Results 1 to 18 of 18

Thread: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

  1. #1
    Registered User samlyman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Post Falls, Idaho
    Posts
    295

    Default Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    I am curious to know who plays the RM1 as their primary mandolin? It seems to me from cafe posts and from chatting with pickers that many people pick up the instrument as a second instrument because of its tonal difference or increased volume and yet few people use the RM 1 as their primary...

    It looks like Rich Del Grosso and Silas Lowe from the Atomic Duo fall into the primary camp. Who else - famous or not?

  2. #2
    plectrist Ryk Loske's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Craftsbury, Vermont
    Posts
    695

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    Sam,
    With my Rigel I-110 out on consignment ... there is just an all Maple RM-1 and my Weber Big Horn oval hole here. I play the RM-1 much more. Now .. part of that is that i'm more comfortable taking it to jams because of its "ruggedness". But i love the added sustain. I've strung it with TIs and that tones down what some may think of as grittiness. Just because it has a volume knob that goes to 12 doesn't mean you have to crank it to that. You just have lots more power and sustain at your disposal. I've already been backed into the corner of having to answer the question of: "If you could only have one ... which one?". It'd break my heart to see the Bighorn go.... but the RM-1 is here to stay.

    Ryk
    mandolin ~ guitar ~ banjo

    "I'm convinced that playing well is not so much a technique as it is a decision. It's a commitment to do the work, strive for concentration, get strategic about advancing by steps, and push patiently forward toward the goal." Dan Crary

  3. #3
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Upstate New York
    Posts
    24,807
    Blog Entries
    56

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    I use my RM-1 as my primary during the summer when I play in an out door contra dance pick up band once a week. The extra volume is really useful in a pick up band situation.

    Also it has been the "only" mandolin I have brought to various parties and jams, and so for that evening at least it was my primary.

    There is a monster jam up north of me once a month, with something over 20 other musicians, and a vocal mike and the RM-1 is the right tool for that job.

    Overall, however, I don't have a primary. I play them all at different times for different reasons. I can't say they get an absolutely balanced even work out, but no one of them can claim to be my number one.

    When a new instrument has joined my herd, it gets all my attention till the honeymoon is over. But in general, they all seem to excel at something, and each one becomes my go to instrument when what ever that something is becomes important.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

  4. #4

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    Blues mandolin maestro and touring and recording artist Bert Deivert uses an RM-1 as his primary gigging instrument.

  5. #5
    Registered User samlyman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Post Falls, Idaho
    Posts
    295

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    Thanks for the heads-up about Bert. I will check out his videos.

  6. #6
    Mandolin Botherer Shelagh Moore's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Leicestershire, UK
    Posts
    1,378

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    The RM-1 is my primary "taking out" mandolin (e.g. sessions and jams). For relaxing noodling at home I like my Nava.

  7. #7

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by samlyman View Post
    Thanks for the heads-up about Bert. I will check out his videos.
    He and his band Copperhead Run have a new album out this month. I'm looking forward to it.

  8. #8
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Westchester, NY
    Posts
    30,753

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    I am like jeffD. I have been using it at big jams when I put my fiddle aside. I can hear myself. I also do not have a main mandolin. It all depends on the situation . If Jeff and I ever meet we will prob have the Battle of the RM-1s.

  9. #9
    Registered User Bert Deivert's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Karlstad, Sweden
    Posts
    139

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    Hi Sam,
    as Ron mentioned, I play my RM-1 with a hotplate pickup as my main gigging and recording instrument. I got the hotplate pickup some years ago after Rich DelGrosso told me he had one. I hadn't known they were made for mandolins at that time. I started out first on a 30's Regal Dobro resonator mandolin, switched to a 1941 National Style O brass mandolin, and then settled finally on the RM-1 in 2008 due to the mixture of wood and metal in the sound, and the wide neck. I prefer at least 29-30mm width at the nut. The pickup added later on helped any problems with sound guys that could not get a decent mix without feedback if I played in front of a condenser mike. If possible I combine the lined RM-1 with a good condenser mike. The pickup itself though gives quite an okay sound, with a mix of acoustic and electric sounds, though doesn't have a high output, so a line box or pre-amp is really necessary if you don't use an amp. Here is a link to the opening tune of our latest album, out in May. This is recorded live, with no overdubs, using 2 Neumann mikes as a stereo pair in front of the RM-1. A Big Joe Williams song done in our own way.
    http://soundcloud.com/bertdeivert/01...please-dont-go

