4 string acoustic

[phlattgetit]

This may have been discussed before, I can't find it?
Does anyone string their mandolins (excluding electrics) with single strings?
If so elaborate?

P.S. Yes, I'm aware of Radim Zenkel's new mandola.

[mandroid]

I have a retrofitted A 50 which is acoustic, but is now featuring an added electric stacked humbucker type pickup I have it in CGDA tuning.
neck is great for that.
Gibson Made an EM 150 as a 4 string, but not many. essentially the same sort of thing..

nothing to keep one from putting a different nut and bridge piece reslot on their extra 8, I get Used to ignoring the tuners that don't have anything attached to them, after a while.
my wooden headed banjo Uke [Aka 'Kawlija'], has 5th tuned wound and plain nylon strings, I quite like it..

I recall Mid Mo had a "Kid Mo", made to be a 4 string, perhaps the re formed Big Muddy company can do/ has done the same..

[first string]

http://jazzmando.com/paul_lestock.shtml

[John Rosett]

I played one of Paul Lestock's 5-string acoustics at Weiser a couple of years ago. I was really surprised at how loud and full it sounded. It worked very well at a pretty noisy jam, and had a good tone for chords as well as single-string playing.

[minnedolin]

thats how a young chris thile cut his proverbial teeth, or so I'm told:D

[Ted Eschliman]

My new toy; JP Charles acoustic four-string; alegria do sublte!

[Ted Eschliman]

Arched back:

[Chip Booth]

Two years ago at wintergrass I played a 4 string that was absolutely a killer. #I forget the name of the builder, he was walking around with the mandolin and a small body archtop guitar and letting people play them in jams. #He let me play the mandolin for a good half an hour and I really didn't want to give it back. #I think the back and sides were walnut.

That looks great Ted!

Chip

[Bill Snyder]

Ted is there a straight on shot of your Charles somewhere?

[John Flynn]

Jim Miller plays one here:

Chord Hat (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bexIdm0awwo)

[red7flag]

Ted, That is simply a gorgeous instrument. Does it sound as great as it looks?
Tony

[Ted Eschliman]

It really is impressive. This was one of JP Charles experimental models, built about 8 years ago for electric jazz mandolin pioneer (and buddy) Michael Lampert.

[Ted Eschliman]

One more:

[djweiss]

I've been playing this Arrow 5-stringer (Thanks, Paul1) with only 4 stings (I haven't gotten used to the low C string, so I took it off)...Sounds great! It has more "cut" than 8 stings, and I think more sustain, but looses some of the fluidness that 8 stings provides...i.e. tremolo doesn't sound as smooth, and in general, the tone is more stacato.

-DJW

[Capt. E]

Am I ignorant (quite possible) or is a four string single course mandolin size instrument also called a ukelele? Of course we are talking about steel strings, not nylon.

[Arto]

Sorry, I don´t want to hijack the thread, but here is my favourite 4-string acoustic player:

Tamara Volskaia on 4-string domra (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve_EhkMVbFY)

(Domras can have 3 or 4 steel strings, three-stringer is tuned EAD and four-stringer GDAE like a mandolin. Tremolo sounds "drier" on single strings to my ears, but this playing is truly wonderful).

Arto

[JEStanek]

Am I ignorant (quite possible) or is a four string single course mandolin size instrument also called a ukelele? Of course we are talking about steel strings, not nylon.
That's an interesting question that has been attempted to be answered before (i.e., what is a mandolin?). You'll find lots of reading as people attempted to answer that question here. (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=7;t=43668;hl=what+and+is+an d+mandolin)

I wouldn't call a four string instrument of that scale length a uke. I feel it depends on it's tuning and intended use. Others...?!?

Ted, that is a cool looking mando. I would very much like to play something like that sometime.

Jamie

[Bill Snyder]

Am I ignorant (quite possible) or is a four string single course mandolin size instrument also called a ukelele? Of course we are talking about steel strings, not nylon.
Well if you are going to play that game would you call an eight string ukulele a mandolin?
Or a four sting mandolin could be a bowless violin. They are even tuned the same. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Doug Hoople]

My new toy; JP Charles acoustic four-string; alegria do sublte!
Ted, we're going to have to put you on the "too many cool new toys" watchlist! Didn't you just take delivery on a new Austin Clark 2-pointer?

The envy runs deep, man. And it hurts! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Magnus Geijer]

http://geijer.us/albums/Luthiery/100_4394.jpg

I play almost nothing else since I finished this one.
Generally I agree with djweiss on tone compared to an eight-stringer. It's more clearly defined, which can be both good and bad, of course. Definitely strong on sustain, but I tend to get that, I'm guessing due to using oversized neck and tail-piece blocks.

/Magnus

[jim simpson]

I wonder if a 4-stringer might be good for old timey?