your mandolin ownership history

[nickster]

1. Weber Bigsky
2. Weber Fern
3. Weber Custom Fern
4. Northfield Master Model #83 (modern setup)
5. Ellis A5 #345

I've owned many more guitars and banjo's than mandolins over the years. If I started out with mandolin back in 1953 I probably would have 20 more mandolins to add to my list.

Not 1953 but 1963. Hard to learn mandolin a year before birth.

[bobrem]

1. Tradition A style, Asian made. Had it signed by Bill Monroe.
2. Kentucky F style.
3. 1924 Gibson A Jr. snakehead.
4. 1996 Heiden F.
5. 2002 Heiden F.
6. 2001 Red Diamond custom F.
7. 2015 Sohn F.
8. 1997 Gilchrist A3.

[JeffD]

It has a "jaw drop" effect on my musician friends. Love, love, love it!

Weeeeeeeee!

[Petrus]

I only started around 2012-2013, so it was a steep learning curve at the beginning, slower now. I'm trying to stick to a 1-in, 1-out rule. This list only includes mandolins (I had a few guitars, ukes, and fiddles during the interim too.) I may have missed a few unmemorable ones. Almost all were bought used and resold mostly at a break even, give or take.

Ibanez acoustic-electric
Artistic faux-Resonator
Crusader faux-Resonator
Lyra ($50 with body coming apart; sold neck w/tuners for $55)
Gibson Flatiron 1N ($175 in poor shape and possible water damage; sold $200+) -- my only Gibson so far!
Kay Kraft
Rover RM-50 ($75, sold $90)
KM 150 ($100 from GC; sold $150)
KM 380 ($200 from GC; sold $250)
Trinity College Octave Mandolin ($400 used; broke even on resell)
S.S. Stewart Bowlback ($50; sold $100)
Eastman 305 ($350 used; sold to fund the 505)
Eastman 505 ($450; regret selling it)
Seagull S8 mandolin ($350; break even)
Gretsch New Yorker ($150? still have it)
Recording King resonator mando ($275, still have)
Breedlove Crossover OO ($260, still have)
Breedlove Crossover FF (2016; still have)

So that's about $2500 all in, which might've bought me a nice Weber or something like that, but then I wouldn't have had the experience of working on some of these instruments and learning their differences and what I like and so forth. Cheap tuition relatively speaking. The two Kentuckies and the two Eastmen were certainly the best of the bunch and I really regret selling the 505. I suspect I'll sell the new Crossover eventually (not the OO, though.)

[Patrick Gunning]

This is a cool topic:

1. Hondo cheap plywood thing (owned in 2003) - loaned to various friends
2. 1918 Gibson A pumpkin top (2003-2005) - traded to my dad, who later fell down the stairs on top of it, sold to Gail Hester for parts
3. 1980's Flatiron 3M bouzouki (2004-2007) - sold to my dad, still not broken (for now)
4. Arrow G-style (2005-2008) - 14 7/8" long scale, later sold to another cafe member
5. Arrow guitar-body OM (2008-present) wonderful instrument
6. Collings MT (2008-2009) - sold to a pro picker in Boston who later became a good buddy
7. Voight F5 #7 (2009-2014) - custom ordered at the 2008 Symposium, later sold to a cafe member
8. Northfield F5 Master Model (2014-2016) - Cafe giveaway instrument, later purchased from a cafe member - currently awaiting sale
9. 2008 Red Diamond Vintage '22 F5 (2016-present) - end of the MAS line for the foreseeable future - don't know how it gets better

[jmagill]

In chronological order. I got the first one on this list in 1974. I still have the ones in bold as well as a 10-string 1980 Sobell cittern. Not that many really, considering it's been 42 years, and most of these were really terrific instruments...

