I played a Joe Foley mandolin the other night and was shocked how quiet it was. The Foley really looked the part, beautifully made and all the rest of it but, lacking so much volume are they really worth the money?
I thought my wee Ozark for £250 was much louder and just as good.
Sobells not loud ?
I do understand they might need a bit of driving, it'll never develop if you play it as if there's a baby asleep in the next room, etc, but Sobells not loud ?
I DON'T BELIEVE IT !
Of course it's not only volume, it's having the right parts of the aural spectrum to stand out in the melee, but, as I already said, you need to keep playing it loud to develop it. Maybe your mate doesn't give the Foley enough welly at home, Kess ? And curlew too, same answer.
i can tell you, i have a joe foley mandolin, and i know a few more people that do as well, if theres one instrument you will here in the session it will be the foley mandolin! they project very very well, play one in a session and stand back in the crowd, im pretty sure you will hear it, might not seem that loud up close but as i said i found they project very well, best mandolin on the market i reckon.
I thought my wee Ozark for £250 was much louder and just as good.
# Posted on October 2nd 2007 by Kess_Burns
Totally agree. I have an Ozark, lovely tone and loud enough to be heard at a session. Over the last twenty years or so it has been admired by many experts, as the perfect session mandolin, due to tone and volume.
I never heard of a Joe Foley mandolin until it was mentioned on this site last week, and since then it has appeared all over the place.
By the way, my Ozark is no-where near £250. Costs about £100. My electric Ozark, lovely instrument, cost £150, and still available at that price. Obviously I talked him down, got a hard case thrown in, spare set of strings, and gave him £120.
There is nearly as much mark up price on instruments as there is on coffins.
Ozark, in the comfort of your own home, are nowhere near as good as Foley. But at a noisy session, in a paradoxical way, they are a lot better than Foley.
No mandolin wil be heard in a noisy session, A Joe Foley
Mandolin is a class instrumnent With Lovely tone and volum you have to PLAY one to appreciate the lovely sound
I have plaved a Gibson and Weber lovely sound no volum
Joe Foley mandolins are hand made you wont see made in
China stamped on them. If you want volum in a noisy session get out your bodhran or banjo
I just assumed, Hugo, that the other posters were not telling porkies.
As for made in China, all the best stuff, and cheap, is made in China. I am old enough to remember when people sneered at cars and TVs and such, "Made in Japan".
You can get really good mandolins and 'zouks "made in China" for about £120.
I play and adore an '83 cedar-top Foley, and it's a brilliant little box. It's not the loudest thing I've ever played...but is being the loudest one in the room really the point of playing in a session? If you want volume, bring an electric mando and your amp. If you want a delicious slice of acoustic heaven, bring a Foley.
Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
I played a Joe Foley mandolin the other night and was shocked how quiet it was. The Foley really looked the part, beautifully made and all the rest of it but, lacking so much volume are they really worth the money?
I thought my wee Ozark for £250 was much louder and just as good.
Anyone played a Stefan Sobell?
K
# Posted on October 2nd 2007 by Kess
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
Not played one Kess but a pal of mine has one, it's not loud.
# Posted on October 2nd 2007 by curlew
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
Sobells not loud ?
I do understand they might need a bit of driving, it'll never develop if you play it as if there's a baby asleep in the next room, etc, but Sobells not loud ?
I DON'T BELIEVE IT !
Of course it's not only volume, it's having the right parts of the aural spectrum to stand out in the melee, but, as I already said, you need to keep playing it loud to develop it. Maybe your mate doesn't give the Foley enough welly at home, Kess ? And curlew too, same answer.
# Posted on October 2nd 2007 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
i can tell you, i have a joe foley mandolin, and i know a few more people that do as well, if theres one instrument you will here in the session it will be the foley mandolin! they project very very well, play one in a session and stand back in the crowd, im pretty sure you will hear it, might not seem that loud up close but as i said i found they project very well, best mandolin on the market i reckon.
