Am I the only one that thinks the scroll looks like a 70's Ibanez?
Am I the only one that thinks the scroll looks like a 70's Ibanez?
Mandolin Cafe - Since 1995
Facebook - Instagram - Threads
Mandolin Cafe Case Stickers
Mandolin Cafe Store
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
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/@hillbillychambermusic
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
To me I've said it before as long as the mandolin delivers what you personally want in its sound overall voice, looks should mean nothing! It should be about the sound and this mandolin while it may not be everyone's idea of beauty it sure has the sound of a great mandolin! This one to me has the complete vintage Gibson F-5 Loarish tone, sound, overall goods! This will make someone a lifer mandolin as you'll be hard pressed to find something that sounds like this without spending current 20's Loar F-5 prices!
Well, it doesn’t entirely float my boat but, it has some distinct “Cool factor”. I am not terribly interested in owning it but, I can certainly see why someone would want to. Just not me.
Good point Scott! Discuss, not diss.
Being a moderator is not necessarily a job I would NOT like, especially on a fun forum like this one.
Timothy F. Lewis
"If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett
I agree that mandolin is not something I would want -- I like nice clean shiny, chip, dent, and scratch free mandolins and I try to keep them that way.
If distressing wood and finish is your "thing" great! Distressing is a art that requires knowledge and talent and I respect that. There is a market for that kind of thing too so why shouldn't people who have those skills satisfy that need and also earn a living? Add distressing to the long list of things purported, but not proven, to make a mandolin sound better:
1) red spruce,
2) varnish,
3) hide glue,
4) torrification,
5) breaking in,
6) etc.
Until these things are proven in a double blind test and the results subject to statistical analysis they are just a long list of considered opinions -- and that is in my opinion.
As to using Monroe's name after he has passed away? What is the big deal about that? Using deceased sports stars names, images even signatures on commercial items happens a few million times a day in the world. One more example will not change anything. Whether it is good or not is someone's opinion -- again.
In my view Gibson Inc and Bill Monroe both benefited from the other during the man's life time.
Gibson did an almost impossible repair of Monroe's F-5 for no charge. Hard to give too much credit for that feat!!
Likewise Monroe made the Gibson F-5 the "only mandolin to have" for bluegrass -- for many years (not so true today).
Monroe's name also helped Gibson sell at least 200 mandolins --his signature on the Bill Monroe F-5.
I feel pretty sure Gibson would not be careless enough to use Monroe's signature on that tribute mandolin unless they had the legal authority to do so. Whether they should use it or not is an opinion.
Bernie
____
Due to current budgetary restrictions the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off -- sorry about the inconvenience.
If it sounds and plays as great as the Derrington MM that I played at Gruhn’s a few years ago, looks would not matter. That one was $12,500. I could do my own distressing, but it might not be as tasteful. I am sure there’s a real art to doing that.
Bob
Why not finish the distressing process and go all the way,i.e. scratch out the name and brake the scroll in the headstock,,afterall those are 2 very distinguishing features of the Monroe Mandolin that we all recognize,,otherwise it just looks like a distressed M.M. to me..
Be this mandolin "creepy" or not, whatever.
The back looks a little "too distressed" for me. Same with the "elbow corner".
Having said that, I guess that Mr. Monroe had left Gibson with a few extra signed labels.
Got to do something with them!
Generally not into distressing unless it was done over forty or 50 years, but my lightly distressed Silverangel is really a work of art. People think it is a well cared for antique. Ken does a very distressed look too. I've seen no more realistic relicing that a Silverangel, and it would sure relieve the angst over having a new mandoline.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
I’m a longtime MM and DMM fan. These are a really cool idea but the back distressing is too much for me. As for the signed label, if Gibson has them why not use them? Kudos to David Harvey for a well executed project!
Shaun Garrity
http://www.youtube.com/user/spgokc78
I appreciate the concept, but I still maintain that it's not well executed - IMHO. Not even the body shape - in my view aspect #1 when you set out to copy a Loar - is well executed. Check the above pics, the radius of the rim section between the body points is way larger than on original F5s (Mon's included). (I know, it's afterwards the chickens cackle.) In a 20k+ $ mandolin, I believe we may be allowed to talk about details, rather than the basic concept. If the mando sounds good, much praise to David Harvey and his team. But I don't get this hitching up the horse from behind approach, instead of first getting the basic F5 shape and earmarks right then the distressing. But that's just me from the outside and in hindsight. I do admit, though, attempting to (ex)change an already working rim bending machine and scroll binding routing device would probably exceed the financial frame work. I assume, with regard to David's experience with vintage F5s, the differences in the recent builds have been a head scratcher for him, too.
As my usual, I've gone back and forth on this one. The back is more distressed than what I'd personally like. The signature is what I really went back and forth on. At first finding it a bit off putting and then coming around to thinking , "wow, that man really did sign that label". And its not like he was tricked into it. He signed it exactly for this purpose and Gibson held on to it all these years exactly for this purpose. And I doubt they would use the few they have on just any production build. I bet these are superb instruments. As far as putting dead people's names on things, well they're still doing it with "Gibson" on the headstock and I dont see Mr Gibson in the workshop anymore.
