View Full Version : How long have you gone without playing?
mobilecat
Jan-12-2010, 10:22pm
......clearly too long. Do you think I need to change the strings? :)
Mike Snyder
Jan-12-2010, 11:17pm
Yep. And call Orkin. There may be critters in there. Man, I've been accused of having a messy/dirty mandolin, but you have me beat. Are you doing some demolition? Buy a case, son!
Bertram Henze
Jan-13-2010, 1:06am
Careful when dusting that off - don't ruin the finish. Is that concrete dust? :disbelief: It's so GREY... reminds me of what I have seen in BOF steel plants, and if that applies the finish is ruined already because metal/cinder dust is chemically aggressive. :whistling:
Ivan Kelsall
Jan-13-2010, 2:18am
What the h.................!!! - How on earth did that Mandolin end up with all the world's dust on it,
& then there's the cobwebs ??!!,
Ivan:disbelief:
Mike Snyder
Jan-13-2010, 2:39am
He plonked that horrible photo down, then he went to bed and left me here with you Europeans.
I always enjoy your company late at night, guys. I'm very curious about that photo!
He plonked that horrible photo down, then he went to bed and left me here with you Europeans.
Man, I blew Dr. Pepper out of my nose when I read that! :))
I'm awake too...at least for a couple more hours.
Ray(T)
Jan-13-2010, 3:20am
Looks like something that has been in a luthiers workshop for too long but what make is it? My guess would be a "Holoubek". Anyone know?
Bertram Henze
Jan-13-2010, 4:12am
... and left me here with you Europeans.
I always enjoy your company late at night, guys.
:)) At your service. Always glad to help a lonely American through the night...
Too funny.
That mandolin is ooky. Clearly a modern build - scoopy doopy, curved frets, big scroll. To get that level of dusty grunge on it, it had to have been sitting in a dark place for over a year. Talk about dust-stressed.
Rick Schmidlin
Jan-13-2010, 7:14am
two days now
Scotti Adams
Jan-13-2010, 8:29am
18 months
LKN2MYIS
Jan-13-2010, 10:09am
Not playing, or not playing well?
BIG difference for me!
JeffD
Jan-13-2010, 10:14am
A few days or so. Perhaps as long as a week once. This does not include the self enforced mandolin diet I underwent while trying to learn the fiddle, or the ridiculously wrong headed attempt to quit all music for several years to pursue some professional goals.
KristinEliza
Jan-13-2010, 10:17am
I play every day...just not the same instrument...
And sometimes it's only "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" with my students.
fatt-dad
Jan-13-2010, 10:36am
this photo was taken at the research lab for Gibson. It's shows their ongoing research on distressing.
Back when I was living with two kids in diapers, I went quite a while without playing my mandolins or guitars - maybe like 10 or 12 months or so. . .
f-d
Paul Kotapish
Jan-13-2010, 1:44pm
A couple of weeks at most. One reason I try to keep a gig--any gig--on the calendar at least every week or so is to make sure that I actually play regularly. I love to practice and rehearse, but when I'm worn out with the day job and herding two little kids it gets easy to get lazy and veg out with a DVD instead of tackling those diminished-chord arpeggios. A concert, dance, or coffeehouse put enough fear into me to keep the dust off the mando.
allenhopkins
Jan-13-2010, 8:45pm
Don't know how long, but it seemed like forever...
In the past 45 years, it was probably Army basic and AIT. After that I at least stuck a couple harmonicas in the footlocker. Wasn't playing mandolin yet, just banjo, guitar and Autoharp.
mobilecat
Jan-13-2010, 10:11pm
It was really quite innocent...and the mandolin suffered no long term damage.
I hurt my wrist over 1 year ago when someone handed me a package that looked quite light that turned out to weight a TON. Upon taking the package if felt a ping in my wrist/forearm. Its taken me over a year and a half to recover strength enough to play again. I have lost alot of motion though that I doubt will ever return.
However the dust accumulation is reflective of the fact that a Roomba cannot be your only vacuum. My canister vac broke and for 6 months I was only using this Roomba. Pretty scary whats in the air.
Yep the mandolin is a fairly new builder that I dont think I will reveal as he would kill me over its negligence.
Longest I have gone without pickin is ~ 7 months....glad to be back at it again.
Bertram Henze
Jan-14-2010, 1:42am
However the dust accumulation is reflective of the fact that a Roomba cannot be your only vacuum. My canister vac broke and for 6 months I was only using this Roomba. Pretty scary whats in the air.
I'd not have a robot take care of my instrument either... But for a broken vacuum, there's easy emergency substitutes (http://www.amazon.com/Evercare-Electrostatic-Duster/dp/B00009V347), operable with both hands :grin:. Sorry, no excuses.
Mike Snyder
Jan-14-2010, 4:00am
OK, now that I've got the skinny on that photo (cringe) I'll tell of my time lag. Fall 1981, days before my first marriage, I got my left index finger tangled in a power mitre box. Took off about 5/8 inch. Man, was I disgusted with myself. I didn't play for FOUR YEARS. Mostly feeling sorry for myself. A waste of time. Now I just play and don't think about it. How about an after photo, mobilcat, of that badly neglected mandolin. Looks like a nice one.