How many of us play the Mandolin?

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 17 Sep 2008 4:54 am

I have a Rigel A+ Deluxe - I'm pretty sure it was Mike's blue A+ Deluxe I played at NAMM that convinced me I HAD to have one. Blows away anything I've played except a friend's Monteleone...and that includes Mr. Bill's F5, which I got to play siting with him on his bus years ago. I played blegass exclusively for about 10 years...mainly guitar but also did a stint in a band on mando and some banjo and dobro gigs.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 17 Sep 2008 6:47 am

...I should add that at one time I was playing mandoline with a tone bar. How many others have tried that ?

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 17 Sep 2008 7:53 am

Jim Sliff wrote:I have a Rigel A+ Deluxe - I'm pretty sure it was Mike's blue A+ Deluxe I played at NAMM that convinced me I HAD to have one. Blows away anything I've played except a friend's Monteleone...and that includes Mr. Bill's F5, which I got to play siting with him on his bus years ago.

Jim I totally agree about the quality of Rigel Mandolins. But mine hadn’t been on display at NAMM before I got it. Chances are you and I saw and played the same blue one they had on display, and we were both so impressed that we went out and bought one. (or in my case two) I ordered both of mine from the factory and opted for the same color as the one at NAMM.

As I mentioned Rigel is back in business. Here is their web site.

http://www.rigelinstruments.com/

I used to have a 1961 Gibson. One day several years ago, I noticed that it was fretting out badly, so I took it to my local repairman and told him the neck needed to be adjusted. He called me back an hour later and told me the problem was not the neck. But that the inner bracing had come unglued, and the top had caved in. He said the mandolin was unsalvageable. Needless to say I was heartbroken, but I was also insured. I was not certain that my policy covered this sort of damage but I put in a claim. (I sent the mandolin to Gibson where they confirmed what my local repairman had said.)

The following January I went to the NAMM show and spent the entire time there looking at mandolins. I checked out Collins, Weber and Breedlove, (all of which are excellent) as well as some other brands. But the Rigels blew me away.

Not knowing whether or not the claim would be honored, I approached one of the guys (Peter Mix, who is no longer with the company) at the Rigel booth and told him I was a recording artist with 2 CDs, but that they were steel guitar CDs. I was hoping to get an endorsement deal. Peter asked me what kind of steel I had, and I said MSA, and he answered that he played a Sho Bud.

Well, I got the deal, and they sold me the F hole one at a substantial discount. Then the insurance claim was honored and I got more than the price of the Rigel, so I decided to get the oval hole with the leftover money. I raided my savings account to make up the difference. So I have 2 matching Rigels with only a small investment.

Having the Gibson break was a real bummer, but this time things just worked out for the best. These Rigels are actually better than the Gibson they replaced.

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 17 Sep 2008 8:02 am

When I was in highschool, and before I bought my first steel guitar, I owned a "tator-bug" mandolin, that I played at school assemblies along with a friend who played guitar. It was a beautiful instrument with contrasting wood strips, but I don't remember the brand.

I also remember that someone told me that if I could play a mandolin I could also play a fiddle....so I bought a fiddle. They lied! $:\$

Pete Finney · Post by **Pete Finney** » 17 Sep 2008 8:29 am

I own one and have occasionally embarrassed myself in public with it for a song or two if the particular gig requires...

But I sure don't get calls as a mandolin player!

Don Drummer · Post by **Don Drummer** » 17 Sep 2008 9:23 am

Mandolin used to be my main instrument before getting into psg. I remember people remarking, "You know Don your areally good mandolin player" when ever they'd hear me struggling to play steel. Nowdays playing mandolin puts a strain on my left hand and its only used to teach with or the occasional jam which doesn't last too long. Ihad a nice Gibson A 50 that someone took out of my van and a Stradolin that got lost when my daughter was doing the follow the Dead thing. I loved the Stradolin. It had a smaller body and solid spruce top and hardshell case. The finish was a little stessed. Hope someone is enjoying it. Don D.

Terry Wood · Post by **Terry Wood** » 17 Sep 2008 12:20 pm

Never played mandolin but got a chance to play Seond fiddle!

Seriously, I have always liked the mandolin and wanted one, but never got around to getting one. I think they are great for backup and fills, rhytms on recordings.

