Sold me - yet while we are sure not going to hear the price, guessing that is worth 100,000 easy. Mandolin Brother's shop (sadly gone) had the Gibson Lloyd Loar era Mandola i wanted, yet it was 106,000 USD.
I've been playing a mandolin for over 40 years and I have a Gibson F5, but I'm blown away by what I hear, he is at a whole new level I've never seen anybody play at, Monroe, McReynolds, Bush, Grisman, all ground breaking, but Chris has opened a whole new universe.
it's boring. If I want to hear Bach, I'll play him on the keyboard; it simply sounds watered-down on a mandolin, which has its own power and beauty and repertoire of fine songs to choose from. I don't see fiddlers creaming their pants over some douchebag playing a Partita
@@smittywerbenmanjensen1350 Boring on a mandolin but you play it on a KEYBOARD-Um okay yeah I guess not everyone can appreciate Dynamics and a good performance of Bach but lmao what
I've had the pleasure of playing fiddle with Chris on a few occasions. He's an amazing artist, and that mandolin is incredible. Thanks for uploading this!
The "approximately 20" are Lloyd Loar signed F5s with Fern peghead inlay.. there are 290 total Lloyd Loar signed mandolins documented between 1922 and 1924. Chris's is a Feb 18th 1924 signature date, so it is one of 46 known Gibson F5s signed by Lloyd Loar on that day. Many other pros have one from this batch- notably John Reischman and Mike Marshall.
He is from another planet. If you look at nickel creek a young version you could tell that he is the best. Never saw anybody who at 12 could smoke pros. He is the GOAT
How can he remember all those notes, let alone play them so fluidly and with so much feeling -- and apparently effortlessly? Clearly, he is not of this Earth.
@@oldtimetinfoilhatwearer Correct -- there are only a few notes in any non-microtonal musical scale. My expression of wonder and admiration is about the musician's ability to commit to memory and faultlessly and fluidly reproduce such long and complex SEQUENCES of notes --- something which I, as a musician, find challenging.
@@oldtimetinfoilhatwearer Some people can practice until they're blue in the face (and the fingertips) and nevertheless fail to produce a rendition as fluid, faultless and deeply felt as Chris's. To me, he is sublimely talented.
Way beyond what is promised after 10,000 hours of practice. Sure glad Chris does more popularized stage performances than this...( lovely as it is). I probably would never see him if he played only concert halls.
Taking the pickguard off is the mandolin equivalent of taking off a violin's shoulder rest or chin rest. It opens up the sound because there is nothing clamping down on the body.
+coprhead6 Mike Marshall advised me to remove the pickguard off my Northfield 'Big Mon'. He spoke of this in relation to how one strikes the A & E strings, in particular, with the pick. He thinks that a pickguard tends to encourage a shallower pick stroke, and this, of course makes an impact on tone, which was mentioned elsewhere. I must say I that I found a greater freedom in my playing after removing mine and I'm not going to worry about the erosion process. In fact I rather like the more played in look that the instrument is taking on! Re a worn looking Lloyd Loar, just look at Mike's. Mine has a long way to go!
I play cleaner with the pickguard on. I tend to rest on or bump the bridge without it. With the pickguard on, I keep my hand up higher and away from the bridge. Poor technique, I know.
That mandolin... "Approximately 20 of these are known to exist. This particular instrument is the only known Fern to have been dated on 9 July (1923). In 2007, mandolinist Chris Thile acquired 1924 Loar-signed F5 serial # 75316 that was an exceedingly rare find, as it was in virtually new condition. It reportedly cost him around $200,000." (from Wikipedia)
chris thile can walk in to any music store and pick the cheapest mando off the shelf and make it sing!!! just so happens he's found the mando that sings his songs with him! unreal musician. can't wait to see him live.
