Ellis Mandolins

  1. Kevin Knippa
    Kevin Knippa
    If you own an Ellis, have played an Ellis, have only seen an Ellis, or if you've just visited Tom's shop, this is the place for you.
  2. Capt. E
    Capt. E
    Well I certainly would love to own an Ellis (I'll have to make do with my Weber for a while). I'm a total fan now that I have visited his shop (twice) and played his personal instrument for a bit (once). There isn't a nicer guy than Tom Ellis and he makes incredible mandolins. I was able to play one of his new A styles recently and it is wonderful. Funny that you usually find Tom playing bass around town. I'm a lucky guy living in Ellis Town (Austin). Please call and take a tour of his shop if you are ever in the area.
  3. R. Kane
    R. Kane
    I'm a lucky guy too. I've owned nearly 20 different mandolins over the last 5 years, as many as 4 or 5 at a time, and now I'm down to 2: an Ellis F5 and another very nice instrument made in Austin that is relegated to being the travel/hazardous duty mandolin. I used to think that I needed different mandolins for different types of music. What I needed was a flat out, perfectly made and finished, balanced and loud, easy to play mandolin that I play all the time. That way it stays warmed up and I learn how to make it sing in several different voices. I do think that this Ellis is the cure for my MAS - I can't see owning additional unplayed mandolins.

    I should also add that Tom knows every mandolin that he builds- he plays them for a week or so before they go into the case. I must have spoken to him five times before I picked mine.
  4. mritter
    mritter
    I very recently purchased #115, an F5 Deluxe. The workmanship and finish is flawless but frankly I knew that would be the case after seeing the many reviews of his instruments and visiting his shop.

    What really impressed me are the sonic qualities. Beautiful. It is distinctly different than my Collings MF5.
  5. Patrick Sylvest
    Patrick Sylvest
    I see that this group doesn't receive a great deal of attention from its members. I can only speculate that it's because they are so busy playing their fine, coveted instruments.

    I expect delivery of my new Ellis A this week. She's Toms latest build and one he assures me is exceptional in tone.

    I had considered another weber or a Collings MT2. I went with the Ellis because I wanted an instrument that was 'a cut above'.

    I'm thrilled and cannot wait for Friday! Tracking is such fun!
  6. Patrick Sylvest
    Patrick Sylvest
    Got her yesterday. Performed with her at my brunch gig today. What a phenomenal instrument!

    Loving my Ellis A5, #283! She's a perfect companion to my limited edition Weber! Two different lovely voices!

  7. Steve-o
    Steve-o
    After many years of wanting and wishing for an Ellis, I finally purchased a used A, #317. It has quickly become my favorite mando (well, tied with my Poe at least) after owning at least a dozen others.

    I had played several Ellis As at Elderly and A/B'd two of them against my Arches A this past year. I was, frankly, underwhelmed based upon the many accolades witnessed here on the Café. Perhaps it's attributed to old, dead strings on those showroom examples, I thought. Still the craftsmanship, fit and finish were second to none, and the prospect of owning an Ellis continued to haunt me.

    Ultimately, I decided to take a chance on a used A recently. I wasn't disappointed. I did have to take my A to a luthier to set it up and shim the nut. Since then, it's been a joy to play and has satisfied my MAS for the foreseeable future. The tone and playability are incredible, and the volume and punch are very responsive to pick attack. I'm a happy camper.

