Any Mandolin Players Here?
- Thread starter Evan Skopp
- Start date
Jeffrec
New member
Re: Any Mandolin Players Here?
It's funny you mentioned it Evan. I just got my mandolin back form my ex-wife after about about 4 years (in one piece no less :laugh2: ), and have been monkeying around with it. It took me a few minutes to remember how to tune it. Can't recommend any particular brand, and unfortunately, I don;t know what brand mine is. The nameplate fell off a long time ago, which tells you it's an inexpensive one. It sounds great however.
I was listening to Rory Gallagher on the Peter Green tribute CD (Rattlesnake Guitar), doing "leavin' Town Blues". What a performance. It begins with just the mandolin, then builds slowly from there. I'm learning it now to get back into the instrument.
Jeff
It's funny you mentioned it Evan. I just got my mandolin back form my ex-wife after about about 4 years (in one piece no less :laugh2: ), and have been monkeying around with it. It took me a few minutes to remember how to tune it. Can't recommend any particular brand, and unfortunately, I don;t know what brand mine is. The nameplate fell off a long time ago, which tells you it's an inexpensive one. It sounds great however.
I was listening to Rory Gallagher on the Peter Green tribute CD (Rattlesnake Guitar), doing "leavin' Town Blues". What a performance. It begins with just the mandolin, then builds slowly from there. I'm learning it now to get back into the instrument.
Jeff
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L
Lewguitar
Guest
Re: Any Mandolin Players Here?
Hi Evan,
It's like the diff between a great round hole Martin D-28 and a great f hole Gibson L-5 in a way. To me, the round hole is louder, especially to the player. But the F hole might be more refined, more focused, less splashy sounding, richer and project better.
Personally, if you're not going to spend to much, a round hole design usually sounds better because it's cheaper and easier to make a nice round hole mandolin with a flat top than it is to make a carved top F-5 mandolin.
http://www.gibson.com/products/oai/mandolins/
Lew
Lew
Evan Skopp said:
Hi Evan,
It's like the diff between a great round hole Martin D-28 and a great f hole Gibson L-5 in a way. To me, the round hole is louder, especially to the player. But the F hole might be more refined, more focused, less splashy sounding, richer and project better.
Personally, if you're not going to spend to much, a round hole design usually sounds better because it's cheaper and easier to make a nice round hole mandolin with a flat top than it is to make a carved top F-5 mandolin.
http://www.gibson.com/products/oai/mandolins/
Lew
Lew
M
Mattt
Guest
Re: Any Mandolin Players Here?
All you gotta do is listen to the solo in 'innuendo' by Queen, and you'll instantly want to play the mandolin
All you gotta do is listen to the solo in 'innuendo' by Queen, and you'll instantly want to play the mandolin
F
Falstaff
Guest
Re: Any Mandolin Players Here?
Evan:
A while back (well WAY back...remember 'jangle?') I bought a Kentucky mandolin for 250 or so because I wanted to add some color to the band I was in. I installed a Fishman bridge and played it through my Boogie Studio 22. It sounded pretty darn good. Bill Monroe might have gagged, but it worked for the situation. I was at a store and tried an old Gibson A2 and fell in love with the nice fat (for a mandolin) neck and the tone. I bought it and installed the Fishman. It still sounds great. I am still pretty bad, but it's nice to be able to play something different once in a while. I paid around $750 for the A2 back then but I'm sure they are more expensive now.
Learning a couple of chords isn't that hard. Shredding like the bluegrass guys is really hard, of course, but most guitarists should be able to pick up a few things relatively quickly. It's really fun and adds a lot to some songs.
I don't know what's out there now, but you might be able to get a used Flatiron cheap. The Kentuckys are decent, too. I tried one brand that GC sells that was pretty nice, too (they seem to come only in natural--I can't remember the name). I agree with Lew in his suggestion to go to your local groovy acoustic music store and see what they have. They probably stock one or two beginner mandolins that will be good bets.
You can play just about anything with a mandolin...Social D's "Ball and Chain" and the Stones' "Dead Flowers" are two of my favorites to play. Granted, they are the same song but that's for another thread.
Go for it!
Evan:
A while back (well WAY back...remember 'jangle?') I bought a Kentucky mandolin for 250 or so because I wanted to add some color to the band I was in. I installed a Fishman bridge and played it through my Boogie Studio 22. It sounded pretty darn good. Bill Monroe might have gagged, but it worked for the situation. I was at a store and tried an old Gibson A2 and fell in love with the nice fat (for a mandolin) neck and the tone. I bought it and installed the Fishman. It still sounds great. I am still pretty bad, but it's nice to be able to play something different once in a while. I paid around $750 for the A2 back then but I'm sure they are more expensive now.
Learning a couple of chords isn't that hard. Shredding like the bluegrass guys is really hard, of course, but most guitarists should be able to pick up a few things relatively quickly. It's really fun and adds a lot to some songs.
I don't know what's out there now, but you might be able to get a used Flatiron cheap. The Kentuckys are decent, too. I tried one brand that GC sells that was pretty nice, too (they seem to come only in natural--I can't remember the name). I agree with Lew in his suggestion to go to your local groovy acoustic music store and see what they have. They probably stock one or two beginner mandolins that will be good bets.
You can play just about anything with a mandolin...Social D's "Ball and Chain" and the Stones' "Dead Flowers" are two of my favorites to play. Granted, they are the same song but that's for another thread.
Go for it!
Hellion
New member
Re: Any Mandolin Players Here?
I play a little bit. I got a cheap Fender model A (because I CAN'T tell the difference) a couple of years ago and went to work. I made a few observations. 1) I'll never be David Grissman or Jethro Burns. 2) They're a helluva lot of fun to play and while my guitar background helps, there IS a learning curve. 3) When in doubt, improvise. It became very clear to me early on that I wasn't going to be able to learn the "standard" chords on the thing, and while my fingers aren't thick or stubby, those little frets just aren't very friendly. So...I made up my own chords based loosely on guitar chords. I play it onstage every once in awhile when there are enough people to cover the other parts and noone's ever said that it sounded weird. It never hurts to learn another instrument.
I play a little bit. I got a cheap Fender model A (because I CAN'T tell the difference) a couple of years ago and went to work. I made a few observations. 1) I'll never be David Grissman or Jethro Burns. 2) They're a helluva lot of fun to play and while my guitar background helps, there IS a learning curve. 3) When in doubt, improvise. It became very clear to me early on that I wasn't going to be able to learn the "standard" chords on the thing, and while my fingers aren't thick or stubby, those little frets just aren't very friendly. So...I made up my own chords based loosely on guitar chords. I play it onstage every once in awhile when there are enough people to cover the other parts and noone's ever said that it sounded weird. It never hurts to learn another instrument.
Evan Skopp
SDUGF Founder
Re: Any Mandolin Players Here?
Thanks for all the replies, Bros. I started a thread on www.manodlincafe.com and hopefully I'll get some advice regarding Eastmans.
Cheers,
Thanks for all the replies, Bros. I started a thread on www.manodlincafe.com and hopefully I'll get some advice regarding Eastmans.
Cheers,
