I spoke with 123 and they do have them in stock. The guy couldn't figure out why the confirmation indicated they are back-ordered.
They are shipping it!
I spoke with 123 and they do have them in stock. The guy couldn't figure out why the confirmation indicated they are back-ordered.
They are shipping it!
i checked it again in the daylight, it is real..inch pieces..trying to make a closup shot..Originally Posted by (ejkauf99 @ Mar. 28 2007, 15:48)
Ordered a hard case, this thing deserves better than a ###### bag
better yet, youtube:
(will be few minutes before it is public)
Fullerton Greenwich
Kero: after seeing that video short I called To see if any were left to be had. I spoke with a really nice salesman who said that the last three were spoken for. Then I mentioned My purchase of a Gloucester. He said that alot of cafe members were snatching them up, and asked why. It looks like I made a sale. Seems he's a fiddle player who was looking for a decent mandolin, but was unsure of what to buy. Now he knows. It appears that you got yourself a real nice guitar. Play it well
Ed
Ejkauf99
I received my Hammonton a few days ago - excellent build quality and great sound and playability after a good setup. I am returning it for exchange only because the top is sunk very slightly (1/16") on the treble side and the outside of the f hole curled up ever so slightly. Must have been assembled that way because the neck was mounted tilting 1/16" lower on the treble side to match the top - it plays great, but I am particular. Music123 is great about returns, and I am confident that I will receive a keeper to replace this one. Sometimes it takes a couple of trys to get the right one sight unseen.
I bought a basic hard case on EBay for $34 including shipping (seller "musicvalue")
Never had an accoustic, "only" classical ones, will try to do so..:-) the G run was the first to learn, right now i'm watching Tommy's Borsalino version(Emmanuel) see if i can pick it out...well..some of it :-)
Just an update on my two Fullerton mandos: The Hammonton was really nice to have, and got a lot of playing-in. Then the Gloucester arrived. Despite having one hinky fret that needs to be leveled (the 8th), it outshines the Hammonton in terms of dusty, woody fullness of tone. I think the Hammonton is better for Monroe-type BG playing, and the Gloucester lends itself to slower, sweeter playing. I'm keeping both of them, and thinking I should order a couple more to just keep in their shipping boxes for whatever comes up in the future.
Dave
Striving for mediocrity and perpetually falling short.
I just came back from showing my Gloucester to a friend who specializes in building custom archtops, and mandolins. He thought it was pretty cool even though there was some roughness to it as far as the finish around the scroll and binding. He offered to spray a burst around the edges to hide all that. He also offered me a set of gold Gohtohs, and a gold tailpiece, and a F style pickguard that came back to him. Should I, or should'nt I?
Ed
Ejkauf99
Adding the burst to it would be strictly a matter of taste. I prefer the way mine looks out of the box, warts and all. I've found the tuners to be more than adequate, but the Grovers would surely be an improvement, as would the tailpiece. The factory tailpieces are junk, IMHO. I'll pass on the pickguard. I immediately removed the one that came on the Hammonton.
Dave
Striving for mediocrity and perpetually falling short.
Do it, ej. You want to anyway, right?Seriously, if it's a cast tp I'd switch mine in a minute. The stock one is pretty junky. Tuners - yes, these are adequate, but low end. Guard, I'm ambivalent - I like how they look in pictures, but I'm not crazy over them on my mando. Do you beat your mandolin? If so, do it if only to protect it and hold value. Burst finish - why not? It would certainly make your Gloucester stand out in a Fullerton crowd!!
BTW, I just ordered a Fullerton electric bass and if I like it, I'll sell my Turser Beatle bass copy. I wish my Hammonton had worked out, I did like how it looked and sounded.
