Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 26 to 47 of 47

Thread: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

  1. #26
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    ithaca new york
    Posts
    438

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Glassweb View Post
    I stated that in my earlier post in this thread....
    You did indeed. Good observation!
    “Mandolin brands are a guide, not Gospel “
    - Data Nick

  2. #27

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    The one at TMS is $300 less than the one at Elderly. Are there different models?
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

  3. #28

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    Haven’t played one but it sounds to me like it got mostly Eastman genes in this generation, as I’d have to say my older Eastman is a lot clearer/cleaner sounding And definitely not “woody” like the Northfield. Considering they probably got not much input from Bourgeois, it’s unsurprising, even if a bit of a conundrum on what they’re trying to accomplish.

  4. #29

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    "Waverly Golden Age" tuners... this whole thing is a bunch of branding fun. I'm not saying they aren't decent mandolins. But leveraging brand recognition to the max. This reminds me of the Abarth 124 vs Miata. One of those "skip the similarities, just a couple differences" situations.

    FWIW, Waverly mandolin tuners are well over $500, and while Golden Age mandolin tuners are sold by the same folks, but are just about the cheapest functional mandolin tuners currently available. I think that's representative of what's going on here.

    I'm guessing the target market is guitar players/gearheads (not unreasonable, since there are so many more of them) who have done some casual research and want top specs for a mandolin. But may... not... exactly... know what they're looking at. Or care!

    The time it takes to make this mandolin (and time is a huge driver of cost) is marginally more, if any, than any other Eastman mandolin.

  5. The following members say thank you to Marty Jacobson for this post:


  6. #30

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandobar View Post
    The one at TMS is $300 less than the one at Elderly. Are there different models?
    I’ve noticed TMS sells a lot of things (Northfields, Ponos, etc) at a couple hundred dollar discount compared to other retailers.

  7. #31
    Registered User Bob Buckingham's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Greer, SC
    Posts
    898

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Chompa View Post
    I never got to play any Larrivee mandolins. Why were they a disappointment?
    I only played one but talked to people who played more. They were alive, perhaps cut too thick? Nice workmanship but they never caught on.

  8. #32

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Buckingham View Post
    I only played one but talked to people who played more. They were alive, perhaps cut too thick? Nice workmanship but they never caught on.
    I had a friend who had one for a short time. His assessment was “meh.” I played it once. It was fairly lifeless.
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

  9. #33
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    New Hampshire
    Posts
    64

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    A friend who lives 1000 miles away recently visited. I got to hear and play his Northfield NFA-5V3 4th Generation - absolutely fantastic, balanced woody tone.

    Reviews, video demos and a taste of Northfield quality makes me yearn to play a Northfield Model M
    https://www.northfieldinstruments.com/model-m.

    It would also be great to have a chance to compare it with the Bourgeois.

  10. #34
    Registered User tjmangum's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Location
    ORE-uh-g’n
    Posts
    157

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    I have one on the way. Details to come next week.
    " Give me some words I can dance to and a melody that rhymes" - Steve Goodman

  11. #35

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Chompa View Post
    A friend who lives 1000 miles away recently visited. I got to hear and play his Northfield NFA-5V3 4th Generation - absolutely fantastic, balanced woody tone.

    Reviews, video demos and a taste of Northfield quality makes me yearn to play a Northfield Model M
    https://www.northfieldinstruments.com/model-m.

    It would also be great to have a chance to compare it with the Bourgeois.
    Yeah I think that will be pretty tough competition. It might not be fair to compare it to an F5S which retails for 1k more (you always get better value used) but the Model M is pretty close in price and is readily available.
    Girouard Concert A5
    Girouard Custom A4
    Nordwall Cittern
    Barbi Mandola
    Crump OM-1s Octave
    www.singletonstreet.com

  12. #36
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    New Hampshire
    Posts
    64

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    I should have been more specific. RE: It might not be fair to compare it to an F5S. No doubt. I agree. Rather than compare - it's the Northfield "ilk" or relative sonic signs of Northfield DNA I'd be seeking. I'm tire-kicking to upgrade for an Eastman MD305 which has a dry, woody tone and lots of volume. Another (more local) friend recently tried out the Bourgeois M5A - he (a fine player, who knows my mandolins) seemed to feel the Bourgeois seemed to lack depth and woodiness. An ideal scenario would be for to do my own A/B assessment in one shop.

  13. #37

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    Agreed Chompa. Earlier in the thread they were compared to a used NF5. I thought that was a bit unfair as you always get more value if you're willing to go with a used instrument.

