Here's the new to me but old Stiver F-5 mandolin

[Demetrius]

I have to say folks, this mandolin is truly outstanding. It's been played hard and loved by the original owner since 2007 and has really developed into quite the gem. Plenty of mojo and vibe going on with this mandolin.
I've done a forum search on here and I can't seem to find many photos of some of the Stivers that are out there. Feel free to post yours and tell us a little about it. Age, and how you acquired it...
Dem

[mee]

That's a beauty

[William Smith]

Nice Dem! Stivers like I said are very popular in my neck of the woods, I've played and heard many! They are mighty fine acoustic machines, granted I've only ever played bluegrass and heard bluegrass played on them. I have 2 friends in my area and one plays an A-5 the other is an F-5- both are sweet, the F-5 is a powerhouse! The 2 that stand out, out of all the ones I've heard and played are twins that Lou made in the early 80's, The only 2 that Lou made this way as Lou told me, Lou's personal mando and another player down his way, I want to say his last name is Dick. They are blonde/natural finish A-5 style but with the typical F-5 style peg head not snake style. for some reason they just sound fantastic! Lou does fantastic repair work also and is very fair with prices also, and very easy to talk with, just a simple nice all around great guy. He usually plays with his band at the little local fests down around his area in Polk, PA.

Oh, also if you need a tailpiece cover give him a shout I'm sure he has one, just tell him Billy Smith sent ya and he'll give ya a deal or just give ya one if ya plan on keeping her. Just tell him what #/year yours is because he's changed them through the years.

[lflngpicker]

Congrats Demetrius! That's a looker, and I'm sure it plays and sounds great. Enjoy!

[Pittsburgh Bill]

[QUOTE=bluegrasser78;1649615]Nice Dem! Stivers like I said are very popular in my neck of the woods, I've played and heard many! They are mighty fine acoustic machines, granted I've only ever played bluegrass and heard bluegrass played on them. I have 2 friends in my area and one plays an A-5 the other is an F-5- both are sweet, the F-5 is a powerhouse! The 2 that stand out, out of all the ones I've heard and played are twins that Lou made in the early 80's, The only 2 that Lou made this way as Lou told me, Lou's personal mando and another player down his way, I want to say his last name is Dick. They are blonde/natural finish A-5 style but with the typical F-5 style peg head not snake style. for some reason they just sound fantastic! Lou does fantastic repair work also and is very fair with prices also, and very easy to talk with, just a simple nice all around great guy. [/QUOTE

DITTO!!! I would like to add that Stiver mandolins are popular amongst the members of the Pittsburgh Mandolin Orchestra of which I have had the opportunity to hear in a non bluegrass setting many times and they are very pleasing to the ear.

[Larry S Sherman]

I love my 2-point.

I have posted this pic in the past. I'll try to take a better shot when I have time:



Larry

[JeffD]

Here.

[Willie Poole]

I have never played a Stiver but have been around a few that sounded great, the one that Doc Mercer, the host of The Cumberland Highlanders show on TV plays, has that Gibson (Monroe) sound, the one that Jesse Mc Reynolds plays doesn`t show me much to be honest, another one that I almost bought was at a festival that my band played on and it was one that I would have loved to owned but just couldn`t swing the price at that time...It was being played by Randy Graham when he was with The Bluegrass Cardinals ...

Enjoy it, they don`t come much better....

Willie

[Jim Garber]

I remember one time, maybe back in the 1980s that Elderly was the prime retailer for Stiver mandolins.

[pops1]

Elderly still seems to have Stiver's more than anywhere else that I have seen.

[Demetrius]