# Instruments and Equipment > Videos, Pictures & Sound Files >  Supermodel Mandos

## Andrew B. Carlson

I'd like to see what your ideas are on your favorite mandolin "look". Actual sound and playability aside, if you could have your mando look any way, you wanted, what would it look like? Personally, I've always liked Gibson Ferns but only a couple have that "look" that just gets me. 

This is my "look". It's a Danny Roberts made F-5L fern with a red spruce varnish finish, aged binding, gold Waverlys and awesome sunburst. I wouldn't mind some light distressing I guess but I spose that just means I'd get to have the fun of doing it myself.





P.S. If this one happens to belong to one of you, let's talk.

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## JEStanek

I've already got mine.  I might add a Three Point Black-top with torch and wire as a dream looker.


and mine...


Jamie

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## John Rosett

I can't help it... I just love the whooped-up mutts.

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## man dough nollij

Supermodel twins!

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## man dough nollij

Another supermodel's hairdo:

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## Dano Reible

I had mine but had to give her up. Custom Silver Angel....

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## tshetter

Start off with some nice quilted maple:



I like a natural looking finish and not much color going on. Sunburst really isnt high on my preferred finishes, but a nice golden honey color is just what I want:



Im not too much into herringbone or abalone and fancy inlays but some turtle shell down the sides of the fretboard might look really nice.

Dunno if I would really want binding along the top or back or not. The look of top/back smoothly jointing the side is really clean and simple.

At a loss to find any good images but a carved/engraved headstock I think is a really interesting and unexplored crafting.

From, say, making the head stock look like a dragon head, or just tribal/celtic engravings in the face or along the sides would be really neat.

Best ive seen:




To finish it all off, because this is a no $$ limit fantasy right? I would have inlayed tuner knobs:



The overall style of my perfect mandolin might be described as one looking like a cadre of woodland elves skilled in Tolkienesque craft and magic carved and finished a mandolin for the Gods.

Or something. =)

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Bluejay

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## Austin Koerner

Well, I agree with man dough nollij. I love the Clark two point, everything about it is great. This two point is mine, the Monteleone is not. If I could pick any mandolin (if money wasn't an issue) I would get a Monte for sure.

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## Rob Powell

Ok, here are mine (I actually own the Weber)
Left to right - Sam's Hoss, Jbovier Blackface Zebra, Arrow G, Weber Distressed Yellowstone and the back of a Michael Lewis Rosewood...

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## billkilpatrick

i seem to be in a minority but i can't conceive of anything more elegant or more exotic looking than an F-style mandolin with an oval sound hole:  

(tried to attach a photo of mine from another thread but ... no dice - just close your eyes ... conjure up the image of this stunningly beautiful instrument and then start grinning - ear to ear - with the pure, unabashed pleasure of it.)

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## man dough nollij

> [IMG]
> Best ive seen:


Tshetter,

Who made the cool elf headstock? I want one.

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## DougC

I agree with tshetter:




> I like a natural looking finish and not much color going on. Sunburst really isnt high on my preferred finishes, but a nice golden honey color is just what I want:


Wood is beautiful and I think painting sunbursts is an odd notion. But Bentrup's black jazz mandolins are on the top of my list. Dreaming is a nice passtime but I should be working on my new tune. Maybe this inspires me, I think it does. 

OK lets see if this image upload thing works...

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## pjlama

Here's a pair-

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## Bill Snyder

> Tshetter,
> 
> Who made the cool elf headstock? I want one.


Looks like a Brian Dean (LaBraid now).

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## Andrew B. Carlson

I think that fern that I posted pictures of at the beginning of this thread is in the classifieds.

http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/...uery=retrieval

Too bad I'm poor.

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## man dough nollij

> Looks like a Brian Dean (LaBraid now).



That's what I thought, but I didn't see that one anywhere on Brian's website.

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## JEStanek

Brian doesn't have an exhaustive photo spread of all of his instruments.  That is in fact a Brian Dean instrument.  Previously, he used the b in the headstock.  Now he uses the stylized violin hole as the La Braid logo.

That is Otteryly2K's OM that Brian built incorporating a good deal of Purple Heart.  Here is the thread documenting it.

Jamie

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## Phil Goodson

My favorite look:  simple and great colors.

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## Chris Biorkman

Dan's Weins has to be one of my all-time favorites. If he didn't live in the UK, I probably would be on my way over right now with a crowbar and ski mask.

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## Chris Biorkman

Forgot I could post more than one pic...

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## man dough nollij

Another nice one from the folks in Logan:

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## JEStanek

From McMurdo is that a Bridger Too Far?  :Wink: 

Years ago the Bridger F style was my dream mando.  The Bridger A still _really_ appeals to me.

Jamie

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## man dough nollij

I'm just over a month away from my new custom Bridger A OM in Bozeman. Can't wait. Never did get any really good pix, but I'm thinking she's a supermodel.

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## JeffD

Jamie, I love the looks of that mandolin, every time you show it I get MAS bad.

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## LeonEvans

Steve Holst built mine in 2005.  The Holst C5.

Leon

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## Jake Wildwood

I own mine... I've always liked reverse scrolls... and this carved-top version of the same idea has the tone and feel to go with it.

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## swinginmandolins

My Holst 2 point. The soon to come 2 point with modern sound holes from Holst will be a Supermodel as well :Grin:

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## Roger Kunkel

The folks at First Quality took some nice shots of my Sumi 3pt before I bought it. Traditional with a twist and great wood and finish.

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## SternART

Monteleone Grand Artist Delux

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## Walt

Yeah, that Monte GA Deluxe has the coolest tailpiece on the planet.

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## Gelsenbury

I like the "A" style. This one listed on ebay at the moment looks lovely:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=370329317986

I have no idea how it sounds. But it looks nice. And it's one I might realistically be able to afford at some point.

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## Jim MacDaniel

I'm having a hard time determining which of these I prefer, but the two designs I keep coming back to as favorites are Stefan Sobell's mandolins; and Stephen Holst's F-styles, with their flashy colors and interesting sound holes -- although this recent two-point from Gary Nava looks pretty sweet as well...

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## Jake Wildwood

Hm, I may need to add to my selection a "pie in the sky" addition. Mr Dean's mandolins are FANTASTIC.

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## Ivan Kelsall

I have to confess that this darkly delicious Dude.(# 2 - pic.'kidnapped' from an earlier thread), does it for me. It looks as though it could play itself !. If this is #2,i'd love to see #1, & i wonder how many prototypes Lynn built before he released his Mandolins into the world,
                                                                                                          Ivan :Cool:

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## ninevah

Gilchrist Model 2,  blacktop - Looks nice but it's the sound that really makes it a super model.

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## hooboy

I keep being drawn to Poe #11, everytime I see this photo I stop and look at it a second, or third, time:



Who owns this?

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## chasray

I like curly maple.

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## Hans

Here's mine...

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ides1056

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## JEStanek

Frankly, Hans, your workshop is like a Supermodel Agency to me...  So many beautiful mandolins.

Jamie

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## sloanypal

VERY nice, Hans.

I'm in love with Giacomel's J5 Saturno.

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## Brad Weiss

I hate to brag (ha!) but this model designed in conjunction with Andrew Mowry has proven to be a very popular model- Andrew's put the headstock on a nice bunch of mandolins, and we spent a good deal of time getting it just right, first on MINE!

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## Ken Olmstead

Brentrup has built my Top 5 "Super Models" but mine is my favorite!

Brentrup Stealth V8

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## Don Grieser

Lots of eye candy here. I've never seen an oval hole Giacomel before. Love it. We need better photos of that blacktop Gilchrist oval, too. Sweet.

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## tree

The sunburst on the back of Hans's F-4 does it for me.  That is just a breathtaking sunburst, at least in my world.

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## buckles

#45

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## ninevah

Here you go Don, the Gil Blackface oval, better pics.

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## ninevah

And...

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## sgarrity

That Gil oval is beautiful!!  MAS inducing for sure!

