Brentrup Stealth V8...MINE!!!

[tburcham]

Ken....all best to you.

I'm a late comer to this thread. I've read just enough to see folks feelings have been hurt which is a shame. For me, the Cafe is a place to relax and not a place to throw gas on a fire. I am sorry you are having problems with your fingers, and I hope that condition improves with a little time away from the mando.

Your friend,

Tim Burcham

[George R. Lane]

Ken has made his explanation.
Case closed.

[Ken Olmstead]

That's exactly what I didn't consider until I saw Han's post and his reaction, and why I feel bad about posting the link. Then again maybe MWH's had something Ken wanted and he traded? In the end it doesn't matter much now and a really cool instrument is still available for the person who may want it.

Please don't feel bad at all. You did something that happens on the cafe almost daily without issue, so no worries!

[journeybear]

Ken has made his explanation.
Case closed.

Almost - if someone knows how to get in touch with Hans and explain what happened, so he's not harboring bitterness concerning this issue, I think all involved would feel better. I'm sure Ken has at least tied to contact him but Hans may not be receptive. Thanks. Otherwise, yes, 'nuff said.

[Ryk Loske]

A couple of points for the consideration of those outside of Ken and Hans:

In a thread elsewhere in this forum we learned that Hans is stepping away from mandolin making due to pain/arthritis in his hands.

One of the last custom builds for Hans was this Stealth. Ken's excitment ... and the excitment for Ken from us forumites is clear through this entire thread. As is Hans' excitment over this build.

Now one of this artisans last builds ... a very custom build ... is being offered for sale. How would you feel as that artisan if it were your pained hands that carved the instrument. Hans' disappointment is justified.

As is Ken's reason for moving so wonderful an instrument on to someone better able to make it sing.

Mayhaps an explanatory email from Ken to Hans would have eliminated this whole last phase of this thread.

My very best wishes to both Ken and Hans.

Ryk

[Eddie Sheehy]

Unless it is on consignment it was probably "traded in". I have traded-in an instrument with Charles before, I'm not aware he sells on consignment...

[Pete Counter]

That mandolin sounds pretty good, one thing I wish people would do when they put out a sound clip or a video to demonstrate a new instrument is tell us what kind of pick and how thick the pick is because its hard to judge how dark or bright a mandolin sounds unless you know how thin or thick the pick is.

[Bill James]

I don't know the specifics of this particular build however any builder will tell you there are two kinds of custom builds. One where the customer says, "Red Spruce, radiused fingerboard, call me when it's ready" and the one where you spend 25% of every day throughout the build either on the phone with the customer or responding to emails from him/her. This one certainly had the markings of a build where the builder had to go the extra fifty miles. If I were a builder and a customer turned around and flipped an instrument after a particulairly time intensive build I admit I would have a hard time sucking it up. Disclaimer: Obviously that's not what happened in this case. Unfortunately it's a fairly common scenario and probably not easy to swallow.

Hand problems are a bummer. In Ken's case, I wish he could hang in there and possibly he may come out of his finger problem. I've had many hand problems and luckily have been able to work through them. Whatever the case, I hope he can at least keep playing the guitar and someone will be getting a great instrument when it sells. I'm sure it was a tough decision to put it up for sale.

From my position Hans is fine. We had lunch on Saturday, picked one of his instruments and life was good. He sure didn't mention this, I found out about it here. And hey, if he did get a little frustrated from time to time I guess that would just make him human. And that would make me extra human.

[fatt-dad]

+1 Mr. James.

Interesting thread. Not knowing Mr. Brentrup, I do know he seems to be having fun building guitars.

Hoping the OP get's out of his finger problems, but enjoys chording his new archtop. Now, should I go visit Charles. . . ?

f-d

[Tomm Truckenmueller]

Hi Ken,

did it go from you directly to Massimo in Italy, or which way did it go?
It meanwhile landed in my place - in the south of germany...

Be well...

[Brad Maestas]

Really cool design features. I've been a fan of his work for a long time. If I ever got another F style it would probably be a Stealth.

[Sonomabob]

Hope the Stealth floats past me someday. I would love to hear it. I have a Brentrup A that I got on a tip from Ken O. It is wonderful. I feel really lucky.