Tope manolins

[carleshicks]

If you haven't tried a tope mandolin yet be ready for a big suprise. I have been playing the two at Elderly on and off for the last couple of months and they are amazing. The figure in the wood is unbelievalbe and the fit and finish are the best I have seen. The one for $3,300 is Red spruce topped and french polish finish, that is the cheapest I have seen anything with those features sell for.If I was in the market for a new F-5 It would be one of my first choices and at $3,300 the price is great. I have no financial interest I just thought I would help spread the word for Gary Tope.
Who else has played one?

[Cedartop]

I live in the same town as Gary but have only seen and heard a couple of his mandolins. They were nice to be sure. When I was shopping for my last mandolin this was the price range I was in. It came down to a Tope and the custom Yellowstone I eventually purchased. The only thing that swayed me to the Weber was that I already owned on and liked it.

[mandoJeremy]

I definitely love his mandolins. I played the one at Gruhns and it was a great mandolin. I am surprised his name isn't mentioned more around here.

[Kevin Briggs]

He quoted me a good price on a two-point mandolin, when I was shopping around for one. Pomeroy, Tope, and Bud Davis were the three lowest prices I was quoted for a fully-loaded two-point.

I went with Pomeroy because of a number of different reasons, including a tone I really like, tolerable wait time, low-cost on upgrades, Don's great communication, etc. I consider all three high end, top quality mandolins, even though they don't cost $20,000. These three are good examples of the great independent luthiers out there today. There are, of course, others. Each of the luthiers got back to me quickly and were very helpful.

[Mark Walker]

Is Tope the builder from southwest Michigan?

[Cedartop]

Yes, he's from the St. Joe/Benton Harbor area.

[Mark Walker]

Michael - I live between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. #My wife is from Watervliet, MI - when we were dating we'd eat diinner and catch a movie in Benton Harbor or St. Joe. # #About an hour or a little more from me.

I might have to look Paul up for grins and giggles! #

[Dale Ludewig]

Gary lives in Benton Harbor. He's a great builder and very nice person. Phone: 269-925-9784

[carleshicks]

I stopped by his shop last weekend and He is a very nice guy he took a couple of hours to show me all his tools and jigs and answered every annoying question I had without ever acting put out. He is also an excellent repaireman He had a 70's martin d-35 with about a hundred cracks in it from someones daughter #falling on it #and he repaired them #cleaner than anyone I have seen before. I would say 95% of the crack were invisible to the naked eye.

[Hoosierpred]

I'm the proud owner of Tope #15 (for about a week). Mandolins are matter of personal taste, but Gary's are everything I like.

1) Already sounds "gypsy" in mid range.
2) Great and developing upper and lower ends
3) The mandolin "breathes" for me---I can't think of any other way of describing it but I bet you all know what I mean.
4) Just impeccable craftsmanship
5) A progressive radius and a gentle V in the neck that really works for my small hands
6) A "doesn't look like a hearse" look with the varnish
7) Love the color (kind of faded leather on the periphery with sunburst (you can see all the grain)

[mcgroup53]

I had the great pleasure of having one of Gary's F5s at my house for a couple of weeks to demo for an upcoming article I'm writing on him for Mandolin Magazine. Fit and finish were extremely good, the set up was dead-on and playability was great. Loved the sound, although it will sound MUCH better in a couple of years as that stiff Addy top breaks in under some heavy-duty playing time.

I think once my article comes out, Gary's waiting list will go up. Check 'em out now.

Dave McCarty

[Darryl Wolfe]

Gary is first class and a stickler for details. #We have spoken via email on occassion. I thought he used to post here in the past

He does, under TOPE