Hi folks,

Does anyone know if Collings has ever made a cedar-topped mandolin or if it would be available as a custom order?


I see that other companies (e.g., Weber) are increasingly offering cedar as an alternative top wood on their mandolins.


Having never tried one, I would guess that a cedar top mandolin would be very open sounding and resonant right out of the box.


Would a cedar top mandolin be easily over-driven by aggressive strumming like a cedar top guitar would be?


Cedar top guitars excel at fingerpicking and soft strumming. Could you play bluegrass with a cedar top mandolin?


Any cedar top mandolin owners out there? What are your thoughts?


God bless,
"louisiana"

I have heard, and played one cedar topped Weber.
It had a really nice tone to it, but I don't think it would quite be up to "pure" blue grass playing.
Softer and sweeter sound maybe, but not the chop and cut for a BG jam. I wouldn't mind getting a bit more time with one some day. I think they would be great for other styles of music accompaniment.

I've heard Eric Uglum's Weber cedar-top fern and his cedar top Noble up close and mic'd on stage. To my ear both sound 'overdriven' when played hard, but Eric is a great player with an ear for the particular sound he wants....And his Weber does have the chop.