Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 26 to 50 of 82

Thread: Girouard Mandolins

  1. #26

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by darylcrisp View Post
    I am picky about how my instruments fit and feel, and I only accept a low easy to play action with excellent tone. This OM delivers in all accounts. If memory serves, the top is 100 year old cedar Max scored from an old house or shop.
    And any time I play it, or just pick it up, I smile. Its fun to play, loads of fun to play. I have never had any thought to change or make anything better or different on it.
    I have never played a cedar top mandolin, what's the tone like? Does it project? What style of music is best suited to its sound?

  2. #27
    wood butcher Spruce's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Orcas Island, Washington
    Posts
    6,172

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by Em Tee View Post
    I have never played a cedar top mandolin, what's the tone like? Does it project? What style of music is best suited to its sound?
    It can do everything spruce can do...
    My favorite Webers are a good example, for instance, and cedar-topped...

    Quote Originally Posted by Perilous Deep View Post
    Very cool. I'll be excited to see the progress on this one, and hope we'll get to hear it played a bit. I assume they'll be shooting for the Loar tone.
    They are going for a straight-on copy of the Griffith Loar A5...
    I've got one on order, and am pretty psyched as to how this one turns out...

    #74003 is one of my favorite mandolins, and if you want one you pretty much have to build it...
    ...or have someone build it for you...

  3. #28
    Natural Born Tar Heel Perilous Deep's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Chicago, IL
    Posts
    134

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by Spruce View Post
    It can do everything spruce can do...
    My favorite Webers are a good example, for instance, and cedar-topped...
    Girouard #73--the video I posted above--is a cedar-topped Girouard, and indeed the wood is from Spruce himself! I'd say the sound is a little chunkier than red spruce. But there are so many factors, it would be wrong to over-generalize. I would say my particular mandolin is better suited for small-ensemble melody playing more than it is for full-on bluegrass barnburning. But it is not quiet by any means. It's just that it's tone shows itself to advantage better when it has more space.

    Quote Originally Posted by Spruce View Post
    They are going for a straight-on copy of the Griffith Loar A5...
    I've got one on order, and am pretty psyched as to how this one turns out...

    #74003 is one of my favorite mandolins, and if you want one you pretty much have to build it...
    ...or have someone build it for you...
    Wait, you mean I've been saving up waiting for it to pop up on the classifieds for all this time...in vain?
    "Pick it solid, boys." -Claude Debussy

  4. #29
    wood butcher Spruce's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Orcas Island, Washington
    Posts
    6,172

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by Perilous Deep View Post



    Wait, you mean I've been saving up waiting for it to pop up on the classifieds for all this time...in vain?


    I remember when #74003 did pop up on the classifieds--in the Mandolin World News...
    Tut wanted 10K for it, at the time F5s were going for around 7.5K...
    (If anyone has that issue--I don't--I'd sure love to see a scan of the ad....)

  5. #30

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    I think I'll join Spruce as an early adopter of The Griffith.

    Both of my Girouard instruments have cedar tops. Love the tone. Max really has it all dialed in right now.

    Perilous Deep: That's a keeper. Love that tone.
    2010 Heiden A5, 2020 Pomeroy oval A, 2013 Kentucky KM1000 F5, 2012 Girouard A Mandola w ff holes, 2001 Old Wave A oval octave
    http://HillbillyChamberMusic.bandcamp.com
    Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@hillbillychambermusic

  6. The following members say thank you to Don Grieser for this post:


  7. #31

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by Perilous Deep View Post
    Girouard #73--the video I posted above--is a cedar-topped Girouard, and indeed the wood is from Spruce himself! I'd say the sound is a little chunkier than red spruce. But there are so many factors, it would be wrong to over-generalize. I would say my particular mandolin is better suited for small-ensemble melody playing more than it is for full-on bluegrass barnburning. But it is not quiet by any means. It's just that it's tone shows itself to advantage better when it has more space.



    Wait, you mean I've been saving up waiting for it to pop up on the classifieds for all this time...in vain?
    Put some nickel bronze strings on it. It will light up the sky.
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

  8. #32
    Natural Born Tar Heel Perilous Deep's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Chicago, IL
    Posts
    134

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by Don Grieser View Post
    I think I'll join Spruce as an early adopter of The Griffith.

    Both of my Girouard instruments have cedar tops. Love the tone. Max really has it all dialed in right now.

