“I recently had the pleasure of meeting Ben Pearce and got the chance to play several of his mandolins from the Outlier Shop. Ben’s work is clean and tasteful in every detail. The tone of his F5 model was clear and smooth as silk. I played a brand spanking new mahogany A model that had been strung up just that day that had depth beyond belief. I think we have a lot to look forward to from the Outlier Workshop in years to come. Keep an eye on Ben!”
— Mike Compton, Epic Mandolinist
“Ben Pearce is a member of the tiny tribe of luthiers I’ve ever known who have found that magic combination: An outrageous ability to marshal the resources of precision, leavened with an equal amount of intuition and yes, soul. I have come to trust Ben completely to Do The Right Thing by my most valued instruments.”
— Darol Anger
“Ben Pearce is one of the finest new mandolin builders I’ve encountered anywhere. As someone who makes his living playing the mandolin, I’ve played mandolins from hundreds of builders all over the country, and Ben’s Outlier Mandolins jump out from the crowd. They are beautifully conceived and meticulously executed instruments, and with regards to tone they speak for themselves. I always look forward to the chance to play his latest creations.”
— Joe Walsh, Berklee College of Music
“I love my Outlier! Since getting my guitar close to two years ago I’ve had the delight of playing my brand new mahogany dreadnought and hearing it open up to a whole new acoustic dimension. I’ve performed, recorded and laid alongside many a campfire with this gem of a box that never ceases to inspire. Playing in a band with three other fiddles, my Outlier cuts through with a thumping low end, paired with an even high end for flat-picking melodies. Ben Pearce’s guitars play themselves and inspire overtone explorations in jams and musical situations letting your voice ring true and clear!”
— Stash Wyslouch, Molsky's Mountain Drifters, The Stash Band, The Deadly Gentlemen
“Ben Pearce is an artist whose talents shine through every instrument he constructs – most recently evidenced by the beautiful OM he built for me. Ben tends with great care to every detail in the building process which make his distinctive instruments both visually stunning and tonally precise. My OM is incredibly responsive and balanced across the strings with a capacity for volume that belies its size. It records beautifully and sings in a variety of musical settings. I look forward to showing it off to every musician I meet.”
— Avril Smith, Della Mae
“Ben’s flat tops are built the way good guitars should be, with great materials, hide glue and care. They are loud, clear, balanced, and sound great on a mic. If I wasn’t also a builder I would buy one!”
— Matt Arcara, Joy Kills Sorrow, 2006 Winfield Flatpicking Guitar Champion, Guitar Maker
“Ben Pearce combines all those qualities one expects to find in a truly first-rate builder: unparalleled craftsmanship, a keen eye for detail, and a carefully considered approach to every technique and nuance of the process. I marvel at the balance, rich tone, and incredible playability of my Outlier dreadnought every time I pick it up. And above all, Ben is one of the finest people and players you’ll ever meet.”
— Fred Kosak, Stillhouse Junkies
“My solid body eight-stringed electric Outlier mandolin has been nothing short of a blessing. Growing up playing bluegrass and old-time music, I fell in love with the sound of the acoustic mandolin. But after playing with my band “The Boston Boys” and hitting rock clubs with drums and electric bass every night, I needed something with some different capability. The mandolin Ben built me has huge punch, beautiful clean tone, and a great setup that makes it fun and easy to play. In my search for the perfect axe, I found many mandolins that are electric just for the sake of being electric... but Ben’s made a REAL instrument, something completely unique, and I couldn’t be happier.”
— Ric Robertson, The Boston Boys, The Wood Brothers, and Rhiannon Giddens
“I played a couple of the first mandolins that Ben Pearce made, I was very impressed. Ben’s instruments have all the attributes a first rate mandolin should have - Good projection, tone and playability... and I like the Squid!!”
— Kym Warner, The Greencards, Robert Earl Keen
“I watched and listened to Ben play at a mandolin camp in 2008 and was struck by his talent and enthusiasm. A few months later he became my mandolin teacher and he showed me his handmade mandolins. He let me play one. I told him one day he would build one for me. He finished my A model a year ago. What a beautiful instrument to look at, listen to and play! It is the envy of my friends!”
— Bill Austin, North Scituate RI
“Something really cool happens when a luthier is both a great engineer and a great player. It’s as if both sides of the brain are employed to create an instrument that looks and sounds amazing, and is also properly built to hang around for when our grandkids decided that they want to pick. I’ve had my A model for just about three years, and it gets better with each passing month. I’ve played it against some of the more famous builders’ mandolins, and the Outlier usually wins. I really, really like this mandolin. ”
