Sep 2, 2010 · Well, Recently got back from my trip to China and it was SO COOL. I was lucky enough to go for work and build in a little fun whilst at it. One very interesting point, the folks at Eastman were nice enough to arrange a tour of their factory outside of …

Jul 9, 2022 · beginnerbill, that's exactly what I was asking in my OP. (is there a way to know). Most would value an instrument made in one shop in MI over one assembled here-and-there. I imagine that like other builders, Northfield maintains a log of builds, serial numbers, etc. I wonder if those logs contain the build details.

Nov 3, 2015 · I could take them anywhere and still have a piece of home with me. I was playing at an old folks home one Christmas and a fella came up and asked me my F-5 serial number, he put the finish on it; I was playing at church one Sunday morning and a lady came up afterwards and wondered if it was a Gibson or Flatiron.

Jan 17, 2024 · Man, Caleb, I don’t want to derail the thread, but your comment on McBrides opens a whole vault of feelings and questions I’ve had since I started playing seriously - the topic itself probably leads to at least 2 new threads (one personal; one market-based).

May 6, 2014 · Unfortunately he seems to have developed health issues and passed away. We have another member that has lived in Japan for decades and is a consultant to several major Instrument labels and has worked in Japan, Korea, and China as American brand names have evolved there. One of the first things you need to know is the customs of the country.

Apr 1, 2018 · I had one. Very much like the Sam Bush Gibson. I should have kept it. The tone was very nice for under 1,000.

Jan 1, 2022 · One of the best mandolins I ever played was a 2 point oval hole built by John D'Angelico. Big fat sound. Jethro Burns would have loved it. A hint for any builders who want to try something like that: D'Angelico placed his transverse brace a bit farther back than what we find in oval hole Gibsons.

May 15, 2019 · That is a really nice looking instrument! Especially for the cost. Please post some sound samples after it retunrs.

Feb 9, 2017 · My understanding is that current Kentucky mandolins are all coming from shops in China. Before that, from S. Korea. And WAY before that, from Japan. I am not sure if it matters whether your Kentucky happens to be from China or S. Korea -- it is a fairly low-end instrument, and its (limited) value will in no way depend on that.

Jan 29, 2024 · There are a few posts from years ago in the cafe about Feeling mandolins. The ones I found were positive. Looks like they moved away from selling directly to the public for a few years but they just started posting some models on ebay recently. My interaction with the seller has been top notch and after a few interactions I bought one.