How many of us play the Mandolin?

[Ben Elder]

"...Gibson Lloyd Loar F-5's that are worth $125,000 to $150,000 each...."

I've seen at least three for sale lately $100,000 higher. (Elderly (2), Greg Boyd's and possibly one other, I forget where. I'm not in the market...or the league. I have more than I can handle with a '60s Martin A, a teens Weissenborn [yeah, that Weissenborn] and a Flatiron koa mandola and mandobouzoukicello. Total investment under $3K.)

[Ric Truett]

I play, and have played in a few Bluegrass bands. I have a couple of older mandos that I seldom play: and Old Gibson 1918 A Model "Pumpkin," a Kentucky A Model, and a couple of others.

My sweetheart is my Weber Big Sky F Model. This mando is probably the most under rated around. If you know mandos you know the name Bruce Weber - well he took a few of the great artisan mandolin builders out to Montana a few years ago and they are building great mandos out there. Nice folks too.

The tone on my Big Sky is equal to, and in many cases superior to Gibson F-5 mandos. That's not a joke or a stretch of the imagination.

I've had some of the greatest mandolin players in the world play it and love it. A couple have wanted to buy it from me

Right now, she's not for sale...but I have my eye on some really nice steels out there

[Roual Ranes]

Anybody own or know of a "WOOLDRIDGE"? It looks like a Gibson F5 to me.

[Mike Perlowin]

Anybody own or know of a "WOOLDRIDGE"? It looks like a Gibson F5 to me.

A LOT of builders make F-5 copies. Here are some.

http://www.mandolincafe.com/archives/builders/f.html

[David L. Donald]

Here are my two.



2004 Donaldoline 6 and 1912 Gibson A Jr

[Mike Perlowin]

As I mentioned Rigel is back in business.

Mike, did you hear this direcly from Pete?

I wrote to Pete and asked him, Here is his response (in part.)

"I’m actually building on a custom order basis, making very few and also doing instrument repairs and restorations mostly, keeping it low key. I probably will not try to bring the company back to what it was (with the mando market as flooded as it is, I’m not sure that it could support it anyway.) Though the Rigel name is still pretty respected, I‘m not going after any major resurgence (I’m liking it less complicated these days.)"

I guess I was only half right. You can still buy a new Rigel, but it's not like it was (although I assume the instruments are still the same.)

[Darrell Urbien]

Here are my two.
2004 Donaldoline 6 and 1912 Gibson A Jr

OK, you gotta give us the scoop on the Donaldoline.

ps Ben, is your Weissenmando the one shown at Frets.com with the "Mickey Mouse" (tm) soundhole? Howzit sound?

[David L. Donald]

The Donaldoline was custom made for me by a luthier in Nimes France in 2004.

I wanted a mandolin to midi converter home,
and figured it should be solid body and had to be single string.
and why not some extra strings one above and one below.

Then figured it should have a nice Blues Jr. rock guitar pickup on it
coil cutter, 5 way switch, Locking nut and tunomatic bridge.
Oh and a few extra 'Finger Nail Frets' up top

Nice teardrop shape and nice paint.
Would have been better as a 5 string
and maybe a longer scale,
but it's what it is and I like it.

[Darrell Urbien]

Is it still tuned in fifths?

[David L. Donald]

Tuned like a mandolin or fiddle yes.
27 frets on highest two strings

The top string is finicky as to gauge but stays tuned.
and I had to go to a C6 set to get the low string,
which is a bit woofy.

Double strings wouldn't have tracked for MIDI converter.

low to high pitch

C G D A E B

[James Quackenbush]

It's good to see so many Mando players on the forum ....Mandolin was just one more instrument that intrigued me over the years just as pedal steel did ....I took up Mandolin playing shortly after trying to learn pedal steel ....The mandolin was really nice in the fact that I could take it just about anywhere I wanted to go , and even pack a less expensive model when going away for a few days on the mototrcycle !!!.....What I found REALLY surprising is how much different one model/brand can sound from another ....It really is nothing short of amazing ...One would think that because it's so small that they would all pretty much sound the same ..WRONG !!......

If I want to play more of a Bluegrass type chop, or shorter notes with plenty of bite , I will play my Collings that will chop like an ax !!!.....If I want to play Celtic or Folk , where I want nice sustaining strings , and a smoother voicing with less chop, I will reach for my "A" model , oval hole , Eastman mandolin that has completely FLOORED me with how nicely it plays , and the tones I get from it ...It's really an exceptional instrument , and not just for the price .....For the price , there is NOTHING that can touch it for Celtic and Folk !!.....Jim

[David L. Donald]

There is a Vietnamese mandolin and ukulele maker in Hochi Min City
and I he is an incredible inlay artist and makes a cool looking F5 type.

