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David Bromberg in Vintage Guitar, quoted by Dan Forte “Eastman makes violins, and I’ve been dealing with their violins for a long time. To me, the mandolin is amazing - and I’ve had three Lloyd Loars at different times. It’s Chinese. Mandolin players talk about how an instrument does or does not ‘bark.’ Well, the only new mandolins ever played that barked – with the exception of one Gilchrist that’s better than any of the Loars I ever had – are a couple of Eastmans. They’re really good. The one thing about it that was not wonderful was that it was very trebly sounding. So I had Stephen Perry in Tennessee do his MandoVoodoo thing on it, and it’s now much deeper and richer sounding. It’s a better mandolin that I am a mandolin player.” David is a pretty good mandolin player. Remember, we sell Eastman mandolins! |
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| "Steve, Excellent job with my Gibson. Played a show Sat. night- I believe the mando will now hold its own with anything. I played it in the parking lot at the Olive Garden before leaving Knoxville Wednesday for my friend Dr. Pritcher, and he immediately noted the excellent tone. Seems to have better note separation. Definitely more responsive, more volume and mikes better. It all added up to being able to play with the increased confidence that comes with being sure the instrument will respond to your touch. Thanks again, Dr. Bobby Jones" www.flinthillband.com |
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| "Steve, I was very apprehensive when my Eastman 615 came back this week from it's MandoVoodoo treatment. This mandolin is one of four Eastmans that I have and it never had the sound I thought it should have. My 605 has always been the strongest of the litter and the one I played the most. Actually I had planned to sell the 615, but thought I'd give it a chance afer you had worked on it. The 615 is now superior to the 605 and the 505 (which was the second best). It is louder and has a clearer tone. I am very pleased with the results. Your adjustment of the intonation and action made it even better. I also appreciate the prompt service. As soon as my tax refund gets here, I'm sending the 605 and the 505 at the same time to have you work on them. I want you to make whatever adjustments you deem necessary. I was skeptical that the MandoVoodoo process could make a significant difference, but am now fully sold on your work. I would say that there has been a 30% increase in volume on my 615 and the tone is much better than it was. Before, it had a muffled sound when compared to my two Eastman A models, but now it's clear as a bell and has a good bark to it. Thanks so much for the great work. I look forward to having you work on all of my mandolins. Later this spring, I want to come over to East Tn and visit your shop. I'm curious about the 800 and 900 series and may be interested in upgrading my collection in the future. Thanks again" Kirk Randleman Old Fort NC |
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"Setup is also such an important factor. Funny how we buy a mandolin, only to send it off immediately for setup. This is where things get interesting! I played the Eastman for a few minutes at a time, and Steve would ask to see it. He would then seemingly remove imperceptible amounts of wood from the bracing, perhaps other places inside the top, and even the bridge. EVERY TIME he handed it back, it sounded better. Being a bench- builder of violins, Steve is in tune with the properties of violin building, and realizes the similarities with mandolins." Roscoe Morgan, noted musician & mandolinist on Mandolin Cafe about his Eastman Mandolin MD615 No. 166 "Steve, The 915 arrived today in perfect condition and almost in tune! I love it! It is more than I expected. Thanks for the great job . . . . I will enjoy playing this axe for a long time. Chalk me up as a satisfied customer." G.B. about his great varnish finish Eastman MD915. "The [Eastman] MD-615 no. (XX) arrived safe & sound !! Around eleven this morning fully intact, no problems whatsoever. I can definitely feel and hear the difference big time! It's so much easier to play. It sounds better up and down the neck. The chops are actually much better now in "G, B & C". I'm very pleased with Steve's work and the overall outcome. . . . Again, thanks for the great work, patience and all around taking care of business!" RB "Hello, Steve- THANK YOU!! The little 814 arrived safely. It took incredible self control to let the package warm to room temp for several hours, but worth the wait! The set up is terrific and the instrument is beautiful (barely a sign of its demo days!). I am amazed by the sound that comes out of it! I was looking for something very different to complement what I have with my Collings MT and this certainly fits my expectations. I'm an old fiddle player and, to me so far, the 814 sounds like a "fiddle" just waiting to meet up with friends to play some music, whereas the Collings sounds like a "violin," more suited to solo play-- OK, you can laugh at my analogy... I am very excited about the new musical voice. Thanks for your great service, to me and the mandolin community. Gianna did a great packing job, too!" All