View Profile: allenhopkins - Mandolin Cafe Forum

Yesterday, 8:51pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Songs that need BG covers. in Bluegrass, Newgrass, Country, Gospel Variants

My old bluegrass band, the Flower City Ramblers, did a bluegrass version of this song back in the 1970's. Worked pretty well; included the...

9 replies | 2020 view(s)

Yesterday, 8:24pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread My mysterious JBovier Knock-off in Looking for Information About Mandolins

Now the question is, how did a JBovier knock-off get to Dallas TX? There's a story there, one that we'll probably never know.

13 replies | 808 view(s)

Yesterday, 8:18pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Random mandolin sightings in General Mandolin Discussions

Yeah, the ad cuts out just ten seconds before the mandolin player shoots the spoons player. No jury would convict him...

189 replies | 45455 view(s)

Jan-24-2021, 4:15pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread A vs. F in Equipment

Any differences of A-model vs. F-model, gloss finish vs. matte finish, binding vs. no binding, and other basically non-acoustic features, are...

16 replies | 745 view(s)

Jan-24-2021, 3:58pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Mandolin goes sharp between sessions? in Equipment

In my experience, two factors cause instruments to go sharp: increased humidity and increased temperature, both of which can cause wood to expand and...

41 replies | 1094 view(s)

Jan-23-2021, 5:15pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread New player - Mandolin in Looking for Information About Mandolins

If you can forego the esthetic lure of the F-model scroll, many Cafe-ers have been quite satisfied with the Eastman MD305 A-model. Bernunzio has...

19 replies | 668 view(s)

Jan-23-2021, 5:02pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread My mysterious JBovier Knock-off in Looking for Information About Mandolins

Unscrupulous types who counterfeit paper money, don't make $1 or $5 bills. They make $50's and $100's. That's where their profit is. I'd expect...

13 replies | 808 view(s)

Jan-22-2021, 1:11pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread 1974 Gibson F5 - what's top of the market? in General Mandolin Discussions

Replying to a 2012 post may be a bit beside the point, but I just traded in the 1954 F-5 I owned for 44 years, and it gave me good service all...

32 replies | 10560 view(s)

Jan-22-2021, 12:47pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Do great looking mandolins have to sound better? in General Mandolin Discussions

I've gotten a lot of mileage out of Strad-O-Lins that were "ugly ducklings" compared to some of my fancier instruments. Ditto for a whole bunch of...

66 replies | 2258 view(s)

Jan-21-2021, 2:13pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Collings Headstock and string winders in Equipment

Mike, not sure that your solution completely addresses Tim's problem. Shrinking the cavity of the winder will prevent the tuner knobs from slipping...

14 replies | 561 view(s)

Jan-20-2021, 3:36pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Harmony H-417 Mandolin in Equipment

You have a bargain luthier if he gave it a complete re-fret and will sell it for 100 buxx. Maybe he just replaced first-position worn frets. ...

6 replies | 347 view(s)

Jan-20-2021, 3:17pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Mandolin Banjo? in General Mandolin Discussions

You guys are cruel, CRUEL! Every instrument has its place, somewhere.* I played my Vega Little Wonder MB in a klezmer band, on certain tunes; it...

39 replies | 1008 view(s)

Jan-19-2021, 5:16pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Mandolin Banjo? in General Mandolin Discussions

Gold Tone makes a decent one, the MB-850. Goes for around $640 US new. There are many many used ones all over the market; you can pay a lot for an...

39 replies | 1008 view(s)

Jan-16-2021, 1:41pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Martin Mandolin Identity in General Mandolin Discussions

I've built cases for a National Triolian, a Washburn bowl-back mandola, a bowed psaltery and a Polk-A-Lay-Lee. I would be embarrassed to show any of...

15 replies | 5857 view(s)

Jan-16-2021, 1:29pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Mandolin flagship song? in General Mandolin Discussions

Vernon Derrick wrote Arab Bounce when working with Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys. I think I learned it off a Martin LP, 'way back when.

