Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 36

Thread: Man....I had a blue guitar...

  1. #1
    Struggle Monkey B381's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    396

    Default Man....I had a blue guitar...

    I tried guitar, never really got that going, prefer mandolin. But at one time I had a blue one. Yup, blue...that sucker was catchy. Never seen a blue mando....until a couple minutes ago.

    Fad.....or change of market?

    Tried to embed the video, doesn't seem to be working?




    https://youtu.be/EN4VFvdeoGw
    "It doesn't matter how much you invest in your instrument until you invest in you and your ability..."

    Kentucky KM-150
    Eastman MD-404
    Eastman MD-305
    Morgan Monroe MFM-300 (passed on to a new player)
    Rover RM-75

  2. #2
    Registered User Willem's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    A small farm in rural Oregon
    Posts
    215

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    Not sure its a fad or change. Howard Morris has made a couple blue mandolins and had trouble selling them. I believe Steve Sorenson has made a bluish one as well.

  3. #3
    Registered User Vernon Hughes's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Timberville,Va
    Posts
    849

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    Here's a blue A model I built for a customer. Turned out well I thought.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	blue0.jpg 
Views:	144 
Size:	69.3 KB 
ID:	177335   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	blue 2.jpg 
Views:	132 
Size:	71.0 KB 
ID:	177336   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	blue3.jpg 
Views:	121 
Size:	75.0 KB 
ID:	177337  

    Hughes F-5 #1
    Hughes A model #1
    1922 Gibson A-2
    1958 Gibson A-5

  4. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Vernon Hughes For This Useful Post:


  5. #4
    Registered User Aaron Bohnen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Vancouver, BC
    Posts
    87

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    Gavin Baird made a few blue and even some eggplant-colored mandolins. Great instruments by just about any measure, and beautifully finished. Here's my F4. I'd call the color "blueberry" - in certain light there's a little purple under the blue.

    Enjoy!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Baird F4.jpg 
Views:	164 
Size:	405.7 KB 
ID:	177343   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	x0gmqua21vjgifrhbvqw.jpg 
Views:	157 
Size:	382.7 KB 
ID:	177338   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	RX_05997.jpg 
Views:	156 
Size:	602.5 KB 
ID:	177339  

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	xeemdoebxellwmkrsnb6.jpg 
Views:	129 
Size:	412.6 KB 
ID:	177340   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	oyrcvac9thimpx0ut48i.jpg 
Views:	122 
Size:	417.6 KB 
ID:	177341   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	tvscxgz6dxjgf5dk02cf.jpg 
Views:	115 
Size:	393.2 KB 
ID:	177342  

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	RX_05995.jpg 
Views:	133 
Size:	519.8 KB 
ID:	177344   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	RX_05991.jpg 
Views:	87 
Size:	700.2 KB 
ID:	177345  

  6. The following members say thank you to Aaron Bohnen for this post:


  7. #5

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    Once upon a time made a blue dola, a blue octave, and a few blue mandos. At a hobby luthiers yard sale a few weeks ago I got a free fresh bottle of blue transtint. Just what I needed!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	owb18.jpg 
Views:	150 
Size:	56.4 KB 
ID:	177346   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	DSC_2937 (2).JPG 
Views:	115 
Size:	161.1 KB 
ID:	177347  

  8. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to oldwave maker For This Useful Post:


  9. #6
    Registered User Simon DS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Peace and Love
    Posts
    2,418

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    I lived in a forest for a couple of years one time, and after a while began to think of painting my guitar. I left, and didn’t.

  10. #7
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    NC
    Posts
    4,787

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    Ted Eschliman used to have a Rigel Blueburst that was gorgeous. I had a blueburst Fender 62SE (before they got lumpy). Looked great and was better sonically than I expected, but I eventually gave it to my brother, who’s still playing it. For an inexpensive plug and play option it wasn’t bad, though a little “quacky” cuz of the piezo...but, then, I like to be a little different from time to time.
    Chuck

  11. #8
    Registered User Todd Bowman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Crystal Beach, FL
    Posts
    129

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    Weber made/makes? a model called the "River" (F-14) that came in a wild red-burst or a translucent blue. Both are beautiful. I owned a blue River for a little more than a year. The blue with the quilted maple and bear-claw spruce top and tortise binding was truly stunning.
    ========================
    2012 Gibson F5 Master Model
    2019 Northfield F5 Artist 5 Bar
    2019 Northfield Arched Octave Maple
    2020 Northfield F5 4.0

  12. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Andros Island, Bahamas
    Posts
    86

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    Haven't had a blue mando … yet, but I was pretty tickled with how this guitar turned out, and the thought of a mandolin (or, ooh, mandola) done up in the same scheme is tempting.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	stacks-image-7164803-798x1198.jpg 
Views:	150 
Size:	70.7 KB 
ID:	177350
    Northfield F2S
    Howard Morris A-4
    Eastman DGM3 Mandola
    Eastman MD805PGE
    Miscellaneous tingums

  13. #10
    Mediocre but OK with that Paul Busman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Frederick,MD
    Posts
    2,304

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    I once made a Birdseye Maple penny whistle for a customer, custom stained a blue color to match his blue guitar. It was actually pretty attractive.
    B381-- if you liked that blue guitar so much, why not make yourself a blue mandolin? If you don't want to face the task of actually building one you could get a cheap Rogue, follow Rob Meldrum's excellent setup tutor to get it to play at least decently. Strip, or paint right over, the factory finish using automotive spray paints which are available in a huge range of jazzy colors. I once built a kit version Les Paul clone and painted it Fusion Orange to match my wife's Pontiac Grand AM an the results were excellent. In any event, it would look great hanging on the wall.
    For wooden musical fun that doesn't involve strumming, check out:
    www.busmanwhistles.com
    Handcrafted pennywhistles in exotic hardwoods.

  14. #11
    Moderator JEStanek's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Pottstown, Pennsylvania, United States
    Posts
    14,284
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    I've seen plenty of blue mandolins through the ages. When I first started and was obsessed with cheap mandolins on Ebay, I loved the Marcus Martini blue mandolin.

    Max and Laurie of Girouard Mandolins have built some really beautiful blue mandolins as has the Weber.

    I'm cool with not traditional colors (the Condino Cricket (green) is a favorite as is Dale Ludwig's Greenie).

    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

    + Give Blood, Save a Life +

  15. #12
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    DeKalb, IL
    Posts
    3,633

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    I like blue.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	BlueF5OnGlassForWebsite.jpg 
Views:	179 
Size:	64.1 KB 
ID:	177351

  16. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Dale Ludewig For This Useful Post:


  17. #13
    man about town Markus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Madison, Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,970
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    There's a used Weber River at a local shop [nfi].

    http://www.sprucetreemusic.com/produ...mandolin-2013/

    The back is gorgeous in person, I think the main front shot they have does it a disservice as it seems too dark.

    I played it and it was quite nice - nice woody sound. To my ear it beat the other similarly priced Weber mandolins in the shop.
    Collings MT2
    Breedlove OF
    Ellie eMando
    Schmergl Devastator

  18. #14
    Registered User Charlie Bernstein's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Augusta, Maine, USA
    Posts
    1,814

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    My mando is orange. And I have a blue guitar.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	charlie mando.JPG 
Views:	164 
Size:	156.6 KB 
ID:	177358

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Congress Square.png 
Views:	115 
Size:	573.9 KB 
ID:	177359

    Jerry Garcia sang about his blue guitar in "Stella Blue" - which would be a nice mando tune if you like songs with more than three chords.

