Jade mandolin owners:

[jswag]

Being an original owner of a Jade mandolin, I was just curious about any other owners out there and how they are (or are not) liking their Jade's. Mine was bought to be my "2nd mandolin", but I do play it a lot, and it has matured into a great sounding mandolin for the $..I'm also curious if there has ever been anything heard about the owner (Bob McRee). I know there was a thread early last year wondering what happen, just wondering if any "new info" had come to light that I might have missed..
Jeff

[jswag]

Ahh come on, there must be someone out there who still owns a Jade! But maybe not. I know there wasn't a lot made.. I'm still curious about what you think of your Jade, and if anyone's heard from Bob McRee..
Jeff

[onassis]

Ha! I can't believe that I'm the first person to reply to this thread. Great timing (for me), since this is only the second time I've hit this site in the last few months (no internet, alas). I got my Jade J-18 (#8) two years ago from the Cafe classifieds, and it remains the best instrument purchase I've ever made. Great tone, incredible volume, wonderful feel and playability. There are cosmetic issues (neck binding and body binding are different colors, puckered laquer on the neck, some filler in seams) that don't bother me at all, especially considering the $750 price tag. I haven't played many nice mandos for comparison purposes, but i've never been around another with as much volume. I use JM11 flatwound jazz strings on it, and it still overpowers Martin D's at BG jams.

Hope to hear from some other Jade owners.

[jswag]

Hey Mitch, Well, that's two Jade's in Virginia that get a positive review! I have also used the Jm11's on my Jade, when it was sounding too bright to my ears, but it seems to have developed a more balanced sound. Much Better mids and lows, so I have been using J75's.
The finish is really thin, so it shows some marks, but the overall fit and finish of this mando was pretty nice! Mine has a sunburst finish, J-18 prototype, #20.
I have been curious to hear from anyone who owns a Jade 4.5 (oval hole w/scroll) and how they are sounding too..Course it would be nice to hear from any Jade owners! I know there out there somewhere!!
Jeff

[Road Kill Boy]

I have a Jade "Sam" model, however, it is currently playing second fiddle to a Prucha F5. I still like the Jade, for the money, it was certainly a best buy. I do wonder what happened to the company, they had a good thing going.

Ken

[Jesse Harmon]

Would be nice to see some photos of these!

[jswag]

here's a couple of pix (I hope this comes out) the finish is darker than these pictures, not so much yellow" I would say.
Jeff

[Jesse Harmon]

Looks great! Don't know anything about the Jade company so it would be interesting to find out. Never know when you are going to run into something.

[Hans_k]

Hello, another late reaction. I haven't been visiting Mandolincafe very often lately. I own the Jade JF-18 #36. I still play it a lot and I love the sound of the mandolin. It has a great chop and the volume is amazing. You can find some pictures of mine in this post.http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...e-photos/page3
I don't know what happened to Bob McRee. He sure made some great instruments, unfortunately just a few.

[Capt. E]

Jade mandolins were produced by hand in small shop in China...a project begun by an american from Austin Texas. They were by and large considered a great bargin: a hand built, solid top mandolin for less than half the price of most. The economic recession seems to have closed production just as it was starting to get up to speed. Too bad. They come up for sale occasionally and are, in my opinion, worth whatever has been asked. The first ones were A style with an F style following shortly afterwards. Here is one link on the cafe that will tell you some more.

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...highlight=jade

[A 4]

I have been curious to hear from anyone who owns a Jade 4.5 (oval hole w/scroll) and how they are sounding too..Course it would be nice to hear from any Jade owners! I know there out there somewhere!!
Jeff

I have JF-18-O number 32, of which there are pictures from the original owner here:
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ade#post665924

I'm no expert on anything mandolin related, but I really like this mandolin. Aesthetically, I don't usually like sunbursts, but this one is subtle and beautiful. The finish is varnish, I think, and is starting to show some, not wear, exactly, but age, I guess. Almost like smudges, but they don't rub off. I look forward to this ending up as a distressed model after a few decades. I don't particularly like the binding, which is a nice color but has a strange graininess to it. That's minor, though.

I love the way it sounds, deep and rich and kind of loud, with lots of sustain. I would buy an f-hole version if I could, especially in that violin finish that looks so good. This is the only oval hole I have played, so I can't compare, but it sounds great to me.

One downside. There is a, well, sort of crease in the top, parallel to the grain, on the bass side, that goes from about one inch below the bridge to maybe two inches above. I took it to a luthier for a new nut (the original had wide spacing for a guitarist), and asked about it. Maybe it is a thin spot in the top he thought, but it seemed stable. That was last year; this year I have been more consistent about humidification, and no longer live in a house heated by wood, and the crease is harder to see.

The luthier suggested using light strings, which I have been doing anyway. It sounds better with the bronze J62 than the phosphor bronze J73's, but that might just be my imagination.

db

[skipdog]

If you ever wish to sell this mandolin (sam) I'd snag it in a second. I own #50 J-18, and #33 J-18. The "Sam" was the first one I played that introduced me to the Jade.

[Hans_k]

My Jade mandolin is 3 years old by now, and I am still very happy with it. Unfortunately I had an accident and the headstock looks like Bill Monroe's mandolin did. I will have it fixed in a couple of weeks....

[skipdog]

I own three Jades. #33 J-18, #50 "custom Rob Black" birds eye maple, and an "Ole'37" no tag or number (one of the last to leave Bob's shop), The #50 is equipt with an LR Baggs bridge pickup and is one heavy hitting,rock solid mandolin. #33 has the prettiest tone acoustically, the "Ole'37" or "Sam" as it was refered for the 1 1/4" wide, block inlaid neck is the mandolin that introduced me to Jade and is the mando I've just recently aquired. This one is thee mandolin for me . She's hung out in her case,unplayed, since I bought her and she is one brassen, ballsy, cat house mandolin. I need to pull the tuners, add a solid tail piece, put a bridge pick up in it,add a pic guard, strap her on, bring her to town and show her around!

[Hans_k]

My headstock has been repaired, the Jade #36 looks great again.

[grassrootphilosopher]

My headstock has been repaired, the Jade #36 looks great again.

Who´s done the repair? It looks good.

[Hans_k]

Hi Olaf,
Jan Pals did the repair. You probably know him (mandolinplayer of Lazy Tater). He sure did a great job! I'm real happy with the result. See you at the EWOB or Grevengrass....

[skipdog]

- Refrain from using the forum as a market place, ie., a resource for selling, purchasing or trading. Please limit selling, buying and trading activities to the Classifieds section of this web site or other external locations.

[Charles E.]

You do realize that the post before yours in this thread is 11years old?

[grassrootphilosopher]

It´s been a long time since this thread had an update. Still, Jade mandolins are a great value. And Jan Pals was/is quite a guy to build or to repair an instrument. I heard him work on a well known Lloyd Loar mandolin. He built a mandolin that I playes (quite a good mandolin). I haven´t been in Voorthuizen or in Greven for many years unfortunately.

So, if you´re on a budget, get yourself a Jade, if you can find one.