83 replies | 2932 view(s)

Jan-15-2021, 3:55pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Regal-made Blue Comet resonator mando in eBay, Craig's List, etc.

What "resonator?" The manufacturer just drilled a bunch of "screen holes" around the perimeter of a cheap mandolin. The "resonator" Blue Comets...

3 replies | 333 view(s)

Jan-15-2021, 3:42pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Harmonicas & Mandolins in General Mandolin Discussions

Elderly used to sell a little wire rack called the Harp Handle; I bought one and have used it for over 20 years, and Dunlop still makes 'em. It's...

22 replies | 799 view(s)

Jan-15-2021, 3:37pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Mandolin flagship song? in General Mandolin Discussions

As an ex-banjo player, you may play a bit of bluegrass (excluding Dueling Banjos, which only got popular in bluegrass when it got into the Top 40...

83 replies | 2932 view(s)

Jan-14-2021, 7:03pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Harmonicas & Mandolins in General Mandolin Discussions

Speaking as a long time harmonica-ist: Marine Bands are good harps; they've been around for a century or so. Only drawback I've found is that the...

22 replies | 799 view(s)

Jan-13-2021, 12:13pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Curious about mandola nomenclature in General Mandolin Discussions

And just to add confusion and complexity (always my forte), I purchased a Weber Gallatin "sopranolin" that's tuned CGDA, an octave higher than a...

16 replies | 942 view(s)

Jan-12-2021, 9:11pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Fretboard Frets Question in Looking for Information About Mandolins

The spacing of the frets reflects the proper notes of the scale. If you put frets further apart, you get different notes. As John H says, you can...

11 replies | 884 view(s)

Jan-12-2021, 8:59pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Your best guess?? in General Mandolin Discussions

"Washburn" was originally a brand name for the big Chicago music firm Lyon & Healy; it was George Lyon's middle name, and L & H used it to label...

2 replies | 319 view(s)

Jan-12-2021, 8:43pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Adieu to a friend in General Mandolin Discussions

Thanx to all who've posted; the Stelling's as ornate and full-voiced as I expected it would be. And yes, I did keep a ukulele -- I actually have a...

21 replies | 1304 view(s)

Jan-11-2021, 10:34pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Adieu to a friend in General Mandolin Discussions

I put in a link to the pics on Bernunzio's website; it's marked "Sold" as of 3:30 p.m. today.

21 replies | 1304 view(s)

Jan-11-2021, 9:33pm

allenhopkins started a thread Adieu to a friend in General Mandolin Discussions

Forty-four years ago I purchased a Gibson F-5, Serial #A17518, from Stutzman's Guitar Center here in Rochester. My first (turned out to be my only)...

21 replies | 1304 view(s)

Jan-10-2021, 1:00pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread The Mandolin in America in General Mandolin Discussions

Exactly the response one would expect.

11 replies | 1031 view(s)

Jan-10-2021, 12:57pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Pandemic Reading in General Mandolin Discussions

I got Dick Spottswood's The Blue Sky Boys for Christmas, and frankly, was disappointed. It turned out to be largely transcribed quotes from...

23 replies | 1731 view(s)

Jan-09-2021, 7:49pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread How much Time do you have left? in Videos, Pictures & Sound Files

Having just turned 77 New Year's Eve, I find this thread's title ominous

12 replies | 1262 view(s)

Jan-08-2021, 12:49pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread The Mandolin in America in General Mandolin Discussions

Perhaps just another conspiracy by anti-Shmergel subversives (Gibson, Weber, Collings, Eastman et. al.) to cover up the existence of this nonpareil...

11 replies | 1031 view(s)

Jan-07-2021, 7:22pm

allenhopkins replied to a thread Mandolins with violin-style construction are nothing new... in eBay, Craig's List, etc.

Scale length of 13.2" per the seller's description -- short!

28 replies | 4471 view(s)

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