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  #16  
Old 03-05-2017, 04:55 PM
Mandobart Mandobart is offline
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Fifths tuning is more intuitive and much more widely used than the guitar's 4 4ths, a 3rd and a 4th. All orchestral strings (except bass) and the entire mandolin family, plus most tenor guitar tunings use 5ths. I play a 26" scale mandocello tuned in 5ths (C-G-D-A-E) and it sounds awesome. Sierra Hull has tiny little hands yet plays circles around anyone on a 22" octave mandolin.

If you can't spend a couple months getting used to the standard tuning then IMHO you're wasting time and money tuning a mando like a guitar. Tuning is not the only difference between guitar and mando. You have to get used to much thicker picks, a different pick grip, different picking style, different left hand style (much more like violin than guitar) but most significantly cost. There are about 10000 guitar players for every mandolin player. Good mandos are carved top and back. These two facts conspire to make mandos cost a lot more than a guitar, roughly twice as much. We have to spend about $1000 to get the mando equivalent of a $500 guitar.

I'm not trying to be a snob or discourage you. I started mandolin 9 years ago after over 40 years on violin and mostly guitar. You will enjoy mandolin much more if you approach it as something new and not just a small guitar.
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  #17  
Old 03-06-2017, 10:23 AM
leew3 leew3 is online now
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I'm with mandobart on the beauty of fifths. I would add that the symmetry of mandolin makes it fun too in that I can learn a chord form, move it over a string and have the fifth of that key with the same 'shape.' So if I move a C chord shape one string over toward the high E string, I have a G.

I would add that for the money you can get a lot more instrument in an 'A' style since the labor involved is not nearly as intense as for an 'F' style. Many would argue that the tone differences don't appeal to them and that 'only an F will do!' As you read repeatedly on this forum, save up and get what you want-you won't be sorry.

I bought a serviceable "Loar 'mandolin for around $500 when first deciding whether I wanted to play mandolin. After about a year with that one I solid it in favor of my present Breedlove Legacy OF that was on sale for around $1K. It is an 'A' style does everything I need it to and more though GAS dictates that I'll likely make the jump to a better F model at some point.

In short, take the time to learn mandolin you'll enjoy it, and a shout out to Peghead Nation where I'm on my second year of lessons that have greatly expedited my learning and enjoyment of mandolin.
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