I am not a mandolin player.
I play a bit, but it’s a sideline. I play a cheap pressed-top instrument. It’s fine.
I’ve been listening more and more to music with mandolin, and got the bug, and decided it was time to buy a good instrument. I’m in Europe, so the choices are limited if you don’t want to spend 5K off the bat, so I figured an Eastman would do it.
Then I started hearing about Silverangel mandolins. I liked the descriptions I was reading. I listened to what I could find on YouTube. I liked what I heard.
I am not a bluegrass player. I am more of an acoustic blues player. So I’m listening to people like Ry Cooder and Yank Rachel. The Silverangel sounded perfect to my ear for this. I’m not interested in sharp bluegrass chop.
I saw Ken had a trade-in A model in the classifieds. I contacted him, but I was too late. However, he told me he had 5 Econo models in the white that he hadn’t put up for sale yet, and I could have first choice.
I did a little research on the Econo models and realized the only thing I’d be losing was bling. So I ordered one.
He finished it, put a pickup in it for me, and shipped it to Switzerland. Hot Dog!
From Elliotville, it went to Chicago. So far, so good.
From Chicago, it went to Dubai. Huh? Well, maybe that’s their hub.
From Dubai, it went to Johannesburg. I was beginning to get worried.
Then it landed in Swaziland (!). I saw no reason for this. It took me a day to figure it out.
I checked the shipping papers Ken sent me. Switzerland, clear as day.
I realized someone in Chicago opened the pull-down country menu and almost got it right. Swaziland is just above Switzerland, in most country pull-down menus.
I contacted Ken. He (and his wife) spent many hours on the phone. The status finally changed to being in the Swazi export office. There it sat for 2 months. Ken and I both were, shall we say, freaking out. We couldn’t get it to move.
Eventually we gave up. Ken offered to build me a replacement, free of charge, and I insisted on paying the hardware and shipping costs, so we would share the pain.
Let me say here, Ken is a straight arrow, an upright guy. He didn’t have to do that. All my communication with him ran smoothly, and he really went far out on a limb for me. He has my undying respect and gratitude.
The last I heard from him on the new mandolin was he was about to finish it.
Then, suddenly, after 2-1/2 months, my mandolin was in Zurich.
I was very nervous when I opened it. It’s been on four continents in a couple of months, under who knows what conditions, most likely roughly handled; how could it possibly survive that undamaged? There was a sticker from the Swiss post office saying that the box arrived damaged, so they opened to inspect for damage to the contents, but found none, so they repacked it - but I should contact them if they missed something. Would any post office other than the Swiss take the time for something like that? I doubt it.
In any case, the mandolin survived without any damage at all - not a scratch. I tuned it up, and ... just perfect. Plays perfectly, sounds perfect, looks fabulous. Ken's wife does the varnish finishes, I believe, and this one is a beautiful sunburst. The photos don't do it justice; the flame is stronger (especially on the back), and the finish is deep and rich.
I am a Ken fan. As long as he doesn't murder me in my sleep, I will sing his praises. He's both a first-class craftsman and a first-class human being.
steve
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