1. No-name flatback A, purchased at a yard sale for $5. A POS, but it got me interested.
2. 1916? Gibson A1, purchased from Elderly
3. 1915 Gibson F4 (I was the second owner!)
4. 1980 Alvarez F5 (to play while my Monteleone was being built)
5. 1980 Monteleone Grand Artist #44 (this one, for sale at Carter's)
6. 1983 Monteleone Grand Artist oval-hole (only a few of these around)
7. 1985 Sobell (western red cedar over Indian rosewood)
8. 1920 Gibson A (a gift from a friend)
9. 2013 Northfield 'Big Mon' F5 (this one)
10. 2012 Holst F4 (this one)
11. 2009 Heiden Heritage Model F5 (this one)
12. 2008 Poe F5 #26

[Denny Gies]

I say this with utmost respect...........Has anyone noticed that we're all nuts?

[Petrus]

Yeah and sometimes I feel that my slots aren't cut quite accurately.

I suspect a lot of people here collect other things too. My book collection fills up most of a room and really needs to be thinned out. You know you have too many books when it's easier to go out and get another copy of a title than dig through twenty boxes trying to find it.

Luckily my mp3 collection (300 albums?) fits on a tiny SD card. Ain't technology grand!

[michaelcj]

Been a guitar player for 50+ years and we just don't want to go into that list…. [I build some as well so that just complicates the issue]

As for mandolins which has been more recent [maybe 10 years]

Blue Comet [found at a yard sale and rehabilitated, still here and the cabin campfire mando]
The Loar 520 [gone]
Gibson A2 [1919]
Ratliff RA5 [1997]
Clark GOM [New and Incredible]

[JeffD]

I say this with utmost respect...........Has anyone noticed that we're all nuts?

I have a friend who collects Cats. Not the furry animal. Caterpillars. Not the bug. The earth moving farm and construction machinery. He has a huge pole barn with double digit Cats, of various vintages, all in perfect working order.

[Denny Gies]

JeffD, you make my point. thanks.

[sbhikes]

I had a Doug Tipple Irish flute. He makes them from PVC pipe like from the plumbing section at the hardware store. I traded it for a Flinthill mandolin. It's the only mandolin I've ever had.

[J Mangio]

1. '70 something Harmony A style inherited in '93 ( sold in the 90s for $50.)
2. '90 something Kentucky 675 bought new around late '90s, sold in '02.
3. '02 Gibson F-9 bought new
4. '03 Johnson MA-120 bought new
5. '12 Kentucky KM-1000 bought used in '12.

I go back and forth between the Gibson and KM-1000.
There both tone monsters and keep MAS at bay.

[jim simpson]

This thread has been dormant, here's mine updated:

1. no-name flat topped model with wood parquetry of a clown playing to the moon
2. Harmony/Monterey A model with f-holes
3. Washburn A model with oval hole
4. Gerald Anderson F-5 style
5. Ratliff R5 (F-5 style)
6. Weber Yellowstone
7. KM-1000 Kentucky, black
8. Gibson F5G
9. Gibson A 1917 pumpkin top
10. Flatiron A Performer
11. Trinity octave mandolin
12. Fullerton Gloucester F5
13. Gibson A3 project
14. Gibson A 1915 project
15. Harmony Shutt style 2 point
16. Glenn F5 style
17. Gibson A9
18. Fender 5 string electric mandolin
19. Epiphone Firebird 8 string electric mandolin
20. couple of Kentucky A models (can't remember model #s)
21. Stradolin A model
22. Chris Warner Gibson F5 copy
23. National Steel 30's period faux wood grain mandolin
24. Nagoya F5 style retopped to F4 style
25. Collings black top MT
26. Daley F5 std.
27. Gibson A Sheraton Brown
28. Flatiron mandola
29. Kentucky KM-805
30. Martin A – 20’s
31. Collings MF5
32. Poe F4
33. Sovereign flat top mandolin
34. Gibson Army Navy
35. Carlo Catalfamo F5
36. Kentucky KM-1000
37. Collings MF blonde
38. Rigel A
39. Flatiron pancake
40. Gibson F-5L ‘81
41. Gibson F-5 Fern ‘06
42. Gibson F-4 ‘12
43. Gibson ’23 snakehead
44. Gibson F-9 project
45. Nichols Road F-5
46. Fairbuilt F-5 (1 of 2 built)

[Westbrook]

My first was in '89-'90 Kentucky KM620

Then came my Newson F5 in summer of 1991.... 2021, same ol' Newson F5, only one I have.

