NMD Pomeroy Oval

This has been in the works for a few months. It arrived today and it's spectacular. The neck shape/size is perfect--extremely comfortable and fast and easy to get around on. Don made it custom for me with a 1 1/16" nut with a slim rounded V neck profile instead of the usual 1 3/16" nut width you find on most ovals. Tone is wonderful and rich, and the volume is outstanding--what a little monster! Beautiful color and woods. Love the stealth trussrod cover. Just a wonderful instrument in every way. Great setup too. Will post a video and full review in a few days.
Attachment 188484Attachment 188485Attachment 188486Attachment 188487Attachment 188488

Photos got rotated for some reason. Oh well.

Congratulations from a fellow Pomeroy owner! It's a beauty.

Gorgeous Don...congrats!
Can't wait to hear it.....enjoy it in good health!

Nice!

Hi, Don. Just lovely, as are all of Don P.'s instruments. He manages to do his work with such love and expertise, and it sings through his instruments. Enjoy this one... I'll play my v-style mandola tonight and think of resonance. Enjoy!

I had a chance to play one a few years ago, and it really knocked me out! Congratulations.

Gorgeous, Don! Agree, can’t wait to hear it in your hands!!

Well I didn't do the tune or the mandolin justice but here's a Norman Blake tune for you on Pomeroy #264. Glad to hear from other Pomeroy owners!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75R4vKdObRA

I disagree about that justice. Great tune, nicely played on a very beautiful looking and sounding mandolin.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Don Grieser

Well I didn't do the tune or the mandolin justice but here's a Norman Blake tune for you on Pomeroy #264.

---

Expect to hear from Mike Black’s attorney. :))

Seriously, that Pomeroy sounds sparkling and lively as well as full and meaty. I hope you find some other tunes in the bottom of it.

Nice, Don! Do you know what strings came on it?

Very nice, Don, and, even on my iPad speakers, sounds awesome!

Looks and sounds so good!

Sounds gorgeous Don, what a beaut!

Thanks for your comments. Cary, Don said it has J74 or EJ74 strings on it. I'll be changing those to my favorite Curt Mangan phosphor bronze strings when they start to go dead.

This is model PA-2B and #264, an economy model with binding just on the top and around the soundhole. No inlay on the headstock. The top is Colorado Engelmann spruce and the back and sides are red maple from NH where Don's folks live. He told me he buys a stash every time he visits them. The fretboard has a slight radius and Don worked with me to create a neck I can play--I've been limited to what works in neck shapes due to an old left hand injury (not playing related). Don was able to make a neck that works for me from our correspondence and measurements I sent him. He sent me some pics of neck profiles he recently completed and he did an amazing job on the neck profile.

Don usually finishes this model with a natural finish but offered to put some color on it for me. I chose a more subdued violin kind of color and I couldn't be happier with how it looks. It has Stew Mac tuners--not my favorites but these seem to work just fine. The mandolin seems really stable for brand new--I'm not having to retune often. It has the traditional 2 piece tailpiece with the Pomeroy logo mounted on the cover. Oil varnish finish which is rare in a sub 2K mandolin. Workmanship and fit and finish are excellent--there's a few maker's marks but you really have to look for them and I didn't expect perfection at this price point.

What I did expect is the Pomeroy voice, and I got that in spades. Big deep tone on bottom but not tubby; there is excellent clarity everywhere all over the neck. Played lightly it gives a sweet tone, but it will roar when you dig in. It's X braced instead of the one lateral brace like the old Gibsons.

Here's another video of it. I dig it a bit the second time through and let some open strings ring and it really speaks up. Also played a few chords at the end. This is Norman's version of Elzic's Farewell. It's funny--all these tunes have been coming out of it when I've been playing it and I don't even remember the names of half of them. Definitely an inspiring mandolin to have and may become the favorite to play around the house.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esMXUP8gOhU

Congratulations, Don. That sounds fantastic in your hands.

Beautiful instrument, and you make it sing!

Here's a new video of the Pomeroy. I definitely need to get this mandolin more playing time.

The tune is Ed Haley's version of Garfield's Blackberry Blossom. I don't play the last 2 lines of this transcription where he gets really funky with the timing. http://home.hiwaay.net/~eabaggot/EdHaley/garfield.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eCSD_g3ozU

Man... That's really sound'n great Don !:mandosmiley:

Great looking and sounding. I've always liked his builds.

Jamie

Sounds and looks great Don. Giving me another case of oval hole envy!

That sounds and looks great, Don!

Great playing and love the tone on this oval!

I have PA-2 #194 that I was lucky enough to find lightly used. If I were looking for a new oval hole mandolin, I would love to have a new Pomeroy built for me, but this one is a keeper so I probably won't have that experience! I really like having the sound of the early Gibsons in a modern mandolin that's very easy to live with. Now I can work to improve my playing to make it worthy of sharing. Thanks for posting. I really enjoyed listening.