# General Mandolin Topics > Looking for Information About Mandolins >  Old Ellis F5 vs New Ellis F5

## red7flag

In the picture section, I was asked to compare my new Ellis with the one I had until last summer.  I think this is worth a thread so here is my response:

I did have an F5 that I got new from Gruhn Guitar many years ago. I sold it about a year ago and the repercussions of selling it led to getting this new one. The playability and finish are very much the same. The earlier one had one sided binding (not sure the proper name or which side, no while stripe around the pick guard and had a sugar maple back. The new one has double binding, a strip around the pick guard and western broad leaf back. This different woods provides the biggest difference. While both have that distinct Ellis sound, the older one has a sharper attack and cuts more. The new one a more full round sound. The first more grassy the second more broad in nature. For the music I play, which for the most part is not hard driving grass, I prefer the second, but either are proficient for any type of music.

----------


## Doug Freeman

Do recall what the year and/or number of your older Ellis F-5 was?

----------


## red7flag

Do not know the number.  Was about 2008.

----------


## Capt. E

When comparing older vs new Ellis mandolins, I would stick with comparing the instruments made before Tom stopped building in the 1980's and the instruments built after he started up again. Pava Knezevic came on board with Tom about 2005 and has been doing much of the build work on Ellis mandolins short of the final hand carving, tap tuning etc.

----------


## Doug Freeman

I wonder if other peoples' experience with 2005-to-now Ellis F-5s is similar to OP's:  earlier ones more grassy, newer ones more full and round?

----------


## almeriastrings

> I wonder if other peoples' experience with 2005-to-now Ellis F-5s is similar to OP's:  earlier ones more grassy, newer ones more full and round?


No, not really. However, Red7flag's new one uses a different maple than standard, current configuration which has to be factored in. 

I always thought Ricky Skagg's early one sounded "grassy" enough, regardless... and my own keeps me more than happy, and I _only_ play bluegrass.

----------


## Tobin

> I wonder if other peoples' experience with 2005-to-now Ellis F-5s is similar to OP's:  earlier ones more grassy, newer ones more full and round?


I don't know about the old-versus-new comparison, but the new ones sound plenty "grassy" to me, while also sounding full and round.  It's really all about the playing technique.

For example, Billy Bright's Ellis sounds really "grassy" to me in certain parts of this video.  I'm assuming his is one of the post-2005 ones, but does anyone know for sure?

----------


## LongBlackVeil

Played Steve Smiths older ellis last weekend, it seemed brighter compared to my a5. His also sounded more open, but mine is only a few months old. Not sure how old his is


I saw Billy's but didn't play it. I don't feel like I can fairly judge his.

----------


## yankees1

Regardless of old vs new, an Ellis is a great mandolin !

----------

Benski, 

doc holiday

----------


## Capt. E

> Played Steve Smiths older ellis last weekend, it seemed brighter compared to my a5. His also sounded more open, but mine is only a few months old. Not sure how old his is
> 
> 
> I saw Billy's but didn't play it. I don't feel like I can fairly judge his.


I was in a music shop when Billy brought in his brand new Ellis and heard it played a bit. It was really, really nice sounding, besides being simply beautiful.

----------


## Tobin

> Played Steve Smiths older ellis last weekend, it seemed brighter compared to my a5. His also sounded more open, but mine is only a few months old. Not sure how old his is


Steve's F5 is number 113.  I can't remember what year it was made, but I want to say it was 2009-2010-ish.  So it's several years old (and it's been played a lot), but it's definitely not one of the older vintage ones.

His is the one on the right in the photo below (which was from last year's HCAMP - another photo of this lineup taken by Steve is on the Ellis main page).  Mine is on the left.  But it's interesting that you say his seemed brighter.  I actually thought his Ellis sounded rather dark and woody, compared to my Ellis which was only about 5 months old at the time.  Regardless of the descriptions we use to describe the sound, his did sound good!

----------


## Josh Levine

Welp, looks like I have #110 en route to my house right now. Very similar to your old one, unbound pick guard, etc. Hoping it has that grassier sound like yours as well. Look forward to picking on it.

----------


## Capt. E

> I don't know about the old-versus-new comparison, but the new ones sound plenty "grassy" to me, while also sounding full and round.  It's really all about the playing technique.
> 
> For example, Billy Bright's Ellis sounds really "grassy" to me in certain parts of this video.  I'm assuming his is one of the post-2005 ones, but does anyone know for sure?


