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NewMad
Carbon fibre mandolins from £2495 Peter Mix was previously at Rigel mandolins, after leaving Rigel Peter started work on a project that had been brewing for a few years. Carbon fibre guitars and cellos had been around for a while, how about a carbon fibre mandolin? And how to go about it? Clearly an expert luthier would be a huge asset. No less than mandolin builder extraordinaire Will Kimble came on board. It is not easy to convince those of a traditional bent that new (very new) ideas are worth pursuing, so with Will’s expertise and reputation things were off to a good start. Of course Will’s knowledge of carbon fibre was somewhat lacking so the addition of Matt Dunham of Clear Carbon and Components – with his expertise in cf cellos (that’s cello as in cello not mandocello) - to the team meant a meeting of world class experts in both fields. Add Steve Smith of Cumberland Acoustic with his renowned knowledge of mandolin bridge design and it was all stations go… Some of the advantages of carbon fibre are its imperviousness to moisture and its strength. The result is a mandolin unaffected by climatic changes and with incredible strength (greater than steel). I am not sure I am going to have the courage to bash any mandolin against a steel girder but I’m told it's been done with no effect.. even on the tuning!!! Add to the Cumberland Acoustic bridge an Ebony fretboard, a James tailpiece, and a Schertler CDyn on-board pickup and you have a performer’s dream. It doesn’t look like wood but the warp and weft of the carbon fibre are beautiful in their own right. |
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Mix New MAD A5 with Schertler CDyn pickup
I anticipated the arrival of the Mix A5 with a little trepidation. Would it live up to its reputation? Despite the gorgeousness of the photos would it look great or just weird? More importantly, how would it sound? Two and a half grand because it's climate proof and virtually indestructible?? I needn't have worried. It looks just incredible, as though mandolins were made to be made this way. On the sound front, I long ago gave up trying to decide which was my favourite - it was just too stressful - and after all I always have a few to choose from. So I always have a fave few at any one time, this beauty shot straight in there. It has the rich and rounded mid-range that only the very best f hole mandolins have, plenty of volume and projection and more resonance than most f hole mandos. The chop is of the musical type rather than hard-edged percussive, just the way I like it.
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£ 2,650.00
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