My Stiver and me

[Frank Donnoli]

A friend of mine purchased a mid 80's Stiver about a year ago, which I played not long after he took possession. I have been unable to detach myself from the tone and playability of that mandolin ever since. So in short, I bought one and ....WOW!
I am an expat living in Hong Kong so Mandolin Central is not around the corner. I bought it from Elderly knowing that they had a return policy and was met with outstanding, service, knowledge and brilliant communication. I'm sure they have my name on their records with a warning sign. The Stiver arrived swiftly and in good order. After tuning it up half a step and playing the first note I knew it was only going to get better from there. We have been inseparable for the last week and I have had trouble putting it down. If a mandolin can open up after just a week of playing, then I say this one has done just that. This one is not going anywhere without me. Happy? Absolutely.

[Ron McMillan]

Enjoy your new purchase. Be careful of the effects of humidity or, indeed, lack of humidity (the latter in an apartment with dehumidifiers/air-cons running full-time). In Thailand I have found that my 35-year-old F5 copy has held up fine by being kept at room temperature with no air-cons and no dehumidifier running, i.e., in a fairly high state of humidity. I fear (without any actual evidence to back up the fears) that if it had been kept in a bone-dry room with a dehumidifier running, it might have suffered.

ron

[Amanda Gregg]

Frank! Post pictures!

[Frank Donnoli]

Just some quick photos. I intended to take some better photos to really show it off but I keep playing it ha ha.

[Amanda Gregg]

Beautiful

[Josh Levine]

Wow that is a pretty Stiver. I have a 85 A5 that is fantastic. It isn't nearly as pretty as yours but it sure is wide open. I also have a 2000 Flatiron A5 Artist that I just got, which is similar to your A5L, so we have pretty similar instruments. The Stiver and Flat are quite different from each other. I feel like the Stiver has a more ancient sounding old timey tone. Both great mandolins, enjoy your Stiver.

[JeffD]

Stiver has got something very very right.

[Frank Donnoli]

I for one am super glad Lou Stiver decided to build mandolins. I'm not sure my others will get much play time anymore.

[Ron McMillan]

Tis a thing of great beauty. I used to live in Hongkong, but can't remember a folk/bluegrass scene there, and don't recall ever seeing a mandolin anywhere. Is there a mandolin-playing community there?

[Frank Donnoli]

There is a folk/bluegrass scene of sorts in Hong Kong. The last Thursday of the month, Delany's Irish Pub in Wanchai hosts a jam as does The Canny Man in Wanchai on a Sunday afternoon once a month as well. I have also seen a HK band called Pearl River, which plays Bluegrass and Old Timey style music. There are a few folk/country bands starting up of late (of which yours truly is a member of one)so hopefully in the near future it will provide a platform for closet mandolin players over here.

Anyway, back to my Stiver ....... did I mention I love it?

[Ron McMillan]

Anyway, back to my Stiver ....... did I mention I love it?

I think you may have mentioned that, and with good cause.

[MandoQuest]

I'm having a little bit of difficulty grasping the fact that I played this very mandolin here at Elderly's before you bought it and had it shipped half way around the world. It looks like it arrived in good order.

I didn't notice before - but the inlay comes out from under the truss rod cover on either side just like mine does on my Stiver. That seems to be unique - not all - or many of the Stivers I've seen have that.

Meanwhile I'm loving your mando's sister instrument here at home. It's nearly all I think about anymore when I'm not working or contending with family matters. Good luck and have fun with it Frank!

[Mickey King]

I'm having a little bit of difficulty grasping the fact that I played this very mandolin here at Elderly's before you bought it and had it shipped half way around the world.

Maybe it was to avoid paying the state sales tax. I live in TN and bought a mandolin made in TN from The Mandolin Store in AZ. Saved 10% in TN sales tax.

[Frank Donnoli]

Thanks Robert, I haven't managed to put it down very much and I have just spent the morning changing strings and adjusting the action/intonation. It sounds like its opened up quite a bit since it landed and Im sure its a combination of the instrument and my playing it so much. There do seem to be some minor differences in the Stivers such as the inlay you mention and also our extension boards are different as well. I don't think that makes them a different model I think that's just what Lou does.

Anyway back to practicing for me. Enjoy

[MandoQuest]

That's pretty cool with the fretboard. I didn't see that.

It's funny you mention intonation and strings. I spent my entire Saturday changing strings, raising the action, and adjusting the bridge placement on my Stiver. The person who owned it before me must have had the action ultra low and used different strings... because when i get the bridge placed right, the footprint in the finish where the bridge once was, shows. Kind of a bummer with such a beautiful instrument but, I bought it to play it - not just to look at it!

Overall I'm really enjoying playing mine and I just can't get enough. Tone just gets better and better.

[Rush Burkhardt]

I'd like to enter this conversation...a bit of an aside. I have a 1937 A50 (or A1) that was converted by Lou Stiver (at some point) by replacing the neck and recalibrating the top. Although the mandolin is strictly a player's tool, it has great sound and handling! Stiver has the formula! The adjustment make the bridge placement look strange; intonation is spot-on!

[JeffD]

I bought it from Elderly knowing that they had a return policy and was met with outstanding, service, knowledge and brilliant communication. .... The Stiver arrived swiftly and in good order. After tuning it up half a step and playing the first note I knew it was only going to get better from there. We have been inseparable for the last ...

I don't want to derail the thread, because I have a Stiver, and talking about Stivers is the most fun you can have without one in your hand. But..

Just a shout out to Elderly. Without nearly enough fanfare they quietly consistently and continuously provide excellent customer service and exceed expectations.

Others do of course, and I don't mean to leave out all the great places one can get a mandolin - just I have been buying from Elderly since a long time ago.

IMO, NFI, and other three letter acronyms.

Back to Stivers. Love my two pointer.

[MandoQuest]

I consider my guitar to be like a good Michigan microbrew, and my Stiver.. to be like a fine wine.

Both good and fun in their own way, and to be enjoyed differently and in different ways!

[Frank Donnoli]

I definitely agree about the Elderly ethos and integrity. They are patient, time generous and solid.

[Leon Peoples]

Nice, very nice hope you play it in good health many years.

[Demetrius]

Do any of you guys with Stivers have any videos or sound clips of your mandos?