Djangolin, D.J. Hodson, Selmer Mandolin

[J.C. Bryant]

I have developed an interest in these lately. I was wondering if anyone would like to post on their thoughts (sound, value, comparison to other mandolins, etc) relative to these mandolins and if they are used in music other than Gypsy Jazz?.. Just curious. thanks

[DavidKOS]

I'm sure that there are some fine mandolins made in imitation of Selmer guitars, but so far I've been under impressed with the 3-4 examples I've played on over the years at NAMM shows.

[Scotter]

Howdy,

I've got a Hodson. It was my first mandolin and I think it sounds great for blues and folk but I kind of think the same thing about most SelMac guitars perhaps because I never really became comfortable with the rest strokes employed in Gypsy Picking. David Hodson and I bonded over the years via e-mail before he passed away and I don't think I'll ever sell it. I prefer to bang out La Pompe style rhythm on an L5 copy these days and when I'm improvising on Mandolin to jazz tunes I much prefer my Buckeye F5. The Djangolin is fun to play and looks really cool but nothing beats an F5 for ensemble playing.

-Scotty

[Ray(T)]

A friend of mine has a Hodson; at least I think he still has it, and, a few years ago, I borrowed it for a while. It’s a very early one and the later ones might have been better but it was definitely the worst sounding/playing mandolin I’ve ever come across.

[pheffernan]

I have developed an interest in these lately. I was wondering if anyone would like to post on their thoughts (sound, value, comparison to other mandolins, etc) relative to these mandolins and if they are used in music other than Gypsy Jazz?.. Just curious. thanks

How about an octave? https://reverb.com/item/59926449-bum...n-2022-natural

[J.C. Bryant]

I also wondering about the strings used? Would the shape and scale length effect what strings one would use?

[billhay4]

https://www.bootsmandolins.com/
Bill

[Verne Andru]

Now defunct Paris Swing was a mandolin and guitar line catering to the gypsy jazz crowd. The mandolins didn't follow the Selmer/Mac styling but the guitars did.

They did some pretty interesting mash-ups between the various mandolin types over the years with Selmer/Mac styling appointments like grand-bouche sound holes and the flat cut-away on F-style bodies. I have the John Jorgenson model that's a modern take on a snake-head which is by far one of the better mandolins I've played.

[Jeff Mando]

I love the look, but I have never had a chance to play one. Same with the guitars -- I've only had a chance to play some of the lower priced ones -- never a good one, so I will reserve judgement for now.

I'm guessing it is something like an archtop guitar -- great for what it was designed for, but certainly not for bluegrass!

[mandroid]

I own one I like It . he made the laminate rosewood backed with mahogany veneers..
also used in the guitars he made, like the original did/

I had to get the tailpiece repaired when it broke , reached out here, and someone sent me some brass sheet to fix it..
original TP was of 1mm thick sheet brass..
vibrations playing may have flexed it to fatigue.

The metal-flake case was nice too.. I think its a thermo-plastic ... has a water resistant gasket edge,
so carried on my bicycle in the rain it was fine..