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Thread: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

  1. #1
    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Well last weekend I spent a fantastic couple of days at Marla Fibish's Irish Mandolin Winter Intensive (highly recommend it!) - aside from being an amazing learning experience, I also got to finally play a Girouard mandolin. To say I was smitten is an understatement - hands down the nicest sounding and playing mandolin I've played. So suitably obsessed I exchanged emails with Max and have just sent a deposit for himself and Lauri to build a Concert model A style w/oval hole mandolin for me! Going for a one piece back, and a Port Orford cedar top with a Cremona burst finish on it like this one:

    http://themusicemporium.com/mandolin...5-concert.6305

    Lauri is also going to do an inlay on the headstock of a silhouette of my Beagle Janey Mack! Max said it should be ready either late Fall/early Winter this year, so it'll be a birthday/Christmas present to myself! I'll start a thread with build pix in progress once the work gets under way - can't even tell you all how excited I am about this mandolin!

    Here's a photo of erstwhile headstock star Janey Mack trying to figure out how much to charge me for her image rights:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    2018 Girouard Concert oval A
    2015 JP "Whitechapel" tenor banjo
    2018 Frank Tate tenor guitar
    1969 Martin 00-18




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  3. #2
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Congratulations! That mandolin in the link is beautiful, and your beagle is too cute! What a great mandolin that will be!

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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Lucky you! Are you going with F holes or oval?
    Pava S/N 21
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    Registered User Al Trujillo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Last year I was this (...) close to ordering one. My wife found out though. Looking forward to seeing pictures of it when its done!

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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    This husband wife duo is definitely on the radar. You can tell they are you into and love what they do. I wish I bought the G5 that was at the Emporium...

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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Quote Originally Posted by Demetrius View Post
    This husband wife duo is definitely on the radar. You can tell they are you into and love what they do. I wish I bought the G5 that was at the Emporium...
    It was back there last week for about 2 seconds.
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Really?

  13. #8
    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Quote Originally Posted by ToyonPete View Post
    Lucky you! Are you going with F holes or oval?
    Oval hole - I played one of their oval A's with a Port Orford cedar top last weekend and am absolutely haunted by how great it was!
    2018 Girouard Concert oval A
    2015 JP "Whitechapel" tenor banjo
    2018 Frank Tate tenor guitar
    1969 Martin 00-18




    my Youtube channel

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    Worlds ok-ist mando playr Zach Wilson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Thats awesome! Congrats 😀

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  17. #10

    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Quote Originally Posted by Demetrius View Post
    Really?
    Yup
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    I also have an oval A on order from the Girouards with an Engelmann top, black and gold Rubner tuners, gold evo frets and a gold James tailpiece ! It will be completed by summer !

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    Moderator JEStanek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    congrats. I know they love Beagles, too.

    Jamie
    There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second. Logan Pearsall Smith, 1865 - 1946

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  22. #13

    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Congrats! Good choice on the cedar top. Love my cedar top mandola. Max really knows how to get the best out of that wood--well, spruce too. Definitely building some fantastic instruments these days!
    2010 Heiden A5, 2020 Pomeroy oval A, 2013 Kentucky KM1000 F5, 2012 Girouard A Mandola w ff holes, 2001 Old Wave A oval octave
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    Fingers of Concrete ccravens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    You will not be disappointed.

    Congratulations!
    Chris Cravens

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  26. #15
    Registered User MissingString's Avatar
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Quote Originally Posted by LadysSolo View Post
    Congratulations! That mandolin in the link is beautiful, and your beagle is too cute! What a great mandolin that will be!
    I own the Concert A in the photo. Spectacular is an understatement. It’s perfect in every way. I can’t wait to hear how it develops over the next few years. It gets played a lot and my other instruments are rightfully jealous LOL.
    “Without music, life would be a mistake” Neitzsche

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    Registered User Randi Gormley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Lucky you! I'd love to be able to hear one -- they already wow me with their look -- so I hope, when you get it, you'll put up some audio!
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  30. #17
    Registered User darylcrisp's Avatar
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    awesome!
    the octave I have from Girouard is hands down one of the coolest, most easy to play instruments I've owned. I've wanted an oval hole mando from them ever since the one showed up at the M Emporium about a year ago(lasted maybe a day). Those folks just have it going on, the build quality is immaculate.

