Visited Fiddler's Green

[Josh Levine]

I got to visit Fiddler's Green in Austin last week. Had a great experience. Went around opening and was the only one in there. They let me loose without any sort of pre-conditions on what to play or watching over me. Just totally welcoming and laid back. So I sat and played through most of the mandolins in the room. I really liked the new torrified top Collings MT they had. Hard to stomach the price for a new MT, but it was a great mandolin. Had many characteristics I hear in Collings mandolins, brittle cutting tone, but seemed to have a fatter sound with a little more depth and volume. I liked it and am sure it will grow to be a great mandolin. Similarly priced the Pava Pro was quite nice. It had old strings too. Would be fun to A/B those for a while and take one home. They are nice. The Ellis's were nice as you would expect. Anyways, it is a great store and I hope to get back there. When I was leaving someone (I think Ben who I greatly respect as a player) said "I enjoyed hearing your Monroe licks". That was the icing on the cake.

[LadysSolo]

I am afraid to play an Ellis for fear it will cause my MAS to come out of remission. I think I need to stay away......

[Caleb]

FG is the coolest acoustic shop I've ever been to. When I was there several years ago, Ben (whom I had just met upon arrival) asked if I'd ever heard of an Ellis. I had not, so he produced a case from behind the counter and handed me his personal mandolin to play. A few years later I drove from DFW and bought my Collings MT from them. Great folks and great service!

[HonketyHank]

I've been looking for a plausable reason for me to be in Austin so I can say "oh as long as I am here, I ought to go check out Fiddlers Green". Thanks for the report, Josh.

[Kevin Winn]

I've been looking for a plausable reason for me to be in Austin so I can say "oh as long as I am here, I ought to go check out Fiddlers Green". Thanks for the report, Josh.

Going to Fiddler's is the plausible reason you are seeking...

[Roda]

I live in the wrong country. Wish I could go into a store and see something else than only a 100 buck Ibanez. :D

[Br1ck]

I live in the wrong country. Wish I could go into a store and see something else than only a 100 buck Ibanez. :D

But your country always rates so highly on the happiness list, so they must not consider mandolin availability.

[Bill McCall]

Knowing your MAS, I'll bet they had the video rolling and the front door locked so you wouldn't run out screaming 'hallelujah'!

And I'm sure your good time was even better than you described it.

[Roda]

But your country always rates so highly on the happiness list, so they must not consider mandolin availability.

Haha nailed it.

[Charlie Bernstein]

We'll be visiting Austin next winter. I wonder if I'll be able to sneak a little visit to Fiddler's Green. THAT would be fun!

Think I'll mosey over to their website right now and get see what I'm missing . . . .

[Anglocelt]

I thought you meant this Fiddlers Green:

When you get to the dock and the long trip is through
There's pubs and there's clubs, and there's lassies there too
and the girls are all pretty and the beer it is free
And there's bottles of rum growing from every tree
(extract from Fiddlers Green, song by John Connolly, Lincolnshire)

All this and Mandolins too?

[Br1ck]

We'll be visiting Austin next winter. I wonder if I'll be able to sneak a little visit to Fiddler's Green. THAT would be fun!

Think I'll mosey over to their website right now and get see what I'm missing . . . .

Absolutely not. No sneaking allowed. Make it the reason you are going there. You can figure out how to get to Grandma's funeral, or big sis' wedding, or make that brain tumor specialist appointment. Get your priorities straight. First mandolin shopping, then BBQ, after witch you can argue that case at the state supreme court.

[John Lloyd]

Perfectly happy with the Northfield F2S I got from them. Though buying at a distance is always a gamble, Fiddler's Green made it painless, and the YouTube videos they post just give me one more reason to want to visit there in person.