View Full Version : "The Gaudreau" my Rigel/Pag hybrid
JLeather
Aug-07-2012, 6:30pm
After 8 weeks of PT on my left wrist I decided I wanted a "roomier" neck. At least that was the excuse I used with myself for trading up my F-12 Randy Wood re-grad (that and the fact that it was my birthday last Thursday). I spent a great Sunday afternoon at Charles Johnson's Mandolin World Headquarters trying out a variety of mandolins. The one I went hoping I'd like the best is the one I did, but I'll start with all the goodies I sampled. There was a 2006 Stanley F5, a 2000 Smith Creek F5, a 2012 Madison Montgomery "Stingray" (F5), a 1996 Gibson F5V signed by Weber, and a surprisingly good 2006 Weber Yellowstone F5 with a cedar top. All were great mandolins in their own way, although the Gibson was solidly out of my price range, but none of them were "the one" for me that day. Some were too cramped on the fingerboard, some didn't have the tone I was after, etc. The first one I played, the one that initially caught my eye on the website and caused me to go down, was the one I went home with; "The Gaudreau". Built by Pete Langdell of Rigel mandolins for Jimmy Gaudreau as a copy of Jimmy's '25 Fern, and french polished by John Paganoni (who happens to own the '25 Fern in question). It's still a little tight sounding, having only been finished up last year and apparently having not been played much, but it sounds very clean and I think it'll open up nicely. The neck is big and rounded with a radius'd fingerboard and it feels great. I was going to refrain from posting this until I've had a chance to play it, but well... I owe y'all some better pictures at some point but these aren't too bad.
mandolinlee
Aug-07-2012, 7:27pm
JLeather,
Happy Birthday (belated). Nice looking birthday present! I also had a birthday last Thursday (Aug.2).Celebrated number 75 by playing mandolin at a Nursing Home, along with my twin brother and three "kids" ages 50 to 67. One of the residents is our Bass players 95+ year old Mother.
Let us know how the new mandolin warms up.
Thanks for showing it.
Lee
tburcham
Aug-08-2012, 7:24am
Congrats! Beautiful mandolin!
What a gorgeous mandolin that is. I zoomed the photo showing the headstock and sure enough, the inlay reads "The Gaudreau". How utterly cool.
I bet it has some J.A.G. notes in it.
JEStanek
Aug-08-2012, 7:55am
Wow. Congrats and happy picking on that beauty.
Jamie
lenf12
Aug-08-2012, 8:13am
Hi JLeather,
I'm glad to see that Pete will build a traditional F-5 style mandolin. I always knew he could but has strongly resisted doing so in the past, "progressive" that he is. That is one beautiful instrument!! I'm looking forward to your next picture installment. Coincidentally, I also own a Randy Wood re-voiced 1956 F-12.
Len B.
Clearwater, FL
Paul Statman
Aug-10-2012, 11:36pm
Happy Birthday, and big congrats on that mando. Well done, sir!
G. Fisher
Nov-20-2012, 7:58pm
Now that you've had the mandolin for awhile how's it sounding?
JLeather
Dec-27-2012, 10:14am
Sorry I missed out on this bump before. I absolutely love this mandolin. I don't know if it's really getting 'played in' or if I'm just getting more adjusted to it, but every time I pick it I think it sounds better. Sorry, no audio clips at the moment. I'll see if I can get something together that's decent enough to post here. Suffice it to say it's a killer mandolin.
Phil Goodson
Dec-27-2012, 10:33am
Beautiful mando for sure! Enjoy!!
JLeather
Mar-26-2014, 7:21pm
I've got a couple new pictures taken at an old 1800's stone church where I was playing back around January.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k113/JLeatherman_CF/Mandolins/2011%20The%20Gaudreau/IMG_20140112_200254_8431_zps5c40d060.jpg (http://s86.photobucket.com/user/JLeatherman_CF/media/Mandolins/2011%20The%20Gaudreau/IMG_20140112_200254_8431_zps5c40d060.jpg.html)
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k113/JLeatherman_CF/Mandolins/2011%20The%20Gaudreau/IMG_20140112_200240_5471_zps245a78a2.jpg (http://s86.photobucket.com/user/JLeatherman_CF/media/Mandolins/2011%20The%20Gaudreau/IMG_20140112_200240_5471_zps245a78a2.jpg.html)
Also, for a sound clip I recently posted a couple videos from my band ClearSpring where I'm playing "The Gaudreau". Not studio-quality recordings but not bad:
ClearSpring Webcam (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?104718-My-band-quot-ClearSpring-quot-playing-around-with-a-webcam-setup&p=1272649#post1272649)
He should have called it the JAG. Then, you could put it in a PAG(anoni) case, and pick JAG In A PAG (Pig In A Pen).
Nice mandolin and nice pickin, buddy.
So very cool. Thanks for sharing.