J Bovier A5

[DataNick]

I Tried and I Tried and I Tried. Seriously it's is agood mandolin for that price.

I bet you would agree that it's a good mandolin period! the price is just gravy...

[sachmo63]

I always read these threads about the bovier line and I still just love mine. It's just a great instrument, period.

[Pasha Alden]

Goodluck with the MAS Texaspaul - I have an idea to buy a uke as well as my JBovier so do we now have mias? "musical instrument acquisition syndrome"?

[Nick Gellie]

Well I have really enjoyed playing my A5 J Bovier mandolin of late. I have listened to various play along CDs such as Dave Grisman, Matt Flinner, and others. I can say that the A-5 holds its own in terms of tone with high end Loars and Gilchrists.

I am impressed with its open tone and character.

[Barry Wilson]

I bought a uke about 4 weeks ago haha. it's so cute.

[shortymack]

Well I have really enjoyed playing my A5 J Bovier mandolin of late. I have listened to various play along CDs such as Dave Grisman, Matt Flinner, and others. I can say that the A-5 holds its own in terms of tone with high end Loars and Gilchrists.

I am impressed with its open tone and character.

Okay, I can see liking the tone but to say that a JB is in the same league as a Gil (I dont know what was meant by high end Loar) is funny. Stretching it just a weeeeee bit there dontcha think?

[Nick Gellie]

I am thinking in terms of tone. If you want the character and looks by all means if you can justify and afford it buy the real deal.

Like Satchmo63, I am happy with the sound and playability of my J Bovier A5.

[DataNick]

Okay, I can see liking the tone but to say that a JB is in the same league as a Gil (I dont know what was meant by high end Loar) is funny. Stretching it just a weeeeee bit there dontcha think?

As much as I love my JBovier F5 Studio, I have to believe that there is a discernible difference in tone from it to the Ellis, Red Diamond, Wiens, Ziedler, Nugget ,Dudenbostel, and Gilchrist levels...there's got to be, and I'm persuaded that the difference is probably significant!

You know the old "ignorance is bliss" syndrome, in this case you don't know what kind of mandolin tone that you're missing if you've never experienced that kind of tone, and I think once you've played mandolins in that kind of level, you can tell the difference probably more readily.

But I do put my F5 Studio in the same tonal class as Weber, Collings, Gibson F9/F5.

Case in point: one of my mando buddies has a real nice sounding Weber Special Edition F model. I've played it, just as recently as 2 days ago, and I like it. He feels however that my JBovier F5 Studio beats it in chunkiness and "pop", and is now seriously considering buying a JBovier.

The chunkiness, pop, woody tone and bark defy conventional wisdom for its price point...

[Nick Gellie]

While I agree with you Datanick that the emblematic mandolins such as the Ellises, Gilchrists, Wiens, dudenbostels, etc. have it in terms in terms of tone, the player himself or herself can transform a good sounding one into a great one. I could say go for it if you want to pay the extra $5-20k for one of those.

Here on the cafe we keep raising people's desires and expectations by lauding the tone of these more expensive mandolins, in effect contributing to MAS. That is great for the luthiers and not so good for the player's pockets. I like Satchmo 63 have found the New 2013 model J Boviers are good enough and meet our needs. That is why I am giving my opinion on these cheaper mandolins to give an alternative approach to buying and playing mandolins. I have had my share of MAS. I will buy another more expensive mandolin to complement my instrument collection but I am happy enough with my J Bovier for what it is- a player's mandolin - thanks to Jeff Cowherd for his mandolins.

[DataNick]

NG53,

I think we're in basic agreement; I do agree the player weilding the instrument plays as significant part.
I just wouldn't classify a JBovier's tone with a Gilchrist...that being said, my mando buddy and I are planning a trip to The Mandolin Store in Arizona, and today he told me "bring that JBovier, cause it will be the bar we measure any mando we're lookin at buying"

I couldn't agree more...if I'm looking at dropping $3700 on a Gibson F9, objectively it's got to match at least all the tonal characteristics present in the JBovier, or "I'm not biting"...and there will be 2 of us, so the perceptions won't be biased!

[Nick Gellie]

I look forward to hearing your feedback after your trip. There are lots of mandolins to taste at the Mandolin store.

[DataNick]

I look forward to hearing your feedback after your trip. There are lots of mandolins to taste at the Mandolin store.

Tagret timeframe is November, before Thanksgiving Day...

[Nick Gellie]

Hi Datanick, to follow up on a comment you made about ignorance is bliss, I did some more research.

I followed up searching for a Gilchrist mandolin video. Here is one that caught my eye:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=N85aR45...%3DN85aR45W8Zc

I have listened to this video of a 1995 Gilchrist mandolin. Based on the tone of this instrument, I could not detect much difference between my J Bovier and it. Of course there may be better Gilchrists out there.

Then I found a Dudenbostel mandolin video clip:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ReATWJi...%3DReATWJiY37w

Now this one was definitely more rounded and deeper in tone than the Gilchrist.

My J Bovier approximated the tone of the Dudenbostel mandolin pretty well. It was closer to the Dudenbostel than the Gilchrist.
It may not have quite the volume of the Dudenbostel - it is only 6 months old and is not fully played in. There is also more complexity in the Dudenbostel. For my standard of mandolin playing I do not need a Dudenbostel. If I am getting the tone I want at a fraction of the price of a Dudenbostel or a Gilchrist, I am not going to upgrade for the sake of looks and reputation, particularly I'd I have not played it in person and done a thorough evaluation.