Here's another beauty.....

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## Tripp Johnson

First time I've seen or heard of an oval hole Giacomel too...very nice...and man does that Stealth look cool. 

Love that Gil oval.

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## DerTiefster

I am a man of simple tastes.  Granted, this is a mandola, but it illustrates the matter.

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## Jim MacDaniel

OK, one more favorite here: Graham McDonald's take on the carved-top flat-back "Celtic style" mandolin...

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## Don Grieser

That Graham McDonald oval is really really really nice.

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## Ivan Kelsall

Ok guys,if we HAVE TO mention Mr.Brentrupp's sublime creations,here's my 2p (UK) 10 cents worth.
 This & a similar pic.has long resided on my PC as my desktop wallpaper,
                                                                                                Ivan :Wink:

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## Don Grieser

Here's my favorite, a basic Model 1, but super nonetheless. And then 3 Model 5s and 1 Model 4 from when Compton and Long visited. L to R: my 1999, David's with Monroeized headstock, Mike's 4 & 5.

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## Shawn Gambrel

Hmmmm The mandolin that gets me.. I would have to say this



I love the old vintage look of a Gibson also maybe this


That is my favorite Weber look

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## Patrick Hull

Jamie....just now noticed this thread.   I would be interested in knowing more about the two that you pictured.  I must have missed the story on those. Very unique and beautiful.

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## JEStanek

Patrick, Thanks!  There are links to threads on each of them from my blog.

Jamie

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## Walt

The Monteleone mambolino is definitely a Supermodel mando. Monteleone's floating tailpieces look amazing.

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## Charlieshafer

I am always blown away by the sculptural quality of Monteleone's instruments. That is beautiful. What exactly is a mambolino?

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## Walt

> I am always blown away by the sculptural quality of Monteleone's instruments. That is beautiful. What exactly is a mambolino?


I'm not sure why they call it the mambolino. I would assume it is a regular mandolin--I guess "mambolino" is just what he called the design.

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## Tripp Johnson

> Monteleone's floating tailpieces look amazing.


I agree...crazy eye candy.

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## pjlama

That Monte is insanely beautiful!

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## Jim MacDaniel

The "Giacomel for $1100" thread reminded me about the J3, the non-scroll Giacomel, which is a striking design as well:

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## DerTiefster

mambolino -- come on guys.  have you ever heard Carl Carlton's "Mama Jama"?  What would you call a jumbo mama mandolin(o)?  Mambolino!  Sexy to the point of over-the-top, and mandolin(o)ish.  If this isn't the meaning of the name, then it's a good enough approximation for me.  "Mamajama" shows up in the closing credits (I think) "Miss Congeniality 2" and there are examples on youtube, if you're interested.

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## San Rafael

I think the "C#" asymmetrical two-point shape is great looking (though I don't have one).  I've seen beautiful examples on the Cafe by Nugget and Old Wave.  Sorry, I don't do pics.

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## frankenstein

Blonde top supermodel..

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## frankenstein

and this .

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## buckles

that back is psychedelic!

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## LoneStar Boy

Of course, I'm partial to mine  :Grin:

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## RichM

Can't believe I haven't snuck this pretty girl from Allan Beardsell into this thread yet... :Smile:

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## RichM

and more...

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## Andrew DeMarco

sweet gorilla of Manilla!!!!! :Disbelief: 

This thread should be marked "adults only"

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## hank

RichM,  Your avatar has been teasing us for long enough.  Wow! Talk about Red all over and holes lined with tortoise. Give it up boys and girls.

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## Tripp Johnson

Yowza!!!

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## Randy Smith

> Can't believe I haven't snuck this pretty girl from Allan Beardsell into this thread yet...


butful!  And it's a round hole!  Cigars for everyone!  Incredible, Rich.

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## mtucker

> Can't believe I haven't snuck this pretty girl from Allan Beardsell into this thread yet...


wow, one very talented man!

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## pjlama

> and this .


That's my dream mandolin there.

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## mandomania7923

halsey and L. smart

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## mandomania7923

probably still my favorite mandolin ever...

