Got a new Gibson today:

[300win]

I'm one happy guy now. All my life I've wanted a F-5 Gibson mandolin. I begin picking 44 years ago, and have had mostly junk mandos. Last year I got an A-9 and it is great, very sweet tone. I'm having a birthday in a few days and today my wife went with me to Jackson's Music in Winston Salem, N.C., and bless her kind heart she let me get a new F. I do consider myself a very lucky man. I purchased one of the new Jam-Masters, looks like it is # 50 signed by Dave Harvey, and it blew me away. The sound is incredible, loud, with a woody tone, it sounds like it's already 50 years old. First time I've had a radius fretboard, I'm already liking it, and I believe the wider neck is going to alleviate some of the pain I have in my hands now whenever I pick for a time. This ranks right up there in the top with the best birthday present I ever got for sure. I played other F models when I was there and beside the price of it, to my ears it was the best sounding one they had. The owner of the store told me she got this particular mandolin from Mr. Harvey at Merle Fest, he picked it out as the best of the ones he had with him there, I can see why. I wouldn't want a mandolin to sound any better than this one. Any of you interested in getting a new Gibson at a great price should check these new ones out. I'd be interested to discuss further with any of ya'll that also has gotten this model. Well enough for now, I expext I'll be picking until I fall asleep, that could be long into the night as excited as I am.

[Carolie]

Congratulations! Nice to see someone happy.

Carolyn

[Mike Bromley]

Ain't it Grand! Good on ya.

[billkilpatrick]

joyful news indeed - you're a fortunate fella', no doubt about it - a long and happy life to the three of you!

[woodwizard]

That's wonderful. Conrats on your new gibby. Your wife must really love you. I guess I could say my wife must really love me too because she let me get a vintage Gibson A4 about 3 weeks ago.
We are lucky to have them. Am I right? How bout a picture?

[MikeEdgerton]

Congratulations and enjoy it. I had a similar experience a few years ago when I got my F5G.

[300win]

That's wonderful. Conrats on your new gibby. Your wife must really love you. I guess I could say my wife must really love me too because she let me get a vintage Gibson A4 about 3 weeks ago.
We are lucky to have them. Am I right? How bout a picture?

I consider myself to have the best wife in the world yes. We've been together now for 31 years and love each other more now more than ever. We've both been through some tough times together and never abandoned the other. I would like to post a picture, but my computer skills are a bare minimum. If I can talk my youngest son ito doing it whenever he's here I will.

[Elliot Luber]

Schwweeet.

[Gerry Cassidy]

I consider myself to have the best wife in the world yes. We've been together now for 31 years and love each other more now more than ever. We've both been through some tough times together and never abandoned the other...

Congrats on the new mando, and may you have many-a-day of joy playing it. Even more so, congrats on the achievement you, and your better-half have made! A lifetime together is a precious thing to have.

[Leigh Coates]

Does it look like this? Very, very nice,...

[Miked]

Congratulations and Happy Birthday!

Pictures, pictures, please!

[300win]

Does it look like this? Very, very nice,...

Yep exactly. That's the one on the Gibson website I assume. I notice that mine has a great deal of silking in the top, and a fair amount of curly in the back. My neck is kinda half curly and half plain grain toward the body end of it. Tuners are tight and accurate. My A-9's tuners have some slop in them esp. the outer D and outer A., it was like that from day 1. F model has a deep chop, good balance across, and cutting trebles as high as I want to go with them, everything crystal clear. As I sated before the mando sounds as if it's been a mandolin about as long as I've been a man. Good throaty, wood ,dry sound, don't have to get on it as hard as my A to get the same results, but the A-9 has a very sweet tone, although good for Bluegrass it really shines on picking open fiddle tunes , celtic, etc., and I've used it in the church praise band. The F is going to be my main mando now. I'm trying it out tomorrow night at a paid gig, hard-core Bluegrass, I have no doubt I will be pleased.

[300win]

Congratulations and Happy Birthday!

Pictures, pictures, please!

Thanks Mike. I'll try to get some pictures by this coming week-end. My youngest son and his wife are visiting, he's pretty computer savy, I believe he will know how to post some.

[jim_n_virginia]

I'm having a birthday in a few days and today my wife went with me to Jackson's Music in Winston Salem, N.C., and bless her kind heart she let me get a new F. I do consider myself a very lucky man.