I believe Billy got his Ellis around 2009-10

----------


## DataNick

> Welp, looks like I have #110 en route to my house right now. Very similar to your old one, unbound pick guard, etc. Hoping it has that grassier sound like yours as well. Look forward to picking on it.


Congrats & good on you Josh!

----------


## Atlanta Mando Mike

I played Billy's not long after he got it and at the time, I thought it was such an awesome mandolin.  Played so smooth.  I haven't played it since but gt in touch with him a few years ago trying to see if he would sell it and his response was heck no!!!  He has a Gilchrist at one time didn't he?  Anybody know the deal on that mandolin?  What year it was, who has it now, etc...

----------


## pheffernan

> Welp, looks like I have #110 en route to my house right now. Very similar to your old one, unbound pick guard, etc. Hoping it has that grassier sound like yours as well. Look forward to picking on it.


Congrats, Josh! Is anything leaving to fund this purchase or is it a pure addition?

----------


## Josh Levine

Not sure. I should be able to check it out in a few days. If all is well, I would probably put the newly refinished MT2H on the market in a few months when it arrives. Maybe both that and the Stiver, but I really don't want to sell the Stiver. I got a really good deal on the Ellis, though so just went for it. I looked up pictures of RedFlags and it is almost identical looking... It was the one that was for sale at Carmel Music. http://carmelmusic.com/stocklist/sca..._F5_110_FB.jpg

----------

Ivan Kelsall, 

jhammond, 

pheffernan

----------


## Benski

Gorgeous mandolin, Josh. Enjoy!

----------


## Josh Levine

Um, ya.

----------


## Josh Levine

So, I picked up the Ellis #110, yesterday. It is a mighty fine instrument. First off,  it is drop dead gorgeous. The tone is something else. I am still trying to full understand it. It is resonant and responsive, good pop and pretty dry. The previous owner hadn't really played it in years as he is a guitar player. So I changed the strings last night and they are still seasoning. I am excited to sit and pick it today. It is still somewhat of an enigma to me. Once I get a few hours behind it and get the strings broken in I will be able to give a better description, but ya, it is amazing.

----------

MysTiK PiKn

----------


## DataNick

Cool Josh!

Will you need to tweak the set-up?

Good on you Bro!

----------


## Josh Levine

I don't reckon so. It felt like a pretty good setup but with have to rough it up a bit to find out.

----------

DataNick

----------


## Ivan Kelsall

What brand of strings are you using ?. When i got my 'used' Ellis "A" style several months ago,the strings on it were shot,so i put a set of DR MD11's on it (the strings i use on my other 2) & it's been terrific ever since. However,i did contact Tom Ellis to ask about his favourite strings & he really goes for the GHS A270 set which has a .016" 'A' string rather than the usual .015" . I decided to try a set for myself & i liked them very much indeed. The don't have the sheer 'punch' of the DR's,but they are sweet & open,full toned & feel like silk under the fingers. IMHO,they're way ahead of the J74's which i used for close to 8 years,but that's *my* opinion. Tom did mention that he'd tried DR's himself & liked them,but i think he prefered the GHS set,
                                                                                                                                       Enjoy that Ellis - Ivan :Wink:

----------


## MysTiK PiKn

> So, I picked up the Ellis #110, yesterday. It is a mighty fine instrument. First off,  it is drop dead gorgeous. The tone is something else. I am still trying to full understand it. It is resonant and responsive, good pop and pretty dry. The previous owner hadn't really played it in years as he is a guitar player. So I changed the strings last night and they are still seasoning. I am excited to sit and pick it today. It is still somewhat of an enigma to me. Once I get a few hours behind it and get the strings broken in *I will be able to give a better description*, but ya, it is amazing.


Me, I like this description - the kid in the candy store version. thx.  :Wink: 
I can feel the excitement.
good score.

----------


## Josh Levine

I think it had some old J74s on it when I got it. The previous owner said it had been sitting in the case for years, as he didn't play it hardly ever as he is a guitar player. I'm guessing them strangs were pretty old. I put J74s on it cause thats what I had around the house and typically use... sounds fantastic to me. Maybe I will try out something else down the road to see how they play but I am happy with the J74s.