I mean I've never been a collector of original signatures on anything but people pay big bucks for famous signatures so its kind of a twofer for those that like baseball cards or Lincolns signature--whatever. So I guess if you're a big Monroe fan, why not?
And, I guess the realistic good news is that I really dont have to spend much time worrying about whether or not I want one.
No matter where I go, there I am...Unless I'm running a little late.
They are a factory and the factory tooling and fixtures are what they have. The CNC pre-cut plates have that scroll on all thair models after flood retool. Perhaps thay can get more life from their CNC mill bit (and no need for changes of bits) when they use larger one for milling the inside of scroll.
Adrian
Yes people will and do pay small fortunes for autographs! I love the sound of this F-5, I bet Gibson will have no trouble in selling these limited run of Monroe's! There are die hard fans still of the Big Mon! I see this one is sold and heard who bought it through the grapevine but I wont mention names. I believe he will be very happy with this ax!
Aren't the Gibson Master Models F5s signed by Charlie Derrington as close to the Gibson signed Loars as anybody is ever going to get regarding specifications and everything else discussed in this thread?
John A. Karsemeyer
I'm afraid they aren't, John (whatever "close" means). They are - for the most part - very well made and nice or even great sounding original Gibson F5s. The most obvious differences are the body shape, the scroll binding mitre (the infamous "eagle beak"), the head stock binding, the script inlay, the (modernized) flower pot, the fret board width at the 12th fret, the bridge, the bridge height, the neck set (okay, at least one Loar is quite similar), the neck heel. But you do find a few MMs with a more successful Loar detail here and there, but hardly all in one instrument.
IMHO Gibson has all the right to interpret their own F5 design any way they want to. I just don't care much for their advertising (http://archive.gibson.com/Press/oai/...tressed.html):
"We unveiled the Distressed F-5 in early October at the IBMA bluegrass convention in Louisville, and every mandolin player who tried it out thought it was a vintage model," said Henry Juszkiewicz, Gibson Chairman and CEO. "Even after checking the label, they still couldn't believe we had replicated every detail - the sound, the feel and now the look - of a Loar F-5.
"The only thing we didn't replicate was the cost," Juszkiewicz added.
They may fool uneducated mandolin players, but hardly Loar-owners.
I like it! Wish I could afford it.
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a vet.
I am not an expert. I do own a DMM that was one of the original three prototypes under Charlie’s tenure. Although he chose to make some subtle cosmetic variations in his mandolins, the structure of the instrument including plate graduation, tone bar specs, varnish finish recipe , air chamber size etc, etc, etc are as close as has ever been gotten to the original Loars. Apart from subtle (to me) cosmetic aberrations Charlie was the most fastidious/compulsive/obsessive replicator of the original Loars that has ever lived. I have played some Loars and I have played some modern MM/DMM mandolins and based on the feel, tone and projection of these instruments it’s obvious to me that Chsrlie and his team (ie Dave Harvey) nailed it.
I like what i see here in this Bill Monroe replica. I would love to see one and play one in person but from what my ears are telling me via a recording is that Dave Harvey has again nailed it.
It doesn't matter . . . I'm going to WINFIELD!!!!!
Well I figure now I am in a position to make an actual meaningful comment about the Bill Monroe Hall of Fame model. David Harvey, Cole Ritter were joined by Jan and Emma Harvey for a concert in Waynesville, OH tonight-- about 28 miles exactly from my door. Obviously i was there.
First what a great show the four of them put on with fiddle tunes on a mandocello, 40s show tunes, bluegrass, blues, a violin/viola duet (David and Cole) and much more -- so much talent! Every typical member of the mandolin family was played on stage! But I digress.
David had the Bill Monroe Hall of Fame model F-5 at the performance. Now I can finally speak after seeing, holding and picking this incredible work of art and craftsmanship. Let me just say this as calmly a possible -- pictures do not remotely do this mandolin justice -- no way. So I'm "changing my story" (e.g., post #58)!!
You say that you don't like distressed? Well I was pretty sure that I didn't either. But guess what? Maybe like me you might change your mind too when you see this mandolin "in the flesh"?
So it was nothing like I thought it would be like. In addition to the visual thrill there are the other senses -- the mandolin is absolutely as light as a feather to touch and it rings like a bell and is as loud and as responsive and musical and in your face as any mandolin could possibly be so effortlessly LOUD! Not only a wonderful sounding and playing mandolin but one that REALLY looks like it is nearly 100 years old. You have to see it, hold it, play it to full appreciate it I believe.
I have no need for such a wonderful mandolin but if i did I think it would be WELL worth having even for $25,000 no question as far as I'm concerned. I would not say that about almost any other mandolin. Color me blown away -- and I don't stampede or get on band wagons easily. Shocker!
As aside actually the best part of the night for me was when David played the Gibson mandocello that I made a few years ago and I got to hear him backing the Bill Monroe HoF mandolin played by Scotti Adams in a spontaneous little jam. First time I ever heard my mandocellot from the other side and, as well, backing up a great mandolin.
Fun evening. Some pics.
Bernie
____
Due to current budgetary restrictions the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off -- sorry about the inconvenience.
Bookmarks