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  #31  
Old 09-07-2012, 11:21 AM
The Blood The Blood is offline
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Hi Wade,

Sounds like you're still lovin' life and making music in bear country. I was thinking about my visit up there a while back and what a kind host your were. Thanks again for that short term loan, and I'm still using the baggs saddle pickup you sold me. Hopefully we'll jam again before too long.

Regarding mandolins; I still have the Kentucky KM-380S that you got for me from Saga many years ago, and presently use a KM-1500 black face for gigs. I also have a 1918 Gibson A-1 that is a bit of a sleeper.

Just to compicate things, I also have a Deering Golden Era banjo that gets to go to gigs every now and then.
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  #32  
Old 09-08-2012, 03:52 PM
TerryAllanHall TerryAllanHall is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wade Hampton View Post
Terry, a lot of the problems of harshness and impossible intonation issues on mandolin-banjos are caused by one thing: the banjo-style bridge. What works immensely better is to use the sort of bridge used on flat top mandolins, like these:


It's counter-intuitive, because it places more mass directly onto the banjo head. But it provides the stability that a high tension mandolin-banjo NEEDS.

There's a gentleman named Alan Ede in Corvallis, Oregon who's probably the leading serious mandolin-banjo collector. He wrote an article about these instruments in a mandolin publication that I happened to read. He was the person who showed that it's really the bridge that's the key element with these instruments.

The bridges Ede makes are maple, in more or less the same configuration as the second picture in this post. It's been so long that I can't remember whether he uses bone on the top edge or not.

An all-maple bridge will give you the loudest sound, but what I did on the mandolin-banjos I own (and owned) was to take this flat top mandolin bridge design and experiment with the materials used in it.

What my repairman and I ultimately came up with was something closer to the first photo. The bridge on my Gibson Mastertone mandolin-banjo is intonated and has two pieces of bone (one for the G and D courses, one for the A and E courses) set into an ebony middle section. Which in turn is glued onto a fairly long maple base, which is perhaps 10%-15% longer than the base on the bridges pictured.

The sandwich construction and additional width necessary to provide adequate intonation on the bridge we ended up with makes my mandolin-banjo a bit less loud than an entirely maple bridge makes it. But it also makes it considerably less harsh and raucous, and it's STILL the single loudest acoustic musical instrument I own.

So it's a win-win situation: improved tone, vastly improved intonation and tuning stability, and it still has more more volume and projection than is polite to use within fifty feet of another human being.

So my suggestion is that you consider picking up a couple of different flat top mandolin bridges, and begin experimenting with them on your mandolin-banjo. You might be surprised at just how musical you can make it sound.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller
Just now noticed that you'd sent me this message (I really should look up more often!)...will give that idea a try.

Many Thanks!
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  #33  
Old 09-08-2012, 10:38 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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You're welcome. Mandolin-banjos are great instruments once they've been tamed a little bit!

whm
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  #34  
Old 09-09-2012, 08:36 PM
Yogi1970 Yogi1970 is offline
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1. How many mandolins do you own? What kind are they?
Only one. A Harmony from the 1960s A-style body, O-hole, looks sort of like a lute. Super cheap -- I will have to upgrade when the time is appropriate.

2. How did you get started playing mandolin?
On impulse, I answered a Craigslist ad last week. I've had the mandolin about 7 days. I'm having a ridiculous amount of fun trying to figure out the instrument, and figuring out why in the world I ran out and bought it in the first place. I owned a mandolin before I realized it!

3. What was your first mandolin? Do you still own it?
See above. I will upgrade sometime.

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 probably sound like a bad wandering minstrel. I'm attempting to play English folk, Celtic music and whatever pops into my head at the moment. I like it -- it's nice to have a different instrument to put in the mix. I love the little melodies I come up with, and am planning to incorporate it when I start recording music later this fall.

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'm not very far along -- I'm actually learning Led Zeppelin tunes in addition to writing little melodies and chord progressions. I'm still sort of childlike on the instrument. Hopefully I will never lose that! I plan to learn more, of course. It's a nice addition to the guitar. Right now, I admire anyone who can make a mandolin sing.
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  #35  
Old 09-16-2012, 12:09 PM
buddhuu buddhuu is offline
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1. How many mandolins do you own? What kind are they?

I only have two now: a Kentucky KM-505 and StewMac campfire kit mando that I put together a few years back. I've had quite a few others in the last 6 or 7 years.

2. How did you get started playing mandolin?

Inspired by its use in Irish music: specifically by the playing of Barney McKenna and John Sheahan of The Dubliners and Andy Irvine of Planxty. It seemed like a cool instrument.

3. What was your first mandolin? Do you still own it?

First real mandolin was an Eastman 504 oval hole. Very nice mando and very reasonably priced. I don't have it any more as I decided that an f-hole instrument might be more versatile.

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 play Irish trad (jigs, reels, hornpipes), bluegrass, old time, folk, rock and anything else that crops up.

I play in a pub session that I run and also in a band.

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?

My favourite players... Hard to say as there are so many great players whose stuff I love. I don't actually try to play like them because it just ain't going to happen. They are all way better than I'll ever be.

Amongst my favourites are the three gents I mentioned in my answer to Q2, also: Sam Bush, Mike Marshall, Chris Thile, Bill Monroe, David Grisman, Jethro Burns, Red Rector and many more.