----------


## Ivan Kelsall

JW - Just for the experience,treat that Ellis to a set of the GHS A270's. It's not for nothing that Tom Ellis likes them so much & i'm coming to the conclusion that they might be 'the' strings for my Weber. The DR's sound fine,but as the Weber is a bit bright in itself,maybe the A270's will calm it down,
                                               Ivan :Wink:

----------


## almeriastrings

I've had some mandolins that were really "fussy" about strings. Sounded great with some sets, not good with others, but in the case of my own Ellis, it seems a very tolerant and accepting kind of instrument, as it sounds absolutely great with just about anything decent! I've had GHS, J74's, EXP's, even a couple of sets of (discontinued) Martin phosphor mediums on there and all have sounded really nice. 

Nice catch that Ellis... It has a very nice back and great color. I'm sure it will also welcome being woken up and played a bit after such a long slumber with dead strings in its case. No way to treat such a beautiful instrument!

PS: what kind of side binding does it have?

----------


## Benski

I love to tinker with my mandolins to see what various combinations of strings/picks/setup produce in terms of both sound and feel. My beautiful Ellis F5 came directly from Tom with the GHS A270's that he recommends and they sounded excellent (did I mention that I'm in some combination of love and lust regarding this mandolin?). I tried D'Addario J74's on it and they were ok, but nothing special. J75's also didn't add anything in particular. So far, my favorite has been the new D'Addario EXP74CM (the "Chris Thile" set).  They added a really nice deep thunk to the sound and had both a sustain and a decay rate that I really like. I also like the feel of them, especially the slightly upsized E string (.0115" - it may sound silly/insignificant but you really do feel it...or at least I do). 

One of the online string retailers recently ran a sale on the Thomastik's so I figured what the hell and just put on a set of the Starks. They've only been on the F5 for a day or so and the sound is not terribly much different than the EXP74CM's...but the FEEL is really, well, luxurious is the only word I can think of. Being flatwound, I'm having to pay attention not to overshoot my slides, but that's an easy adjustment to make. There is also, I think, a slight decrease in volume from the EXP74CM's, and I will probably go back to them once the Thomastiks come off. The tension feels overall lower as well. I play 1-2 hours per day so this is a nice feature. 

One additional note about the Thomastiks: they have a black cloth wrapping/taping for a few inches on both ends. The ones just above the loop help dampen sympathetic vibrations by the tailpiece, I'm thinking. But the ones on the other end really help facilitate string changing...nice to be able to see the windings as they go around the tuner peg, and they seem to help keep the end from flailing around while tightening the string to pitch. Story at 11 on how they perform over time.

As far as the Ellis A goes, I've tried all the above (except the Thomastiks) on it and Tom's A270's sound the best to my ears. 

For the record, each mandolin has its own sound and personality, within the Ellis spectrum, and they are the two best sounding and playing mandolins I've had the pleasure to own. 

Point is, the string testing odyssey is a journey of discovery of subtlety, nuance and small degrees of difference. 

Enjoy the ride and congrats again on your new Ellis.

----------


## Tobin

> I love to tinker with my mandolins to see what various combinations of strings/picks/setup produce in terms of both sound and feel. My beautiful Ellis F5 came directly from Tom with the GHS A270's that he recommends and they sounded excellent (did I mention that I'm in some combination of love and lust regarding this mandolin?). I tried D'Addario J74's on it and they were ok, but nothing special. J75's also didn't add anything in particular. So far, my favorite has been the new D'Addario EXP74CM (the "Chris Thile" set).  They added a really nice deep thunk to the sound and had both a sustain and a decay rate that I really like. I also like the feel of them, especially the slightly upsized E string (.0115" - it may sound silly/insignificant but you really do feel it...or at least I do).


Both my Ellis F5 and Pava came with GHS A270s as well, and I just couldn't fall in love with those strings.  They work well on the Pava, and I keep them on there because my wife plays it and wants to stick with what Tom recommends.  But the G and D strings on the A270 set are just too 'grippy' for my tastes, making slides awkward.  The tone is great on the Pava, but just didn't tickle my fancy on my Ellis.  J74s were just kind of 'blah' as well.  I've been using EXP 75s and now the new EXP74CMs, and they play well, but the tone of the coated strings doesn't really bring out the best in the instrument.

A few weeks ago I was given a set of strings from Euphanon, and I was immediately pleased by the punchiness of the G and D strings.  Per their website, these are made by one of the major string companies, but I don't know which.  I really do like the sound of them, although the A and E strings are smaller gauge than I prefer.  They apparently use a 0.014" A string, which is oddly undersized for the set.  But I like the G and D strings in this set.