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## lenf12

I still love this "old girl", a blond and beautiful '92 Gibson F-5L signed by Steve Carlson.

Enjoy!!
Len B.
Clearwater, FL

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## Walt

Another Lawrence Smart Supermodel.

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## KyleBerry

> probably still my favorite mandolin ever...


Yes this is my favorite too!  And I've played it!  :Mandosmiley:

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## frankenstein

> That's my dream mandolin there.


PJ. Tom told me the torch head F and my blonde top A were IBMA display partners. I almost got it.. but alas !! heres 2 more pics of mine. nice top hey ? good thread this.

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## pjlama

> PJ. Tom told me the torch head F and my blonde top A were IBMA display partners. I almost got it.. but alas !! heres 2 more pics of mine. nice top hey ? good thread this.


That's outrageous! Please post a pic of your inlay. I just think the torch and wire is the coolest thing he's done. I can't handle an F right now but should be meeting my new mail order bride tomorrow. She's from deep in the heart of Texas  :Wink:

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## frankenstein

Yeah the torch head does it for me too !! I'm gonna have to twist Tom's arm and get a Blonde ( seen enough sunbursts ) F with torch head if he would be so kind.. Don't know how willing he is though..A new bride has got to be a good thing, whadya get an Ellis A ?? COOL !  Here's a pic of my A headstock . pics don't do it justice, in real life that shell just shines.  What a piece of work and the Waverlies feel so good..

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## frankenstein

another one.     and for people who ask why are some mandolins so expensive, these examples show the time consuming details that command the price.IMHO.

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## hank

Dan's Zouk is my Holy Cow.

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## MandoNicity

> Dan's Zouk is my Holy Cow.


wow!  that's gorgeous!

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## ColdBeerGoCubs

> Dan's Zouk is my Holy Cow.


 Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

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## Jim MacDaniel

> and more...


Oh yeah -- that one belongs in this thread.  :Smile:

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## Darryl Wolfe

I can't help but think my snake A4 belongs.  She makes all of her snakehead brothers in the house look pretty scruffy

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## pjlama

How about a few more pictures Darryl?

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## pjlama

> ..A new bride has got to be a good thing, whadya get an Ellis A ?? COOL !..


You'll see soon enough  :Grin:

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## frankenstein

Daryl,,Your A-4 snake is beautiful. yeah more pics please.. Here's a couple of birdseye Sumi's..and my F-4L..

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## pjlama

Those Sumi's are fantastic!

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## Darryl Wolfe

More of 82619

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## j. condino

Sweet!!! Are one of those wrapped in that squeeky clean mint  original shaped case that I sold you a couple of years back? That epay bidding war made you pay a pretty good price for it....

j.
www.condino.com

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## Darryl Wolfe

> Sweet!!! Are one of those wrapped in that squeeky clean mint  original shaped case that I sold you a couple of years back? That epay bidding war made you pay a pretty good price for it....
> 
> j.
> www.condino.com



Yes, as a matter of fact the A4 is now in it instead of the black A.  The A4 had a nice case, but the red on red is fabulous.  I have never regretted paying that price

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## Darryl Wolfe

Supermodel Case - -The A4 looks much better in it

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## j. condino

I found that old case in the back of a pawnshop in Portland, Oregon with no sign of a mandolin in sight. When I asked the guy how much, he gave me the once over, turned away, and said it wasn't for sale. A few minutes later I was getting ready to leave and he came over to check out the bicycle I was riding- a 1939 Elgin fat fendered singlespeed I had paid $5 bucks for and ridden into the ground and restored twice more, logging probably 25,000 miles on it. That old bike was art deco in motion- incredibly smooth and as lazy as a vintage Chris Craft mahogany runabout in the turns. In a bike nerd town like Portland, it was the eqivalent of pulling out a well used Loar.

It was also ten days before I was leaving the country. My wife and I had sold everything we owned except for my mandolin and her fiddle, I closed up shop, and we left the country for a while with nothing but what we could fit in a small backpack.