BTW there is another thread pondering about a Dudenbostel and a Gilchrist. I apologise for any duplication.

[Nick Gellie]

I played a gig this week and a friend sat in all night with the band. He is a rock-solid guitar and mandolin picker. He has a JB Tradition F5 which sounds wonderful. He played my A5 the other night and his comment after playing for several minutes was, "I played a $3000 Collings last week that didn't sound this good". It was the first time I had a chance to hear someone else play it for any length of time and it sounded incredible. I couldn't be happier with its' sound.

My previous post supports what mandobassman is saying. The A-5 J Boviers are a pretty good mandolin for the price.

[Astro]

Once again, just for completeness sake:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxqaMMP9fVw

[sachmo63]

There are a couple pro players who play boviers, not sure if they're sponsored but I give them credit for going off the beaten path. A lot of players, including me have prided themselves with the name on their mandolin headstock. Honestly I still think about that time to time but does the name on your mandolin make YOU a better player or does the sound of your instrument call you when your not spending time with it. I've spent plenty of years looking at my cool mandolins that cost me a bundle but in all actuality don't sound one iota better than the bovier, it just took me several years to figure this out.

For all those players who poo poo boviers because they're made overseas and in some sort of factory, don't they understand that 99% of gibbons and webers and many many other builders produce "stock"bodies that are exactly the same and only differ from the finish and acrutemants. How is this different than the bovier? May be, just may be your bovier DOES sound as good or better than the other guys, maybe you " for the price" folks are happy you got a deal. But a good mandolin is a good mandolin......period!

I've played plenty of big name instruments I wouldn't use as a boat ore, also saw a lot of PAC rim stinkers too but once I figured out that most of my mandolins sound comes from ME and my right hand and not from the name on the headstock it was clear for me. Even if it took me several years to figure out.

[pheffernan]

I have listened to this video of a 1995 Gilchrist mandolin. Based on the tone of this instrument, I could not detect much difference between my J Bovier and it. Of course there may be better Gilchrists out there.

Or better experiments. To compare the tone of one instrument in your hands and a second (and third) on a video clip through your computer speakers seems a particularly flawed design.

[DataNick]

Guys,

You could make a case that since April when I got my JBovier F5 Studio, that on this website I've probably been the #1 JBovier evangelist. I know where you're comin from...however I think to get a real accurate tonal representation of a mandolin, it should be in person, and it should be with numerous individuals.

Using that as a guide, people are blown away by my F5 Studio, and as I posted earlier, when my mando pal and I make the trek to The Mandolin Store, that's the gold standard by which we will judge what's hangin on the wall.

To get a real viable comparison though with a Gilcrhrist or similar level mando, hopefully that's what Mando Tasting West in October will facilitate. I have a friend lined up to bring her Gilchrist, and then again it will be one JBovier vs one Gilchrist; hardly a real good population to sample; but it's the best that we can do.

I just still believe until I can "taste" them appropriately that the Dudenbstel/Gilchrist/Nuggets, etc of the world should have tonal characteristics that are superior to the JBovier...we'll see!

[shortymack]

My Kia is faster than your Ferrari! I saw it on the interweb.


C'mon guys, I have nothing against JB's and think its great that you can get a good mando for that amount of money, I think I got a killer MD315 but theres no way I would say its in the same league as a custom made world class instrument. It just aint so no matter what planet Im on or whos playing it.

[DataNick]

My Kia is faster than your Ferrari! I saw it on the interweb.

Always a cynic in the crowd...LOL!

Vic, you kill me Bro!

Late!

[shortymack]

I dont want to kill you Nick, I like you. I know that you know that what Im saying is more true than not.

[Nick Gellie]

Yes my experiments may be a flawed design comparing video clips. The Gilchrist video may not have been of the highest quality in terms of sound. The Dudenbostel video was HQ. There may have been differences between the two. I have listened to quite few videos and I can tell the tonal quality of a mandolin pretty well from the video.

I am not necessarily saying that my JBovier A-5 is exactly the same tonal quality or volume as these or other HQ instruments. It has its own tonal quality and playability that is high enough to be considered a worthy contender at its price. It approximates very well the tonal quality of some of the more expensive and highly sought after top end instruments.

Jeff Cowherd has put some time in to perfect the tonal quality in his 2013 batch of mandolins. He has refined his new models so that they are now getting good reviews from mandolin players who have them.

[DataNick]

All I can say is:

Mando Tasting West - tent. date Sat Oct 12, 2013 Fallbrook, CA

Be there, Aloha!

[Nick Gellie]

I added an Allen tailpiece to my J Bovier A-5 mandolin today. It improved the protection and sustain no end. I am now even more impressed with its tone.

I did not realize that a cast tailpiece could make such a difference.

[OldSausage]

I added an Allen tailpiece to my J Bovier A-5 mandolin today. It improved the protection and sustain no end. I am now even more impressed with its tone.

I did not realize that a cast tailpiece could make such a difference.

I honestly don't think it can. My suspicion would be that there's something else going on there, for example perhaps you re-seated the bridge better than it was before - presumably you had to take it off to fit the new tailpiece.