# Any mandolin players here?



## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

There must be a few.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

I try. So far I’m limited to strumming a few open chords.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

I've been playing fiddle tunes lately (I played them a lot 20 years ago but stopped for some reason) and I've been taking to them. 

The gears started turning that I should rent a mandolin and be bad at more than one instrument.


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## Guest (Jun 9, 2018)

I tried. The neck's too narrow and my fingers cramp up after 2 mins.
I've thought about getting a Squier mini and converting that into a mando.


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## Frenchy99 (Oct 15, 2016)

Being a bass player first, I'm finally starting to be good on guitar after finding it way to small of an instrument to play... Now a Mandoline !!! 

No F... way !!!


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

laristotle said:


> I tried. The neck's too narrow and my fingers cramp up after 2 mins.
> I've thought about getting a Squier mini and converting that into a mando.


There's always mandocello or bouzouki.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

I got one a couple of years ago and had about 5 songs going pretty good and could get some pickin happening but about a year ago I started playing electric so that kinda took over in addition to the acoustic stuff that I mainly do. Mandolin is fun and easy to sing with.


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## Lola (Nov 16, 2014)

I had a ukulele at one point and could play a couple of tunes on it. It got lost in the shuffle when we moved. It’s quite easy to play.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

I love the sound of a mandolin and will, one day add that to the instruments I play.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Used to. But my mandolin was a cheapie and eventually became unplayable. I was waiting for Seagull to put a pick-up in their S8, but then they put a gawdawful volume control on the front face of the instrument, so I'm looking at other options.


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

Once I stopped playing cover songs from the 70'2 and 80's I put it away and then in the 90's sold them to a few friends and gave some away today would be impossible to play any of them anymore so glad that they found new homes mind you I recently found a couple that were up for sale on a mandolin site and were worth some cash good on them.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

laristotle said:


> I tried. The neck's too narrow and my fingers cramp up after 2 mins.
> I've thought about getting a Squier mini and converting that into a mando.


There's also the Eastwood Mandocello.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

A lot. 

I tried it as a teenager but didn't get along with it because I foolishly figured I could tune it like a guitar to make it easier. Dumb move. Didn't try it again until my early














30s when I borrowed a bandmate's mandolin. A little more savvy this time, I left it tuned GDAE.

My primary mandolin is a Moon flattop, maple back and sides, spruce top, and a few small changes like rounded off binding, Weber tailpiece, replacement solid bridge of rosewood and bone, Schaller machine heads. It gets taken places because it's easy to carry and we live in a guitarcentric world that's short on mandolins. Second is a Peter Cox 2 point archtop, cedar top, walnut back and sides. I also have a Joshua House octave/zouk/mando-cello guitar shaped thing, Gold Tone tenor banjo, and a Kala tenor guitar. All tuned in fifths.

I play a lot of my own stuff, arrangements of trad tunes, and lots of wanking. My mandolin recordings with groups are out of print now, except one, a recent fundraising project that has some mandolin.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

Mooh said:


> A lot.
> 
> I tried it as a teenager but didn't get along with it because I foolishly figured I could tune it like a guitar to make it easier. Dumb move. Didn't try it again until my early
> View attachment 214489
> ...


Those are all really nice! 

Yeah, it seems like there will always be lots of guitar players better than us, but if you have some mandolin chops, well that could open some doors.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)




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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

The Moon mandolin I mentioned earlier comes in about half way through. All other instruments are me as well.


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https://soundcloud.com/https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fmichael-crocker-6%2Fst-james-infirmary-blues


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

I enjoyed that!


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## ga20t (Jul 22, 2010)

It took the David Grisman and Jerry Garcia albums for mandolin to really sink its teeth into me. Love that playing and that warm yet articulate recorded sound. Here's my "cheapo" Eastman 315, well, the only picture I have of it.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

ga20t said:


> It took the David Grisman and Jerry Garcia albums for mandolin to really sink its teeth into me. Love that playing and that warm yet articulate recorded sound. Here's my "cheapo" Eastman 315, well, the only picture I have of it.


I've known about those albums for years, but I've never checked them out. I really need to do that.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

There are many very decent mandolin players. Here is one of the best.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Over the course of several years I spent considerable time with Simon Mayor, attending classes/workshops and concerts, hanging out, and generally soaking up his wisdom. 

Mandolin Website | Simon Mayor's Mandolin Website


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## keithb7 (Dec 28, 2006)

In the past couple of years I picked up the Mandolin to learn some cover tunes. We played 'em live and people really enjoyed them. I got a lot of comments that people really liked the Mandolin. This year I met up with some other like minded musicians who were in to a quieter gig. No full drum kit. No amplified rock or blues. We ended up with an acoustic guitar, I'm on mandolin, a Cajon drum and a bass player. I also second on acoustic guitar. We do "unplugged" stuff. Country. Classic rock. Pop etc. I think we're up to about 5 mandolin songs and we all agree we need to pick up some more.

There is something magical when a mandolin and acoustic play together. I am having a lot of fun. The volume is great. People are liking our performances. Here is everything sans mics. No PA. This is it. Cajon mics into a keyboard amp. (the biggest amp seen here). My goal is to get a new, higher quality mandolin when we get a few paid gigs under our belt. I bought a "Made In China" Epiphone. Has a built in passive pup. No controls. It works, but I would like some more tonal and volume options. The Godin A8 is on my radar.










Kinda sample of a rock tune that I "Elevator'd up":


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https://soundcloud.com/https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Fuser-142220760%2Fcuts-like-a-mandolin


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## keithb7 (Dec 28, 2006)

Been woodshedding the mandolin quite a bit lately. Lovin' the damn thing. Worked this out this week. I must be getting old. I'm singing John Denver everywhere I go this week.


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https://soundcloud.com/track_id%3D464474421


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I've been meddling with/dabbling in mandolin for 3+ years
Learned some chords & stuff.
Playing an Epi Mandobird VIII solidbody electric mandolin.
May get an acoustic one some day.

No mandolin player specifically inspired on influenced me--just like the sounds it makes
But I do enjoy it in some rock & blues songs
So figuring out some blues & non blues stuff--and having fun.


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