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-   -   Girouard Octave A mandolin (https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=470226)

darylcrisp 05-17-2017 02:41 AM

Girouard Octave A mandolin
 
7 Attachment(s)
this thing rocks!
Everything is just right, looks, neck shape, balance, and the tone is outta this world.

20" scale, plays so easy, build quality right with Collings territory.

Max and Lauri(husband & wife team), build fantastic instruments. They have quite a following in the mandolin world.

HHP 05-17-2017 04:21 AM

Octaves seem to be in quite a resurgence. Used to only be able to find flat tops and not many of them. This is certainly one of the nicer ones I've seen. Flame on that back is unbelievable.

Jim_G 05-17-2017 06:36 AM

Congratulations Daryl, that looks awesome! Have you found it tough dealing with mandolin fingerings on a longer scale? I'm still grappling with that with my OM (which has a 22" scale length, I think). I'm using the pinky more than ever, and lots more open notes than I'd normally play on my mandolin.

Mandobart 05-17-2017 08:02 AM

Looks sweet!

fatt-dad 05-18-2017 10:57 AM

well done Daryl. I went with the Eastman and have yet another month delay. Should see it in July and am excited to figure out what to do with it?!?

It'll be something though!

f-d

riorider 05-18-2017 12:02 PM

Sweet!!

Phil

darylcrisp 05-19-2017 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim_G (Post 5343358)
Congratulations Daryl, that looks awesome! Have you found it tough dealing with mandolin fingerings on a longer scale? I'm still grappling with that with my OM (which has a 22" scale length, I think). I'm using the pinky more than ever, and lots more open notes than I'd normally play on my mandolin.

Jim
that's a primary reason I wanted 20". Been looking for a while and this one popped up. Looks, build, price, tone, were all exactly what I was looking for.

It is definitely different than just my standard mandolin, I'm slowly working some things out.
I'm getting the mindset to just place it in the category of a different instrument than my mandolin and go with that. The 20" is still a stretch on some things and some tunes are requiring a total different finger or way to play. My biggest thought is, when I get back to my mandolin, am I going to be all messed up in how I play certain tunes??(lol)
I'm not one of those people who adapts in a minute to any change and can take off. I'm very much a "routine" type individual and have hard enough time playing anything because I have no natural musical skills-none.......

time will tell. but I do love the tone and feel of this thing a lot.

d

guitar344 05-19-2017 10:03 PM

Nice mandolin. What's the tuning?

Mandobart 05-20-2017 09:33 AM

Octave mandos are usually tuned G - D - A - E one octave below a standard tuned mandolin. This puts them in the same range as a standard tuned guitar - the E is tuned the same as the high E on a standard tuned guitar. And of course there are 8 strings, so you have a pair of each. On my OM I use octave pairs of strings on the G, D and A courses.

Ed-in-Ohio 05-20-2017 10:35 AM

Max and Lauri are wonderful builders and great people!
I highly recommend them without reservation.
I commissioned and owned the first oval hole mandolin they built.

https://i.imgur.com/WnOCszm.jpg

darylcrisp 05-28-2017 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed-in-Ohio (Post 5346805)
Max and Lauri are wonderful builders and great people!
I highly recommend them without reservation.
I commissioned and owned the first oval hole mandolin they built.

https://i.imgur.com/WnOCszm.jpg

Ed
that's awesome looking!
I have this thought that I will get an oval hole from Max as well, in time.
There was a set of 3 mandolins from Girouard at the MusicEmporium a short while back. The soundclips were excellent, one was an oval and it sold quickly. If this octave had not been offered(it was used and Max consigned it for the original owner), I was thinking intently on the one mandolin left at the emporium. But I'm so glad this octave came up for purchase, its just a blast to play.
d

guitar344 05-28-2017 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mandobart (Post 5346732)
Octave mandos are usually tuned G - D - A - E one octave below a standard tuned mandolin. This puts them in the same range as a standard tuned guitar - the E is tuned the same as the high E on a standard tuned guitar. And of course there are 8 strings, so you have a pair of each. On my OM I use octave pairs of strings on the G, D and A courses.

The strings are less delicate than guitar. Shorter scale length. I bet you can tune up a fourth without risking breakage.

Jim_G 05-28-2017 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitar344 (Post 5355632)
The strings are less delicate than guitar. Shorter scale length. I bet you can tune up a fourth without risking breakage.

Why would you want to do this???

Wade Hampton 05-28-2017 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim_G (Post 5355808)
Why would you want to do this???

guitar344 enjoys tuning instruments as high as he can. It's kind of his thing.


whm

Mandobart 05-29-2017 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitar344 (Post 5355632)
The strings are less delicate than guitar. Shorter scale length. I bet you can tune up a fourth without risking breakage.

I'm pretty sure you can't. I had a pair of .010's on my 16.5" scale mandola and they didn't care to be at all sharp. Broke a few tuning and playing. You do realize that we select the strings to achieve the desired tension at pitch, right? If any stringed instrument could be tuned up a fourth from the standard pitch, you're choosing way too light a string for the scale length/pitch. Tune your guitar down a fourth and tell me how good it sounds....


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