Stiver mandolins

[Ancient]

Does anyone own a Stiver mandolin. I have been looking at the F model with radiused fingerboard on Elderly. I just can't find any information anywhere on them. I would like to know something about them and how they play and sound.

[ManjoMan]

I owned one from '92 to '94 - my dad wanted it
so bad that my mom bought it for him on their
35th wedding anniversary. I didn't want to let it
go, but at least it's still in the family.
Craftsmanship is great - sound, in my opinion, is
great, nice and woody. Playability is smooth, nice
low action with plenty of volume. Unfortunately,
there are variables that affect each instrument
and you will find differences in instruments
built by the same builder. Sound is subjective,
so it always pays to be able to play and hear an
intrument before buying it.

[tofuhippo]

Four out of the seven players i know play Stiver mandolins. One plays about a ten year old F model and bought it with the idea that this would be the last mandolin he would buy. I have played it and it plays smooth and easy, with a nice sound. The two of the other players have newer F models, built within the last 3 years. I have played these as well and they both sound very nice. And the last one i know plays an a model with thomastic flatwounds and he still gets a very nice tone out of it. It played like butter, especially with the flatwounds.

The only thing i didn't like about the Stivers was the way he approached the binding. On the neck he fretted before he bound the neck and after shaving the binding down... it just looked sloppy to me. As far as sound and playability, they sound very nice and play easily.

[frets1]

Jesse McReynolds plays a 1978 Stiver.

[mike_c]

nice mandos---good feel and loud punchy tone..great value

[mando-red]

I have 3 mandolins, one of which is a Stiver F. I have been happy with it and would classify it as a mid-level mandolin. Mine doesn't have the deep woody tone that I like in a mandolin but that's a personal preference. Also while it was being made, I couldn't have any contact with the luthier (Lou Stiver). Everything had to be done through Elderly Instruments. I would have liked to ask questions along the way, check progress, or at least talk to the man.

[jim simpson]

mando-red,
Do you think your Stiver is typical of others or have you heard any prior to having yours built? I have only heard and played a Styver A-model and it was pretty impressive. What are your other 2 mandolins?
Jim

[mandoJeremy]

Maybe I am not supposed to let the cat out of the bag but the last time I was at OAI in Nashville Jesse McReynolds was playing his prototype signature model with the cowboy boots inlaid in the fretboard. So, I have to say that he is now playing a Gibson.

[mando-red]

jim simpson

I don't know if my Stiver is typical of others. #I have never played another one. #In fact, the only person I knew who even had one was Jesse McReynolds. #I was looking for a better mandolin than my Kentucky 380S (A style). #The price was right ($2750 at the time). #I was pretty new at the mandolin and didn't know much about anything, there were so many out there. #So I took a gamble and ordered one from #Elderly. #Don't get me wrong, I do like the Stiver, it has been a good mando for me. #But since then I have heard others and found my dream mandolin last year. #My third, and LAST mandolin is a Dearstone D5M with a redwood top. #It has that deep woody sound that I love and the radiused fretboard is wonderful. #Stiver will put on a radiused board if you order it that way. #I didn't know anything about that at the time so I have a flat board on it.

[GBG]

I heard one last Saturday night, and it was the real deal for bluegrass-powerfull chop and good tone and volume picking lead. The owner also has a Gilchrist and is in the market for a Gibson Master Model(He has a little money)
. He bought the Stiver as a jam session instrument. He was suprised at how good it cut thru a sound system. His only complaint was the playability issue-he said it was hard to pick with much speed. He has a flat finger board. I don't know if he has an exceptional or an average example of that model.

[Moose]

mando-red.. : "...my third and LAST mandolin." - ; of course we DO all believe you... hee.. hee...

[Andrew Reckhart]

I have a Stiver 'A' with a radius fret board. It has a really great 'chop' full, round and and woody. Mine also has more volume than any instrument that I've ever played. I'm having an 'F' custom built too. I've played lots of other great instruments Gibson, Gil, Ziedler etc. and it can "hang" with them. (I'm saying that it is comparable not better) The newer ones seem to play better, sound better, and look better than the 'older' ones. The last 5 or 10 have all been amazing in all catagories. Lou is a great guy and will build to suit you.
He lives abouut 6 miles down the road from me and I see him every couple of weeks. I can give you his contact info if you e-mail me privately.

Mando-red: Elderly is the reason that you couldn't contact Lou. They won't give out his info. Lou is very open and accessable during the build process. When he was building my 'A' HE CALLED ME several times to ask my input and clarify exactly how I wanted it. If your mandolin doesn't have a deep woody tone it it DEFINATELY an exception. That is what Lou's mandolins are 'famous' for, along with tremendous projection. I've played a ton of them (here in North Western PA everybody plays them) and 99.9% are killers. They do take a lot of playing to really open up fully. Since you have a few others, matbe yours just needs to be pounded out a little.

