How many acoustic guitar players here also have a mandolin ?

[pschaafs]

I'm like you - played 40 yrs plus off and on, and about a year ago I bought an Eastman to play with. I know many chords now, can pick out some tunes, but I need to work harder at it. As I am about to retire, I think I may have some time available....

[powerpopper]

I figure I've been playing for something like 33 years now (off and on) and just last year got my first Mandolin. When I first started to play it, it was as though I somehow knew a little about playing it all along. It was strange in a good way but I could make music with it almost instantly.

Then I discovered Dennis Vance at the Mandolin Store and picked up a Weber from him. It is nice...

[devellis]

I have a bunch of mandolins spanning a range of styles and vintages. It's a great instrument and it takes up a lot less space than a guitar. But as my hands get older, I find the more generous real estate of a guitar fingerboard more and more appealing. I've traded a couple of mandolins for guitars this past year. I'll probably trade a couple more if the opportunity presents itself, because of the several I have, only 2 or 3 really suit the stuff I'm playing these days.

Playing mandolin for several years made it easier when I renewed my interest in guitar. And I suspect that if I got back into mandolin in a big way, the time I've recently spent on guitar would also help my mandolin playing. It's kind of like cross-training.

[fitness1]

about 20 years ago my parents were on vacation in Kentucky. Mom likes to go to "flea" markets. She found a 50.00 Global mandolin and brought it home to me. After taking it to Elderly's and having my tech tweak it a bit, I was really suprised by the tone and playability. I've played 300-400 mandos at Elderly's that didn't sound as good. I pull it out about once a month or so and pick it a bit....

[flaggerphil]

I have the mandolin my Dad got in 1937 when he was 12 years old. I have absolutely no idea what brand it is.

[JohnZ]

Alan Perez built me mandolin based on a Martin in the mid '70s and I've been playing off and on ever since...mostly on. Alan made a variety of acoustic instruments for Los Lobos and others and that mandolin was great but fragile and it finally just blew up about a year ago.

These days I've got a couple of Tacomas, an early Kentucky, and an Ovation, plus a cheapie for students. Oh yeah, and a mandocello.

[Anand00028]

Now that's my dream,starting a acoustic guitar-mandolin duet.Got a epiphone(gibson) mm-30vs mandolin a couple of years back.Try to play an occasional melody.Just love the kind of stuff you hear in tone poems 1,grateful dawg etc.As good as it gets from my perspective.Love the way they improvise.

[Wade Hampton]

Mandolin was the second instrument I ever took up, after I'd gotten semi-competent on mountain dulcimer. After mandolin I started working on playing five string banjo, and only then did I start learning guitar. So the mandolin and banjo family instruments are something I got comfortable and proficient with before I even bought a guitar.

For a long time my main performance mandolin was a "Sumi Era" Kentucky Master Model A model with an oval soundhole, a real rare bird hand-carved in the shop that Kentucky/Saga Musical Instruments owned and ran in Nagano Prefecture, in the Japanese Alps. I was also fortunate enough to travel there with my then-fiancé (now wife) and meet the Taharas and Sumi-san, and to write an article about it for Frets Magazine.

Since 2005 my main performance mandolin has been the modern National mandolin:



I was involved in the design process on this instrument, and am extremely pleased with how it turned out. Not only does it have a terrific acoustic tone, but its sustain characteristics allow to me to phrase my lead lines in a much more vocal way than a wooden mandolin can.

I just love it, and play it about as much as I play any of my guitars.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Brent Hutto]

I have a mandolin as of a few weeks ago. It's a blast to play, particularly with a couple books of Balkan and South American tunes (plus a Christmas song book) that Allan Alexander has arranged for either mandolin with guitar accompaniment or as mandolin/guitar duets. I schedule extra sessions with my guitar teacher just so we can play some of those together.

One of my favorite small ensembles to listen to is guitar+mandolin, with or without a bass player. They are extremely complementary sounds to each other in my estimation. Much moreso than guitar+fiddle or mandolin+fiddle and even moreso than two guitars.

P.S. And to Woody and Wade...Put Down the Banjo, Step Away and Nobody Will Get Hurt!

[zombywoof]

Yup, a 1913 Gibson Model A pumpkin top.

[fatt-dad]

I have four mandolins, all of which get play. I have my beach mandolin, my Flatiron pancake (1N), my Flatiron A5-1 (it's an a-model with f-holes) signed by Steve Carlson, and my Gibson A3. I love playing old-time fiddle tunes on them and strumming along with the bluegrass folk. Just got back from a monthly jam and had a great time.

At home, I mostly play guitar though.

f-d

[wa3jpg]

Wade, dude! The resonator mandolin is quite an instrument. I like those. I have a couple mandolins (and octave and Irish bouzouki). Good stuff, nice to pair with a guitar.

Clark

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by wa3jpg

Wade, dude! The resonator mandolin is quite an instrument. I like those. I have a couple mandolins (and octave and Irish bouzouki). Good stuff, nice to pair with a guitar.

Clark, have you had a chance to pick up and play one of the new National mandolins yet? It's an incredible mando-experience, I promise you.

Here in Anchorage we just installed a new Episcopal bishop for the Diocese of Alaska, and being a church musician I played at the consecration ceremony, naturally. The verger for the service was from our new bishop's home parish in New York, and he came up to me during a lull in the rehearsal and asked:

"Can I play your mandolin? What is it, a National?"

He went nuts on it. Turned out he's a fine player in his own right, and had heard about the new National mandolins but hadn't had a chance to play one before this.

He's got one on order now...

They're great instruments. I love all the other mandolin family instruments in your signature line, as well.


whm

[wa3jpg]

Hey Wade -

Yes, I've played a few. I live very near the factory and nearly next door to one of the builders! I've not taken the National tour yet, but I will gather a few fellows from the University where I work and we plan to go visit them sometime in the coming year.

Those National Resonator mandolins are so loud, but yet have nice, warm tone. I really admire them. I just don't have one (yet!)

Clark

[billgennaro]

i've got three acoustic guitars, a mandolin and used to have an octave mandolin. i basically layer the mandolin over acoustic guitar parts to add some texture to the sound when i record in my home studio. works nicely!