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Thread: Folkreps?

  1. #1
    Gadfly Dr H's Avatar
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    Default Folkreps?

    Hi folks, been a while since I last dropped in.

    Wondering if anyone has had experience with a company called "Folkreps", based in Portugal?

    I came across them while searching for a string-loop winder for a Portuguese Coimbra guitar, and couldn't help noticing that they also sell a lot of interesting and exotic fretted instruments. One such which caught my eye is a "Portuguese Mandocello" for what amounts to under $400 US.

    http://www2.folkreps.com/index.php/m...solidwood.html

    Now I have lusted after a Mandocello for a number of years, but I was never sure if I had enough use for one to take the plunge, mortgage the homestead, and buy one. The Folkreps axe seems like an opportunity to try one out for a while, for a modest expenditure.

    I've never dealt with this company before. A couple of things stand out for me. One is they claim that most of their instruments are "manufactured to order" requiring a lead time of "15-30 working days". Considering the price and the time, I'm pretty sure they aren't having a luthier hand make these from scratch; I'm guessing either a largely automated process, or they have a lot of pre-fab parts laying around which they stick together as needed to fill orders. Still, that process might produce an acceptable grade student/dilettante instrument.

    The other consideration is that, me being in the US, and they being in Portugal, should anything be wrong with the instrument, the distance and language barriers might make it impractical to resolve for any but a top-end instrument, which a $400 axe most likely isn't.

    Anybody know anything about this company or their instruments?

    Thanks.
    Dr H
    -----
    "I have nothing to say, and I am saying it, and that is poetry." -- John Cage

  2. #2
    '`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`' Jacob's Avatar
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    Default Re: Folkreps?

    I haven't seen their mandocellos, but I have a couple of cavaquinhos from FolkReps. Not the most expensive, but surprisingly well made, especially for the price. They shipped within a couple of days of purchase, through the Portuguese postal service. I am very pleased with their fit, finish, and sound. I would not hesitate to buy from FolkReps again.

    PS: The cavaquinhos are tuned to mandolin GDAE with tenor guitar strings.

  3. #3

    Default Re: Folkreps?

    Any company with "Folk" in the name gets my vote!

    Really hard to say though. Making an instrument in 15 days is surely doable. Especially if you have a good deal of the parts ready to go and you are uses glues and finishes that cure quickly.

    I would research the cost of shipping as well. It may be quite high!
    Robert Fear
    http://www.folkmusician.com

    "Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't.
    " - Pete Seeger

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  5. #4

    Default Re: Folkreps?

    Hi Dr H - just looked at their website by following your link. One thing I did notice is that it says the tops are made of SOLID spruce, but the backs and sides are Sapelli, without the word SOLID - this often indicates that it's laminated, rather than solid Sapele.

    Having said that, along with my higher end guitars I also have a lowly Blueridge BR40 with a solid spruce top and laminated back and sides and it sounds really loud and punchy, so they could still be a decent instrument, and the price is certainly good.

    Perhaps our member Almeriastrings will chime in if he sees this thread? He lives in Spain which is close enough to Portugal that he might have had dealings with the company, or might know of someone who has.

    Hope this helps,

    Johnny
    Last edited by Johnny60; Apr-30-2016 at 3:11am.

  6. #5
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    Default Re: Folkreps?

    That's an APC instrument according to the webpage.

    I have an APC mandola that looks very similar and it's really good for the price soundwise and construction-quality-wise.

    The only drawback from my point of view is that these Portuguese instruments all seem to have wide necks which takes some getting used to.

    Another source for an APC mandocello is Kieran Moloney. He sets them up before shipping, which is good because they tend to have high actions from the factory.

  7. #6
    Gadfly Dr H's Avatar
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    Default Re: Folkreps?

    Thanks for all the replies; sounds like mostly positive feedback for Folkreps at this point.

    Thanks jeho2 for the pointer to Moloney's site. Looks like he has essentially the same instrument as Folkreps, but for about $70 euros more. Still, if he's doing a setup on them, that additional labor is probably worth the price.

    I'm not put off by a wide neck; I'm primarily a guitarist, and I have a couple of seven-strings, including a classical, so anything less than 3-1/2" feels narrow to me.


    I may take the plunge here. $400 to play around with a Mandocello (as opposed to $4000) is too big a temptation to resist, I think.
    Dr H
    -----
    "I have nothing to say, and I am saying it, and that is poetry." -- John Cage

  8. #7

    Default Re: Folkreps?

    folk reps is good, i prefer acoustomelo also from portugual. if you want all soid woods without the price going up too far. especially nes made by antonio caravhalo, he's a great makers and acoustomelo handled a number of his isntruments.

    folk reps is a definate step up from the tourist instruments you see in portugaul, and they have a factory, i used to know where, might be braga, that's where antonio and mauel caravhalo have their factories. manueal makes lower end stuff.

    so folk reps is very good for the price, i tried a lot of both when on vacation in portugual. none were bad. the best by far was antonio c. i had one of his portuguese guitars but traded it recently as i don't play guitarra much anymore and i have a few antique ones. the construction is on a level with major american brands. antonio equal to martin or taylor, say, and folkreps equal to sigma, takimine.

