Mandotasting

Ken Cartwright of Cartwright Music in Stayton, Oregon produced the 2004 and 2003 Wintergrass Mandotasting CD which is available in CD format.

On the CD, John Reischman plays 49 different mandolins in clips of 10 and 30 seconds each, the same piece, the same speed. Let your ears be the judge and compare Loars to recent product models and individual builders.

All instruments on the 2003 and 2004 MandoTasting were fitted with DAddario J-75 strings and John Reischman used his standard Grisman Dawg pick on each mandolin. The same distance and angle to the microphone was maintained. The recording gear was a matched set of Microtech Gefell microphones to a matching Symetrix SX 202 preamp set at flat response direct out to a Sony PCM R300 DAT. It was transferred to CD using no EQ or Compression or limiting by way of Pro Tools to a master CD. In short, we did whatever possible to reproduce live, the real sound of the mandolin.

A few people have asked about the mandolin shown on the cover. It belongs to the owner of the Mandolin Cafe and is Nugget Deluxe #233 crafted by Mike Kemnitzer of Central Lake, Michigan. It was not played on the Mandotasting CD. Graphic design by Annie Tichenor of Tichenor Design, Lawrence, Kansas.