# Posted on October 2nd 2007 by S.Doherty
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
Pete I think curlew was talking about the Foley's not the Sobell.
# Posted on October 2nd 2007 by Kess
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
Erm, actually no Kess, I was referring to a Sobell. Perhaps my pal doesn't give it enough welly as has been sugerted by GP.
# Posted on October 2nd 2007 by curlew
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
'suggested'
# Posted on October 2nd 2007 by curlew
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
foely makes them with a higher action then others so this should create higher volume...................am i right or wrong there?
# Posted on October 2nd 2007 by Saint
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
I play a Joe Foley, and it's plenty loud, and as S.Doherty says, they project very well. Ya cant beat a Foley!
# Posted on October 2nd 2007 by Backer
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
Foley does 2 different size mandolins...
A friend of mine changed to the larger size one about 2yrs ago, because his smaller bodied foley wasnt loud enough for him in bigger sessions..
Both are very nice though in their own way...
This happens in some of Foleys bouzoukis too belive it or not!
# Posted on October 2nd 2007 by seaniemcg
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
I thought my wee Ozark for £250 was much louder and just as good.
# Posted on October 2nd 2007 by Kess_Burns
Totally agree. I have an Ozark, lovely tone and loud enough to be heard at a session. Over the last twenty years or so it has been admired by many experts, as the perfect session mandolin, due to tone and volume.
I never heard of a Joe Foley mandolin until it was mentioned on this site last week, and since then it has appeared all over the place.
By the way, my Ozark is no-where near £250. Costs about £100. My electric Ozark, lovely instrument, cost £150, and still available at that price. Obviously I talked him down, got a hard case thrown in, spare set of strings, and gave him £120.
There is nearly as much mark up price on instruments as there is on coffins.
# Posted on October 2nd 2007 by bodhran bliss
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
Action doesn't affect volume.
Foleys are notoriously low action.
Ozark are not just as good as Foleys.
woh...
# Posted on October 2nd 2007 by Hugo Chavez
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
Ozark, in the comfort of your own home, are nowhere near as good as Foley. But at a noisy session, in a paradoxical way, they are a lot better than Foley.
# Posted on October 2nd 2007 by bodhran bliss
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
sorry hugo I thought the action effected the volume , but the action on my foley bouzouki is high Ive been told.
# Posted on October 3rd 2007 by Saint
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
How do you know Bliss?
You just said you never heard one until it was mentioned (not played!!!) last week ...
Hey, maybe you're right.....in a noisy session.
I wouldn't play mando in a noisy session though.
# Posted on October 3rd 2007 by Hugo Chavez
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
Action does affect volume a bit. The increased pressure and string break angle behind the bridge drive the top a little more.
I've only hear a few of Foley's instruments and they all sounded incredibly good.
# Posted on October 3rd 2007 by Steve L
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
No mandolin wil be heard in a noisy session, A Joe Foley
Mandolin is a class instrumnent With Lovely tone and volum you have to PLAY one to appreciate the lovely sound
I have plaved a Gibson and Weber lovely sound no volum
Joe Foley mandolins are hand made you wont see made in
China stamped on them. If you want volum in a noisy session get out your bodhran or banjo
# Posted on October 3rd 2007 by celtic strings
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
I just assumed, Hugo, that the other posters were not telling porkies.
As for made in China, all the best stuff, and cheap, is made in China. I am old enough to remember when people sneered at cars and TVs and such, "Made in Japan".
You can get really good mandolins and 'zouks "made in China" for about £120.
# Posted on October 3rd 2007 by bodhran bliss
Re: Joe Foley Mandolins any good??
I play and adore an '83 cedar-top Foley, and it's a brilliant little box. It's not the loudest thing I've ever played...but is being the loudest one in the room really the point of playing in a session? If you want volume, bring an electric mando and your amp. If you want a delicious slice of acoustic heaven, bring a Foley.
# Posted on October 9th 2007 by eljaspero