Austin Monteleone Club

[pglasse]

We had a fun gathering yesterday.



Instrument only photo, serial numbers, left to right: 17, 148, 119, 123, Ten, 37.

People shot, left to right: Joel Hobbs, Richard Somers, Paul Glasse, Gloria Buchanan, Paul Sweeney.

Number 10, which I'm also holding, belonged to the late Stephen Bruton.

Big thanks to all who participated and of course to John Monteleone for the instruments we love.

[Scott Tichenor]

Posting here so folks that saw this will possibly look again. Flickr didn't like the original link destination for those images so I worked around that.

[Mike Black]

Wow! 6 Monteleone's together and only one is a Grand Artist.

[Mark Seale]

What's the story on the 10-stringer?

[grassrootphilosopher]

It looks like it was fun!

Could you please describe the sound qualities as well as the similarities and differences in the sound of the different mandolins.

[Kerry Krishna]

I just PM'd Paul and asked if I could be "Member #7 In Absentia" . My Grand Artist in 137, and in it's life in Canada, it has only met one other Monteleone. It was the last F5 Gibson model that John built, and was the only mando I have ever played that I would have traded mine for. What a cannon it was! Articulate, loud, amazing mids and sweet trebles.... A few years after John had stopped building the Gibson branded mandolins, he started getting contacted by a woman asking if he would build just one more. She kept contacting him over the next 3 years, and finally John admitted to her that there was both a front and back carved for one, that he had never finished ( John builds in batches of 3, so I don't really know what it was all about) and would do the build if she sent his customary 1/3rd down. The mando was built, and given to her husband as a surprise gift. I was down in the States with a friend and found out that there was a Monteleone in town, and through a local Music store, able to make contact with the owner, and had a jam. Sorry for rambling when no one even asked...

[Wesley]

Stephen Bruton once told me that he also owned a Montelone mandocello that he sold to GE Smith. What a great musician he was - he'll be missed.

[pglasse]

Let me see if I can answer a few of the questions.

The 10-string cittern was originally made for Gerald Trimble. Joel purchased it through Mass Street Music in Lawrence Kansas -- discovered it while visiting Mando-Fest a number of years back. At one point Gerald had it modified for quarter-tone playing. So, if you look closely at the fingerboard one can see where the fingerboard for a time had twice as many frets! The "odd" frets have since been filled in. The lowest four courses are tuned like mandocello (CGDA). Then a pair of E strings are above those. So, it's all in fifths. An amazing instrument to be sure.

In truth we got together for the photos and to visit a bit -- catch up on things but certainly didn't do any real comparing of tone or A/B-ing. I was distracted enough seeing my friends and making sure we got some photos before the sun went down. We did manage to as a group pick Soldier's Joy and Minor Swing before calling it a day.

Though Stephen Bruton was a long-time friend I never knew he had a mandocello. He did have a Gibson H-4 that's since been sold. Yes, he was a talented musician (picker, producer, songwriter) and genuinely nice guy. He's sorely missed.

All the best,

[jasona]

Awww, missed hearing them up close. I'm heading to Austin for a few days tomorrow.

[SternART]

Could you please describe the sound qualities as well as the similarities and differences in the sound of the different mandolins.

That is pretty funny..........

[SternART]

[QUOTE=Kerry Krishna;910253] . My Grand Artist in 137, and in it's life in Canada, it has only met one other Monteleone. It was the last F5 Gibson model that John built, and was the only mando I have ever played that I would have traded mine for. What a cannon it was! Articulate, loud, amazing mids and sweet trebles....>>

The next to the last F5 lives here in the SF Bay Area......it is one of the best sounding Monty's I've played.

[AlanN]

Terrific photos of a terrific grouping. To describe the similarities/differences/sound qualities would take a village!

My GA was bought by Tommy Comeaux. Wonder whatever happened to that mandolin.

[ellisppi]

I've spent way over 1000 hours on stage next to #17 and many dozens of hours on stage next to #123. Those 2 are oh so fine, though they are slung by a couple of Pauls who can pull major tone to go with their incredible playing

[andyowens]

Man those mandolins are holding up good, but those players are looking pretty OLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Andy Owens, How ya'll doing???

[pglasse]

Andy, if you think it will help your case, feel free to post a current photo of your young self.

Meanwhile, we're having a great time down here in Austin.

All the best,

[RSomers]

As one of the OLDer guys in the photo and owner of #37GA I can only answer to the query of "grassroots" respectfully as saying, that they all sound great for different reasons. I never met a Monteleone I didn't like.
I can say I feel that Paul's A bridges the gap in the A vs F type mandolin, and that Joel's cittern has a much lower tone and is much harder to carry around.
These pictures are a culmination of a discussion I had with Paul years ago after I came to Austin and realized how many Monteleone's were "in the house" and wouldn't it be fun to send John and picture of us together. Paul finally made it happen in spades with Steve Clark as photographer..unfortunately after Mr Bruton passed, as he was interested.
I am closing in on my monteleone being with me for half my life holy cow. It was about options at the time, and John's GA was the first F style with a difference I had seen. There weren't so many choices then, and 1700 bucks was all the money in the world to spend on an instrument(excepting a Loar). I don't know where I would turn to if I had started looking for a mando in these times, but with Mr. Ellisppi looking in, I dearly hope there is one of his with my name on it some day. A Bently or a Rolls, whats the choice with both being a best. Thanks for the day Paul, and a great day for all of us to visit a bit.

[trevor]

I believe there were two ten strings? I had one a quite a few years back. I will search my records to see what I can find.

[AlanN]

For those who may not know, R. Somers is the composer of the tune Ricochet, the awesome triple mandolin tune on the seminal David Grisman Quintet record, which blew everyone's mind back then (and still does it to mine).

[mritter]

Is that true? Wow! You are tha man Richard. Great song.

[Kevin Knippa]

When I first met Joel a few years ago I searched for a ten-string like his and found one for sale in the UK. This would have been 2008, I think.

So there is another Monteleone 10-string mandocello. I do not know if the other one I found had the excalibur inlay that Joel's has.

[RSomers]

Good to hear from you Alan, hope all's well in NC, and hey a shout out to Buddy Arthur. Thanks for the compliment, but remember it happened because a man named Rudy Cippola showed me how to write a pick up note on the way to my lesson, Dawg who showed me Bmin7 for my second lesson and enjoyed it enough to collaborate and add the glue to complete it, Daryl A. who was down stairs at the time we needed a third man, and the gift of David recording it for a rank beginning. Those were the days...
One lesson to learn...write a long song, it pays more...Fish scales did better.

[SternART]

Hey Buddy....you've been outed Richard. Mr. Ricochet! A great triple mandolin tune.
Next time you're out this way.... lets pick some of those classic Dawg tunes again!

[mandophil(e)]

I know it isn't located in Austin, but has anyone played that Baby Grand Mandolin Bros. just listed in the classifieds? VERY curious about that one.