The early Breedlove built Stelling makes some appearances on the Don Reno portions of this fine classic video.
https://youtu.be/L4bae7XoMLE
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The early Breedlove built Stelling makes some appearances on the Don Reno portions of this fine classic video.
https://youtu.be/L4bae7XoMLE
Ya know, I'm curious, but only mildly curious. Do you think you could give a time point for where in this cotton-pickin' hour-long video that is? Thanks.
The first one is at 5:05.
OK, think I got it. This is indeed an ancient video, with no captions to help locate stuff.
Don Reno's section starts around 5:00, with the strangest rendition of "Duelling Banjos" I ever did hear (he's duelling with himself, playing call and response). The mandolinist takes a ride around 6:30, and there's a closeup of the instrument at 7:00.
That is an odd-looking mandolin. Sounds just fine, though. :mandosmiley:
I remember seeing them advertised. Thought they were neat then. Maybe because they were a higher end brand that seemed "more-than-an-A" while "less than an F". Something different to see. As a player these days, though, I am a dyed in the wool A-5 man.
Yeah, I'm pretty much all about the A's myself, oval holes, though. Did just find an F-4 after a long, long search - still got that oval hole sound I like - and it's been taking a while to grow on me, but it is ... slowly ...
This here is a bit different. Never seen that design before. Double points, yes. Double ... bumps? :confused: Nope.
The mandolinist is " Bill Reno ", Dons' son.:mandosmiley:
That thing may be fugly, but it sounds great (the mando, not Bill!)
There is one for sale in the classifieds at the moment...
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/176011#176011
NFI
Kim once told me that he made approx. 200 F5s for Stelling. He carved every one by hand and never wanted to make another again; hence the production "K" model they developed for his own company. "K" was for Kim....
That is Dale Reno on mandolin. I had the privilege of playing that mandolin in 1979 when Don and his sons were playing up here in Michigan.
I think it was in or around Jackson, MI but it has been so long that I just don't recall. Out of all of the bluegrass legends, Don made himself
accessible to others and I got to play Dale's mandolin in a jam session with him and his Dad. Just the three of us. It was one of the highlights
of my life which I will not forget.
I think you "misremember" that one.
There were 79 Stelling mandolins when I started making them after Kim had left.
The one in the video has walnut back, sides and neck. It was badly damaged and was around the shop for a long time before someone decided to repair it. I don't know where it is now.
Makes one wonder where they are. In 40 + years I have never seen one pop up in a jam, at a festival or anywhere else. Maybe some demented soul is sitting on a cache of early Stelling mandolins.