Do I have a problem?

[zilla the hon]

I am eagerly awaiting my first intrument's arrival. It should be here next week. Counting the days. and dreaming about holding it, playing it, etc.

Last night my husband said to me, "I want to learn to play it too."
My immediate feeling was, "MINE!" "no you can't play it, too - get your own."

Is this normal? He says lots of people will want to play it. I haven't even met it yet, but it feels like people will be wearing my shoes or dating my husband.

Is this normal???

[CharlieKnuth]

Zilla,

You have a problem. Yes, indeed. Tell him to order his own, but make sure he doesn't order one that is better than yours, but if he does, make sure he trades you for yours. If you only have one instrument that both of you want to play, chances are that you are going to want to play it at the same time. This could lead to a lot of marriage disharmony. It is cheaper to purchase a 2nd mandolin than it is to pay for either 1) marriage counseling sessions or 2) a divorce lawyer. Order a 2nd one and then the two of you can play lovely duets together and enjoy MAS together.

[GTison]

It's "THE PRECIOUS" .

[Christine W]

Oh yeah it's normal. It's your preciousssss
ok I'll quit with the lord of the rings stuff (I just went to go see it sorry)

[Tom C]

For sure he should get his own. -Or even a guitar. Learning to play together would be a great experience and keep things interesting. Sure others may want to play it,but at least it would first be in your hands.

[Christine W]

bowfinger
you beat me to it Darn!

[zilla the hon]

I feel better just knowing I am not a freak, or at the least, I am not the only freak.

He does have a guitar of his own and we plan to play together.

I will try to position myself between the husband and the precious at all times. If I see him move for it, I will suggest a duet. Or that he mow the lawn.

[husbozilla]

With the caveat that I don't know you personally since this is just an anonymous message board, I would say that you DO indeed have a problem. You are being very selfish to not let your husband play your mandolin when you are out of town for example. I'm sure he is a very, very nice guy and only good things would come from letting him play it.

Some examples: when you are struggling through a tough song with lots of double-stops, he would be able to feel empathy, rather than the poor substitute: sympathy. When you master a tough song, he would be impressed because he would know how tough it really is.

Yes, I think it is a good idea to let him play it.

[Russ(String-Alley)]

HAHAHAHAHH:)

now this has gotten interesting

cheers and good luck.....looks like you may need one more mando round' the house

[zilla the hon]

arrrr

I think the lawn needs mowing.

[garyblanchard]

Husbozilla -

I am amazed at your insight and empathy. It is almost as if it were you in this situation.

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[zilla the hon]

"one more mando round the house"

"man, do" mow the lawn.

[mandofiddle]

LOL... Just get another mando http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif That way you and your husbozilla won't be having to share custody. Simple solution in a mando situation.

[zilla the hon]

agreed. He is a very nice man. We should have a second mando. Before we have to duel:

Zilla Meets Husbozilla

[Bluegrasstjej]

It's normal for sure!!! I feel the same about my mandolin, especially when it's new, it gets better when you've had it for a while.

[Greenmando]

This is where MAS has a good side effect. I have enough that I can share without parting with my recent precious. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Lee]

Well, I've seen piano music written for four hands; but never mando music written for two. The second mando seems to be the prefered solution here. Or have Bill Bussman build you a double necked one...

[wannabethile]

im sorry guys, ive been here for a while now and i should know what it means.....but what is MAS???!!!! again, im sorry for the dumb question

[zilla the hon]

I had to look it up to:

MAS (Mandolin Acquisition Syndrome): A tongue-in-cheek reference made originally on the CoMando listserv that stuck and has become a common term used within the web community. It refers to one's desire to continually own more mandolins, almost to the point of being a medical condition.

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif # #

[neal]

mandolin aquisition syndrome. Did I spell that right? (akwizishun)

[Flowerpot]

Zill, is there any chance of a competition arising from playing the same instrument?

I ask, because I have always been more "instrumentally inclined" than my wife and have always picked things up quickly. When she decided to learn the Dobro, she jokingly forbid me to play it. I found out quickly that it ran a lot deeper than a joke, and that if I messed with it and learned the instrument more quickly then her, she would have been crushed. I never touch it, I let it be her thing, and that's great by me. Just food for thought -- we've been married over 20 years now, and we know what works for us.

[Bluegrasstjej]

im sorry guys, ive been here for a while now and i should know what it means.....but what is MAS???!!!! #again, im sorry for the dumb question
Thank you, I'm not the only one!

[Bluegrasstjej]

This problem actually made me start playing the mandolin in the first place. I started playing the guitar in 1995, and a close friend of mine also started almost at the same time. We played a lot together and had some fun. But she proceeded faster than I did. I felt I didn't want to compete with anyone or compare myself with her, and also, I wanted another kind of instrument that was even more bluegrassy. I barely knew what a mandolin was, to be honest I just knew it was small and had a beautiful name so I just went to a shop and bought one, along with a chord book (that I couldn't use for a few years, didn't believe the mando chords were so awful!).

Can't you talk your husband or whoever it was into learning the guitar or banjo instead??

[mandomiss]

Sometimes, when I haven't played for a while and I'm just aching to get to my mando, my dad will get to it first. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif
When he doesn't feel inclined to give it over, the only solution is to get out his "precious" (Martin) and play the only song that I know (Limerock) repeatedly until he cracks. You said your husband has a guitar? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[zilla the hon]

Flowerpot, Bluegrass:

In every joke a bit of truth. Best to treat things with humor when you know you are being childish. I will strive to drop my baggage when I pick up my case!
I am pleasantly suprised at the passion I am feeling about playing, it will be great to share the passion with someone like Huzbozilla - who ever he is. Sounds like a wonderful guy.

zilla.

[mad dawg]

Think of this as an opportunity to upgrade with your spouse's blessing: let him play yours and fall in love with it, give it to him in an extravagent show of affection, and then go out and buy one for yourself that is even more expensive!