The mysterious Rose F33

[Riverbend]

Blessed to own both an A33 and an F33, the F having a lovely little MOP rose inlay on the truss rod cover. I found this F33 on eBay, the listing coming from Alaska. I have no information on the rose, but wish I did! The Larrivee mandolins are wonderful, and just seem to get better as time goes by.

[Silence Dogood]

Really nice!   I need to get my mandolin out...

[B0WIE]

Wow, gorgeous!!

[StringPicker6]

Those look lovely. I am completely ignorant of mandolins but I love their sound. Coming from strictly guitar playing, is it challenging to learn how to play a mandolin?

[Silence Dogood]

Those look lovely. I am completely ignorant of mandolins but I love their sound. Coming from strictly guitar playing, is it challenging to learn how to play a mandolin?

The mandolin is super easy to learn chords on, and it's easy to plunk around and find melodies: but to be great at it, I'm convinced, is reserved for a select few.

 It's a real beast to conquer and great tone is way more elusive than on guitar.

 I played mandolin seriously for about ten years and reached the ubiquitous "intermediate" plateau and stayed there.  I don't think I have what it takes to move forward, but the things I play I can play pretty well. 

If you ever get $400-$500 burning a hole in your pocket, it's worth getting a decent used one to try out. Setups are way more critical than guitar as well. A mandolin not setup to play is basically useless. 

[fantex]

Nice! I play my Eastman when I want to add something a little different to a song.

Any info out there on how many mandolins Larrivée made? Will they ever make them again? Oval hole please!

[Riverbend]

Those look lovely. I am completely ignorant of mandolins but I love their sound. Coming from strictly guitar playing, is it challenging to learn how to play a mandolin?

They are indeed lovely examples of Larrivee quality. It wasn't exactly challenging learning how to play mandolin, but it continues to be extremely difficult learning how to play them well and fluently. Those that play them well have my utmost respect. I can hold my own on a lot of music but will never dazzle anyone with speed or improvisation. But the stuff I've worked on I can play comfortably. I do love my Larrivee mandolins!

[Riverbend]

Nice! I play my Eastman when I want to add something a little different to a song.

Any info out there on how many mandolins Larrivée made? Will they ever make them again? Oval hole please!

They didn't make many, and only for a few years. The story I heard was that their lead mando luthier didn't make the move to the US, and production ended. There's one for sale on Reverb right now for a very fair price, an A33.

[Silence Dogood]

Here are my two mandolins: a Collings MT from circa 2013, and a very early Breedlove signed by Kim and made circa 2003.  The Breedlove sounds a little better than the Collings to my ear.  Both are very good, but the Collings has seemed a bit tight from the get-go.  If I'd played it more I'm sure it would have loosened up by now.  I had an Eastman for many years before the Collings, and I played that Eastman _a lot_ and really learned how to play the mandolin on it.  By the time I got the Collings, my interest was fading a bit.  For some reason this thread has made me want to get it out and get back into it though.   The Breedlove has always just sat in the case.  I got it for my wife, and you know how that often goes...

[Queequeg]

The mandolin is super easy to learn chords on, and it's easy to plunk around and find melodies: but to be great at it, I'm convinced, is reserved for a select few.

 It's a real beast to conquer and great tone is way more elusive than on guitar.

I played mandolin seriously for about ten years and reached the ubiquitous "intermediate" plateau and stayed there.  I don't think I have what it takes to move forward, but the things I play I can play pretty well.
 

I played the mandolin for about 20 years and never got beyond that "ubiquitous 'intermediate' plateau" and so I narrowed my focus in order to concentrate on improving my guitar playing.

Here are my two mandolins: a Collings MT from circa 2013, and a very early Breedlove signed by Kim and made circa 2003.  The Breedlove sounds a little better than the Collings to my ear.  Both are very good, but the Collings has seemed a bit tight from the get-go.  If I'd played it more I'm sure it would have loosened up by now.  I had an Eastman for many years before the Collings, and I played that Eastman _a lot_ and really learned how to play the mandolin on it.  By the time I got the Collings, my interest was fading a bit.  For some reason this thread has made me want to get it out and get back into it though.   The Breedlove has always just sat in the case.  I got it for my wife, and you know how that often goes...

Mandolins are such beautiful instruments sonically as we as visually. And I'm a sucker for a good sunburst. You know, like yours. 

[Silence Dogood]

I played the mandolin for about 20 years and never got beyond that "ubiquitous 'intermediate' plateau" and so I narrowed my focus in order to concentrate on improving my guitar playing.Mandolins are such beautiful instruments sonically as we as visually. And I'm a sucker for a good sunburst. You know, like yours. 

Thanks!  For what it's worth, I'm a lifelong intermediate player on guitar as well!
 

[Queequeg]

Thanks!  For what it's worth, I'm a lifelong intermediate player on guitar as well!
 

haha.
Well, I went from "advanced beginner" guitar player to "struggling intermediate" guitar player. I measure progress in minute increments.

[StringPicker6]

I'm currently at "middling guitar player with questionable skills and laughable knowledge of theory".

[Queequeg]

I'm currently at "middling guitar player with questionable skills and laughable knowledge of theory".

[Riverbend]

Here are my two mandolins: a Collings MT from circa 2013, and a very early Breedlove signed by Kim and made circa 2003.  The Breedlove sounds a little better than the Collings to my ear.  Both are very good, but the Collings has seemed a bit tight from the get-go.  If I'd played it more I'm sure it would have loosened up by now.  I had an Eastman for many years before the Collings, and I played that Eastman _a lot_ and really learned how to play the mandolin on it.  By the time I got the Collings, my interest was fading a bit.  For some reason this thread has made me want to get it out and get back into it though.   The Breedlove has always just sat in the case.  I got it for my wife, and you know how that often goes...

Those are both beautiful! There was a period of time a few years ago where I was about 90/10% mandolin/guitar when playing with another guitar player and a dobro and guitar player. Lately I've only been gigging with my son, an excellent guitar player who is also getting pretty darn good on stand-up bass. Our set lists have tilted heavily toward guitar/bass, though we have a couple dozen songs where I accompany his guitar on mandolin, and we'll always run a set that way. But it seems I'm only learning new stuff on guitar these days, which has really been quite fun. Gotta keep these old fingers moving while they still can!