With my Flatiron and Sumi I’ve completely conquered MAS.....almost. Just one more please, a Pava A5. Oh how I’d love to have one. Good choice. Congratulations and enjoy.
With my Flatiron and Sumi I’ve completely conquered MAS.....almost. Just one more please, a Pava A5. Oh how I’d love to have one. Good choice. Congratulations and enjoy.
2007 Sumi F-5 Deluxe
1991 Flatiron Performer A
Martin D-35
There are very few among us who say, I bought my xxxx and it’s the only mandolin I’ll ever need. Weather it be an oval hole or like my Silverangel, everyone should have a lush sounding instrument, but they tend to disappear in a group. A punchy instrument seems to loose something in the beautiful tone department. Ellis I played was the best at both I’ve played, but never tried it in a group.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
This is interesting.. i have always loved a lush warm full sounding instrument, it never occurred to me that they would disappear in a group setting.. so i brought my pava to my group for the first time this week and .. holy crap it definitely blended in and i was dumbfounded for a moment... Actually it depended on the mix, we all switch instruments in and out so at one point it was with a Ubass and a uke and a drum kit and 5 voices and it was gorgeous, but when we brought a big old vintage Gibson acoustic out it disappeared a bit. I amp my uke, i guess i will just get a pick up if needed. I will see how it does in a duet. Either way this instrument has a soul and its friendly and fun to play, if i ever become a really good player maybe i will want another one but i think the journey of becoming a good player needs to be done with the pava... it also came in a friendly white superior case with a shoulder strap.
No fiddle? No banjo? No cannon of a dreadnaught? You haven't put it to the test. But in reality, others should be listening to others and adjusting their volume. I can dream, can't I?
Don't take my rationalizing the need for more than one instrument as a Pava putdown. I was floored when I played one.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
So, I guess MAS officially begins with #2?...
I went down to Denver Folklore Center this afternoon and... did not walk out empty-handed:
https://www.denverfolklore.com/shop/...-x42580630.htm
I tried 4 or 5 different Collings MTs, and the two Pavas–an oval-hole gloss-top A and newly arrived satin blonde f-hole A–that they had in the shop. I narrowed it down to the Pava oval and the Collings honey gloss-top. Honestly, the different neck shapes didn't really make a difference. The Collings V-neck doesn't feel all that much more pronounced than my Eastman's neck, and doesn't feel noticeably different in my hands, which was a surprise. The rounder neck on the Pava felt fine, too. I probably stayed there for almost 2 hours going back and forth between the Pava and Collings. They were both very nice, but different. The Collings was definitely louder and brighter, more powerful on the treble end for sure. The Pava may have been more resonant in the bass--definitely warmer. I asked one of the store guys to play them both for me, and honestly, from a distance, the oval Pava sounded really sweet, maybe even nicer than the Collings' more focused punch. Then I went back and kept switching between them. The Collings won in the end, by a whisker. It is a great sounding and playing instrument and (IMO) drop-dead gorgeous. Maybe my third bout of MAS will result in a Pava. Anyway, now I know where the model name "MT" comes from. After you purchase one, your wallet becomes MT.
Last edited by wormpicker; Jan-25-2020 at 7:47pm. Reason: typos
Congratulations on your MT. From my experience so far, I've come to the realization that Mandolins, and guitars too, are compromised tools. Give in one direction, take in another. Each maker makes the compromise aiming for their signature tone. Same with necks. So we have to navigate the marketplace and find what we want. Added to this is the plain fact we change our personal taste over time and experience. We also have an ability to adapt. It is after all what makes things interesting. We continue to chase a moving target.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
I can honestly see why it would be totally ok to have both the Collings and the Pava. They are different enough. I have always preferred a warm sound but there is a lot to say about the focus and clarity that the Collings has. The only bottom line for me is that the Pava plays easier. Last night i brought it to another jam, it was outdoors and there were multiple guitars and the Pava was plenty loud. I normally switch back and forth with a ukulele and or guitar, but last night kept picking up the mandolin which i never really did with the Collings, so that says it all. Maybe i am just lazy and like easy OR maybe i could never get the set up right on the Collings i dunno.
I favor a warm sound as well and my Silverangel deffo delivers that. However I do play with a BC CT55 which delivers a slightly brighter sound than the previous TAD 60 that I used to use. All of that being said, I haven't felt as though it gets lost in the mix at my local Jam. I believe its a far cry from "punchy" however I've never felt as though it gets lost.
Regarding Pavas though; I played one at Carter's last year before I bought my SA and I was smitten with both it and an outstanding f-hole Oldwave. If I had had the money then I might have taken one home.
aka: Spencer
Silverangel Econo A #429
Soliver #001 Hand Crafted Pancake
Soliver Hand Crafted Mandolins and Mandolin Armrests
Armrests Here -- Mandolins Here
"You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage
to lose sight of the shore, ...and also a boat with no holes in it.” -anonymous
Not to be contrarian but my new (old) 2009 MT2O has a very rounded V profile neck. I wonder if they changed the spec sometime after that. Anyway this one is very comfortable. More time will tell better but I'm happy with it right now.
We few, we happy few.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
Yuk Yuk! Lp
J.Lane Pryce
I’ve been struggling with a wide nut NF5S for a a couple of yrs. Loved the modern tone, projection was superb. Liked everything about it except for the chunky neck. Even considered having the profile reduced but in the end I moved it on to greener pastures. Happily playing a new Collings MT-2. 1”1/8 nut, neck profile is perfect for my hand size. Couldn’t be happier.
Aren’t we a peculiar bunch? A few mms + - somewhere on a Mando neck and we will ditch an otherwise perfectly good mandolin to find our nervana. Lp
J.Lane Pryce
as a long-time mandolin player, teacher and dealer i can only sigh at the ongoing trend towards beefier neck profiles. the necks on several well-known brands have become way less ergonomically friendly over the last 10 years. why? beats me! Kentucky and Eastman have really gone for "the beef" compared to 10 years ago... getting harder and harder for me to recommend affordable mandolins for my students... a drag.
The more I play it the more I love it. This is the first instrument that I have ever bought on line that stuck. Tonight I played with a bass , big Gibson acoustic, electric guitar drum kit and a uke I’m not sure how, but it cut right through. ... is it possible that it’s getting louder ? It has a torrified top so I wouldn’t think it would change much.
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