Mirecourt Mandoline

Mirecourt is in France, more precisely in the Vosges, there is a school of violin making, they make violins, guitars, anything that may have strings and make music. There are also plenty of luthiers installed on site and nearby.
Here, it is a small flat mandolin, not with the fund rounded behind, not much like the old Gibson dark. It is clear, with a dragonfly pearl on the shield, sticker style inlay on the tour of the rose, but around the body in real inlay.

Luthiers: brothers Gérôme ago about 15 years. Their workshop was taken from is beside the River. It makes Django style guitars, guitars other styles, and mandolins, I think, again.

UTILIZATION

A neck mandolin, it can not be disagreeable. It is small, you just find room for his fingers.
It is comfortable, easy to play, the strings are not too tight, there are two positions without difficulty gambling

Access is easy with acute saw the oblong shape of the body, but not perfect as a cutaway electric anyway.

The instrument is obviously very lightweight, it fits comfortably in hand sitting and standing as well. The strap is only for the case of a distraction that would be fatal if not.

The sound is certainly less crystalline than an Italian instrument of great price, collectible or a Gibson, but it is nice and typical of the mandolin, when you take a pick and flexible when it is rolled, it is this that expected. If not for example play Irish folk is what it takes.

SOUNDS

Yeah, for the folk that's right thing.

No favorite sounds, there is only sound, except for traffic on an amp with effects.

I put a "magnetron" on it once, it's a little micro piezo first prize: it sounds pretty good too, almost natural.

Nothing to hate her, except when the strings get older and they curl. Yuck then it must decide to change them.

Attention, with mechanical style classical guitar, but not too expensive, the tuning is a bit tricky and easy assembly with reduced string of mechanical oil bath, for sure.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for more than 10, even 15 years.

I tried the old my father (at random, I'd say she must be 50 years of age) before you want to buy one for me, and mine sounds much better. I then tried a couple of Gibson, sounding much stronger but less "soft", the less I would say Italian. This is actually quite versatile, not too much fun and typed to hear to play. I also tried an unplayable both Chinese and sounded like tin cans, I did not find much in this market is done.

I also love that she is beautiful, with dragon pearl.

For the value, since it is largely damped and has not changed (still just 10 years after), I would say very good.

Finally with the experience, I probably would do this choice, because buying an instrument, first playing and then it goes very well, but also to have a beautiful object and there also is good. I do not afford the Gibson collection, and then finally, rooster, the Vosges, is a bit from me and the makers I met were all nice people, even when I was a little young penniless.