1964 Early 1900s Rex
You can find these on the internet in both bowl-back and flat-back versions. Mine was a basic flat-back which I got from Bill Rawlings before we put together our first band.
1965 Early 1900s Gibson F-2
A black top version I purchased from the music store owned by Fred Pike and Sam Tidwell in Plainfield, CT. It was a giant step up from the Rex, which was a decent “learner” that I kept for a number of years and eventually used on a couple of cuts on the Gaudreau Mandolin Album (1978). The F-2 can be seen and seen on the cover of the Fred Pike, Bill Rawlings, and the Twin River Boys album (1965).
1966 Early 1900s Gibson F-4
A sunburst red model which again, I had gotten word had just arrived at Fred & Sam’s music store. A superior instrument to my F-2 and a trade up deal I couldn’t resist. During the short time I had it, I didn’t have a chance to take photos or record with it.
1967 1925 Gibson F-5
After completing basic training at Fort Dix, NJ, I caught a flight to Bradley International, where I was picked up by my good friend Ron Siff, who had offered to take me to a gig with the Twin River Boys in Boston. I had assumed that Bill Rawlings would be bringing my mandolin and I was both surprised and confused when Ron said he had my mandolin sitting behind me on the back seat. I was even more confused when I turned around and saw it was not my form-fit case but one that was oblong shaped. To say I was surprised doesn’t come close to what I felt when I flipped the latches and opened it up. It literally brought me to tears and I was completely speechless. There before my eyes was one of the most coveted mandolins in bluegrass – a vintage Fern!
I later learned that when the person that had purchased it from the original owner decided to part with it, Sam Tidwell was among the first to be notified, which put the wheels in motion. Ron, who helped manage B&W Footwear, a family-owned business in Webster, MA, was among other things a huge fan of bluegrass. His hiring of the Twin River Boys for a company party in 1965 led to him forming Osage Records and our first and only studio recording. He went on to sponsor the band’s weekly radio show on WINY, Putnam, CT, produce headliner level concerts at the prestigious Mechanic’s Hall in Worcester, MA, and ultimately became the driving force in the decision to make sure the mandolin ended up in my hands. A deal was struck which involved my giving him my F-4 and thus it became my primary stage and recording mandolin for the next 18 years. After rejoining the Country Gentlemen in 1981 I used it on Good As Gold, the only recording I made with them during my 4 year stint, which would be the last time I used it in the studio.
1975 Early Gibson A model
In the summer of 1975 several events occurred that would impact bluegrass music, some more lasting than others. J.D.Crowe & the New South would release what was soon considered a landmark album – Rounder 0044, as it is commonly referred to in bluegrass history. If you care to research that you’ll also learn that three of the major players on that recording left the band at around the same time of that release. J.D. was faced with rebuilding the group and after his first attempt didn’t work out well, a phone call would prompt me to fly to Lexington, KY, to discuss the possibility of my joining the group.
After picking me up at the airport he drove us to his home and while pulling his cool 240-Z into the garage, I noticed a cardboard box on an upper shelf with a mandolin headstock sticking up and catching my attention. I would soon learn that it once belonged to Larry Rice when he a member of the Kentucky Mountain Boys which in 1971 changed its name to The New South after Larry’s brother Tony joined the group. At some time before Ricky Skaggs and Jerry Douglas joined the group in 1975 for what would be a brief stay, Larry left J.D. evidently owing him $50 and J.D. agreed to accept the mandolin in lieu of the $50. I never found out how Larry had acquired it or if the neck was already detached but for the sum of $50 I ended up with he mandolin. Did I need it? No. So, I kept it in the same box on a closet shelf until I figured that out. The answer came in 1979 after leaving J.D. to help form Spectrum along with New South alumnus Glenn Lawson, plus Mark Schatz and a young Bela Fleck, both having left Massachusetts based Tasty Licks and relocating to Lexington.
It was during this time that I had the occasion to return to my home state of Rhode Island and while there was invited to tour Guild Guitars, where my sister worked in the office of their Westerly-based division. During the tour, she introduced me to their chief repairman whom I was told was an avid bluegrass fan and very familiar with my name and involvement. The conversation quickly went to my vintage F-5 and then came around to him asking if I had any other mandolins. That opened the door to something I didn’t see coming but once it did, I gave him the short version of my $50 acquisition. Then one thing led to another and voila! A plan came together.
