View Full Version : An early Taggart F5
Gary Hedrick
Jan-03-2013, 12:19pm
96173961749617596176961779617896179961809618196182
Bruce is from Nashville Indiana which is 5 miles from Bean Blossom. He has been making mandolins for years. This is an earlier version and his instruments continue to develop over the years. Good in your face tone with this one!
Stephen Cagle
Jan-03-2013, 12:50pm
Gary, That is my kind of mandolin right there! I'm sure the age of it really creates a good woody tone. I had a Ratliff that was built 3/4/84 and it sounded great. Wished I hadn't sold it. I tell people all the time that you can't buy time. When you have a well built mandolin that has had 20 to 30 yrs played on it it's just hard to beat. Really nice mandolin. ~o)
AlanN
Jan-03-2013, 12:59pm
Gary, was the curved board/bridge done after it was built? If not, he was one of the early cats to build them that way.
Gary Hedrick
Jan-03-2013, 1:35pm
Alan, that was original equipment.....Bruce was an out of the box thinker on some of this.....still making a great instrument.
Gary I was wondering if Jake Brown bought that from you? He has it now and has had it since I've known him. Jake seemed to think Michael Cleveland owned it at one time, but mike wasn't sure he remembered having it. These guys are friends of mine and it might be cool to know some more history. I owned taggart #50 for awhile and it stil remains one of my favorite mandolins. His neck shape and fretboard radius make for some of the best feeling/playing mandolins I've had my hands on.
Gary Hedrick
Jan-07-2013, 6:12pm
I sold this instrument to Roger Smith and he passed it on to someone that was taking lessons from him (if I remember correctly) Michael has attended a number of the picking session/mandolin expos I have hosted over the years Steve Richards would bring him up to the house.
Bruce's instruments have changed somewhat over the years ....the early ones were more of the sharp features and angles. At one point in time he had the Julian Cramer Loar in his possesion and did some modifications to his designs. He is a very good builder and a nice fellow.
davepicks5
Jan-08-2013, 7:18pm
I sold this instrument to Roger Smith and he passed it on to someone that was taking lessons from him (if I remember correctly) Michael has attended a number of the picking session/mandolin expos I have hosted over the years Steve Richards would bring him up to the house.
Bruce's instruments have changed somewhat over the years ....the early ones were more of the sharp features and angles. At one point in time he had the Julian Cramer Loar in his possesion and did some modifications to his designs. He is a very good builder and a nice fellow.
Gary
Jake Brown was around 15 years old when his Dad purchased the mandolin from Roger Smith. Jake is now 25 or 26. Nice guy and one heck of a mandolin and guitar player. He loves the Taggart and plays it exclusively.
David
Gary Hedrick
Jan-08-2013, 7:21pm
Ah so there is the answer......sheeeesh I am getting old when I think about how long ago that was.....
davepicks5
Jan-08-2013, 7:37pm
Ah so there is the answer......sheeeesh I am getting old when I think about how long ago that was.....
Getting old....... HA........ now for Jake and the Taggart......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xsfFQ77LHA
The man can pick.......
David
Clement Barrera-Ng
Jan-08-2013, 7:43pm
It's great to see how one can trace the ownership of a single instrument through the last couple of decades... It really reinforces the idea that we are all stewards of our respective instruments, and they will live on to make wonderful music long after us.
I just looked up Jake and found a couple of really awesome clips of him playing the Taggart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGyjolNLDGM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbD1pbgyUqU
terzinator
Jan-10-2013, 4:36pm
Ok, those videos there? That's just sick.
In a good way.
Mike Romkey
Jan-10-2013, 4:46pm
Engage the riff-stealing ray. Man, that's some picking!
billhay4
Jan-10-2013, 4:49pm
Fine playing; fine sounding instrument.
Bill
Gary Hedrick
Jan-10-2013, 6:59pm
There are several manolins pickers in the mid to south part of Indiana that are out of this world. We have been blessed to have such a great number....
I think this young man is one who could pull tone out of 8 strings stretched across a gourd. But the Taggart is a very good manolin.
MandoMonster
Feb-10-2016, 10:12am
...am I late? :popcorn: