That's one word for it ... yowza!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMAZING-Anto...-/131610600830
That's one word for it ... yowza!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AMAZING-Anto...-/131610600830
That's truly one of a kind. Thank goodness.
Nothing that Antonio Tsai sells is one of a kind. Unfortunately there will be others.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
There is a local music store with three of these novelties; hideous.
That will really grab eyeballs at the next jam. Should elicit a few comments too.
Yeah but... When the wood dries and it starts falling apart, does it get a) more hideous or b) less hideous?
Several years ago, The Kennedys played a concert in Montclair, NJ. Maura played a stunning "F-style" full-size guitar that had to be retired in the middle of the show. Being several years old (see their 2008 "Better Dreams" album cover), it had reached its expiration date.
- Ed
"Then one day we weren't as young as before
Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
But by all those roads, my friend, we've travelled down
I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you."
- Ian Tyson
Lipstick on a pig.
Is it really more profitable for antoniotsai and brucewei to inlay the heck out of lower teir instruments, as opposed to investing that energy into making great instruments?
I do like my Eastmans....
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Playing a funky oval-hole scroll-body mandolin, several mandolins retuned to CGDA, three CGDA-tuned Flatiron mandolas, two Flatiron mandolas tuned as octave mandolins,and a six-course 25.5" scale CGDAEB-tuned Ovation Mandophone.
Love mandola?
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Those instruments come from Vietnam. If they ever figure out how to make a normal copy of an A with a snakehead headstock that isn't blinged up they will probably own the low end market. Same if they can ever do a real F style. Until then they impress some people enough to buy them.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
I dunno - more inlay maybe
Betcha that tailpiece won't last six months.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
Maybe it just needs.......
More cowbell?
Timothy F. Lewis
"If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett
I kinda wish someone would build a real mandolin in that shape so we could see whether it has any interesting acoustic properties.
Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.
Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!
Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls
I think what keeps 'em going is that eBay buyers think, "how bad can it be for $250?" (or whatever--this one is being sold by a guy in Texas for $450) I've heard most of them implode before they make it to the buyer or shortly after, although Antoniotsai's feedback is 99% and he has done over 31,000 transactions, so......somebody likes 'em. I saw some in person at a guitar show and although inlaid, the quality is very poor, IMHO
Also, it might appeal to those wanting a heavily inlaid instrument for about 1% of what Martin might charge you.....of course, you've got to really be into dragons..............
You'd think that with all that inlay work and fancy body binding, that they would put some binding on the edges of the fingerboard and at the peg head. Kinda strange that they didn't. Maybe they thought that would be too much, LOL.
The thing may implode and in short order as mine basically did and before that the fret layout was off and was unplayable up the neck. The finish is poorly done as well with lots of little blemishes. The inlay is not to everyone's taste to be sure but there was nothing wrong with the inlay--that's done rather well! It is the instrument that is bunk! The tailpiece will not fail though as someone suggested --the thing is about a pound and a half of solid brass! That's a post Vietnam War benefit from millions of shell casings littering the country side! I was just over that way and I see the problem --the humidity is about 95% and most likely these instruments are not produced in any kind of climate controlled environment nor is the wood, no matter what the source, likely to be stored in such a way as to not come up to equilibrium with the relative humidity. Maybe they would work pretty good if you live in a jungle!
If Liberace had played mandolin it would have been a match made in heaven.
Since he didn't (as far as I know) I can think of a different kind of match that would be useful.
Gibson F5 'Harvey' Fern, Gibson F5 'Derrington' Fern
Distressed Silverangel F 'Esmerelda' aka 'Maxx'
Northfield Big Mon #127
Ellis F5 Special #288
'39 & '45 D-18's, 1950 D-28.
Although I've seen Tsai's instruments and am not a big fan of somewhat sketchy instruments with overdone inlay, I will say that the 2 Vietnamese made mandolins I own (from Duc Ngan) have been in fine working condition now for a number of years, the wood has not split, the inlays are intact, the tone is fine.
Evidently not all of these instruments are made alike.
The one in the picture is a much more normal shape, has the special side soundholes and inner rim resonator - and and doesn't have the plastic look of the Tsai instruments.
http://www.chionline.com/Antoniotsai/
Lots of complaints about Tsai's instruments
http://www.chionline.com/Antoniotsai/positive.html
Some positive comments
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261529993186...MakeTrack=true
One similar to mine for sale
http://www.saigonstrings.com/mandolin.htm
Like mine
http://www.thanhcammusic.com/guitar.htm
They make an F sort of mandolin, no idea if it's any good
http://www.vietstrings.com/mandolins
Another seller of the ones like mine - more expensive
Attachment 138789
and I never have seen one like this - F holes and the side sound holes!
I'm near a Vietnamese Buddhist temple, and know quite a few Vietnamese musicians. i was surprised to play at least two of the mandolins, and to find them to be very lively.
----
Playing a funky oval-hole scroll-body mandolin, several mandolins retuned to CGDA, three CGDA-tuned Flatiron mandolas, two Flatiron mandolas tuned as octave mandolins,and a six-course 25.5" scale CGDAEB-tuned Ovation Mandophone.
Love mandola?
Join the Mandola Social Group!
They are pretty lively sounding indeed!
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