Post by Deleted on Feb 26, 2017 14:28:35 GMT
Haven't done a field report for a while, so here goes, a little write up on what I saw and played in Hobgoblin in Bristol yesterday.
The first thing I noticed on the wall as soon as I went in were some lovely looking Moon Mandolin family instruments. They must have only just come in as not only were they immacualate, they were also not tuned up to pitch (though I find that a common trait for all instruments at a Hobgoblin store). There was an octave mandolin, which I tried first, and a bouzouki, both A2 models. I love the look of these. Maybe a little too 'white' for some tastes, but they were well priced at around the £880 mark. They had lovely satin necks that feel really nice in the hand, and I particularly loved the tail pieces. I have a thing about tail pieces, and I love it when a maker (such as Gary Nava) makes a real effort with the look of them. Some makers tail pieces, like Andy Tobin, are decidedly industrial looking, but Moon has chosen a design that is both elegant and practical that the adds a bit of interest to what would otherwise be a very plain instrument.
The instruments are flat back and flat tops, with ever such a slight radius. A satin finish helped with the lovely organic sound of these. The octave mandolin is a terrific instrument for those people that play both tunes and chords. I wasn't able to ascertain the scale length, but it was somewhere on the long side, about 21 to 22" I would say. Perfectly possible to play tunes using guitar fingering, whilst also holding up to being given a good thrash with chords. Personally I would go up a string gauge- I felt this instrument needed to interact with the top a bit more, as it was a little anemic in tone, but again I'm guessing these instruments had only just been made. I thoroughly enjoy d playing this one. It's not going to hold up too much in a loud session, but I reckon stick a k and k pickup in (easy with its oval hole design) and you will have a lovely electro instrument.
The bouzouki was longer scale, probably full 25" scale length. It was typically brash and shimmery, like some Buchananns i have tried, but unlike that brand I felt Moon instrument were better finished and better setup. This was a great value instrument for anyone wanting to dip their toes into the world of long scale mandolin instruments (we tend to call them CBOMs) and overall I was very enamoured of them.
Next I spotted a Moon guitar on the stand, one of my favourite models of theirs, a slope shouldered dread style instrument. Sorry I didn't look at the exact model name, but I played one of these years ago in Wadebridge and loved it. This one wasn't quite as shimmering as I remember the previous one (I think that one had ziricote back and sides, this one had Indian Rosewood). Again, beautiful neck, plentiful in the hand, and a good solid woods tone. I downtuned it to CGCGCD and I was surprised at how little to end it lost and how wonderful the low C sounded. As I played through Si Bheag Si Mhor, a lady stopped and listened and then said how lovely it sounded.
Lastly I played a beautiful Phil Davidson oval hole mandolin. Blonde top, and rather unusually it had mahogany sides and what looked like pear back. I wasn't convinced by the look of this, but the instrument itself sounded lovely, as do all of Phil instruments I have tried. Arch top and back, this was on at about £2000. A bargain for someone, given the tone, but personally I felt it should have been priced more in the £1800 region for a second hand instrument. No fancy inlays, and no pickup, it was just a good, solid, "Celtic" sounding instrument, with a lot more punch and volume than a similar flat top instrument would have given.
Though i didn't play it, my friend Rob demonstrated a beautiful Castagnarni melodeon, a tiny wee little model called the Lilly, which was made of beautiful maple wood. The carving and inlays on this were stunning. Though very simple, 21 keys, 8 bass and one voice, it sounded stunning. I am still working on my partner to go and get it for herself
Oh I also noticed that they are now stocking the brilliant Acus amps, really AER beaters these.
Overall Bristol had more insteretsing stock than many Hobs I've been in, marginally better look d after as well, though I do worry about those unprotected satin finished Moons, which are soon going to pick up knocks and dents very easily with people trying to take them of the wall hooks.
Robbie
The first thing I noticed on the wall as soon as I went in were some lovely looking Moon Mandolin family instruments. They must have only just come in as not only were they immacualate, they were also not tuned up to pitch (though I find that a common trait for all instruments at a Hobgoblin store). There was an octave mandolin, which I tried first, and a bouzouki, both A2 models. I love the look of these. Maybe a little too 'white' for some tastes, but they were well priced at around the £880 mark. They had lovely satin necks that feel really nice in the hand, and I particularly loved the tail pieces. I have a thing about tail pieces, and I love it when a maker (such as Gary Nava) makes a real effort with the look of them. Some makers tail pieces, like Andy Tobin, are decidedly industrial looking, but Moon has chosen a design that is both elegant and practical that the adds a bit of interest to what would otherwise be a very plain instrument.
The instruments are flat back and flat tops, with ever such a slight radius. A satin finish helped with the lovely organic sound of these. The octave mandolin is a terrific instrument for those people that play both tunes and chords. I wasn't able to ascertain the scale length, but it was somewhere on the long side, about 21 to 22" I would say. Perfectly possible to play tunes using guitar fingering, whilst also holding up to being given a good thrash with chords. Personally I would go up a string gauge- I felt this instrument needed to interact with the top a bit more, as it was a little anemic in tone, but again I'm guessing these instruments had only just been made. I thoroughly enjoy d playing this one. It's not going to hold up too much in a loud session, but I reckon stick a k and k pickup in (easy with its oval hole design) and you will have a lovely electro instrument.
The bouzouki was longer scale, probably full 25" scale length. It was typically brash and shimmery, like some Buchananns i have tried, but unlike that brand I felt Moon instrument were better finished and better setup. This was a great value instrument for anyone wanting to dip their toes into the world of long scale mandolin instruments (we tend to call them CBOMs) and overall I was very enamoured of them.
Next I spotted a Moon guitar on the stand, one of my favourite models of theirs, a slope shouldered dread style instrument. Sorry I didn't look at the exact model name, but I played one of these years ago in Wadebridge and loved it. This one wasn't quite as shimmering as I remember the previous one (I think that one had ziricote back and sides, this one had Indian Rosewood). Again, beautiful neck, plentiful in the hand, and a good solid woods tone. I downtuned it to CGCGCD and I was surprised at how little to end it lost and how wonderful the low C sounded. As I played through Si Bheag Si Mhor, a lady stopped and listened and then said how lovely it sounded.
Lastly I played a beautiful Phil Davidson oval hole mandolin. Blonde top, and rather unusually it had mahogany sides and what looked like pear back. I wasn't convinced by the look of this, but the instrument itself sounded lovely, as do all of Phil instruments I have tried. Arch top and back, this was on at about £2000. A bargain for someone, given the tone, but personally I felt it should have been priced more in the £1800 region for a second hand instrument. No fancy inlays, and no pickup, it was just a good, solid, "Celtic" sounding instrument, with a lot more punch and volume than a similar flat top instrument would have given.
Though i didn't play it, my friend Rob demonstrated a beautiful Castagnarni melodeon, a tiny wee little model called the Lilly, which was made of beautiful maple wood. The carving and inlays on this were stunning. Though very simple, 21 keys, 8 bass and one voice, it sounded stunning. I am still working on my partner to go and get it for herself
Oh I also noticed that they are now stocking the brilliant Acus amps, really AER beaters these.
Overall Bristol had more insteretsing stock than many Hobs I've been in, marginally better look d after as well, though I do worry about those unprotected satin finished Moons, which are soon going to pick up knocks and dents very easily with people trying to take them of the wall hooks.
Robbie