There are many great mandolinists in history, that I enjoy, including Dave Appollon (sp ?), classical players, Burns, Grisman, and more. However, the one that stands taller than all of them, is Chris Thile. Musicianwise, I would put him on Mandolin, in the same department as Mark O'Conner, on fiddle, guitar, and even, mandolin. They rise above their instruments, not restricted from presenting their musical ideas, by the physical parameters of the instrument. They are not just locked in, rather, they can be found soaring above the instrument, into the area of pure music. In bluegrass, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, and others are on that level. The same goes for greats in other areas, such as jazz, classical, and so on. Chris could make any instrument sound great.
I love, (and prefer) pure bluegrass and don't really care for this style of music BUT... I couldn't stop this clip once he started playing. I was totally mesmerized by his skill. The words "fluid" and "smooth" comes to mind. I guess this is sort of like how I SAY I don't care for opera singing but... I LOVE to hear Jackie Evancho. Go figger. ;-)
I play this piece on my Montgomery Wards version Lloyd Loar before breakfast every day. All kidding aside, at least on this computer, I prefer the sound of the Dudenbostel. It may be far different live, but I've always found the Dudenbostel sound as truly amazing.
So do I. And in 60 years, if constantly played, the Dudenbostel would also sound awesome. There are some great builders out there now making mandolins that will be legendary in their own right .
Ok, for those of you who, unlike me, actually know things about this instrument, I Feel like the high notes on mine are too bright and too shrill and a little abrasive while his aren't. Is this something that can be corrected by technique or is it just a matter of strings, picks and the actual build of the mandolin?
+MarlonOwnsYourCake It's the recording. This was probably recorded on somebody's iPhone. There are a number of recordings with this mandolin and it sounds awesome....just like a Loar!
***** Are you serious about that.Is there written confirmation,or photos of that work after it was done?Thanks for your time...love Chris...just never heard of that before..Cheers from Adelaide,South Australia!
The "Florida extension" at the top of the fretboard (about fret 24+) is scooped too, the frets are removed and fretboard shaved down. Not original at all. Maybe it was that way when he got it? Sounds beautiful anyway
Removing the pick guard is an acoustic advantage in some/many cases of mandolins. Aesthetic look and authenticity are cool, but if the sound is better with the guard off, that's what a musician is going for. Mine is off...for the reason described above.
+Don Vanderburg how does it alter the sound? I have a really cheap mandolin where one of the screws holding the pick guard on sometimes gets loose and buzzes, but aside from that, what does it do?
Hey Marlon, Pick guards on mandolins don't really do that much good and when you remove it, it opens up/uncovers the bottom F hole for a better projection. Mandolins generally come in 2 distinct styles. An "A" style (the oval "Look") or an "F" style. I prefer an "F" style which is what Chris Thile uses,as well as 99.9% of mandolinists in Bluegrass. "A" styles, however are played by some very good musicians. Tim O'Brien has always played one.Mine is a cheap copy of a Lloyd Loar but it sounds pretty good. Sound and tone and playability are everything.
