My New Duff

[NoNickel]

I have been playing a very nice BRW F5 for 3 years. I have gotten lots of positive comments on it and I have compared it against lots of the top mandolins out there and have never found another maker's that I liked better. My BRW is top of the line, Adi top, red maple sides and back with a varnish finish. Every camp that I went to, I would ask to borrow top of the line mandolins of other campers and teachers to see what it sounded like in my hands (as many of these players were curous to play my BRW, I was usually able to do so, plus mandolin players are just nice people). There is a big difference between the sound of how someone else plays a mandolin and how you sound on it, so I would not only play their mandolin, but I would carefully listen to the other player play mine and then play theirs. I had always been happily surprised that my own BRW held up in tone and volume against anything else that I had ever played. Until ...

Monroe Mandolin Camp, September of 2014, and I was among the largest and most varied set of high end mandolins yet. And I tried many of them. While there were a lot of nice mandolins there, my experience was the same, i.e. my BRW in my hands and in anyone else's hand was just as good as mandolins up to 5X its cost. And then I ran up against Paul Duff. I asked if he had brought any sample of his work, All he had was his private instrument, which he readily offered up. And for the first time, I found a sound that beat mine! The sound was immediately and noticably diffent, louder, more focused. I spent about a half hour with it, and blown away by the sound. Well, I thought, of course a top luthier's own instrument will be that much better. So I wondered, to myself, if there might be a a way to talk him out of this particular instrument. Before I could even bring this up, Paul suggested that there is another player at the camp with a 3 year old Duff that I should try. We tracked that person down and he gladly let me play his as well. The same "Duff" sound was in that one too.

Cut today, and Paul will be shipping my new Duff on Monday or Tuesday of this week. Paul will be shipping my new Duff from Down Under on "Monday or Tuesday" of this week. It is his F5 model, with a flat fretboard, vintage frets, one piece back, Waverlies and a Fern inlay. I am waiting with 'bated breath.

[John Gardinsky]

It'll be good.

[DataNick]

You just had to post those observations didn't you...LOL!

I've been debating in my mind for the next big mando purchase: Paul Duff or David Harvey....this gives me a lot to think about...

Congrats!

[CavScout]

I got mine on Friday! I think ours were both featured on Paul's "What's On The Bench" page at the same time. Also NoNickel...did you post a vid of Old Mountaineer on YT? Was great!

[NoNickel]

Yep, I had a jones for that F4. Paul said it was headed to New York. I did post Old Mountaineer on youtube some time back, but I'm a bit embarrassed by it now. That was about 9 months ago and my playing is somewhat better as I have been working a lot with M. Compton.

[CavScout]

I thought I remembered that was done on Poe #13. I think you did a great job. I posted a comment about a week ago. I have been learning OM for a while now. Some parts still give me trouble tho. Well enjoy that Duff. I have a Duff F5 too that I bought new from Gruhn's. I think I'm about set for life now.

[NoNickel]

Here the sisters are together. http://www.duffmandolins.com/whats_on_bench.htm

[9lbShellhamer]

Congrats!

[NoNickel]

I just got an email from Paul. Friday is D(elivery) day! So this weekend is going to be fun. The shipping papers are really kind of interesting. Apparently, I am now an "importer" of mandolins, or at least of mandolin. Paul also had to list all of the woods that he used and their origin for the Lacey Act. (Sugar Maple, Red Spruce and Ebony).

Regarding the my original post, I would be remiss if I didn't reveal that I went to Carter Vintage Guitars after the Monroe Camp and played up a storm on what they had on the wall. I was also blown away by several that they had there that day, specifcally a Daley "Hoss" replica, a Skaggs Gibson and a Henderson. All were far and above anything that I had ever played except for the Duffs that I had tried at Camp. These instruments were much closer to the Duffs (either a little better or a little worse; I didn't have the Duff's there to compare), but they were much more expensive. I also played a Heiden that was really nice. The Gils and Weins they had that day did not move me (also, I have owned a Weins in the past and the BRW was just as good IMHO). I didn't have the courage to ask to play any of the Loars, so I have no comment there. After all this testing, I ordered my Duff through Carter's.

