Nyberg Mandola Review

**red7flag** · Jul-18-2017, 8:14am

Guys, this is just an initial review after one day. I received it at work and could not play it except for a few minutes, there. I had no pick, so tore off the corner of cardboard from my legal pad for a pick. Just for your information and my surprise the cardboard was NOT satisfying as a pick. Once I got home, I pulled out a REAL pick and the result was... AHH.
Very sweet tone, especially on the top two, D and A strings. The bass strings, C and G, were full and deep, but not woody, like the Ellis. Overall, very pleased. The Nyberg was easy to play, workmanship very solid, and the tone smooth and warm, with a lot of sustain.
A quick aside. While talking with my wife, I felt an edge around the bottom of the purfling. I was thinking that the purfling had raised up. I felt disappointed. My wife noticed my face and asked what was wrong. I had her feel the raised point. I keep following it around and boom, realized that it was a clear pick guard. This is the second time this has happened to me, once with a guitar. Guess i get the DUH award.

**Nevin** · Jul-18-2017, 9:32am

Congratulations on the new mandola. Lesson learned, always have a pick.

**Rodney Riley** · Jul-18-2017, 9:46am

Yep, that's what that little pocket on the right hand side of your jeans are for

Or the little wooden box from Blue Chip picks.

**Marcus CA** · Jul-18-2017, 5:28pm

Years ago, my son gave me a pickholder keyring, which comfortably holds two picks: one for guitar, and one for mandolin. It's great!

Here is one like it, which comes in four colors: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/acces...-and-key-chain

**G7MOF** · Jul-19-2017, 3:30am

Originally Posted by red7flag

Guys, this is just an initial review after one day. I received it at work and could not play it except for a few minutes, there. I had no pick, so tore off the corner of cardboard from my legal pad for a pick. Just for your information and my surprise the cardboard was NOT satisfying as a pick. Once I got home, I pulled out a REAL pick and the result was... AHH.
Very sweet tone, especially on the top two, D and A strings. The bass strings, C and G, were full and deep, but not woody, like the Ellis. Overall, very pleased. The Nyberg was easy to play, workmanship very solid, and the tone smooth and warm, with a lot of sustain.
A quick aside. While talking with my wife, I felt an edge around the bottom of the purfling. I was thinking that the purfling had raised up. I felt disappointed. My wife noticed my face and asked what was wrong. I had her feel the raised point. I keep following it around and boom, realized that it was a clear pick guard. This is the second time this has happened to me, once with a guitar. Guess i get the DUH award.

The exact same thing happened to me a few years ago with a new Oakwood in the UK.

**red7flag** · Jul-19-2017, 11:06am

Followup comment from second nights playing. So far I don't have a strap. Being a Sobel clone, the shape is different. Some have described the typical A as onion shaped and the Sobell as shallet. As such, the instrument feels different in your lap and the playing area an inch or two higher than I was used to.
I found that as I am more comfortable playing with this beauty, the tone is just awesome. The cause of the improvement seems to be more my adapting to the instrument, than "opening up". I will just say this, Lawrence Nyberg makes a great sounding instrument and as I adapt better, the instrument sounds better. It has a sweet full voice with loads of sustain.

**Denman John** · Jul-24-2017, 8:57pm

I've been happy with the OM he built us 3.5 years ago. I would love to take one of his mandolas for a ride one day.

Enjoy it in good health!
John

**red7flag** · Jul-25-2017, 1:13pm

I had one of those absolutely awful days at work. I went up to the studio and picked up the Nyberg. For the next hour, I played a number of tunes that I had worked on recently. After getting done, I felt so much better. That instrument, maybe strange looking, (the shape not the workmanship), but I feel totally at home playing it. The tone is sublime. Lawrence make a great instrument. Two instruments I had made were stretches. The walnut Mowrey GOM was just a concept that came to me. Never regretted that move. As you can see by my list, it is the one I have had the longest. The Sobell shaped Paduak wood mandola came after a long search. Once I narrowed by search to Lawrence he suggested the Paduak wood and we went from there. Pretty sure it is a keeper.

**Denman John** · Jul-25-2017, 4:58pm

Lawrence's pick guards are really almost invisible at first. I opted to go without one as a person preference, but Lawrence said if I ever wanted one to let him know. One thing I notice with my OM is that my playing position changes to accommodate the size and probably shape of the instrument. It sits nicely in my lap and I adopt a more formal playing position, rather than slouching back in a chair

**ccravens** · Jul-26-2017, 6:49pm

Pictures?

**red7flag** · Jul-29-2017, 11:28am

Sorry for the delay, work has been very taxing. I included some with the Girouard mandola to give a reference as to the size of the body.

**red7flag** · Jul-29-2017, 11:38am

Here are some additional pictures that accentuate the unique aspects of the Nyber. The tuners are really much nicer that the pictures do justice. They have a antiquey black look that really work. The tailpiece is really cool too. Best part of this instrument is the tone. As I am working and the studio is closed, that will be a while to fulfill.