    Perilous Deep: That's a keeper. Love that tone.
    Oh it's a keeper for me for sure. I swooned for the tone when I first played it.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandobar View Post
    Put some nickel bronze strings on it. It will light up the sky.
    I tried the nickel bronze strings on D'Addario's trial. I didn't notice a big difference in tone, honestly. And the plain steel unwound strings corroded quickly under my hostile skin chemistry, so that was sort of a dealbreaker. If anyone's interested though, I made sample recordings with EXPs and Nickel Bronze so I wasn't just relying on my own memory to compare the strings.

    https://soundcloud.com/user-58078391...parison-sample
    "Pick it solid, boys." -Claude Debussy

  9. #33
    Registered User darylcrisp's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Banner, Ky
    Posts
    2,654

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandobar View Post
    Actually, Daryl, I was the first owner of that OM. It was consigned at TME last summer during my downsizing. The new owner then decided he wanted Max to build him a GBOM. It was a great instrument, and I was a little late trying to buy it back, but it did prompt me to buy one of Max and Lauri's GBOM's after playing one at the mandolin festival in Concord (NH) this past March.
    that is so cool to know Mary. I absolutely love this OM. It fits me so well, and the tone is exactly what I wanted in an OM.
    Love the 20" scale.
    d

  10. #34
    Registered User Al Trujillo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Southern Colorado
    Posts
    694

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    The conversation about Girouard OM's intrigued me so I went to You Tube and found one being played in a video from TME. Sounds great, but why is it being played with a missing set of strings? Are my eyes that bad, I can't see them??


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV8EQEhSu9A

  11. #35
    Registered User darylcrisp's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Banner, Ky
    Posts
    2,654

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by Al Trujillo View Post
    The conversation about Girouard OM's intrigued me so I went to You Tube and found one being played in a video from TME. Sounds great, but why is it being played with a missing set of strings? Are my eyes that bad, I can't see them??


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV8EQEhSu9A
    wow, beautiful looking/sounding OM, and Al, I don't see the e strings either??

  12. #36

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    I own that GBOM, and it indeed has E strings, and A, D, and G pairs too.
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

  13. #37

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    I can't see them either, but I can hear them--he's definitely playing them. And it sounds amazing. Congrats mandobar!
    2010 Heiden A5, 2020 Pomeroy oval A, 2013 Kentucky KM1000 F5, 2012 Girouard A Mandola w ff holes, 2001 Old Wave A oval octave
    http://HillbillyChamberMusic.bandcamp.com
    Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@hillbillychambermusic

  14. #38
    Registered User ferrousgeek's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    147

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by David Surette View Post
    I've had mine for about 3 years now, and I continue to be thrilled with it. I first saw a blondey A-5 that Mandobar had, and decided to get one that would be built for me. Working with Max and Lauri was a pleasure. I wanted something that was a good all-rounder, one that could hold it's own in a bluegrass context, but that also had plenty of warmth and woody qualities, especially in the low-end. Max was able to deliver a sound that was exactly what I had hoped for. He matched the neck profile of another mandolin that I own and love, so it feels super comfortable. Max and Lauri also designed a "modern pumpkintop" look for it, with a beautiful orange/red finish, maple binding in place of the ivoroid, and a nice modern update of the fleur-de-lis headstock inlay (a little nod to our French heritage, eh, M. Girouard?). It plays and sounds great! And they are really nice folks, too. There's a couple of videos floating around cyberspace of me playing it. Thanks, Max and Lauri!
    David, I have #79. Max built it for himself in tandem with yours. Several photos out there of the two being built together. I believe they were the first Girouards of 2014. By sound of your description, i'm thinking that were voiced the same.

  15. #39

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    Sweet! Bonjour, mon frere. Is it a pumpkintop?

  16. #40
    Registered User ferrousgeek's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    147

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by David Surette View Post
    Sweet! Bonjour, mon frere. Is it a pumpkintop?
    Nope. Reddish-brown burst, not as red as the photos. Lauri says it is her favorite red burst of all she's done. No binding.

    I agree, no finer folks to do biz with.

    Here is a Flickr set, the other mando under construction is yours :

    https://www.flickr.com/gp/canerod/4R6590

    Salut !

  17. #41
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Chester County, PA
    Posts
    39

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    I've got #170, dated Feb 2018, purchased in March so pretty fresh.