Terry

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 17 Sep 2008 3:37 pm

Gene Jones wrote:...I also remember that someone told me that if I could play a mandolin I could also play a fiddle....so I bought a fiddle. They lied! $:\$

Check out this old thread. It will help all mandolin players to play the fiddle...

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... t=mandolin

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 17 Sep 2008 3:56 pm

I'm a pretty serious student of the instrument.
I find it easy to grasp mentally and handy to practice a lot - the exact opposite of a pedal steel. Since I started out playing surf guitar, the tremolo picking comes real natural. I like to play Celtic, classical, old time fiddle tunes, a bit of Italian "Godfather" style, country blues with a jazz edge and 40s pop standards. I'm a big fan of solo style mandolin like Evan Marshall and Carlo Anzo play. I dabble with bluegrass but didn't really grow up with it so I doubt if I'll ever be a scary monster at that stuff.

This Rigel Q-95 is my current favorite. It was hand picked out of a batch of 4 by Peter Mix at the Rigel Shop not too long before they folded. Sounds exquisite - full, bright and complex.

I"m partial to oval hole instruments like this 'lectrified F-4.

I have a few other mandos including a 51 Martin A-style, a Michael Kelly F-5 with a Fishman preamp and a Schatten bridge pickup and an Eastwood Tele-shaped 8 string solid-body that works great in loud country-rock bands.

John DeBoalt · Post by **John DeBoalt** » 17 Sep 2008 6:42 pm

I used to play one on some songs we did in the bluegrass band I was in 18 years ago. I never got to the point where I was really comfortable with it. I had to work stuff up ahead of time, rather than just blast something out in a jam session. I still have the mandolin, I take it out once in a while while I'm watching TV, and try to play fiddle tunes on it during the commercials. John

Mack Quinney · Post by **Mack Quinney** » 18 Sep 2008 4:23 am

I have a red "A" style Epi that I plan on about six tunes we do. I take it on business trips to play because it's small. I wouldn't say it's my best instrument. I bought it thinking it would help me learn the fiddle (same tuning). Didn't work that way. Its fun, but doesn't get the attention it needs.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 18 Sep 2008 6:41 am

Michael, those oval hole mandos do sound good. I'd love to find an old F-4 for about 35.00.

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 18 Sep 2008 6:52 am

Pic of my Rigel A+ in the case

Greg

Tamara James · Post by **Tamara James** » 18 Sep 2008 7:06 am

Alan Brookes wrote:...I should add that at one time I was playing mandoline with a tone bar. How many others have tried that ?

I am wondering about this, "tone bar" statement. Could you expand on it a bit? I can't figure out how that would work. A slide mando like a slide guitar? Mind-boggleing thought. That would suggest there are barre cords to be found on the mando.?

I seriously would like to know.

Gary C. Dygert · Post by **Gary C. Dygert** » 18 Sep 2008 8:33 am

Alan, you never cease to amaze me! By the way, I play a Gibson A-style mandolin from the teens or 1920s. I bought it for $10 in 1968.

Rob Haines · Post by **Rob Haines** » 18 Sep 2008 11:01 am

I've been playin mando as long as I have been on steel. It's my main double. I've been in a bunch of bluegrass bands thru the years as well as the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble. It's a lot of fun, after lugging a steel, amp, seat, FX to gig after gig, to just show up with a little mandolin case.

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 18 Sep 2008 11:32 am

In the world of mandolins, "tone bars" refers to a type of internal bracing which are 2 semi-parallel fore & aft oriented top braces. Most F-style and mandolins voiced for bluegrass use this design. There's another type of top bracing called "X-bracing" which is shaped like what it's name suggests. X-braced instruments are less strident and more full bodied than tone-bar braced mandos. Rigels are unique in that they have a single lateral tone bar brace.

Now if you're referring to playing slide mandolin, I've seen Sam Bush do it on an old Fender 4-string solid-body and a National reso-mando (also single course) and it was quite musical in his hands. It can get quite bluesy & modal with all it's stacked 5ths and handy open string notes (G,D,A,E) but as I recall, Sam was playing mostly single note stuff. I wouldn't try it on an 8-string. I think it would sound too sloppy.

