Collings, Girouard or Pava - looking for an A for $3000 or less

[dreadhead]

I'm located in France, but will be visiting friends & family in late May/early June. The plan is to bring a mandolin back with me. I'll be flying in and out of Charlotte spending the first week in Myrtle Beach, SC and the 2nd week with friends in Asheville, NC. I'll be with my wife and son so traveling around to all the different music stores trying to track down the best mandolin at the right price isn't going to be my top priority. Too bad there isn't an Elderly or Gruhn equivalent around Asheville. What I'll probably do is buy in advance and have it delivered to my sister or my friends in Asheville. Another thing bto consider aside from consistency in sound is resale ability. There's not a huge demand for mandolins in France, so going with a Collings, a well known brand with an excellent reputation, might make it the most obvious choice in case I ever decide to resale in order to upgrade.
Out of the three I mentioned.....I'd like to hear from some people that have compared them.

[JEStanek]

It is a four and one half hour drive from Asheville NC, to Nashville. Not much compared to flying across the Atlantic ocean. What are the chances of Gruhn having all three? I'm assuming you mean A with ff holes? If you're open to oval holes, hitting a good vintage shop for an old Gibson seems in order, too.

Jamie

Also, would Girouard's schedule have a new one built for you by then? What is their list like?

If it were me, with these choices, I would be inclined to work with Max and Laurie and get a custom one built to my specs with a cool color Laurie does so well.

[allenhopkins]

Harry & Jeannie West have a store in Statesville, which is about 100 miles from Asheville. Not quite Elderly, Gruhn, or Mandolin Brothers, but well worth a visit.

[cayuga red]

Contact Dennis at The Mandolin Store. He carries all three of the lines you reference. He also sells lots of used mandos so he can share his experience regarding resale.

Good luck!

[Russ Jordan]

Danny Bishop's Fiddle and Fret is in Fairview, just outside of Asheville. Danny is a dealer for Collings, Ellis, and Pava.
http://www.fiddleandfret.com

[MandoDave1]

Girouard, hands down. I'm biased, though.

[Ben Cooper]

I second Dave's comment. Girouard, all the way. Email or call them (if you can). They will work with you every step of the way to create the most wonderful instrument which is custom made to your own specifications and will fit you perfectly! Of course, I am also biased... as I am a proud Girouard owner. I suggest checking out their website AND contacting them to find out what their schedule is currently like. It is WELL worth it! girouardmandolins.com is where you want to start. You might also check the mandolin store or mandomutt to see if they have any in stock.

[Ben Cooper]

Oh, as far as resale goes.... you can probably sell any of the three mentioned through the Mandolin Store or Mandomutt or here throuigh the classifieds with little trouble!

[F-2 Dave]

I can't comment about Pava or Girouard, but I couldn't be happier with my Collings MT. Plus, they can be had used for $1K less than your budget all day.

Dave

[Mike Scott]

Then there is Silverangel (Kentucky) and Skip Kelley (NC-which is where you'll be). May want to check both of those too. NFI-BTW.

[Sid Simpson]

I have a Pava and a Girouard mandola, and I can highly recommend either as wonderful instruments you would be proud to play. The Girouards are great to work with, and you would have a memorable experience with some very nice folks. I think, though, they are currently engaged with a group of F style mandolins and may not be doing any new A styles for a few months. Dennis at the Mandolin Store or Jeff at MandoMutt may have some available. Super instruments from builders who should be charging much more for their instruments.

I can't say enough good things about the Pavas. They are great mandolins, and would be worth it at twice the price. They are pretty much stripped down Ellis mandolins, with all the tone and playability.

I can't speak directly to the Collings, but they have a great reputation and are one of the go-to recommendations for A style mandolins. People seem to love them, and there are some pros out there who sound great on them.

You could resell any of them easily, if you aren't happy with them.

I don't think you could go wrong with any of them. They all have a little different sound and character, and I think it's as much personal preference with this group as anything else. Pick one and play the heck out of it!

[Brandon Sumner]

Hi, I have not played any Pava's but the look to be very nice instruments. I have played a Collins MT and found it to be a bit dry for my taste, but this was only one instrument. I just purchased a Girouard and really love it, warm, rich and stunning to look at. The price is good too. Ultimately, your best bet would be to play all 3 if possible and pick the one that speaks to you.
Best of luck!

[Mandobar]

I own all three models mentioned here. You can't go wrong with any. As for resale, I think it's better to consider the feel and sound of the instrument first and foremost.

