Mandodocta
May-28-2004, 10:58am
I’ve been quietly watching these boards for several years. I’ve seen the same myths about mandolins perpetuated so many times that it was starting to drive me crazy. For my own sanity, I’d like to attempt to take a hammer to those myths.
One of the discussions that I see over and over, in various permutations, is the debate over which sounds “better” or more appropriate for bluegrass, and F style or an A style mandolin. Here’s the truth on that endless debate:
An F style mandolin has significant structural differences from an A style instrument. Significant structural differences result in the production of a unique waveform. A unique waveform sounds different. The bottom line: an F style mandolin has a different sound than an A style. Case closed, this is sound logic, and I think we all really know it anyway.
To say an F style instrument sounds different, however, is not the same as saying that it is a better or more appropriate bluegrass instrument. To be an effective traditional bluegrass instrument, an instrument must have one essential characteristic: the ability to distinguish itself from a guitar, fiddle, base, and banjo. There are two variables and two variables only that determine a mandolin’s ability to distinguish itself from other instruments: a) volume and b) unique tonal characteristics or waveform. There is no objective evidence to suggest that a good F style mandolin is either louder, or more tonally unique than a good A style mandolin. The first issue, volume, could be easily tested in a scientific manner. To those who might be brave enough to maintain that an F style mandolin is louder, I challenge you to prove it.
Bluegrass musicians are the salt of the earth, and I love ‘em. But my experience is that they are often heavily biased, narrow minded, and rigid when it comes to instrument style, construction, and country of manufacture. I strongly believe that if Bill Monroe had played a mandolin designed and shaped like my a**, that musicians the world around would be coveting mandolins that looked like my butt.
Which brings me to another myth: that Americans build better mandolins than our brothers in Japan, Korea, and China. To those that perpetuate this myth, I ask: who decides what is “better?” What is “better” depends on what you value. As noted above, the only genuine criterion for a “good” mandolin is the ability to distinguish itself from a banjo, fiddle, bass, and guitar. For some, “better” might imply “sounds the most like The Instrument Bill Monroe Played.” For me, it might be “looks the most like my butt.” For others, it might mean “the best sounding instrument that my meager salary will allow.” But beyond ability to distinguish itself from other instruments, “good, better, and best” are highly subjective terms. Whether you like it or not, there are fine Asian luthiers making “good” instruments by their own standards. And the bias toward “made in America” just doesn’t fly with me regarding mandolin. How many great violin players do you know who play American violins? Trust me, a Stradivarias (help me with spelling) wasn’t made in Kentucky. Beyond the objective arguments presented here, the American bias has always, I believe, contained a trace of covert, sometimes overt, racism. Interestingly, one would think that the tradition of bluegrass would most likely say, “pick up whatever instrument you got and play it.” The elitism, and cultural elitism that has developed is not, I believe, reflective of the true spirit of bluegrass.
Which brings me to yet another myth: that characteristics of the instrument are more important than the technique of the player. We give way too much credit to the instrument and not enough to the player. A great player can make an average instrument sound great. In giving so much credit to the instrument, we mistake the plate for the meal. If you are considering trading your Kentucky for a Gibson, I’d suggest you at least consider saving the money and getting good instruction, and then practicing like crazy. Save some money and go buy your wife/husband and kids something that will make them happy.
So I have always felt that anybody offering opinions on quality of instruments should begin by stating what instruments they own. “The Kentucky mandolins are better than the Washburns” usually translates to “I own a Kentucky, therefore it must be better.” In this spirit, I should share that I own a Silver Angel A style, a Mid-Missouri M-2, a 1983 Japanese Washburn M-4S, and a Fender FM-63S. The Silver Angel A sounds the most like The Instrument Played By Bill Monroe, but it’s not the best instrument by my own standards. The best is a toss-up between the Mid-Mo and the Washburn. The latter, while lacking strong volume, has the nicest, most playable neck that I’ve ever seen—it’s like it was perfectly designed for my own hand. I can play for hours without fatigue, and that is valuable to ME. The Mid-Mo makes me smile the most. It’s just loveable, and sounds shockingly good for an inexpensive instrument. And it does quite well in distinguishing itself from other instruments, even though it has (GULP) a flat top. In other words, it has good volume and unique tonal characteristics. And for those that are wondering, the Mid-Mo also looks the most like my butt.
One last suggestion for the poor souls who, in considering purchasing a new instrument, ask folks here for their opinions: DON’T BELIEVE ANYTHING ANYBODY TELLS YOU. The information you get will be highly subjective, biased, and ultimately, unhelpful. If you are serious about a new purchase and want to get the “best” instrument possible, you have one choice and one choice only: go out and play each and every mandolin that you are considering.