LUCKY?!?!?! She "let" you get a mandolin for your birthday?

Your not lucky you are a complete domesticated husband! LOL!

Congrats on the mandolin! LOL! Maybe she'll let you play it anytime you want!

[300win]

LUCKY?!?!?! She "let" you get a mandolin for your birthday?

Your not lucky you are a complete domesticated husband! LOL!

Congrats on the mandolin! LOL! Maybe she'll let you play it anytime you want!

Yea Jim, she's always supported my picking life. Long ago I had a pretty decent mandolin but let it go to pay bills and buy grocieries to feed them two small boys we had, I think she still remembers that.

[Gary Hedrick]

"Long ago I had a pretty decent mandolin but let it go to pay bills and buy grocieries to feed them two small boys we had, I think she still remembers that. "

I can second that.....I had to do the same and my wife is quite willing to let me buy what I wish when we have the money.

Congratulations on your new mandolin. It is wonderful to see someone on this forum write positive and joyfull things......

[Mike Romkey]

Congratulations! A great mandolin and a great wife -- life is good!

[pickloser]

Congratulations on your new Gibson (purchased at my very favorite music store) and your successful marriage!

[300win]

Thanks everybody. I finally put it back in the case about 1 this morning. Been using it today to record some. It really records good. I'm very impressed with this mandolin. I'll see tonight how it stands up to a jam/gig I'm picking in. I have no doubt it will hold it's own against the dreaded 5 string LOL.

[300win]

Congratulations on your new Gibson (purchased at my very favorite music store) and your successful marriage!

Sent you a pm.

[Rick Schmidlin]

Congrats, it great to get well deserved gift.

[Life Is Good]

Sounds like you have put in the full effort.... and it finally paid off! Congratulations and Happy Birthday!

[J.Albert]

300win wrote:
"I purchased one of the new Jam-Masters, looks like it is # 50 signed by Dave Harvey, and it blew me away."

Hmmm, are the Jam Masters to be "signed" mandolins, like the Ferns, Goldrush, Lawson, etc.?

If so, is the signature on a separate label (in the treble side f-hole)?
Is the actual date written there, too?

F-9's, A-9's, and F-5g's don't get the "two labels with a signature and date". They have a single label in the bass side f-hole (that reads "The Gibson Master Model"), along with a handwritten model number and serial number.

Has this changed of late?

If so, a nice touch by Dave Harvey!

- John

[300win]

300win wrote:
"I purchased one of the new Jam-Masters, looks like it is # 50 signed by Dave Harvey, and it blew me away."

Hmmm, are the Jam Masters to be "signed" mandolins, like the Ferns, Goldrush, Lawson, etc.?

If so, is the signature on a separate label (in the treble side f-hole)?
Is the actual date written there, too?

F-9's, A-9's, and F-5g's don't get the "two labels with a signature and date". They have a single label in the bass side f-hole (that reads "The Gibson Master Model"), along with a handwritten model number and serial number.

Has this changed of late?

If so, a nice touch by Dave Harvey!

- John

John, yes there is seperate signed label inside at the treble f hole with the completion date. My understanding is that Dave Harvey is signing the first 100 of these models. My particular one was signed May 12, 2009, and is the 50th F-5 Jam-Master model made. The owner of the music store I purchased it from told me that she talked to Dave Harvey at the Merle Fest this year, and that he personaly picked this one out from 7-8 or so others of the same model he had on hand to send to them when they put the order in for it. I will say this, if the others they have are close to the one I got, they will have no problem selling them. As I stated before I've been playing for a good long while, over 43 years, and this mandolin is one of the best I ever held in my hands, and is by far the best mandolin I've ever owned or hope to own, and I have held and played some good ones belonging to other folks during those years. I just returned from playing at a paid gig in a real band situation, playing hard-core Bluegrass, there was no problem hearing it over the sound rig there. I stood about 4 feet from the mike while not taking a break, just chopping or fill in notes, and my wife said she could everything I did. During taking leads I had to actually back off a bit, and never did have to bear down on it while playing. I think myself a lucky man for getting it before someone else did, it is a awesome instrument.

[300win]

Here is some pictures of mt new mando, thanks to my youngest son who knows how to do all this stuff.