After the pawnshop guy and I shook hands, I walked home about five miles with that case under my arm. I shipped it to you ten days later on my way to the amtrac station where we rode it down the coast to baja and then kept heading south...'glad to see it found a good home.

j.
www.condino.com

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## manjitsu

Pure poetry. Beautiful.

-Chris

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## pjlama

Great story James.

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## Darryl Wolfe

REF:  that case....At Loarfest a couple of years ago, Tichenor asked me if it was new prototype "A" version of the Saga Golden Gate Vintage

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## mandomania7923

http://www.poestrings.com/Mandolins/033.html

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## Mandociety

Sounds better than she looks too  :Smile:

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## pjlama

Here's a real hotty;

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## mritter

PJ...Is that the one you have on hold at Gruhn?

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## Ed Goist

> I'd like to see what your ideas are on your favorite mandolin "look". Actual sound and playability aside, if you could have your mando look any way, you wanted, what would it look like? ...snip...


Fortunately for me, like Jamie and some other lucky folks, I'd have to say I've already got mine:

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## Steve-o

> Fortunately for me, like Jamie and some other lucky folks, I'd have to say I've already got mine:


Wow, Ed that's a beauty!  Do you discuss the woods and design nuances on another thread?

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## MandoSquirrel

I like the Monteleone and Phoenix styles.
I also like the KayKraft body style:


and the Breedlove K body descendants(esp. McKinley), such as my Cascade:


I find the Breedlove F body ugly, but the Giacomels far more so.

I also like Gibson oval A or F and F5's, and Lyon & Healy long scale A's are some of the most beautiful.


Vega cylinder backs, too.

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## Ed Goist

> Wow, Ed that's a beauty!  Do you discuss the woods and design nuances on another thread?


Hi Steve; 
Thanks very much!
* Here is a thread about the builder and the model.
* Here is a thread about the wood choices for this mandolin.
* Here is a very comprehensive photo gallery (143 pics) of the build.

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## pjlama

> PJ...Is that the one you have on hold at Gruhn?


Ummm, yes.

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## jmagill

> Well, I agree with man dough nollij. I love the Clark two point, everything about it is great. This two point is mine, the Monteleone is not. If I could pick any mandolin (if money wasn't an issue) I would get a Monte for sure.


Fun to see this thread. John Monteleone built the Grand Artist shown above (#44) for me in 1980. Great instrument.  I also got to see Andrew Poe's #33 in person and was very impressed. 

I'm having Steve Holst build me a mandolin, due in August, based on this one:



From these photos of a real mandolin, owned by *swinginmandolins*, I've been developing different design ideas in Photoshop. Currently, I'm thinking of something like what you see below, though I expect some design elements to change once Steve and I get further into the building process. This is just a mockup; not yet a real instrument.

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## Ed Goist

Jim; those mockup images you made are really cool!
I really like the use of the same quilted wood & stain on the sound-hole rosette, the finger-rest and the tailpiece.
Very nice look.
I very much look forward to seeing pics of this one as it becomes a reality.

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## mritter

> Here's a real hotty;


That's a nice one. Congrats.

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## mtucker

> Ummm, yes.


...cheap 'pac-rim' import!  ... :Laughing:

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## pjlama

Yes, it's a copy  :Wink:

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## mtucker

:Grin:

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Bigtuna, 

DaveBCC

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## Andrew B. Carlson

> Here's a real hotty;



A gorgeous Loaresque back on her! My favorite. A rare find IMO. (unless you're only looking at Gils)

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## jmagill

Of all the mandolins I've owned, this one was my favorite. 

While visiting John Monteleone's shop one day in 1981, I saw this oval-holed Grand Artist hanging on the wall. It was a sister to my f-hole Grand Artist (see post #113 above), and I asked who its owner was. John said it was just one he made for fun, as an experiment. 

I bought it on the spot, and I've never seen (or heard) another Monteleone like it since. The bridge saddle is bone and came with the instrument. John made me another saddle at my request: ebony with bone inserts under just the treble strings, which I still have.

It's current owner was kind enough to send me these pics.

