Howdy Wade! Hope you are well!
1. How many mandolins do you own? What kind are they?
(That's 2 questions!)
Counting the mandola, I own 5. In order of the amount of use I put them to they are...
a. Gary Vessel F5
b. Weber Alder #2 mandola (string with mandolin strings and tuned EBF#C#)
c. Fender FM-988 8-string emando in the general shape of a Strat
d. JBovier EMC-5 5 string emando (CGDAE) in the general shape of a Strat but better executed than the Fender
e. Epiphone Mandobird emando restrung with heavier strings and tuned CGDA
The weather here in the UK has been so awful that I fear for the longevity of the Vessel, so I'm thinking about getting a New Millennium Acoustic Designs carbon fibre mandolin to match my Rainsong guitar.
2. How did you get started playing mandolin?
I heard Garcia/Grisman and thought, "Hey, I can do that."
3. What was your first mandolin? Do you still own it?
Epiphone MM-20. Nope.
4. What style (or styles) of music do you play on mandolin? Where do you use it? (In a bluegrass band, at church, in a country band, at home strictly for fun, etc.)
I am no respecter of genres. I'll play anything I am asked to play and/or can get under my fingers. This includes Bluegrass, Jazz, Rock, Classical, and pretty much anything in between. I usually support other musicians as a sideman these days, and they play in folk clubs and festivals.
5. Who are your favorite mandolin players? Do you try to play like them, play any of their compositions, or do you just admire one or more aspects of their playing?
I always
try to play like my favorite players, but I meet with more or less success depending on a million different intangible factors.
Favorites are:
Mike Marshall, Tim O'Brien, Chris Thile, David Grisman, Don Steirnberg, Mike Compton, Evan Marshall, Marilyn Mair
Daniel