How many of us play the Mandolin?

George Rothenberger · Post by **George Rothenberger** » 7 Jun 2014 10:22 am

Hi Sandy, I'd suggest getting a good mando, it makes so much difference. I got a high end one and I noticed how i used to play so hard and loud and I developed bad habits. Hard to break them, and it is difficult to now play with the finesse that a good instrument demands. Webers are very good. Old 'Kentuckys' are good too. There is a make of Chinese ones now (Northland or Northwoods??) that I played and it was very good. I am thinking of these as they might be in middle price range. Wow so much good music from down under, New Zealand etc, i am impressed by how much country and BG, we do not hear enough of it here in USA.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 7 Jun 2014 10:48 am

Here are some pics of my newest mando. I had the basic "platform" for about 2 weeks before (while I was doing some guitar setup work for b-bender installer king Dave Evans) it was taken up north for a couple months.

Dave wouldn't send any pics of the process, just for fun - and when I got it back I was flat stunned at the workmanship (well, owning two of his Pull Strings I wasn't THAT surprised - but still, it's pretty amazing).

There's no chrome - the neck plate/base plate is highly polished aircraft aluminum and other parts are stainless and Delrin, plus the standoffs and acrylic back cover. It has adjustable spring tension, adjustable throw length,and both the mechanism accuracy and overall feel is incredibly precise with very little weigh gain. It also fits in a Fender Acoustic F-model case!

It pulls the second string up a full step, and is incredibly useful. Weird learning curve though - with a guitar b-bender most players can get the general idea pretty quickly. But you don't bend strings manually on a mando, so there's no precedent for licks. I felt like a complete klutz for the first 20 minutes or so.

But I wasn't alone - Albert Lee hard about it and wanted to check it out, so we got together - and when HE started playing it he had just about as much trouble at first! Probably the *only* time I've been able to outplay Albert....for about 10 minutes!

One cool side efect of the back design - the standoffs keep the body off your back, increasing sustain and improving the tone. Now I'm in the process of installing two Gibson Melody Maker pickups on it!

John Billings · Post by **John Billings** » 7 Jun 2014 2:18 pm

Very cool Jim!
The last mando I had was a 5-stringer. I bought it incomplete from a local luthier who made a few of them. Rosewood thru-neck, with Birdseye Maple wings in the F-5 shape. I cut down a Strat hard tail bridge, mounted a Strat pup on an angle, made a string anchor bloc routed into the back. 20 coats of hand-rubbed real Tung Oil. It was so beautiful. I only played it on a couple songs as a novelty. One night a guy came up, and started pulling 100 dollar bills out of his pocket. It got ridiculous, and I sold it on the spot!

Odd thing is, I didn't play Blue Grass. I had learned Harry Reser chord melody style Roaring Twenties tunes in the 9th grade on Tenor Banjo. And that's how I played mando. Same tuning intervals as Tenor Banjo. I can go into a music store, grab one and play "If You Knew Susie" or "Dill Pickle Rag" and freak peeps out. They're not used to chord melody-style on a mando, or mandola. It's fun to do, but completely useless and inappropriate!

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 7 Jun 2014 2:43 pm

I've never heard of anyone putting a bender on a mandolin before. It looks interesting. I would love to hear what you can do with it, Jim.

Interestingly, I've been thinking of putting a Multibender on a mountain dulcimer recently.

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 7 Jun 2014 6:19 pm

I think mandolins sound great. I own a First Act mandolin that I cant really play but it sure is fun to try every now and then.

Clete Ritta · Post by **Clete Ritta** » 7 Jun 2014 8:50 pm

Jim, that mando of yours with the A bender is way too cool for school! Ive never seen anything like it before!

Greg Milton · Post by **Greg Milton** » 8 Jun 2014 2:32 am

I'm another steel player who dabbles in mando - although I only started playing 6 months ago, after being inspired by the steel and mando combo on Zoe Muth's first two albums (featuring Ethan Lawton and the forum's own Dave Harmonson).

If you're interested you could check out some here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJs26wafCkU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kepY7ox_ ... 2C72D932B6

I really love the Louvin Brothers, Blue Sky Boys, the Stanley Brothers (with Pee Wee Lambert on mando), and of course, Mr Monroe.

I've also been getting into Hazel Dickens' three solo albums lately, which are just absolutely amazing and feature some fantastic mandolin (as well as some really lovely playing by Mr Lloyd Green on an album called 'Hard Hitting Songs for Hard Hit People')

If you're into real old school mountain music I can't recommend these albums highly enough!

I'm also enjoying John Prine and Mac Wiseman's album 'Standard Songs for Average People' which features both Lloyd Green and and one of my all time favourite mando players Ronnie McCoury - I was hoping that Ronnie and Lloyd would trade licks on the same song but they only play on separate songs!