    Definitely keep us posted.
    Ironically I was browsing tonight looking at oval holes.

    d
    and as you know, they own beagles also

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  32. #18

    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    FYI Max told me the Music Emporium has an F5 and a mandocello of theirs now. Dropped off after the March Mandolin Fest. Your chance to join the club. The cello looked monstrous on the fb pics. Hope TME gets to put pics up--love their mando photography--but some things sell before they ever hit the website. NFI.
    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
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    Registered User Rosemary Philips's Avatar
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Congratulations! I have a Girouard guitar-body octave that I love. Max and Lauri are awesome--you'll love working with them on your new mando.

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  36. #20
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Quote Originally Posted by Jill McAuley View Post
    Oval hole - I played one of their oval A's with a Port Orford cedar top last weekend and am absolutely haunted by how great it was!
    Just curious. What kind of bracing will it have (transverse or x-braced) and will it be more of a modernized hybrid (longer neck placement)?
    Jim

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  37. #21
    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    Just curious. What kind of bracing will it have (transverse or x-braced) and will it be more of a modernized hybrid (longer neck placement)?
    Parallel tone bar braced and modern hybrid neck.
    2018 Girouard Concert oval A
    2015 JP "Whitechapel" tenor banjo
    2018 Frank Tate tenor guitar
    1969 Martin 00-18




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  38. #22
    Barn Cat Mandolins Bob Clark's Avatar
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Can't wait to see the pictures! Also can't wait to see your beagle inlay. I really like inlays of or inspired by peoples' pets. My Mike Black build now underway has a cat watching the moon rise. I think that for many of us, our music and our pets (or 'alternate species family members' as I prefer) are two of the biggest things in our lives. Combining them can only be great.

    I can see the day coming when I might want a special mandola from the Girouards. When that day arrives, it will likely be a mandola version of the mandolin you are having made. It would be extra special for me in that they are in my long-ago homeland of RI. I hope they are still using their logo of a quahog playing a mandolin. I'd love to have that on a tee shirt!

    Best wishes,

    Bob
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  40. #23
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Hey Jill, congratulations! Max and Lauri are two of nicest people one could ever deal with.
    I own F-5 #83 and love it. One thing about Girouard mandolins is they have a fantastic wood selection.

    There is a Girouard owners group here on the Cafe............

    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/g...hp?groupid=204

    I don't think it gets much action but it is there.
    Charley

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  42. #24
    Registered User Jill McAuley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Quote Originally Posted by Jill McAuley View Post
    Parallel tone bar braced and modern hybrid neck.
    Oops, my bad! I was just going by the specs on the website but, duh - they are of course for an A5 mandolin, not one of their A's with an oval hole! Max contacted me to let me know that the bracing he'll be using on my mandolin will be a transverse brace! Amazing how long I've been playing and still rather clueless regarding some structural aspects of the mandolin!
    2018 Girouard Concert oval A
    2015 JP "Whitechapel" tenor banjo
    2018 Frank Tate tenor guitar
    1969 Martin 00-18




    my Youtube channel

  43. #25
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Joining the Girouard club - commissioned a build!

    Quote Originally Posted by Jill McAuley View Post
    Oops, my bad! I was just going by the specs on the website but, duh - they are of course for an A5 mandolin, not one of their A's with an oval hole! Max contacted me to let me know that the bracing he'll be using on my mandolin will be a transverse brace! Amazing how long I've been playing and still rather clueless regarding some structural aspects of the mandolin!
    Aha! Now you got me really interested. I love the look of the Girouard mandolins. I like the tone of the combination of transverse bracing with an oval hole. I think that would work nicely with the ITM you play.

    Last time I was in New England I almost made it to their shop to meet them and try out some of their mandolins. I have never seen one in person but plan to one of these days.

    Keep us posted, Jill.
    Jim

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