http://www.blackmandolins.com/octave-mandolins.html
I'm planning to order a Northfield octave and spotted this builder online
http://www.blackmandolins.com/octave-mandolins.html
I'm planning to order a Northfield octave and spotted this builder online
I've played a couple of his octaves and own #27 A4 mandolin. He is an old-world style builder in a one-man shop. It would be worth your time to look into a Black OM. Build quality and sound are excellent. He's a nice guy. The octaves were resonant and throaty. He will do a rim port which really puts the sound up to the player. Beautiful guitar body instruments.
Mike Snyder
go check out the Mike Black builder social group. Pheffernan just posted pictures of his gorgeous OM again.
Well, I haven't played one today . . . yet.
The challenge in playing a Black octave is that, to my knowledge, Mike has only completed four of them to date: #1 (which is still in his possession), #3, #6 (which is mine pictured), and #33. I'm also under the impression that he has been working on a batch of GBOM's for the last year that might be approaching completion. A lot of information can be found in the Mike Black social group here: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/group.php?groupid=301
I don't have firsthand experience with other octaves to compare, but in my opinion, Mike builds a beautiful instrument priced favorably against the competition (Old Wave, Austin Clark, Fletcher Brock, etc.). The biggest difference between it and the Northfield I believe would be the backs, as Mike models his octaves on an old Epiphone guitar with an arched back while the Northfield if I remember correctly is patterned after a Martin with a flat back. I'm sure that Mike would be happy to discuss his octaves with you if you were to send him a Personal Message: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/me...325-Mike-Black
1924 Gibson A Snakehead
2005 National RM-1
2007 Hester A5
2009 Passernig A5
2015 Black A2-z
2010 Black GBOM
2017 Poe Scout
2014 Smart F-Style Mandola
2018 Vessel TM5
2019 Hogan F5
Wow. That's incredibly beautiful. Everything works together so nicely design-wise. Congrats!
2010 Heiden A5, 2020 Pomeroy oval A, 2013 Kentucky KM1000 F5, 2012 Girouard A Mandola w ff holes, 2001 Old Wave A oval octave
http://HillbillyChamberMusic.bandcamp.com
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@hillbillychambermusic
1924 Gibson A Snakehead
2005 National RM-1
2007 Hester A5
2009 Passernig A5
2015 Black A2-z
2010 Black GBOM
2017 Poe Scout
2014 Smart F-Style Mandola
2018 Vessel TM5
2019 Hogan F5
Thanks everyone...#6 is a beauty!!
1918 Gibson F4
2016 Northfield NF-5S
2017 Black Guitar Bodied Octave Mandolin #42
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