On his own time, he would put it back in playing condition, leaving it unfinished, but rather than use the original neck, he’d build one from wood that he’d rescued from their dumpster. The new neck would have a longer scale, joining the body at the 15th fret rather than at the 12th. It would involve moving the location of the bridge forward and thus additional bracing, but he was up for the challenge and I loved the idea. His more-than-reasonable estimate for the work resulted in our shaking hands and my arraging to get my box of body parts plus old tailpiece and vintage tuning keys to him through my sister, who would act as a liaison throughout the process and would notify me if and when he succeeded. Knowing that he was working on his own time, I waited patiently and when I finally got the call from my sister, I was both happy and relieved to hear that the operation was indeed successful.
Since I had originally sent it in a box without a case, I was reluctant to have it returned to me in the same manner. Mark and Bela came to the rescue. They already planned to drive back to Massachusetts for a visit and to pick up some things they had left behind. The timing was perfect, Westerly, RI, wasn’t far from I-95 and they were fine with picking it up. Of course, that meant that they both got to play it before me but, hey, I was getting it back.
Over the next four decades it would rarely see the inside of a case but would become my “mandolin on a stand” and a fixture in whatever family room/den came with the present and future dwellings – always within easy reach. I can safely say that the majority of the tunes I composed were done so on that instrument. Although I never planned to record with it, I did decide to use it on two CDs I recorded with Bill Clifton, Pick of the Crop (2003) and Where the Rainbow Finds It’s End (2004), as a tribute to the late Red Rector, who worked with Bill for many years playing the 1921 Gibson A-4 he’d used throughout his esteemed career.
Around 2020, I began to feel a change in the action on the treble strings and discovered a slight sag between that end of the bridge and the soundhole, which had also revealed a tiny crack on its edge. Upon this discovery, I de-tuned it and it went from a floor stand to a new home on the wall along side of my acoustic guitar and octave mandolin, which were getting used less frequently than during my performing years.
Then, in 2024, in an effort to see it enjoy yet another new life, I gave it to a younger friend/mandolin player who had the means to have it expertly repaired and shared my vision to one day pass it down to a next generation player, along with certain provisions in a more detailed version of this story. My wish is that it never be sold and bring pleasure to future players or “keepers”, as I like to call us.
1983 The O’Brien
I can’t recall the location, but the Country Gentlemen were booked at a bluegrass festival somewhere in the northeast, and between sets I was approached by a fan who introduced himself as Jack O’Brien, mandolin builder. I’ve always enjoyed talking about mandolins and it didn’t take long for the conversation to come around to his having followed my career for years and the vintage Gibson I’d played throughout that time. Like a lot of builders, he’d only seen, heard, and maybe held/played but never owned one, and his goal was not to replicate but to create a mandolin that was a great sounding, quality built, and affordable alternative to the legendary Gibsons from the 1920s. I’ve had similar conversations with other builders, so this was no surprise. What did come as a surprise was when he said he would be willing to build me a custom mandolin which would incorporate every feature I could think of in order to make it unique to me – at no cost, simply on a limited endorsement basis which would end if I should choose to part with it at any time in the future. I told him I would give it some serious thought, which until then had never crossed my mind and why should I even consider it? Well, here’s why:
A) carrying a vintage Gibson on the road comes with a number of risks beyond theft and damage, which brings us to
B) insurance. Your typical homeowner’s or renter’s insurance can include a rider at additional cost, but that doesn’t cover it if you use it outside of your dwelling in a professional capacity. That requires a separate (pricey) policy, and
C) I didn’t want to modify it with the radiused fingerboard and heavier fret wire I’d seen on newer mandolins … and really liked.
To me, a vintage Gibson in near original condition should remain as such. It made more sense to replace it with an instrument that could be replaced. I gave Jack a call and the go-ahead to proceed. To view pictures taken during the final stages of completion and my first “test drive”, go to my Photo Gallery.
NOTE: With Ron Siff’s blessing, I was able to place the Gibson in the hands of a close friend and player who shares my appreciation for the magnificent instrument that it is. Amen.