Lloyd Green's playing on 'I Love You Because' is purely spine-tingling!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs6W4l7CiqE

Does anyone have any other recommendations for a nice mix of mando and steel?

Sandy Inglis · Post by **Sandy Inglis** » 8 Jun 2014 2:36 am

Hi George.
I hope to eventually get a better mandolin, as I know what a difference a good instrument makes: I went from a cheap 6-string acoustic to a Taylor and recently upgraded my PSG from an old Shobud to a Zum. Both new guitars were incredible to play. For the few times I play it, it will have to do for now.
Sandy

Lyle Clary · Post by **Lyle Clary** » 19 Jun 2014 6:01 pm

I have a !983 Flatiron A-5 Jr. I bought in 1983 when I was more into bluegrass than country.

Edward Rhea · Post by **Edward Rhea** » 15 Jun 2015 7:57 pm

I FINALLY learned to get photos on the forum. Here's a picture of mandolin!

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 15 Jun 2015 8:43 pm

ricky skaggs is a master of the bender mandolin with his mandocaster.

Karol Wainscott · Post by **Karol Wainscott** » 16 Jun 2015 11:32 am

Beside the steel I also play mandolin and guitar(s). Just purchased my first new Gibson mando this last Feb. Wonderful instrument !

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 16 Jun 2015 12:12 pm

I used to play mando back in the '60's, but sold my F-5 in 1976. I just acquired this '68 and am slowly getting my mandolin hands back.

Bud Angelotti · Post by **Bud Angelotti** » 16 Jun 2015 1:41 pm

No mando here, I play a Martin 1964 T-15 Tiple.
From what I've been led to believe, 1927 was the last year Martin made more tiples than guitars.
10 strings, courses of 2-3-3-2.
Tuned like a uke. Great bright sound. Cuts right thru a room full of expensive acoustic guitars.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 17 Jun 2015 12:27 am

Just gave my Eastman 615 away, to my nephew,so I'm on he hunt. Herb, that '68 is a thing of beauty! How's it sound?

There's something about playing off the 2 and 4, the "chop," that drives me crazy. Sounds like rock and roll.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 17 Jun 2015 10:10 am

This is my Trichordia. It's really a mandoline-sized member of the cittern family, and goes by several other names. I tune it like a mandoline, but I string the four triple courses in octaves, with the octave (lower) strings being in between each double unison course. It gives it a sound which is half way between a mandoline and a 12-string guitar. It has a deeper body than a mandoline, but is about the same length, so it can better produce the lower tones.

Lyle Dent · Post by **Lyle Dent** » 17 Jun 2015 2:18 pm

A couple I finished last year for the Grandkids.

Jan Viljoen · Post by **Jan Viljoen** » 18 Jun 2015 12:45 am

The thread just goes on and on.

I like Herb's with the block inlays. Could be a Sam Bush copy?

Anyway our folk band was asked to perform at a musical festival and I decided to build a special mando for the occasion. I had only 6 weeks time, last year.

I saw the watermelon design on the internet. The wood for the body was easy to get, but I struggled to get a neck.
While preparing the body I started on the case as well.
I took average length measurements of my existing mandos and finish the case before the mando.

Finally I had to buy another old mando and saw the neck out.
I received a pickup, tuners, as gifts and the bridge I built out of Corian, which is a synthetic product from Du Pont.

Here is the finished mando with playing at the festival.

Old mando with sawn out neck. It was cemented solid.

Base coat.

Mando in case, handle fixed later after balancing.

Band playing.

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 18 Jun 2015 7:31 am

looks a little like a mexican tennis racquet.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 18 Jun 2015 8:35 am

Jan Viljoen wrote:The thread just goes on and on.

I like Herb's with the block inlays. Could be a Sam Bush copy?

Jan
It's just a standard Gibson F-5 from 1968, like was made all through the late 40's-60's until they started copying the 20's models. It wouldn't be a Sam Bush model since Sam was only 16 years old at that time.

I haven't talked with him in years, but I recall he has a late 1930's F-5 with block inlays and flowerpot peghead inlay with a horizontal fat script "Gibson" with no "the." Gibson dropped the "the" on all their instruments sometime in the mid-30's.

I once owned a 1940 F-5 very similar to Sam's, except with a fleur-de-lis inlay instead of a flowerpot, again with a horizontal fat script "Gibson." I think he also had a fleur-de-lis F-5 at one time as well.

Jan Viljoen · Post by **Jan Viljoen** » 21 Jun 2015 5:49 am

Thanks Herb, You guys are so lucky, cause you live in music paradise with all the builders and instruments at arms length.
In most cases you can drive up to the builders and check them out.
We cant do that.

We have to pay 12,5 times more now +postage , +tax for anything we import.
Its just ridiculous.
We live in a bad country.

I am Mr Green now!

The Steel Guitar Forum

How many of us play the Mandolin?

mando down under