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Thread: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

  1. #1
    Registered User darylcrisp's Avatar
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    Default anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    this one at Carters looks nice. just wondering if someone out there owns one and would comment on the tone and such.

    what part of it did Collings do, and what part did Mike K do?
    does it sound more like a Collings or a Nugget?

    http://www.cartervintage.com/mandopa...e.html#nuggetA

    Click image for larger version. 

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  2. #2
    Registered User aphillips's Avatar
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    Hah hah Daryl - you're cracking me up! Your rabbit hole has gotten deeper and deeper lately. I think I might be jealous :-)
    Adam

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  3. #3
    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    Daryl - From what i've read,Collings build what is essentially a copy (reproduction ?) of the mandolin that Mike Kemnitzer built for Tim O'Brien,in a similar manner to the way that Eastman build a copy of the 'Giacomel' mandolin that Corado Giacomel built for Dave Grisman. We can only assume that it will ''sound the way it sounds'' regardless of builder - unless the build specs. are quite different from standard Collings "A" style build specs. ie - the woods are specified & the dimensions inc.graduations are specified by MK. Even so,it could never be expected to sound like Tim O'Brien's mandolin because as we know,no two instruments even built from the same woods by the same builder will sound the same. We could ask the question - ''Does Tim O'Brien's Nugget sound like a Collings ?. It might sound very similar to 'some' Collings mandolins,but we'd have to do a lot of comparing to find out.
    All we can ever do with any group of mandolins regardless of cost/builder,is to determine which one we like. We'll never need to do any more than that,
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  4. #4
    Loarcutus of MandoBorg DataNick's Avatar
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    This thread, Nugget-Collings Tim O'Brien model, and in particular post #3, give pretty thorough details of that mandolin model
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    Registered User ferrousgeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    Is there a known count of how many were actually built/sold?

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    Registered User Tom Sanderson's Avatar
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall View Post
    Daryl - From what i've read,Collings build what is essentially a copy (reproduction ?) of the mandolin that Mike Kemnitzer built for Tim O'Brien,in a similar manner to the way that Eastman build a copy of the 'Giacomel' mandolin that Corado Giacomel built for Dave Grisman.
    Not True.

    Mike Kemnitzer Carved the tops and backs and made the bridges from his wood, sent it to collings where they did the rest. I think about 34 were made. Collings got half of them to sell and Mike got half. I have owned 2. I think that they are more like Nuggets than Collings. Also, they are not an exact copy Of Tim O'brien's Nugget. Tim's Nugget has a much fatter neck for one thing.

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    Registered User Russ Jordan's Avatar
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    I think there were 34-36 TOBs made. I owned 2, one varnish and one lacquer. The varnished one was extra special in the tone department.
    Russ Jordan

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    Site founder Scott Tichenor's Avatar
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    Just a single opinion here. I'm a 20+ year Nugget owner. I've played several of these and to my ear they sound far more like a Collings than a Nugget.

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  13. #9
    Registered User Tom Sanderson's Avatar
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Tichenor View Post
    Just a single opinion here. I'm a 20+ year Nugget owner. I've played several of these and to my ear they sound far more like a Collings than a Nugget.

    There you go, two long time Nugget owners with different opinions. I'd say Tone is in the ear of the beholder.

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  15. #10
    Registered User Russ Jordan's Avatar
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    Not a Nugget owner, so can't address that comparison. I have played other TOBs besides the ones I owned and it seems to me that the tone was not as consistent as MT2s are. The lacquer one I had was just ok, nothing special---have had several MT2s that, IMO, were much better sounding mandolins (for way less $). I think the varnish TOB I had was #32 -- I traded it to Danny Clark -- would be interested to hear from whoever ended up with it. If WCH had not finally built my F5, I would have kept it.
    Russ Jordan

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    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    From Tom S. - "...two long time Nugget owners with different opinions.". As i said,one can only be expected to 'sound like it sounds' & our opinions might & will differ - as always.
    I hadn't read about MK carving the tops,but seeing that we already have 2 differing opinions,would it have made any difference if Collings had carved the same wood to the same graduations?. Possibly no more of a difference than between two tops that MK carved. A very nice looking instrument though,
    Ivan
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  17. #12
    Registered User darylcrisp's Avatar
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    Quote Originally Posted by aphillips View Post
    Hah hah Daryl - you're cracking me up! Your rabbit hole has gotten deeper and deeper lately. I think I might be jealous :-)
    not looking to buy one of these, I've saw two in the past for sale and thought it was a neat looking mandolin and to have two excellent builders combine workmanship I was wondering how they turned out.

    I'm extremely satisfied with the MT2V, it outrocks anything I've had hands on with.

    d

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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    I have one and think it sounds amazing, and to me more like a Nugget than a Collings, neither of which I've owned. That's just my take based on the many Nuggets and Collings that I've heard. I certainly don't have the long time Nugget experience Scott does.

    I think Tim plays one when he's not playing the original, so he must think they say OK. . .

  19. #14
    Registered User Tom Sanderson's Avatar
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    Quote Originally Posted by Luna Pick View Post

    I think Tim plays one when he's not playing the original, so he must think they say OK. . .
    Yes, he does

  20. #15
    Registered User fredfrank's Avatar
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    I am now the owner of #23. I’ve always been curious about these, and finally found one. I was a bit underwhelmed by it. On a whim, I fitted it with a new bridge from Cumberland Acoustics. Within a few days, it has opened up and is an incredibly powerful instrument. I have tried selling this TOB in the classifieds a few times, but now I am so glad nobody bought it. I’m playing this mandolin lot more than my Red Diamond.

  21. #16
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    FredFrank, you have a problem, for which I have tremendous respect!
    Chuck

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  23. #17
    Registered User fredfrank's Avatar
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    Yeah, this is a problem every player should have. Which one should I play? I solved that problem by having both of them out at the same time.

    I learned a lot about setup from this mandolin. It was poorly setup when I got it, which explains why it wasn’t that great sounding. After a lot of try this, try that, it has responded nicely. The chop on this thing is huge.

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  25. #18

    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    I owned three or 4 of them
    Owned 3 nuggets as well
    To me they are more Collings sounding than Nugget but still very cool
    Love the blacktop
    Danny Clark

  26. #19
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    I held off playing mine very much for the first years I've had it to protect it (I know, pretty stupid) and have played it much more in the last few years and it has opened up dramatically and to me sounds incredible, and I've had very positive comments from others about it too, so it must be OK.

    I still think it sounds more like a Nugget than a Collings, but Danny obviously has way more experience in these things than me, and has owned several of both. Maybe they just sound like TOB Nugget/Collings mandolins, their own sound.

  27. #20
    Registered User fredfrank's Avatar
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    Default Re: anyone own one of the Nugget/Collings A Tim O'Brien mandos?

    I’ve owned seven or more Collings mandolins, and this TOB sounds pretty different from all of them. I have never owned a Nugget, so I don’t know what the signature sound is for one. I have a friend in Montana who has an old Nugget, and I’d say my TOB approaches that sound. Yeah, I can hear some of the Collings sound, but not much.

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