Cool. Glad to hear you're thinking along those lines. I would recommend a couple of things as some foundational encouragement. 1. If at ALL possible get an F-Style mando. and 2. remove the pick guard so you can hear and feel the sound coming from BOTH F-holes. Chris is playing one of his two Feb 18, 1924 SIGNED Lloyd Loar mandos and they both came with a pick guard and each mandolin is probably over $200,000.00 in value, but he plays it with the pick guard removed. Get my meaning? :-) Tone is EVERYTHING. It's part instrument, part technique, part pick shape and thickness,and part musical ear/taste. It's a thing that improves over time and with listening to the finest mandolinists. Ronnie McCoury, Sam Bush, Sierra Hull, Ricky Scaggs, Andy Leftwich(Scaggs' fiddle player) plays an awesome mando and gets a stunning tone and sound. Mike Marshall is another. Play a LOT of mandolins in music shops and get used to the fact that they ALL play different , sound different and it's REALLY hard to find that sweet combo of playability, intonation, tone, volume, overtones, etc....by the time you are sensitive to all these things,and you find a mando that fits the bill, BUY IT! I think you will have the best luck with a Gibson F-5. ALL good F-5's (Dudenbostel, Gilchrist, Skaggs Model, are well over 10K, but look for a Gibson F-5 made within the years pf 1950 and now....good ones are out there around 5k or so. There's always exceptions, like if you could run across a good one for $2,500.00 range....SNAG it!. It just takes time nd luck. Chris played since he was 5, mostly on a Gibson F-5(Listen to the tone of his Gibson on his first two solo CD's "Leading Off" and "Stealing Home" recorded when he was 12 yrs old and he's a baseball fan) Then Lynn Dudenbostel built him that phenomenal one he used and played (it's on his first instructional DVD from Homespun Records)for years until he got his Loars. I still think there is not a better sounding mando than Chris' Dudenbostel. When Ronnie McCoury got his Loar and switched from his Gilchrist, I think his sound is not as good, but for mando players, the LOAR is the holy Grail. Like Stradivarius is for a violinist. Anyway, sorry to ramble on, but I love to talk about music and mandolins and beautiful tone.
Simon, you presume an awful lot knowing nothing about me. Not sure why you would insult a complete stranger. First, if you read my last comment it should be apparent to even the most cynical reader that I know a bit about Mandolins. I've personally met Chris Thile and attended a Master class with him. I have studied acoustics and my father was an actual Physicist. My niece majored in and graduated University with a double major in violin and voice. She owns a very expensive Gaurneri copy and now teaches violin. I have very good friends who are luthiers so I won’t be needing any German books on the subject. I picked out my own “old growth” 65 year old Brazilian Rosewood for the back and sides and Adirondack spruce for my soundboard on a 10k Dreadnought acoustic Steel string I had custom-made for me. I'm 65 years old, was a music major and studied music composition and theory in college, was a professional musician before that, took piano tuning lessons from my own piano tuner and tuned my own 7’ Kawaii Grand piano while I was studying at University. I understand plenty about wood, acoustics, construction, bracing, the vibration of the soundboard/bridge etc.., on ANY acoustic, stringed instrument. I've played Electric, Classical, Folk Fingerstyle, and Flatpicking Bluegrass guitar and Classical piano for over 45 years. Mandolin for 10 years. So, yes, Simon, sound in fact DOES actually come OUT of the sound holes on a mandolin, violin, or any stringed instrument which has a hole of any sort and that’s not stupid.If you close the lid on your piano the sound projection is dampened and is not as loud is it? And the tone changes doesn’t it? How is this difficult to understand? Even if you’ve never held your ear to the F hole of a mandolin (which I do every day) even the laziest of research would clarify this for you. In addition, these F and S holes on a mandolin/violin have a huge influence on the production of sound and tone. I never asserted they were the origin of the sound, as you seem to be implying, as they do not actually create the sound - everyone knows the vibrating top (soundboard) does that from the bridge and to a lesser degree, the back and sides. But then again, I was emphasizing the opening up and increasing the quality of TONE by taking the pick guard off, and for a more even PROJECTION as well. Lastly, if your incorrect assertion that sound doesn't come out of the holes was actually true, which it is not, then Stradivari just carved those cute little S-holes on all his violins for purely ornamental aesthetics! And every luthier since has kept the tradition going just because it looked cool. Please find someone else to vent on and let's call it a day. I won't respond any further.
Some Master teachers would scold you for letting your arm sleeve rest on the top of an acoustic instrument. "It's like a blanket over your mouth!" I can hear my old Russian teacher now.
yeah I was getting that too, He must play with his pick slanted a bit, thus creating a lot of surface area that goes across the strings. It's kind of a scrapy sound, and if it wasn't for his flawless playing, it would be rather undesirable
classic skills for a classic instrument. all the naysayers should try and play scales like that! even if they could their $500 mandolin would NEVER sound like this!