The hard part thing about trying all these different strings is that it can get really confusing as to what you like or don't like, since it depends on what you just took off and put on.  I may try A, B, C, and D in that order, but by the time I get to D, it's hard to judge whether I like it better than A, since they were so far apart.  




> One of the online string retailers recently ran a sale on the Thomastik's so I figured what the hell and just put on a set of the Starks. They've only been on the F5 for a day or so and the sound is not terribly much different than the EXP74CM's...but the FEEL is really, well, luxurious is the only word I can think of. Being flatwound, I'm having to pay attention not to overshoot my slides, but that's an easy adjustment to make. There is also, I think, a slight decrease in volume from the EXP74CM's, and I will probably go back to them once the Thomastiks come off. The tension feels overall lower as well. I play 1-2 hours per day so this is a nice feature.


I agree, the Thomastik Starks were really luxurious to play.  But I'm surprised that you found them to sound similar to the EXP74CMs.  They're worlds apart, to my ear.  The TI Starks were just too mellow and lacked the volume I was looking for.

----------


## Benski

Tobin: I think I'm going to wind up agreeing with you...the Thomastiks will likely prove to be too mellow...I'm already missing the punch of the EXP74CM's. 

My metric for string testing is simple: do I get that "I'm in love with the sound" feeling when I play. A subjective metric, for sure, but at the end of the day, what else matters? I have been getting that for sure from the CM's. I will probably pull them off the F5 and slap them on the A5 and see how that goes, just out of curiosity (and to get my 42 bucks' worth out of them).

Now PICK testing...that I can REALLY drive myself nuts over......

----------


## yankees1

I use Dr md11's and A270's but I prefer the A270's as  they have more punch to my ears !

----------


## PKWebb

I took a look in #118 it is from 2007. Serial number looks like this 118-07. At that time Ellis was doing F5 Deluxes in addition to the F5 Specials.  #118 is a Deluxe, back and sides are very attractive red maple. Deluxes have red maple and side trim has no black accent lines. Mandos from this time period aren't all F5 Specials.

----------


## Josh Levine

Thanks for all the tips on the strings. I think I will order some EXPs for the next set. 

I am guessing mine is a special it has the side binding with the black accent lines.  So that must be the Special? I was trying to figure that out too. It also has an unbound small black pick guard. 

-Josh

----------


## Tobin

> Deluxes have red maple and side trim has no black accent lines. Mandos from this time period aren't all F5 Specials.


Wow, thanks for that.  Is that the only difference?  

I had always been curious on the difference between the Specials and Deluxes.  Mine was tagged as an F5 Special when I bought it (and that's what he calls 'em on his website), so that's what I've called it, but to be honest I wasn't sure!  I know that F5 Deluxes are out there but I wasn't sure what the difference was.  I thought it had more to do with the special fancy woods on the back, or gold versus nickel hardware.

So if it has this binding, it's definitely an F5 Special?

----------


## PKWebb

Well I'm just speaking from my own understanding but binding & back and side wood are the big differences between the Deluxes & Specials. #118 is a Deluxe & it has the gold hardware, so I don't think that's a factor. I had a phone conversation with Tom in which he mentioned that he only built one Deluxe with Sugar Maple, the rest were all Red Maple.

----------


## almeriastrings

From Tom himself, covering the differences:

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...F5-Differences

See post 17. 

Must say that the wood quality on all the Ellis instruments is outstanding... Special _and_ Deluxe.

----------

PKWebb, 

Tobin

----------


## Josh Levine

So, I guess mine is the F5 Special, then...

----------


## ellisppi

so this would need a new name

----------

doc holiday

----------


## pheffernan

> so this would need a new name


Forget names. Does it need a new home?!?

----------


## Benski

> so this would need a new name


O Man....How about "Gorgeous"?!!?

----------


## Glassweb

> so this would need a new name


Now _THAT'S_ class! Great work Tom...

----------

doc holiday

----------


## Bigtuna

> so this would need a new name


Very nice!

----------


## Nick Gellie

I think Tom is suggesting what could the new name be of this style of F5 mandolin.

----------


## Tobin

F5 Superior?  

Beautiful work, Tom.

