Decided to upgrade from my Kentucky KM750, and now I wait until the Northfield Dealer gets an ordered Big Mon (Wide Nut/Red Spruce) in stock. I like the anticipation.
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Decided to upgrade from my Kentucky KM750, and now I wait until the Northfield Dealer gets an ordered Big Mon (Wide Nut/Red Spruce) in stock. I like the anticipation.
There was one at The Music Emporium.
https://themusicemporium.com/product...mon-w-wide-nut
Mine is a few serial numbers away from it. It was impossible not to leave the store with it.
It's worth the wait! I love mine :mandosmiley:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mandobar
If it was red spruce instead of Engleman it would be in Southwest Louisiana.
I started mandolin about three years ago. So I don't call myself a real player. But I really enjoy it. I have my forth mandolin now. Moved up to a Northfield Big Mon in March. I love it. And my buddies that can pick say it a great mandolin. Mine is a wide nut, but Engleman. I was undecided on Red Spruce or Engleman. But I' happy with this one. I think you will love it. Hard to put down when you pick it up. EE
Great positive reviews and the price is reasonable. I have owned expensive instruments such as a Custom D45, 2 D28 Authentics and 3 Custom Heritage Super Eagles and have found that the mega extras bucks do not make be better plus I don't want to "hurt" it. I now own a high end Takamine Dreadnaught and an Ibanez semi hollow that work 95% as well. Subtract 50% for my playing skills and what do you have? Playing at Chinese New Year at my families restaurants is all I can muster at 75.
The tops on the recent engleman-topped Big Mons are from a special stash of wood. I have to say, they are quite impressive sounding. I have played at least a half dozen Big Mons and I thought they were good, but these are "stupid good". Gate-crashing at a jam good. Holds its own against an accordion and a loud fiddle good.
It's good.
That's high praise coming from you!
My bandmates are quite impressed too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ Donahue
Tell me more about this special stash of wood :-). I just bought a recent build, so you've piqued my interest!
I’d rather have the Engleman.
Your paperwork would indicate that the top was from this stash. It is really kind of interesting, because it’s got a lot of volume. I’m wondering if it’s stiffer, because it doesn’t have the same soft sound that you generally get from engelman.Quote:
Originally Posted by joh
Good Englemann in the right builder’s hands makes one helluva mandolin!
Peter, did you get your new Big Mon?
Really coveting the Big Mon, but I "settled" for a Model M due to price ("settled" in quotes because the M is still a really fine instrument). Would love to hear about your experience when it arrives!
Hi im curious about the wide nut on the Big Mon..im in a location where i cant try one first. IS there that much of a difference coming from the standard nut width?
Assuming the standard width is 1 1/8" and the Big Mon wide nut is 1 3/16" then it is only 1/16" wider. But for me it made a huge positive difference. I vastly prefer the wide nut, just feels more comfortable in "my" hand and I can pick more cleanly. But there are so many great players using the standard nut width, and it doesn't seem to cause issues for them. So maybe it's just what you get used to or maybe it's just my individual weakness or really I don't care. I like the wide nut. But also I think the shape/size of the neck or radius of the fingerboard (plus the size of your hand and length of your fingers) also is a huge contributing factor in what feels comfortable for any individual.
Hey Mary!
For some reason, I went back and read this thread again. After reading your note about the "special Engelmann," I was curious about what my June 2019 Big Mon was topped with. Pulled the paperwork out and saw it identified the woods used as "Special Engelmann Spruce & Figured Maple." Do you think this is from the same Special Stash you were talking about?
Don’t know. Could be.