Antonio Tsai!

Scorpiodog · #1 07-25-2008, 03:22 PM

Ok. I did it. I gambled and bid on an Antonio Tsai mandolin on ebay. Those of you who know Sharon (from this forum) will know she has one and it's a little beauty.

But there are horror stories about poor quality, unseasoned woods, poor components, etc etc.

Now, I'm no mandolin player. I can pick out some melodies very badly and play a few chords, but I'm trying to do something with "Fog on the Tyne" by Lindisfarne and my (Stagg) mandy is a real dog. So I don't want to spend much on a playable one. After discussing the thing with Sharon, I decided to gamble a hundred quid and went for an Antonio Tsai.

I got it today. It's absolutely gorgeous. It was delivered less than 10 days after winning it on ebay. Really well packed. I didn't have to pay duty or VAT. Got a hard case (not particularly high quality, but I didn't pay much, did I?). Everything seems to work fine, the tone is bright and it's loud. The machine heads aren't very good, but they work.

I understand people have had a problem with movement and splitting. I'll keep you informed. But for a while I intend to monitor it as closely as poss and not put it in harm's way. We'll see.

Does anybody else have an Antonio Tsai? What's your experience?

andyH · #2 07-25-2008, 04:16 PM

I encountered one a few weeks ago, and was shocked by how poor the workmanship was. Acres of filler around the gaudy inlays, poorly finished, tuners badly fitted and poor quality, could not even identify some of the woods used, but they would not be out of place on a pallet! Now... I'm not saying they are all like this, but the one I saw certainly was. Probably highly variable... clearly made by hand by different people (far too rough for any CNC machine). I also saw a banjo neck that someone had imported. Again, fancy stuff on the surface, but examined closely, rough, rough, rough...

Andy

Scorpiodog · #3 08-01-2008, 02:48 PM

Well, I've had it a week now. Played it every day. Loving it. Not a clue how it sounds compared with other Mandys but it sounds good to me. And It's So Much Fun!!!

Still waiting for the morning I open the case to find a pile of matchwood though

Pakhan · #4 08-04-2008, 02:25 AM

Scorpiodog,

I was wondering how come you didn't need to pay VAT for the mandolin? Everything I bring it gets slapped the usual 21%!

Terence
www.guitarbench.com
www.goodacoustics.com

Scorpiodog · #5 08-04-2008, 08:56 AM

Dunno. I was fully expecting to. I just didn't get charged VAT or duty. Spent the extra on strings

Daffo1 · #6 08-04-2008, 06:27 PM

Excellent Paul! I'd like to get me mits on a Mandy again...I owned one for years.
If it's Lindisfarne you want, I'm yer Man!
I can play most Lindisfarne stuff - we'll discuss it when you get back from your Hols!

Scorpiodog · #7 08-29-2008, 03:20 PM

I've had it a month now. I still like it. Every morning I get up and gingerly open its cheap little case expecting a small explosion as the termite ridden unidentifiable wood that's lost all its integrity disappears in a cloud of sawdust, but no.

Last Sunday, I played a gig in a local pub. It was a sixties themed afternoon so we decided to try out The Fog On The Tyne as a singalong for everybody. Put a cheap little bug pickup on my cheap little Vietnamese Mandy and played it through my cheap amp through my cheap amp modeller. Everybody sang along and had a great time!

So did I!

I'll post a picture up on the gallery to show my Antonio Tsai in action. I haven't quite figured out the technology to post up how it sounds. It ain't no Gibson. But then, I ain't no Steve Earle.

Scorpiodog · #8 11-21-2008, 03:57 PM

I still have my little Antonio Tsai mandy. I'm still loving it. It hasn't fallen apart yet.

Is it possible his poor reputation is undeserved? 2 out of 2 mandies I have seen by this maker have been great little instruments ( I nearly said cracking little instruments but I didn't want to tempt fate!).