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Thread: Unusual Mandolin

  1. #1
    5 Blessings Sweetpea44's Avatar
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    Default Unusual Mandolin

    Has anyone seen one of these before?

    http://raleigh.craigslist.org/msg/4856812673.html

    Strange.
    Be true to your teeth, or they'll be false to you!

  2. #2
    Registered User Petrus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Mandoharp?

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  3. #3
    5 Blessings Sweetpea44's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    That's probably what it is .... interesting.
    Be true to your teeth, or they'll be false to you!

  4. #4
    Registered User rubydubyr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Beautiful sounding instrument
    If I miss one day’s practice, I notice it. If I miss two days’ practice, the critics notice it. If I miss three days’ practice, the public notices it.
    Franz Liszt, 1894

  5. #5
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    That is David Grisman (mandolin) and Bryan Bowers (autoharp) playing a duet. Nothing to do with the instrument above. Those mandoliras or harp-mandolins were novelty instruments tho some were made by excellent luthiery shops. Some harp mandolins actually had unfretted strings like a harp to play bass notes. Some did not have those strings so in those cases they were just odd-shaped mandolins.
    Jim

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    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    I'll say not unusual (renaissance music knew the theorbo) and not really a mandolin (GDAE alone does not qualify).
    the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world

  7. #7
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Hmmm... Bertram, not sure what you mean ... you could certainly play mandolin music on those oddball instruments. I would say they are mandolins. Tuned the same, same tonal range, metals strung and fretted... what else do you need?
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  9. #8
    '`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`' Jacob's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Listed at Players Vintage Instruments. (nfi)

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  10. #9
    5 Blessings Sweetpea44's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    This one doesn't appear to have separate tuners/bridge for the harp part .... I guess the 'look' of a mandoharp, but not a 'true' version?
    Be true to your teeth, or they'll be false to you!

  11. #10
    Mandolin tragic Graham McDonald's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    probably a Monzino, made in Milan, who made quite a few of these in different styles. It is certainly a mandolin. I have concluded that a gdae tuning with double strings is just about the only defining thing that makes a mandolin. There can be so much variation in just about every other aspect of these things! Just wait until the book comes out!

    g

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  13. #11
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Sweetpea44 View Post
    This one doesn't appear to have separate tuners/bridge for the harp part .... I guess the 'look' of a mandoharp, but not a 'true' version?
    See my posts above. Sort of a pseudo-harpmandolin. Novelty!
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  14. #12
    Registered User rubydubyr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    That is David Grisman (mandolin) and Bryan Bowers (autoharp) playing a duet. Nothing to do with the instrument above. Those mandoliras or harp-mandolins were novelty instruments tho some were made by excellent luthiery shops. Some harp mandolins actually had unfretted strings like a harp to play bass notes. Some did not have those strings so in those cases they were just odd-shaped mandolins.
    Well darn...... I looked on youtube and googled, that was the only music I could find that might have been a mando harp.... So now, I am immensely curious as to how they actually sound. And Grissman's youtube above is still hauntingly beautiful
    If I miss one day’s practice, I notice it. If I miss two days’ practice, the critics notice it. If I miss three days’ practice, the public notices it.
    Franz Liszt, 1894

  15. #13
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by rubydubyr View Post
    ...So now, I am immensely curious as to how they actually sound...
    Here's a Martin "harp"-mandolin being played by Jess "The Professor" Youngquest with Miller's Wheel. No "harp" strings, just a large "horn" body:

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  16. #14
    Registered User rubydubyr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    ty, but how can you tell???? the idiot with the camera faced it straight into the outdoor light, so everything is so dark.
    If I miss one day’s practice, I notice it. If I miss two days’ practice, the critics notice it. If I miss three days’ practice, the public notices it.
    Franz Liszt, 1894

  17. #15
    Registered User Petrus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    There are harp ukes along with the usual harp guitars. I've never seen a harp mandocello though.

    Here's an interesting thing ... 38-string harp-sympitar.

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  18. #16
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Go to Gregg Miners site, http://harpguitars.net for more facts etc. about harp-instruments than you will ever want to know.
    Last edited by Jim Garber; Feb-01-2015 at 8:58pm.
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  19. #17
    Registered User rubydubyr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    Go to Gregg Miners site, http://harp guitars.net for more facts etched about harp-instruments than you will ever want to know.
    something not right with the link
    If I miss one day’s practice, I notice it. If I miss two days’ practice, the critics notice it. If I miss three days’ practice, the public notices it.
    Franz Liszt, 1894

  20. #18
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Sorry! Tried to do this on my iphone. It should be fixed.
    Jim

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  21. #19
    Registered User Timbofood's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Cool link Jim!
    Timothy F. Lewis
    "If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett

  22. #20
    Registered User rubydubyr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    I tried to click on a couple of links on the page, it wants me to be a member to get anywhere but the main page
    If I miss one day’s practice, I notice it. If I miss two days’ practice, the critics notice it. If I miss three days’ practice, the public notices it.
    Franz Liszt, 1894

  23. #21
    ISO TEKNO delsbrother's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Not sure what you're talking about Ruby. There is a member section, but most of the place is free.

    Here's the Monzino page:

    http://harpguitars.net/history/monzino/monzino.htm

  24. #22
    Registered User Petrus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Oh yeah!

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  25. #23
    Registered User zedmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Well they have harpguitars--so why not mando harps?
    I wouldn't mind either one--although I don't know I'd have the time to tune it properly...
    Would it save you a lot of time if I just gave up and went mad now?

  26. #24
    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    Hmmm... Bertram, not sure what you mean ... you could certainly play mandolin music on those oddball instruments. I would say they are mandolins. Tuned the same, same tonal range, metals strung and fretted... what else do you need?
    I am trying to follow the builder's mind here. These are not harps, because there are no extra strings, so technically they are mandolins with bodies distorted to look like something else from afar. A bit like '59 Caddillacs that wanted to look like airplanes. So it was not the builder's intention to just build a mandolin that sounds like a mandolin and looks like a mandolin, and equally it is probably not a prospective buyer's intention to just play a mandolin. This is a grey area instrument.
    the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world

  27. #25
    Registered User Petrus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Unusual Mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Bertram Henze View Post
    These are not harps, because there are no extra strings, so technically they are mandolins with bodies distorted to look like something else from afar.
    So, they're kind of like F type mandos then?

    (Ducking for cover ... )

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