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Sunburst, you may have hit on part of the problem as Toyota will not put your car in a storage area for months waiting for attention. They couldn't stay in business if they operated that way. ...

A bruise is worse than a blister and takes longer to heal - it was caused by "hammering" on the strings too hard, which is common to mandolin beginners. It will heal if you heed the message your...

Willie, I might assume that your comment about Ricky's CD could have involved the idea of "overproduced". Anyone who thinks that five very talented pickers taking a break at the same time (and...

If you listen to the Columbia historical recordings of the 1945 Blue Grass boys (with some outtakes), you will hear (my opinion) Bill reduce his vocal domination, giving the lead vocal role more to...

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the Rounder album "Songs That Tell a Story", which is early radio show transcripts of just the two of them (no band). Its my favorite and really shows off Ira's...

I use the sandpaper mentioned above ("Pick Gripz" made by Paige - available at Elderly). They are made for picks, peel and stick and work very well. Allow your thumb to gradually get used to the...

Hmmmmmm, I'm wondering how to answer this - NOT!

I like old westerns and saw a mandolin player with the campfire band in Gene Autry's "Melody Ranch" (1940) the other day on Encore Westerns. It might have been a Martin flat back and he was doing a...

The only problem I have ever had with Caltons in the overheads is on the "DASH-8" (turboprop wing sitting atop a saltine box). I had to turn it around so the handle faced the inside of the overhead...

I'm surprised noone has mentioned my favorite Louvin Brothers album - "Songs that Tell a Story" (Rounder CD 1030). It's a compilation from their early radio shows - just Charlie and Ira. I've read...

Yankees1, I too started being serious with the mandolin at age 60 (10 years ago) and I also have small hands. It took me a long time to get to the "chop" G chord but here is how I did it. Start in...

I think you are right on the subject Willie as the point you are making is in the long run, it is all about feel and touch. When you know the feel and touch that you want, minor deviations are...

One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the "height" or action. Some people prefer very low (close to the frets) and some prefer high. There is also string spacing, both between the pairs and...

On a more serious note, I also have a "frontal protuberance" and I was annoyed that whan performing with my band (standing) the mandolin had a tendency to bounce around, especially on a hot summer...

Roland White offers free mandolin tabulature forms to print from his website. If you are looking for beginner to intermediate bluegrass instruction material, his book with 2 CDs is the best in the...

I think this discussion is a simplification of a much broader subject. First, just on the topic of radius, there are different amounts of radius. While I think 9" and 12" are most common there may...

Gosh Willie, maybe you are getting grumpy with age, being critical of Scotty and Eddie in the same thought - next you might be saying your buddy Dudley can't sing (just kidding!). This discussion...

I can vouch for the excellence of the Monroe DVD and the David McLaughlin (I have VHS) videos, as well as a number of other Murphy videos I own. If they would pleeeaaaaassssseee get off the hard...

I would argue that Arnold Schultz and Uncle Pen were the "main" influences of WSMs music as I grew up in a rural southern (not far from Rosine) environment without TV or telephone (we had radio). ...

Bradley, when I received BRW#61, I played it hard from October to March and then I thought it marginally ready to take on stage - this is with an Englemann top which is a bit slower than red cedar. ...

I like to rationalize cost on a different scale - cost per hour of enjoyment. This is entertainment, relaxation, and pleasure. Compare the cost per hour of mandolins to other forms of...

My BRWs live in Caltons and I have noticed that you can get considerable temperature change, even in a Calton in a relatively short time. If its in the sun for even a short time, the case warms...

I read somewhere that it takes a highly skilled luthier about 100 hours of labor to complete an "F" style fully bound mandolin. If you consider materials, tools, operating a shop, health and...

I agree with Allenhopkins and will add that I think that WSMs mandolin playing and style was also greatly influenced by Scruggs' banjo playing. I have elaborated on this before so I will just...

I agree with the prior posts that embellishments of crosspicking really do add a bit of flash and class, when not overdone. This discussion reminds me of the Country Gentlemen "folk song" period...