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## man dough nollij

MTucker, is that a wombat? How does it play up the neck?

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## usqebach

Ya just can't have too many wombat pics on a mandolin forum!

And for a complete redirect, my dad used to sell Hodaka motorcycles, one of which was called the "Combat Wombat."  

PJ, do you remember those?


And now we return you to your regularly scheduled thread...

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## pjlama

Wombats freak me out.

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## pjlama

I'm familiar with most bikes but am pleading ignorance on the Combat Wombat. It's probably my aversion to wombats that's creating a block  :Laughing:

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## man dough nollij

Hey, I remember the Combat Wombat, Road Toad, and Dirt Squirt. Chrome gas tank Hodakas!



Mandolin content: That wombat looks like he's wincing at my playing...

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## pjlama

Sweet bike but the zip ties for the brake line on the fork brace are pretty ghetto.

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## Marc Woodward

I like that bike! Be sure to kill myself if I had one though....  :Frown: 
Like the wombat too...

Now, mandolins...
I fell in love with the Monty GA on the Quintet 80 album... it was sooo cool!
But then again I loved the blonde 3 point F4 hanging on a statue on the rounder album (hmm, I'm not a complete Grisman nut but they were great albums at an influential age for me!). 
Anyway, a modern F hole take on a 3 point mando would be nice... then Andy Manson made this:

Its what credit cards were made for hey? (gulp...)
Marc

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sgrexa, 

stevedenver

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## Andrew B. Carlson

Wow. That is just beautiful! I really wish 3 points like this, or like the old ones were more popular in todays builders.

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## Caleb

> and mine...
> 
> 
> Jamie


I think I might have told you before, Jamie, but this is the coolest mandolin I've ever seen.  I'd take one just like it (maybe with a lion as the inlay though).  Do you have any video or audio of it being played?

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## John Hill

* nerd alert *

That mando has an "eye of sauron" thing going on there. Very cool.

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Michael Bridges

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## jtsc

My absolute favorite instrument to play.  Beardsell #50, circa '99 (the only one Allan made with the larger side port on the upper bout.  Note, that's a reflection on the body, not a ding.  Even though it has 4 sound ports on the side (of different sizes) and only one on the front, it projects extremely well.  And, as a player, since it has the holes that would face up, I certainly hear myself well, with louder players as well.

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## sgrexa

This Girouard F-5 is a beautiful instrument in many, many ways.  Thanks Max and Lauri!


Sean

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## sgrexa

Love the patina that Beardsell blacktop has obtained over the years.  Beautiful instrument.

Sean

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jtsc

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## f5joe

> I have to confess that this darkly delicious Dude.(# 2 - pic.'kidnapped' from an earlier thread), does it for me. It looks as though it could play itself !. If this is #2,i'd love to see #1, & i wonder how many prototypes Lynn built before he released his Mandolins into the world,
>                                                                                                           Ivan


Thank you Ivan ...... Dude #2 is very special to me.  Lynn built #1 for himself (a home run) and then my #2.  She plays effortlessly as she just celebrated 17 years.  btw, I just found this thread.


65_p51501 by f5joep, on Flickr

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stevedenver

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## tmsweeney

I'd have to go with the L&H and F4 posted by mandosquirrel - I own a few dark sunburst - but is not my favorite look

but the Monteleone oval hole grand artist works for me too

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## jmagill

> ...the Monteleone oval hole grand artist works for me too


I'd almost forgotten about this thread; nice to see it again.

My Holst custom F4, based on my oval-hole Monteleone, is now a few months old, and I think it qualifies as a supermodel:

 

 


You can find more (and bigger) pics and a review of it here.

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Barry Wilson

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## Eric Foulke

This one still blows my mind.

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John Flynn, 

jtsc, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Counter, 

stevedenver

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## f5joe

> I'd almost forgotten about this thread; nice to see it again.
> 
> My Holst custom F4, based on my oval-hole Monteleone, is now a few months old, and I think it qualifies as a supermodel:
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> 
> You can find more (and bigger) pics and a review of it here.


