New Fylde Single Malt Mando and new to me Fylde Octavius Mandola

[Shawn Collins]

I moved to the UK in early 2014 with an Eastman MD-505 that I was quite content with. On a whim, mostly because I played a Fylde Octavius Cittern in Indianapolis several years ago, I reached out to Roger Bucknall about visiting his shop while my family took a holiday in Cumbria over New Year's. He kindly agreed, even though I had no plans to buy another instrument. Roger and his wife were incredibly gracious hosts to me and my 6 yr old daughter. They gave us a tour of the workshop, brewed tea, and let both of us play various mandolins, mandolas, citterns, and guitars. I fell in love with a Single Malt mandolin, which my wife kindly allowed me to purchase. Some weeks later, I found a classified ad for a used Octavius Mandola. Turns out it was for sale from Colin Lindsay - also a Mandolin Cafe member. The mandola has joined the single malt in my living room. And I'm on serious austerity measures for further instrument procurement. Which is fine, as these two instruments will be wonderful ones to grow with.

[John Kelly]

Welcome to the UK, even if belatedly, Shawn. You have acquired fine instruments and that Fylde single malt was one of several built from timber salvaged from the oak casks in which our fine Scotch Whisky is matured. As a Scot I know you'll have fun with an instrument with such a fine pedigree, and I believe the smell from those instruments is especially appealing!

[Steve VandeWater]

Wow! The mandolin is especially gorgeous. I've never seen one with such unique coloring.

[Bertram Henze]

Let me add that the oak from casks (where whisky is matured) is used for the harder parts of the instrument, while the top is made of larch from washbacks (where the alcohol is actually produced by fermentation, think: beer minus hops). Since washbacks are cleaned after each batch, the top should not be smelling of beer, though.

[Shawn Collins]

I get some questions about the smell, and tend to get a bit of a disappointed response when I say there isn't any whiskey scent. The background of the wood is good for a wow factor though, as is the unique appearance. The tone is really pure, and it has an open ring that my Eastman doesn't. Evidently mandolins are voiced to be more "choppy" for American customers because of the dominant bluegrass market. It's a noticeable difference. My daughters (ages 4, 6, and 9) were less than complementary when I played along to some Dan Zanes songs on the Fylde, precisely because it had that open ring that they're not used to. Here's a YouTube clip of "Blind Mary." Instrumental and recording skill have a ways to go, but it was fun to make.

https://youtu.be/sovoVGstpAA?list=PL...SAOvVmUva1OU8L

[Shawn Collins]

And Coilsfield House on the Mandola. I owe this to Colin, although his YouTube video on this instrument is better than mine will ever be.

https://youtu.be/y-vyYrMak14?list=PL...SAOvVmUva1OU8L

[Bertram Henze]

The tone is really pure, and it has an open ring that my Eastman doesn't. Evidently mandolins are voiced to be more "choppy" for American customers because of the dominant bluegrass market. It's a noticeable difference. My daughters (ages 4, 6, and 9) were less than complementary when I played along to some Dan Zanes songs on the Fylde, precisely because it had that open ring that they're not used to.

That's the very dichotomy of American vs Celtic, and Fylde instruments are definitely made for the latter. My preference too.

And Coilsfield House on the Mandola.

One of the rare occasions for direct sound comparison - I recorded the same tune on a Fylde Touchstone octave mandola (the modern sister of the Octavius) a couple of years ago, and I can hear that common Fylde denominator.