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Old 12-12-2009, 07:04 PM
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devellis devellis is offline
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When these were first a gleam in Gibson's eye, there was a fair amount of excited anticipation. The idea of being able to cross over to mandolin if you were a guitar player was very appealing. Once they actually showed up, the enthusiasm flagged, to put it mildly. I believe, in fact, that Gibson has discontinued them.

They really wouldn't sound like a mandolin because they don't have the double strings, which give a mando part of its characteristic sound. I'm reminded of the mandolin-banjo, of which I had three. They, too seemed like a good idea -- the volume of a banjo with the configuration of a mandolin. Two fo the three I owned were pretty much the best of the bunch: a 1921 Vega Tubaphone and a 1921 Vega Whyte Laydie. They were very disappointing, although perhaps the coolest looking instruments I ever owned. Wade's description of the "novelty instrument" fit those perfectly. It might also be the case with the 6-string mandolin. But I've never tried one.

A guitar is such a versatile instrument largely because its tuning works so well with its compass from the low E on the 6th string all the way up to the top notes on the high e string. The 6-string mandolin largely loses that advantage, because the low range is gone.

I've pretty much migrated from mandolin to guitar but I still own mandolins and play them. When I want a guitar-like experience, I reach for a guitar and when I want a mandolin-like experience, I reach for a mandolin. Even my very nice tenor guitar, tuned Chicago-style (D G B E, like the top 4 on a guitar) doesn't get picked up all that much, despite having a wonderful and distinctive voice (it's an all-mahogany Martin from 1945 that plays like a dream).

This doesn't mean a 6-string mandolin wouldn't work well for you. Only you can judge that. I'm just trying to share the experience of others who had some initial enthusiasm and found that it evaporated rather quickly. Offhand, I can't think of anyone who has made the 6-string mandolin their primary instrument, although there must be some out there. I think there may be a reason for that.

I wonder if the Gibsons floating around out there can be had cheap these days.

Some comments: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=48093

Earlier question answered:http://cgi.ebay.com/Gibson-M6-Six-St...QQcmdZViewItem
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Last edited by devellis; 12-12-2009 at 07:15 PM.
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