    The Model M is a pretty fair comparison and I think it's a fairly high bar for the Bourgeois to clear.
    Girouard Concert A5
    Girouard Custom A4
    Nordwall Cittern
    Barbi Mandola
    Crump OM-1s Octave
    www.singletonstreet.com

  14. #38

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    The aesthetic on the Bourgeois looks like this:

    https://themusicemporium.com/product...nish-used-2013

    which is ok, unless you are expecting it to perform the same way. If you could order a new one from Collings, it would be over $9k, and minus the Collings case.

    While I think it’s great that Bourgeois/Eastman took such pains on the aesthetic, in the videos I have seen the tone comes across as fairly heavy. I’d be interested to hear a first-hand non-salesman’s account of the sound and tone these mandolins produce.

    I’m also expecting that with all the inflationary elements in play across the globe that the price on these will escalate shortly.
    "your posts ... very VERY opinionated ...basing your opinion/recommendations ... pot calling ...kettle... black...sarcasm...comment ...unwarranted...unnecessary...."

  15. #39
    Administrator Mandolin Cafe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 1998
    Location
    Lawrence, KS
    Posts
    3,835
    Blog Entries
    14

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin




  16. The following members say thank you to Mandolin Cafe for this post:


  17. #40
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    ithaca new york
    Posts
    438

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    Sounds good to me. I think the quality of recent Eastman instruments is impressive and this new line continues that streak, IMHO.
    “Mandolin brands are a guide, not Gospel “
    - Data Nick

  18. The following members say thank you to cayuga red for this post:


  19. #41

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    Kind of pricey for an import. You can get better instrument made in USA by someone like Ken Ratcliff who makes the Silverangel line.
    Last edited by Amandalyn; Nov-07-2022 at 12:25pm. Reason: Spelling
    Teri LaMarco
    Hear my music on Spotify (and other streaming services)
    https://open.spotify.com/album/2XBuk...SV24bnkZ2uC-hw

  20. #42
    Registered User Marcus CA's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    No. California
    Posts
    1,259

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    for $440 less at the same store:

    still trying to turn dreams into memories

  21. #43
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Westchester, NY
    Posts
    30,753

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Lucas View Post
    I have a feeling that some folks will use it for a drinking game --- drink a shot for every time he says "exciting" or "excited". (Too much coffee dringing from those guys?)

    Frankly, it looks like an A-5 mandolin to me and probably decent quality like Eastman produces. Sounds OK to me—he is a very good player which, of course, helps. I can see a torrified top and even torrified back and sides but does it really affect tone to use torrified neck and fretboard?

    It was good to hear James at The Mandolin Store play it as we have heard him play a lot of other mandolins. Somehow the tone of this doesn't excite me, but maybe I am just a spoiled mandolin brat. I would certainly like to try one in person. At the least it would to compare other carved mandolins in that same price range.
    Jim

    My Stream on Soundcloud
    Facebook
    19th Century Tunes
    Playing lately:
    1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1

  22. #44
    Registered User tjmangum's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Location
    ORE-uh-g’n
    Posts
    157

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    How was Northfield received when they first started? I tried doing a search and can't find much from the period of their founding around 2006-2007.
    " Give me some words I can dance to and a melody that rhymes" - Steve Goodman

  23. #45

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    I don’t believe Northfield started that far back. The website, under the team section states 2011, and there was literally nothing like them pricewise, at least not with the level of quality. I remember it being hard to find one to even try, and that was probably around 2013.

  24. The following members say thank you to Mandobar for this post:


  25. #46
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Forest Grove, Oregon
    Posts
    2,775

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    I remember they popped up around 2013 as well, and they were very nice right out of the gate. Have only gotten better.
    Not all the clams are at the beach

    Arrow Manouche
    Arrow Jazzbo
    Arrow G
    Clark 2 point
    Gibson F5L
    Gibson A-4
    Ratliff CountryBoy A

  26. The following members say thank you to Bill McCall for this post:


  27. #47
    Registered User tjmangum's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Location
    ORE-uh-g’n
    Posts
    157

    Default Re: Bourgeois M5A Mandolin

    I was basing that date on this story from 2016 that said the company was founded 10 years before. Maybe that's just when they initially had the idea.
    https://www.wmuk.org/arts-more/2016-...grass-favorite
    " Give me some words I can dance to and a melody that rhymes" - Steve Goodman

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •