Disappointment

[Gunnar]

Congrats! Got video?

[V70416]

We should all be so disappointed.

Would you care to A/B the Collings vs. the Givens? Maybe just a brief description of their main differences,playability,,strings,pick(s)used,what type music you play. You know,the skinny.

If it's not too much trouble.

Please.

[Gunnar]

Oopsies, duplicate post

[JeffD]

I have had many disappointments along the lines of the following scenario. A friend, knowing of but not sharing my obsession, asks me to take a look at his neighbor's mandolin, been in the family for years, given to him by his grandfather, he doesn't play, what is it worth? This has happened more than a few times. And usually what I see is niether all that old, nor all that playable condition. Usually not a bowlback, or even a flatty (I have a soft spot in my heart for hand painted flatbacks) but a beat up basket case f or a style mandolin shaped object from the 70s 80s even 90s that likely would cost more than $100 to make it worth $100. In one instance it had water damage, and strap that had rotted and i was afraid to touch it.

[addamr]

Great story Ranger Bob. Hope it provides many years of enjoyment.

Adam

[Ranger Bob]

We should all be so disappointed.

Would you care to A/B the Collings vs. the Givens? Maybe just a brief description of their main differences,playability,,strings,pick(s)used,what type music you play. You know,the skinny.

If it's not too much trouble.

Please.

I'll give it a go! I play a bit of BG, Celtic, Old Time, Country, and starting some light jazz. In my OP I frumped about the tailpiece, tuners, strings, and bridge. The tuners, tailpiece and strings had that coming. After talking with Greg Boyd, I found out that the bridge was specifically designed by Givens to accommodate the neck angle and top arch he carved. Even the bridge posts and nuts were purposely sized to maximize resonance. With that perspective when I got it back from Boyd decked out with the new upgrades and set up I did give it a side by side with the Collings MT. First off the Givens has a flat fret board which I hadn't really used for quite some time. I immediately felt my notation was more precise on the flat FB. Maybe my imagination but.......... FOR ME playability on the Givens is just easier. Perspective again: That's 72 year old somewhat cranky fingers telling me that. Tone up and down the neck and on all courses is woody but not too dark; clear but not too bright and resonates forever. Good, thumpy chop that you can feel. Volume is Very good but not the loudest. None the less it can be heard clearly in any ensemble or jam. The MT, of course, has a radiused FB and I think it's quite comfortable but, now I like the flat better. The MT is bright, clear, loud and resonant. Good chop but you can't really feel it in your chest like the Givens. The MT has D'Ad monel strings and the Givens has D'Ad X pb. I use a BC SR50 pick. I think we all know Collings MT's are pro level mandos that need no apologies. IMHO the Givens is right up there with the high end A's in the $5K-$7K range. The tone of the two is different enough that keeping both would be really nice for the diversity of sound. But, I play guitar and the mandola and just simply don't have a need for the diversity. If I kept both one would just gather dust. I am trying to learn enough techy stuff to maybe do an audio but, you know what they say about old dogs!