I picked up my Girouard mandola last week am thoroughly enjoying getting to know it. I have a Big Muddy, which is a nice instrument, but I wasn't happy with the rounded neck and sometimes found it a little difficult to play. I also found the oval hole sound to be not entirely to my liking. The V neck and compound radius fretboard do make the Girouard easier to play, although I'm having to adjust to the longer scale length. It's all coming together quickly, though, and I believe my playing is rapidly improving. I'm excited to see how far I can go. The tone, as you would expect, is phenomenal and was exactly what I was after when I worked with Max and Lauri to select the wood. The mandola has a cedar top and a quilted big leaf maple back, so it has a very rich and complex sound. I'll post some pics after Christmas (there are some of it being built under the "tell us about your new mandolin" thread). Until then, I'll keep practicing and when I get my chops up, I'll post a video.
i'm wondering how the tone is maturing, and am looking forward to seeing pics. Curious about the overall sound...mandolin-like, throaty, etc. Also, what strings and picks does it like?
