I may need to change my next purchase

**Doc Ivory** · Jul-09-2018, 3:38pm

I've been quietly putting away a few retirement checks for a Weber Yellowstone. To me that instrument is the best bang for the buck. GREAT craftsmanship and super tone that just seems to get better.

That is until I had a chance to play a Pava F5 Pro.
HOLY SMOKES!!
The build is stunning and the tone is amazingly good even to my deaf ears.

This Pava though really rocked me today.

Anyone have any more experience than I with Pava or war stories about them?

**Scott R** · Jul-09-2018, 3:44pm

I have a fantastic Pava A5 Pro, and they are nice and bright and warm (to me). Build quality is amazing, and I think they are a great value. I would be very hard pressed to let mine go.

**SternART** · Jul-09-2018, 4:15pm

No personal experience but a good reputation through Ellis Mandolins..........
you said the Pave really rocked you....... that means something!

**Em Tee** · Jul-09-2018, 4:16pm

I have a satin a5 with a one piece back. It's nice and warm, the high end bright without being tinny. The customer service over at pava/ellis is also outstanding. They stand by their product through and through and if anything should happen to it will fix it better than new. You really cannot go wrong with a pava. Everyone who hears my pava loves it.

**Mike Arakelian** · Jul-09-2018, 6:15pm

I’ve played four or five Pava mandolins, and every one was outstanding. I’ve got two good mandolins in my Flatiron and my Sumi, but I’m dreaming and scheming for a Pava!

**Nate Lee** · Jul-09-2018, 6:36pm

I have two Pava mandolins, an A Player model and an F5 Pro model. Both are outstanding. My Pava F5 #194, A.K.A "Wonderbat" is my favorite mandolin I've ever played, and I've played a lot of really amazing mandolins. You're welcome to play the Wonderbat if you pass through Nashville sometime, or catch me at a Becky Buller Band show or music camp.

If you'd like to hear some studio recordings of the Pava you can hear my A on the Jim Hurst Trio album "JHT 1" and you can hear my A and F on my album "Plays Well with Others".

I'm looking forward to meeting Pava next month at the Ellis/Pava shop in Austin. I've been a fan for years and have never met her.

**samlyman** · Jul-09-2018, 6:55pm

Doc:

I tried some of Pava's instruments at Wintergrass in 2017. They were all excellent.

Sorry to point out the obvious (or near obvious) but when you solicit info about a maker in this way you end up getting a pretty biased sampling of replies... fan letters if you will that lack the critical feedback you might be interested in reading. It would be interesting to see comparisons of Pava's mandolins with those of other makers in the same price range...

BTW - I have no financial interest one way or another.

**Capt. E** · Jul-09-2018, 7:33pm

Living in Austin where Pava is based, I have seen a good number come through Fiddlers Green Music Shop and every one I have tried out was well worth the price. Pava has been Tom Ellis' main assistant for many years and she has soaked up the methods and dedication to quality the Tom has alway exhibited adding her own vision and skills to the instruments she puts her name on. They are always of high quality and seem to be getting better and better.

**Nate Lee** · Jul-09-2018, 11:07pm

Originally Posted by samlyman

Doc:

It would be interesting to see comparisons of Pava's mandolins with those of other makers in the same price range...

The Carter Vintage Guitars YouTube channel has a lot of videos where you can see different mandolins played by the same player, and in some cases, more than one player.

Here are a few I filmed at Carter a while back. All of them are with the same pick, and mic, filmed one after another on the same day:

Pava F5 Pro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSWYfBEBq1w

Colling MF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K1qmT_BhfI

Pava A5 Player: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2sJ9_2yBbU

Collings MT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eemOs8LuK3Y

Gilchrist Model 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_jiFPp8uRY

**Em Tee** · Jul-09-2018, 11:16pm

Nate, thanks for posting your videos. Are you using the same kind of pick in all of them and if so what kind?

**Nate Lee** · Jul-09-2018, 11:23pm

Originally Posted by Em Tee

Nate, thanks for posting your videos. Are you using the same kind of pick in all of them and if so what kind?

You're welcome, Em Tee! I used a Bluechip TAD-3R 50 in all of the videos.

