Any mandolin players out there?

Hi,

I was just wondering if any of you play the mandolin as I am considering taking it up and was curious as to what to look for when purchasing one (what's good quality and reasonably priced etc), and if there are any artists or tunes you'd recommend me listening to?

Cheers,

Jess

 

*raises hand*

I play a Fender FM-52E Acoustic/Electric. I think it retails for about $250 or so. It's an A-style round-backed mandolin with a suprisingly bright tone. It's a great little instrument for the money. If you want to go really cheap Musician's Friend has a Rogue Mandolin for around $50. My roommate owns one and it's ok, but the tone is pretty flat and it goes out of tune constantly.

As far as music.... I'm assuming you want to play bluegrass? Make every third cd you get one of the oldies. Bill Monroe is a good one to start with.

 

i wish i could. they just don't work with me. i've tried banjo, i plan on taking that up next. but i'm pretty swamped with piano and guitar right now....

 

i'm learning mandolin but not too good at it as of yet

 

I play mine sometimes, but I can only really get into it when someone else is playing along on another acoustic instrument.

 

Hi guys,

Thanks a lot for your replies!

I ended up gettinga Martinez F style and have had one lesson so far and am loving it.

Again, thanks a lot all

Peace and keep jammin'.

Jess.

 

do mandolins sound good just strumming chords like a guitar? or do you really need to learn all sorts of crazy picking crazy action crazy

 

Nah you don't have to do all the fancy stuff, you can just strum and keep the rhythm in songs too.

 

Infact, that's what you do in bluegrass mandolin, basically play the chord on offbeats.

 

I play, I'm not really good or anything, but I have fun fucking around with it. I've got a Gibson mandolin which is really old, cause its been in my family for a long time. I dont know what it would cost though...

 

raccoon.... is it an old gibson F5?

If so, and it's in good condition, it's probably worth like $10,000 US.

 

Ah, seems there are a few of us Cool.
I'm curiuos to know who your influential artists are,?

Peace Jess

 

Bill Monroe
David Grisman
Jamie Maisfield
Sharon Gilchrist (whom I happen to know personally)

many others too....

 

Thanks a lot for that info. I'll check some of their music out. I already have some of Bill's songs.

Thanks again.

Peace.

 

You're very welcome.

for your reference-
Jamie plays with the Jazz Mandolin Project

Sharon is currently touring with Peter Rowan but has been in bands such as Uncle Earl and Mary & Mars..... might be hard to find her music without looking her up on Myspace

 

Thanks for the tip / info StaggerLee917. Much appreciated.

Peace Jess

 

I just got an Antoria electro-acoustic mandolin and I'm loving it. Already started jamming with a local blues band.

I love Bill Monroe's stuff and am also inspired by an English musician called Phil Beer.

 

Hi again all,

Just wanted to thnk you all for your tips / advice, and to let you know I've been playing about 7 weeks now and loving it

Peace,

Jess.

 

mandolin and mandola is insane!! i tried playing one for the first time last week and it was so hard!!! the fret board, is so, so, so, so, so, so small. i couldn't really play it at all. so i picked up the Banjuitar...banjo body, with a guitar kneck and tuning. so awesome, just play guitar with the tone of a wicked banjo. gots to love it.

 

Ive just bought a mandola, its just a cheap ozark one. Am using it to learn a few traditional Scottish/Irish tunes, but my fingers are going to need to speed up a lot!