That's as Supermodel as you can get.  A wonderful update on the F4.

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## tmsweeney

Yeah that Holst is a beauty - I like the shape of the modern F4 - love that big oval

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## John Flynn

> This one still blows my mind.


I'm glad to see someone give a shout out to Rigel. I know they are not to everyone's taste, but I think Pete Langdell came up with an incredible mix of form and function with the basic Rigel design and then went on to do some really creative things with it, like the "super bee" design above. The CT-110 shown below is in the "supermodel" category for me.

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stevedenver

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## jtsc

Just saw this one in Teaneck, NJ - at a loss for words...

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## Grommet

Uhh, Dang!

Scott

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## JonZ

> * nerd alert *
> 
> That mando has an "eye of sauron" thing going on there. Very cool.


Don't you mean "precious"?

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## Steve Sorensen

Steve

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## Marty Jacobson

This is the Supermodel thread, Steve, not the Evil Genius thread....  :Wink:

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Steve Sorensen

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## Andrew B. Carlson

> This is the Supermodel thread, Steve, not the Evil Genius thread....


...said the pot to the kettle. Both of you guys' mandolins are ridiculously gorgeous.

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JEStanek, 

Steve Sorensen

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## Jim Garber

> Just saw this one in Teaneck, NJ - at a loss for words...


That is the Monteleone Radio Flyer at Lark Street Music. Did you play that one? I was just down the street the other day but it was Saturday. Man!

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## Steve Sorensen

Offered for your consideration -

 

Steve

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## Andrew B. Carlson

Hokie dina Steve! This is getting out of hand!

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## William Smith

> Hokie dina Steve! This is getting out of hand!


I agree my friend!, WoW ! Way tooooo many sweet machines on this thread. I simply love each and every ones uniqueness. I really need to win that powerball boys. I do believe $$ would help my happiness :Grin:

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## Andrew B. Carlson

> Offered for your consideration -
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


And you got the top color ppuuurrrfect IMO. I'm adding this to my folder of mando photos for the instrument I hope to have built one day for color reference.

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## Red-emperor

Mine's the Giacomel J5

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## Londy

> I've already got mine.  I might add a Three Point Black-top with torch and wire as a dream looker.
> 
> 
> and mine...
> 
> 
> Jamie


Wow! That mandolin is beautiful! That would be anyone's dream instrument. I like it because of its different looks. really nice.

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## Londy

> This one still blows my mind.


Looks like the Doppler affect.

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## Pete Jenner

> I was just down the street the other day but it was Saturday. Man!


What??? You live in the capitalist capital of the universe and your music shops don't open on Saturday??? *falls over backwards*

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## Jim Nollman

This one first caught my eye for its lines, and that back plate. About 18 months later, one came up on the Classifieds and I immediately pulled the trigger. It has been my main recording mandolin now for almost 3 years. I have been surprised to hear that Ben Wilcox has not made more than 3 or 4 of these. Like a lot of other players posting here, I am especially drawn to mandolins like this one that show a gorgeous execution of a hybrid design.

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## usqebach

Jim,


Jim,

I love your mando as well!  I think I've moved on to his current 2 point model, but yours is a real looker.  I prefer your modified paddle head to the modified snakehead he's currently using.

BTW, would you have a link to your aforementioned recordings?  I'd love to check it out.

Thanks!

Jim

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## Jim Nollman

Jim, I emailed you some links to my recordings. And I just took a close look at the BRW two-point. Pretty nice stuff, including the headstock. Please post some photos of yours. 

I'd love to know if these two-points sound anything at all like my 3-point with its hybrid bracing. I'd call mine a jazz mandolin, distinguished by its hefty pop across the fingerboard. I notice that the 2-points also have that same tightly-figured,  burgundy, fiddleback maple which Ben seems to use so often. 

I've always been curious if the tight symmetrical rays add anything to the way it sounds. It LOOKS like it should, but that doesn't mean much in the real world.

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## Steve Sorensen

Recently sent out into the world,

 .

Steve

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Andrew B. Carlson, 

jtsc

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