Jesse McReynolds just PAID CASH for a brand new Stiver F-5 from Lou a few weeks ago. Lou doesn't "give 'em" to anybody. His endorsees pay for their mandolins.

[johnnymando]

I owned Stiver#31,an F5 built in 1979.Bought it used from a friend of mine a few years ago.It had been refinished all black with a fern peghead inlay years prior to me.
I really liked it for about 3years,so much so I contacted Lou to do a refret,re-attach the broken peghead scroll,scoop the extention,replace cracked back binding and complete refinish in black.It opened back up shortly after the work.Lou is a great guy who is very meticulous and resonably priced.
It was an extremely loud and cutting mandolin,broke through in any jam.I started to prefer a deeper tone after playing some new Gibsons last year in Roanoke.I sold the Stiver with a tear in my eye and shortly after that found a Sam Bush.I think lou's mandolins tend to be more bright sounding than most.
I suprised myself by selling my Stiver.

[fatt-dad]

Today, I just found out that I was the high bidder at an estate sale - I will be receiving a Stiver A-model mandolin. In spite of the gamble, the price was right. So, now the wait. .. . . . .

f-d

[krishna]

Phatdad, Congrats! You are about to become just a wee bit happier in your life... Kerry...Make sure you tell us eveything about it!

[fatt-dad]

Yes, I hope to see it sometime in the next week. Now to just hope it doesn't get lost in the move. This week, the four of us move from our house of 15 years to the new house. So, my mandolin collection is going in transit and one is arriving.

About all I know about the Stiver is that the auction house is in Detroit, it was listed as circa 1970 and it has a fishman (or something equivalent). There is pick wear on the bass f-hole and some button rash on the reverse side. I can only hope it does not need refretting. All I can say is I can't wait to restring it and sit back. . . . .

f-d

[fatt-dad]

Dear NG,

Been too busy to post, but my Stiver has arrived and it's a great mandolin. The past owner must have been real heavy handed 'cause it will need a partial refret. Contacted Mr. Stiver (yes he was very accessible) and I will be sending it up to him for a partial refret and a new bridge. The mandolin came with an electric bridge and a side plug, which I just do not want (at least on this mandolin). All I can say, is it would be very difficult for me to see the point in buying a mandolin 8 to 20 times more expensive (yeah I got a good deal) to get a scroll and the nameplate of one of the biggies. That said, I have limited experience playing the top end mandolins. But wow, this is a great mandolin.

I learned from Mr. Stiver that his serial number go like this:

XXX-Y-ZZ where the X's are the sequetial numbering of his production from the begining (i.e., his first mandolin would have been 1-), the Y's represent the month of production (i.e., 1 would be January) and the ZZ's are the last two digits of the year of production. So, my Stiver is 251-1-97 or his 251st mandolin, made in January of 1997.

While I have my mandolin up at his shop, I am considering having a radius put on the fretboard. The thing is I do not know whether I will notice the difference, how much radius to request or whether I want to be a guy with one mandolin with a radius and several others without. I just wonder whether to leave well enough alone (i.e., I am pretty adequate without the radius). I would ask my wife, but she would just hope I'd sell them all - ha.

Comments?

When I find my camera, I will post some photos, but moving the house last week has me all mixed up - other than I have kept good track of my mandolin collection - final ha.

fatt-dad

[Chris Cantergiani]

Hey Fatt-Dad!

Cool story about the auction. I've been curious to hear how people find out about mandolins that come up for auction like the estate sale you found. How did you get turned on to that particular A-style being on the block? Do tell!
Radius on the fretboard - I say go for it! Since you are sending it back to the point of origin, and he has to work on it anyway... might as well. I think you'll like it. (Assuming it won't cost more than the mandolin itself!)
Just my 2 cents.

CCC

[fatt-dad]

UB,

Stemming from this thread (inquiring about Stiver Mandolins), I did a google for Stiver Mandolins. The No. 6 hit was for the auction listing. So, I called the auction house, put in a phone bid via credit card and waited. Voilla, I won the bid, but then had to pay the 17 percent auction house fee and realized that I was not in Michigan to pick it up. Had to pay an additional $50.00 for a mailbox store to pick it up, box it and ship it. Oh well for less than $1,000.00 I have a great mandolin. What really amazed me is that Mr. Stiver is real reasonable in his fret work, etc. fees. Maybe he loves to see them come home as much as I like the idea of him doing the work.

f-d

[Chris Cantergiani]

Wow!
That's cool! I was gonna ask if you did a Google search... but then thought that couldn't be right.

You are an inspiration for those of use with MAS, but who also suffer from Flea-market-itis and Cheapskate Disease.

CCC