What is your go to main axe make and model?

[Rick Schmidlin]

Mine is my Collings MF5 and is in my hands a least three hours a day.My guitar never makes it out of the case anymore.Both are tone monsters but I can't my hand off of that F.

[Mike Bunting]

Why do you want to know? Anyhow, I love all my axes and think that it would be unfair to show favouritism.

[fredfrank]

This is actually a fair question. I own three mandolins, all of which I like and enjoy playing. Of the three, I think the MT2V is a bit easier for me to play, but anytime I go to a gig, I have to take the Red Diamond. Just can't bring myself to gig with any other mando.

[JEStanek]

I spend about equal time on my Labraid and Spira. Different instruments, different sounds, love them both. The second tier interestingly with equal time between the two of them are my Eastman 2 pointer and a L&H Conservatory bowlback. I play at home as a hobbiest.

Jamie

[jimbob]

Four here...I try to rotate every now and then , but having trouble leaving the Bibey in the case.

[sgarrity]

My Heiden A5 gets the lion's share of playing time. I'm actually selling my others and purchasing a nice oval a-style and then I'll be done for a while. I'll have the Heiden, the oval hole, my Gibby Hummingbird and an old tenor banjo. And the TB may be finding a new home too. It just never gets played.

[Denny Gies]

My D-28 sits in the case more and more in favor of the 1993 Randy Wood F-5.

[fatt-dad]

My '84 Flatiron A5-1 is my go-to mandolin and likely to remain that way for the decades to come. I've had others, but they've gone away. Now guitars are another matter. Right now, I'm cycling between my 000-28Norman Blake and my '29 Gibson L-1 (Standard Tuning), but like to keep my 000-15S on hand in open D (or Dm).

f-d

[John Flynn]

The mandolin I play constantly is my Old Wave Oval A. I play my Mendel OM at least as much, though. If they were the only two instruments I owned, I would be OK with that. I'm trying to intentionally play my Rigel A+ Deluxe and my Parsons Flat-top more, just to keep them open and spare fret wear on the Old Wave.

[Rick Schmidlin]

My '84 Flatiron A5-1 is my go-to mandolin and likely to remain that way for the decades to come. I've had others, but they've gone away. Now guitars are another matter. Right now, I'm cycling between my 000-28Norman Blake and my '29 Gibson L-1 (Standard Tuning), but like to keep my 000-15S on hand in open D (or Dm).

f-d

I love those 000-15S, they have mojo

[Ken_P]

I must be either really boring or really lucky (or maybe both!)

The only "good" instruments I've got are a new Collings MT2 and an 11 year old Martin D1 (now out of production, sadly, but a great guitar), and I have no interest in upgrading either.

I plan to add a mandocello to the collection at some point, but that's pretty much it.

[Bill Auld]

Definitely my '03 Collings MF5 ... '03 must have been a good year ...

[UnityGain]

Don't know the make and model, but its definatly my "go to" axe. Its got a great chop and really cuts through when you need it to. A real banjo killer too.

(sorry, I couldn't resist, its been so darn cold up here I've been using my woodstove quite a lot)

[Daniel Nestlerode]

Depends on the gig and rehearsal schedule
Rock: The Altered Tele (5 string tuned DAEBF#), the Epiphone Mando(la)bird, a RainSong OM-1000, and sometimes a Fender Eric Johnson signature model Strat
Anything acoustic: Red (my SCGC 42BGD) and Bella (my Gary Vessel F5) ...Sometimes I'll add my Weber Alder #2 mandola to the acoustic mix.

But the one I pick up when no one else is around and I just want to play is Bella, my Vessel F5.

Daniel

[Frank Russell]

Used to be a Givens A4, now it's a Givens A3. Never lets me down. Frank

[acousticphd]

I have a similar approach as Jamie, based on the type of music, and instrument "tier". I guess I don't have a standout favorite, so I find I like to keep 3-4 instruments out and accessible for a period of time, and I will choose between them, sometimes spontaneously. Sometimes it's based on which one has the freshest set of strings.
For old-timey/traditional music, my main mando for awhile is a teens Gibson A. I also take and use a Sawchyn mandola to almost every jam or pickin party.
For an f-hole sound, I most often use my John Mann A5 or my Givens Legacy A5.

I have several others I'd like to be playing stored away waiting for me to take care of some needed issue or setup.

[charlesgwilsonjr]

My main ax is my 1960 Martin D-18. My most played mandolin is my 2004 Brentrup L21V, but my others get played often as well. Chuck

[Ted Eschliman]

My Clark JM series remains my frontline, multi-purpose choice, but I am digging my newly acquired Kimble mandola, too.

Clark JM:

[Fliss]

That Clark is stunning, Ted!

My number one mando is my oval hole flat top made by Phil Davidson. It has exactly the tone I love for Celtic-style music, and fantastic playability too.

Fliss

[mandroid]

Djangolin or Mix A 5 are new faves , but to prevent jealousy in the Harem the others get playing time too.
a Lebeda "jazzica" with that scroll thing in need some refretting , a indication of how often It got played .

[Pen]

I end up playing my Ovation MM68 much more than anything else just due to the amount of time I spend practicing with my band (it's the only mando I have with electronics).

I sold most of my guitars and am down to just 3 (one a beater - one a hard body). The Martin D28 is really the only one I ever touch.

[Eddie Sheehy]

The only instruments that make it into my hands these days are my Vega 205 Cylinderback 10-string, Weber Gallatin Mandola, Eastman Giacomel, Eastman 915. My fav guitar is a gibson CL-40. Everything else stays in their cases...

[foldedpath]

Lebeda F5 Premium+ (redwood top), Breedlove Zenkl 4-string electric mandola, Weber Yellowstone octave mandolin. Plus a bunch of different guitars: resonators, electrics, steel string, nylon, baritone, lap steel.

[kymandolin59]

a gibson 2001 mm and a 1953 martin d18

[Andy Miller]

Collings MT2 - great axe and fits in the overhead compartment!

equally loved if not quite as frequently used:
Guitar: HD-28V
Octave: AC flattop built from Kawalek's plans
Reso: mid-30's all metal f-hole Dobro model 36-or-37-or-something