  9. #8
    Gadfly Dr H's Avatar
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    Default Re: Folkreps?

    Wow, has it really been a year?

    Just a little followup to my Folkreps excursion.

    Back in January I ordered two instruments from them: a Viola da terra, and a Viola da Terceira. The first of these is a small instrument, between a bari uke and a Columbian tipple in size, with 12 strings, in five courses (3-3-2-2-2). The second is about the size of a small classical guitar, with 15 strings (3-3-3-2-2-2).

    Both instruments are absolutely beautiful, very nicely made and finished for the price (under $500 each), and each came with a nice semi-hard case (canvass-covered foam, I think) fitted to the instrument. They arrived with the action as close to perfect as any instrument I've owned. Usually I expect to do a full set-up on a new axe, but these required only the most minimal adjustments.

    The sound is amazing. Incredibly powerful and ballsy for such small bodies. The Terceira has more volume than my Washburn dreadnaught 12-string, which is nearly twice the size.

    Overall, I am very pleased with these instruments, and I'm ordering one of their mandocellos today.

    Will post pictures, shortly.

    Thanks for the background info on this company.

    ETA: One little detail I should mention. The Folkreps site states that each instrument is made to order, and to allow 15-30 days lead time. It turned out to be more like 45-60 days, but in the end, it was well worth the wait.
    Last edited by Dr H; Apr-05-2017 at 4:43pm.
    Dr H
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    "I have nothing to say, and I am saying it, and that is poetry." -- John Cage

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  11. #9
    Gadfly Dr H's Avatar
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    Default Re: Folkreps?

    Viola da Terra

    12 strings in 5 courses: 3/3/2/2/2

    Tuning: A3-A3-A2 / D4-D4-D3 / G4-G3 / B3-B3 / D4-D4

    Top: Solid Spruce (book-matched)
    Back: Solid Rosewood
    Sides: Solid Rosewood
    Neck: Mahogany
    Fingerboard: African Blackwood

    Length: 36-1/8"
    Scale: 21-5/8"
    Widths:
    Lower Bout: 11-3/4"
    Waist: 6-15/16"
    Upper Bout: 8-7/8"
    Depths:
    Lower Bout: 3-3/16"
    Upper Bout: 3"

    Neck Width at Nut: 1-3/4"
    Headstock Length: 7-3/4"
    Sound Holes (2): ~1-3/4" x 2", heart-shaped
    Neck joins body just past the 12th fret; 19 frets total


    Click image for larger version. 

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    This is an interesting little instrument with a very light build, very light strings, steel for the wound strings. Gauges: 012-012-028w / 010-010-022w / 008-018w / 011-011 / 009-009 Fingerboard extension is flush with the top of the guitar, and the action is very low. Traditionally tuned like a banjo, with an added low A. Incredibly big sound for such a small instrument.


    Viola da Terceira

    15-strings in 6 courses: 3/3/3/2/2/2

    Tuning: E3-E3-E2 / A3-A3-A2 / D4-D4-D3 / G4-G3 / B3-B3 / E4-E4

    Top: Solid Spruce (book-matched)
    Back: Solid Rosewood
    Sides: Solid Rosewood
    Neck: Mahogany
    Fingerboard: African Blackwood

    Length: 41"
    Scale: 24-1/8"
    Widths:
    Lower Bout: 14-1/8"
    Waist: 8-3/4"
    Upper Bout: 11"
    Depths:
    Lower Bout: 3-5/8"
    Upper Bout: 3-3/8"

    Neck Width at Nut: 2-9/16"
    Headstock Length: 10-5/8"
    Sound Hole: 3-1/4"

    Neck joins body just past the 10th fret; 19 frets total


    This instrument is a small monster. The neck is almost as wide as my 7-string classical guitar. Strings are similar to a light 12-string set, with phosphor bronze for the wound strings. Gauges: 018w-018w-045 / 014-014-035 / 010-010-025w / 008-020w / 012-012 / 0095-0095 Tuned like a traditional guitar; very low action; plays kind of like a well set-up 12-string with very wide basses (triple strung courses).

    This instrument has cojones. The body is barely the size of a classical guitar, but it pumps out more volume than my dreadnought-bodied Washburn 12-string.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Both instruments feature a natural-wood matte finish. I added transparent pick guards made from Stewmac's self-adhesive 0.005" Mylar; not really visible in the photos. I also added strap buttons. Other than that, no extra work was needed. The instruments came well set-up and ready to play.

    Overall, I am very happy with my purchases, and will certainly be paying Folkreps more visits in the future.
    Dr H
    -----
    "I have nothing to say, and I am saying it, and that is poetry." -- John Cage

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