"your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."
Yeah ….. once you get to the top 10% of any category..... sports cars or high fashion you choice is indicative of your personal taste. I am lucky to live within driving distance of Carter's Vintage in Nashville so I have played everybody's build but Steve Sorensen's. I look forward to the day I get my hands on one. There are a lot of fine builders out there to be appreciated. Paraphrasing what has been stated by other posters on this thread " You have to play them". Ellis makes a fine instrument as does Northfield. When no two mandolins are exactly alike we players have to double down on our search and investment in our "grail" instrument. Be patient and play every single one you can come across. R/
I love hanging out with mandolin nerds . . . . . Thanks peeps ...
I've played an Ellis A-5 at the past Philly guitar show, and it was good not great to me at least, it had some power but a fatty type tone, modern I guess, the fit and finish was awesome, It needed new strings as the ones that were on it were pretty shot! I imagine all are built the same right? I think mostly CNC? Please correct me if I'm wrong! I'd think all are built about the same unless you get into different models with varnish/woods etc.. But if that's the sound you like go for it man! But for 6G to spend I'd shop around if I could but me being far from any mando store if I want something I get it as there always/should be an approval period and if you don't like it send it back and try, try again?
Nashwood is a happening town, with 3 great music stores and tons of mandolins to taste. My personal preference are the Carter's, great peeps.
For a little more than the cost of shipping you could hop a Southwest junket and make a day of it. Then your mandolin gets to ride home with you.
There are a lot of great choices in the $5k range and you're going to get a wide variety of biased internet opinions, best to try for yourself.
Lots of shops are collecting sales tax from out of state purchases. The law requires that once they hit their threshold they collect it on purchases.
"your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."
I agree with the "hop a Southwest junket" approach or have it shipped and play it in the privacy of your home with a 48 hr approval. A guitar show is no place to audition any acoustic instrument, except for evaluating the neck, body, finish and set up - too much ambient noise. Eventually your mandolin will find you. LOTs of options in the $5-10k neighborhood...
Agree...ain't what it used to be. I think those big three are likely going to charge tax from somewhere. But, if you're armed with cash and some negotiating skillz, you never know what could follow you home for maybe less than your budget. Most of them are consigned with a markup covering overhead, so there's potentially some play there between consignment, mostly seller and said buyer.
Just be aware that a lot of shops are decreasing their consignment fee, leaving little room for bargaining. As for shipping, I hold my breath every time I have an instrument shipped to me (ever since I saw the UPS guy in my driveway walking on the boxes in the back of the truck).
"your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."
Don't forget, every used Heiden, Kimble, Ellis, Gilchrist, Montelione, et al, is a rejected instrument by someone. Thankfully, there is no recognized best brand in the world, except perhaps a Loar.
But there are those hardy souls trying to find the best one for them, bravely churning the field searching for their holy grail.
Someday I'd love to be one of them.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
And out of the 7 Loars I've had the opportunity to play, I only liked the sound of two of them...
I don't necessarily agree. Catch and release is a strong drug for folks who chase tone in their head, playability and aesthetics. We have some major 'offenders' right here at the cafe!
Not to throw gas on the fire but I'm willing to bet this $3500 'A' listed in the classifieds would give many a run for their money in that $5k (and perhaps much higher) category .... Colling's builds and finishes are just so nice.
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/139909#139909
That mandolin is no longer available...
I had a Ellis F5 that was fantastic. Big, fat, buttery, bassy tones of out of that thing. Powerful mandolin and the finest fit and finish you will find. However, I sold it when I get my Duff A5, which had a fatter mid range and more of a cut. I've had my hands on some Northfields and the ones I have played are closer in the middle. Brighter, stronger in the mids and highs then bass end, although they have several different models now with their Artist series, so I am sure they have a wider tonal range then I have experienced. Definitely nice mandolins, easy playing, good tone. Matt Ruhland is also making great varnished F5s in your price range, but I think his waitlist is about a year now.
Collings makes some great mandolins. So does Northfield, Kimble, Ellis, Girouard, Campanella, Heiden, Dude, Nugget, Gil.....take you pick. Sometimes you just have to grab them when the opportunity presents itself.
Last I looked the ad was still in the classifieds.
"your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."
Doug, you will get so much more out of the process if you will make the journey to a fine instrument dealer and try the Ellis, Northfield, Kimball, Sorenson, Heiden, Collings, or other great builds in hand. They are all great but they are different. Get to Carters, Gruhn, Cotten, Elderly, The Mandolin Store, or festival events and dig in!
Scott
\
If you've got your selection narrowed down, Austin is a fine choice too. Visits to Tom Ellis and Collings are well worthwhile....& an entirely different experience than trying mandolins out in retail shops.
Last edited by doc holiday; Jun-04-2019 at 11:30am.
Of Course, try a bunch of different things. Allow me to muddy the waters even further...
The Satin Pava F new is running just under $5K. Its as close as you get to an Ellis without the name.
And yes, they are all that. IMHO.
I had an interesting text message exchange yesterday with my gear head friend, who had churned so many boutique amps in a year I've lost count. He finally came to the conclusion any of them would work just fine. We'll see if his resolve holds over time.
I also e mailed Ken Ratcliff about his recent F style, asking him how it would differ from my A. He said probably not a lot. That's an honest guy.
I don't mean to come off harshly when I say every used mandolin is someone's reject. There is no harm done in the quest of mandolin knowledge. It's fun. Don't let it sidetrack you from improving as a player though.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
Your right a guitar show is no place to confirm a mandolin or acoustic instrument! Thank god they usually have a room somewhere where you can go and try something out and not hear people beating on electrics and such! There is so much noise! So if you go to one to try an instrument find a somewhat quiet place! The last Philly show I went to, after a few hours I sure had enough!
One of my favorite Mandos in Nashville that I played very recently is a 2016 Ellis A5. It is exceptional.
Right you are Dan, You could talk to both Pava & Tom. My Ellis (neck carve by Pava) resulted from a personal visit to Tom's place...and many of the elements were discussed in conversation in general..... no better place to fine tune details than with the builder (s). At that time i wasn't even in the market for a new mandolin.... so it was a cordial and informative visit that ended up in a mandolin...
Last edited by doc holiday; Jun-04-2019 at 4:45pm.
Yes that's so true, working with a builder is the best until I remember when I had 2 birdseye blonde MT2-V's and wanted an F-5 but I hated the necks! Well Collings wouldn't do a neck to my specs back then in 2006-8? So I'm done with Collings! For their prices I'd think they would accommodate! Too bad as they lost a customer for my life anyway!
Don't omit Stefan Passernig. His mandolins are way under the radar...witness this thread.
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