Gilchrist 5C

[mrmando]

Just played one. Will need years of therapy to get over it.

[DougC]

Very funny and I agree. I listened to Evan Marshall's at the CMSA conference workshops and just melted. But then there was a LaBraid right next to me, Cohen is across the room with his mandolin and then Peter O. comes in with his custom mandolin. Sheeh, no mercy.

[Steve-o]

Just played one. Will need years of therapy to get over it.

Perhaps you could convince your insurance company to buy you one in lieu of the years of therapy. :grin:

[mrmando]

A Gilchrist as a mental health benefit? Hm. Anyone ever tried it?

Since I am short on cash and long on MAS, I sent a trade list to the shop that is selling the Gilchrist. Unloading 5 or 6 instruments in exchange for a Gil would be a great way to reduce clutter ... or at least that's what I'm telling the wife.

[Paul Kotapish]

Just played one. Will need years of therapy to get over it.

The one at Dusty Strings? Nice! Good luck with the trades.

[Willie Poole]

I wonder if you could get a doctor to prescribe mandolin music as a way of calming your frantic nerves and then your medical insurance would pay for it or at least most of it...It would worth a try...REMEMBER ALL OF YOU, THAT IS MY IDEA...Can you patent an idea?

Willie

[sgarrity]

I've always loved the look of those.

[Don Grieser]

I'm still haunted by the sound of Walter Carter's Gilchrist H5C mandola, after hearing it up close and personal years ago. Those 2 at Dusty Strings would be the start of a killer quartet.

[mandophil(e)]

I was in Dusty Strings today (great acoustic music store in Seattle) and had to pick my jaw up off the floor when I saw both a Model 5C and a Model 4C in a case on the floor of the shop. Both minty clean, both sounded killer, and both priced pretty reasonably, all things considered. The 4C was really cool (well, actually they both were), but that is a rare bird. No financial interest whatsoever, other than to see the guys that run that shop do well. Great folks.

[Jim Garber]

There is another one (2005) at Carmel Music (http://www.carmelmusic.com/stocklist/index.html) for $200 less.



I was in Dusty Strings today (great acoustic music store in Seattle) and had to pick my jaw up off the floor when I saw both a Model 5C and a Model 4C in a case on the floor of the shop.

From the description -- both are one-owner instruments by a classical player -- I would guess that that person owned both. First bought the 1999 5C then the 2001 4C. Yikes. I wonder what he/she plays now.

[mrmando]

There is another one (2005) at Carmel Music (http://www.carmelmusic.com/stocklist/index.html) for $200 less.
OK, but according to Dexter's description, it's "Structurally perfect with some checking and roughness in the finish." The one at Dusty is very clean, which oughta be worth a couple of C's.

From the description -- both are one-owner instruments by a classical player -- I would guess that that person owned both. First bought the 1999 5C then the 2001 4C.
I didn't realize Dusty was listing individual instruments on their Web site now. They haven't always done that. Here's the 5C:
http://store.dustystrings.com/p-1750-used-gilchrist-5c-f-style.aspx?skinid=2

I wasn't quite as enamored with the 4C; it sounds just like an F4 but is easier to play; however, it has a flat board.

Yikes. I wonder what he/she plays now.
Well, whatever it is, if he/she is local, I wish he/she would get his/her butt on over to Wallingford on Monday nights and join the orchestra.

[sgarrity]

You'll have to have cash in hand if you want the one at Carmel.

[almeriastrings]

I like that one Dexter has... very tasty.

[mrmando]

I'll probably need cash for the one at Dusty Strings too, realistically. Both of the sales guys I talked to expressed significant doubt over the prospect of their accepting a trade offer.

I thought the new price on the 5C was higher than for a standard 5? Both of the used 5Cs we're talking about are priced a little lower than your average secondhand Gil, or so it seems to me.

I don't know about the one at Carmel, but the one I played sounds like everything anyone could ask for in a mandolin. It does have enough clarity for classical, but it woofs pretty good too.

[AlanN]

I think Butch and NME used a trio of them bad boys at some point - the dolin, dola, cello. Absolutely gorgeous.

[Chip Booth]

95203

Drool! I haven't played one of these but would love to try one. Looks like it has black Waverlys, I have not seen that before.

[Ron McMillan]

$17,000 and no fretboard markers? There's the deal breaker there - nothing to do with the fact that I don't have even a fraction of that amount lying around :)

[Scott Tichenor]

I'll verify this as soon as my mandolin buddy in KC calls me back but I'll bet money that Carmel Music Gilchrist is the same one my friend bought from them at least 6 months ago. As often as some places update their sites wouldn't be a surprise.

[Jim Garber]

Here are a few of the pics of the one at Dusty Strings for historic purposes.

[Jim Garber]

$17,000 and no fretboard markers? There's the deal breaker there - nothing to do with the fact that I don't have even a fraction of that amount lying around :)

Fretboard markers... overrated. I never look at the ones in the front anyway.

[Mark Seale]

I LOVE these instruments. They are tasteful and amazingly easy to play.

[mrmando]

Fretboard markers... overrated. I never look at the ones in the front anyway.
It has side dots.

[Jim Garber]

It has side dots.

That is all you need. Some of my bowlbacks lack the side dots (have front ones) but it makes it very hard to switch to upper positions unless i face the front of the mandolin toward me.

[sgarrity]

This is a different one at Carmel. It is indeed currently for sale.

[blauserk]

The 5C at Dusty Strings is supposed to have a red spruce top. I thought Steve G used Englemann for his "Classical" mandolins?

I find those classical instruments very easy on the eyes. Beautiful backs on all three of those instruments--both the ones at Dusty Strings and the one at Carmel.

[peter.coombe]

Steve did use Engelmann Spruce for the tops of his "Classical" models, and Red Maple for the back and sides. I suspect Red Spruce is not correct. I have a model 3C, one of only 2 he made. I ordered the 3C and received it in 2000 after playing a Gilchrist 5C a few years before that blew me away. At the time, after only 3 or 4 years of mandolin making under my belt, my reaction was - mmm I have a way to go to match this man, this is an incredible mandiolin. Nowadays it stays in the case. I agree that the Gilchrist classical models are very easy on the eyes, and I do like the sound he gets from them.

Here it is -
http://petercoombe.com/highquality11.html
http://petercoombe.com/highquality12.html

[holden]

An old thread I realize but there's a 5c for sale and I wondered what they sound like. Lots of raves, but is Steven going
for a different sound on his classical? Loarish? Something completely different?

[mrmando]

Not Loarish, but sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. One of the best-sounding mandos I've ever had my hands on.

[William Smith]

An old thread I realize but there's a 5c for sale and I wondered what they sound like. Lots of raves, but is Steven going
for a different sound on his classical? Loarish? Something completely different?

Check out Carter Vintage, they have one there and there is also a pretty good video of a 5C so ya can get to hear how it sounds.

[SternART]

I've had one of each........5C and 4C........still have one. They are not what I'd call Loar-ish.
Very rich & full sounding w/ overtones & sustain.........big bottom and sweet top end. Nice mandolins!

[blauserk]

. . .there's a 5c for sale and I wondered what they sound like. If you go to the Carter Vintage Guitars website and check out the mandolin page, there's a couple videos of one being played. Do you know of one other than the one at Carter for sale? Very sweet, great-sounding instruments, but definitely not Loarish.