1992 1977 Paganoni B-model
After 9 very satisfying years of playing the O’Brien and no desire to replace it, I got a call from a friend who had gotten word that Les Thompson, a founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and living in nearby Leesburg, VA, was selling the mandolin John Paganoni had made for him in 1977. I’ve known John since 1969 around the time he started building mandolins and over the years “the Paganoni” has become one of the premier names in hand-crafted F-styles. With that in mind I called Les and arranged to meet the following day. Number 23 more than lived up to the reputation of the name. Again, I wasn’t in the market but there was no way I was going to pass up the chance to buy this magnificent instrument. In the tradition of the classic Gibson mandolins, John’s featured a flat fingerboard, which I didn’t want to go back to after playing the O’Brien for nine years. So when I called John to tell him I bought Les’s mandolin, he was delighted to hear it and proceeded to read the notes he’d taken on the #23 and kept in the file, documenting every mandolin he’d ever built. I found this to be both interesting and informative, reaffirming his meticulous attention to detail. Fearing the response, I tried my best to approach my desire to change the fingerboard to the radiused fingerboard I had gotten used to. As expected, he wasn’t in favor of that idea but in the end we decided that if it were to be done, he would do it. It was a challenge for him as he understood the concept of a compound radiused fingerboard but had never had the desire or reason to attempt crafting one, along with the accompanying bridge saddle of course. On a positive note, the successful result would mean that it would still be a 100% Paganoni mandolin. For John, anything less than success was not an option. For me, what was already an incredible mandolin got even better!
1995 Rigel G-110
I’d been playing the Paganoni while playing dates with the Tony Rice Unit and Chesapeake. At the time Chesapeake was a part time venture with Mike Auldridge, T. Michael Coleman, and Moondi Klein, who were in the Seldom Scene, and me. The Tony Rice Unit was an acoustic band. Chesapeake was an acoustic/electric band with T. Michael Coleman on electric bass and Mike Auldridge on (electric) steel guitar as well as resophonic guitar. 1994 found me doing less dates with the Tony Rice Unit and more dates with Chesapeake. In an attempt to create a “big sound”, Moondi had decided to put a pickup on his guitar. Mike switched to one of his resophonic endorsements that already contained a pickup. That left me fighting the urge to add anything internally or externally that would compromise the sound of my beloved Paganoni. Then, while attending the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, I ran into my good friend and fellow mandolin player Dave Mclaughlin, who showed me a Rigel mandolin made by Pete Langdell. Pete was building Rigels in his garage shop in Jeffersonville, VT. I was immediately taken by its looks – they took me back to my days with Jimmy G & the Jaguars when my primary instrument was a Fender Stratocaster. It wasn’t particularly loud but the tone was much getter than I expected from what I was told was meant to be an acoustic instrument. But in my head I was already envisioning playing one of these on stage with Chesapeake … plugged in! Dave gave me Pete’s phone number and when I called him and identified myself, he said “yeah, right”. It took me several seconds to convince him I wasn’t one of his friends or bandmates pulling his leg. Of course, I was flattered but when his first question was “Jimmy Gaudreau, why are you calling me?”, I responded with the above story and then finally got around to the answer to his question. I told him I was both impressed and intrigued with his design and would seriously consider using it as my primary performance mandolin IF he could install some type of internal pickup that would deliver a sound as close as possible to its acoustic quality. And, no I was not looking for a “freebie” endorsement deal and would gladly pay the price if it met my needs. He told me he was doing mostly repairs to pay the bills and really didn’t have aspirations of being able to infiltrate the bluegrass mandolin market but the more we talked the more he realized that this could be a game changer for him. He’d actually been doing some experimenting with various types of pickups and piezos and claimed that a couple were showing promise. Because of my interest, he would make a concerted effort to find the one that would meet my hopes and needs.
