Article: Northfield Introduces Three New Michigan-Made Instruments

Thank you for a great article and a wonderful instrument. I just signed up and joined this forum and I really like it. And I'm a proud user of one of the Northfield octave mandolins, and I've used it now since it landed in my knee some 6-7 months ago. This is a quote from Adrian Bagale;
"We were just about done with two prototypes last summer, and we got them finished for the annual Marshall Mandolin Summit to get some feedback from people around here. We then immediately drove one down to Kentucky, where Roger was playing, and he fell in love with it.

He gave us all sorts of varied tuning possibilities and so forth and got us thinking about different ways to refine the instrument. We tweaked a couple things and then met back up in February at Wintergrass and handed it to him. He immediately used it. He gave us a big thumbs up, so we came back and set out to develop it further, to make the jigs and fixtures and to make a batch. We have the first few done right now. It's just a really cool instrument."

I couldn't agree more. I'm so happy that this instrument made it's way to my hands and music. It's really great in what it does. I'm excited! If you have questions about it, feel free to ask. Once again thank you Adrian Bagale, Kjell Croce and all other in the Northfield staff for providing and spreading really great instruments and good vibes all over the world!

I got one of the early F-5 traditional models when they came out years ago # 53 or something like that, I sold it because I had better mandolins at the time that suited me and a friend wanted it bad as he didn't have a really great F-5 but I was impressed back then with everything the fit and finish, tone was still new but there I can only imagine what the new ones are like, Pry pretty impressive!! I played my old Northfield 2 winters ago when my friend came back to visit and he sure played it in so to speak and it was a way better mandolin than when I had it!

Hey everyone! Thought I should share these videos here after seeing Roger's comment this morning. Such an amazing privilege to be working with and learning from him and the guys in Vasen. Their music has always been a big part of my foundation and love for international acoustic folk music. Making a tool that could compliment those sounds spurred the development of this instrument. So happy to be involved.... and so darn lucky to have been there to record these beautiful tracks. Hope you enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnahgQ_57lk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5kRI3-pqR4

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Originally Posted by bluegrasser78

I got one of the early F-5 traditional models when they came out years ago # 53 or something like that, I sold it because I had better mandolins at the time that suited me and a friend wanted it bad as he didn't have a really great F-5 but I was impressed back then with everything the fit and finish, tone was still new but there I can only imagine what the new ones are like, Pry pretty impressive!! I played my old Northfield 2 winters ago when my friend came back to visit and he sure played it in so to speak and it was a way better mandolin than when I had it!

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I’ll second that on the older models, my #268 from 2014 is playing beautifully. This spring a pro friend of mine got a brand new Artist Series and we met up to pick a tune on each other’s mando. He had played mine a few years ago when I first got it and commented on how mine had played in and sounded so good. Seems NF is only getting better as time goes on.

Bison Polska... amazing in every way. Octave time...

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Originally Posted by Glassweb

Bison Polka... amazing in every way. Octave time...

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MAS relapse time..

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Originally Posted by mandopixie

MAS relapse time..

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I'm afraid so...

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Originally Posted by Tallroth

Thank you for a great article and a wonderful instrument. I just signed up and joined this forum and I really like it. And I'm a proud user of one of the Northfield octave mandolins, and I've used it now since it landed in my knee some 6-7 months ago. This is a quote from Adrian Bagale;
"We were just about done with two prototypes last summer, and we got them finished for the annual Marshall Mandolin Summit to get some feedback from people around here. We then immediately drove one down to Kentucky, where Roger was playing, and he fell in love with it.

He gave us all sorts of varied tuning possibilities and so forth and got us thinking about different ways to refine the instrument. We tweaked a couple things and then met back up in February at Wintergrass and handed it to him. He immediately used it. He gave us a big thumbs up, so we came back and set out to develop it further, to make the jigs and fixtures and to make a batch. We have the first few done right now. It's just a really cool instrument."

I couldn't agree more. I'm so happy that this instrument made it's way to my hands and music. It's really great in what it does. I'm excited! If you have questions about it, feel free to ask. Once again thank you Adrian Bagale, Kjell Croce and all other in the Northfield staff for providing and spreading really great instruments and good vibes all over the world!

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Hi Roger, great to have you on the forum. I've been a great fan of Vasen for many years and have played your composition Josefins Waltz many times at weddings and ....funerals!! It always goes down well and is one of my favourite tunes ever!!

Anyway, just wondering what tuning you're using on the Octave Mandolin. It sounds fantastic in the videos. What's it like volume wise in an acoustic setting. Keep up the great music and I sincerely hope Vasen have plans to revisit Ireland soon.

John

Beautiful playing, and wonderful countermelody on the second tune. Of course, a recording rarely does justice to the sound of an instrument, but I'm curious as to your reasons for choosing a flat top instrument.

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Originally Posted by ralph johansson

.... I'm curious as to your reasons for choosing a flat top instrument.

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Like Quasimodo, I've got a hunch: maybe the "Northfield" logo on the headstock?

Mick

Hi. Thought I’d answer a few questions. Roger is probably on tour.

Tuning: Roger tuned the instrument G/D/G/D for these tunes. We made a special set up to accommodate tuning down the top two string courses and still be able to get them back to standard octave tuning.

Why a flat top? Just a preference in the tonal character, his musical style and much of the traditional scandanavian folk music is generally played on flat top instruments. For Northfield: we wanted to experiment with a new sound and make a different instrument that more directly related to the tenor instruments we originally played and recorded with.

Noting today's anniversary of this interview from a year ago.

Are they still in business. I just looked at my mail, I sent them an email on July 4th inquiring about their Model M and never got a reply. Too late now!

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Originally Posted by CBFrench

Are they still in business. I just looked at my mail, I sent them an email on July 4th inquiring about their Model M and never got a reply. Too late now!

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Thanks for the incentive. I've been meaning to write this blog posting for several years. You might do well do read it.

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Originally Posted by Mandolin Cafe

Thanks for the incentive. I've been meaning to write this blog posting for several years. You might do well do read it.

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I saw that. I know all about spam that's why I check mine before deleting. I just thought everyone did, maybe if not they should. Hopefully the blog post will bring it to attention. I send a lot of emails from work and always tell the receiver to check their spam if they don't receive it in their inbox.

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Originally Posted by CBFrench

I saw that. I know all about spam that's why I check mine before deleting. I just thought everyone did, maybe if not they should. Hopefully the blog post will bring it to attention. I send a lot of emails from work and always tell the receiver to check their spam if they don't receive it in their inbox.

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But you assume it was actually received and read and they chose to not respond? How is it you know for sure?

You actually believe everyone checks their spam folder? My guess is it'd be far less than 5%. Surprised if it'd even hit that.

Noting the second anniversary of this article, published this date 2018.

Noting the anniversary of this feature.

Noting the anniversary of this feature.