My new mandolin!

Bob Bledsoe

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Well, since there's an "other instruments" section of the forum, I thought I'd show off my new mandolin.

I got a great deal on a blemished JBovier F5. Just before the luthier shipped it to me, he tired to fix the very minor blem and ended up making it worse. So he sent me an unblemished F5 instead... I got lucky.

This mandolin sounds awesome... I would equate it in the ukulele world with getting one of the higher end Ponos. It's not a $3,000-$5,000 mandolin but it can hold it's own with other mandolins in that league.

IMAG0848.jpg
 
Nice! Looks cool. My cousin has one and I learned a little bit of this song http://youtu.be/hSZ40V0teGM it's really fun. Hard to play clean compared to the ukulele though

Yeah, Thile's classical stuff is great!

Sweet! Have you played mando before? If not, be prepared to take your calluses to a whole new level. :p

I've been playing every day since January and learning a lot - on a mandolin I got for free that is pretty much unplayable. My left hand will never be stronger than after having played a few months on that old one.
This new mando plays like a dream... But even compared to the high end ones in stores that I've played, my new J Bovier is incredible. Radius fretboard, big frets, nice neck profile, big full woody sound, etc... So I'm looking forward to my calluses actually decreasing at this point.
 
Very nice!

I enjoy noodling on my mandolin, but holy crap are chords hard! I have weak pinky fingers. I blame them. :D

Lovely looking instrument!
 
Very nice!

I enjoy noodling on my mandolin, but holy crap are chords hard! I have weak pinky fingers. I blame them. :D

Lovely looking instrument!

Thanks Skitzik! And agreed, the chords are hard sometimes. I've been very consistent about doing scales every morning. I include my pinky in them, so I've built up some good strength and it's now almost like any other finger. That has really helped my ukulele playing as well. Mandolin is hard on the fingers but really strengthens them considerably too.
 
Oh, my, that is lovely! I am in awe of the mandolin players out there (having tried it myself.....).
 
That's a beauty! Play the poo out of it and enjoy!

Thanks! The poo is already played out of it and it's only been a couple days. Having lots of fun with it.

Oh, my, that is lovely! I am in awe of the mandolin players out there (having tried it myself.....).

Thank you! I'm in awe of the good players as well. It's a hard instrument to master and there are some incredible players out there.
 
She's a beauty, that's for sure! I love those mandos with the curl on the top. I'm sure there is a proper name for that feature but I don't know it. Congrats!
 
She's a beauty, that's for sure! I love those mandos with the curl on the top. I'm sure there is a proper name for that feature but I don't know it. Congrats!

Thanks! Yeah I like those too - they're called "scrolls" and they really have no use except as a really expensive strap holder - and they look really cool. ;-)
 
Congrats its a beauty....wouldn't have known it from a Gibson!
 
In case anyone is interested, here's a sound sample I did yesterday for the folks over at Mandolin Cafe:
 
Sweet! Have you played mando before? If not, be prepared to take your calluses to a whole new level. :p

Calluses go through a couple of stages.
First you have soft fingertips and it hurts
The you develop calluses but occasionally they split of peel off.
Then the calluses go away because you have developed toughened but flexible skin on your fingertips.
Don't be impatient because the latter can take 20 years ;-)
 
Calluses go through a couple of stages.
First you have soft fingertips and it hurts
The you develop calluses but occasionally they split of peel off.
Then the calluses go away because you have developed toughened but flexible skin on your fingertips.
Don't be impatient because the latter can take 20 years ;-)

I have developed very tough, flattened calluses in the last 6 months. Totally happy with them.
 
Calluses go through a couple of stages.
First you have soft fingertips and it hurts
The you develop calluses but occasionally they split of peel off.
Then the calluses go away because you have developed toughened but flexible skin on your fingertips.
Don't be impatient because the latter can take 20 years ;-)

I have developed very tough, flattened calluses in the last 6 months. Totally happy with them.
 
Congrats. Looks nice. I to and new to the Mandolin world. Shopping for my first lefty Mandolin. I just need to decide between Eastman, Morgan Monroe and The Loar. You'll have to post a video when you learn a tune or two.
 
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