kmartem Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I've been playing mandolin for about half as long as I play guitar and I'm about half as good on it but it is amazing how many more compliments I get from non musicians about my mandolin playing.One person told me "You play that ukulele so beautiful it makes me want to cry".I play much more electric than acoustic but when we go "unpluged"I'm the only one with a mandolin and every body allways likes it, theres none of the guitar competition stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I've only been playing for a couple of years... I'd sure take any pointers or tips... web links... whatever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Tried the mandolin for a while, and I enjoyed it. Eventually though I decided to focus more on the guitar. (I've tried the banjo and Dobro as well with the same results). Just not enough time to play anything else well! I'd like to, but after a few months I just end up back on the guitar only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suburude63 Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I am going to try to learn. I love the sound! But I have large finger tips not a boon to a Mando player! suburude Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I actually started out on the Mando as a young kid and played it for a year or two before I went to guitar. Your right though people talk about Mandolin a lot more than guitar guess it's just more unusual. want a real comment maker I have a small bright red Epiphone Mandobird that nobody can decide what to think or say other than its cool. I get the same kind of feedback with a Chapman Stick first what is it then - I can't believe that was just one instrument... :D/ Surfpup - I needed a banjo for one song when we were recoding so when I went to look at them thinking I was gonna have to learn another neck I found a six string guitar necked banjo, ton of fun and hell nobody but other Banjo players know that Im cheating and who cares what Banjo players think! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvansickle Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 I started playing mandolin a little over 10 years ago. I was playing in a church folk group, and I thought it would be cool to vary the instrumentation on some songs since we had two guitarists. It really came off well, and like some of the other posters above I got more compliments for the mandolin playing than my guitar playing! Sometimes I would do a duet with this girl who played violin. We were playing the same notes but of course had very different attacks, and the sound was like magic. There were some very Irish-sounding songs we did, and the mandolin really made those songs sound like old world fun. I was surprised at how quickly I was up and running at playing the mandolin. Really, it only took a couple of weeks before I was ready to debut it to the group. I think it's the mandolin's tuning that helped. The notes are laid out much more logically than they are on guitar, and my fingers just naturally go to them. I can learn any song I try to learn very easily on mandolin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Pup Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 I've been playing Guitar and Bass for years but just started playing Mandolin in June and it's been a lot of fun. The hard part is try to give equal time to each instrument. Suburude63, I also have large finger tips. Look into a Breedlove Mandolin, the neck is 1 3/16" wide at the nut. Most other Mandolins (including Gibson's) are 1 1/16" wide. The wider neck makes playing a lot easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 I've been playing Guitar and Bass for years but just started playing Mandolin in June and it's been a lot of fun. The hard part is try to give equal time to each instrument. +1!! I have picked up Bass, mandolin and Dulcimer in the last few years.... and thanks for the tip on Breedlove mandos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 My wife is learning, and we recently bought a 1933 Gibson A-00 from George Gruhn that belonged to the late GREATIST EVER FREAKIN' LIVED fiddle player, Scotty Stoneman. She makes me play it from time to time and I'm learning some chops. The tone on that 75 plus year old Gibson, next to her first Washburn, cannot be explained. It has an ebony bridge, nut, and neck, and even has binding in the oval hole. It sounds so good, it's actually haunting........ Orville was, first, a Mandolin builder..... Best of luck. Murph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmartem Posted October 14, 2008 Author Share Posted October 14, 2008 I play guitar much more then I play mandolin but like cyvancycle said being laid out in fifths the neck is easier to learn. I drew out the finger board and diagramed the major scale to get started .Since your fingers allready are used to a stringed instrument you'll be suprised at how fast you'll pick it up.Breedlove makes a great mandolin for the money.I'm really happy with my Flatirons A model.It has a sweeter sound than an F model.Does'nt have the "Bluegrass Chop though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Surfpup - I needed a banjo for one song when we were recoding so when I went to look at them thinking I was gonna have to learn another neck I found a six string guitar necked banjo' date=' ton of fun and hell nobody but other Banjo players know that Im cheating and who cares what Banjo players think! [/quote'] Cool idea. I've seen some of the jam band guys with those (Leftover Salmon I think use it a lot). Since the banjo is in Open G, I usually just rely on my Keith Richards licks. That doesn't go over well with real banjo players, btw! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Pup Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Breedlove makes a great mandolin for the money.I'm really happy with my Flatirons A model.It has a sweeter sound than an F model.Does'nt have the "Bluegrass Chop though. Kmartem, Is your Flatiron a "Bozeman" made model? I've heard those have a very sweet tone I have a Breedlove Quartz FF model. It has an original tone that is a little more "throaty" than most mandolins and not as "Bluegrass" as the Gibson's but for the price it's a great all around mandolin. I especially like it for Blues. Talking with dealers of both new and vintage mandolins I've discovered that the tone of the vintage Gibson's of the "Loar" era are what all other mandolins are measured by. Unfortunetly, unless I win the lotto those bables will be forever out of my price range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmartem Posted October 15, 2008 Author Share Posted October 15, 2008 Space pup,Yeah it's a Festival A Performer series built before Gibson bought the company in Bozeman and started making there acoustic guitars there.It's not much to look at but I've played very few mandolins that sound better to my ears.The older Flatirons are really going up in price but there still quite a bargain.It's a A model but it has f holes so its a nice in between sound between the bark of a F model and the sweetness of a roundhole A.You don't see them for sale too often because the people that have them hang on to them.I have a Breedlove acoustic that I really love ,a great company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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