Gave the Kentucky to my niece...

[bradinbrooklyn]

This is fun. I'll try to remember them all. Only ones I have left are the Voight A-5 and the Bayard Blaine GBOM.

1) Some pacrim asian a-5 I picked up at a pawn shop in college. Not sure what happened to it. I think it got traded for an equally crappy banjo I lost. Stopped playing it for about years or so.
2) "New Yorker" F-5 - crappy amazon/ebay F-5 shaped thing. Came with bad neck and returned.
3) All Mahogany (?) Morgan Monroe F-5 - Slightly better than the above but good/bad enough to give quick MAS
4) Gibson A-5g - borrowed from old band mate who was mainly playing a Bluett. Had to upgrade on giving it back. The next six happened in a ~3-4 year period:
5) Collings MT Blond - First nice one I owned - got it at Mandolin Brothers and played it happily on the ferry ride back to brooklyn
6) Stelling F-5 (Lebeda) - Wanted an F-5 so sold MT and bought this for a bit more. Never cared much for it. Sold/traded it for:
7) Skip Kelley F-5 - A fine mandolin, but had to sell it in order to not miss out on -
8) John Sullivan A-5 - An awesome mandolin that unfortunately had a neck to big for my hand. Traded it for...
9) Sim Daley F-5 Classic - A real monster that I think I sold for financial reasons and because I fell in love with:
10) Dan Voight A-5 - I was Dan's first custom order (2007) after playing his number 2. Picked out some really cool tonewoods for it and based the neck off the exact specs of a nugget that a buddy had, which was the nicest playing mandolin I've ever experienced. Dan really nailed it, and I haven't really longed for another other mandolin since. Did pick up:
11) Eastman MDO-305 - sparked my interest in octave mandolin, but didnt have the responsiveness, volume and depth I found in others. Passed it on and last year and picked up:
12) Bayard Blaine GBOM - cedar top and zebrawood body which is really lovely to behold and a joy to play. Great builder if anyone is in the market for a flattop guitar, gbom (and he has some nice looking archtops too).

Addendum - just realized I had a 1923 Gibson Snakehead briefly which I bought and sold back to Retrofret sometime around the John Sullivan... I think it was to buy a banjo.

[Sue Rieter]

This thread has been dormant, here's mine updated:

1. no-name flat topped model with wood parquetry of a clown playing to the moon
2. Harmony/Monterey A model with f-holes
3. Washburn A model with oval hole
4. Gerald Anderson F-5 style
5. Ratliff R5 (F-5 style)
6. Weber Yellowstone
7. KM-1000 Kentucky, black
8. Gibson F5G
9. Gibson A 1917 pumpkin top
10. Flatiron A Performer
11. Trinity octave mandolin
12. Fullerton Gloucester F5
13. Gibson A3 project
14. Gibson A 1915 project
15. Harmony Shutt style 2 point
16. Glenn F5 style
17. Gibson A9
18. Fender 5 string electric mandolin
19. Epiphone Firebird 8 string electric mandolin
20. couple of Kentucky A models (can't remember model #s)
21. Stradolin A model
22. Chris Warner Gibson F5 copy
23. National Steel 30's period faux wood grain mandolin
24. Nagoya F5 style retopped to F4 style
25. Collings black top MT
26. Daley F5 std.
27. Gibson A Sheraton Brown
28. Flatiron mandola
29. Kentucky KM-805
30. Martin A – 20’s
31. Collings MF5
32. Poe F4
33. Sovereign flat top mandolin
34. Gibson Army Navy
35. Carlo Catalfamo F5
36. Kentucky KM-1000
37. Collings MF blonde
38. Rigel A
39. Flatiron pancake
40. Gibson F-5L ‘81
41. Gibson F-5 Fern ‘06
42. Gibson F-4 ‘12
43. Gibson ’23 snakehead
44. Gibson F-9 project
45. Nichols Road F-5
46. Fairbuilt F-5 (1 of 2 built)

Whoa, that's a heckuva long list! How many of those do you still have?

