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So Kurt I noticed that you went with the Eastman 600 series F and O styles. Can I ask you if you went with these because they were more traditional sounding and in the case of the oval it had more...

While I am at it, there is a binary classification for old and new mandolins.

First some old short necked mandolins have small frets and the Gibson brand all over them

Second some new short-...

Maybe an approach would be to employ whichever mandolin works for the style of music. The reason I say this I have gone back to cheaper well rounded mandolins ( Eastman 505, Breedlove KO mandolins,...

Eric, You have some pretty reasonable mandolins at best. In part I think the mandolin cafe tricks people into wanting more than they have and replacing what are solid well rounded mandolins with the...

Max. I tried out an Eastman 505 Comfort with satin finish. It may have been the mandolin. I sent it back. Instead I got a 505 classic with gloss finish. It has a good woody rounded tone with...

That makes sense Steve in what you are saying. I would expect a deeper tone with slightly less volume with a mahogany backed instrument. You picked up what I noticed in videos I have watched. ...

What year was your 404 made Steve? I have a video from TFOA in Holland in which it sounds quite loud. The mahogany back may not project as much sound as a maple backed 504 but then again it comes...

And here is a recording of an Eastman 504 mandolin


https://youtu.be/B4VdW10MhjQ

And for good measure a 1924 Gibson A-4 mandolin:


https://youtu.be/kFb99QH7hII

Of course maple backed mandolins provides that punch for bluegrass. I concur. However, either beech or mahogany backed oval hole mandolins provide that warmth and musical colour that is present in...

Based on the small number of videos I have listened to, it sounds warmer and richer - a bit like the older Gibson oval holes.

It is possible Pat that he sought to recreate the tone that is in his 'Loar' derivative in the new Artist series at Northfield. In that video I attached he says he is enjoying immensely his...

He added it. Maybe there are a couple of Northfields now in his stable. You see him playing a Northfield more often than not. He was part of the team to create the new Artist series of Northfield...

Thanks Nigel for reviving Irish Bouzoukis on the CBOM thread. Look forward to the next phase in the bouzouki build diary.

Well if you were a first class act why would you bother with a $500 Eastman - the world of mandolin making is your musical oyster. There are plenty of folks who get plenty of satisfaction with their...

My point is that he has replaced his Loar recently with a Northfield Artist model. Here he is teaching arpeggios at Elderly Instruments 1 week ago:


https://youtu.be/DdkiNqs8y8o

We can get caught up in the mystique of Gibson Loar F5 mandolins. Perhaps Mike should have found an equivalent modern maker to make a mandolin with a wider fingerboard with the tone he wanted. It...

I have heard on the grapevine from a reliable source that most if not all new Eastman mandolins will be built with larger frets this year. I have an MD505 with larger frets on a 12" radiused...

Nothing wrong with that colour. They are all pretty much like that these days with the MD504 model.

I tried one. It did not have the tone of the classic model. I ended up with a classic model with large frets. Pretty nice mandolin with great tone and playability.

Max, In the end it is up to you what floats your boat. I bought an Eastman 505 with larger frets and could not be happier with the fit and finish of it. I had to tweak the truss rod a bit to...

Ever heard Butch Baldesarri play bluegrass or old time? He finds a nice balance between speed, expressiveness and tone.

I would not apply micromesh to the area. If it is a satin finish a very light respray with nitro touchup lacquer can work if a surrounding areas of the tool is taped off and covered. Best if a...

That's right Max. They stopped making USA made models back in 2016 or thereabouts. Then all production was shipped offshore. Colorado_al pretty much nailed it. The Eastman 305 is a far better...

You could go with a 514 or even a 314 Eastman model if you don't need a pickup. Then it becomes more of a question of price rather than appointments.

Look up the Jescar 147 designation. I found this on Australian Luthier Supplies website and confirmed it later on the Jescar website.