Tried "real" mandolins yesterday!

[Deaf David]

Two of the music stores in Paducah seem to be gearing up for a battle for the acoustic/bluegrass market. One has a new owner and is going through major changes in that direction and the other has been around for ever, basically having no competition for years.

I took my banjo into the established business for some adjustments on my banjo and they, too, were remodeling and had several new "high end" instruments in stock.

There was a five thousand dollar Gibson and a three thousand dollar Weber hanging side by side, along with the usual Kentucky, Old Hickory and Oscar Schmidt mandolins.

Understand this was my first time to ever see one of these up close and I spent some time checking them out. Both were, of course, obviously superior instruments to the others in the shop. I was surprised that I couldn't tell that much difference between the Gibson and the Weber in either how they played or sounded.

The Weber seemed to have a bit more of a ring with chop chords than the Gibson--which had as solid a chop as I can imagine. I assume that if I actually knew how to play I could tell the difference.

A red letter day, indeed. I was so excited I bought new strings and a new plastic tortose shell pick for my Old Hickory.

I actually thought about putting one of them on lay away. By the time I got it paid off it would be an vintage instrument and worth more than I paid for it. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Soupy1957]

In spite of the fact that, from what I've seen, the "Old Hickory" would have been modestly priced, I would suppose;

I'd been trying to find out more ABOUT the "Old Hickory," so I'm surprised to hear someone mention that brand again. All my "Googling" didn't help in researching it. There was a video-blip of an Old Hickory being played, on YouTube, that impressed me, for the amount of "punch" it had.

I'm beginning to think that no matter what brand you buy, at what dollar level, over time as the wood ages, (if the instrument is cared for properly), they will ALL sound great. But at the beginning, the differences must be quite sutle.

Wish "I" had a music store around that would put a Gibson or Weber, or ____ (insert your favorite high-priced instruments name), on their shelves to "try."

-Soupy1957

P.S. Do stores STILL do "lay-away?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif"

[Deaf David]

I can give you some info on the Old Hickory, since I have a blonde F style.

First, let me say that the Gibson and Weber experience was the first time I've had a chance to try an "expensive" (a relative term, but for a couch picker its hard to justify thousands of dollars). I was struck by the fact that the difference between those and the mandolins in the hundreds of dollars price range was real, but not nearly as pronounced as on banjos, where the playing and sound differences can be dramatic. The high dollar mandolins were a bit louder, but I think the main difference was that you could pic harder and not alter the tone as much as it does on a cheaper one. At least that was my impression after ten minutes of comparison.

Now for the Old Hickory: I have tried many of these, and the Deans and Johnsons and Kentuckys and other low priced mandolins. The most important thing to know about them is that the quality varies pretty wildly. Some of the Old Hickories are nice and some are fixer uppers right out of the box.

I had to have a couple of frets tapped down on mine, but that fixed most of the problems I feel need addressing for my use of it. The store did it for free. I've seen some that the wood work left a lot to be desired but others (including mine) are made from a nice piece of wood and all the pieces are well joined. I do not prefer the blonde mandolins, but it does show the grain pattern, and I appreciate a good piece of wood whether its a pitch fork handle or a musical instrument.

A common element for all the cheap mandolins I've seen is that they have a really annoying ring with the chop chords. It's like an overtone that outlasts the chop itself. I wove a piece of yarn through the strings between the bridge and the tailpiece and that improved it dramatically. The yarn weaves through and back several times so that it looks like a little rug.:) I've heard of others using a strip of soft leather.

One advantage the Old Hickory has over most of the other cheap imports is a solid top.

In short, I would not recommend ordering one unless it has a return option, but if you can get your hands on them and compare a few of them you might find one that suits your needs. Of course, that depends on what your needs are. I mainly use mine to "back up" my daughter who is learning bluegrass guitar and fiddle. I have a pretty nice banjo and a good (not great) round neck resonator guitar.

If I ever get serious about playing mandolin I'll probably trade in a the resonator, my Old Hickory and my cheap electric guitar for a higher quality mandolin.

And yes, the local stores here (western Kentucky) still do lay away. It's probably how they sell most of their instruments in this area. If you are ever in far western Kentucky look me up. Old Hickory, Kentucky, Johnson, Oscar Schmidt, and Deans are readily available.

[allenhopkins]

I'm beginning to think that no matter what brand you buy, at what dollar level, over time as the wood ages, (if the instrument is cared for properly), they will ALL sound great. But at the beginning, the differences must be quite sutle.


Soupy -- see This thread. (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=7;t=41872) Once you get inside 'em, you find they ain't all "created equal." Aged badly constructed instruments are never going to sound "great"; they may get better, or they may not.

[Soupy1957]

Thanks David, thanks Alan
-Soupy1957

[Deaf David]

One more detail about the Old Hickory brand mandolins: they come with one of the nicest cases I've seen. I think the case is better made than the mandolin!