Show your cboms!

[vwfye]

SRC octave electric . 2022 out of Eugene, OR

[Simon DS]

Ashbury Style 32E

[slaminsam]

Clark GOM

[Chris Gray]

I know what GBOM stands for "Guitar Bodied Octave Mandolin" but what does CBOM stand for?

[slaminsam]

It’s a catch all for the Mandolin cousins, Citterns, Bouzoukis (Zouks), Octaves, Mandolas and Mandocellos.

[PT66]

Just finished putting the strings on today. American sycamore and spruce mandala.

[Rosie Cotton]

Here are my beasties. The Goldtone is the instrument I play every day, I love it - easy to play, nice tone, good to look at.

I've not developed the same love for the Hora yet, but it's going to my local guitar technician next week to get the action lowered and neck shaved.

[manzouki]

Here's my 1995 Sherwood Bouzouki. Bought from Hobgoblin in Bristol UK in '95.







I've been searching the web to find more info, i.e. where made and maker. I've had no luck until recently. Previously I had seen that Sherwood Bouzoukis were made for Hobgoblin by various UK makers, the only named maker being David Freshwater. I don't believe this is one of his though. I've seen Freshwater and Freshwater/Sherwoods for sale and they don't look like this one.

Anyone have any thoughts about the possible maker? I have some idea, just curious to hear other peoples views on it.

It's had a quiet but tough life, having been exposed to some rather damp conditions. I've spent some time getting it back to a playable condition, and quite happy with it. Quite low spec., but it sounds sweet to me.

[Markkunkel]

After 20 years of swapping around and trying pretty much everything, an endeavor characterized by a complete absence of craving anything like a "holy grail" and instead pure PLAY, I have found my two life-long keepers:

1. This spectacular Foley Cittern of indeterminate age but I suspect mid-80s, in almost mint condition with walnut b/s and gorgeous cedar top. 23" scale, I keep it tuned FCGDa and enjoy it daily:



What a sweet thunderous melodic voice this one has.

and

2. an otherworldly Pomeroy v-style octave, arriving only last week after I managed to pry it out of Don Paine's inordinately talented hands, and bringing such joy:



I have never had an instrument with such a rich, sonorous, dynamically broad bottom end, a full but not overblown mid, and a sparkling ethereal treble that just gets more bloomy and magical up the neck. It's like having a piano sustain pedal, in that a little palm muting gets bold fundamental, but let it ring and it just blossoms. I've never played, let alone given custody to, anything quite as magical. Full review to follow.

Grateful, as a college teacher having taken a vow of poverty, to trade around and mostly up and finally land on these two.

THANK YOU, you builders of playable art!

Mark

[tmsweeney]

MarkKunkel that Pomeroy is sweet!

[Markkunkel]

MarkKunkel that Pomeroy is sweet!

It is EVERY bit of sweet. I bet Don would build another one if sufficiently persuaded...and it's worth whatever it costs.

Enjoy!

[acharman]

My cboms. Top Lark in the Morning OM, Andrew Tatnell mandola, Eastman MDA315 mandola, Troubadour Gervaise mandola; bottom Michael Kelly OM, Gladstone Guitars bouzouki, Paddy Burgin cittern, Eastman MDO305 OM, Bruce Wei mandola.

[Alfons]

Mark, those are beauties. isn't 23" a bit short for a C, much less an F? Perhaps I'm an octave off and you're tuning it as a mandola with an extra course rather than mandocello?

[PT66]

Mark, those are beauties. isn't 23" a bit short for a C, much less an F? Perhaps I'm an octave off and you're tuning it as a mandola with an extra course rather than mandocello?

23” is standard for tenor guitar tuned CGDA.

[Markkunkel]

23” is standard for tenor guitar tuned CGDA.

Yep. So it's a step down from a GDAEb tuning, which seems to suit the temperament of this instrument very nicely (it being a larger body depth by quite a measure from others I've played). And I can play (more or less) well with others with a capo on the second fret.

Mark

[John Uhrig]

So I got this K1 a few months back. It plays and sounds great!
It has a lot of well documented repairs that were done by Bernie Daniel. There is a great thread on how he repaired the sagging top.
There was another thread on the cafe about how a few people thought it had been re-necked etc....
Well, after reading through Spann's Guide to Gibson, I convinced myself that this is a 1937 K1 instead of a 1936, but that was about all......so finally I just emailed Mr. Spann to find out. Here is his response

Hello Mr. Uhrig,

Your Gibson K-1 model mandocello was originally shipped on Friday, July 16th 1937 in a #394 hard-shell case to Mr. Chick Hurt (1901-1967), a noted cowboy singer, tenor banjo player and mandolinist of the 1930's.

Your instrument was part of a group of three identical K-1 mandocellos produced by Gibson about mid-year 1937, long after the mandolin orchestra craze had died.

It is interesting to note that Gibson also produced a small batch of mando-bass instruments at the same time.

Joe Spann - Appraiser
Gruhn Guitars

How cool is that

[neilca]

Here is a pic of my Taylor Baby I converted to an OM. Amazing sound, easy to play.