As it turned out, Chesapeake had a concert scheduled in the not-too-distant future in Worcester, MA. I told him that I would put him and his wife on the guest list if he’d like to attend. He thought it was unlikely that he could have a mandolin ready by then but it would give us the opportunity to meet and discuss other ideas he’d been working on since the early example I saw and played in Gettysburg. He took me up on my proposal and was able to get a room at the same hotel where the band was staying so we arranged to meet after he and his wife were settled in. Since we’d never met in person, we spent a good portion of the limited time I had before going to sound check getting acquainted. To my surprise, he said he’d brought a mandolin with him and he explained that it was his personal instrument but it would offer me the opportunity to get a second, longer look and make whatever suggestions I thought would improve it to my liking. So, I took it back to my room, then on a whim, took it to sound check where I showed it to my bandmates and sound engineer, Ed Solomon, who suggested strapping it on and seeing what it sounded like acoustically through the mic I used on my Paganoni. Sure, why not? After a couple of dial adjustments, he yelled to me from the control board in the middle of the auditorium “Man that thing sounds great!” Later, when Pete and his wife showed up for the concert, it was his turn to be surprised. I came out on stage sporting his Rigel and played it for the entire performance. To say the least, he was completely blown away. Later, back at the hotel, after recapping the concert, we decided to not rush, be patient, and get it right!
Aimed with my ideas about the neck profile and string spacing, he headed back to Jeffersonville and the start of a journey that would have an effect on both of our futures. First up, what had started as dabbling with various types of transducers, piezos, etc. turned into extensive experimentation above and beyond his repair work that could not be put on hold. During this time we kept in contact, with him giving me progress updates and me responding like a coach giving a pep talk. Finally the call came with him proclaiming that after trying a number of wafer-type piezos used in various commercial applications (as opposed to musical), he’d found one that stood out and delivered excellent results. He didn’t have to give me a sales pitch, I was super excited, optimistic … sold. Since he’d been using a thin layer of a putty-like substance to stick it onto the top externally, in different locations, it quickly became evident that each area produced a different tone. We decided he would send his mandolin and the piezo for me to repeat that process to determine what I thought to be the “sweet spot”. After taking delivery it was just a matter of bringing it to the next gig and working with Ed before sound check directing me to try different locations eventually narrowing the area and ultimately moving it in tiny increments, doing a comparisons, etc. until his finely tuned ears told him I’d found the spot.
Meanwhile, back in Jeffersonville, VT, Pete was in the process of building my new Rigel complete with modified tailpiece to accommodate the end pin jack which would be wired to the piezo mounted on the underside of the top. No guesswork required as I left the piezo positioned on the top when I sent it back. Voila! A new era for Rigel Mandolins and a new chapter in my career. But wait, there’s more!
1997 Cylinder-back mandola by Pete Langdell
By this time, Chesapeake had become a full-time entity playing large venues and music festivals of the more progressive rather than the traditional type, one of which was Merlefest (www.merlefest.org). Since we had a limited guest list and I handled the group’s CD and t-shirt sales, I invited Pete Langdell to share a portion of my merchandise table with him and however many Rigels he cared to bring and offer for sale. Along with the various models of mandolins, he brought a cylinder-back mandola crafted in the style of the Vegas manufactured between 1913 and 1925, custom made for someone who wanted to play it in a mandolin orchestra, but later for reasons unknown, decided to sell it. A truly magnificent instrument that caught my attention but wasn’t particularly in the market for. Then, when I wasn’t hawking Chesapeake merch or doing a Rigel demo, I found myself picking it up and over that weekend finding it harder and harder to put down. Although it had gotten a number of looks there were no takers and thus, when the festival ended, Pete packed it up in the form-fit case he’d modified to accommodate the deep cylinder-back body, ready to hit the road and clock some miles on his return trip to northern Vermont. Then came a slight change of plans. Instead of going home with him, it was going home with me.
2004 Rigel JG-5
Rigel had grown from a one man operation in Pete Langdell’s garage/shop to a larger Quonset-like structure in Hyde Park, VT, and added 2 more employees who he knew were experienced and qualified craftsmen and adapted quickly to Pete’s unconventional design and building methods. Business was taking off and before long he moved to a vacant warehouse of approximately 3,000 square feet in the village of Cambridge, VT, which would eventually require the an additional five employees.
