Recommendation for a Jazz Mandolin

[Beanzy]

If you’re going for serious jazzing I’d go 5 courses to get that nice C in with your GDAE.
I know many do it with just the 5, but I like the double courses even electric.

Having said that I always liked what Jason Anick does with his Paul Lestock "Jazzbo", very similar styling to the Clark, which I think is a good look for jazz.


But my eye candy points always seem to go to a two-point for style.

[yankees1]

I heard a man playing Jazz down here in Arizona the other night and he sounded great with his oval A mandolin.

[stevedenver]

I think any mando will do, as fingertip placement can give a pleasant depth and softness, pick , technique, etc.
Dawg.....an F5.

On the cheap end of mandos, i love my rigel A plus. Long neck, radiused board, great upper fret access, and a cross, to my ear, between oval and f hole tone.

[Darwin Gaston]

Hi MT2,

My Phoenix is a Neoclassical, which I'd be happy to tell you about, but I am sure someone will weigh in on the Jazz. Also, have a look on Jazzmando.com. Here's a link to a review they did on the Jazz model a while back:
http://jazzmando.com/rolfe_gerhardt.shtml

Best wishes,

Bob

Thanks Bob, for the information on the Phoenix Jazz mandolin. Because sustain and fingerboard playability are very important in playing jazz. Plus the two-point body style of the Phoenix is very nice!

[Dave Martin]

Also, think about what strings you like to play. The Phoenix Jazz is designed around Tomastik-Ifeld strong flatwound strings. They are a light gauge in bronze string land. I like those a lot, and play them on my f-hole, but I am in the middle of deciding to switch to bronze on an A model oval. I guess I find the flats too mellow on an oval and the bronze too brassy on the f for the sound I like.

[Darwin Gaston]

Hi MT2,
I posted this a couple of years ago. I have no financial interest.
I hope it gives you at least some useful information.
Best, Barry
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/s...hlight=Phoenix

Barry,

Thanks for for posting this information on the Phoenix Jazz. After reading this post today I'm going to given them a call and speak with about their Jazz model.

Thank again,
Darwin

[Darwin Gaston]

Also, think about what strings you like to play. The Phoenix Jazz is designed around Tomastik-Ifeld strong flatwound strings. They are a light gauge in bronze string land. I like those a lot, and play them on my f-hole, but I am in the middle of deciding to switch to bronze on an A model oval. I guess I find the flats too mellow on an oval and the bronze too brassy on the f for the sound I like.

I really like using Thomastik strings on my Buscarino Archtop guitars. They are a little more expensive but I feel they are worth every penny! If I can can get that same nice warm sound on my mandolin by using Thomastik strings I love it.

[Northwest Steve]

You may have seen it but this just showed up in the classifieds
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/120612#120612

[Victor Daniel]

I happen to play mandolin in a gypsy/swing jazz band and I own one of the mandolins on your list an Engleman topped RL Givens A 5. I began playing swing with my Givens as it was my only mandolin about 5 years ago. My Givens has a fantastic voice for bluegrass and also classical music weirdly, and is still my favorite mandolin for writing music. I just find it to be a very inspirational instrument. I love my Givens but I longed for a different voice for Jazz. I ended up getting a 2 point Engleman topped Oldwave Oval hole (which I am also currently listing in the classifieds) The Oldwave has a great Jethro Burns jazzy tone to it and played chords very easily. I played that for 3 or so years until I bought a Red Spruce topped Pava A5 with f-holes. The voicing on the Pava was so clear, clean and even across the strings. It also has a chime to the tone that almost seems like a cross between an oval hole and an F-hole. I was torn on which mandolin I liked better for jazz the Oldwave or the Pava until I bought a clip-on condenser mic for live gigs. The mic only worked well on the f-hole design as I couldn't find a way to mount it to the oval hole without it interfering with my right hand. So I now use the Pava for Jazz.
I'm also very interested in a Kimble or Hieden as I saw those on your list. If you end up with one I would love to hear your take on it for Jazz. Good luck and enjoy the MAS journey!

[Ivan Kelsall]

I agree with Stevedenver - " I think any mando will do,...". By that,i mean any 'style',as long as acoustically,it has a tone that suits 'you'. Fit a pickup to it,pass it through an amp. & you can alter the tone to pretty much what you like.

I remember going to see & hear Barney Kessel & Sacha Distel at a theatre in Manchester over 30 years ago. BK's Gibson sounded as though it was stuffed with old socks - very muffled indeed. During the break, Sacha Distel played it un-plugged & it sounded beautiful. I got to thinking that maybe he also thought that BK's tone was a tad 'off',so tried the guitar un-plugged to try it out,
Ivan

[Mark Seale]

An Engelmann Heiden, an Italian Spruce Collings MT2, a 2 point Kimble... the list goes on and on.

[colorado_al]

An Engelmann Heiden, an Italian Spruce Collings MT2, a 2 point Kimble... the list goes on and on.

The Italian Spruce Collings mandolins are truly exceptional! I'd buy one of those in a heartbeat if I had the money for it. I'd look for one of the MT2-O models.

[Mandolinian]

Check out Jethro Burns (of course!) and Will Patton (the mandolin player, not the actor).

I take lessons from Will. He loves his Gibson and it plays nicely. I love it too, and am considering getting one myself!

[Nick Gellie]

I find my mt2-O plays jazz nicely. It has a nice rounded sound using Thinastic strings.

[lowtone2]

I think that a good mandolin, one that you like, is a good jazz mandolin.

[Verne Andru]

If you can find one the Paris Swing John Jorgenson signature model was designed by Greg Rich specifically for gypsy jazz. Greg is a former Gibson builder who went on to design "The Loar" mandolins and guitars.

This one has a pretty unique build. It's basically an oval hole snake-head with some F5 and gypsy jazz design appointments and a bit of hot rodding under the hood. It's short neck (same scale just meets the body at a different spot) with a petite D in the place of an oval. Instead of ladder bracing it uses tone bars but they are in a V shape, not parallel like an F5.

Solid carved spruce top, solid maple sides, back and neck with a cast tail piece. Stock tuning machines are junk but Grovers drop right in. The tone is powerful - very loud and focused without any tubbiness. The finger-rest and electronics were added after the fact. Stock pickguard is a cool looking clear acrylic but the way they mount it deadens the sound considerably. Mine floats so it doesn't detract from the acoustic tone.

[Chris Gray]

I see two of these on Reverb https://reverb.com/item/45398356-hin...ith-pickup-new

They look sharp! NFI

[Tom Hart]

I was waiting for the Apitius mandolin suggestion. My dream mandolin.

[Bill McCall]

I like this one.

[Big Joe]

I don’t think the mandolin makes it a jazz mandolin, it’s you and what sounds best to you. Jethro Burns didn’t have much of a choice in his day, but he sounded like a great jazz player no matter what mandolin he played. It’s not the instrument, it’s the player that makes it a jazz mandolin.

[Keith Johnston]

My Apitius J model fits the bill perfectly. plus his workmanship is top notch...