"I thought I knew a lot about music. Then you start digging and the deeper you go, the more there is."~John Mellencamp
"Theory only seems like rocket science when you don't know it. Once you understand it, it's more like plumbing!"~John McGann
"IT'S T-R-E-M-O-L-O, dangit!!"~Me
My Parkdale came in last Saturday and it is absolutely beautiful! It's the Fullerton top of the line Acoustic/electric. Solid Spruce top, solid walnut back and sides. It has real abalone border and diamond fingerboard inlays. Really stunning! It came out of the box with a great set-up, tuned down about half a step on each string. All I did was tune it up and the action was very low and easy to play with no buzzing anywhere! It played easier and sounded as good acoustically as my 1983 Gibson Gospel acoustic. I pluged it in to my Fender Princeton and the electronics are awesome, with great controls and easy access to the battery. I took it to church Sat. nite for worship band practice and played through the house system and everyone loved it. I took it by my son's house on the way home and let him play it (He's the real guitarist in the family) and he was astonished! He said he doesn't understand how they can manufacture a guitar this nice and sell it for $99 and free shiping that sounds and looks as good as guitars costing 2K to 3K. I'll take some pics and try to put them on anoather post later. I'm still loving my Gloucester more and more each time I play it. I'm thinking like Dave, I may need toarder another and keep it stored away for later! Dan
Dan McIntyre
Got my Gloucester today, here's a quick review:
- Cosmetically I'd call it a 5 mph mandolin: It looks good going by at 5 mph. The finish is iffy around the corners of the neck / body joint, one of the points, and just here and there. It doesn't appear to have received much of a final sanding, as it is pretty rough in spots.
- Sound: Intonation was off a bit, not a biggie. However, once it warmed up (I live in Aspen, it arrived at about 40 degrees) the sound jumped out of the mandolin. Really, really nice, woody tone, as others have described. Excellent volume / projection.
- Construction: Has a real solid feel. Good neck for my tastes, not so tiny and thin like some of the high-end models I've played, it just has a "right" feel. Also, feels really solid.
I showed it to a mandolin friend (plays a Collings F that was hand-picked for him off the floor by Bill himself), and he was very impressed with the look (kind of given that it was a 5 mph look - ha) and the sound.
Overall I'd give it high marks for sound. I'm a little sad that the finish wasn't a little better, but after all, it is an instrument, which should be more about sound than looks, IMHO.
We have a rehearsal tonight, so I'll be plugging it in via a Schertler, so I'll get another feel for it tonight. All in all, I'd say a real bargain.
Alright - been away for a little bit but I'm really happy to see a Fullerton thread.
I live in Fullerton, California so the model had a bit of a good selling point for me. I'd done a ton of research into models ranging from really inexpensive to about $1,000. I was particularly enamored of the Michael Kelley Dragonfly (love that vine-inlay since I have an electric guitar with a similar pattern. But then I started hearing some not-so-great stuff about the Kelley’s so I decided to go with the Gloucester. If I didn’t like it, heck I could just return it.
It took a while for me to get used to playing a “real” mandolin (started on an Ovation which is really just a tiny guitar with 8 strings). And I found myself baffled with stringing and bridge setup. I was able to quickly get everything up and running and evaluate it.
I loved the almost unfinished look of the instrument. The F-holes were a tiny bit ragged but I know I can get some fine-grain sandpaper and fix that. I noticed some areas on the body (joints) where the finish wasn’t perfect but you really need to look at it with a microscope to notice.
I found a super-nasty flat spot on the 8th fret on the A string. I had to play with the mando for a couple of hours adjusting bridge height and location but I was eventually able to get all the strings sounding like they’re supposed to.
I am really impressed with the quality for the low cost. I was at the Temecula Bluegrass festival a couple of weeks back and I jammed with 5 different groups and was able to hold my own with all of them. The instrument has good projection (I don’t use a Tone Gard) and looks fantastic.
Highly recommended at the price.
alec…
I have reason to believe that the last Greenwich is headed my way. It disappeared from their website shortly after my order was confirmed. Haven't told the wife yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's going to be cool. Haven't had a decent steel-string acoustic in many a moon.
Okay, I'm going to say I'm the luckiest guy in the world. Not only did my wife comment on the aesthetics and sound of the gloucester (thought it was my A-9 at first) but even as I type she has picked it up and is playing on it in the other room.
Quote: "You always look like you're having so much fun, I thought I'd give it a try."
I might not even have to return the other one I ordered once it gets here.....
