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nrand
Dec-18-2012, 5:55am
My very first mandolin arrived today, a Paris Swing Oval hole model MS120. I have also ordered a The Loar LM600BK so I will be able to compare the differences between F hole's and others for myself.

The bad and the good:
The bad: the Paris Swing is basically un-played and reportedly recently set up, although to my guitarist instincts it is still not quite right. . It needs to be played a lot more to really know the sound.
Up the neck the G string starts to buzz past the 10th fret, and looking closely I think there is a slight bow on that side of the neck, so it needs to go to my luthier for a checkup
Fretting/playing is not all that easy, admittedly I am new to mandolins, but I played an Eastman 315 in a store near here and it seemed easier to fret than the Paris Swing. [The Eastman in Australia is more than $900.00 and the Paris Swing was $400 plus postage from Miami]
The fretboard seems a little on the flat side for my tastes.
The tuners seem a little average too, although the strings reportedly are new so they might need more time to settle in.

The good: I like the sound/tone a lot for singing with. It seems to have plenty of volume, and when played hard with percussive strumming it really rings.
I will be putting a K&K in one of the two. It would be easy with this one as I can see only one brace/sound bar that runs right down the middle from the bridge end of the oval hole.
The fit and finish is excellent.
What I really like abut the mandolin is the size! As a songwriter I cannot believe it took me this long to buy one of these instruments. I can stop the car when an idea hits, and I can pick it out while notating without having to leave the driver's seat! [try this with an acoustic guitar . . .]

I look forward to comparing this with the Loar. I read they both have some Greg Rich input in common, maybe even the same factory, so maybe it will be a fair comparison.

G7MOF
Dec-18-2012, 6:05am
Piano accordians are also hard to play in the drivers seat as well...

Folkmusician.com
Dec-18-2012, 1:46pm
I look forward to comparing this with the Loar. I read they both have some Greg Rich input in common, maybe even the same factory, so maybe it will be a fair comparison.

Greg Rich is behind both brands; however, the Paris Swing mandolins were made at a different location and have nothing other than the parent company in common. :)

nrand
Dec-18-2012, 3:18pm
Re a fair comparison. . .

Greg Rich is behind both brands; however, the Paris Swing mandolins were made at a different location and have nothing other than the parent company in common. :)

Maybe all comparisons are destined to be faulty . . . .

[Maybe someday the whole bananas vs mangos thing can be resolved.
Or F holes vs Oval holes if you like. . . .]

. . .But I seem destined to try nonetheless :mandosmiley:

Marty Jacobson
Dec-18-2012, 4:00pm
You said there's a single brace that runs vertically from the center of the sound hole? Interesting. Can you tell if it's angled or straight? Just curious.

Perry Babasin
Dec-18-2012, 5:55pm
I believe The Paris Swings mandolins were the first cousins of the "original" Loar LM-500. The one that everyone doesn't like because the tops are pressed (solid hardwood) and just partially carved, around the scroll. They were both in production around the same time and have production features in common. I'm not sure if they are pressed as well, I have never seen one in person, but I owned one of the original LM-500s. It was actually a very nice sounding mandolin with great tone, just not as loud as I would have liked. Maybe someone like Paul Hostetter who knows more about the Greg Rich influenced mandolin designs could chime in.

JeffD
Dec-18-2012, 6:26pm
Maybe all comparisons are destined to be faulty . . . .

[Maybe someday the whole bananas vs mangos thing can be resolved.
Or F holes vs Oval holes if you like. . . .]

. . .But I seem destined to try nonetheless :mandosmiley:

Just be careful not to attribut the differences you hear to the wrong thing, and reach a conclusion that is erroneous.


I have a Paris Swing, and I like it well enough. Its the John Jorgenson, and I have a lot of fun with it. IMO opinion it doesn't compare with The Loar, at least the few I have played. The Loar is a better instrument IMO, fuller, louder sound. Much more differece than I could attribute to the shape of the sound hole. The PS is a bit more brassy sounding when played strongly, and when played softly it sounds more on the tinny side. The The Loars I have tried sounded great, very commanding full sound. They sound like they can do it all.

The PS is a lot of fun, and I adore how it looks, but I would not have chosen it if I were looking for a great sounding instrument, (a GSI if you will). I have one or two GSIs in my heard, and I got a great deal on the PS, got it for its looks mostly, and I am not bowled over by the sound. But for the price I got it I am well satisfied.

Just my experience.

mandroid
Dec-18-2012, 8:02pm
well at least, like your guitar, the big sound hole will capture dropped picks.

nrand
Dec-19-2012, 12:06am
You said there's a single brace that runs vertically from the center of the sound hole? Interesting. Can you tell if it's angled or straight? Just curious.

The brace runs straight down the middle from just behind the edge of the soundhole, right to where the back joins the sides where the tailpiece is mounted.. The brace is curved/tapered, and slightly bevelled at the sound hole end - I think at both ends, but the detail at the back is a little hard to judge with my mirror. I will have a closer look when I change strings next.

Thanks also to mandroid about the pick collection tip. I had not considered this before. All my guitars have lute hole covers so this is not an issue, where as for the mandolin I have discovered an excellent on-line tool:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006q2x0/features/black-hole

A really subjective summary of the two side by side will follow around mid -January when the Loar arrives.

mandroid
Dec-19-2012, 2:44am
you do have some locals, making Mandolins to save on shipping from the North.
http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/builders/searchdb.cgi?uid=default&view_records=1&keyword=australia&submit=Search

nrand
Dec-19-2012, 4:13am
you do have some locals, making Mandolins to save on shipping from the North.
http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/builders/searchdb.cgi?uid=default&view_records=1&keyword=australia&submit=Search

That is an informative list. If I were to spend an extra $2000 over the price of the two I bought combined I will save approximately $50 on postage. . . . cool!
If my songwriting royalties happen to go through the roof, or if you want to send me $2000 out of the goodness of your heart I would jump right in.

Seriously - these are nice but waaaay out of my league at this time of life and circumstances. Nice to dream though.

Pete Jenner
Dec-19-2012, 4:22am
but I played an Eastman 315 in a store near here and it seemed easier to fret than the Paris Swing. [The Eastman in Australia is more than $900.00

You're kidding?

You're in the wrong state mate. http://katoombamusic.com.au/?wpsc-product=eastman-md315-mandolin

Cut off the scrolly thing and you get this: http://katoombamusic.com.au/?wpsc-product=eastman-md-305-mandolin

Marc King
Dec-19-2012, 6:01am
I was looking at the Paris Swing and a The Loar lm600 too, so would be interested in hearing your impressions. Ended up going with the lm600 and I am one very happy chappy because of it!