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Thread: 2 Dudes in Santa Cruz!

  1. #1
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    Default 2 Dudes in Santa Cruz!

    I see that the two Dudenbostel mandolins that Sylvan music has for sale in their shop just showed up in the classifieds. I don't think they have been posted there before, but I could be wrong. In any case, I was in SC in November and stopped into the shop for the first time and was VERY impressed with the mandolin selection. The flatiron they have (also just posted to the classifieds) is a hoss.

    The dudes were displayed in the vintage room in a locked cabinet. I had been picking various mandos for 20 minutes as was picking up some picks and a magazine before leaving and commented to the sales clerk about the Dudenbostels and how cool they were. He immediately asked if I wanted to play them!!

    I am sure that there is a confirmation bias knowing you are playing a $16,000 instrument, but genuinely, these two sounded a degree of separation better than anything else I have played. Not 4x the sound of the $4000 Flatiron of course, but I can attest to Lynn doing some things really perfectly.

    I liked the brown model with the Virzi better than the burst. I was really grateful to have 15 minutes each with these amazing instruments. And I am grateful to high end shops like Sylvan, Gryphon, Retrofret, Music Emporium, etc that let folks come in off the street and pick away at everything. It is my favorite part of travel to seek out the local music shop and see what they have.

    So, if you are anywhere near Santa Cruz, head over and be nice and maybe for the cost of a Wegen pick and a Fretboard Journal (that's what I bought as the price of admission) you too can have the VERY rare opportunity to A-B Dudenbostel mandolins again each other and 30 other great instruments. Just don't buy that Flatiron, I'm saving me money! ; )

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  3. #2
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    Default Re: 2 Dudes in Santa Cruz!

    Quote Originally Posted by thehoffer View Post
    I see that the two Dudenbostel mandolins that Sylvan music has for sale in their shop just showed up in the classifieds. I don't think they have been posted there before, but I could be wrong. In any case, I was in SC in November and stopped into the shop for the first time and was VERY impressed with the mandolin selection. The flatiron they have (also just posted to the classifieds) is a hoss.

    The dudes were displayed in the vintage room in a locked cabinet. I had been picking various mandos for 20 minutes as was picking up some picks and a magazine before leaving and commented to the sales clerk about the Dudenbostels and how cool they were. He immediately asked if I wanted to play them!!

    I am sure that there is a confirmation bias knowing you are playing a $16,000 instrument, but genuinely, these two sounded a degree of separation better than anything else I have played. Not 4x the sound of the $4000 Flatiron of course, but I can attest to Lynn doing some things really perfectly.

    I liked the brown model with the Virzi better than the burst. I was really grateful to have 15 minutes each with these amazing instruments. And I am grateful to high end shops like Sylvan, Gryphon, Retrofret, Music Emporium, etc that let folks come in off the street and pick away at everything. It is my favorite part of travel to seek out the local music shop and see what they have.

    So, if you are anywhere near Santa Cruz, head over and be nice and maybe for the cost of a Wegen pick and a Fretboard Journal (that's what I bought as the price of admission) you too can have the VERY rare opportunity to A-B Dudenbostel mandolins again each other and 30 other great instruments. Just don't buy that Flatiron, I'm saving me money! ; )
    Right now Sylvan is the place to be! What a great selection. Did you happen to play the Ellis A? If so, would love to hear your thoughts.

  4. #3

    Default Re: 2 Dudes in Santa Cruz!

    Those A's look like the ones Marc Darrow has had listed off and on for the last year or so.
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

  5. #4
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    Default Re: 2 Dudes in Santa Cruz!

    Yep they are...

  6. #5
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    Default Re: 2 Dudes in Santa Cruz!

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandobar View Post
    Those A's look like the ones Marc Darrow has had listed off and on for the last year or so.
    Indeed...

  7. #6

    Default Re: 2 Dudes in Santa Cruz!

    There's an F5 on Reverb for $18k. https://reverb.com/item/48657347-dud...-2007-sunburst
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

  8. #7
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    Default Re: 2 Dudes in Santa Cruz!

    Also, an F-5 in the classifieds for $19.5.
    NFI

  9. #8
    Registered User Marcus CA's Avatar
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    Default Re: 2 Dudes in Santa Cruz!

    Quote Originally Posted by ivancook View Post
    Right now Sylvan is the place to be! What a great selection. Did you happen to play the Ellis A? If so, would love to hear your thoughts.
    Two-and-a-half weeks later, the two Dudes and the Ellis were still there yesterday. I played the Dudes in the vintage acoustics room, where they are locked up as thehoffer mentioned, and the Ellis --- which is also locked up, but in a different area --- in the electric guitar room. So, that could have an impact on what I heard from those three mandos.

    The Ellis sounded like a higher-end version of a Pava, which makes sense. If you have a Pava and love it, then if you get the urge to upgrade, an Ellis A will probably end up on your short list.

    The tone of the Dudes was in a different league, though. Perhaps some of that was due to the room difference, but I played while facing towards a corner, so the sound wouldn't be bouncing directly off of any of those well-played Martins and Gibsons on the walls. thehoffer liked the brown one better, but I liked the burst one better. Even though the two mandos have the same strings and same design --- except for the Virzi --- I heard totally different tones from them, neither of which I could call "better." If I were a jazz player, I'd go for the brown one, but I'm more of a bluegrass/new acoustic/Americana player, so for that music, I think the one with the burst works better. Sylvan doesn't usually post videos of their inventory, but I'd love for them to post a side-by-side of those two mandos, so people can hear the significant tonal differences between two magnificent instruments.

    So, did those Dudes sound $9K better than that Ellis? The money is probably in the ear of the beholder. For those of you ready to head for Sylvan to spend $16K, you'd be deciding between a Dude or the Ellis with a $7-9K guitar --- which Sylvan has plenty of. (BTW, with CA sales tax, add on another $1,500 to that.)
    still trying to turn dreams into memories

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  11. #9
    Registered User Marcus CA's Avatar
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    Default Re: 2 Dudes in Santa Cruz!

    And now, there is only one Dude there. No, the other one isn't at my place.

    Six weeks after my last visit, a mandobuddy and I went down to Sylvan last weekend to blindly listen to each other play the two Dudes, the Ellis, and the four Pavas side-by-side. The timing of our visit was excellent, because when I checked Sylvan's website this morning, the 2006 Dude, the Ellis, and one of the Pavas (not our favorite one) were gone.
    still trying to turn dreams into memories

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  13. #10

    Default Re: 2 Dudes in Santa Cruz!

    Their Ellis A5 was a bargain. A new one is now over $9k.
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

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