View Full Version : Mandriola/tricordia
No luck in the theory/technique section, so I thought I would try here. My new tricordia is waiting for me at customs, so I'll pick it up tomorrow. It has three strings per course instead of two, so I can foresee the need for some slightly different techniques than I find in the average "Learn to Play the Mandolin" book. Anyone know of any instructional material aimed at the 12-string mandolins?
glauber
May-23-2006, 3:32pm
I'm curious; why would you think there would be different techniques?
Perhaps I am purely ignorant. It has happened before, and will surely happen again. If it doesn't change anything at all, it would be nice to hear from an experienced player that it doesn't make any difference.
glauber
May-23-2006, 4:24pm
I assume there won't be much difference, but the extra strings will probably require more finger pressure to keep down. I suppose trilling will be easier and more satisfactory than with 2 strings. The sound should be fuller, overall. It will be harder to keep in tune. But the technique should be pretty much the same. You'll have to tell us!
Picked it up today. Happy with the instrument: a nice deep tone, reminescent of a guitar. Needed tuned, but setup is reasonable: once I tuned it, I checked tuning at the 7th and 12 fret of each string and all seems well. Action is consistent across all strings, and I am able to fret all the notes (well, a little diffulty above the 12th fret, but that's my fingers, not the action). Action may be just a little high... I'll see how I feel about it when I gain some experience.
Finish work is a little sloppy: some stain smears up on the ivoroid binding, some small nicks in the inlay around the soundhole. Still, for a mandolin that lists at $265, it's a nice attractive little instrument.
Only down side is the condition: I bought it at a discount from Lark in the Morning with the description of a having a small dent in the soundboard. It has that, and it is very small, and indeed nothing to worry about. It also has a poorly repaired crack in the headstock that no one bothered to mention. I can tell it didn't happen in shipping because it has glue in it.
It also came with one of the three E strings broken, so it is an 11 stringer until JustStrings.com comes through with a shipment of strings. I was a little surprised to see it strung with phosphor bronze on G and D, with steel on A and E. The bulk strings I bought were phosphor bronze on G, D, and A, with steel for E. I don't think it will be a problem.