Collings Vs. Northfield Vs. Kelley

Hey guys,

I am looking for a new (to me) mandolin, but I would like to get some input on what is going to be best for me. I know that this is a highly subjective topic, but any input would be appreciated.

I've been playing mandolin for a few years now, and I am to the point that I want to upgrade to a higher quality mandolin that will sound good for Bluegrass and southern gospel music. Something with a nice solid chop, and good volume.

My last mandolin was a Weber Bitterroot, and although that was a great mandolin, it didn't have the bluegrass sound that I was looking for. It was a bit too modern sounding for my taste.

That being said I have narrowed down my search to Collings (probably a satin model, definitely something on their lower end), a Northfield, or a Skip Kelley. (or possibly a Gibson F9 if I could find one in my budget)

Looking at F styles, and only used instruments. I've actually found a Kelley in my price range that I am leaning toward buying, but I've never played a Kelley so I'm not sure how it would compare, or what to expect. Unfortunately it's about 6 hours away from me, so I can't try it before I buy it.

The sound is what is most important to me, so the real question is which mandolin is going to give me the most bang for my buck in terms of sound quality, and play-ability.

Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Most reputable sellers will let you do a 48 hour trial. If the instrument is not what you love, you would be out only the shipping costs.
Might be worth an ask

My Kelley A5 is more traditional sounding than a Collings MT I used to own and other MTs I’ve played through the years. The Collings’ fit/finish was spectacular and it had great playability and volume, but definitely fell more in the “modern” tone camp. The Kelley is very well built/finished, easy/comfortable to play, has great dynamics, even across and up the neck, and is more in the traditional tone camp. I think a MT-2 compares more favorably to my Kelley than a MT (which makes since given the wood choices). I was introduced to Skip’s work 14 or 15 years ago by an old timer BG bass player who learned I played mandolin and told me, “There’s this fella up in Thomasville’ll build you one that’ll thump as good or better’n any Gibson you’ll find.” It took me a while to get to the point I felt like I could play well enough to take the plunge, but I’m obviously a fan of Skip’s work. Despite that bass player’s endorsement the Kelley works equally well for BG/old time, gospel, IT, some alt rock, and classical, at least in my living room and church.

My Northfield experience is limited to a couple at TME about 2 years ago that I played alongside a Pava, a Collings, and a Rigel A style. I didn’t feel compelled to trade my Kelley for either Northfield or Pava, but I was very impressed with their quality and tone, probably even more so that the Northfields held up as well as they did. (I also have a more traditionally voiced CT-110, so I didn’t give that Rigel much attention).

So, my vote would be for Kelley or NF compared to the MTs I’ve played, but, MT-2s would definitely be in my short list if you can stretch your budget there. Based on my experience, though, the Kelley is a pretty safe bet...

Haven't played a Kelly, so can't help there. A Collings will also have a more modern tone, although it's different than the Weber tone. The Northfield NF-5S is going to be closer to what you want. Definitely falls into the traditional tone. Although it is still different from a Gibson. It's not as dry sounding as a Gibson. It does have a good punch.

BTW, this is based on the instruments I own. And I don't play bluegrass, so what I look for in an instrument may well be different than what you want.

The NF5S has a mighty chop, volume, and a fundamental tone that cuts through well in ensemble playing. I think they shine in bluegrass settings but have the versatility to take on other styles as well.

That said, they are not pins and needles dry so if that's what you're looking for you might want to try something else. They aren't overly "wet" either. Somewhere in the middle I guess. I think it's a good tone.

A couple of cardinal rules to consider here:

1) People generally advocate on behalf of the mandolins they own or want to own when responding to such requests for feedback.
2) No two mandolins sound alike so you really need to play the instrument in order to know if it has the sound you want
3) "Modern" tone is in the ears of the beholder and player. For example, if you listen to Chris Thile and David Grisman play their Loar-signed Gibson mandolins you will hear everything from "modern" to "traditional" tone. The tone is in the hands of the player and impacted by the instrument, the strings, the pick, the pick attack and even the temperature and humidity.

Please note that I am not an acoustic engineer and I do not advocate for any particular instrument. I am expressing personal opinions here based on decades of playing, performing and using mandolins from Gibson, Givens, Collings, Heiden, Flatiron, Andersen and many others.

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Originally Posted by samlyman

A couple of cardinal rules to consider here:

1) People generally advocate on behalf of the mandolins they own or want to own when responding to such requests for feedback.
2) No two mandolins sound alike so you really need to play the instrument in order to know if it has the sound you want
3) "Modern" tone is in the ears of the beholder and player. For example, if you listen to Chris Thile and David Grisman play their Loar-signed Gibson mandolins you will hear everything from "modern" to "traditional" tone. The tone is in the hands of the player and impacted by the instrument, the strings, the pick, the pick attack and even the temperature and humidity.

Please note that I am not an acoustic engineer and I do not advocate for any particular instrument. I am expressing personal opinions here based on decades of playing, performing and using mandolins from Gibson, Givens, Collings, Heiden, Flatiron, Andersen and many others.

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Exactly. Very well said!

Thanks for all of the input so far!

Samlyman, and Tim, I agree with what you are saying, but that's why I said in my OP that "I know this topic is subjective". All instruments are different, and ultimately the player is the top influencer of the sound that a particular instrument produces, however certain instruments are more well suited to certain styles of music than others.

