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Thread: F style peg head on A style mando

  1. #1
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    I just bought a new mandolin. It's an oval hole A style Washburn:



    I love the way it plays and sounds. Very satisfactory for the money (not much over $200). I love the way it looks with one notable exception - the top inch or two. It has the F style peg head with the little scrolls on it. It looks out of place to me on the A. My guess is that they did that to share parts with an F style and give this model an upgraded peg head compared to their other low end As (it is priced higher than its A body F hole counterpart). Actually, a second exception to liking how it looks is the pick guard; that's going away.

    I am not going to do anything about it right away. I am hoping that I will get used to it and others will tell me it looks fine or maybe even better than a regular A peg head. Otherwise, someday I may cut it off and finish the end to look like a regular A. That would make it a no name, mystery machine because it says "Washburn" up there.

    Comments? Like it? Hate it?



    "First you master your instrument, then you master the music, then you forget about all that ... and just play"
    Charlie "Bird" Parker

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    Registered User otterly2k's Avatar
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    I gotta say, I agree with you. I'm not crazy about the curlique headstock on any mando, but at least on the F's, there's a design motif and it makes some sense. On this, I REALLY don't like it. More than that, I'd guess that it makes it really top heavy...especially on the lighter A frame. ick.
    Karen Escovitz
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    Brian Dean OM #32
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    I did notice the weight slightly, but with a strap it's negligible. It is a little easier to bump things and the shape is more like a bad toupee than an F body. I keep thinking I see Little Richard dancing off to my left in my peripheral vision. I would hope that it would be pretty easy to match the black and lacquer if I decide to lop it off.

    It didn't bother me in the horizontal photo I looked at before ordering, but I had also been looking at another model where the same peg head looks much better:



    and in the 3/4 shot of the model I got it looks better:



    I think the forward tilt to show the side height also made it look smaller. The more nearly dead on shot in my first post looks the worst, IMO. Sitting in a friction stand it looks like it will fall over. It won't.

    As happy as I am about how it plays (incredibly well for the price), it's annoying to be considering cosmetic surgery on a brand new instrument.

    The oval hole F model that is similar was about $500 on closeout but they didn't have black or I might have talked myself into it with their no payments no interest for a year deal.



    "First you master your instrument, then you master the music, then you forget about all that ... and just play"
    Charlie "Bird" Parker

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    Registered User Eric F.'s Avatar
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    You said you love the way it sounds and plays, and you paid just above $200 for it. I think you should forget about the headstock and enjoy the mandolin. Seriously. At that price, there are bound to be some compromises. Why worry about what it looks like if you're thrilled with the sound?

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    hey I think its cool

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    Registered User otterly2k's Avatar
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    I love your description... Little Richard, bad toupee...excellent!

    However, I think Eric has a point...for the price, if you're happy with it in all other ways, just enjoy the thing and play it a lot, and you'll probably get used to its unique chapeau.

    On the flipside... since it's not an "investment" instrument... you really could alter the shape of the headstock without worrying about what it would do to the resale value, etc. If you do decide to give it a haircut, keep the piece you trim off. Both to preserve its original bits, and b/c it makes a good story!
    KE
    Karen Escovitz
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Otter OM #1
    Brian Dean OM #32
    Old Wave Mandola #372
    Phoenix Neoclassical #256
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    If you're gonna walk on thin ice, you might as well dance!

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    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    When I see that peghead on that mandolin, I see an insite into the decision making process at Washburn, or wherever that was made.

    Under $200, huh?
    OK, here's my hunch. They could tool up to make one type of neck much cheaper than two types of necks.
    How many times have you seen a post here that says something like "what's the best F style for under $500 dollars?" or "I have a budget or $350 and I'm looking for a good F model mandolin."?

    So, if you're Washburn and you're only going to tool up for one neck style, and you're going to sell an A for $200, which neck are you going to make?

    Design continuity costs money, so a well designed mandolin will cost more.

    OK, I'm off my soap box now.
    Glad you found a mando you like the sound of and bought it in spite of what it looks like.
    Often people do it the other way around. They buy a "pretty" mandolin regardless of what it sounds like.

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    I will say that if I were offered a full refund I would not take it - I would keep the mando. Boogie on the G & D strings sounds awesome. I was expecting the difference an A hole makes to be more subtle. I will definitely give it some time to grow on me. I just wanted to gather some other initial impressions.
    "First you master your instrument, then you master the music, then you forget about all that ... and just play"
    Charlie "Bird" Parker

  9. #9

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    I don't think it's bad. It's unique. And altering it could potentially lead to worse results. Toupees are coming back into fashion too, so a mando toupee ain't such a bad thing.

  10. #10

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    I kinda like it. I don't like A -style headstocks, so hey, to each his own.