  19. #15

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    The Sorensen for sale on his website is stunning. But reality is people would much rather have a conservative burst. Same goes for gold tops. Otherwise they'd be cranking them out.
    Silverangel A
    Arches F style kit
    1913 Gibson A-1

  20. #16

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    Wife and I both love the color blue. If only that would help her endorse my commissioning a custom blue Sprite from Steve S., or a blue Tenor Guitar from Bill B., or one of those purty F5's from Dale. I did have a beauty of a wide blue denim guitar strap with soft buckskin leather ends that I used on my '56 Southern Jumbo. Miss then both!
    Scott

  21. #17
    man about town Markus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Madison, Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,970
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    Quote Originally Posted by Br1ck View Post
    Same goes for gold tops.
    I saw a gold top Eastman and was suprirsed at how much I disliked it. How bad does the wood have to look for you to want to 100% obscure it?

    I saw a blue mandolin and said `that sure isn't for me, but isn't it amazing how blue + wood grain is quite beautiful'.

    IMO, while they likely sell the same [extremely hard to sell due to very small market] - I found I had two very different reactions to blue vs goldtop.

    Anyway - back to blue ....
    Collings MT2
    Breedlove OF
    Ellie eMando
    Schmergl Devastator

  22. #18

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    Quote Originally Posted by Markus View Post
    I saw a gold top Eastman and was suprirsed at how much I disliked it. How bad does the wood have to look for you to want to 100% obscure it?

    I saw a blue mandolin and said `that sure isn't for me, but isn't it amazing how blue + wood grain is quite beautiful'.

    IMO, while they likely sell the same [extremely hard to sell due to very small market] - I found I had two very different reactions to blue vs goldtop.

    Anyway - back to blue ....
    A friend has a black top Pava, #1 actually. He took it back to the Ellis shop for fretwork and they were very happy to see it. Asked why Pava #1 was a black top, Pava herself said they screwed up the finish. Any little thing like a drop of water is enough to make it a sand it back to bare wood a necessity. So it got a solid black top. Tom Ellis said it has always been that way. Screw it up, paint it black. So I always think of that when I see any solid color. I think the gold tops are very cool, buy my preference is to show the wood. I think the classic burst covers too much wood grain.
    Silverangel A
    Arches F style kit
    1913 Gibson A-1

  23. #19

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    I was eye-balling those blue Eastmans. I likey. But I likey the gold top Eastman mandos even more! I've had a bunch of blue guitars and none of them ever stuck around, so I question my ability to keep a blue mando. Then again... I binge and purge pretty much EVERYTHING... regardless of color.

  24. #20

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    Here's my (former) blue Rigel A Plus Deluxe, great mandolin with a beautiful finish.

    Len B.
    Clearwater, FL

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	BlueRigel.JPG 
Views:	183 
Size:	288.9 KB 
ID:	177390Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Blue Rigel2..jpg 
Views:	155 
Size:	296.2 KB 
ID:	177391

  25. The following members say thank you to lenf12 for this post:


  26. #21
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Rochester NY 14610
    Posts
    17,378

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    Big Mon never played no blue man'lin...no part o' nothin', IMHO.
    Allen Hopkins
    Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
    Natl Triolian Dobro mando
    Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
    H-O mandolinetto
    Stradolin Vega banjolin
    Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
    Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
    Flatiron 3K OM

  27. The following members say thank you to allenhopkins for this post:

    lenf12 

  28. #22

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    I like 'em. #3 and #10 were both blue.


  29. The following members say thank you to Magnus Geijer for this post:


  30. #23

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    Blue Star's electric Mandoblaster came in blue, 4 or 5 string.

  31. #24
    Chief Moderator/Shepherd Ted Eschliman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Nebraska
    Posts
    4,382
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    Ted Eschliman

    Author, Getting Into Jazz Mandolin

  32. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Ted Eschliman For This Useful Post:


  33. #25
    Registered User William Smith's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Sugar Grove,PA
    Posts
    3,371
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: Man....I had a blue guitar...

    Well didn't Buzz Busby or Frank Wakefield spray paint a Loar F-5 Blue once upon a time? This is something I heard through the proverbial Bluegrass grapevine?

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •