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Thread: How to ignore the classifieds

  1. #1

    Default How to ignore the classifieds

    For a good while now I've looked at the classifieds every day. Yesterday I realized I had not looked at them for three whole days. My secret? If you have a new mandolin, you obcessed over it, and you are so eager to see responses to your questions you ignore the classifieds. So buy a mandolin every fourth day and it reduces your classifieds exposure by 75%. Pretty effective.
    Silverangel A
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    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Quote Originally Posted by Br1ck View Post
    Yesterday I realized I had not looked at them for three whole days.
    3 whole days? Ok - here's some highlights of what you've missed:
    nice Eastman F5
    Northfield F5
    Collings MF
    Passernig Mandola (my favorite)
    Passernig F5

    We're here for you anytime you need it

  4. #3

    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Having bought several things that were advertised on the classifieds, I would say that there is an inverse relationship between time spent perusing the classifieds and my bank balance. As my time goes up, my bank balance goes down.
    "Those who know don't have the words to tell, and the ones with the words don't know so well." - Bruce Cockburn

  5. #4
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Wilson View Post
    Do you have something against two-points?

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/126857#126857
    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
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    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    I just spent a small chunk on a new f-style octave. Eddie Blevins gave me a good deal but it still depleted my "Mandolin Fund" to the point that my MAS has gone into remission (temporary, I'm sure). That being said, it's a great OM and I love it. It's worth every penny.
    David Hopkins

    2001 Gibson F-5L mandolin
    Breedlove Legacy FF mandolin; Breedlove Quartz FF mandolin
    Gibson F-4 mandolin (1916); Blevins f-style Octave mandolin, 2018
    McCormick Oval Sound Hole "Reinhardt" Mandolin
    McCormick Solid Body F-Style Electric Mandolin; Slingerland Songster Guitar (c. 1939)

    The older I get, the less tolerant I am of political correctness, incompetence and stupidity.

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    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Quote Originally Posted by Br1ck View Post
    So buy a mandolin every fourth day and it reduces your classifieds exposure by 75%. Pretty effective.
    I've also found this to be an effective method to avoid the issue of changing mandolin strings.

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    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Strange for me to admit this after the many mandolins I've owned, but I've become so happy with my mandolins that the classifieds are at most only an occasional curiosity. Really don't know what I'd be interested in. YMMV.

  10. #8

    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Thing is, you can think you're going to be happy with what you have forever,then one day.....

    I think I've reached the point with guitars where I've found the sound. But if I found a screaming deal on a banner Gibson, well....

    A friend just bought a $6000 guitar. Just beautiful, but I sent him back a picture of what I'd buy with that kind of dough, a beat up old J 45 or LG2.
    Silverangel A
    Arches F style kit
    1913 Gibson A-1

  11. #9
    Front Porch & Sweet Tea NursingDaBlues's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Quote Originally Posted by Br1ck View Post
    Thing is, you can think you're going to be happy with what you have forever,then one day..... I think I've reached the point with guitars where I've found the sound. But if I found a screaming deal on a banner Gibson, well....
    It's been said, you don't find the instrument; the instrument finds you.

  12. #10
    I really look like that soliver's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Saving up myself!... almost there!

    But I can help myself... in fact I'm gonna click over to the Classifieds right now!
    aka: Spencer
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    I really look like that soliver's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    And here's the little gem that I found... this looks stunning:

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/127585#127585
    aka: Spencer
    Silverangel Econo A #429
    Soliver #001 & #002: A double stack of Pancakes.

    Soliver Hand Crafted Mandolins and Mandolin Armrests
    Armrests Here -- Mandolins Here

    "You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage
    to lose sight of the shore, ...and also a boat with no holes in it.” -anonymous

  14. #12

    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    I'm gonna take a swing at this in an honest way but I cure mas by using my kentucky as my main mando. Then a couple times a week I pull out the pava and get that satisfaction of being blown away by the difference. Really helps to keep me from wanting to upgrade to a 6k ellis i will never be able to afford. lol

  15. #13
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Quote Originally Posted by soliver View Post
    And here's the little gem that I found... this looks stunning:

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/127585#127585
    What a deal, too. I know that you weren't knocked out by the Flatiron, but that little Poe Scout looks great too:

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/127598#127598

    Quote Originally Posted by Em Tee View Post
    Really helps to keep me from wanting to upgrade to a 6k ellis i will never be able to afford. lol
    Having owned a Pava, I found that I did not need to spend in the $6K range in order to upgrade.
    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
    2005 National RM-1
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    2015 Black A2-z
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  16. #14

    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Quote Originally Posted by pheffernan View Post
    Having owned a Pava, I found that I did not need to spend in the $6K range in order to upgrade.
    To each their own! I appreciate the bass response of my pava and think it sounds pretty dang excellent.

    What do you think is an appropriate step up from a pava that won't break the bank like an ellis?

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    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Quote Originally Posted by Em Tee View Post
    What do you think is an appropriate step up from a pava that won't break the bank like an ellis?
    After 2 years and some worn frets on my new Pava, my wishlist for upgrade included:
    (1) Improved E & G string performance. My Pava's A & D were fierce but noticeably stronger than it's G & E
    (2) James tailpiece, fully bound, and a varnish finish

  18. #16

    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Does binding impact the tone of a mandolin or is it more about the physical integrity of the instrument?

    Pretty sure pava's come stock with a james tailpiece now; mine did.

  19. #17
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Quote Originally Posted by Em Tee View Post
    To each their own! I appreciate the bass response of my pava and think it sounds pretty dang excellent.
    My comment was not intended as a criticism of Pava mandolins. I was very excited about the opportunity to buy an Ellis shop creation at a more modest price point and greedily pounced on the first one that I saw offered used at standard depreciation. Like you, I enjoyed the darker tonality and its complexity. It wasn't the loudest mandolin that I've owned, however, and the neck profile was a bit fuller in the shoulders than I typically prefer. Still, if it was the only mandolin that I'd ever own, it would have more than met my needs and still exceeded my abilities.

    Quote Originally Posted by Em Tee View Post
    What do you think is an appropriate step up from a pava that won't break the bank like an ellis?
    It's probably clear from my signature that I'm a fan of mandolins from independent luthiers, and some builders who for whatever reason remain a bit under the radar offer tremendous value. I first experienced this phenomenon when I acquired my Hester A5. Better and more experienced players have lauded Gail's work, saying that it stands up to the Gibson originals and belongs among the top tier of today's builders. But for whatever reason -- perhaps low output? -- her name isn't mentioned as often as Gilchrist or Kemnitzer and her prices haven't climbed into that territory. Another favorite is Stefan Passernig who, like Pava Knezevic, worked at Collings and is building currently out of Austin. Stefan seemingly does nothing in the way of self-promotion -- he maintains no website and as far as I know does not accept orders -- and as a result his instruments typically swing way above their weight class. I liked one of his A5's so much that I grabbed one of his F5's when a bargain hit the classifieds. A final recommendation would be Mike Black, who builds his ovals and A5's in the old Gibson way. I asked Mike to build my first custom order, a blacktop A2-z with a Virzi, and subsequently acquired one of his GBOM's when it became available. Now I will admit that I have never played an Ellis A5, or others that I think of in that territory like a Kimble or a Duff, but I have kept these independent builds while moving the Pava along to a new home. I would also note that each of them was purchased used for roughly the same amount of money as a new Pava except for the Black A2-z, which still hit that price point as a new custom build.
    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
    2005 National RM-1
    2007 Hester A5
    2009 Passernig A5
    2015 Black A2-z
    2010 Black GBOM
    2017 Poe Scout
    2014 Smart F-Style Mandola
    2018 Vessel TM5
    2019 Hogan F5

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  21. #18

    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    I've not heard of Hester before. Would you mind posting some audio of your mandolin?

  22. #19
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Quote Originally Posted by Em Tee View Post
    I've not heard of Hester before. Would you mind posting some audio of your mandolin?
    Consider visiting, or perhaps joining, the Hester social group:

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/g...hp?groupid=304

    I've posted seven videos of Gail's instruments in action there, all in hands far more able than mine.

    It also might interest you to know that Gail (along with Pava Knezevic, Laura Ratcliff, Stephanie Reiser and Lauri Girouard among others) is one of the few women actively building mandolins.
    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
    2005 National RM-1
    2007 Hester A5
    2009 Passernig A5
    2015 Black A2-z
    2010 Black GBOM
    2017 Poe Scout
    2014 Smart F-Style Mandola
    2018 Vessel TM5
    2019 Hogan F5

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  24. #20

    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Is Laura Ratcliff still building?? For some reason I thought she was not.

    I have never heard of Stephanie Reiser. What brand of mandolins does she build?

  25. #21
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Quote Originally Posted by Em Tee View Post
    Is Laura Ratcliff still building?? For some reason I thought she was not.
    You might be right. I felt like I saw a new instrument from her in the last year or so, but it might have been a used one like the A5 that sold through Bernunzio's and is now available on Reverb.

    https://reverb.com/item/9722247-laur...laura-ratcliff

    Quote Originally Posted by Em Tee View Post
    I have never heard of Stephanie Reiser. What brand of mandolins does she build?
    I think that she has built under her own name, including violins and cellos.

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/m...ephanie-Reiser
    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
    2005 National RM-1
    2007 Hester A5
    2009 Passernig A5
    2015 Black A2-z
    2010 Black GBOM
    2017 Poe Scout
    2014 Smart F-Style Mandola
    2018 Vessel TM5
    2019 Hogan F5

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  27. #22

    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    I think once you have something like a Pava, you look to augment rather than upgrade. I just did a comparison this morning in the Builders forum. Compared a Pava to my Arches kit build.

    What a Pava does is heavenly, but there is a valid reason to have multiple flavors.

    I've avoided playing an Ellis. Don't want to know. I'm sure I'll break down at some point.

    To get a real good variety, I fear you need to go to Nashville, and if you do that, it would be a shame not to buy something. Really getting one body to Nashville is cheaper than shipping a dozen mandolins back and forth. And how did this thread about avoiding the classifieds devolve into a roadtrip to Nashville?
    Silverangel A
    Arches F style kit
    1913 Gibson A-1

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    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Quote Originally Posted by Em Tee View Post
    Does binding impact the tone of a mandolin or is it more about the physical integrity of the instrument?
    I wanted full binding cuz I like the way it looks.

  30. #24

    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Quote Originally Posted by Br1ck View Post

    To get a real good variety, I fear you need to go to Nashville, and if you do that, it would be a shame not to buy something. Really getting one body to Nashville is cheaper than shipping a dozen mandolins back and forth. And how did this thread about avoiding the classifieds devolve into a roadtrip to Nashville?
    We're like mandolin addicts and rather than suggesting ways to kick the habit we recommend the good s@$t you should try next.

    No Mandolin Addicts Anonymous here. lol

  31. #25
    Registered User Bill Bradshaw's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to ignore the classifieds

    Not that anybody asked me, but a Kimble would do it. Sorry, oral FI. Bill

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