Re: My New Unicorn Mandolin
It's been a while since anyone has contributed to this thread, and even longer since I have contributed anywhere in this forum. I found this thread while looking up info on Unicorn mandolins. I have a long relation with Unicorn mandolins. It started in about 1976 when I wanted to "upgrade" (haha) from my first mandolin, a Gibson A2Z. I felt I had advanced to the point of needing an F5 style mandolin. I went to the big city to check out the music stores. One I went into had Unicorn hanging on the wall. I didn't even touch it because it was not an F model. I ended up getting an Ibanez. I had a friend who came up with a very early U18 back in the late 70s. It was just the best mandolin. I loved it. It was so open and responsive, loud, bassy, woody- everything I wanted but the Ibanez was not. So, after much begging, he refused to sell it to me. He did agree to ride to Elderly with me in 1979, where I bought a new Unicorn. It was also amazing. So much so, my dad ordered a new Master Model Classic from Rolfe. It was # 146. I guess you could say he got it for me. I played it and played it a lot. So, I had two Unicorns. Then I got another. Then I got a Bicentennial. I think I have owned maybe 10 different Unicorns, and had maybe five at once at one time. I was always a bit of trader. I ended up selling the first Unicorn I bought to a student. He died in a drowning accident in Florida, and I never knew where that mandolin ended up. I did end up buying that very first Unicorn U18 I saw, and ended up selling it to a friend, and she still has it. A couple years ago I bought #70, and let a friend talk me out of it. He loves it. I once sold #146. It was gone about 12 years. I got it back from the guy I sold it to. Unicorn mandolins are incredible. They are consistently excellent mandolins. Beautiful wood, artfully simplistic. Very responsive, very light weight. I have had the pleasure of doing business with Rolfe Gerhardt since 1980 when we first ordered from him, and he has always been pleasant and most helpful.
A wrong note played timidly is a wrong note. A wrong note played with authority is an interpretation.
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