Heiden Mandolins.....Let's see yours

[sgarrity]

It's probably no secret that I've been a big fan of Michael's work since the first time I played one a little over 4 years ago. A friend of mine had recently purchased an A5 and after playing it, I was hooked. About 5 months later an almost identical A5 showed up for sale here and I was fortunate enough to snag it. I've had a lot of very fine mandolins pass through my house over the last few years and my Heiden A5 takes a back seat to none of them. I've never played anything that I would consider to be "better." Different, yes. But certainly not better. My A5 is Red maple with an Englemann spruce top. Michael does magical things with that wood combo.

In the last few years I've been playing around with the mandola. I finally decided that if I loved my A5 so much, I should have a matching mandola. I contacted Michael sometime in early 2011 and we spec'd out a mandola with the same wood choices but more modest trim. The result is in the pics below, along my my A5. This one has a slim 1 3/16" neck with no varnish on it, 16.5" scale, Waverly tuners, James tailpiece. And the sound......that's the best part. Deep, dark, resonant, volume to spare and his trademark pop that allows his instruments to cut in an ensemble so well.

Michael was an absolute joy to work with and I highly recommend his instruments to anyone wanting a lifetime heirloom-quality instrument. I'm looking forwad to working on our next creation together!

Please feel fee to post pics of your Heidens to this thread. It would be wonderful to see all the ones that are out there on the Cafe. Michael also recently revamped his website and added a lot of pics there as well.

http://www.heideninstruments.ca/index.php

PS.....I have no financial interest in Heiden Mandolins. I'm just a very happy customer.

[John Gardinsky]

Nice pair. Go ahead and order the 'cello. You know you are not over the sickness yet... :)

[Jim Roberts]

Shaun's Heiden A5 is probably the best A5 I have ever played...and I played it a lot as I used to own it. In fact, the picture in Shaun's avatar was used in my ad on the Cafe. I sold it to Shaun as the neck profile didn't quite connect with me so Michael built me an F5 using the same wood combination but with a bit fatter neck profile. The new Heiden F5 is smokin' good and the neck profile is just perfect. It is a pleasure to play and many, many folks played it this year at Winfield. Several folks came back on numerous occasions to play it again.

Michael is a cream of the crop guy and I can't wait to visit his shop in British Columbia someday to meet him in person. He is a gentleman that is dedicated to his gifted craft. I feel so lucky to own a Heiden mandolin and even luckier to have had many wonderful phone conversations (covering myriad topics) with him over the past four or five years.

Here's a picture of my Heiden F5. Come to Winfield next year (it's only ten months from now!) and give it a whirl.

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[Jim Roberts]

Here's the back of my Heiden F5...

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[Glassweb]

i like this one... simple, elegant, no black tongue... nice!

[Jim Roberts]

One more thing...Michael's mandolins come set up perfectly and seem to stay that way.

[Howie]

One more thing...Michael's mandolins come set up perfectly and seem to stay that way.

I met Michael in the mid 90's at Rufus' Music store in Vancouver. He had a shop in the basement of the family home out near the University. I soon struck a deal that was good for both of us at the time. He was building his shop in Chilliwack. I began to visit him on the top of the mountain just past Gibson Road. He built me 3 F's and later a blonde F. He really has it. You know you have a good mandolin when you pick it up by the neck and the box is already responding to your touch. Lovely tone and the volume comes right out without bearing down. He's moved again to the interior. I've not spoken with him lately but always visited him with a '22 Loar, '24 Loar H-5, '24 H-4, '23 April 10th. I always got the feeling it was good to make the effort to visit him and see his shop full of dust, see his bench, talk mandos while he tweaked a bridge or truss. I've weighed a lot of old Gibson F-5's and they do vary quite a bit but the better sounding ones were always the lightest and Michael's are spot on.

[goose 2]

I don't have a picture to post but I really wish I did. I played Shaun's A-5 at Winfield back when Jim owned it. It is one of the best mandolins I have ever played. A bit different but outstanding. Shaun, Coy and I still speak reverently about your A-5 and if you ever want to sell, you know where to find me.

Jim, Our paths did not cross at WF this year. I definitely want to pick one on that Heiden F-5 next year! Congrats on acquiring it.

[blawson]

Here are a few shots of Heiden F #115. "Heritage" Adirondack top, red maple back. More fundamental than the Engelmann A, but still lots of that fat overtone goodness that characterize Michael's mandolins.

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[SternART]

No longer mine........I miss it, but keeping the studio going was a priority at the time.
A few other happy Heiden owners pictured as well. Michael in in the front row, wearing shorts.

[doc holiday]

94476 Michael makes wonderful instruments, my mandolin...the only lefty F is also shown in the gallery of heideninstruments.ca. It's a killer.

[blawson]

No longer mine........I miss it, but keeping the studio going was a priority at the time.
A few other happy Heiden owners pictured as well. Michael in in the front row, wearing shorts.

Arthur -- I have always thought that one to be an exceptionally beautiful mandolin.

[Gary Alter]

I agree 100% with all the glowing reports on Michael's work, his mandolins don't take a back seat to anyones at any price point and I've never played another instrument that is as well setup and easy to play. As Shaun said you might find a 'different' tone you prefer but you'll have a hard time finding something better. I've owned a 2002 F5 that I bought used about 5 years ago and yes I've been tempted by MAS but always have come back to the Heiden.

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[GKWilson]

Arthur. That's one happy looking bunch of guy's. I can't blame them.
Who let Banana sneak in the back with a six stringer?
Gary

[SternART]

Gary......Banana has a Heiden guitar........so he fit right in.

And blawson I asked Michael to make it look like a violin, simple, no markers........I think he used his own
violin as a model for the color. A fella up in Sonoma is the caretaker of it now.

[sgarrity]

Thanks for the pics guys. Any others out there? I got to play #115 last weekend and man.....it was flat out wonderful.

[josh a]

Beautiful photos, all. Thanks so much for sharing!

[rico mando]

I have a framed photo of one of micheals mandolins from a bluegrass camp in salmon arm BC back in the late 90"s. he had copies from a real picture sitting out on his table so I took one and framed it . may be I will try and scan it if anyone wants . I was still learning my chops back then

[blawson]

I got to play #115 last weekend and man.....it was flat out wonderful.

Thanks, Shaun. #115 is really becoming something special, now about 1.5 years in. Perhaps it's the play time, perhaps it's my getting to know the instrument better, perhaps some of both, but it really does have a lot going on -- pop, warmth, fat notes.

I agree with the earlier intimations: great makers build great mandolins, with distinctive voices. Michael's mandolins really speak to me. Warm, overtones, strong bass, and extremely playable.