[chris.burcher]

Great day, Jim thassalottamandolins.

Glad to see this thread still going.

I'll add a 2015 Duff A5, a Mandobird electric (gold sparkle), and a SECOND McGhee F5 to my list. I sold the first McGhee and missed it, then saw another come up on the cafe and couldn't resist. For the first time not only do I not own only one mando, I own three.

[jim simpson]

Whoa, that's a heckuva long list! How many of those do you still have?

Just four: the Gibson F5L, the Gibson Fern, the Nichols Road, & the Fairbuilt. I have 2 builds in the works so I'm not counting them, lol!

[Jill McAuley]

I'm due an update as well:

-Jimmy Moon flat top: bought this at Trevor's shop in Brighton, but it didn't get much playing time as I was so obsessed with the tenor banjo. Sold it along with a bunch of other stuff to fund my move to the States.

-Gibson A50: impulsive eBay purchase. The flat fretboard and tiny frets didn't do it for me so sold it.

-Flatiron pancake 2M: another eBay purchase, really nice little mandolin in great shape but I have a wandering eye, sold it for..

-Weber Aspen #2: from Elderly, in custom "Denim stain" finish, a little garish but I liked it. Sounded lovely too, traded towards Gallatin.

-Pomeroy A4: Was for sale on the Pomeroy website. Loud, neck was a little chunkier than I prefer, sold it.

-Redline Traveler: custom finish inspired by a Les Paul Goldtop, including cream coloured pick guard. Sold it to fund:

-Weber Custom Gallatin F w/oval hole: from The Mandolin Store. Of all the mandolins I've had this was the one I bonded with the most. I put so many hours of playing onto that thing. Still regret selling it, but got my head turned by...

-Weber Vintage A: from Greg Boyd's shop. Beautiful instrument but I never clicked with it. Had to sell it when I lost my job suddenly.

- J.Bovier electric mandolin that I used as a travel mando. That got sold when I lost the job as well.

-Eastman 905: sold the Vintage A to a cafe member and got this in partial trade. My first mandolin with f-holes. A really enjoyable mandolin to play. Sold it to fund..

-Mike Black A2Z: really lovely instrument, purchased from a cafe member. Had to sell it a year later due to owing the taxman $$.

-Hilburn A5: got on Jim's list to have this built for me (documented in a thread here) about a month before I lost my job. Was determined to see the build through and worked 4 part time jobs so as to be able to survive and pay this off at the same time. It never got the playing time it deserved because by the time it arrived I was in the throes of my still continuing obsession with jazz drumming. Sold it last year to fund a move to a new city.

-1927 Gibson Ajr snakehead: did a search for "Ajr" on Reverb and this one popped up being sold by Bradford & Franke Strings. Just got it back from my luthier where it got a refret with larger fret wire and after playing it for hours yesterday it occurred to me that I haven't felt this connection to a mandolin since my long gone Gallatin. Neither of them are high dollar mandolins but their playability and workhorse like quality are what do it for me. Much as I loved this mandolin I struggled to get used to the flat fretboard so sold it when I saw this one:

- 2014 Collings MT-O: I'm a fan of Black top mandolins and when this one turned up on the Music Emporium's website I hit "Buy now". I was really content with this mandolin until I got the chance to play a Girouard oval A, so it got sold to fund....

- 2018 Girouard Concert oval A: Commissioned Max to make this for me to the exact specs of an earlier mandolin he'd made that I'd gotten the chance to play at Marla Fibish's Winter Mandolin Intensive in Feb 2018. It has a Port Orford Cedar top, one piece maple back and custom inlay of my Beagle Janey Mack on the headstock - needless to say this mandolin isn't going anywhere!