Im sure he is talking about the responsiveness of the loar. The play-ability of the loar and the tone gave him an eargasm. But what do i know? Im retarded.
This is a pretty low quality recording. Check out this video for much better sound quality: watch?v=wAUoI49Ndmk. The virtues of the Loar instruments is their combination of tonal balance, consistency, and power. The high notes and low notes have similar timbre and the strings all perform well across the full range of the fingerboard. The instrument also works well dynamically, responding to a soft touch, but possessing lots of headroom for louder notes. You can pull a good tone out of almost any instrument, but higher end ones present it much more readily and with less work. A 600 dollar import pales in comparison. Modern hand built instruments can come closer, but those are typically in the 2-5000 dollar range. The time a luthier spends carving the top and tuning it really makes a difference.
He did it long before he bought his Loar. I'm guessing he just prefers the Loar's sound more. Though I don't. I much prefer his old Dudenbostel to his Loar. Just search "Chris Thile E-Major Prelude" and you will find his original recording on his other mandolin.
Oh yeah that’s definitely the check I do before purchasing a mandolin
Sold me - yet while we are sure not going to hear the price, guessing that is worth 100,000 easy.
Mandolin Brother's shop (sadly gone) had the Gibson Lloyd Loar era Mandola i wanted, yet it was 106,000 USD.
Me too, what a coincidence ;)
😄😄😄 of course!
Yea. I did this when I bought my Rouge at the pawn shop.
🤣🤣
Chris seems happy to play the Loar and the Loar seems happy when Chris encourages it to speak....So, its a win-win.
Admiration and jaw dropping. If I could play like that, I would just listen to myself all day.
Thile is a phenomenon.
I've seen him live 3 times.
He is one of the greatest musicians I've had the privilege to listen to - live or not.
I've been playing a mandolin for over 40 years and I have a Gibson F5, but I'm blown away by what I hear, he is at a whole new level I've never seen anybody play at, Monroe, McReynolds, Bush, Grisman, all ground breaking, but Chris has opened a whole new universe.
it's boring. If I want to hear Bach, I'll play him on the keyboard; it simply sounds watered-down on a mandolin, which has its own power and beauty and repertoire of fine songs to choose from. I don't see fiddlers creaming their pants over some douchebag playing a Partita
Yeah, that'll happen when you start playing at like 6. Dude was nominated for a Grammy at like 15, and finally got one 4 years later.
@@smittywerbenmanjensen1350 Boring on a mandolin but you play it on a KEYBOARD-Um okay yeah I guess not everyone can appreciate Dynamics and a good performance of Bach but lmao what
@@smittywerbenmanjensen1350 🤦🏻♂️
He transcends the mandolin
Oh, so it was that, huh?
and that's how you play a $200,000+ mandolin!
Love the dynamics he can do on this piece. Not easy.
I've had the pleasure of playing fiddle with Chris on a few occasions. He's an amazing artist, and that mandolin is incredible. Thanks for uploading this!
Listening to this bring tears to my eyes....its so beautiful
His playing speaks to my soul! I Love the sound of the mandolin..I can't help but SMILE every time I hear one
The "approximately 20" are Lloyd Loar signed F5s with Fern peghead inlay.. there are 290 total Lloyd Loar signed mandolins documented between 1922 and 1924.
Chris's is a Feb 18th 1924 signature date, so it is one of 46 known Gibson F5s signed by Lloyd Loar on that day. Many other pros have one from this batch- notably John Reischman and Mike Marshall.
Rick Scaggs plays a Loar 1922
So very gifted! That Loar seems to have incredibly buttery, clean, woody trebles.
thank you so much for posting this video.
Chris always out here making it look easy.
Legend in his own time. So dang good.
Just got my Loar the other day. Simply an amazin instrument
What date?
Saw Chris at St Lukes last week. AMAZING.
I was there too. Never been so absorbed for 2hrs+, in my life
Some good old Bach…terrific playing.
One of Kalamazoo's finest!
flawless
best mandolin player on planet earth 🌏 😅
He is from another planet. If you look at nickel creek a young version you could tell that he is the best. Never saw anybody who at 12 could smoke pros. He is the GOAT
So goooood!
He just made sweet passionate love to that Mandolin! Bravo!
Bravo, congratulations !.
so many notes!!
Awesome!
it's all part of the experience
Bach baby! That’s Dy-no-mite!
He's a genius!!
How can he remember all those notes, let alone play them so fluidly and with so much feeling -- and apparently effortlessly? Clearly, he is not of this Earth.
There are only 7 plus some blue notes
@@oldtimetinfoilhatwearer Correct -- there are only a few notes in any non-microtonal musical scale. My expression of wonder and admiration is about the musician's ability to commit to memory and faultlessly and fluidly reproduce such long and complex SEQUENCES of notes --- something which I, as a musician, find challenging.
@@robst247 practice😁 talent isn't real, only dedication
Any clues as to his planet of origin and immigration status?
@@oldtimetinfoilhatwearer Some people can practice until they're blue in the face (and the fingertips) and nevertheless fail to produce a rendition as fluid, faultless and deeply felt as Chris's. To me, he is sublimely talented.
More Chris Thile masterclass clips on youtube would be better.
Way beyond what is promised after 10,000 hours of practice. Sure glad Chris does more popularized stage performances than this...( lovely as it is). I probably would never see him if he played only concert halls.
Ah yes... I remember when I was first starting out...
Taking the pickguard off is the mandolin equivalent of taking off a violin's shoulder rest or chin rest. It opens up the sound because there is nothing clamping down on the body.
+coprhead6 Mike Marshall advised me to remove the pickguard off my Northfield 'Big Mon'. He spoke of this in relation to how one strikes the A & E strings, in particular, with the pick. He thinks that a pickguard tends to encourage a shallower pick stroke, and this, of course makes an impact on tone, which was mentioned elsewhere. I must say I that I found a greater freedom in my playing after removing mine and I'm not going to worry about the erosion process. In fact I rather like the more played in look that the instrument is taking on! Re a worn looking Lloyd Loar, just look at Mike's. Mine has a long way to go!
Shoulder rest, yes. Chinrest, no. Often, a side mounted chinrest can make a violin sound better.
I play cleaner with the pickguard on. I tend to rest on or bump the bridge without it. With the pickguard on, I keep my hand up higher and away from the bridge. Poor technique, I know.
That dude is fucking AMAZING!!!
That mandolin... "Approximately 20 of these are known to exist. This particular instrument is the only known Fern to have been dated on 9 July (1923). In 2007, mandolinist Chris Thile acquired 1924 Loar-signed F5 serial # 75316 that was an exceedingly rare find, as it was in virtually new condition. It reportedly cost him around $200,000." (from Wikipedia)
Was wondering what they go for now. Stopped dreaming when they passed $100,000. and my bank account didn't. Thanks for sharing.
Oregon Outback Still get a good one 10k to 20k brand new. Get a decent sounding one for 300 to 1,000.
Awesome technique.
Magnífico
four downvotes? must be the other four guys from punch brothers who are tierd of hearing this in the bus at night when they want to sleep.
chris thile can walk in to any music store and pick the cheapest mando off the shelf and make it sing!!! just so happens he's found the mando that sings his songs with him!
unreal musician. can't wait to see him live.
more please!
my gawd this inside picking!
There are many great mandolinists in history, that I enjoy, including Dave Appollon (sp ?), classical players, Burns, Grisman, and more.
However, the one that stands taller than all of them, is Chris Thile.
Musicianwise, I would put him on Mandolin, in the same department as Mark O'Conner, on fiddle, guitar, and even, mandolin.
They rise above their instruments, not restricted from presenting their musical ideas, by the physical parameters of the instrument.
They are not just locked in, rather, they can be found soaring above the instrument, into the area of pure music.
In bluegrass, Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, and others are on that level. The same goes for greats in other areas, such as jazz, classical, and so on.
Chris could make any instrument sound great.
I love, (and prefer) pure bluegrass and don't really care for this style of music BUT... I couldn't stop this clip once he started playing. I was totally mesmerized by his skill. The words "fluid" and "smooth" comes to mind. I guess this is sort of like how I SAY I don't care for opera singing but... I LOVE to hear Jackie Evancho. Go figger. ;-)
It's the prelude from Bach's E major violin partita! =)
Thanks for that info. Do you know any specifics on Mike Marshall's mandolin? It's been my favorite sounding mandolin for many many years.
Wow. My mandolin is jealous.
Wowzers
Any chance of seeing more of this master class?
So, probably no chance I can get the tablature to this - is there?
I never thought I would see someone better than Sierra hull
She's good, but no one comes close to Thile in technical ability.
I play this piece on my Montgomery Wards version Lloyd Loar before breakfast every day. All kidding aside, at least on this computer, I prefer the sound of the Dudenbostel. It may be far different live, but I've always found the Dudenbostel sound as truly amazing.
+Forcd2CreateChannel what is this piece?
+Klartunz Klar Chris is playing all but about the first 12 bars of the Prelude movement to Bach's Partita No. 3 in E Major for violin.
So do I. And in 60 years, if constantly played, the Dudenbostel would also sound awesome. There are some great builders out there now making mandolins that will be legendary in their own right .
I just wish I had his "Motors" lol !
So I'm guessing he couldn't "do that" until he picked up that particular mandolin. We should all be so lucky.
I’m gonna say so it was probably custom built for him in a past life and he remembered everything when it hit his hands
Way to rock the Bach!
👌👌👌👌
I wondered what Chris was going to spend that MacArthur Genius award money on. I think he made a good investment.
I like the slightly percussive style Chris plays - I actually prefer it.
What piece is he playing here?
Show off………the dudes a monster!
Ok, for those of you who, unlike me, actually know things about this instrument, I Feel like the high notes on mine are too bright and too shrill and a little abrasive while his aren't. Is this something that can be corrected by technique or is it just a matter of strings, picks and the actual build of the mandolin?
+MarlonOwnsYourCake It's the recording. This was probably recorded on somebody's iPhone. There are a number of recordings with this mandolin and it sounds awesome....just like a Loar!
***** Thanks so much! I'll get right on it!
oops! was reading too fast while i was doing laundry
I play a cheap mando in U.K. and I think heavy pick and heavy strings gave me a thicker sounding note all over.
What is the first Bach piece called?
Prelude from Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major.
Tabs please.
my mandolin is for sale because of this dude. id rather listen than hack.
see it at mandolincafe
Wow.....that's all
Good is't he ?
What did that machine cost??? 100 Grand???
$200K
What happened to the pick guard? I'd think he would want to keep it as original as possible, it had a pick guard when he bought it
***** Are you serious about that.Is there written confirmation,or photos of that work after it was done?Thanks for your time...love Chris...just never heard of that before..Cheers from Adelaide,South Australia!
***** he did? never heard about this
***** There is no third f-hole cut in the back. Someone is trolling :)
+mandoman83 I'm 100% sure there is no third F-hole :)
The "Florida extension" at the top of the fretboard (about fret 24+) is scooped too, the frets are removed and fretboard shaved down. Not original at all. Maybe it was that way when he got it? Sounds beautiful anyway
Any idea how much a masterclass lesson would cost? That would be interesting!
Removing the pick guard is an acoustic advantage in some/many cases of mandolins. Aesthetic look and authenticity are cool, but if the sound is better with the guard off, that's what a musician is going for. Mine is off...for the reason described above.
+Don Vanderburg how does it alter the sound? I have a really cheap mandolin where one of the screws holding the pick guard on sometimes gets loose and buzzes, but aside from that, what does it do?
Hey Marlon, Pick guards on mandolins don't really do that much good and when you remove it, it opens up/uncovers the bottom F hole for a better projection. Mandolins generally come in 2 distinct styles. An "A" style (the oval "Look") or an "F" style. I prefer an "F" style which is what Chris Thile uses,as well as 99.9% of mandolinists in Bluegrass. "A" styles, however are played by some very good musicians. Tim O'Brien has always played one.Mine is a cheap copy of a Lloyd Loar but it sounds pretty good. Sound and tone and playability are everything.
+Don Vanderburg Thanks, I've been sort of casually playing for a few years but just recently getting more interested in actually having a good sound.
Cool. Glad to hear you're thinking along those lines. I would recommend a couple of things as some foundational encouragement. 1. If at ALL possible get an F-Style mando. and 2. remove the pick guard so you can hear and feel the sound coming from BOTH F-holes. Chris is playing one of his two Feb 18, 1924 SIGNED Lloyd Loar mandos and they both came with a pick guard and each mandolin is probably over $200,000.00 in value, but he plays it with the pick guard removed. Get my meaning? :-) Tone is EVERYTHING. It's part instrument, part technique, part pick shape and thickness,and part musical ear/taste. It's a thing that improves over time and with listening to the finest mandolinists. Ronnie McCoury, Sam Bush, Sierra Hull, Ricky Scaggs, Andy Leftwich(Scaggs' fiddle player) plays an awesome mando and gets a stunning tone and sound. Mike Marshall is another. Play a LOT of mandolins in music shops and get used to the fact that they ALL play different , sound different and it's REALLY hard to find that sweet combo of playability, intonation, tone, volume, overtones, etc....by the time you are sensitive to all these things,and you find a mando that fits the bill, BUY IT! I think you will have the best luck with a Gibson F-5. ALL good F-5's (Dudenbostel, Gilchrist, Skaggs Model, are well over 10K, but look for a Gibson F-5 made within the years pf 1950 and now....good ones are out there around 5k or so. There's always exceptions, like if you could run across a good one for $2,500.00 range....SNAG it!. It just takes time nd luck. Chris played since he was 5, mostly on a Gibson F-5(Listen to the tone of his Gibson on his first two solo CD's "Leading Off" and "Stealing Home" recorded when he was 12 yrs old and he's a baseball fan) Then Lynn Dudenbostel built him that phenomenal one he used and played (it's on his first instructional DVD from Homespun Records)for years until he got his Loars. I still think there is not a better sounding mando than Chris' Dudenbostel. When Ronnie McCoury got his Loar and switched from his Gilchrist, I think his sound is not as good, but for mando players, the LOAR is the holy Grail. Like Stradivarius is for a violinist. Anyway, sorry to ramble on, but I love to talk about music and mandolins and beautiful tone.