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    Quote Originally Posted by (sunburst @ June 13 2005, 16:43)
    [...]
    Under $200, huh?
    OK, here's my hunch. They could tool up to make one type of neck much cheaper than two types of necks.
    [...]
    Glad you found a mando you like the sound of and bought it in spite of what it looks like. Often people do it the other way around. They buy a "pretty" mandolin regardless of what it sounds like.
    Actually just over $200 was the best price I found. $240 or so is common. $350 is MSRP. Still not a lot for an instrument but maybe gets you to the level where at least some are rejected as they come off the line.

    I think you are right about the necks. The two models I showed in the same post have very different fret boards, but if yo look closely the neck joint appears to be at exactly the same point (it's clearer if you go pack to the pic in the original post), truss rod cover same place, headstock same shape/size, tuners same location and might even be identical hardware.

    I like the logic. It gives me that "I chose mine for the sound. Why did you choose yours?" defense if it is ever ridiculed. There is truth to that. I did not hear my specific one unitl I got it, but I was prepared to use the return privilege if necessary. It is not. That return policy would force me to have some patience in changing it - 45 days.
    "First you master your instrument, then you master the music, then you forget about all that ... and just play"
    Charlie "Bird" Parker

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    More thoughts...

    If I cut it, my life time warranty probably goes out the window. Not that I have ever used a warranty on an instrument, but Murphy might get me.

    I wonder if it would be safe to strap there? I kind of prefer strapping to the body, but that is mostly because peg head strapping gets in the way. That wouldn't because it is up and out beyond the tuners. I would tie the strap inside the other curve first and then corr the head and through that one. I probably need to take a pic for that to be understandable.

    It does look more normal to me every time I see it.

    I could screw up a mando that I like if I am not careful.

    Why am I spending so much energy worrying about the image I have while playing a $200 mando? I better spend the energy practicing.
    Thanks for the feedback.
    "First you master your instrument, then you master the music, then you forget about all that ... and just play"
    Charlie "Bird" Parker

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    OK. 180 degress change in attitude now that I got the perfect strap for it. My dad used to have equal success in changing my attitude with a strap, but that's another story...

    Sorry about picture quality. We don't have a good digital right now. This is snapped with an older digital camcorder:



    The string that came with it is looped through both the upper and lower scrolls, so I am not depending on the little upper scroll to take the stress alone. the top scroll has a tight spot so the string had to be threaded and cannot come out. It crosses there, so only a small loop is above the peghead to attach to the strap. The knot is behind the peghead, out of sight. The strap is black, matching the mando perfectly. The adapter string appears to be a heavy dress shoe lace that also matches. Attaching there, it is completely out of the way of my hand and arm at all frets and doesn't interfere with tuning either.As pictured, it is in the last button hole on the tail end and it is as low as I would ever want it. I might go one hole tighter. With the surface area of a flat strap (rough on underside) across my whole back, it stays put when I adjust it where I want it. Probably far more detail than you want, but I cannot believe how perfect it turned out to be.

    BTW, I am no longer contemplating decapitating Little Richard. #

    It's a blues mans's ax! #
    "First you master your instrument, then you master the music, then you forget about all that ... and just play"
    Charlie "Bird" Parker

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    All's well that ends well.

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    Gee thanks...just when I thought I didn't want to buy a new mandolin you show me this. I am thinking of the red model. Glad to hear you like the tone and that it plays well. Makes me more determined to add it to mt my growing collection.
    Gary Blanchard
    Original Acoustic and Electric Music
    http://www.irismusica.net

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    Well, I think I ended up getting the best possible deal on it. I bought it at Music123 for $209 with free shipping which put it over their $200 lower limit on 6 months no payment no interest. Then I saw it at SamAsh.com for $179 (but shipping would have been extra) and I clicked on the price match link at Music123. They honored it and credited me $30. So I got the low price, still got free shipping and since my intial balance was over $200, I still get the 6 months same as cash deal. I know the Gibson/Collings folks are rolling their eyes, but it plays good, sounds good, looks good and I like it. Someday I will shell out more; probably 10 times as much for an incremental improvement.
    "First you master your instrument, then you master the music, then you forget about all that ... and just play"
    Charlie "Bird" Parker

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    Registered User Jim Yates's Avatar
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    I was given an old, 1950, Bill Monroe book for my birthday and the pictures in the back of the book show Bill's F5 with a cord or rope hoding it. The rope is tied to the tuning head, not the scroll. It's fastened above the 4th and 5th string posts. Does anyone know when he changed over to the scroll?
    I like to tie my strap on my A model above the 3rd and 8th string posts. When it's above the nut, it interferes with playing in first position.

    By the way, Bill is pictured on the cover of this book playing a two point Epiphone.
    Jim Yates

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