Octave Mandolin - Need a little input

[BlueMt.]

I would trade my first born to be able to play like that.

There's a guy waiting for you down at the crossroads that might be able to help you with that.

Seriously, I've owned a 1983 Flatiron and a Petersen level 2 and liked them both but always wondered what a larger bodied OM would be like. I sold both because of hand/finger problems but miss that deeper timbre.

Good luck in your search.

[John McGann]

I would trade my first born to be able to play like that.

Please send front and back photographs and a scan of any records, repair receipts, etc.

[David Hansen]

I can't speak for all GOM's but I do have a Weber octar and I've owned several OM's including a Flatiron, a Weber Bridger, a Trillium and a Sobell. To my ears there is a difference in tone and projection between an OM and a GOM (Octar). My octar has a more focused cutting tone to it than OM's I've owned. It doesn't get lost in the mix and it's also incredibly loud. I assume that this from the arch top body. My only criticism of the Weber octar would be the C shaped neck which can be a bear to get small hands around. The Sobell's D shaped neck is more suited to OM's but who can afford one of those these days?

[Mandobart]

Here for some sound comparison is my newest OM, a an oval hole F style handbuilt by Tom "TJ" Jessen of Madelia, MN. The video is pretty dark, but it has a western red cedar soundboard, maple neck with ebony inlay, maple back and sides. Check out the luthier at http://www.cricketfiddle.com/octavef4mandolins.htm I can post some more pics if interested. This is not for sale, but TJ can propably build another!

This one isn't guitar shaped, just kind of looks like a big F4. Scale length is ~ 20.5" from the 0 fret to the bridge.

I can tell you that TJ builds a beautiful instrument, is honest and was quite easy to work with. The cost was less than one third what a Weber custom vintage F OM would cost. Also, as a Lutheran luthier his instruments are not only good, but good for you.

[Rob Gerety]

Please send front and back photographs and a scan of any records, repair receipts, etc.

Be aware, she comes with $70K in student loans.

[sgarrity]

These are nice!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Flatiron-Bouzouk...item439d93d8ba

[Rob Gerety]

Boy, that is nice looking. I'm not ready to buy. But it sure would be nice to be able to get a decent instrument used for that kind of money.

[capt_blood]

Recently on and off of ebay were Crump B-III and a Peterson, I think. The Crump has a scale length of about 25 1/2", which makes it a bouzouki. (The consensus on MC is that a long-scale mandola with a scale length of over 24" is a bouzouki, under 24" is an octave mandolin. ) For the month of March ebay will have this Fylde OM:

http://cgi.ebay.com/FYLDE-OCTAVIUS-M...item4a9f05263a

I would check the Fylde website, as the seller does not mention what woods were used to build that instrument.

You mentioned several "small" shop guitar manufacturers as your baseline. I have a Huss and Dalton TDR Custom, so I understand that baseline first hand. The only American equivalent of those small shops in the OM world is, as someone previously pointed out, Weber. The Weber Sages have maple backs and sides, which makes their sound "immediate" and percussive, very different from a EIR (or better) D-size guitar.

Phil Crump makes bouzoukis that are much more guitar-like in their sound, but don't take my word for it, go to his website and listen to the sound clips.

The other extreme (as opposed to maple) I've heard in back and sides is cocobolo. There used to be a soundclip of an Eric Darnton OM (cocobolo B&S) on the web, but I can no longer scare that up. Joe Mendel has made OMs using cocobolo, he uses a scale length of 22.5" and has also used red (Adirondack) spruce for tops. One of the OMs at the CBOM-o-rama was an Arches OM with cocobolo back and sides. I really liked it, even at a scale length of 20.5". I know that Stefan Sobell's preferred tonewood for bouzoukis is Brazilian rosewood, and cocobolo is similar to BR.

I have commissioned a bouzouki from Richard Beard and I expect to wait about 3 more months for it. It will have koa B&S and a red spruce top, 24 3/4" scale. I didn't want it to sound like my H&D, but I wanted something loud and resonant. It's basically the same instrument as Richard's own, with the exception of the red spruce top. I knew Richard only by reputation, though Mandolin World Headquarters usually has one of his instruments in stock.

Best of luck when you take the plunge.

[J.C. Bryant]

I have just purchased a Mendel OM from Joe Mendel and I could not believe you could find one better or a nicer fefllow to deal with. I bought the mahogany with adirondack one and I think it will be exactly what I've been looking for. I highly recommend the Mendel. He still has a couple left. The rosewood and the walnut are both super. Look him up!

[Walt]

I have just purchased a Mendel OM from Joe Mendel and I could not believe you could find one better or a nicer fefllow to deal with. I bought the mahogany with adirondack one and I think it will be exactly what I've been looking for. I highly recommend the Mendel. He still has a couple left. The rosewood and the walnut are both super. Look him up!

J.C.
Congrats on the new Mendel OM. I've got a Mendel mandocello in the final stages of construction, and I can't wait to get my hands on it.
Is your new OM the one with the figured mahogany back from Joe's website? That one was my favorite. I too can vouch for Joe being a great guy to deal with--you really couldn't find a nicer guy.

[J.C. Bryant]

Yes, Walt, that is the one! I'm really tickled!