Don shipped my latest Red Diamond, # 140, the Staats Red Diamond standard model.. I am very much looking forward to playing it & seeing how it compares to my V JUly 9 RD. Are any of y'all going to mandolin week at Swannanoah Gathering or the Bill MOnroe camp near Nashville ?
I would love to make it to Nashville ,but im not sure yet. I went to Dons saturday and picked up my Vintage F5. He installed a flat fingerboard and reshaped the neck just a bit and he absolutely nailed it. I love this mandolin!!! Don is the best. He's working on a new batch right now and i cant wait to check em out. Let us know what you think about #140 when you get it.
# 140 is very different from the Vintage series in that it has a brighter tone.. It has absolutely killer A & E strings.. It is fantastic on a mike, yet has plenty of power in an acoustic jam. I would say my July has a darker sound. Hard to choose which one to play.. Will be at Cherokee BG Fest this weekend & will have both
That's cool. I would love to have two RD to choose from...LOL!! I also have a F5 Duff mandolin that sounds nice. I had to drop it back off at Dons when i picked up my RD because my three yr old took it for a test drive and broke the peghead. So im back down to one right now.
3 yr olds can be hazardous to your instruments. My July 9 is just 1 yr & almost 1mo old.. It really is comming out. The A & E strings are getting stronger & stronger.. It is a very well balanced mandolin.. so far I haven't played any mandolin that I like any better than most Red Diamonds. I think Don has really come up with a new tecnique that really lets him make very good instruments consistently. Whenever I am playing # 251 ( July 9) someone always walks up & asks what kind of mandolin it is, and comments on its' volume , presence & tone.
I have had had alot of compliments on my #232 vintage F5 also. Don is among the the best