    P.S. Not a very active group here. Are you all busy playing your Ellis?
  8. nickster
    nickster
    After playing an Ellis F5 that Wayne Benson loaned me for a couple weeks in 2015 I was hooked. I couldn't afford the F5 so I just recently purchased a slightly used A5 s/n 345-15. My wife wanted me to have it while I go through my chemo treatments for stage 1 lymphoma. I'm amazed at the workmanship that goes into an Ellis. It's a dream to play. Even though I bought it used this one was played very little. It's going to be fun getting this one to open up over the next year.
  9. Steve-o
    Steve-o
    nickster - Welcome to the Ellis club. Sounds like we got our Ellis As about the same time. Your wife is a gem. I hope your Ellis brings you much joy and therapeutic value while you undergo chemo. All the best to you.
  10. nickster
    nickster
    Thanks Steve for the welcome. I wearing my fingers raw. The chemo keeps me from having decent callouses on my left hand fingertips so I just have to put up with a little extra pain while playing.
  11. AndrewF5
    AndrewF5
    Hi, I recently purchased a brand new Ellis F5 from Music Emporium. This one has the "Bella" inlay on the headstock. It is a MASSIVE upgrade from my longtime Eastman, and I feel I am set for life!
  12. MandoAblyss
    MandoAblyss
    Andrew, that was a beauty! TME had a streak of amazing Ellis instruments. Hello all, #388 is coming to me next week from Fiddler's Green (waiting for Monday to ship to limit baking in the delivery van). Can't wait, been lusting for a long time. I'll ask Ben to continue exercising it until it leaves the shop.
  13. Steve-o
    Steve-o
    Congrats on your F5s, Andrew and MandoAblyss! I expect your MAS will be in remission for a while. Enjoy those puppies!
  14. nickster
    nickster
    Congrats also on your F5s, Andrew and MandoAblyss. A little envy coming from my way getting to play the F5's. My A5 is slowly opening up.
  15. MandoAblyss
    MandoAblyss
    Holy smokes, my new Ellis sounds so good already, and what a looker! Just changed beat GHS A270 (Tom's factory strings) on it for fresh EJ-74, then I'll try fresh GHS, so far like 'em both but can't exactly identify differences from memory. Tom generously chatted with me about some things (how to remove finger rest, change buttons to ebony--all minor surgery went swimmingly, and his particular body size and shape characteristics, inlays, speed necks, set-up specs...), what a stellar fellow! Ben at Fiddler's Green equally an awesome guy. One immediate standout for the Ellis was the character of the chop and how easy to get it, a nice abrupt loud snappy percussion but underlying mellow round smooth chord hint, reliable. Sounds similar to Butch Baldasarri on his Homespun tapes, I'd alway strived for but never before found it consistently. Thought it could be the set-up so I altered my Collings to match--nope, it's the Ellisness. I am indeed fortunate and grateful; I alternate between Ellis and a Collings Engelmann/birdseye varnish and say to myself, now THAT's nice! Now THAT's nice, etc., stuck in an infinite loop of sonic beauty. And Nickster, I am in the school that believes one cannot hear the difference between F5 and A5 (Tim O'Brien, duh), but I play seated and the F5 is just locked in by the point while A5 slides around, simply ergonomics for me.
  16. Steve-o
    Steve-o
    MandoAblyss - I echo your comment about having two delightful mandolins and sonic bliss. My Ellis A is also complemented by an Engelmann/Birdseye Poe A. The Ellis is warm and rich with great sustain, while the Poe is tremendous in mids & trebles and much LOUDER. Enjoy your new Ellis.
  17. MandoAblyss
    MandoAblyss
    Why I love my new Ellis: tone, playability, materials (wood), fit and finish.

    Yeah, sure, obvious. But how about specifics?

    I've now played #388 Fleurn for an hour or two a day for the past month. Three sets of strings: original A270s which were a bit peaked after a while in the shop (but thank you Ben for regular exercise!), then EJ-74s graciously provided with sale, and now EXP-74CMs. I've (needlessly) fussed with the set-up from original .010(6fr) 4+/64(G12fr) 4/64(E12fr), to a lot lower, to current Collings spec: .005 5/64 2/32. Material has been bluegrass melodies with double-stops and chop chords, classical lines, and swing melodies and chords. And lots of scales and arpeggios.

    The BUILD is simply perfect. Example: side purfling is mitered at the points. Just looks right. (My one small beef with the aesthetics of the Collings MF5 Dlx V which looks awkward to me.)

    Also: Evo frets. I seem to wear frets faster than I'd wish. By now I would already have significant grooves on nickel-silver. But the Evo barely have dulling at the string crossings. Bill Collings had a lot to say about the tone that different fret materials provide on guitars, and concluded fret wear requiring refinish or replacement was the price to pay for great sound from a fretted instrument. But I'm happy to defer that for years!

    Finish: not dull satin, not mirror shine amplifying every dust speck or finger smudge, but just right degree of deep gloss. And the binding is grained and slightly yellowed rather than harsh white plasticky.

    Inlay: highly personal, but I already have a nice fern, and always wanted a flower pot--except that seems sort of tired after 90 years and many cheap repros. Solution: fleurn! Way cool, love it.

    TONE I smile with every note. The chop is anything you want from crack to warm brief chordal harmony. Notes bloom and link seamlessly, or sound clearly and terminate abruptly depending on intent. Double-stops are superb. The only thing I can't get as well as I'd like is a deep lush resonance from swing chords. I ascribe that to undeveloped technique and a newborn instrument. What I seek I've heard from a 25-y-o X-braced Engelmann F5 played by a master, but I bet I can get closer with work and maturity .

    Honest and careful assessment of any object will reveal shortcomings. To my taste, my Ellis has only one: I prefer nickel/silver hardware. However, I do like Evo frets which are available only in gold as far as I know. So, I do appreciate the harmony of all the metal matching (one reason Evo fret jobs are declined on nickel/sliver instruments.) And I'll get over the gold. Not too precious or glitzy when adorning an Ellis which merits it.

    And finally the icing on a very tasty and fulfilling cake--the Ellis Collings vintage case. Lots written about this. I'll just say that until you've held it and operated the two-latch hardware and witnessed the miracle of how it seems to shrink your instrument inside in size and weight (accustomed as we are to bulky heavy gear) you may not fully get what a pleasure it is. Perfect elegant compliment to the Ellis within.
  18. Don Grieser
    Don Grieser
    I posted about my visit to the Ellis shop and my A5 #339-15 here.

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/f...mp-Sound-Files
  19. datzus
    datzus
    After lurking on the Cafe for years, and upgrading five years ago from a Schofield F-5 to a Collings MT-2, having read all the many positive Ellis comments, I just purchased a used A-5 Deluxe from TME... first impressions are all positive: balanced, pure in tone, impeccable construction, a wonderful complement to a really great Collings. Time to wear out some new strings!
    ~Burr
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