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Here's another vote for trying a mandola. The resonance and sustain is addictive... I pick up my Big Muddy more often than even my pricier instruments!

I love Thomastik heavies (stark)! Before you invest in a set, try a set of the D'Addario flatwounds (EFW74). They're not as good as the Thomastiks, but they're $15 instead of $60 and are the closest...

That's so interesting! The only other mandolin player at my local bluegrass jam plays an MT2, and it's much quieter than my old F5S (which had an Engelmann top).

I played the F2S at Fiddler's Green and thought it was an absolute knockout. It sounds better than the Collings MTO they also had at the time. Ben, the owner, has sent me video clips of him playing...

Dusty Strings isn't local to me, but I can confirm after playing multiple Big Mons that the Engelmann models sounded better (warmer, fuller, more responsive to soft dynamics) to my ear than the...

To further the conversation on the car analogy, I rock a modern bluetooth stereo on my 1989 Miata. Just because I love driving a classic car doesn't mean I want to carry around a bunch of cassette...

I use my pinky just as much as every other finger on my fretting hand! I use it much less with guitar and other larger instruments, but on mandolin and mandola it's essential. Learn the patterns for...

Think about it this way: both Northfield and Kentucky to sell a $2800 mandolin. The Model M is about as plain as you can get (short of the wood selection). You're paying entirely for the attention to...

If what you're looking for is a jump in sound quality, save your money! Either Kentucky will be a side-grade from your 805v, at best. If they're at all like the high-end Eastmans and Kentuckys I've...

Mike Marshall could make any mandocello sound amazing, but the video you posted is outstanding. What a special instrument! Here's hoping it winds up with a player and not an investor...

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I've also heard that John Monteleone worked directly with the team that designed the KM-DAWG, although there's no way to know for sure short of getting in touch with the man himself. I would've...

I played that mandolin several times while it was at Fiddler's Green!! It was a real standout, tone-wise. Ben mentioned that David Grisman had them model the acoustics on Monteleone mandolins. Having...

Keep in mind that the M-0 was Big Muddy's cheapest mandolin. Mike builds a few different entry-level models nowadays, but they're all priced between $515 and $530, brand new. I'm not surprised the...

I've got nothing but good things to say about my Northfield F5S. I will say that all the ones I've played sounded different to each other, and I would highly recommend playing an instrument in person...

If you can find a good deal on a used one, you're in the range for a Northfield flat top octave. Pheffernan posted a link to one on Reverb that's open to offers, so that's what I'd start with. There...

Hey TJ!

I agree with everything wonderful that's been said about FG. Ben is a wizard, and it's definitely worth your time to take a trip to their Lockhart location. Keep in mind they're only open...

It was!! I love the sonic brightness of spruce, but I am not a fan of how pale spruce looks au naturale–#when I saw this one custom-ordered with a dyed (aging toner? not sure) spruce top, it felt...

After a college friend lent me their Kentucky A-style, let's see...

- I started with a rental Eastman 305 and didn't connect with it.
- The same college friend gifted me a 60s Sonata that had...

I picked up a Northfield flattop on Friday, with the Italian Spruce top and Michigan Koa (maple) back and sides. What made me fall in love with it was the endless resonance and sustain! It's exactly...

A friend and I are working on a tribute show for Nirvana's MTV Unplugged in New York performance. My friend is playing his Martin D18, and I'm playing a Yamaha Melodica and my Northfield F5S-E....

Both my Kamaka long neck soprano (HF1-LD) and my Ko'Aloha Silver Tenor ring beautifully above the 12th fret, but these are the first two ukuleles (of many!) that play that way. Every other ukulele...

I emailed him, but he didn't offer a replacement, only a return (with shipping at my expense). I'm trying it out during band rehearsal today and will probably decide whether or not to return it based...

I have played extensively with three Apollo picks our band's guitarist picked up from Nik's regular factory seconds sales and enjoyed them. I decided to place a custom order when Nik re-opened his...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sfDIiPymw8

Here's a live recording of a quick original! The audio is running through our TASCAM mixer :)

Happy to see another NFS-F5E owner here! The Engelmann top definitely has less "cut" than the Adirondack tops I tried, but as you said, it suits the "pretty" styles really well. Congrats on your new...