#81099 puts it early 1925 I believe. Amazing tone. I'm 2nd owner!
I love my honey amber Collings MT! Gloss spruce top/matte tiger maple back.
This Duff F-5 in the classifieds has my attention...
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/164568#164568
NFI
I also like the look of the Gibson Goldrush mandolins.
Charley
A bunch of stuff with four strings
"A sudden clash of thunder, the mind doors burst open, and lo, there sits old man Buddha-nature in all his homeliness."
CHAO-PIEN
aka: Spencer
Silverangel Econo A #429
Soliver #001 Hand Crafted Pancake
Soliver Hand Crafted Mandolins and Mandolin Armrests
Armrests Here -- Mandolins Here
"You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage
to lose sight of the shore, ...and also a boat with no holes in it.” -anonymous
I don't think there is any finish I dislike on a mandolin except for a poorly done burst (like those black into yellow kind of bursts that show up on some super cheap mandolins for example). I've had a transparent blue mandolin (Weber Aspen II), a Gold top mandolin (Redline Traveler), Black top mandolins (Pomeroy A2 and Collings MT-O), blonde mandolins (Flatiron 2M, Mike Black A2Z, Weber Vintage A, Hilburn A5), a Sheraton Brown finish (Gibson A-jr), and a couple of bursts (Weber Custom Gallatin F, Eastman 905, and my very lovely cremona burst Girouard Concert A).
2018 Girouard Concert oval A
2015 JP "Whitechapel" tenor banjo
2018 Frank Tate tenor guitar
1969 Martin 00-18
my Youtube channel
LOVE blondes, especially Collings honey amber. Collings seems to have an endless supply of the most gorgeous wood for their honey amber backs.
Doug Brock
2018 Kimble 2 point (#259), Eastman MD315, Eastman MDA315, some guitars, banjos, and fiddles
My Lebeda Jazzica F5 is a Cognac toned finish rather than the Amber shown on many above..
A couple others with clear finish are not curly maple back & sides, like my D'jangoin,,
writing about music
is like dancing,
about architecture
My strad and one of my bandolims are blondes. My first mandolin (a bowlback) was a blonde -- so I guess I'm more attracted to blondes than other colors. My two next favorites are a matte brown (my Eastman) and a blacktop. My least favorite colors are whiteface (some old whiteface Gibson's are wonderful instruments, I just don't care for the color) and about 99 percent of bursts. A nice subtle burst is lovely -- but I've never been attracted to them.
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1920 Lyon & Healy bowlback
1923 Gibson A-1 snakehead
1952 Strad-o-lin
1983 Giannini ABSM1 bandolim
2009 Giannini GBSM3 bandolim
2011 Eastman MD305
I knew I’d get in trouble if I asked this question. Now it’s got me wanting a new mandolin and I haven’t even held one in 8 years.
Beautiful mandos guys and gals! Gorgeous stuff. Love those reddish mandos too!!
Apparently there are different versions of this story but it has to be repeated on this thread (I think it's been told on the Cafe before). Jethro Burns was on some panel or workshop discussing mandolins and someone brought up that blondes cost more and Jethro deadpanned something like, "blondes always cost more" or "that's true for mandolins too."
That's our Jethro.
Yes, I do like them! Have had this Collings MF Honey Amber for a bit more than a year, and just love the way it looks, and sounds, and plays.
I have a whole range of colors, from almost yellow to blonde to mahogany to sheridan brown to black. Some glossy and some matt finish. When considering a purchase the color and finish are not at the top of my list.
Years ago Weber offered an Aspen II flat top mandolin, in pale blue, like washed and worn denim. I discovered that color soon after they stopped offering it. That is a mandolin I yearn for even now, because of its color. I am familiar with the Weber and the Aspen II so I know the rest of my concerns are covered.
And of course I have played a few vintage Gibson F2s in black. That is a lovely instrument. I used to have money set aside in case one of them crossed my path. Even now I am sorely tempted.
I don't have any sunbursts. I did not even notice this until it was pointed out. It is not that I sought to avoid them, consciously anyway.
New to mando? Click this link -->Newbies to join us at the Newbies Social Group.
Just send an email to rob.meldrum@gmail.com with "mandolin setup" in the subject line and he will email you a copy of his ebook for free (free to all mandolincafe members).
My website and blog: honketyhank.com
I have always liked blonde mandolins. The second mandolin I built has a blonde finish. It's got gorgeous flamed maple back and sides and it just shimmers in the right light and angle.
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