the best, Robin "It's all I expected and more. I would have to pay at least twice this price to find anything that sounds comparable. Everyone who hears it is impressed. Thanks." DH "Time to report on the Mandovoodoo performance tweaking done to my 615. In short, worth every hard earned penny I paid Steve for the work. It sounds totally different. Sound is brighter and volume is much improved. Even the very slight buzzing it had is gone. I feel like I have a brand new mandolin." GA "My [Eastman MD]505 came in yesterday, and after sitting on a FedEx truck for the past 3 days straight, it was torture to sit there staring it the case while acclimating. Finally after a patient 6 hours, I opened it up last night and played a bit. So this morning, I just wanted to shoot you a note to let you know, that I could not be more pleased with it. What an awesome mandolin and a GREAT price! And the sound…. It’s phenomenal! I had played another 505 locally before ordering from you, and I thought it was great… until this one arrived. This mando absolutely sings. I had never thought I would be buying instruments like this online without having played them first, but I am very glad I did. Thanks so much for taking the time to communicate with me and deal with me, you really provided a great buying experience for me, and I would not hesitate to do business with you again, or recommend you to others. Thanks so much!" Josh "Sir, I wanted to write to let you know that I will NOT be returning my mandolin from its trial period. I am VERY satisfied with MY mandolin. The sound, color and action are everything I hoped for. I was a little leery of the sunburst finish at first but as you said, 'the sunburst kind of grows on you.' Thanks for an easy, smooth transaction." Dave Kyea |
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"Hi, The mandolin arrived yesterday. When I unpacked it, I strummed it with my fingers. Wow! could I hear the difference. Thank you so very much for the work you did. Sincerely, Charlie" |
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| "Re 'Mathers' mandolin 'It sounds better now than when it was new!', Kevin exclaimed when he played my mando at last nights Mandolin Orchestra rehearsal. Well, it sure does. The mandovoodoo results are quite noticeable. Others in the group noticed too. It wasn't the loudest mandolin, but had the sweetest sound and superb clarity. Thanks again, D." "Hello Steve, The F4 has been tremendous since you worked on it, and is extremely responsive. "Clear" (as you said below) is exactly the word. I have said before, maybe to you, that it's the most F5-sounding F4 that I've heard (if that isn't total nonsense). It has the oval-hole warmth, but can ring really clean. And after only a few minutes of playing, that basswood kerfing smell just pours out of the oval hole. That wood really moves now! The F4 and the blonde F2 came back from you as much improved instruments, and I'm appreciative. Best wishes, many thanks, and condolences again, R. C." "Steve, I'm back from vacation and have played the Arches and 615. Each is easier to play than before, which is nice. I wasn't expecting much change in the sound of the Arches and I don't think there was a lot, but there does seem to be more clarity, especially in the trebles. The Eastman is like a completely different mandolin. It has much more presence, more richness and more volume. Wow. The change is very impressive. Now I'm thinking maybe I should send you my Big Muddy flattop. It sounds nice, but increased clarity would make it fabulous. I'll let you know. Best, Eric F." "Steve, The 915 arrived today in perfect condition and almost in tune! I love it! It is more than I expected. Thanks for the great job . . . . I will enjoy playing this axe for a long time. Chalk me up as a satisfied customer. G.B." "The [Eastman] MD-615 no. (XX) arrived safe & sound !! Around eleven this morning fully intact, no problems whatsoever. I can definitely feel and hear the difference big time ! It's so much easier to play. It sounds better up and down the neck. The chops are actually much better now in "G, B & C". I'm very pleased with Steve's work and the overall outcome. . . . Again, thanks for the great work, patience and all around taking care of business!" RB "Hi Steve and Gianna, I got my new Eastman 604 # 38 in yesterday. Shes a keeper. Setup is perfect and she's effortless to play. This kitten has a nice feline meow, a perfect companion for my howling hound dog F-5. Thank you both for helping me find exactly what I was looking for. Steve be careful with that Voodoo practice of yours, the Mojo coming out of this mandolin is scary. I'm looking forward to coming to visit and meeting you both. . . . I'll be bring my F-5 for you to tweek with your JuJu Voodoo. Thanks again for a wonderful mandolin. Hank" |
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| The mandovoodoo™ process was invented by and is only performed by Stephen Perry of Gianna Violins, the world's premier seller of fine Eastman Mandolins. Copyright © 2005-7 Stephen K. Perry. No use without written permission. By viewing you agree to all site terms and conditions. mandovoodoo.com (tm) is a division of Gianna Violins. |
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