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  #46  
Old 12-29-2012, 09:41 AM
Zigeuner Zigeuner is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pete12string View Post
A mandolin is probably my next experiment in the world of stringed instruments - that or a uke...
Why not both? I have three mandolins and a Uke. The Uke is a 1960's Martin Model O. I paid $20 for it at an estate sale. They are a wonderful little instrument and make a great accompaniment to singing They have seen a great resurgence in recent years.

Mandolins are also very nice but not everyone has the nervous system to play one like Bill Monroe or some of the present day experts.
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  #47  
Old 12-29-2012, 11:58 AM
Hotraman Hotraman is offline
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I own a 1900 Lyon Healy tear drop mandolin that was given to me from my grandad. I don't take it out, it's worth a lot of money.

My go to mandolin is a Godin electric mandolin. Great action, excellent electronics and is a great player.
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  #48  
Old 12-29-2012, 04:29 PM
lossforgain lossforgain is offline
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I have an Eastman 604 - A style oval hole. Works great in my band at church and it's been fun to learn. I started with a Kentucky, then moved to this one, all in the space of the last 8 months or so.
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  #49  
Old 12-30-2012, 12:05 AM
Von Beerhofen Von Beerhofen is offline
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I inherited two mandolins from my mother and learned to play a few chords real quick, using my minimal guitar knowledge back then. At some point both necks detached from the body and a few strips on the back opened.
From there on they became wall decorations in my bedroom, waiting for the right moment to get repaired.
At the early stage of my life I think it would have been easier to really learn to play these instruments then now after 45 years of guitar study. I just got too much used to how guitars work, tuning and neckscale and such.
Mandolins are nice instruments but learning guitar to a certain degree was more then enough to handle in hindsight. I also like the broader spectrum of guitars better then the narrow band of a mandolin.

Ludwig
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  #50  
Old 12-30-2012, 01:21 PM
GuitarDogs62 GuitarDogs62 is offline
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I was given a Loar LM-520-V Mandolin from my wife this Christmas. I simply love it. I just started practicing at it and can't wait until I get good enough with it to take it along with my guitars to the weekly bluegrass jam sessions.
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  #51  
Old 01-08-2013, 12:56 PM
Jim_G Jim_G is offline
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I've got to put a plug in for the book 'Mandolin for Dummies'. I absolutely hate the title, but it's a gold mine of information. It even had the answer to my extra string tine question that Gerry covered for me the other week. The downloadable sound clips definitely encourage me to keep muddling along when the printed page and my own plunking aren't doing it.

When I bought my instrument I couldn't really hear much difference in the sound between the various models I was looking at. Maybe not a surprise, since they were all in the same $500 class. Six months later I'm noticing. All I'm hearing is metallic now and it's starting to drive me nuts. I checked a nice Collings that I loved, but I don't think I can justify it right now. Maybe in another year...
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  #52  
Old 01-08-2013, 09:04 PM
Cue Zephyr Cue Zephyr is offline
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I fell for the sound of the mandolin too, both in the more mainstream country and the more specific bluegrass.

I got me an A-style 8-stringer, made by Kentucky (division of Saga which also owns Blueridge). It's the KM-550 and it's a better-than-beginner instrument.

I don't play it enough, but when I do pick it up again, I still love that sound. I guess I just can't play enough on it. I should experiment more!

I went for the mandolin because it has frets and is played with a pick. Enough similarity with the guitar for me.

The tuning in fifths is weird at first, but it's great for melody playing (as the mandolin is more of a melodic instrument).

The pick technique is kind of the same, with the addition of the tremolo.

The left-hand fingering is something different, though - I found myself struggling lately to form chords and not mute the high E that's closest to the end of the fretboard.
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