Last Saturday was NMD for me as my "new to me" Northfield F5S arrived at my door. After letting it warm up from the cold trip across the country, I finally unboxed, basked in its beauty, and started to pick.
Not only is it my first F5, but it's also my first "pro-level" mandolin after starting out on an Eastman 305 (not to say that the right hands can't play any mandolin professionally).
To my ears, the tone coming out of this mandolin is both sweet and bright, punchy and delicate. The neck and setup are perfect in my hands. It is truly a joy to play, and I find myself already elevating my playing. Likely a byproduct of the sheer amount of playing I'm putting in, but also the ability to draw out the sound I'm looking for from the mandolin. I can hardly put it down, and with working from home during the pandemic, I have the supreme luxury of picking a tune whenever I have a few minutes between meetings.
This experience got me thinking, I wonder what other folks first "great" mandolin experience was like? Would love to hear your stories.
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