----------


## MandoJason

Great thread here! So, I currently own Ellis F5 #42 (Jan 1985, so built through 1984 fall/winter). This is the heavily quilted maple back mandolin that Ricky Skaggs owned from 1985-1998 and recorded/performed all kinds of stuff on, including one of the really cool videos on youtube of get up john. I've owned and played other Ellis mandolins and a room mate just bought a new Pava. This particular mandolin (#42) is simply amazing. Its woody and extremely quick/responsive and it cuts like a bluegrass mandolin. Its more in the bluegrass camp than the a vast majority of the Ellis' I've experienced from 2009-current. Not that its any better or worse than his more modern, round sounding mandolins. It is different and considering it was built to spec for Skaggs I'd imagine that is expected. Tom's work is just incredible and this mandolin, even in his early years, is impecable. I'll try and get some good  pictures up and some recorded stuff too. You really can't go wrong with an Ellis mandolin. I've owned many mandos from the top makers and play on a Gil F5 97371 right now and this Ellis holds with all of them. I'll have it with me at the mandolin symposium this year. 
have a great day everyone.
Jason
www.fauxgrassmusic.com

----------

DataNick

----------


## Benski

Well, just to close the loop on my Thomastik experiment: while they may sound great on some folks' mandolins and feel nice under the fingers, they just didn't do it for me or my Ellis soundwise.  So off they came and on went a fresh set of the D'Addario EXP74CM's. 

All I can say is that its great to have my old friend back. 

At least for the foreseeable future, they're the strings I'll be sticking with on my F5. You may want to give them a spin sometime. 

Cheers.

----------


## red7flag

"Black Beauty"

----------


## Josh Levine

Well, I just took advantage of the Elderly string sale and bought 2 pairs of the exp74cms, straight up strings mediums, and A270s. Interested to see how these all plan against the J74s I currently have on.

----------


## Nick Gellie

> so this would need a new name


What about Excelsior?  Normally, excelsior is a term used for shavings;  it also means excellent.

----------


## Tobin

Excelsior, I like that!  It's a term you never hear outside of naval or Star Trek references, but it has a majestic quality.

----------


## Cathy

How about Ellis F5 Exclusive?

----------


## Josh Levine

Got my strings from Elderly and put on the EXP74CMs. They sound fantastic. More even, full, and less brash than the J74s.

----------


## Benski

> Got my strings from Elderly and put on the EXP74CMs. They sound fantastic. More even, full, and less brash than the J74s.



Tolja...And they settle in real nice. Cheers.

----------


## MandoJason

Here are a few photos of Ellis #42 (an old one! 1985 January issue...as appearing in Frets Magazine and a some others)....
Jason 
www.fauxgrassmusic.com

----------


## MandoJason

That mandolin is a killer instrument and Tom did a fantastic job setting this one up when i acquired it last year. He did a refret, replaced the pickguard, a new james tailpiece and a great set up...its a dream! it records very well, looks awesome and is very inspiring to spend time with because of the tone and character...I love Ellis mandolins!

----------

DataNick

----------


## Marcus CA

Gryphon Strings in Palo Alto just took in a 2015 Ellis F5 on consignment, so I went down there yesterday with a mandobuddy to play it.  Its tone was tremendous up and down the neck and the strings --- strong on melody and chop.  Whether I played it quietly or at full throttle, it sounded gorgeous.  My wallet insisted that I hand it back, though.

----------


## Joe Dodson

Interesting to see this pop up.  I was thinking about posting a thread comparing Pava to Ellis.  I'm not sure if it's a fair comparison except that Tom himself says in his Fretboard Journal video that they're close to the same product, sonically at least.

I owned an Ellis F5 in the past that was so far above my playing level that I was a little embarrassed play it, which I eventually sold to chip at my mortgage.  I currently have a Pava A that sounds wonderful and I'm not afraid to play out either for fear of damaging it or a sense of personal humility.  It's a great fit for me, but it doesn't keep me from coveting a return to Ellis.  Those A4s look mighty sweet.

----------


## Toycona

I'm MarcusCA's mando buddy, and yes, the Ellis at Gryphon was stellar. Big, strong voice throughout, easy to play, perfect fit/finish. I also just bought Pava #262 from Sylvan Music two weeks ago. After a long conversation with another mando buddy at River of the West, I came to the conclusion that the scroll of the F does not add to the sound, and the Pava A5 has a ton of sound (scroll or no scroll)...definitely worth the money. As for a side by side with the Ellis, I'm content knowing that, as my RoW mando buddy reminded me, both Pava and Ellis come from the same shop, so all instruments get the same TLC, etc. It really shows. When considering the 'mandonomics' of it all, I can't wrap my head around how a 10K instrument and a 2.5K instrument coming from the same shop have 7.5K difference in tone, playability, etc. For us, the ongoing musical research is fascinating and fun, for sure, however. I'll be content to continue doing blind side by sides, picking high end mandolins as a kind of musical welfare service for the likes of Gryphon and Sylvan. Those instruments need to be played!!!