I have played 3 of his ukes and they are pretty nice
and GORGEOUS.
I have played much worse F5 clones in the states in the $1,000 range.
But this one is like $250.....

I have played 2 Lloyd Loar signed F5's in the now $75-100,000 range too.
Larry Wexler's from Mandolin Bros in NYC,
and I got to play Mike Marshal's for 10 minutes a few years back.

The guy in Nam ain't gonna beat the Loars,
but I suspect it will be a pretty good unit.
and ESPECIALLY for the money.

I plan on doing a visa run in Dec.
and getting one ordered/made for a month or two later,
but pick all the inlay and lay it out myself.

[Jim Williams]

I play the mandolin and banjo. Just learning the steel.

[Roger Rettig]

Here's Epiphone 70MM - I think it's pretty good.

I'm getting to grips with improvising on strings tuned to 5ths...

[Don Drummer]

Mandolin used to be my main instrument in the 70's. I still play some but it hurts my left hand. Some years ago I met Radim Zenkel who was with Dan Hicks' Acoustic Warriors. He played an 8 string adapted to a 10 string body and neck. I need one of those. I think it would be more comfortable due to the wider neck and string spacing. Any chance of finding one?

[Alan Brookes]

I've always thought that the mandolin and mandolo benefit from a fifth course, so here is an electric mandolo that I built a few years back...


The mandolin is traditionally a small lute, and should have a round back. This type of instrument is now known as the Neapolitan Mandoline. The A-type, C-type and F-type mandolins favored by folk and bluegrass groups are not really mandolins at all. They're actually small citterns. The fact is that round-backed instruments of the lute family, such as the lute, mandolin, oud, bouzuki, etc., are difficult to hold, as they slide around on your lap. I often think that that is why the lute went out of style in favor of the guitar, which is easy to hold. When Orville Gibson invented the modern mandolin he created one which was easy to hold, and sounded just as good. But it will be a long time before classical musicians give up the round-backed mandolin in favor of a flat-backed one.

At the moment I'm in the process of building a Milanese Mandoline, which traditionally was gut-strung, but which I'm putting nylong strings on. It differs from the Neapolitan Mandoline in that it has a fixed bridge, like a classical guitar, rather than a floating bridge and a tailpiece, and, of course, it doesn't have steel strings.

[Herb Steiner]

Used to be my main instrument until 1968, when I forsook bluegrass and went into progressive country rock, straight honkytonk country, Texas "cosmic cowboy" music, and finally western swing and Great American Songbook.

Still have a Gibson A-50 from the 40's and pick around the kitchen table a little.

[Mike Terry]

Mandolin & Bill Monroes music was my main focus till 3 years ago when i bought a Sho-Bud & fell into the black hole of pedal steel. Now i have to force myself to practice mando.

[Wally Moyers]

For recording I tune mine like a guitar. e b g d .. I know its cheating but faster than calling a real player if you just need a little... It amazes me to watch a great player though..
https://soundcloud.com/pedalrocker/that ... usic-theme
Mandolin and Banjo tuned the same way... Its not art but the check is still good..

[Jan Viljoen]

I am glad this old thread got a new life.

I also play mandolin and frankly this instrument is close to my sense of values.
I have three South African handmade mandolins, two with carved, tap tuned tops.

The Gibson Loars nowadays go for $200 000 and more.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Loar ... _Mandolins

I include pictures of my playing in folk bands.
First one was a competition, no smiles here, it is serious business.
In the second I play a modified acoustic with a rewound pickup, Gibson pots and caps.
My mandolins all behave like trusted old friends!

[Scott Shipley]

I have a handful of em. That's actually my main instrument, truth be known.

[Ga McDonnell]

Years ago when I found out they were tuned the same as a violin I bought one.
Before long I could play about anything that came to mind, but had no connection with the sound.
Never liked bluegrass and jazz mandolin is a joke, so there wasn't much incentive to keep on playing.

For me it was a lot more fun to play than to listen to.

[Joey Ace]

I dig Mando. It's not my main thing, but I'm always happy when asked to play one.

Here's a vid of me in a trio:

http://vimeo.com/56151177

[Dennis Coelho]

Got my first mando in '64, a Swedish made one while I was in the Army in Germany. Picked up a pawn shop Gibson A-2 in '66 in Boise. Had several different since then. A Gibson '72 F-5 that I used for mostly BG for 12 years and then sold for Flatiron A-5 in '84. Presently use a Flatiron A model and a Weber Absaroka oval hole.

It is a nice break from fiddle, but these days the fiddle is much easier to play and the mandos mostly sit on the shelf.

[Erv Niehaus]

I just acquired this Fender Mando-Strat:
It's a cute little bugger!