The Search Continues... Part 2

[Demetrius]

I am going to say this. If someone can track down this Brentrup "Lloyd" A5 for me, the search would be done. I played it years ago and It still stands as the best mandolin Ive ever played. It was everything my ears wanted to hear... Also, I wish a virzi could be installed after the fact, Id shove one in my Gil..

[carleshicks]

I figured out what you need, just get the 24 A-4 Virzi and the Distressed Master Model at TME. Sell the Gil and the Givens and use the change to take that pot stirring wife of yours on a great date. She is playing along with your obsession quit well.
Then you would have stable pretty much just like mine and I couldn't be happier.

[pops1]

I am going to say this. If someone can track down this Brentrup "Lloyd" A5 for me, the search would be done. I played it years ago and It still stands as the best mandolin Ive ever played. It was everything my ears wanted to hear... Also, I wish a virzi could be installed after the fact, Id shove one in my Gil..

I play a Brentrup A and have not seen another one for sale in the ten years I have had it. I love this mandolin. With that said remember this:

"The line starts here and goes to there. If you take you time and remember your place you too may go from here to there."

Some of the fun is in the journey let's not forget that.

[Demetrius]

Carles! I love it man..

I figured out what you need, just get the 24 A-4 Virzi and the Distressed Master Model at TME. Sell the Gil and the Givens and use the change to take that pot stirring wife of yours on a great date. She is playing along with your obsession quit well.
Then you would have stable pretty much just like mine and I couldn't be happier.

[barry]

Demetrius,

As your wife informed us, you have recently encountered a bout of electric guitar GAS. Based on my own recent experience with such, I will inform you of the absolute and final cure for MAS. An AB763 Fender Twin Reverb with JBL D120's. After pumping the new Danocaster through one of those babies, it won't matter what any mandolins sound like. You can't hear them anyway.

[Don Grieser]

Let's see...you had a Gilchrist with an Englemann top and you had Gilchrist retop it with red spruce. Now you want a mandolin with Englemann. What am I missing here?

[MontanaMatt]

Matt Matt Matt.... You know what? You're onto something...
I ordered a parlor guitar in 2005 which was essentially is my own signature model. I haven't longed for another acoustic since. Yeh Ive been tempted here and there but that guitar is really what I formed my style around. Im really glad you posted that cause I really feel there is a tremendous amount of weight in that thought.

Dem

You don't replace them, just add to the collection, and sooner or later your house gets too small!

[Ivan Kelsall]

Reading this thread,i'm reminded of the saying - 'Tis better to journey than to arrive'. In other words,the anticipation of ''arriving'',or in this case, finding THE perfect mandolin is more enjoyable than actually finding it - although i have personal doubts about that being the case.

In this case,the very best thing that Demetrius can do,is to play every mandolin within his 'ideal mandolin bracket' to see (hear) what turns up. Even then,somewhere down the line,i'm convinced that there will be other mandolins that he hears which will kick start MAS all over again - unless he gets to play every mandolin in the USA !!!. I was 100% satisfied with my Stelling banjo & had been for several years - until !!. I played a pre-war Gibson TB-6 conversion in Owensboro in 1992. It was shabby,with a scruffy skin on it,old strings & an almost worn out bridge,but it rang like a bell !. It's still the finest banjo i've ever heard to this day. I had my Stelling with me,& the thought of carting 2 banjos round the US for a further 2 weeks wasn't instantly appealing. I sat & played it for around 20 minutes or so,& by the time i'd finished,there was a queue to play it. I went back later in the day with the intention of buying it,but it had gone. The bottom line - there's always something 'better',or different enough to have great appeal.

For me,at 72 years of age -'time' is an important factor. If i was say,20 years younger,i might indeed go for an Ellis F5,but right now,my lowly Ellis "A" style is more than satisfying. For those who are fortunate enough to be able to search for the ultimate mandolin - enjoy the journey !,
Ivan

[dang]

Let's see...you had a Gilchrist with an Englemann top and you had Gilchrist retop it with red spruce. Now you want a mandolin with Englemann. What am I missing here?

Wait, is that true? What does that cost?!? And how long does it take?

Who really wants a virzi???

Can you post a video so we can hear how the current one sounds when you play it?


Those questions stood out in my mind as I read this thread...

And I am another with 3 mandolins and I like the theory of needing 3 acoustic mandolins (and an electric, and an octave, and a mandola, some mics, recording gear, a small PA...)

[T.D.Nydn]

I'm sure in the future there will be ..part 3,part 4 part 5,etc....

[Teak]

I am going to say this. If someone can track down this Brentrup "Lloyd" A5 for me, the search would be done. I played it years ago and It still stands as the best mandolin Ive ever played. It was everything my ears wanted to hear... Also, I wish a virzi could be installed after the fact, Id shove one in my Gil..

Okay, here's a long shot, but maybe it'll work.