    I personally haven't handled much that I would consider a nicer and would be hard pressed to come up with any purchase that has brought me more pleasure. Have only handled a few relatively entry level mandolins myself, but have played some fancy fiddles and guitars. Don't think I would have been comfortable paying the mandolin price tag for those guitars or fiddles, though they would have been more expensive in most cases. No doubts regarding the Girouard, even though it was probably the biggest purchase I can recall for anything I didn't drive or live in. It wants me to play it and the more I play it, the more I like it and the more I want to play it again.

    I'm not in a position to honestly compare to many other mandolins, but I'm also not much worried about finding something better that I could ever afford. Not that I would ever pass up a chance to play other mandolins, it's just that my Girouard looks, feels, plays and sounds how I want it to. I guess that's about the best honest endorsement I can make.

  18. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Frost For This Useful Post:


  19. #42
    Fingers of Concrete ccravens's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Crockett, TX
    Posts
    1,058

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by ferrousgeek View Post
    Nope. Reddish-brown burst, not as red as the photos. Lauri says it is her favorite red burst of all she's done. No binding.

    I agree, no finer folks to do biz with.

    Here is a Flickr set, the other mando under construction is yours :

    https://www.flickr.com/gp/canerod/4R6590

    Salut !
    Stunningly beautiful!
    Chris Cravens

    Girouard A5
    Montana Flatiron A-Jr.
    Passernig Mandola
    Leo Posch D-18

  20. The following members say thank you to ccravens for this post:


  21. #43

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    All this talk has me wondering why I haven't gone over the hill to Sylvan in Santa Cruz for a Pava Girouard shootout, and throw in a Weber or two.

    Oh, now I remember, cost me $3400 last time.
    Silverangel A
    Arches F style kit
    1913 Gibson A-1

  22. #44
    Registered User ferrousgeek's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    147

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by Br1ck View Post
    All this talk has me wondering why I haven't gone over the hill to Sylvan in Santa Cruz for a Pava Girouard shootout, and throw in a Weber or two.

    Oh, now I remember, cost me $3400 last time.
    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/s...=pava+girouard

  23. #45
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Northeast Kingdom of Vermont
    Posts
    2

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    I really enjoy my Girouard, December 2013, #66. It is fun to play, lovely sound, beautiful. Max and Laurie were still in NH at the time, and my husband and I appreciated their time and attention when we visited.

  24. The following members say thank you to Lynne Allison for this post:


  25. #46
    Natural Born Tar Heel Perilous Deep's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Chicago, IL
    Posts
    134

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    Someone got a fantastic deal today on Girouard #70, a bog cedar-topped mandola. This is 3 SNs away from my cedar F5 and looks to have a very similar burst. I was very tempted to snap up this twin mandola, but am happy for the buyer to get what I'm sure is a fine instrument.
    "Pick it solid, boys." -Claude Debussy

  26. The following members say thank you to Perilous Deep for this post:


  27. #47

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    I've played a lot of Girouards over the years, and this is by far my favorite:
    http://themusicemporium.com/mandolin...5-concert.6305
    I played it the day they received in new, and was always sorry to have not taken it home. Lo and behold I was in TME a few weeks back and there it was again. I took it to jam last night and it was very popular among the players (two of whom were playing their own Girouards).
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

  28. #48
    Natural Born Tar Heel Perilous Deep's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Chicago, IL
    Posts
    134

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    Very cool, Mary. Sounds like it was fate.

    TME's blurb says that A5 is noticeably different than other Girouards. Does that refer to the Red Spruce top and the cremona burst, do you think? The description of the sound as "sweet, warm, and woody" seems in line with the typical Girouard tone, in my experience. Or maybe a better way of asking is: what is it about this A5 that makes it such a standout?
    "Pick it solid, boys." -Claude Debussy

  29. #49

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    The tone is very much like the Gil A they had there for a while. Tons of volume. Big fat round notes that seem to just pour out of it. I told Max after I played it the first time that it was very different. Not that the other mandolins didn't sound great. There's just something about this one that just jumps out at you. Max has really hit his stride.
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

  30. #50
    Registered User darylcrisp's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Banner, Ky
    Posts
    2,654

    Default Re: Girouard Mandolins

    wow, that's crazy Mary. glad you hooked it though, yes, please tell us all about it, I remember someone posting that when it was just available and loved how it looked. it sold within hours if I remember correct.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •