View Full Version : NPR All Songs Considered feat. Mandolin-Banjo
thirdstation
Jan-09-2009, 7:24am
The latest NPR "All Songs Considered" podcast features Woven Hand's David Eugene Edwards playing a few songs with a mandolin-banjo.
It can be enjoyed here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99082535
It's an interesting looking instrument and sounds nice. Until this morning the only mandolin/banjo hybrids I'd seen were the small banjo-shaped mandolins (with the drum and high voicing).
I'd say this one is a mandolin-shaped banjo :-)
-Mark
JEStanek
Jan-09-2009, 7:33am
That sounded very nice. It looks like it is similar to the banjola (http://elderly.com/new_instruments/items/GTBJLDX.htm) by the scale length. I wonder how it is tuned?
Jamie
manjitsu
Jan-09-2009, 7:40am
They identify the instrument as a "Pullman" but it certainly appears to be one of August Pollman's creations.
-Chris
MikeEdgerton
Jan-09-2009, 7:42am
Actually the article is wrong, it was built by Pollman, not the Pullman company that built rail cars.
thirdstation
Jan-09-2009, 8:15am
I guess their fact checkers are still on vacation ;-)
Thanks for pointing that out. I sent them a message regarding the error.
Now, if we can only get the banjo players of the world to play these instead ;-)
allenhopkins
Jan-09-2009, 8:33am
I own a Pollman, plus its 21st Century descendant, the Gold Tone banjola. (Basically the same thing, but with better tuners...) August Pollman made quite a few instruments with large mandolin-type bodies; I've seen 5-strings like mine and this one, 4-strings, and 6-strings -- here's (http://www.bernunzio.com/item.php?sku=0811678)a 6-string for sale at Bernunzio's.
One small correction: Pollman spelled it "mandoline" as in "mandoline banjo." Also, he labeled some of his instruments "Polimeni," as if a more Italian-sounding name would make them more salable.
Edward Dick of Denver makes very fine Banjolas. The last new one I've seen has brazilian rosewood back and sides. He make 5 and 6 strings in steel and nylon. They are amazing instruments. Edward plays his like a classical guitar and the quality of tone and the volume is increadible. At a recent house concert, Edward and Steve Mullins (an outstanding mando player) did a banjola/mandolin duet and then a duet with Edward on his nylon strings and Steve on his steel strings. It was very good.
Edward taught me how to make guitars and he does my major instrument repairs. Check out his web
http://www.evd303.com/