After getting several requests, he added the G-5 to the top of his line and I was able to see and play the prototype shortly after its completion. Sporting a scroll and a modified lower cutaway, it was a nod to the classic f-style but otherwise was unmistakably a Rigel in every way. However, the CNC technology that enabled him to keep up with the demand for his existing models played only a minor role in the construction process. The hand work involved translated into a higher priced, limited-edition mandolin designed to meet the wants and needs of the discriminating player. After test driving it, I can confirm that it was like being behind the wheel of a finely tuned sports car. Over the years, I’d gone through several G-110s, trading up when Pete would call and tell me that he’d built one that I should compare to the one I was playing. And so it went. He’d send me his and I’d send him mine … and now he unveils his latest masterpiece and says “What do you think, do you need one of these?”
Time for a news break: In 1999, the Chesapeake bubble burst and I returned to the world of acoustic music, giving me more reason to trade for better sounding Rigels as they came along since I was again playing into a microphone. Now, after Pete made the case that he doubted he could create an instrument that would sound superior to this G-5, I guessed what was coming and was halfway right. No, he didn’t offer me the prototype on the spot, but said he’d build me one and be open to discuss any personal touches I’d like to see. Wow! Where do I sign?
I headed home with this incentive and after a couple weeks and many sketches, I came up with a design that would include a smooth reverse radiused curve in lieu of the tooth-like point on the rear lower edge whose tip connected directly with the modified lower edge between it and the cutaway. A departure from the symmetry of the pear-shaped body for sure, but it “spoke to me”, so this is how I basically wanted it to look. Then, a darker, smaller sunburst area under a satin varnish finish. No gloss anywhere. Oh, and no pick guard and no block inlays, I much prefer dots. An ebony strap button on the back side center of the scroll and I’d be a happy camper. When I sent this list of wants to Pete, he was completely on board and suggested I make plans to come up to the shop when he had the neck attached to the body which would include the back, all still “in the white”. My job would be to select a top from four that he’d pre-cut from different species of spruce and had displayed different characteristics after being tap-tuned then braced and popped in place (not glued) and tested strung up with a bridge set in place. What, you say? One of the many things that make a Rigel different than anything else that preceded it. Think of a pot or pan with a lip that would allow the lid to rest on that lip flush with but not higher than the side. Yes, it involves a lot of tuning up and de-tuning and was told in advance to be ready to spend some time trying the different tops, probably multiple times in the process of evaluation/elimination. Fortunately, I wouldn’t be the one switching them out.
After making the trek to Vermont and spending a couple days devoted to this tedious task, I found myself going back to the top that Pete told me was made from a piece of Italian spruce he’d had for years. Because it would only yield one top he decided to see if all the years of wondering would finally pay off. It proved to be the winner, not by head and shoulders but enough to make it stand out from the others. Pete, who had refrained from commenting or saying anything that would influence my decision, told me at that time that he had a feeling I was going to settle on that one. He was spot on.
When it was completed, fully dried, strung up, and tweaked, he called and proceeded to give me his assessment. Not wanting to sound overly proud of what he’d built, he went through the checklist but he concluded with him saying that after he hit the first lick, it nearly brought him to tears. I have to confess that when I took delivery, I felt the same way. The JG-5 would remain a one of a kind and would remain my favorite stage mandolin throughout my years as a performer.
2007 Kentucky KM-855
I didn’t acquire any musical instruments during the previous year, but 2006 was indeed memorable. I had been juggling gigs between Robin & Linda Williams and Their Fine Group, John Starling and Carolina Star, and the duo of Jimmy Gaudreau & Moondi Klein for good measure. Then in September, Emmylou Harris enlisted Carolina Star as her backup band, making it the busiest year of my career. Unfortunately, while I was enjoying an incredible ride, things weren’t going well in Jeffersonville, VT. Earlier in the year, Pete Langdell and I had talked and he voiced his concern about imports, knockoffs and fading interest all having an effect on sales and that a recent company meeting revolved around the future of Rigel. Not totally surprised, I was still saddened when I got the news that Rigel would be closing its doors as of August 1, 2006.
Being a car guy since I was a little kid, I couldn’t help thinking about Tucker and Delorean just to name two of the most daring inventive but short-lived names in automotive history. I doubt if Rigel will ever find its name in the history of bluegrass but in my book I will continue to state my belief that it was and is the finest acoustic-electric mandolin ever produced. That having been said, the news spread quickly throughout the mandolin community and in the same month, I got a call from David Gartland, marketing director of Saga Musical Instruments, which makes just about every type of stringed instrument you can imagine including Kentucky mandolins.
