As I type this, I have not been playing mandolin for a week. I started playing acoustic guitar in 1990. I am self taught and have always been a casual, recreational player, lending myself mainly to strumming and singing. There was a brief period in university (about 1 year) when I went without a guitar because I sold it for money to buy food. My first guitar was an entry level Washburn, and after the break, I picked up a ###### Texarkana from a pawn shop. I made ...