Gibson Jam Master-anyone know this mandolin in the listing

[darylcrisp]

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/msg/4505632223.html

looks to be in Charlotte. I have emailed the person, waiting for a reply.

in my search for a wider nut width Gibson, within my budget, a forum member recommended the Jam Master. I did not know of this model, but it sure looks right for what I want right now.

I googled Jam Masters for sale and this came up-wondered if anyone here knows this mandolin and possibly has played it? wild chance I know, but one never knows.

any others for sale out there please let me know.

thank you
d

[Mickey King]

Sent you a PM

[DataNick]

The Jam Master was a limited production run that is no longer being made. Many threads like this one http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ghlight=Master on the cafe about them. Reviews that I've read were favorable...Oh and the Jam Master is hardly "the cadillac" of mandolins, as the Craigslist poster says. They were roughly equivalent to the A9/F9...Gibson's entry level offerings.

[Ed Goist]

You almost never see these for sale. The people who bought them new seem to hold onto them.

[OldGus]

You almost never see these for sale. The people who bought them new seem to hold onto them.

Yeah, but they were only made for a few years and recently. There probably aren't that many either. It looks like and F9 with an extra charge for nicer wood...

[multidon]

Jam Masters have radius fretboards and larger frets than an F9.

[journeymanjohn]

How much radius on the fretboard? Not compound, I assume, or it would be advertised as such. Would the bridge be radiused also then?

And I noticed they also had an A style Jam Master.

[multidon]

Not really sure of the exact degree of radius. Gibson just always advertised them as "radiused" also forgot to mention that these also had a wider nut at 1 3/16". Seemed like an attempt to tap into the market covered by other brands who offered these kind of specs. But as stated before they were made for only a short time.

[Ed Goist]

I'd bet the radius is 12"...This is Gibson's standard guitar fretboard radius, and I bet they just used the same block on this model's board.

The A-style Jam Master seems even rarer and more coveted. I remember one lasting only minutes in the Classifieds here a few years back.

[Geno]

The radius is actually 14". See this thread: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ghlight=master
I love mine and find the nut width and radius perfect for me. It sounds great with monel strings and I will never sell it.

[EdHanrahan]

My vague recollection is that they stopped making them (and for a while, all else) when Nashville flooded several years ago. Seems like something they's bring back "eventually", assuming that they're pretty close to full recovery now. Maybe?

And, uhmm, just guessing that 99.44% of us couldn't tell the difference between a 12" and 14" radius.

[DataNick]

...And, uhmm, just guessing that 99.44% of us couldn't tell the difference between a 12" and 14" radius.

Or a Jam Master and an F9/A9...

[J.Albert]

That's a nice mandolin, but $2,700 still seems to high a price.

Drop that to, say, $2,400, and it becomes more interesting...

[darylcrisp]

That's a nice mandolin, but $2,700 still seems to high a price.

Drop that to, say, $2,400, and it becomes more interesting...

totally agree, but for the moment, its the only game in town it seems. the man lives 5 hours away, he emailed last night and supposedly has a buyer today, if not he will contact me. i would probably do the drive and meet on this one-want to check the neck and see things in person.

d

[jefflester]

Oh and the Jam Master is hardly "the cadillac" of mandolins, as the Craigslist poster says.

Let's say Gibson is the "Cadillac" of mandolins. That would make the Jam Master the Cimarron or Catera of mandolins.

[Geno]

Well, what I finally learned after going through a Flatiron F-5 Artist, '03 Gibson Fern, '02 Gibson F-5G, a Duff F-5 and a few others was that you don't always get more just because you pay more. That relatively cheap, plain old Jam Master "Cimarron" sounds better and plays better than any of them did and they were all pretty good. I'll take that any day. $2,400 is a realistic price only if you can find one for that.

[dph3430]

The radius is actually 14". See this thread: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ghlight=master
I love mine and find the nut width and radius perfect for me. It sounds great with monel strings and I will never sell it.

Can you expand on the type and size of the "Monel" strings? Thanks.

[3rdegree]

I have the Jam Master A model #48, supposedly the first 100 were signed by Dave Harvey. I don't have the experience of playing lots of other mandolins but I absolutely can't put this thing down. It has opened up nicely, has a great chop and tone and is an absolute cannon, especially with a Blue Chip and Tone Guard. I'll never get rid of it but did see one on eBay about 2 months ago for $1000 that didn't last a day. Should mine one day a 100 years from now become a "known" mandolin and it's history debated like the Loar, it has a satin finish on back and sides and a gloss finish on the front. This is due to having to buff the front out during a visit to my 80 year old mother in Ohio last summer. While playing on the back porch and a mosquito was buzzing me she decided to help by spraying me, and the mando, down with a nice coat of Off which promptly ate right through the cellulose. Hence the mando is now affectionately know as "Skeeter." ; )

[Astro]

Well, what I finally learned after going through a Flatiron F-5 Artist, '03 Gibson Fern, '02 Gibson F-5G, a Duff F-5 and a few others was that you don't always get more just because you pay more. That relatively cheap, plain old Jam Master "Cimarron" sounds better and plays better than any of them did and they were all pretty good. I'll take that any day. $2,400 is a realistic price only if you can find one for that.

Really ? Even better than a Fern or a Duff F5 ?

I haven't played that many Mandos either but I have long suspected that possibility. The "higher end" mandos (I guess really entry pro level or mid priced 3-7K) I've played so far were good-- better than mine for sure--but just not that much better to me (at my level) to justify the big cost difference. Re "you don't always get more just because you pay more" I think we all know thats true. But I would have thought that any Duff at least would be in a different league.

[dph3430]

Thanks for the information that these are Gibson Sam Bush Monel strings.

[Geno]

The Duff was X-braced and was a fine mandolin, but I was just never crazy about the tone. It seemed a bit dull to me. It may well be a matter of my own taste. The Fern was the best of the lot, closer to the Jam Master's tone, but not as strong. It also cost over twice as much (both used). The F5G had a 1" nut and a toothpick neck. It had a nice tone, but was a quiet little thing.