New Mandolin Model

Cuimean · July 2005

Some folks had posted inquiries into a new division of Johnson called Paris Swing Co., and here's the first info I've found on their instruments:

http://www.mandolincafe.com/news/publis ... 0173.shtml

Cuimean · March 2006

Looks like the official site is up:

http://www.parisswing.com/

Anyone heard or played these yet?

sockeye · March 2006

Personally, I think they're exceptionally ugly, and I don't undestand the shorter than normal scale & narow string spacing on what's conceivably supposed to be a Selmer-influenced instrument.

But the giant soundholes are what really puzzle me. The D-hole model looks like it's ready to fold in half!

swingmando.d-hole.jpg

If the size of the soundholes were in proportion to the size of the instruments that would be one thing. A Selmer petite bouche is a guitar with a much smaller than normal soundhole. The Paris Swing oval hole is a mandolin with a much larger than normal soundhole. And the D-hole has practically no wood at all between the bridge and the neck! One of the most acoustically-active areas of the top has been removed.

Weird...

Josh Hegg · March 2006

These are really getting popular in the jam circle.

delsbrother · March 2006

I think it was posted on mandolincafe that the specs on scale length were a typo. IIRC they're "normal" mando scale.

But I agree on the soundhole size and crazy mix of styles.

Cuimean · March 2006

Josh Hegg wrote:

These are really getting popular in the jam circle.

Wow, a Dean SelMac banjo guitar! Just like Dimebag used to play!

djangolin · March 2006

The online reviews suggest the tone of the oval hole version is pretty underwhelming but several reliable evaluators (Ted Eischelman of jazzmando.com fame and Bill Bussman - builder of Old Wave mandolins) have been very positive about the volume and tone of the big mouth D hole model. I haven't heard any reviews of the f hole model yet.

Cuimean · March 2006

Here's some video of one being played:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MXEwlYnPkd4

Bohemian · March 2006

I spoke to an on line dealer ( there are no Paris Mandolins locally)
he was under whelmed with all but the Big D.. and then he said that
the Eastmans are far superior..

I think that Paris Swing ( musiclink) should supply body bags with these so folks can take them out in public.

bohemian