Simon, you presume an awful lot knowing nothing about me. Not sure why you would insult a complete stranger. First, if you read my last comment it should be apparent to even the most cynical reader that I know a bit about Mandolins. I've personally met Chris Thile and attended a Master class with him. I have studied acoustics and my father was an actual Physicist. My niece majored in and graduated University with a double major in violin and voice. She owns a very expensive Gaurneri copy and now teaches violin. I have very good friends who are luthiers so I won’t be needing any German books on the subject. I picked out my own “old growth” 65 year old Brazilian Rosewood for the back and sides and Adirondack spruce for my soundboard on a 10k Dreadnought acoustic Steel string I had custom-made for me. I'm 65 years old, was a music major and studied music composition and theory in college, was a professional musician before that, took piano tuning lessons from my own piano tuner and tuned my own 7’ Kawaii Grand piano while I was studying at University. I understand plenty about wood, acoustics, construction, bracing, the vibration of the soundboard/bridge etc.., on ANY acoustic, stringed instrument. I've played Electric, Classical, Folk Fingerstyle, and Flatpicking Bluegrass guitar and Classical piano for over 45 years. Mandolin for 10 years. So, yes, Simon, sound in fact DOES actually come OUT of the sound holes on a mandolin, violin, or any stringed instrument which has a hole of any sort and that’s not stupid.If you close the lid on your piano the sound projection is dampened and is not as loud is it? And the tone changes doesn’t it? How is this difficult to understand? Even if you’ve never held your ear to the F hole of a mandolin (which I do every day) even the laziest of research would clarify this for you. In addition, these F and S holes on a mandolin/violin have a huge influence on the production of sound and tone. I never asserted they were the origin of the sound, as you seem to be implying, as they do not actually create the sound - everyone knows the vibrating top (soundboard) does that from the bridge and to a lesser degree, the back and sides. But then again, I was emphasizing the opening up and increasing the quality of TONE by taking the pick guard off, and for a more even PROJECTION as well. Lastly, if your incorrect assertion that sound doesn't come out of the holes was actually true, which it is not, then Stradivari just carved those cute little S-holes on all his violins for purely ornamental aesthetics! And every luthier since has kept the tradition going just because it looked cool. Please find someone else to vent on and let's call it a day. I won't respond any further.
Where is the melody
this dude looks like Jude Law
Some Master teachers would scold you for letting your arm sleeve rest on the top of an acoustic instrument.
"It's like a blanket over your mouth!" I can hear my old Russian teacher now.
None of those teachers sounded as good as Chris so they'll be aight
not at all. he made some stupendous recordings on it.
yeah I was getting that too, He must play with his pick slanted a bit, thus creating a lot of surface area that goes across the strings. It's kind of a scrapy sound, and if it wasn't for his flawless playing, it would be rather undesirable
E Major Prelude Partita #3 i believe.
Is it blasphemous to say that I prefer the tone of his old Dudenbostel?
So do I. Always did, especially #4.
Nope. We like what we like, there’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’.
I love Thile's playing but he is one strange dude.
What is strange about him?
Geniuses typically are
you're strange
he has a lot of company
It's a good strange, though.
classic skills for a classic instrument. all the naysayers should try and play scales like that! even if they could their $500 mandolin would NEVER sound like this!
frank, 500 is a lot!!!
Im sure he is talking about the responsiveness of the loar. The play-ability of the loar and the tone gave him an eargasm. But what do i know? Im retarded.
O-O
Uh..... Is that all. All you rock guitarists eat dish!
He is intertaining Angles that's why hes looking up I believe! Amen. Devine when we get to heaven well hear notes we've never heard on Earth. Amen
I guess this sounds better than a 600 dollar import. Not sure how, but I guess so.
This is a pretty low quality recording. Check out this video for much better sound quality: watch?v=wAUoI49Ndmk.
The virtues of the Loar instruments is their combination of tonal balance, consistency, and power. The high notes and low notes have similar timbre and the strings all perform well across the full range of the fingerboard. The instrument also works well dynamically, responding to a soft touch, but possessing lots of headroom for louder notes.
You can pull a good tone out of almost any instrument, but higher end ones present it much more readily and with less work.
A 600 dollar import pales in comparison. Modern hand built instruments can come closer, but those are typically in the 2-5000 dollar range. The time a luthier spends carving the top and tuning it really makes a difference.
^ *Tambre
Thats the proper pronunciation, but the spelling is timbre (which I got wrong too). Thanks for the correction. Fixed.
He did it long before he bought his Loar. I'm guessing he just prefers the Loar's sound more. Though I don't. I much prefer his old Dudenbostel to his Loar. Just search "Chris Thile E-Major Prelude" and you will find his original recording on his other mandolin.
wait...thats Bach...fuckme I can't remember the name of the piece
Piano players can't hit that many notes