Duffy "Duck" Mandolin

I noticed that there is a Duffy duck for sale on ebay, and was wondering if anyone had played one, and could comment on the sound...
There can't be too many of these floating about, I would think...

JohnD

I think it's a Duffy patterned mandolin,not an original Duffy..

Could you post a link---I type in Duffy Duck in the mandolin category and ebay sends me 2000 images of Daffy Duck!

Item number: 250880482580

Looks like a piece a junk.

Yep, and I counted 3 misspellings in the blurb. The man's name was Duffey.

If John were around today, he would personally give this guy a visit and...

I suspect that the original was patterned after this one. I never had a clue as to who made it but it was a 30's era mandolin.

Strange mandolin

Maybe he meant to say that this is the Daffy Duck model ... :))

Definitely not Duffey's headstock.

It's named after that British singer with the dimples----His spelling is better than my being able to read his ad if it was in German. It doesn't look like the "Duck" but it doesn't look bad, unless of course you thing all of the one that are that style look bad.. I wonder who made it? There is probably a label.

It's definitely not Duffey's mandolin. Here is a link to one of the 4 videos about how Akira Otsuka came to own one of the two "Duck" mandolins that Duffey made. They were quite good friends through most of Duffey's career. There are very good photos of the original and if you get to about 5:00 of the video you can hear him play it. It is as good as most any mandolin I have ever heard. I don't know if it was Duffey's playing or what but that mandolin never sounded that good on any of the Seldom Scene recordings I have heard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVdbNNaAU4c

It looks like it is professionally built. Title on the ebay listing says Gibson mandolin. I asked the lister who built it. I will report if he answers.

Link.

"Duck" copy, obviously; there were only two original Duffey-built "Ducks," and this isn't one. $1.1K "pig in a poke" and you have to pay shipping from Deutschland. This is the kinda eBay offering that gets dangerous (and I'm not inferring any wrongdoing on the seller's part): unique instrument, never see another, no chance to try it out, could be great, could be putrid, you won't know until you put your money down. Simultaneously tempting and terrifying. I'm out.

The builder is Deep Ocean Guitars. That appears to be a German company in Altenstadt.

Dear, "mandobassman" , thanks for posting the link. I watched all 4. Best wishes, Bryan Duckworth.

I'd be curious to know of all the Seldom Scene recordings, where did JD record with the duck. Maybe I'll ask Akira.

He used Duck #1 on Acts 1, 2 and 3 as well as the Old Train lp

Hi guys,
just stumbled across this forum and playing more bass than mandolin these days.
Deep Ocean Guitars is Otto Dvorak and he is a crazy Czech living near Frankfurt whose enthusiasm for bluegrass legends does cross naming conventions. But he is a very creative and proficient luthier, some of his instruments are magic and all are unique. He made me a similar one to order and is not greedy, just a struggling instrument builder using traditional techniques and quality tonewood. BTW how many of us speak three languages and emulation is a tribute, look at stradivarius!

Old Thread and me being a HUGE Duffey fan, I'll comment-above Scotti Adams is correct on the recordings John used his "Duck" There is a you tube video from a fest posted recently and John is playing the Duck and it sounds mighty fine!

As far as John's Duck's "he made two" there was his-a friend owns it as far as I know-I will not give his name!! My Uncle Dick has had John's redone F-7 convert that John did and recorded with in the early 60's-its shown in many old photos and on the record "On the Road and More" its hanging on a fence in the background. That's a killer! Many know Uncle Dick Smith has this so I don't mind sharing. Uncle Dick got this in 1968 from a guy who sometimes posts here-Uncle Dick told me he traded 2 real fancy pre 1910 F-4's for it if I remember correctly "great score right!?

The other Duck John made for his friend Akira as Akira had to sell his old Gibby A to come back to the states! On YouTube there is a 4 part Doc. that Akira talks about it and John's other mandolins! Akira also has the famed F-12 that John had/redone in 68 I believe, then it was stolen so then the Duck came along and John got the 12 back a few years later and used until the end!

There is another Duffey F-5 out there, it is pictured on the first Folkway record/CD I believe in the white "John was probably redoing it at the time as the finish was stripped off, I believe it was a 50's F-5 as it had a large peg head of that time frame!" I also know who has that but they have passed away so their family may have it? I know John cut the huge peg head down and refinished it and I'm sure like with all of John's reworked mandolins he gave it a deep neck set! I know that works as it puts more down pressure on the top hence more volume and better tone-think on how violins are for a moment right? I won't drop that name either because well I want it-Lol!!

Akira told me he's seen a few Duck copies from around the world but all were rather crude and not real good sounding! I'm sure if someone had the time and specs they're may be a small niche market for these Ducks-I mean who wouldn't want a Duffey Duck clone? If your a fan of John's why not, they sure are a complete odd ball mandolin that's different from the 100's of thousand A and F models right!

There is one guy who made only 2 Ducks and there is a demo on YouTube of him showing it off and playing it and all I can say is WoW! Look it up-type in Duffey Duck mandolin and ya can't miss it! He nailed it as that one sounds and looks amazing! That one sold to someone who wants to also remain anonymous for now! But yesterday I had an interesting phone call with the owner of the 2nd and only other one that was built "it took me a lot of legwork/computer work to find this gentleman!" and his looks awesome and sounds as great as the first one, he sent me many photos and a video demo-I won't mention his name either as more or less I will be getting that Duck in the future as we came to an understanding after talking for an hour or so about Big John and his mandolins and he respects the fact that I would love and play the Duck and not sell it for a fast buck to anyone as he knows I'm a huge Duffey fan and have been ever since I got my first mix tape back in the early 90's my Dad made and sent me off some old records and yep it was John's Duck on those recordings! He's a really nice and great guy, we had a lot of laughs and stories! It was great meeting and talking with him about his Duffey stories and he remembers seeing my Uncles play back in the early 70's and such. I just have to come up with the $ or the guitar he wants! So ya'll wish me luck as yep I don't need it but I sure would love and honor having that Duck!