For example, I come from the guitar world, and I've had a lot of guitars. Yes you can play Bluegrass on any guitar, but generally a Martin D28/D18 style guitar works better for Bluegrass than a more modern braced guitar like say a Taylor. Taylor builds a great guitar, but in general they are not well suited for Bluegrass. Of course there are exceptions in the Taylor line, but I am speaking in generalities here.

It sounds like people love their Northfields, and I have been impressed with those myself. The great thing about a Northfield is I could buy a new mandolin from them for about the same as a used model from the other 2 builders. However my primary reason for this post was that I have found a used Kelley, for sale by an individual 6 hours away, but I don't know a lot about Kelley mandolins (aside from their good reputation), and I was torn between a Collings and a Northfield before I found the Kelley...

So to rephrase my original question: if the price was equal between the 3 brands, which mandolin would you buy? (In general) Thanks!!

In my personal opinion, under your criteria of equal pricing, I’d get the one from the solo builder. Then you have a unique piece of acoustic art:mandosmiley:

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Originally Posted by JFMando

So to rephrase my original question: if the price was equal between the 3 brands, which mandolin would you buy? (In general) Thanks!!

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I’d buy the Kelley. Besides the fact that I’m drawn to the work of independent builders, and Skip is a heckuva nice guy here on the Cafe, a used instrument should already have the depreciation taken out of it. If it doesn’t stick, and I decide to sell it, I should be able to recoup most if not all of my investment. Conversely, a new mandolin is generally going to be worth less once it is purchased. I guess there’s some value in a warranty as the original owner, but I’ve never made a warranty claim in over thirty years of buying instruments.

I had a Kelley that I sold to buy a concertina (long story). I have played a few Collings, but have never even seen a Northfield. I have played some Bitterroots too. The Kelley was head and shoulders above the Collings and Bitterroot. As you said-very subjective. I'd love to have the Kelley back. I know who has it and if he ever puts it up for sale, I'll be all over it! YMMV as always.

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Originally Posted by samlyman

"Modern" tone is in the ears of the beholder and player. For example, if you listen to Chris Thile and David Grisman play their Loar-signed Gibson mandolins you will hear everything from "modern" to "traditional" tone. The tone is in the hands of the player and impacted by the instrument, the strings, the pick, the pick attack and even the temperature and humidity.

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Of course the subject of tone is always subjective, but I disagree that the categories of "modern" and "traditional" tone have no meaning whatsoever. Regardless of the other variables and how many different mandolins one has played. The OP clearly thinks those categories have meaning, so I'll attempt to help and answer accordingly.

Given your preferences, and having played all 3 brands, I would echo the sentiment and go for the Kelley.

Having played none of those instruments, I’d go with the prettiest. Many folks judge by appearance or brand anyway, so why not?:)

Ymmv

After reading all of the comments here, and a few older articles on the Cafe, I have decided to get the used Kelley.

Like some here have mentioned, I like the idea of supporting smaller builders, and from the feedback in this thread, it sounds like the Kelley will be a great fit for me. People seem to love Skip's mandolins, and that is really the reassurance that I needed before I made the purchase. I talked to the seller earlier, and I believe we have struck a deal. Now I just have to patient and wait for my new mandolin to arrive.

Thanks for all of the feedback! I can't wait to get my new mandolin, so that I can get back to pickin!

You'll love it.

And reach out to Skip to let him know. He's a great guy.

Well, you made a great choice. Congratulations! They are all tremendous and it depends on your own taste and music style. Sight unseen, I would have said Collings, but I haven’t owned the other two. I would like to have one of each! :mandosmiley:

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Originally Posted by JFMando

My last mandolin was a Weber Bitterroot, and although that was a great mandolin, it didn't have the bluegrass sound that I was looking for. It was a bit too modern sounding for my taste.

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I love this comment! I had a Bitterroot for a while, but it had too much of a bluegrass sound for my taste, so I sold it and bought a Yellowstone. There's something for everyone!

I think that you made a great call in going for the Kelley. Skip has a few demo videos on YouTube --- his channel is Thomas Kelley --- and he sure knows how to get great tone out of the instruments he builds. However, that tone is way too bluegrassy for the sound I want when I play, so you should love it. I agree with the commenters who are saying that the Collings MT has a more modern sound, and I'm not a fan of the Northfield NF5S, although I haven't played one from the last two generations. I like their Big Mon model, but that's at a significantly higher price point.

So, enjoy!!!

So You can't wait until you can get together, someplace, and try out each others mandolins .. I gather ..

:whistling: :popcorn:

I hope you love the Kelley and that it is everything you want and need from an instrument!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JFMando

After reading all of the comments here, and a few older articles on the Cafe, I have decided to get the used Kelley.

Like some here have mentioned, I like the idea of supporting smaller builders, and from the feedback in this thread, it sounds like the Kelley will be a great fit for me. People seem to love Skip's mandolins, and that is really the reassurance that I needed before I made the purchase. I talked to the seller earlier, and I believe we have struck a deal. Now I just have to patient and wait for my new mandolin to arrive.

Thanks for all of the feedback! I can't wait to get my new mandolin, so that I can get back to pickin!

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How's the new mando? Enquiring minds!