Great thread.
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Last edited by buddhuu; 09-16-2012 at 12:18 PM. Reason: typo
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  #36  
Old 09-22-2012, 07:21 PM
Anand00028 Anand00028 is offline
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One. It's an epiphone (Gibson). There is an Indian mandolin player named U.Srinivas who was my inspiration to get one.I haven't been playing it much but want to get back into it. David Grisman and Chris Thile are my favorites.

Last edited by Anand00028; 09-24-2012 at 05:03 PM. Reason: spelling
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  #37  
Old 09-24-2012, 04:12 PM
Dru Edwards Dru Edwards is offline
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1. How many mandolins do you own? What kind are they?
I just bought my first mandolin today. A used Kentucky KM-140.

2. How did you get started playing mandolin?
Well, I don't play. Bought one just to fool around with and learn. After 25 years of guitar it's time to try something else.

3. What was your first mandolin? Do you still own it?
The Kentucky KM-140.

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.)
N/A

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?
N/A
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  #38  
Old 09-25-2012, 05:14 PM
rkl245 rkl245 is offline
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As of today, one.

I just got an Epiphone MM30 with an Allen tailpiece and an upgraded bridge. I'm looking forward to learning to play it. I will post some pics in a NMD post later today or tomorrow.
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  #39  
Old 09-26-2012, 01:14 PM
aphillips aphillips is offline
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1. I have 2 mandolins - a Breedlove KF Black Gold and a Big Muddy M2 - both are maple and spruce.

2. I started playing about 4 years ago when I was working on my first album. The guys I was working with play just about everything including mandolin and I fell in love with the sound right away.

3. My first mandolin is/was my Big Muddy - I sold it a couple years ago when I bought my Breedlove, but a few months ago I was missing it and was able to trade some electronics to get it back.

4. I use it all over - I am a Music Director and Worship leader at a couple churches and it there and I also have my own Americana band that I use it in. I'm also starting to back up some other singer/songwriters with it.

5. Love Chris Thile, Sam Bush, Mike Marshall - probably the biggies in everyone's book. Love most of their music and wish I able to play any portion of it.....hmm.....I should go practice now.
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Last edited by aphillips; 09-26-2012 at 05:38 PM.
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  #40  
Old 09-26-2012, 08:59 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aphillips View Post
4. I use it all over - I am a Music Director and Worship leader at a couple churches and it there and I also have my own Americana band that I use it in. I'm also starting to back up some other singer/songwriters with it.
You know, mandolin is the second instrument I ever took up, after mountain dulcimer. (5 string banjo was my third instrument, guitar was my fourth.) But I never really got very far beyond the basics on mandolin until I started using it while I played and sang in the contemporary praise music worship music group I joined in 1990 (and now lead.) There's something about the register of the mandolin and the ability to play melodic lines on it that can cut through both vocals and other instruments that make it a really useful and versatile instrument in that context.

I've taken it a step or two beyond, and had some significant design input into the National Reso-Phonic Guitar Company's modern mandolin, the RM-1:


What I love about my National mandolin, aside from the powerful volume and projection that it has in spades, is its sustain characteristics, which give the player the ability to phrase melodic lines as a vocalist can sing them. It's got a great tone, but it also represents an expansion of the mandolin's musical capabilities.

Anyway, I think mandolin in general is a nice addition to worship music, if for no other reason that it's not yet another rhythm guitar!!


Wade Hampton Miller
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  #41  
Old 10-09-2012, 09:07 AM
hank hank is offline
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Wade:

Interesting thread. I'm a home-bound player most of the time.

1. How many mandolins do you own? What kind are they? Currently, I own two mandos. A Dudenbostel and a Duff.

2. How did you get started playing mandolin? I met a fellow at work who had a regionally known band (Knoxville Grass). He loaned me his F5 and ruined me.

3. What was your first mandolin? Do you still own it? My first mando was a 1950 Gibson A50. I don't have it any longer.

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.) Bluegrass style is my first love. I jam around occasionally.

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? Bill Monroe and Doyle Lawson captured my attention many years ago. I think my style encompasses a bit of both ....... although not up to their standards.
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  #42  
Old 10-09-2012, 02:42 PM
GerryinAZ GerryinAZ is offline
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I made a living as a bassist for 30+ years, but I love "All things, strings"

I started playing the mandolin after listening to Nancy Wilson play one on Heart's Little Queen album, back in 1976, or something like that.

I have included a pic of my current private studio configuration with the mandolin-family members hanging in the center;

2 mandolins, a mandola, an octave mandolin, and my lovely guitar-bodied Phil Crump bouzouki in the middle. That thing sounds like a 9-foot Steinway when played by someone who knows how to play...definitely not me!

Regardless of my playing ability, I love them all!

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  #43  
Old 10-09-2012, 04:21 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
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Gerry - what are the two with little horns on either side of the body?


whm
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  #44  
Old 10-09-2012, 05:43 PM
GerryinAZ GerryinAZ is offline
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Wade,

Those two are my favorite body style: 2-Pointer.

The upper 2-pointer is my Eastman DGM3 (David Grisman Model) mandola.

I splurged and put Thomastik's on it which turned out to be one of the best moves I've ever made with a mandolin. It is a dream of a player and sounds very nice.

Here is a better pic of it:





The lower 2-pointer is probably the nicest acoustic instrument I've ever owned. It's a Rozawood Octave Mandolin.

I have a whole bunch of pictures of it here;

http://s3.beta.photobucket.com/user/...ozawood%202010
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