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Like some here, I grew up on Jerry Jeff. My parents had some of his albums, and we all enjoyed them equally. Then I went to college in Austin, and it seems like I saw him live dozens of times. On...

I have one of Sonny's flat tops, and can say it's the best money I've spent on an "inexpensive" mandolin. I've owned Eastmans and The Loars, Kentucky, MidMos, and other entry level models, and the...

Watching Evan play that from a few feet away in a casual, outdoor setting with no mike or stage is one of the best musical memories I have. Even unamplified, it sounds like about three guys playing...

Demetrius- as I posted earlier, some of Bob Givens' A models DO have truss rods, but they are only accessible thru the tailpiece hole. Contact Greg Boyd, he may have info on specific dates for this...

Are you absolutely sure there's no truss rod? I've had two Givens A's that had truss rods you had to access with a special tool through the endpin hole. Easy enough to check. I think it sounds...

A good friend of mine's son recently directed a documentary about using sustainable woods in musical instruments, and the folks who are trying to responsibly manage deforestation and illegal wood...

I'm a fan of both. I've owned two MTs, and three Old Waves. I sold my last MT to help pay for my present Old Wave. No regrets. Bill B. is my favorite builder, and a pleasure to do business with. ...

I'll throw my hat in the ring for a Morris flat top. I've played a few Kratzers, and they were very good, but I haven't played one of his flat tops. I own a Morris flat top that he made to my...

When Buffalo Bros was still around here in SoCal, they usually had a Sumi F or two around. I played them, thought they were excellent, but couldn't bring myself to pay that kind of money for what I...

I've owned four, all different A models (A3, A4, A5, A6), and regret selling or trading the three I don't have anymore. Volume and tone were all top- notch, neck profiles were all over the place. ...

The only new music I can't get into is anything that has had the vocals "Auto-Tuned." Unfortunately, this seems to cover about 80% of what the young teens I work with listen to. I have an "ear" for...

I'm really happy with the flattop Howard made me earlier this year. Excellent tone, playability and huge volume, all at a super price, made to order. He was an absolute pleasure to work with, and...

Make an offer. Years ago, unable to find a guitarron in a store, I bought one off a mariachi in the square where they all congregate after work in Tijuana. Mexico City should have some decent music...

My favorite band for banter is Dry Branch Fire Squad. Even their long jokes, like the one about Bill Monroe putting his pants on one leg at a time, are effortless and funny, without too much corn. ...

I'd add "Dreadful Wind and Rain," known by several other names, to this list. At least the murder victim gets recycled into instrument parts, so a fairly "green" number. Frank

Having owned many Kentucky mandolins, good and bad, and having recently received a Morris flattop, I'd throw my money towards Howard Morris. The entire process was a pleasure, and Howard was great,...

I've owned four Collings, and they all had a very noticeable, sweet, woody smell, particularly the plainer MT and MF models. Another maker whose mandolins always seem to smell great is Bill...

I emailed Howard a few weeks ago to ask about a flattop he had in the classifieds, and see if he had anything like it, but with a radiused fretboard. He offered to build me one to my specs for a few...

I use both TKL and Travelite. I prefer the Travelite. The main reason is that unlike the TKL case, when dropped, I've seen a Travelite actually bounce before settling to the ground, and my mandolin...

I agree that a better instrument will make you want to play more, and thus advance more quickly. My first mandolin was a cheap Kentucky laminate model, but it was well set-up, as the guy in my local...

I'd like to see a short film depicting my favorite Bill Monroe joke, which I'm sure most of you have heard. Dry Branch Fire Squad used to tell it in between songs. Many versions, but here's what I...

Shouldn't be as much of an issue with matte. If in doubt, I always leave the fully packed box in my house for an hour or so, then touch the case. If it still feels really cold, I wait until it is...

So many variables. First of all, played many many Collings, never heard one that sounded tinny at all, quite the opposite. My favorite no longer existing music store in SoCal was semi close to the...

A few thoughts. Some Givens-built mandolins have been found to acquire a "hump" in the neck close to the joint, that sometimes requires a fretboard removal and shaving to put right. Not a huge...

I'd be tempted to check out the Kentucky flat top in the classifieds. One thing I've done for kids is string up something like that one with four strings, to let them get to know the fretboard and...