----------

Joe Dodson

----------


## Toycona

I do have a question for Ellis owners out there - what how many has he produced so far? I know that Pava is in the 300s now and was curious if Mr. Ellis cracked the 400 threshold yet.

----------


## Mike Martin

> I'm MarcusCA's mando buddy, and yes, the Ellis at Gryphon was stellar. Big, strong voice throughout, easy to play, perfect fit/finish. I also just bought Pava #262 from Sylvan Music two weeks ago. After a long conversation with another mando buddy at River of the West, I came to the conclusion that the scroll of the F does not add to the sound, and the Pava A5 has a ton of sound (scroll or no scroll)...definitely worth the money. As for a side by side with the Ellis, I'm content knowing that, as my RoW mando buddy reminded me, both Pava and Ellis come from the same shop, so all instruments get the same TLC, etc. It really shows. When considering the 'mandonomics' of it all, I can't wrap my head around how a 10K instrument and a 2.5K instrument coming from the same shop have 7.5K difference in tone, playability, etc. For us, the ongoing musical research is fascinating and fun, for sure, however. I'll be content to continue doing blind side by sides, picking high end mandolins as a kind of musical welfare service for the likes of Gryphon and Sylvan. Those instruments need to be played!!!


I have a Pava and have played several others. Also played and heard a handful of Ellis mandolins. Hard to quantify, but the Ellises in general had a more sophisticated, complex tone, though the difference was small. Sound-wise it might be hard to justify a 10k difference between a Pava Satin A and an Ellis F5 Special or Reserve (especially if I’ m trying to justify it to my wife). But, and no knock on Pava, IMHO no one makes a better looking mandolin than Ellis. If I had the means I would buy one in a heartbeat.

----------


## Mark Seale

> I do have a question for Ellis owners out there - what how many has he produced so far? I know that Pava is in the 300s now and was curious if Mr. Ellis cracked the 400 threshold yet.


#464 was the subject of a recent Facebook build thread.  I believe this is either the most recent at TME or the NAMM mandolin.

----------


## Joe Dodson

> I ... IMHO no one makes a better looking mandolin than Ellis. If I had the means I would buy one in a heartbeat.


Me too.  I doubt I'd spring for another F5, but an A5 or A4 would be really special to own.

----------


## Gunnar

I believe #464 now is in the possession of Scott R. Based on his signature here https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...MM-2019-Report

----------

Mark Seale

----------


## Br1ck

I live right between Sylvan and Gryphon. I'll pat myself on the back for being able to stay out of them for the most part. I've spent good money in both those fine stores. Has anyone played that birdseye Collings F5?

It is true that once you get to the level of even the cheapest Pava, or an MT, the extra money you throw at something like an Ellis doesn't get you proportional sonic dividends. But what you do get is something that pleases you. Perhaps that final (ha) sonic improvement, but certainly a satisfaction in owning a fine piece of craftsmanship, and face facts, Ellis envy among your peers.

It's very much like owning a presentation grade firearm. Functionally much the same, but aesthetically superior. But I had to laugh last week when a friend of mine loaned out my guitar at the open mic we co host. He knew I would not mind and the guitar he had was pristine. Mine was a 65 Epiphone Texan, long since past caring about the odd little ding.

I don't know if I could take an Ellis anywhere. I'd like to find out though.

----------


## almeriastrings

> I don't know if I could take an Ellis anywhere. I'd like to find out though.


Just get a nice case... then play the heck out of it.  I would not take one "up the jungle", but I do take mine with me every time I perform. Would not go anywhere to play without it.

----------


## Bob Buckingham

A fellow stopped in the store the other evening just as I was leaving from teaching.  He'd taken a few lessons from me. He was holding a Hoffee case.  He asked me to look at his Gilcrist it had a buzz on the first string.  It sure is a sweet mandolin but yes it had a buzz on the E.  I told him the store was closed but he could come back in the morning and the repair guy could fix that.  Now they have a tone and cost perhaps a bit more than an Ellis.

----------

