I agree with above. I started on mandolin, so 1-1/16th to 1/8th nuts didn't seem abnormal. Then I moved to octave mandolin for a deeper lower sound mostly. It was much bigger, wider, and surprisingly more uncomfortable, and couldn't be played quite like a mandolin because the stretches were too long tuned in 5ths. I played it more like a pseudo-guitar mando. Then I figured something out: guitar was superior for the deeper sound I was craving. So that came next. I love a guitar with a 1 3/4th nut, but I find for me that when playing endless quick 16th+ notes and doing the percussive mandolin "thunks" in bluegrass/newgrass music the smaller nut mandolins are easier, just from a practical everyday standpoint. Small movements can be done more quickly. I still catch myself running my mando prone thumb up the edge of the fretboard on a guitar sometimes, so I understand how guitar players might find the it difficult to play a small fretboard with their thumb behind it!
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03-10-2015, 11:45 AM