For a long time there was a Brentrup F5 on consignment at The Podium/Guitar Rodeo in Minneapolis, MN. It sat at $22k for a while and then got a price drop to $21k. TP/GR is now permanently closed https://www.google.com/search?client...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 but I doubt that mandolin sold before the store closed down. It might be worth a phone call or two to Minneapolis. If you could track down Brentrup, he might have gotten that mandolin back from the store.

I played that mandolin briefly several years ago, but I am not into F styles and the neck was too narrow for my liking (1"). But it is a Brentrup and must be highly valued, eh?

[pops1]

I have Han's phone number and last time I talked to him, if I remember right, he has an F5 for sale. That was a couple month ago though.

[Demetrius]

I'm sure in the future there will be ..part 3,part 4 part 5,etc....

Most likely...

[Hallmark498]

Just last week I was thinking back on what fun the thread/journey was when Demetrius went on the hunt for the Gil/Givens, believe he ended up with both?

Fifteen-ish years ago (were getting old) I met D and his wife at the Garland Square jam in Texas (believe he had a Dude F5 then!) Very nice people and we have bumped into each other over the years at different places. I enjoy the journey that music has brought to my life, isn't that why we are all here?

That I'm aware of, never met Sblock but I get where he is coming from. If this were a novel, his character would be the person you love to hate.

Back to the topic; Would an older (1979) Monteleone F5 loar copy be in the running?

[mtucker]

Careful! You're not completely innocent at this!!

Let's see...you had a Gilchrist with an Englemann top and you had Gilchrist retop it with red spruce. Now you want a mandolin with Englemann. What am I missing here?

[Jeff Mando]

I agree with the others -- life/music is about the journey. (happy thought for the day!)

[red7flag]

As many hear know, I had an 2008 Ellis F5 that I got from Gruhn's. I loved that instrument. For some odd reason, I got it in my head that I wanted a new MM (I like to distress my own). I called a friend and he had a RSDMM (Ricky Skaggs Distressed Master Model). This friend highly recommended this instrument and I bought it sight unseen and put my Ellis on consignment. The RSDMM was beautiful sounding, Loar like. My only criticism was that I found the neck a bit too narrow. But,,,, that famous but, I missed the Ellis. One day after playing tennis, I called Walter to take the Ellis off consignment and he said I was just going to call you, the Ellis is sold. I was crushed. After a couple of days, I called Tom Ellis and ordered a new Ellis F5 and put the RSDMM on consignment. This was a teaching moment and lesson learned. Now I focus more on the tone I am drawing than the tone of the instrument I am playing. This is not to discount the instrument. As you can see my menagerie continues to grow, just in a different direction. I was once told that there are a lot of ways up the mountain, just make sure the one you take goes up.

[William Smith]

On a side note Red7Flag what was the nut width on the Skaggs? was it smaller than 1 1/8? I really would like a distressed but after seeing the recent Vessel Loar copy, I don't know. Them violin guys got it going on building mandolins. Just saying MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm

[red7flag]

On a side note Red7Flag what was the nut width on the Skaggs? was it smaller than 1 1/8? I really would like a distressed but after seeing the recent Vessel Loar copy, I don't know. Them violin guys got it going on building mandolins. Just saying MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm

The nut width was 1 1/16", just that little bit smaller than was comfortable for me, but not by much. 1 1/8" and I might still have it. Most of my friends thought I was insane as they thought it was the best sounding mandolin of any I ever had. Maybe they're right, but the Ellis just speaks to me. BTW, I had a Chris Stanley F5, that had much the same Loar tone, but with a more comfortable neck. I miss that mandolin more than the RSDMM.

[mtucker]

Im thinking Engelmann, or something along those lines.

Dem

You could always write Steve, he might have a special stash and could dial you in just the way you want it...

[Hallmark498]

You could always write Steve, he might have a special stash and could dial you in just the way you want it...

I just had MAS, this photo might make me fall of the wagon AGAIN!

[catmandu2]

Demetrius,

As your wife informed us, you have recently encountered a bout of electric guitar GAS. Based on my own recent experience with such, I will inform you of the absolute and final cure for MAS. An AB763 Fender Twin Reverb with JBL D120's. After pumping the new Danocaster through one of those babies, it won't matter what any mandolins sound like. You can't hear them anyway.

Ya

There *are* cures for this.

*MW, for the record I've seen only just a bit of the new vids. But I liked the first/original more - it had mandolin, angst, dread, drama and climax (of a sort).

[The Musician's Wife]

A video clip for those of you out of work for the day...

Thanks to Empire Guitars in Providence, Rhode Island for letting us record Dem testing out these beautiful mandos...

http://themusicianswife.weebly.com/h...ads-and-virzis



TMW

[barry]

I hope you had an enjoyable outing. However, that is not your mandolin. It's especially telling when you say, " I don't even know what to play on it."
When you find the right one, inspiration pours out effortlessly.

[Don Grieser]

Careful! You're not completely innocent at this!!

I have no idea what you could possibly be talking about.