Hey pigdawg: If the wife gives you a hard time about the Greenwich just tell her you know a guy that will take it off your hands. That would be me! If it becomes a poblem just let me know. I missed my chance to score one for myself.
Ed
Ejkauf99
I'll let you know if it becomes a serious domestic problem. For a hundred bucks more, the Elwood Auditorioum looks like a serious contender, and they still have that one in stock. And the Steelman dreadnaught's nice for $99. Heck, that $49 dreadnaught's not bad!
Here is a pic of my Fullerton famley.
From left to right. Winslow Resonator Guitar, Cumberland 12 string, Montclaire solid spruce and solid rosewood dreadnought, and in the middle is my Hammonton Deluxe.
Yeti, Please give me your impression of the Montclaire. I have the Parkdale and am really pleased with it and also the Gloucester mando. I've got the $200 back in my paypal acct. from sending the Hammonton back and am seriously considering putting another $99 with it and getting the Montclaire before they are all gone. I already have a Gibson Gospel, a nice Washburn dreadnaught, the Parkdale and an American Strat. but that looks like maybe anoather deal too good to pass up. Dan
Dan McIntyre
I love it. I'm going to keep it for a very long time. It sounds grate, looks great, sounds great, plays great did I say it sounds great? The lows and highs are very clear. The neck fells so smooth. Out of the box the action is low. Good for finger pickn'. I changed out the strings to elixirs and now have a little buzz. I'm going to get the action raised ASAP. I think Montclaire and I are going to be good friends for a long time. It makes my Seagull sound like a Wal-Mart guitar. It is a well worth it.
There is one more Fullerton Gloucester available at Music123 than there was last week. I sent the one that I ordered back. It's not that it was awful, it was ok. The fit and finish was less than spectacular but I expected that. Honestly the sound was just thin. I was looking for a festival mandolin that I could take to Windgap/Mudgap this year instead of my Gibson. I didn't expect it to match my Gibson or my old Eastman but I did expect more given the rave reviews it got here. I'm assuming I got the only bad one they ever made. Now I'm sweating out the return policy at Music123. It may cost me a bit to send it back. I already paid the freight going back and I'm waiting to see if they hit me with the re-stocking fee they list in the fine print. Music123 is owned by Guitar Center/musiciansfriend. I would say that the fire sale they are having on this line does not bode well for it's future. Hopefully your instrument fits your needs. Caveat emptor.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Sorry yours didn't measure up, Mike. The Gloucester I have sounds anything but thin. It certainly can't compete with my handmade F5 in the tone department, but it is a good measure better than any other low budget mando I've played, with the exception of one particular Rover which has had a James tailpiece and Brekke bridge added to it.
Dave
Striving for mediocrity and perpetually falling short.
Yeah Mike, I know of three in my circle of jammers here in SE Pa, and we all love ours, and mine in most definitely NOT thin. Sorry yours was.
"I thought I knew a lot about music. Then you start digging and the deeper you go, the more there is."~John Mellencamp
"Theory only seems like rocket science when you don't know it. Once you understand it, it's more like plumbing!"~John McGann
"IT'S T-R-E-M-O-L-O, dangit!!"~Me
I got mine earlier in the week, I am very impressed, this thing is LOUD!!!!!!! I have had a Kentucky 675, Rover F(75, I think), Morgan Monroe MM-8, and the Gloucester blows them out of the water for 1/3-1/2 the price. I love the plain satin finish. I highly recommend this mandolin, I don't think you can beat it for $200.
Mike, Just a note on the refund process at Music 123 (Woodwind and Brasswind). I sent the Hammonton back and got an email confirmation in about three days. I didn't see my paypal acct. adjusted and after two or three more days, I contacted them by phone (customer service dept.) and the representative looked up the order number and said I had a store credit for the full amt. and all I had to do was request it be put back in my paypal acct. She took care of it for me.
Dan McIntyre
Thanks for the tip Dan, I'll call them tomorrow. By the way, I've found that you are better off communicating with these folks via the telephone. I'm still waiting for an answer to the e-mail I sent them regarding how to return something. After several days of not hearing from them I called. They've received the mandolin back and did acknowledge that via e-mail.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks