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Thread: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

  1. #1
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    My Wife and I were in the Colorado Springs Airport this morning, standing in the security line, and two gentlemen were behind us, one carrying a mandolin case. I struck up a conversation and it turned out to be Brian Aldridge and Jeff Byrd of the long time Bluegrass band "Dry Branch Fire Squad". We had a nice, short chat. I shared that I played mandolin and when I got through with the screening and was putting on my shoes, Brian sits down next to me and says "your a mandolin player, check this out." He opens his case and hands me a 1923 signed LLoyd Loar F-5! I did not have long to look at it as he had a plane to catch but WOW! What an incredibly nice guy to take that effort with another picker.

    Thanks Brian if you see this, you made my day.

    Charles Nelson.
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    Wow! "Hands me" as in you got to hold it? Did you get to play it a little? Or just "look at it?" Man, I don't know if I could have kept my hands off it.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

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    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    Wow, what if they had told him he had to check it at the gate
    "To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar

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    Registered User Murphy Slaw's Avatar
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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    What a cool guy.

    Maybe there is still hope...
    1933 Gibson A-00 (was Scotty Stoneman's)
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    Registered User Dave Hicks's Avatar
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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    I saw Dry Branch Memorial Day weekend - two Loars on one stage!

    D.H.

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    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    Quote Originally Posted by journeybear View Post
    Wow! "Hands me" as in you got to hold it? Did you get to play it a little? Or just "look at it?" Man, I don't know if I could have kept my hands off it.
    I did not have a chance to hear it, he had to get to his gate and my wife and I had to get something to eat before our flight. I just had a chance to examine it (and the label) for a bit.
    Like I said, Brian was a super nice guy. He told us that DBFS will be playing in St Augustine this winter, I will have to look for their gig.
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    One of my favorite bands - cool story!

    Kirk

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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    I think those performers who play for a living often recognize what they have and know us mandolin players are a small community and share well. Folks who just collect these may not be so willing as the instrument is an investment but for the former, it's their tool for their craft and art and like their music enjoy sharing.

    Jamie
    There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second. Logan Pearsall Smith, 1865 - 1946

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    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    Mandolinists are the best! I'm not saying that just because I am one nor because so many of all y'all are both, but so many things show this is so, so often.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    Brian and I just live a few miles apart here in Ohio.. He came by the house and gave me a few pointers on building my BUCKHORN mandolins.. After telling him that I had never held a top quality mando, he invited me over to his digs and showed me some of the finest mandolins ever seen.. He even offered to loan me one to play around with.. I was truely sweating and overwhelmed......
    kterry

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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    Brian is one of the good guys. He also knows mandolins. It doesn’t surprise me that he showed you his Loar.
    Have a Great Day!
    Joe Vest

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  17. #12
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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    Hello Friends. I just saw this, and wanted to say, being a good judge of character it didn't take long to see Charles was a good guy, no doubt. It was fun to take a minute and let him have my mandolin in his hands. I am just happy he enjoyed it enough to make a comment about it here. I appreciate all of the nice words that were given. Brian Aldridge
    A wrong note played timidly is a wrong note. A wrong note played with authority is an interpretation.

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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    Since I got my Loar last year, I have felt it is incumbent upon me, as the (however) temporary custodian, to share it with any who might fully appreciate at least a moment with it. It's usually a pretty happy exchange! Years back, Tony Rice asked me for a light for his cigarette at a festival. Whilst lighting his smoke, he noticed me staring bug-eyed at THE D-28 and handed it to me, casually offering "Check it out". I felt unworthy to presume to even strike a chord on the grail, so I just inclined my nose to the soundhole and took a deep whiff and handed it back. He laughed and remarked "There's a man who knows how to appreciate a fine instrument!". Sharing is caring, they say...
    too many strings

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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    Awesome story. Not a Loar, but I did get to play Josh Pinkham’s Reischman voiced Red Diamond after a local show. He offered and I initially declined until a young girl came up to him with a poster and cd (man, it’s been longer ago than I thought!) and he went to put the mandolin on the floor so he’d have his hands free. I intercepted it a few inches away from the boards and took it into a side room off the main hall in which the meet/greet was held and picked for a few minutes. Had a great time talking to him about mandolins that night, and now fully understand why Don’s mandolins get the price they do. Phenomenal mando!

    For the record, Josh wasn’t being careless at all, but the possibility of someone stumbling on to that thing was too much!!
    Chuck

  21. #15
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Aldridge View Post
    Hello Friends. I just saw this, and wanted to say, being a good judge of character it didn't take long to see Charles was a good guy, no doubt. It was fun to take a minute and let him have my mandolin in his hands. I am just happy he enjoyed it enough to make a comment about it here. I appreciate all of the nice words that were given. Brian Aldridge
    Thanks for getting back to us Brian. You mentioned that the DBFS was going to be in St Augustine this winter, do you have a date? Or did I miss you guys?
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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    Registered User Hendrik Ahrend's Avatar
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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    Talking Dry Branch Fire Squad, during my first visit to the US at one of the first US BG-festivals (Gettyurg) I attended, I saw the DBFS and met Ron Thomason back stage. Upon me politely asking, if I could check out his Loar, he just handed it to me. Had the same experience in about 15 other cases. No Loar owner (or Fern F5 owner for that matter) has ever let me down. Mandolin players must be very friendly people. One exception was a Loar behind glass in a display case in down town Tokyo, which I could only marvel at from afar. But then again, a Loar F5 is even rarer over in Japan, and the clerk in that music store was neither the owner nor a mandolin player.

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    Default Re: Brian Aldridge and Dry Branch Fire Squad

    I was just starting to play mandolin when I first saw DBFS. I thought “that mandolin looks really old but it still sounds good. maybe I should get one of those”.
    Then I found out what a Loar is…

    Kirk

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