. of Calgary) thinking all the while about what might be in that big brown
carboard box on the backseat, got home , opened the box in the garage ,and there was my first pleasant surprise, a beautiful mandolin case, took it in the house, opened it up and there she is, my new mistress, an absolutely gorgious looking mandolin, stunning !, picked it up , so light, I know intuitively I am holding a quality instrument, I tune it up and even during the tuning I get this really nice tone , great sustain,great volume, play a few scales, man, this is nice! tremolo some scales, yes, this is really nice, chop a few chords, WOW, strong, takes little effort, playing a few tunes, and I can't contain my excitement, it plays so nicely and effortless.
This is a great instrument and real easy on the eyes, comparable to instruments costing 3X as much or more.
Thank you Gianna and Steve, for the pleasant and professional #way you handled this deal