Monteleone Mandolins

[Demetrius]

Hello,

Are there any professional bluegrass/Newgrass pickers playing on a Monteleone mandolin? I know back in the day Grisman was, and of course Paul Glass has that gorgeous A style. But who else? I've loved every grand artist model that I have played so it got me thinking. I'd also be curious to know what professional musicians in any genre play a Monte.

Thanks,
Dem

[mandroid]

Seems John would feature them on his website? Y/N?

[Mark Seale]

Don Stiernberg has in the past, I think his Nugget and now the Apitius might be more prominently played now. Of course, Mike Marshall and his mandocello are always out front. John Jorgensen, Chris Hillman off the top of my head. There simply aren't that many of them out there. Of the Style B, I believe there are only 6. There have since been a couple of Radio Flyer's in the traditional A shape. The closest instruments I've heard, tonally, are Heiden's with the Engelmann top. Mine is a couple of years newer than Paul's.

[Don Grieser]

Buddy Merriam plays a Grand Artist. A great mandolin player that we don't hear enough about. He fronts Buddy Merriam and Back Roads out of New York. A great player who has written some wonderful tunes.

Mark's Style B is gorgeous in every way. Got to play it a little, would love to spend more time with that one.

[mrmando]

Spruce had a nice-sounding one but I think he let it go a while back.

Wasn't Mike's cello part of a set that John built for the Modern Mandolin Quartet?

[JFDilmando]

I think the cello was more of a one off. The set he made were appointed differently I think.

[billhay4]

Chris Hillman's is a beautiful sounding (and looking) instrument.
Bill

[SternART]

Just saw John Jorgenson with Darol Anger's Blurgrass and then saw his John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band.
He plays a blacktop Monteleone Grand Artist to great effect! I knew he was a stellar guitar player, I've seen
his gypsy jazz band a few times but he also plays killer mandolin. Incredible musician, sings great too.

[SternART]

My Baby Grand Delux. Two shots, one when Donnie Stiernberg visited my studio, and a shot from John's workbench as he was finishing it.

[CWRoyds]

My Baby Grand Delux. Two shots, one when Donnie Stiernberg visited my studio, and a shot from John's workbench as he was finishing it.

Wow. That is an awesome looking mandolin.
Would love to try that one out.
Maybe we should have a Bay Area mandolin showoff party.
I bet there are some beautiful instruments in the area.
I can provide a Northfield Artist 5bar to the festivities.
Just a thought.

[djeffcoat]

David Grisman was the first prominent player to use a Grand Artist. He probably still has one in his collection. Mike Marshall also played a GA, still plays a Monteleone mandocello. I have a lefty GA made in 1982. I think it is the first lefty made.

[SternART]

Back around the "Hot Dawg" sessions Grisman overdid his playing in the studio with both playing rhythm throughout the tracks & melody playing too. He developed some left hand pain. Mike Marshall got the call to help & first appeared on a DGQ album.

At the time an arched fingerboard wasn't a common option like it is today. If I'm not mistaken the arched board on the Monteleone Grand Artist was one of John's innovations in the design, along with elongated scroll, cast tailpiece, and suspended smaller pickguard. The arched fingerboard helped David's hand problems. He played Monty's or later sometimes the Kentucky Dawg's in that era. Of course now he can play with any kind of board on any kind of mandolin and a cardboard pick and still get great tone.

[Jim Garber]

Mike Sassano who lives not far from me and often plays with Wayne Fugate has to my ears and fingers one of the best mandolins on earth, a Monteleone Baby Grand. I own a Grand Artist mandola and was going to spring for a mandolin a year after I bought that one. I should have. I love the tone. Very rich sounding.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Here's one of my favourite tunes by The Byrds - ''Time Between'' played by ''The Desert Rose Band'',with John Jorgenson on mandolin,
Ivan

[William Smith]

There was a GREAT priced Monte Grand Artist in the classifieds a while back, I want to say it was in great shape and 16G compared to what dealers want up to 21-23G I've seen! If I had the cash I'd be all over that one, it was gorgeous looking.

[Jim Garber]

Here are four of five Monteleonr mandolin family instruments that were in the NY Mandolin Orchestra circa 1985. John came to our concert and we took this quartet photo. There was one other person who had a baby grand mandolin. This was a scan from a cheapo camera and shot in available light, so sorry for the quality. L to R: Wayne Fugate, Harvey Weitzner, John M, Rocco (can't remember his name) and myself.



Here are a few pics of my mandola. Decent mandola cases were hard to find so John custom made mine by gutting a saxophone case.

[Mandobar]

I have a friend who has two full sets of John’s mandolin family instruments. He also owns a Strad (yeah a real one) and an Amati though.

[Mando Mafia]

Here are a couple of pics of my Monteleone:

It’s #6, made in 1976. John said it was the prototype for his Baby Grand model.

Incidentally, re John Jorgensen’s Monteleone, he told me it was the only one of his instruments that couldn’t be restored after the Nashville flood, it was so badly damaged.

Pete Marshall

[thecelloronin]

I have a friend who has two full sets of John’s mandolin family instruments. He also owns a Strad (yeah a real one) and an Amati though.

#goalsillneverachieve

[Jim Garber]

I have a friend who has two full sets of John’s mandolin family instruments. He also owns a Strad (yeah a real one) and an Amati though.

Interesting. I can see a full set of mandolin instruments (I assume a quartet) but why two full sets. Oh, maybe a full set of Grand Artist instruments and then a full set of the more modernistic ones like Radio Flyer?