GOM as a grass instrument

[red7flag]

I went to the Full Moon Picking event at Fiddle 'n Pick in Pegram, TN just west of Nashville. I played my Weber Octar for most of my time there and got a number of very positive remarks. It has a very bassy rhythmic sound when chorded. The double stringing and large body with f holes gives it a very strong presence. I will say that it has a voice, especially when chorded that is different than you expect in a grass jam. I got some cool looks when they realized that it was not a guitar. They would look at the headstock and say quisically "Eight strings? What is it?" I played Soldiers Joy the first time through with the mandolin. For fun, I switched to GOM for the next lead. I missed a few notes at first, not stretching enough, being used to the mandolin. Once I got the feel, it sounded really good. Overall, I was really pleased with the feel and sound of the GOM in a grass jam.

[steve V. johnson]

Well done, and congrats!!

stv

[sgarrity]

I played the heck outta my Flatiron 'zouk at an old-time jam yesterday and enjoyed every minute of it. I'd switch back to mandolin when my left hand would get tired. But other than that, it was great fun. It was well received and people seemed to like it too. I even played Old Daingerfield on it! I can definitely see a GOM in my future at some point!

[otterly2k]

I took my OM to an old time jam once, and one of the fellas quietly pulled me aside and let me know when the Celtic sessions were meeting. As if I'd mistakenly lost my way.

[sgarrity]

I can't stand small minded people. Luckily, I've run across very few of them playing music but I know they're out there. An octave works perfectly for old-time and bluegrassy tunes. Let's start a trend Tony!!

[allenhopkins]

I took my OM to an old time jam once, and one of the fellas quietly pulled me aside and let me know when the Celtic sessions were meeting. As if I'd mistakenly lost my way.

We keep running into this kind of thing, don't we? The bluegrass jammers who can't accept even a mandola, the old-timey types who think OM's are only for Celtic, etc. What's funny is that the people these restrictive people are trying to emulate, were nowhere near as restrictive. Bill Monroe tried a bunch of different instrumental combinations before settling on the mandolin/fiddle/banjo/guitar/bass template. And as for old-timey, look at the '20's and '30's string bands, with everything from banjo-ukulele to Autoharp to cello, piano, kazoo, harmonica, accordion, hammer dulcimer...

Wasn't too long ago that guitars and mandolin-family instruments were suspect at the more traditional Irish seisuns, since they were relatively recent arrivals to join fiddle, pipes and harps. Now no one blinks if you show up with an OM or bouzouki. Barriers sure are annoying! If you can do the music, and work well with others in the group, the instrument you're playing shouldn't exclude you.

I'm glad red7flag was welcome in that bluegrass jam with his Weber. Unfortunately, he might find other jams where he'd get a bit of the ol' fisheye.

[Eddie Sheehy]

That ol' fisheye ain't no part of nuthin'

[delsbrother]

I took my OM to an old time jam once, and one of the fellas quietly pulled me aside and let me know when the Celtic sessions were meeting. As if I'd mistakenly lost my way.

You should've said, "Oh, in that case..." and whipped out your spoons.

[Andy Miller]

red7flag, that's great you made it to a jam with pickers who listen with their ears instead of their eyes. It sure is frustrating to be somewhere where they even know what an octave mandolin IS, only to find that they somehow disapprove!