New Ratliff Country Boy F5 with video/pics

[DataNick]

Hey All!

I just picked up my new Ratliff Country Boy F5 model that arrived here in SoCal on Tuesday at Buffalo Bros.. Audey Ratliff really did me right in tonewood selection and a few other perks that I will detail in a full review: suffice it to say I'm stoked!

Here's the video Audey made:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUIgffvhP00

Pics:
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Sounds great, great workmanship & quality...enjoy!

[Michael Bridges]

Nick,my friend, that is fantastic! I love that look. Fit and finish appear to be excellent. Congrats on your new beauty, you are building quite the collection. Guess you are becoming the MASter collector.

[Michael Weaver]

Congrats Doc!! I noticed by your post time that you were probably up all night playing.....I don't blame you one bit. Have fun and try to get at least 2 hours of sleep a night.

[DataNick]

Thanks Michael my Army buddy!

Figured out how to rotate and fix those pics, so here goes again...

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[DataNick]

Nick,my friend, that is fantastic! I love that look. Fit and finish appear to be excellent. Congrats on your new beauty, you are building quite the collection. Guess you are becoming the MASter collector.

Thanks Mike!

Yes, I am well on my way to being a collector...don't know when this will stop, but I am trying to give all the stable mates the attention they deserve...LOL!

[Steve Sorensen]

Nice! Can't wait to hear her in person!

Steve

[Willie Poole]

Nick, Is that scroll as big as it looks in the pictures? I have a Ratliff R-5 and the scroll doesn`t seem that large, is it something that is common on the Country Boy mandolin? I also notice that it doesn`t have any design on the peghead which of course doesn`t add to the sound...Nice looking mandolin and Audie is a great person to deal with....

[DataNick]

Nick, Is that scroll as big as it looks in the pictures? I have a Ratliff R-5 and the scroll doesn`t seem that large, is it something that is common on the Country Boy mandolin? I also notice that it doesn`t have any design on the peghead which of course doesn`t add to the sound...Nice looking mandolin and Audie is a great person to deal with....

Willie,

The scroll is bigger than my JBovier F5 Studio(wider by .25 inch), which it self is bigger than my Eastman MD515.

Don't know why...would have to ask Audey; the depth measured at the side opposite the points (scroll side) appears to be close to an 1/8 inch greater in depth as well.

Ditto per dealing with Audey, great guy!

[Eric Michael Pfeiffer]

Congrats Ratliff mandolins are great instruments!! Yeah the scrolls are bigger in all the ones that I have seen!

[roberto216]

Was this a custom build for you? I'm confused by Audey's video.

Congrats, by the way. Ratliff's have a great sound.

[DataNick]

Was this a custom build for you? I'm confused by Audey's video.

Congrats, by the way. Ratliff's have a great sound.

Not a custom build by request, it just ended up being that way. During the build process I asked for the dot inlay position markers; Audey went out of his way to get the special curley maple for me, he substituted the ebony fretboard, and he put on the binding all unasked by me.

I complimented him on the sound of his R5 from one of his videos, told him it was "either the best mando I'd ever heard or the video was rigged"...well he seemed to get a kick out of that and he really took it upon himself to give me all the extras.

The video says he was shipping to Buffalo Bros. here in SoCal, because I ordered it through them, once I found out they were one of his dealers.

Thanks for the congrats! I'm havin fun playin it in...

[Eric Michael Pfeiffer]

It sure is a keeper and a looker, and a unique take and interpretation of an F-style....no doubt a fine mandolin....enjoy!!

[DataNick]

It sure is a keeper and a looker, and a unique take and interpretation of an F-style....no doubt a fine mandolin....enjoy!!

Thanks Eric!

I plan on enjoying this mando for a long time...