Hi all,
I am so excited to be finally getting a new mandolin after playing my trusty Collings basic MT for about 11 years now.
A little backstory: almost 5 months ago I bought a used Northfield 2 bar Artist from The Music Emporium. The NEXT DAY our water heater broke and I took that as a sign that now was not the time for a new, and more expensive mandolin. I had never played a Northfield at that time yet. This used one was named "Bluster" and was, I guess the first 2 bar Artist Northfield released.
Fast forward to late-June. I finally got to play a few Northfields at Gryphon Strings in PALO Alto: a wide nut Big Mon and an A5 special (also tried the MT2 they had). The A5 blew me away right when I picked it up and impressed me way more than the Big Mon. The chop and articulation of the notes just spoke to me and that chop was just almost thunderous on the A5 special. I thought about that mandolin every day for 3 weeks while I was helping out my folks recover from some recent injuries and a knee replacement. I was planning to go back by Gryphon on my way home from my folks and play the A5 special again and potentially buy it. Day before I left, it sold!!!
I started looking at other Northfield dealers and found another A5 special at the Mandolin Store and Banjo Bens. Got the ok from the wife and bought the one at Banjo Bens! Unfortunately they were all on vacation for a week so it couldn't get shipped out for another week. No problem, I still enjoy my Collings I told myself. THEN another A5 special came in to Banjo Bens with white binding and a lighter sunburst. Long story short I picked that one out after Jake from
banjo Ben send me a video sample of both of them and I should have it by tomorrow....HOPEFULLY. Been waiting too long for it already! Can't wait.
Photo attached.
Bookmarks