**Br1ck** · Jul-10-2018, 2:08am

I have only played two Pavas. To me they hit a sweet spot between middy and bright. Just a great sound.

**Ivan Kelsall** · Jul-10-2018, 2:18am

Tom Ellis has been well know for his outstanding build quality & the tonal attributes of his mandolins for many years now. Pava brought her own superb set of skills to Tom's shop,& having once worked for Collings,i'm pretty sure that her own standards were very high even in the begining. Knowing of Tom's reputation,i'm sure that she also took on Tom's very high standard in building - why then,should we really be surprised at how good her mandolins are ?. At their price level,i doubt that there are many mandolins that are in the same class with regard to build & tone,
Ivan

**LadysSolo** · Jul-10-2018, 4:53am

I have a Pava A5 and a Weber Bitterroot, both are excellent instruments, but different sounding. I am glad to have both. If you can save enough money, perhaps get both? (Yes I am encouraging MAS!!)

**Doc Ivory** · Jul-10-2018, 6:09am

I may need to pass that by the "boss"!
I have two mandolins now but will trade them in for the Pava.
Been looking at the Bitterroot too, I kinda like the satin finish.

**Doc Ivory** · Jul-10-2018, 6:10am

I was just amazed by the one I played.
It just "fit" so I'm guessing I'm headed that way now and not with the Weber (which is a fine instrument.)

**Doc Ivory** · Jul-10-2018, 6:11am

Thanks for posting those videos Nate.
I like every instrument you played but I'm still leaning toward the Pava.

**Doc Ivory** · Jul-10-2018, 6:13am

Is a tour of the shop available?
I'd love to me both She and Tom as well plus tale a peak at the shop.

**UsuallyPickin** · Jul-10-2018, 7:46am

The thing is … while you grow as a mandolin player what you hear .. what you can do what you play changes .. style , music, may or may not remain the same. A quality mandolin today may or may not suit you in a decade. Then there is the point that you may really want the tone of more than one type or make of mandolin. Enjoy the journey. R/

**Br1ck** · Jul-10-2018, 12:19pm

I'm amazed how my opinion of Collings has improved over the last two years. I play a Silverangel, and when I played my first Collings, I thought it was too bright. Not surprising with the very different SA voicing in my head. Over time, I've appreciated Collings more and more, while still playing and liking the SA. My palate is expanding. The Pavas I've played have had a whole lot of Gibsonesque chop, but with highs that are both warm and present at the same time, a great sounding combo.

**Don Grieser** · Jul-10-2018, 12:43pm

If one is speaking to you, and it seems like the Pava is really speaking to you, grab it if you can afford it.

**Doc Ivory** · Jul-10-2018, 12:55pm

Originally Posted by Don Grieser

If one is speaking to you, and it seems like the Pava is really speaking to you, grab it if you can afford it.

I'm seriously thinking along those lines Don.
I haven't had an instrument "call me" this way since my first Les Paul.
-Jim

**Nate Lee** · Jul-10-2018, 1:36pm

Originally Posted by Doc Ivory

Is a tour of the shop available?
I'd love to me both She and Tom as well plus tale a peak at the shop.

I believe so. I remember seeing a Cafe thread a while back where someone was talking about visiting the Ellis/Pava shop.

**Mike Snyder** · Jul-10-2018, 4:01pm

I hesitate to speak negatively about any luthier. They’re very special, very talented people and Pava obviously builds exceptional instruments. That said, Pava and Ellis brought mandolins to the big festival in Winfield, Ks, it’ll be three years in September, I believe.I play an A4 and am generally interested in oval-hole instruments so the only one I played at their booth was a very pretty A oval. This is anecdotal, and only my personal experience, but that mandolin was dead, acoustically. She was a very gracious person and I kept my opinion to myself, but you asked. To this day I do not understand why a top level luthier would put a mandolin that sounded like that one out on the table as an example of her work. For some reason that bothers me to this day, especially as it is so obvious that she builds quality as owners attest here on the cafe. A fluke, probably, but why promote it?

**mtucker** · Jul-10-2018, 4:28pm

Originally Posted by Mike Snyder

This is anecdotal, and only my personal experience, but that mandolin was dead, acoustically.

Strikes me odd that two of the finest in the business wouldn't be able to produce just an acoustic killer.

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