Old Wave Players

[PCypert]

Hey all,
I've been eyeing those c#'s for some time now. Have contacted Bill and am close to putting a downpayment on one. Who has a C# style? There have to be a couple players on the list. If so tell me about them. Other Old Wave people feel free to talk. Thanks,
Paul

[homermando]

I have an Old Wave "A" with "F" holes and have played an Old Wave mandola (oval hole). I purchased the "A" after spending a year playing many instruments at festivals and music stores in my quest for a bluegrass voiced instrument. This instrument had a "soul" to it that the Collings and Gibsons and Summits and Capeks and Flatirons that I tried didn`t have, in MY opinion. I have heard wonderfull examples by almost all of these builders, just not in the individual instruments that were available when I was looking for a bluegrass instrument. The operative word is INDIVIDUAL INSTRUMENT. Always try before you buy. The Old Wave mandola had a wonderful"round" and "sweet" sound with a lot of sustain just like my old Gibson Oval hole "A" but louder.So my experience with 2 OLd Waves has been very positive. I would like to know what kind of voicing other people percieve in the C# OLd Waves.

[Lee]

Come out, come out, wherever you are. There must be some C# owners lurking out there in the shadows.
Years ago when the internet was still a luxury and Elderly sold Old Wave, I asked them to send me a photo of a blacktop C# mandolin which I still have on my office wall at work. Extraordinarily graceful to my eye. Having just sold my only mandola, I'm already thinking of replacing it with a C#. Unfortunately, the photo's as close as I've ever come to an Old Wave.
Go for it Paul.

Old Wave defintely has "Soul". Bill's mandos are right up there for re-creating that vintage Gibson sound. I could see where if someone is searching for the vintage tone Old Wave is one of the very first choices. Great sound and still great value given the prices.





Dennis Benjamin
Pavel Sucek Mandolins

[Randolph]

Spare Change and I are in agreement. I am the happy owner of #309, "Whiskey Before Mando" and am awaiting the completion of the "Cob" mando shown in the thread regarding one piece vs. two piece backs. Bill is a great guy to work with, gracious with a wonderfully twisted sense of humor. I was able to visit him each time I ordered a mando. We chatted, selected the wood, discussed the details and then I got the hell out of town and allowed him to create his magic. "Whiskey" continues to get better and better and I am sure "Cob" will be just as good in her own particular way. #"Whiskey" is marked by easy playability, incredible sustain and an incredibly rich bass. #Every mando player that has touched her has said basically the same thing: "this mando is the real deal." #Initially I thought about a C# but decided on another A style (with different woods and appointments) #just for the fun of comparison. #Next mando? A C# sharp of course.

[PhilGE]

I've said plenty already in other threads and privately, too. Someday, maybe, a guitar shaped OM...

Hey, Bill - when will you build a "B#" instrument? I think of that everytime I turn on my Intellitouch.

-Phil

[John S]

Bill built me an F style which is my main mando, and I love it. It's got a one-piece back and a dark sunburst varnish finish, radiused fretboard and my initials inlaid at the 12th fret. It's loud and woody and has a great bluegrass tone. Right now it's in the shop getting a Price tailpiece installed, and I also thought I'd try out a Brekke bridge just for kicks. I have no idea if it will sound better, the same or worse than Bill's bridge, but I thought I'd give it a shot and see. I really like the convenience of it.

So in the meantime, a friend let me borrow his Nugget F. Holy cow. This mandolin really sings. I'm anxious to get my Old Wave back and do an A-B comparison. I'll also be using the Nugget to record the last couple tracks on my band's CD, so I'll be able to listen for a difference in the sound of the mandos there, too.

[PCypert]

Hey,
I'd be really interested in that A-B comparison. The price ranges are nowhere near in the same ballpark. But I'd still like to hear how you rate the sounds. Keep us posted.
Paul

[Clyde Clevenger]

I got to play Steve Smith's Old Wave tonight after a concert at Cartwright's Music. Very nice box, great neck, plays like it is really made of wood, sounds like it too. I've played some very well made high end mandolins that just didn't have that sound. What do you say when someone hands you a mandolin to play it isn't really very good??? I lie, say it sure is pretty and I'm sure it will be good when it opens up.

The Steve Smith concert was great, Steve has his own special way of looking at the mandolin world. Bussman's Beautiful Box sounded great.

[John Rosett]

how do the old wave oval hole mandos compare to old gibsons? i have a teens gibson a that i feel is too fragile to gig with, and i have been wondering how the old waves stack up to the vintage gibsons.
thanks, john

[Spruce]

"how do the old wave oval hole mandos compare to old gibsons? i have a teens gibson a that i feel is too fragile to gig with, and i have been wondering how the old waves stack up to the vintage gibsons."

They're better...
Bill recently had a curly redwood A model kicking around that just reeked of "old A-model" tone. A great mandolin...

[Don Grieser]

I have an Old Wave carved top octave mandolin. Great tone and playability. It has some of the most outrageous maple I've ever seen on the back. I'll have to dig out the digital camera and share that one with you. Bill's a great guy and fun to work with. Check out his melondolin on ebay now.