I will let you all know my feelings after I get my new Duff.

[FLATROCK HILL]

Ditto on the 'congrats'!! I'll bet you're gonna love that Duff. .

Don't forget to post all the pics and soundclips you can manage!

[DataNick]

...The Gils and Weins they had that day did not move me (also, I have owned a Weins in the past and the BRW was just as good IMHO)...

I heard thru the vine that Compton put down his Gil for a Duff...though Shaun Garrity says he still plays both. Duffs are getting rave reviews out there...seriously thinking of ordering one in the near future before his prices go up...

[mando1man]

Sweet!

[NoNickel]

Mike Compton plays both his Gilchrist and Duff on a regular basis. I believe he loves both. Not sure if he has a favorite.

[Cheryl Watson]

Gorgeous mandolins!

[mtucker]

I heard thru the vine that Compton put down his Gil for a Duff...though Shaun Garrity says he still plays both.

that's a stretch... I think Mike and Steve are just trying to help a really nice guy...who makes really nice mandolins... make his own way! Nothing more. Aussie's rule!!

[DataNick]

that's a stretch... I think Mike and Steve are just trying to help a really nice guy...who makes really nice mandolins... make his own way! Nothing more. Aussie's rule!!

Well I'm not quite following the "stretch" comment; I did say that Shaun says he plays both. The source of the "vine" is a pro who is very good friends with Compton, and was so influenced by what he called "put down his Gil for a Duff" that he went ahead and ordered a Duff as well. If you really want to know who it is PM me and I think you'll agree this guy is that close to Compton and would know. I didn't say it was a fact, just the grapevine and I did offer Shaun's contrasting take...

[JeffD]

We are living in a golden age of luthiery, where there are so many choices between fantastic sounding instruments. All these devotional threads, so many excellent people making world class instruments.

Its is seriously wonderful.

[Nick Gellie]

I heard thru the vine that Compton put down his Gil for a Duff...though Shaun Garrity says he still plays both. Duffs are getting rave reviews out there...seriously thinking of ordering one in the near future before his prices go up...

Particularly the way the exchange rate between the AUD and the USD are at the moment, it might be a good time to order. I have no explanation as to why the USD is so high at the moment given that the US Reserve has a close to zero interest rate policy.

[tburcham]

Congrats!

[mandotool]

that's a stretch... I think Mike and Steve are just trying to help a really nice guy...who makes really nice mandolins... make his own way! Nothing more. Aussie's rule!!

you may need to rethink your position on that....his mandolins are not that nice...
some are absolute monsters....mine kicks me in the guts every time i pick it up..

[NoNickel]

It just left Hong Kong!!!

[mtucker]

Calm down......I thought Compton was playing one of his mandola's, not an F5. Could be wrong though...

[NoNickel]

Mike was playing the Duff mandola on loan. He broke it in and the last I saw, it was for sale at Carter's. Mike has two Gils (an F4 and F5). He also owns a Duff F5. He plays them all.

By the way, I didn't mean to come across as dissing Gilchrist. I was not doing that. The one I played at Carter's did not move me, that's all. That one. And I think it is still there a 6 months later. As are the Henderson, the Skaggs and the Daley that I really liked. (Just checked, the Gil is marked sold.)

[DataNick]

Calm down......I thought Compton was playing one of his mandola's, not an F5. Could be wrong though...

No worries; I just wanted to clarify.

It was right around the holidays when my friend (BG pro) asked me to share everything I knew about Duff mandos. His words (and he's close to Mike Compton) were "he put down his Gil for a Duff, so now I'm talking to Paul Duff about ordering one".

Does "put down" mean he never plays the Gil? Of course not, but it would be interesting if he now favors the Duff over the Gil.

However all speculation until we hear it from the source.

What does appear to be the case though, is that Paul Duff is apparently making some top tier mandos these days!

[NoNickel]

I have a lesson with Mike tonight. I will ask him.