[QUOTE=Mandobar;1875836] “Nah, there's time enough for all the mandolins to get played.”
How many is “all the mandolins?
Uh-huh.
I've never met you, but I can tell you've got it bad.
Take the pledge. I did. It can be done.
I must admit that there's a Larson I'd like to have. And Yair Stern's octaves look interesting.
But my business never really recovered from the 2008 crash, and the pandemic and inflation just about finished the job.
I'm social security eligible, but I'm going to try to delay just a bit longer.
And my old Windstar van is 22 years old now. First things first.
I don't need to buy a mandolin. It's all in my mind. And I don't play my Octofone often, though I think I'm going to use it on my next show. I think it'll work unaccompanied on Pete's "Heart of the Heartland" tuned GDAD. I don't think the composer will mind. He liked to be unorthodox. Anyway, I don't need Yair's octave right now. And while the Octofone is rather primitive, it'll get the job done if my fingers do their part.
The pledge is intact. I haven't lost any sleep, and my appetite is good. No shakes.
If my Dobro ever sells, I might have to resist temptation. But though it's a good instrument, no one wants Dobros anymore. Now they all want Beards. Too bad Gibson tarnished the Dobro name. And if it does sell, something else needs to go also.
And I don't need a Larson.
And I could cobble together a bending iron and make my own octave. I've got just about everything else I need except some of the lumber. Building one would keep me out of trouble. If I was really smart, I'd build two and sell one. That might be too much like work, though. "Life gets teejus, don't it." [anybody remember that?]
My appetite is good. No shakes. I'll be fine.
Good luck, Mary. If it gets bad, try crossing all your fingers and all your toes, then bow three times to the west, and twice towards Nantucket.
I love that people want to help me curtail my last real vice. Sorry, not giving up coffee or mandolins any time soon.
"your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."
I say "whatever suits you tickles me plum to death".
Enjoy the Campanella Mary, I have lusted for one for a long while. Fortunately I am happy with my Brentrup and Unicorn. Well and a couple others, haha
THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!
Make America Grateful Again!
2013 Collings MF, 2017 Northfield NF2S, 2019 Northfield Big Mon F
1968 Martin D12-20, 2008 Martin HD28, 2022 Martin CEO 7
1978 Ibanez Artist "Flying Eagle" Masterclone Banjo
Hmmmmm… quite a long-winded internal monologue… I wonder, though, who you are trying to convince here of what? I certainly understand though where you are coming from. I have been there but circumstances may change especially when that guy comes knocking on your door with that Larson mandolin and says, “hey maybe we can work out a trade for that Windstar.”
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
Mary did you get a chance to play the A as well? The sound clip of that one is quite fine. I am on the north shore for one more day and may need to sneek over during my kids nap time to check it out… always wondered about his instruments.
I'm so glad I don't live near TME. Or the Mandolin Store or many others. I'm just gonna make another latte and play my custom Collings MT2. I keep telling myself to collect tunes - not instruments...(it's not a great strategy but I am learning some new things.)
Decipit exemplar vitiis imitabile
I did not. I owned an A5 and the A440. I wasn't planning on buying the F5, and had actually gone to play the Dude again. But you might want to go over and look at the A, because these are all far and few between. I'd at least go over and play it, and play that Dude. It's the nicest one I have played and rumor has it that the maple is from a tree harvested from Dollywood, yeah, that Dollywood.
"your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."
My Campanella is an A-5 and it sounds much like the one in the video. One thing missing from that one is Joe’s exquisitely carved armrest. Too bad anyway as noted above Joe’s mandolins have their own tone, sweet yet clear. They are different but very appealing. I am lucky to be its caretaker.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
Most of it was meant as humor.
My last purchase was a $150 as-is Swedish Goya 12 string that I took apart and re-braced. That was 3 years ago.
I'll nurse the Windstar along another year or three if it doesn't throw a rod.
I do keep my eye out for instruments that are in good cosmetic condition but need a lot of work to make them playable to fix up and sell. But these days, I don't see many of those that are good candidates for "repair and sell." I do see a lot of instruments that need hundreds of dollars of work listed at or above the market price for similar instruments that have no problems. I can't pay the rent that way.
The last one of those that was worth buying was quite a while back. It was a Gibson plain A with a badly warped neck and missing the bridge saddles and pickguard. I straightened her up, gave her a good set of frets, made a replica pickguard and saddles, and posted it here. When it didn't move, I consigned it in Nashville. They listed it for more than I was asking in the classifieds, and sold it in about two weeks. I made enough to get a good rate for my labor, the shop got their consignment fee, and someone got a good A model that's easy to play. Everybody was happy. I like it when things work out that way.
I hope Mary is enjoying her new Campanella. They're really attractive instruments.
Some of those are probably in my closet. Maybe we should talk sometime.But these days, I don't see many of those that are good candidates for "repair and sell."
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
I would surely have the edges looking ragged and chewed on one of these splendid looking instruments in no time. I seem to require a protective barrier of ivoriod binding between the edges of my mandolin and the surfaces upon which I bring it into contact.
too many strings
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
Congratulations, Mary!
Chuck
It’s so pleasing to see folks encounter unexpected situations and respond with decisive action.
I’m sure there’s a lesson here for all of us.
Last edited by Bill McCall; Aug-21-2022 at 1:43pm.
Not all the clams are at the beach
Arrow Manouche
Arrow Jazzbo
Arrow G
Clark 2 point
Gibson F5L
Gibson A-4
Ratliff CountryBoy A
"your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."
Nice. My guess is Dan can make any instrument at TME shine! Perhaps you can A/B your Campanella with your Heiden‘s for us?
Last edited by Jim Roberts; Aug-21-2022 at 4:49pm.
In analyzing my own MAS I have come up with a "tractor-beam" theory of incremental helplessness. This all began in the 80's when the late great Gordon Stone let me try his Stelling Bellflower: "oh, no, I could never possibly justify getting one!"; but gradually the obsession grew and I got pulled helplessly into its orbit; tried gamely to stave it off by buying a Stelling belt-buckle instead ("this should be sufficient!"); and finally committed to working enough double-shifts at the hospital to save up for a new Stelling. Entire drama unfolding in less than two years. I still have the Bellflower . . . and the belt-buckle.
Next should come as no surprise: living in northern Vermont I found my way to Rigel and treated myself to their entry-level mandolin. But the beam kept pulling me in, I became a regular walk-in at the shop and gradually worked my way up the Rigel chain. The beam never lets go!
Similarly as noted above, when I met Joe Cleary I felt that I'd never become a customer . . . but after I played one the beam kept drawing me in, relentlessly, and at least I had enough insight to cut right to the chase scene and get the F5 made for me.
Insight began to take hold: at a show in Waitsfield, Mike Compton and Dave Long both offered to let me try their Gilchrists, and I resolutely stuffed my hands right into my pockets to avoid taking that first step and letting the beam hit me. I comfort myself in believing that's one obsession I successfully dodged.
And so, no, I don't think I'll go try out that Dude, either! -- Paul
He joyously felt himself idling, an unreflective mood in which water was water, sky was sky, breeze was breeze. He knew it couldn't last. -- Thomas McGuane, "Nothing but Blue Skies"
Paul, I read you post and almost choked on my tea. But I understood what you were saying completely.
"your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."
If you meet the luthier, there is a good chance you'll buy his/her instrument.
I know a violin bow maker and have always wanted one of his bows. He became more and more renown and now I really had to pay when I could have saved a bundle earlier. My wife thinks I'm nuts but the money is far less important than having one of his bows. Go figure....
Decipit exemplar vitiis imitabile
Bookmarks