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Thread: Old nugget or old nugget?

  1. #1

    Default Old nugget or new nugget?

    I suppose this question could apply to all great makers of fine instruments.
    There's a Nugget A from the late 80's and one from the early 2000's up for
    sale..roughly same price. I came across a posting where someone said (of gilchrist, nugget, etc) "buy the newest model you can.." Ya'll agree or disagree?
    Of course the best case scenario would be to play them both and pick the best but that's not possible. It makes sense to assume that even the great builders get better with time and practice. Opinions...?
    Last edited by holden; Apr-26-2013 at 9:29pm.

  2. #2
    Registered User mandobassman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    Yes, maybe the builders do get better at their craft, but Nugget has had a reputation for quite a long time and, assuming the one from the 80's has been played well, it has 20 or so years of break in time to really sing. I would go with the older one if I was buying.
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  3. #3

    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    Buy them both!

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    Registered User almeriastrings's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    Then YOU can tell US which is best
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  6. #5
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    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    Yeah. Generally, builders improve at their craft. The more you do it, the better you get. One the other hand, age seems to count for a lot if a mandolin is properly built from the start.

    That being said, the older one does a bit more for me from the pictures.

  7. #6

    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    It seems to me that most of the high end stuff sells used for the same
    price whether its 3 years old or 20..

  8. #7
    Registered User Cheryl Watson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    I guess we can assume that you have been through all the details to compare the two mandolins such as fretboard radius, fret size, nut width etc.? I guess the only way to be certain would be to play both and that is, of course, impossible. If you like a well-worn, broken in mandolin I'd go for the older one and if you love the more recent, new look (it is 2007 so it might be somewhat broken in) then I'd go for the new one and distress it yourself over the years.

  9. #8
    Registered User Timbofood's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    "Good is good, melted or not" Charlie Waite (Open Range)
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  10. #9

    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    Whichever you choose be sure to celebrate your new purchase with a nice cold glass of this.
    Click image for larger version. 

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  11. #10
    Registered User doc holiday's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    In theory the new ones are awesome. In practice, a few years ago I had the chance to play one from the same era as Tim O'Brien's original Nuggett. I think it was originally $250, had a neck like the grip on a baseball bat.....& I'd give my eye teeth to own it. Nugget hit the tone right from the early ones on.

  12. #11

    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    Get all the information you can. Are both of them the same recipes? Same type of spruce? Same type of maple? Any chance you could get soundfiles of both under similar conditions? Have the sellers play the same common piece and record it on their iPhones. For the type of $$ we're talking about here, that's not too much. See which one sounds better to you. Trust your gut.

    That said, I cannot imagine you going wrong, even if you picked by throwing darts at a dartboard. Buy the thing, play it until it becomes a part of you. You will rapidly forget what came before.

  13. #12
    Purveyor of Sunshine sgarrity's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    Buy the newer one. I think his fit and finish and overall building skills have definitely improved with time. Of course the best way to decide is to play them. Anybody selling an instrument of that quality would offer you an approval period.

    The best Nugget I've played was a newer A5. Absolutely stunning beauty and tone.

  14. #13
    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    Buy the newer one. In time most of the dings will be yours.

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    Registered User Rick Crenshaw's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    What a dilemma!!!

    Don't worry, none of us are jealous of you.
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    Registered User Tom Sanderson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    I say get the newer one.

  17. #16
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    There's also a Nugget F in the classifieds. Buy all three.
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    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    Wow. Just saw that Nugget F. Those sure are some expensive extra sets of strings and a tuner.

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    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    How often do you think he changed strings to need that many sets?

  20. #19
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    Quote Originally Posted by mrmando View Post
    There's also a Nugget F in the classifieds. Buy all three.
    Now four. The F5 in the classifieds. There is #43 F5 on Sandy Munro's sitre for $10.5K less ($19,500) which seems to be the going rate for these.
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  21. #20
    Gilchrist (pick) Owner! jasona's Avatar
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    Default Re: Old nugget or old nugget?

    want
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