Tim O'Brien's big archtop

[Flattpicker]

I saw/heard Tim O'Brien and band (Bryon Sutton, Stuart Duncan, Mike ___) play a great set yesterday evening at Old Settler's Music Festival outside Austin. Besides a blacktop Collings A mandolin he played a large archtop (mandocello?). Can anyone please give info as to what it is and who built it.

If you get a chance to hear these guys live, don't hesitate--just go!

[Ed Goist]

It's likely his Nugget Guitar Bodied Bouzouki (Octave Mandolin)
Here is a thread that discusses O'Brien's Bouzoukis.
And here's a pic:



Oh, and I bet that was a killer set! I'd love to see these guys!

[Flattpicker]

Thanks for that info, Ed.

I thought the set had everything you could ask for--great songs, great vocals, virtuosity and imagination, and no shortage of humor. Tim sure looks and sounds younger than his 57 years. Still giving you your money's worth, that's for certain.

[mtucker]

Besides a blacktop Collings A mandolin he played a large archtop (mandocello?).

his blacktop A is a very early Nug (that cost him a benjamin and easter ham) ..the prototype for a T'O run of A's that B. Collings and Mike K (aka nug) collaborated on under the Collings/Nug/T'O label ...nug carved the plates and maybe did rims ..and Bill glued 'em up adding neck and Collings fine finish...Collings btw has done a number of blacktop A's and F5's...

[Jeff Oxley]

Thanks for clearing this up for me as well, caught his excellent set at Melfest on Sunday and was wondering the same thing. At first blush I thought he must've been playing one of those old archtop Gibson guitars but knew after hearing the unmistakable mando-like sound that it must be something else entirely (which I confirmed only after counting the tuner buttons). Thanks again!