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Thread: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out there?

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    Default What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out there?

    I know of Fletcher Brock but that's about it... Trying to see how much money I need to start saving
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    Registered User John Flynn's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    Oh, Bill Bussman's "Old Wave" GOM is out of this world. I've played two of them. I pretty sure Sharon Gilchrist plays one.

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    Registurd User pjlama's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    Yup, Old Wave makes a good one.
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    Austin Clark in Boise!
    You can't get there from here.

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    Registered User Rick Albertson's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    Jim Hilburn builds wonderful GBOMs. Here is #54.

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    Also see #44, #45 at http://www.hilburnmandolins.com
    "But no well informed person ever called the picking of the mandolin music." New York Times, 1897

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    Registered User trevor's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    There's details and photos of Bill Bussmann (Old Wave) and Austin Clark Guitar Body Octave Mandolins (GOMs) on my website. Both sold, both on re-order, both fantastic.

    I have never 'got' the sound of a jazz guitar, just don't know what they are aiming at and don't like the sound (my ignorance). Last time I trekked across to desert and arrived at Bill's having consumed the last drop of water 10 miles previously the first thing I saw was a jazz guitar bodied octave. That did it, I nearly turned round and walked back to Flagstaff without water. But Bill offered me a sip of water if I played it.. I didn't think I was up to another 300 mile walk without water and I have always enjoyed Bill's company so I relented. To cut a very long and tedious story very short I have owned it ever since after insisting that I would walk out into the desert if he didn't sell his personal GOM to me there and then..

    Anyways, enough of the BS.. I still don't quite understand how the sound of a jazz guitar somehow morphs into the incredible sound of a GOM when it has eight strings. I find that many OMs - particularly the flat top large bodied variety that are common this side of the pond - lack definition and have muddy bass. Its like the sound wanders around wondering which hole to get out of and eventually gives up.

    Perhaps luthiers who make them can enlighten me as to why/how the jazz guitar sound turns in to the strong, vibrant and incredible tone I've heard on the seven or eight GOMs I have played. All I can think of is that its something to do with the increased tension.
    Trevor
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    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    I don't know why they haven't done it yet, but Eastman could make a great GOM, if their guitar bodied mandocello is any indication. I already have two OM's, so I've never considered restringing my MDC805 as an OM. I'll bet it would sound great. These can be had for around $2 k. I got a great deal on mine three years back for much less.

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    garded
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    Rick beat me to it with Jim Hilburn. Anther is Mike Black.

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    Registered User DSDarr's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    Another good builder of these is Fletcher Brock -- check out the sound that Sarah Jarosz gets from one of his.

    David

  11. #10

    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    Phil Crump makes a flat top GOM. I have the first one he made. Cedar top with mahogany B&S... Very nice instrument.

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    Registered User Chip Booth's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    For me the Brock is the standard!
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    Registered User Brad Weiss's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    I have never played one of his OMs, but I own one of his early A5s and I would be very surprised if Andrew Mowry didn't make an exceptional guitar-bodied OM. Here are a bunch of them!

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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    I wanted guitar sound more than guitar looks. For me that is a flat top with glued-on bridge. I have never warmed to arch top guitars; they sound nice on solos but don't have the sound I want for accompaniment. I note that the most common guitar is the Martin or Gibson style flat top, and it dominates in folk, country, and rock. Arch tops sound very much like their electric versions, the big-body jazz guitars. I prefer solid or thinline electrics.

    I went with Tom Buchanan, who originally made flat top guitars, and now makes a line of mandolin-family instruments, all flat, x-braced, and glued-on pin bridge. Even though they are teardrop shape, to my ear they have that more singing tone of the folk-style flat top.

    He has various sound samples at his web site and a facebook page, and i have posted several here.
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    Registered User trevor's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    Tom, the point I was trying to make is that an archtop octave mandolin sounds nothing like an archtop guitar.

    I forgot about this awesome OM by Aaron Andrews.



    Trevor
    Formerly of The Acoustic Music Co (TAMCO) Brighton England now retired.

  16. #15

    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    This is a pic of an Eastman El Rey guitar I owned a couple years ago:

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    It was very neck heavy and the dive was too much for me to deal with so I sold it, but I have always thought it would be a great template for an OM, or 'Zouk.

    The smaller neck would hopefully alleviate the dive issue.

    Neck dive aside, it was a really cool instrument. The body design was quite comfy to play with.

    I mentioned this idea to Dennis at TMS and he passed it on to his Eastman rep and we never heard anything back. I guess they feel it wouldn't sell well enough...?

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    Registered User otterly2k's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    This is some great info... and you might get even more if you post this question in the CBOM Forum...
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    Registered User j. condino's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    Lots of good builders make a fine guitar bodied octave mandolin; 'can't believe nobody has mentioned my good buddy Mike, aka Nugget!

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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    Quote Originally Posted by grandcanyonminstrel View Post
    Lots of good builders make a fine guitar bodied octave mandolin...
    j.
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    Bruce Weber makes a pretty nice one as well...

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    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    Ceck this clip out - http://youtu.be/XVJ5abWnCNc .That Brock GBOM looks/sounds awesome.I just wish he'd got all 8 strings on it.It looks to be the perfect size as well,
    Ivan
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    Registered User DSDarr's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall View Post
    Ceck this clip out - http://youtu.be/XVJ5abWnCNc .That Brock GBOM looks/sounds awesome.I just wish he'd got all 8 strings on it.It looks to be the perfect size as well,
    Ivan
    Most of the time these days Eli plays that with all 8 strings -- I think (but don't know for sure) that he was just experimenting with the 4 string sound. I'll ask him next time I see him. He was playing with all 8 at Wintergrass....

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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    NFI, but there's a nice example of Weber's "Octar" in the classifieds as we speak...

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    Registered User Chip Booth's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    Quote Originally Posted by Ivan Kelsall View Post
    Ceck this clip out - http://youtu.be/XVJ5abWnCNc .That Brock GBOM looks/sounds awesome.I just wish he'd got all 8 strings on it.It looks to be the perfect size as well,
    Ivan
    Those KEXP videos always give me chills, I love those guys! I also really wish Eli had been playing all 8 strings that day. Here is another video where is OM is set up normally. The audio isn't anywhere near as good but it is still very enjoyable.



    The mandolin is another Brock, one that's been around the block, used by some great players (including me, and by that I mean I used it, not the great player part).

    Eli's OM is one of my favourites that Fletcher has made. It has a strong midrange, and isn't as deep or warm as some other of his octaves, but it really cuts through just the right way in a band context. Eli visited Fletcher's shop whena couple of them were finished and he picked it out specifically for those qualities. Cafe member Linds has one that is very similar that also knocked me out.

  24. #23
    Registered Mandolin User mandopete's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    If I recall correctly Collings used to make a GOM. It was pretty much a small bodied guitar that was re-strung as an OM. One thing you might consider is converting a guitar. I recall seeing some threads here on the cafe about doing that. The sound of an oval hole is going to be pretty different than that of the f-hole styles you see here.
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    Registered Mandolin User mandopete's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    This looks like what I was I talking about. Not a Collings but you get the idea....

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    Registered User mtucker's Avatar
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    Default Re: What are some good "Guitar Body Octave Mandolin makers out th

    Quote Originally Posted by Chip Booth View Post

    The mandolin is another Brock, one that's been around the block, used by some great players...
    slightly off topic, but how does it compare to say your Gil Mod. 3's attributes?

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