I had met Richard Keldsen, the president of Saga, in 1979 when the New South toured Japan, where at the time a number of Saga’s instruments were being manufactured. He and J.D. were in the process of finalizing a deal to release a J.D. Crowe signature model Gold Star banjo so his traveling there during our tour was a good opportunity for him to give J.D. a guided tour of their factory and discuss the specifics associated with making it a model that would meet J.D.’s approval and thus carry his signature. He was also a huge fan of bluegrass so seeing us perform was a plus. I’d gotten to speak with him there on several occasions, but I was still playing my old Gibson and the subject of Kentucky mandolins never came up, not that I was looking for that to happen. Even though his focus was on wrapping up the deal with J.D., I’d evidently made a lasting impression as that was one of the first things David brought up in our initial conversation. We went on to talk about many things but because he too is a mandolin player the majority of the conversation revolved around the various mandolins I’ve played over the years. Since it was the closing of Rigel that initiated this call, I gave him the short version of the previous story and told him that I hadn’t given any thought to playing anything other than the JG-5 which, because it wasn’t a production model, he wasn’t aware existed.
That led to my telling him I would be performing with Emmylou Harris, one of the headliners at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the following month and would have it with me. Hardly Strictly is a huge event held in Golden Gate Park, not far from Saga’s headquarters in south San Francisco, and free to the public. Not surprisingly, he and Richard had been in attendance every year since it started in 2001 and because we were getting there a day early to rehearse, David and I agreed to meet at the hotel where the band was staying before I had to show up for rehearsal. When the day came, we hooked up in the lobby, grabbed a couple of chairs and spent the limited time we had getting to know one another and talking about things other than music and mandolins and then making a plan to get together later for dinner. That worked fine for me since he suggested one of his favorite places that had a casual atmosphere and great pub food and he had a car. No problem.
This time around, the conversation eventually drifted to Saga and the prospect of my becoming a part of their “family”. I already knew from having worked with J.D. that although he had a signature model banjo and his name and photo playing that instrument appeared on their list of artists, his deal didn’t require him to play it exclusively on performances, or ever for that matter. One of his vintage Gibsons would always accompany him on stage.
My involvement would be a similar deal although there was no talk of a Jimmy Gaudreau model Kentucky, and I wasn’t expecting one. I would still choose to play my Rigel on stage and because he confided that they were going to re-introduce the KM-1000 early in 2007 I might consider having my photo taken holding the prototype which would work great. He asked if I was planning to attend the annual SPBGMA event held in Nashville the first weekend in February and I told him that because of the traveling involved in my performing schedule, it wasn’t likely, and I was looking forward to being home watching the Super Bowl.
Then, somewhere between Hardly Strictly and SPBGMA, I learned that Emmylou was booked to play the Opry at the Ryman Auditorium on that very weekend and so I called David to tell him the news and we immediately put a plan together. His days at SPBGMA would involve him manning the Saga booth, but he had evenings free. I arranged for him to join us (Emmylou and the band) for dinner at a pre-selected restaurant within walking distance of the Ryman and then be put on our guest list as well, which he didn’t see coming but happily accepted. To complete the plan, I would join him the following day at the convention center where SPBGMA was being held. It was close to the airport, from which I had an afternoon flight back to DC. It was at SPBGMA that he showed me the new KM-1000 and with camera in hand proceeded to take a number of shots, one of which you can see here and was used on their website until 2024. And yes, the subject of my acquiring one of these models once it became available came up but I threw out what I thought might be a better idea. Because Emmylou closed the show with Get Up John, I had to quickly step off mic and re-tune my Rigel to the F#ADDAAD tuning that Bill Monroe chose to use on his 1953 recording and with limited time and all eyes on me, I struggled to get it close but rarely nailed it. I managed to get away with it but always thought it would be nice to have another mandolin with a strap on stage ready and waiting in that tuning. Since the KM-855 had been their top-of-the-line F-model up until this point, they had a number of them in stock and could provide me with a pair of them shortly after he got back to their warehouse and picked through their inventory looking for the two that checked all the boxes. When he called to tell me that they were on the way, he said he’d spent a good amount of time and the differences were subtle, but he felt confident the ones he was sending were mandolins I would have no problem taking on any stage and producing (projecting) a great sound. He was right! The photo taken by David at Hardly Strictly in 2007 appeared on the home page of this website until the website underwent a major redesign in 2026.