[pheffernan]

My own progression looks like the following

Updated:
1998 Mid-Missouri M0 (sold to Dan)
1984 Flatiron 1N (sold to Rex)
2009 Redline Traveler (traded to Josh)
2007 Gypsy Vagabond (sold)
1924 Gibson A
2005 Collings MT (sold to Richard)
2013 Pava (sold to Jim)
2005 National RM-1
2007 Hester A5
2009 Passernig A5
2013 Silverangel A (sold to Catherine)
2013 Redline Traveler (sold to Dan)
2015 Black A2-z
2017 Poe Scout
2009 Stanley A5 (sold to Don)
2011 Passernig F5 (sold to Tom)
2019 Hogan F5

I’m somewhat heartened that my mandolin collection has been fairly stable for the last five years. Although, I have added an octave, two mandolas, a tenor, another six-string, a uke, etc.

[yankees1]

This thread has been dormant, here's mine updated:

1. no-name flat topped model with wood parquetry of a clown playing to the moon
2. Harmony/Monterey A model with f-holes
3. Washburn A model with oval hole
4. Gerald Anderson F-5 style
5. Ratliff R5 (F-5 style)
6. Weber Yellowstone
7. KM-1000 Kentucky, black
8. Gibson F5G
9. Gibson A 1917 pumpkin top
10. Flatiron A Performer
11. Trinity octave mandolin
12. Fullerton Gloucester F5
13. Gibson A3 project
14. Gibson A 1915 project
15. Harmony Shutt style 2 point
16. Glenn F5 style
17. Gibson A9
18. Fender 5 string electric mandolin
19. Epiphone Firebird 8 string electric mandolin
20. couple of Kentucky A models (can't remember model #s)
21. Stradolin A model
22. Chris Warner Gibson F5 copy
23. National Steel 30's period faux wood grain mandolin
24. Nagoya F5 style retopped to F4 style
25. Collings black top MT
26. Daley F5 std.
27. Gibson A Sheraton Brown
28. Flatiron mandola
29. Kentucky KM-805
30. Martin A – 20’s
31. Collings MF5
32. Poe F4
33. Sovereign flat top mandolin
34. Gibson Army Navy
35. Carlo Catalfamo F5
36. Kentucky KM-1000
37. Collings MF blonde
38. Rigel A
39. Flatiron pancake
40. Gibson F-5L ‘81
41. Gibson F-5 Fern ‘06
42. Gibson F-4 ‘12
43. Gibson ’23 snakehead
44. Gibson F-9 project
45. Nichols Road F-5
46. Fairbuilt F-5 (1 of 2 built)

Holy Moly !!

[Sue Rieter]

Just four: the Gibson F5L, the Gibson Fern, the Nichols Road, & the Fairbuilt. I have 2 builds in the works so I'm not counting them, lol!

Not the clown one?

[JeffD]

Controversial comment:

Unless you are a little crazy, and lack perhaps a little balance in your life, you ain't never gonna get any good at the mandolin. I have found that the amount of playing and practicing I need to do to progress is much much more than a healthy balanced person would do in an ordinary life, with anything. I have re-arranged my life so that I can mandolin.

No television, cable or otherwise
Work from home office, keeping my own hours
Private house (no upstairs or downstairs neighbors to complain)

So, having many mandolins, or going through many mandolins, is just a symptom of the same disease. We all have a mandolin shaped hole in our hearts and we all fill that hole as best we can.

[Sue Rieter]

I don't ever expect to "get good" at the mandolin, as I started too late in life. I hope to be adequate to play informally with other folks like me, and most of all to have FUN. I also think it's good for my aging neurons. I wanted a mandolin for many years, almost bought one about 15 years ago, but life intervened. What's the best time to plant a tree (or buy a mandolin)? Many years ago. Second best time? Right now.

I've got four (in fairly short order), not because I want to find the holy grail, but because I want to try different things. Here's what I have:

1998 Kentucky KM-200S - sits in the case most of the time now, but I think it will be good for travel (when we can do that again)
194(1) Stradolin - I love it. Really love it. But I haven't played enough mandolins to know if it is great. Probably not, but pretty darn good and I love it.
2020 Morris flat top - very pretty and sounds different
1999 Mid-Mo Mandola - cool feel in my hand, and sounds really cool

I've started to think about banjo mandolins, but am trying to just say no (for now).