View Profile: Nick Gellie - Mandolin Cafe Forum

Today, 4:55am

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Old vs New Oval in Looking for Information About Mandolins

Steve Gilchrist has managed to find tone in A oval designs. Instead of spruce tops with birch backs and sides he uses red spruce tops and red maple...

88 replies | 9990 view(s)

Jan-16-2021, 10:13pm

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Old vs New Oval in Looking for Information About Mandolins

So Kurt I noticed that you went with the Eastman 600 series F and O styles. Can I ask you if you went with these because they were more traditional...

88 replies | 9990 view(s)

Jan-16-2021, 3:35pm

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Old vs New Oval in Looking for Information About Mandolins

While I am at it, there is a binary classification for old and new mandolins. First some old short necked mandolins have small frets and the...

88 replies | 9990 view(s)

Jan-16-2021, 3:07am

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Old vs New Oval in Looking for Information About Mandolins

Maybe an approach would be to employ whichever mandolin works for the style of music. The reason I say this I have gone back to cheaper well...

88 replies | 9990 view(s)

Jan-15-2021, 4:52pm

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Old vs New Oval in Looking for Information About Mandolins

Eric, You have some pretty reasonable mandolins at best. In part I think the mandolin cafe tricks people into wanting more than they have and...

88 replies | 9990 view(s)

Jan-11-2021, 12:43pm

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Bridge upgrade on new Eastman mando? in General Mandolin Discussions

Max. I tried out an Eastman 505 Comfort with satin finish. It may have been the mandolin. I sent it back. Instead I got a 505 classic with gloss...

27 replies | 3473 view(s)

Jan-10-2021, 3:14pm

Nick Gellie replied to a thread A-Model Archtop Oval Hole $500-1000 in Equipment

That makes sense Steve in what you are saying. I would expect a deeper tone with slightly less volume with a mahogany backed instrument. You picked...

26 replies | 1757 view(s)

Jan-10-2021, 9:24am

Nick Gellie replied to a thread A-Model Archtop Oval Hole $500-1000 in Equipment

What year was your 404 made Steve? I have a video from TFOA in Holland in which it sounds quite loud. The mahogany back may not project as much...

26 replies | 1757 view(s)

Jan-10-2021, 3:20am

Nick Gellie replied to a thread A-Model Archtop Oval Hole $500-1000 in Equipment

And here is a recording of an Eastman 504 mandolin And for good measure a 1924 Gibson A-4 mandolin: I am putting these up for...

26 replies | 1757 view(s)

Jan-10-2021, 3:14am

Nick Gellie replied to a thread A-Model Archtop Oval Hole $500-1000 in Equipment

Of course maple backed mandolins provides that punch for bluegrass. I concur. However, either beech or mahogany backed oval hole mandolins provide...

26 replies | 1757 view(s)

Jan-09-2021, 5:26pm

Nick Gellie replied to a thread A-Model Archtop Oval Hole $500-1000 in Equipment

Based on the small number of videos I have listened to, it sounds warmer and richer - a bit like the older Gibson oval holes.

26 replies | 1757 view(s)

Jan-09-2021, 5:23pm

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Mike Marshall's Loar? in General Mandolin Discussions

It is possible Pat that he sought to recreate the tone that is in his 'Loar' derivative in the new Artist series at Northfield. In that video I...

29 replies | 2396 view(s)

Jan-09-2021, 3:42pm

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Mike Marshall's Loar? in General Mandolin Discussions

He added it. Maybe there are a couple of Northfields now in his stable. You see him playing a Northfield more often than not. He was part of the...

29 replies | 2396 view(s)

Jan-09-2021, 3:12pm

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Build thread - Forster 8 string Irish bouzouki in CBOM

Thanks Nigel for reviving Irish Bouzoukis on the CBOM thread. Look forward to the next phase in the bouzouki build diary.

7 replies | 1542 view(s)

Jan-09-2021, 3:10pm

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Mike Marshall's Loar? in General Mandolin Discussions

Well if you were a first class act why would you bother with a $500 Eastman - the world of mandolin making is your musical oyster. There are plenty...

29 replies | 2396 view(s)

Jan-09-2021, 12:36pm

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Mike Marshall's Loar? in General Mandolin Discussions

My point is that he has replaced his Loar recently with a Northfield Artist model. Here he is teaching arpeggios at Elderly Instruments 1 week ago:

29 replies | 2396 view(s)

Jan-09-2021, 3:41am

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Mike Marshall's Loar? in General Mandolin Discussions

We can get caught up in the mystique of Gibson Loar F5 mandolins. Perhaps Mike should have found an equivalent modern maker to make a mandolin with...

29 replies | 2396 view(s)

Jan-08-2021, 3:31pm

Nick Gellie replied to a thread A-Model Archtop Oval Hole $500-1000 in Equipment

I have heard on the grapevine from a reliable source that most if not all new Eastman mandolins will be built with larger frets this year. I have an...

26 replies | 1757 view(s)

Jan-08-2021, 3:27pm

Nick Gellie replied to a thread A-Model Archtop Oval Hole $500-1000 in Equipment

Nothing wrong with that colour. They are all pretty much like that these days with the MD504 model.

26 replies | 1757 view(s)

Jan-07-2021, 2:29pm

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Eastman Comfort Comfort in General Mandolin Discussions

I tried one. It did not have the tone of the classic model. I ended up with a classic model with large frets. Pretty nice mandolin with great tone...

9 replies | 1673 view(s)

Jan-05-2021, 3:33pm

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Bridge upgrade on new Eastman mando? in General Mandolin Discussions

Max, In the end it is up to you what floats your boat. I bought an Eastman 505 with larger frets and could not be happier with the fit and finish of...

27 replies | 3473 view(s)

Jan-05-2021, 2:14am

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Speed of bluegrass... is it just me? in General Mandolin Discussions

Ever heard Butch Baldesarri play bluegrass or old time? He finds a nice balance between speed, expressiveness and tone.

65 replies | 4229 view(s)

Jan-03-2021, 2:09am

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Bridge foot marks/resale value in General Mandolin Discussions

I would not apply micromesh to the area. If it is a satin finish a very light respray with nitro touchup lacquer can work if a surrounding areas of...

14 replies | 1069 view(s)

Jan-02-2021, 9:17am

Nick Gellie replied to a thread New Breedlove Crossover models in General Mandolin Discussions

That's right Max. They stopped making USA made models back in 2016 or thereabouts. Then all production was shipped offshore. Colorado_al pretty...

50 replies | 15298 view(s)

Dec-31-2020, 1:03am

Nick Gellie replied to a thread Eastman MD614 vs. Kentucky KM670 in Looking for Information About Mandolins

You could go with a 514 or even a 314 Eastman model if you don't need a pickup. Then it becomes more of a question of price rather than appointments.

5 replies | 1091 view(s)