Would love to hear from you AND see pics of your mandolins... even better if you have any sound files you'd like to share. Many thanks.
Would love to hear from you AND see pics of your mandolins... even better if you have any sound files you'd like to share. Many thanks.
Winfield, I have Buckeye #51. It's the first birdseye maple mandolin Pete built. If you search the archieves there are a couple threads with lots of pictures. I'm no computer guy, or I would have pasted the link.. They are awesome mandolins for sure.
Barry likes his. I got to sit and watch him and Frank Solivan trade licks one night... then trade instruments (Heiden and Buckeye).
edit: IIRC, Barry's Buckeye has a rosewood back... at least it isn't maple. He and Frank had a lively exchange after swapping mandolins for a song on how different they were sonically and in the hand. To be clear, neither felt the other had a bad mandolin... far from it, they were just very different.
Jamie
There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second. Logan Pearsall Smith, 1865 - 1946
+ Give Blood, Save a Life +
If I'm not mistaken Frank plays a Michael Lewis mandolin. He might have a Heiden too,
but I'm pretty sure the the one he plays with bound f-holes is a Lewis.
Arthur, You are correct... complete mistake on my part.
Jamie
There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second. Logan Pearsall Smith, 1865 - 1946
+ Give Blood, Save a Life +
I have #55, which I bought new. Fantastic mandolin. I would buy another if I could. For $5K they are every bit as good as the $10-15K mondos out there...IMHO! I'll try to get pictures later on.
For good sound bites, check out Joe Clark playing his Buckeye on youtube. My favorites of his are Grey Eagle and Footprints in the Snow, but there are others.
Bob
re simmers
Several years ago, when we were playing the same festival, Frank had his Fletcher Brock F5 with him and he offered to let me play it. It is a fine mandolin, very responsive, and it sounded fantastic miked on stage. When I last saw Frank at IBMA, he was playing his Lewis and his fiddle. If he also has a Heiden now, then well, his very excellent taste in mandolins just continues...
Concerning Buckeyes, I've had the chance to play only one and it had killer fat tone, but also a lot of cut and volume in a rather large jam that included a banjo and a fiddle. It had a really skinny neck on it. I think I remember the owner telling me that it was an older one that had once belonged to Johnny Staats. If I had had the money, I would have ordered the nearly finished one that Pete Hart had up for sale in the classifieds just a few weeks ago. Whoever had the dough for that, will not be dissapointed, I am certain.
Cheryl, it was a Lewis he had when I took those photos. On his FB page, Michael Lewis is often tagged in photos of Frank with his mandolin. I mis-posted earlier.
Jamie
There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second. Logan Pearsall Smith, 1865 - 1946
+ Give Blood, Save a Life +
Oh, it was his Lewis. It's a very fine sounding mandolin, isn't it? I've never had the chance to play that one.
Thanks all for your responses.
Re Simmons - I would really love to see pics of your mando! How is the fit and finish of your Buckeye? They sound fabulous.
I didn't play the Lewis, the Buckeye or Compton's Gil (F4). Mike Compton was jamming with Frank before Barry showed up. I was literally right over their shoulders just enjoying the tunes. It's pointless to describe them. It was just wonderful to watch good tools in their master's hands.
Jamie
Jamie
There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second. Logan Pearsall Smith, 1865 - 1946
+ Give Blood, Save a Life +
Buy a Buckeye and never look back. Great old dry sounding mandolin with depth. I put some small Jescar stainless frets in mine and I love it.
Red Diamond Vintage 24 A
Buckeye #56
I have seen and heard the re simmers Buckeye. A Beautiful instrument with the woodiest bark I have ever heard on a mando. Exceptional volume as well. If "banjo killer" were in the dictionary, it would have a picture of this mando.
Man, I don't know what it is about these mandolin maker's names but I just cannot keep them straight: Buckeye, Buckhorn, Elkhorn. Elkeye, Buckthorn, etc.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
I'm more than happy with Buckeye #66, though it took me a while to reach that satisfied place. I was playing an oval hole, X-braced Breedlove before this, and bought it sight unseen, my first extended experience with an F5 instrument, as well. Now that I've had it a few years, I'm really, really happy with how it's developed and what it allows me to do as a player. I play with more confidence than I did previously, and always feel like I can get the right sound out of it if I just work on it. Can't ask for more than that. All the mandolin tracks on my duo's newest record were recorded with it, and mandola tunes were with my wonderful Arrow mandola: http://thebignorthduo.bandcamp.com/releases. Here's a shot Or two:
I don't have one right now but I have had a couple in the past ,I am a fan of them,the next one comes along I may not be so quick to send it off
Danny
Danny Clark
I got to open (Cabin Fever String Band) for the Spinney Brothers tonight. Got to meet with Spinney Brother’s mandolin player, Gary Dalrymple. Gary was playing a new Buckeye F-5 mandolin. Not only is Gary a fine player but the Buckeye was outstanding. I also got to meet Pete Hart, the luthier who makes the Buckeye, as he was also at the show. Pete showed me a companion F-5 Buckeye that he had brought with him. It was made recently along with Gary’s new Buckeye. It was a joy to play and examine. Great detail with the most beautiful 1-piece flamed back. I’m glad I got a chance to meet both Pete and Gary, fine people. Pete Hart lives near Athens, I was interested to find that he had learned building from the late, great Bob White of Athens, Ohio.
Old Hometown, Cabin Fever String Band
I played both those mandolins earlier this year. Both have that Buckeye sound for sure.
Bookmarks