Jay Jessup · Post by **Jay Jessup** » 18 Sep 2008 11:32 am

Tamara, Just check out most any Sam Bush record and you will usually hear several examples of slide mandolin although I am reasonably sure most would find a slide as you would use on the guitar would be much easier to use accurately than a heavy tone bar. I have no idea if he uses an alternate tuning but he does usually use a dobro mandolin for those tunes.
Rob, isn't that the greatest thing? Walking into a gig or a jam with a mando slung over your back in a soft case still makes me smile after all those years of lugging Steels and amps and stools and guitars and amps and etc etc.
To answer Mike's first question I have been playing mando almost exclusively the last ten years and have far too many to list inlcuding a couple of Rigels. They don't take up much room so it's easy to let them accumulate.
For those of you who think steel guitars are expensive or the wait for one of Bruce's finest is too long check out the <mandolincafe> website to see what's happening in that world---it'll make you feel that even the most expensive steel guitars are cheap!!

Tamara James · Post by **Tamara James** » 18 Sep 2008 11:58 am

Jay Jessup wrote:Tamara, Just check out most any Sam Bush record and you will usually hear several examples of slide mandolin although I am reasonably sure most would find a slide as you would use on the guitar would be much easier to use accurately than a heavy tone bar. I have no idea if he uses an alternate tuning but he does usually use a dobro mandolin for those tunes.

Gosh. Slide Mandolin. I never thought about it. I will definetly check out Sam Bush this weekend. I own a guitar slide. I am amazed what a person can learn here. Thanks!

Mark Treepaz · Post by **Mark Treepaz** » 18 Sep 2008 6:11 pm

I envy all of you that can play multiple stringed instruments as most of you do. Up until I started playing SG, if anyone handed me an instrument that had any more than four bass strings or three valves on it, I just went to the bar! $:\$

Darrell Urbien · Post by **Darrell Urbien** » 18 Sep 2008 6:38 pm

Mike Perlowin wrote:As I mentioned Rigel is back in business.

Mike, did you hear this direcly from Pete? Nothing on mando cafe about this, and those guys are all Rigel fans.

Anyone have mando/steel family portraits?

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 19 Sep 2008 6:00 am

Tamara James wrote:I am wondering about this, "tone bar" statement. Could you expand on it a bit? I can't figure out how that would work. A slide mando like a slide guitar? Mind-boggleing thought. That would suggest there are barre cords to be found on the mando.?

During the 60's we used to have regular jam sessions at my house, and anyone could turn up. We had no restrictions on what sort of music would be played. We just jammed, and I recorded everything on reel-to-reel. On one occasion someone turned up with a round-backed mandoline that had warped such that you couldn't push the strings down onto the frets. I was playing mainly Dobro at that session. I tuned the mandolin to an open A and backed up some blues numbers using a Dobro bar. It sounded pretty good, and made a change from the Dobro sound.

Dave O'Brien · Post by **Dave O'Brien** » 19 Sep 2008 6:35 am

Lots of gigs for Bluegrass these days...

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 19 Sep 2008 7:55 am

Michael Johnstone wrote:In the world of mandolins, "tone bars" refers to a type of internal bracing which are 2 semi-parallel fore & aft oriented top braces. Most F-style and mandolins voiced for bluegrass use this design. There's another type of top bracing called "X-bracing" which is shaped like what it's name suggests. X-braced instruments are less strident and more full bodied than tone-bar braced mandos. Rigels are unique in that they have a single lateral tone bar brace.

Now if you're referring to playing slide mandolin, I've seen Sam Bush do it on an old Fender 4-string solid-body and a National reso-mando (also single course) and it was quite musical in his hands. It can get quite bluesy & modal with all it's stacked 5ths and handy open string notes (G,D,A,E) but as I recall, Sam was playing mostly single note stuff. I wouldn't try it on an 8-string. I think it would sound too sloppy.

Man, I've seen Sam play that Mando-caster, and it sounded like a Les Paul. I know he tunes the Nationan E-A-E-A a lot for slide. I don't know if I've ever seen anybody as "eat up" with music as Sam is!

Charley Wilder · Post by **Charley Wilder** » 19 Sep 2008 10:17 am

I also have played mandolin at one time in my shaky career. I played an old Gibson F2 back in the 70's in a Bluegrass band. I didn't like it much as it was wood bound. It had a real muddy tone and NO volume what so ever! I had three or four A's back then. They were okay but not much ring. My best sounding mandolin was an Alvarez F5 copy. I used to get put down a lot for playing a "Jap" instrument back then but sound and tone are sound and tone. It sounded great!

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