2008 Kentucky KM-805
I had talked to David Gartland on several occasions about Pete Langdell’s bracing innovations and ability to improve the sound of both new and older stringed instruments customers were looking to preserve and/or upgrade and eventually came up with an idea. It would involve my talking to Pete to see if he was interested in modifying a Kentucky KM-805 which shared most of the specs with the KM-855 minus the decorative touches. Now that he was back in his home shop and building Rigels on a per-order basis, he had more time to tackle the challenge, so a deal was struck and he soon took delivery of the KM-805 after which he called me and told me that it sounded great right out of the box and he’d have to strip it down to the “bare bones”, remove the back, check its graduations as well as the top and then replace the traditional tone bar braces with the unique pattern he’d been using on the Rigels for years. Finally it would require refinishing and because there was no set deadline, there were countless colors to consider since anything that resembled the original sunburst, to me was not an option.
My calendar was starting to fill up with gigs playing with Robin & Linda Williams, Carolina Star, and duos with Moondi Klein and with Orrin Star when I got a call from Emmylou’s management telling me that she was seeking an opening act for her summer tour and was that something Moondi and I might be interested in doing. I knew going into the year that she was going to go a different direction with an electric country backup band in lieu of the Carolin Star acoustic sound, so I approached Moondi with the idea and he was totally in. It would involve a number of dates during June and July stretching from coast to coast and one in Toronto, Canada. It came with some drawbacks, but it did give us the opportunity to perform at some prime venues for much larger audiences than we would normally see on our local duo circuit.
(Here, I must digress briefly. Moondi and I needed a road manager for the gig and since we had to provide our own transportation, someone to share the driving would also be helpful. Luckily, I had a longtime friend and bluegrass fan in Rhode Island, Jim Moody, who was willing to accept the job! I had known Jim since we were young kids. Coincidently, it was at a jam session at his parents’ house where I had first picked up a mandolin.)
When the tour started, the idea hit me to call Pete and see if he’d consider doing a shaded blue finish on the KM-805 and he saw no problem doing that and would be able to get it to me before the tour ended. As luck would have it, he had a friend living in the state of Washington and at some point prior to July 24th when we were scheduled to play near Seattle I got a call from Pete that his friend had taken delivery of the mandolin which arrived in excellent shape and that he would be attending the show, thus making sure it was in my hands before showtime. I, of course, was excited to see it and to show my thanks, I arranged for him to be on my guest list. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to score him a backstage pass, so when he showed up I had to leave the backstage area to meet him in the parking lot. No problem spotting him since he was the guy carrying the mandolin case. After exchanging pleasantries, he opened the case and I in turn opened my mouth, a truly jaw-dropping experience. Then, with only minor fine tuning, I hit the first lick. I’m finding it hard to come up with the words that describe my reaction, but it exceeds simply being completely blown away. Again, because Pete didn’t see any point in altering the neck profile while it was unfinished, it felt like the KM-855 I’d be playing so I had already made the decision to play it on our set. But before that as I was wandering around and carrying it in the backstage area, I ran into Emmylou and pointing at the case, asked her if she’d like to see something cool! Getting a positive response, I opened the case and watched her eyes light up as she gazed at this beautiful blue mandolin. I have to confess that I was setting her up for my next move. Because I knew that there were certain tunes that she nearly always performed on her show, all I needed to do was point to the headstock and she couldn’t help but smile, followed by “blue Kentucky girl, I love it!” My thoughts exactly.
The show would move on from there to San Francisco and then to Saratoga, CA, where Richard Keldsen and David Gartland from Saga would have the opportunity to see and hear this incredible mandolin. Their reactions were no less than I expected as, like me, they were both blown away, not only by the appearance but particularly by the sound. But, as I also expected, it would not ever become a production model or even an option as it was simply too specialized.
2009 Trinity College octave mandolin and bouzouki