Ones you wish you bought.

[red7flag]

I know this has been done before, but seems appropriate to go along with the current thread on ones you wish you never sold.

Both for me were at the same IBMA, maybe 2011 or 2012 and was cash short at the time.

One was a used Sobell mandolin about 2004 by memory at the Elderly Booth. Awesome mandolin with great tone and playability. By the time my money situations straightened out (sold some instruments) and checked back with Elderly, maybe a month later, the Sobell was sold.

The second was a H5 Bentrup (not sure of the year). Was at Han's booth. That was was one fine instrument. I went into the booth to play some of his mandolins, but could not keep my hands off that mandola. Since mandola is a secondary instrument to me, I could not justify the cost, but my oh my, what an instrument!!!

[sgarrity]

This one still haunts me. At least I got to play it!

[terzinator]

Hey! That Sarah Jarosz video is where I learned "Shove that Pig's Foot a Little Further into the Fire"! Love it love it love it.

I haven't played any "otherworldly" mandolins yet. I did play a Sorensen Sprite (which I thought was incredible), and I'm in the process of making that happen.

So i've got that going for me.

Which is nice.

[Tobin]

I ended up buying the best mandolin I ever played in a store, so no regrets there.

But I still regret not buying that Weber f-style octave that I played at a local music shop. When I decided to buy it the next day, someone had beaten me to it.

[9lbShellhamer]

One of the best I played was after hearing many stories of "the one that got away", so I purchased it. A 2002 Collings MT2. One that I loved and still think about is a Pava Pro from Sept '13. I went back to play another Pava Pro and it just wasn't the same as the one that blew me away.

Sure there are other great mandolins I'll never forget like The Altman and the Heiden A5, but they were out of my price range so no regrets.

[Bill McCall]

Pre-1920 F4, cherry red, lovely handel tuners, flawless. but it was $125 and I passed on it. But that was 1973 and I was only playing the guitar. Ended up in Rochester at Stutzman's.

[fatt-dad]

I played an F5G at the Guitar Center that surprised me. Tainted by the store, but when I returned it was gone.

f-d

[allenhopkins]

Gibson F-7. maybe 30 years ago. "Short neck," but significantly cheaper than an F-5; coulda had it for my F-2 and a reasonable amount of cash.

Nah, I had to have an F-5, which I purchased soon after. Really like my '54, with it's steroidal headstock and block inlays, but that F-7 was a rarity, it sounded really nice, and you don't see 'em around often.

Not playing much bluegrass now, and the F-5's a "case queen," coming out two or three times a year, no more. So, wish I jumped on that F-7, back in Eldon Stutzman's basement in the 1980's.

[Eddie Sheehy]

A Rozawood Tenor Guitar in the Classifieds recently... evaporated while I procrastinated...

[Atlanta Mando Mike]

Shaun,
Have to agree with you. That Gil is a special mandolin. Really caught my ear when I first heard it.

[mandroid]

A rare Dewick, when it passed thru the classifieds ..

like this: http://antebelluminstruments.blogspo...-mandolin.html

[fatt-dad]

the Mustang and Unicorn. . .

f-d

[BlueMt.]

I put my name on the waiting list for a Sobell, at Dusty Strings in 1991. I got a call that they had an instrument for me in 1993 but I decided not to buy. I'm still kicking myself.

[T.D.Nydn]

Yeah,,,in the early '80's,,a lloyd loar mandolin I was very close to buying,,it was $10,000 and I even had the money at the time...

[Bigtuna]

There was a Givens A5 at the IBMAs about two years ago. That thing sounded great even with all the background noise. That same year there was Nugget A I couldn't put down, but the Givens had it beat.

[pointpergame]

Also a Pava A-5 Pro. At the Music Emporium in Lexington, Ma. The sound of it is still in my head several months later. I'm a little new to this Mando-Questing, but I assume I'll find another. Not so rare. Please don' tell me there is only one meant for me and that it went to someone else!

[jasona]

Didn't seriously consider buying either as it was when I was first starting out but 12th Fret in Toronto had a Sobel with cathedral-like tone, and a Randy Wood F12 to F5 conversion that could peel the paint off the walls. I wish I had gotten either.

[almeriastrings]

This Heiden Heritage...

http://www.theacousticmusicco.co.uk/...andolins-.html

Very happy with what I have, but that one tempted me. I really like the sound of both Ellis and Heiden mandolins...

[Ivan Kelsall]

''The one that got away'' was for me,a pre-war Gibson TB-6 to 5-string conversion that i saw & played at the IBMA festival in Owensboro in 1992. Possibly the shabbiest looking banjo on the stall,nobody was even looking at it. I picked it up,began to play it & it rang like a bell !. I played a few tunes on it inc. ''Bill Monroe's tune ''Santa Claus", much to the amusement of Bill Keith who was standing only a few feet away from me. By the time i'd done,there was a queue of folk waiting to play it. I went back to the stall in the afternoon with the very possible intention of buying it,but it had been sold. It's still the finest sounding banjo i've ever heard & believe me,i've heard 100's !.
Almeria - If you'd bought the Heiden 'Heritage',you'd have been in good company,

Ivan

[jmagill]

Almeria - If you'd bought the Heiden 'Heritage',you'd have been in good company.

Almeria, I just had a look at the Heiden Heritage F5 that was at TAMCO. It's the most beautiful mandolin I've seen since... well, since mine.

If the one you saw sounded anything like this one, I can understand why you remember it.

[Bertram Henze]

...seems appropriate to go along with the current thread on ones you wish you never sold.

Other possible permutations to come are (in close phonetic resemblance with the original)
- Ones you wish you boughn't
- Ones you're glad you bought
- Ones you're glad you boughtn't

[Timbofood]

Too many to list but, there was a D-21 I missed out on when I got my Guild, my simple loss.
I had the opportunity to buy an early Halsey but, no money.
And then there was.....

[maj34]

When I was a new Cafe member, i noticed a Gibson snakehead mandolin for sale in the Cafe classifieds. To my surprise, the seller's address was only about 5 blocks from my house. It looked good, the price was good, and I kind of wanted a snakehead oval hole. I waited a few days and then called him, by which time it was already spoken for. He invited me over to play it, and it was fantastic. I was pretty bummed when he shipped it off to Australia!

That was probably 8 years ago, and I still don't have a snakehead.

[Larry S Sherman]

The second was a H5 Bentrup (not sure of the year). Was at Han's booth. That was was one fine instrument. I went into the booth to play some of his mandolins, but could not keep my hands off that mandola. Since mandola is a secondary instrument to me, I could not justify the cost, but my oh my, what an instrument!!!

I'm still trying to figure out a way to make that H5 mine. Maybe someday?

Larry

[Jill McAuley]

What was that green oval hole mandolin you used to have Larry? That's one I wish I'd bought for sure! Also anytime I see a Campanella mandolin for sale I wish I had the $$.