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Thread: vMAS - new mandolin day

  1. #1
    Registered User Jcdraayer's Avatar
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    Default vMAS - new mandolin day

    MAS never stays at bay long for me, so Monday was a NMD for me. This time it was vintage MAS - a very clean ‘24 Gibson A that the good folks at TME had. Huge thanks to Dan for all the help

    I’ve been really digging the sound of oval holes lately and couldn’t keep my eyes off of snakeheads. Plus I’m a sucker for blacktop A’s. This little beauty has THE TONE - lots of woody clarity, not too tubby and not too bright. I’m really loving the narrow neck and flat fret board.

    For those of you with vintage mandolins, what was your first acquisition?

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    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
    Northfield F5S
    Northfield Calhoun
    Eastman 305

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  3. #2
    Worlds ok-ist mando playr Zach Wilson's Avatar
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    Default Re: vMAS - new mandolin day

    Congrats and happy picking!

    Consider me green with envy
    Worlds okay-ist mandolin player

    Relative newcomer

    Weber Yellowstone F (2015)
    Red Valley EM (2018)
    Howard Morris Blue A4 (2023)
    Flatiron 1N (1982)

    https://youtube.com/@zachwilson54?si=iGum4xPlSj0pbcjj

  4. #3
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    Default Re: vMAS - new mandolin day

    I've been taken in by the allure of getting a vintage Gibby but have to come up to speed on them but good on you for pulling the trigger, that looks like a nice. I really like oval holes as well and see that you have one of my prospects in your signature (Calhoun). Down the road feel free to compare and contrast the Calhoun and the Gibson.

    Play 'em all is good health!

    Rob

  5. #4
    Teacher, repair person
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    Default Re: vMAS - new mandolin day

    When I first started playing mandolin around 1979, I was living in New England, and especially up there, there were not a lot of choices. Gibson was making expensive junk. A few new Epiphone A models were available, and a few music stores were selling cheapo Korean [I think] made mandolins for $40. I bought one of the el cheapos. It was pretty bad, but it was enough [barely] to get started on.

    A few months later, I walked into a music store, and they had a solid top 1941 Strad-o-lin with a busted tailpiece and tuners that were on their last legs. The price was $75. I bought it, found a tailpiece and replaced the tuners, and played it very happily for 7 years. I gave the el cheapo to a lady friend. Within a year, the top caved in on the cheapo, and she felt horrible about it, even though I assured her that it was not her fault. Looking back on it today, I wish that I had bought her another mandolin, but I didn't have much sense in those days.

    About 1987, I was invited to the then not very well known Norman Blake's house, and he handed me a black A-4. I played the instrument, which was not for sale, for about 30 seconds, and said "oh, this is what a mandolin is supposed to sound and feel like." So as soon as my bank account allowed, I visited George Gruhn's then tiny shop, played the 8 or 9 old Gibsons that were there, and walked out of there with a 1918 F-4 and a '39 Martin 0-18 for my girlfriend. The total bill for both instruments was $2500, which about 2 1/2 months wages for me, but not enough to keep me from eating. It was more fun in those days.

    A few years later, after playing many old Gibsons, I realized that mine was indeed an unusually good instrument. I still have it. Norman eventually sold the black A-4 to Peter Ostroushko, who kept it for the rest of his life. I also still have the Strad-o-lin, but it has been retired for over 20 years for personal reasons I won't go into here.

    I hope your new old Gibson gives you as many decades of pleasure that mine has given me.
    Last edited by rcc56; Dec-14-2021 at 10:43pm.

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  7. #5
    Registered User John Soper's Avatar
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    Default Re: vMAS - new mandolin day

    My first "good" mandolin was an early '20s refrigerator white A3 bought for about $300 in 1974, replacing a pawn shop pressed wood Harmony. The one that "got away" was sold in 1978 to finance a U-Haul for a cross-country move. Wish I could find that one. I've since cycled through a few Gibson oval hole A's & F's, now with a '24 Plain Jane brown A snakehead that is staying put for awhile to compliment the F-hole mandolins.

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  9. #6

    Default Re: vMAS - new mandolin day

    That was a nice mandolin, and the price was excellent. If anyone doesn't know, Dan at TME is an excellent mandolin player!
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

  10. #7
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: vMAS - new mandolin day

    Quote Originally Posted by Jcdraayer View Post
    For those of you with vintage mandolins, what was your first acquisition?
    Let’s see, mine was a . . . ‘24 Gibson A!

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    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
    2005 National RM-1
    2007 Hester A5
    2009 Passernig A5
    2015 Black A2-z
    2010 Black GBOM
    2017 Poe Scout
    2014 Smart F-Style Mandola
    2018 Vessel TM5
    2019 Hogan F5

  11. #8
    Registered User Jcdraayer's Avatar
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    Default Re: vMAS - new mandolin day

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandobar View Post
    That was a nice mandolin, and the price was excellent. If anyone doesn't know, Dan at TME is an excellent mandolin player!
    It sure is! A LOT of mando for the money. Yes, the sound sample Dan made of the mandolin (as the shop was closing no less) was extremely impressive. I asked him what the time was he was picking and he said “it was just something I wrote on the spot”!

    Quote Originally Posted by pheffernan View Post
    Let’s see, mine was a . . . ‘24 Gibson A!

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    You have great taste!

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