Home to roost

[fatt-dad]

It really was a sight for sore eyes - my old Kay. About 1968 a classmate (jr. high) gave me a Kay mandolin. I bought some chord charts and learned the basic G, D, and D chords and tried to play along with Peter, Paul and Mary tunes (and other songs of that ilk). For a while it leaned against my sister's wall in New Jersey and when I went to graduate school, I retreived it and regained some interest. Well shortly thereafter, I found my 1920 A3 (which I still have) and used it in partial payment for some repairs. Just today, I returned to my friends house (the guy that did the A3 repair) and he gave me my old Kay back. Here is an instrument that still plays (volume permenently set on 3) and needs a neck reset. No matter, it's a part of my history and I'm greatful to have it back. Maybe it'll be perfect for late-night playing (built in mute feature)?

Oh well, just an interesting part of my day.

f-d

[Santiago]

There's definitely a relationship that develops between a player and a playee. I remember how sad I was when as a kid I would have to step up to the next sized violin. I mean I was happy to get a new one, but... I think that's why so many players collect mandos while others practice catch and release.

[DryBones]

I had no problem watching my MK and Morgan Monroe go bye-bye. Now the Eastman 604, that one stung a bit.

[JEStanek]

Fatt Dadd
I recently got a stradolin jr that will need a neck reset to make it sing again. This will be a labor of love. Who knows... maybe my daughter will feel the same way towards the Johnson oval hole plywood special sitting in the family room one day.

Jamie

[fatt-dad]

Just to be clear - this is the very same mandolin that I owned 40 years ago. It's a wall hanger (unless I get it reset), but fun to own again!

f-d

[allenhopkins]

There's a little twinge when I recall every instrument I've traded, sold, or (in some cases) just thrown out as unplayable and unfixable. Over my fireplace hangs a painting that someone did of me and my friend Jim Kimball playing at the restoration where we work in the summer. She took a picture, unbeknownst to us, went home and made an oil painting of it. One of my friends saw it in an art show and called me: "Hey, there's a painting of you in this show!" So I bought it.

I was playing my old Weymann Keystone State mandolute, and it's in the picture. I recently traded the Weymann in on my Eastman mandola -- just too many mandolins, and I wasn't playing the Weymann. But every time I look at that picture, I kinda wish I had it back.

[JEStanek]

Oh I can imagine your has much more "weight" to it than my very recent acquisition. I would hope you would get it fixed up and strummed a few times for old times sake. Then again, how many of us have our first mandolin returned to us even as a museum piece of ourselves. I'm glad you got it back.

Jamie

i gave my first mandolin to my buddy he said he'd fix it up. it was an epiphone in terrible shape, he planed the neck, refretted, new nut, fixed the bridge lower and so the spacing is right, and its better than it ever was. also one tuner knob was missing, i had to tune it with a wrench before! he fixed all the tuners too! its sweet. thats a great story about your kay fatt-dad. i have a banjo, that i bought, sold, and bought again from a different person. meant to be mine. i like those insturments with stories.