[Toycona]

I just played 3 PAVAs today at Sylvan in Santa Cruz, but for the money I'd stay with my Girouard, hands down. They are easy to work with, and you can get Max and Lauri to dial in your tone and finish specs very well. (NFI)

[John Soper]

All three should give you plenty of bang for the buck. However, never buy based on estimates of resale value. It is always best to play before you pay... but that is not always possible. My best thoughts for buying WITHOUT a preview: if you buy used and don't dig the mandolin, you will not loose as much (if you buy cautiously) as if you buy new and something doesn't work for you.

Best of Luck!

[Mandobar]

never buy an instrument based on the projected resale. the economy and people's perceptions drive much of the secondary market.

[dreadhead]

Thanks for all the comments so far. I lived in Nashville a couple of years before moving here, was born 50 miles from there & still have lots of family in that area, but going there isn't in the cards this trip unfortunately. Getting a good mandolin player to test drive some mandos for me at Gruhn's might be a possibility though.

All the praise for Girouard mandolins hasn't gone unnoticed & I had listened to the mp3's available on The Mandolin Store before I posted this thread. I really just started looking & had considered going custom, but it would have to be done & delivered by the end of may at the absolute latest.

When I was looking at the Ellis website a few days ago, i had noticed that The Fiddle & Fret were dealers for Ellis, but they weren't listed as dealers for Pava. I'm still considering Pava & any other mandolin under $3000. I'd prefer an F to be honest, but the most important thing for me is sound & feel.....most bang for buck.

[Jonathan James]

Another maker to consider for an A is Paul Newson. For about $2500, you can get a custom hand-made A5 model in varnish with a James tailpiece and Elite tuners. Really fine maker (under the radar) with great tone.

[Russ Jordan]

When I was looking at the Ellis website a few days ago, i had noticed that The Fiddle & Fret were dealers for Ellis, but they weren't listed as dealers for Pava.

I think Fiddle & Fret not being listed is an oversight--I bought Pava #1 from there, and know Danny has had some since.

I think one thing when considering Pava vs Collings is the neck profile, as they are very different.

[dreadhead]

I think Fiddle & Fret not being listed is an oversight--I bought Pava #1 from there, and know Danny has had some since.

I think one thing when considering Pava vs Collings is the neck profile, as they are very different.

I'm not too picky about neck profiles on guitars and mandolins. I do prefer the wider 1 3/4" neck on guitars, but actually prefer the necks of my first mandolin (the Flatiron A5jr) & second mandolin (Elvenwood A) to my current wider necked The Loar 600. I have a friend from Tryon by the way....beautiful area. thanks for the info!

[Charles E.]

Thanks for all the comments so far. I lived in Nashville a couple of years before moving here, was born 50 miles from there & still have lots of family in that area, but going there isn't in the cards this trip unfortunately. Getting a good mandolin player to test drive some mandos for me at Gruhn's might be a possibility though.

All the praise for Girouard mandolins hasn't gone unnoticed & I had listened to the mp3's available on The Mandolin Store before I posted this thread. I'd prefer an F to be honest, but the most important thing for me is sound & feel.....most bang for buck.

There is a Girouard F-5 (2012) in the classifieds right now for well under 3K....

http://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/72168

And it is in North Carolina, not too far from Ashville. NFI

[Marcus CA]

I'd prefer an F to be honest, but the most important thing for me is sound & feel.....most bang for buck.

At your pricepoint, you won't find a new Collings F, although you might find a used one in the low $3K's in the Cafe Classifieds, especially if you're willing to wait until May or June, as you mentioned originally. The Girouards have made some F's, but I think they sell new for $3,500, and they haven't made too many of those. I've only seen Pava's A models, and I don't know if she has made any F's. At the $3K price point for a new mando, my favorite F model would be a Weber Bitterroot. If you go for a used F model, you could get a used Gibson F-9 or possibly one of their lower F-5 models.

It's really tough to talk about the feel of a mando, since what some people like, other people can't stand. For me, a Weber neck is much more comfortable than a Collings neck, but that has more to do with the size and shape of my hand than the craftsmanship and design of either company's instruments. That's why plenty of people will strongly agree and disagree with my preference.

If you're looking for the most bang for the buck, at $4K, I'd say that you would probably find it in an F-model, but at $3K, you might be more successful with an A-model.

[Ben Cooper]

Girouard F still in the classifieds and Mandolin store has 2 A style.

[Mandobar]

We are forgetting here that the OP is not planning his purchase until May of 2014.

[yankees1]

Northfield A is around $2500.