One of the discussions that I see over and over, in various permutations, is the debate over which sounds “better” or more appropriate for bluegrass, and F style or an A style mandolin. Here’s the truth on that endless debate:
An F style mandolin has significant structural differences from an A style instrument. Significant structural differences result in the production of a unique waveform. A unique waveform sounds different. The bottom line: an F style mandolin has a different sound than an A style. Case closed, this is sound logic, and I think we all really know it anyway.
To say an F style instrument sounds different, however, is not the same as saying that it is a better or more appropriate bluegrass instrument. To be an effective traditional bluegrass instrument, an instrument must have one essential characteristic: the ability to distinguish itself from a guitar, fiddle, base, and banjo. There are two variables and two variables only that determine a mandolin’s ability to distinguish itself from other instruments: a) volume and b) unique tonal characteristics or waveform. There is no objective evidence to suggest that a good F style mandolin is either louder, or more tonally unique than a good A style mandolin. The first issue, volume, could be easily tested in a scientific manner. To those who might be brave enough to maintain that an F style mandolin is louder, I challenge you to prove it.
Bluegrass musicians are the salt of the earth, and I love ‘em. But my experience is that they are often heavily biased, narrow minded, and rigid when it comes to instrument style, construction, and country of manufacture. I strongly believe that if Bill Monroe had played a mandolin designed and shaped like my a**, that musicians the world around would be coveting mandolins that looked like my butt.
Which brings me to another myth: that Americans build better mandolins than our brothers in Japan, Korea, and China. To those that perpetuate this myth, I ask: who decides what is “better?” What is “better” depends on what you value. As noted above, the only genuine criterion for a “good” mandolin is the ability to distinguish itself from a banjo, fiddle, bass, and guitar. For some, “better” might imply “sounds the most like The Instrument Bill Monroe Played.” For me, it might be “looks the most like my butt.” For others, it might mean “the best sounding instrument that my meager salary will allow.” But beyond ability to distinguish itself from other instruments, “good, better, and best” are highly subjective terms. Whether you like it or not, there are fine Asian luthiers making “good” instruments by their own standards. And the bias toward “made in America” just doesn’t fly with me regarding mandolin. How many great violin players do you know who play American violins? Trust me, a Stradivarias (help me with spelling) wasn’t made in Kentucky. Beyond the objective arguments presented here, the American bias has always, I believe, contained a trace of covert, sometimes overt, racism. Interestingly, one would think that the tradition of bluegrass would most likely say, “pick up whatever instrument you got and play it.” The elitism, and cultural elitism that has developed is not, I believe, reflective of the true spirit of bluegrass.
Which brings me to yet another myth: that characteristics of the instrument are more important than the technique of the player. We give way too much credit to the instrument and not enough to the player. A great player can make an average instrument sound great. In giving so much credit to the instrument, we mistake the plate for the meal. If you are considering trading your Kentucky for a Gibson, I’d suggest you at least consider saving the money and getting good instruction, and then practicing like crazy. Save some money and go buy your wife/husband and kids something that will make them happy.
So I have always felt that anybody offering opinions on quality of instruments should begin by stating what instruments they own. “The Kentucky mandolins are better than the Washburns” usually translates to “I own a Kentucky, therefore it must be better.” In this spirit, I should share that I own a Silver Angel A style, a Mid-Missouri M-2, a 1983 Japanese Washburn M-4S, and a Fender FM-63S. The Silver Angel A sounds the most like The Instrument Played By Bill Monroe, but it’s not the best instrument by my own standards. The best is a toss-up between the Mid-Mo and the Washburn. The latter, while lacking strong volume, has the nicest, most playable neck that I’ve ever seen—it’s like it was perfectly designed for my own hand. I can play for hours without fatigue, and that is valuable to ME. The Mid-Mo makes me smile the most. It’s just loveable, and sounds shockingly good for an inexpensive instrument. And it does quite well in distinguishing itself from other instruments, even though it has (GULP) a flat top. In other words, it has good volume and unique tonal characteristics. And for those that are wondering, the Mid-Mo also looks the most like my butt.
One last suggestion for the poor souls who, in considering purchasing a new instrument, ask folks here for their opinions: DON’T BELIEVE ANYTHING ANYBODY TELLS YOU. The information you get will be highly subjective, biased, and ultimately, unhelpful. If you are serious about a new purchase and want to get the “best” instrument possible, you have one choice and one choice only: go out and play each and every mandolin that you are considering.