    Good luck with the RM-1. It is a very flexible instrument!
    cheers
    BERT
    Last edited by Bert Deivert; Apr-01-2015 at 7:02am.
    2010 Giacomel J5 #86
    2019 David 各fl custom 2 point
    2008 National RM-1
    1941 National Style 0
    1968 Gibson EM-200

  10. The following members say thank you to Bert Deivert for this post:


  11. #10
    Registered User Bert Deivert's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Karlstad, Sweden
    Posts
    139

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    I also use Thomastik Infeld mediums like Ryk. They last forever and give a great tone, as well as being right for the hotplate pickup.
    2010 Giacomel J5 #86
    2019 David 各fl custom 2 point
    2008 National RM-1
    1941 National Style 0
    1968 Gibson EM-200

  12. #11
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Fort Lauderdale, FL
    Posts
    3,859

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by bdeivert View Post
    I also use Thomastik Infeld mediums like Ryk. They last forever and give a great tone, as well as being right for the hotplate pickup.
    And here I just bought a set of Starks for mine.
    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
    2005 National RM-1
    2007 Hester A5
    2009 Passernig A5
    2015 Black A2-z
    2010 Black GBOM
    2017 Poe Scout
    2014 Smart F-Style Mandola
    2018 Vessel TM5
    2019 Hogan F5

  13. The following members say thank you to pheffernan for this post:


  14. #12
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Upstate New York
    Posts
    24,807
    Blog Entries
    56

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    If Jeff and I ever meet we will prob have the Battle of the RM-1s.
    It will be like that scene in the original Rollerball - we will go outside and burn down the trees with our mighty F# minor.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

  15. The following members say thank you to JeffD for this post:


  16. #13
    Registered User samlyman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Post Falls, Idaho
    Posts
    295

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    Bert:

    Thanks for the reply. I checked out some of your YouTube videos and see we share a love for the blues. Where do you get the Thomastik strings from?

    Sam

  17. #14
    wood butcher Spruce's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Orcas Island, Washington
    Posts
    6,172

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by bdeivert View Post
    This is recorded live, with no overdubs, using 2 Neumann mikes as a stereo pair in front of the RM-1.
    Was there any other amplification, or a DI taken from the Hot Plate??
    I've had a hard time getting the RM-1 to sound grungy enough on tape, and you seem to be getting that grunge in spades...

    Those RM-1s can sound too good...


    Quote Originally Posted by samlyman View Post
    Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin?
    Steve James.

  18. #15
    Registered User Bert Deivert's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Karlstad, Sweden
    Posts
    139

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    Me and Steve James with our RM-1s at the Blues festival in Rovaniemi, Finland in the Fall of 2014.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Bert_Deivert&Steve_James_SMALL.jpg 
Views:	190 
Size:	314.1 KB 
ID:	132450
    2010 Giacomel J5 #86
    2019 David 各fl custom 2 point
    2008 National RM-1
    1941 National Style 0
    1968 Gibson EM-200

  19. The following members say thank you to Bert Deivert for this post:


  20. #16
    Registered User Bert Deivert's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Karlstad, Sweden
    Posts
    139

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    @ Sam, I bought the strings from Strings and Beyond, but because the dollar is strong now, it is cheaper to buy them in Germany online from Thomann. I am testing the D'Addario Flatwounds for mandolin now on an other mandolin.
    @Spruce, NO DI or amp on the RM-1 in the recording. Strictly acoustic recording of the mandolin with a stereo pair of Neumanns. The guitarist was in an isolated room with an amp, and I was in the other room with the bass (DI) and the drummer. There is some leakage, but great sound live!
    2010 Giacomel J5 #86
    2019 David 各fl custom 2 point
    2008 National RM-1
    1941 National Style 0
    1968 Gibson EM-200

  21. The following members say thank you to Bert Deivert for this post:

    Spruce 

  22. #17
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Fort Lauderdale, FL
    Posts
    3,859

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by bdeivert View Post
    I am testing the D'Addario Flatwounds for mandolin now on an other mandolin.
    Is it your Stanley? And, if so, what are your thoughts?
    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
    2005 National RM-1
    2007 Hester A5
    2009 Passernig A5
    2015 Black A2-z
    2010 Black GBOM
    2017 Poe Scout
    2014 Smart F-Style Mandola
    2018 Vessel TM5
    2019 Hogan F5

  23. #18
    Registered User Bert Deivert's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Karlstad, Sweden
    Posts
    139

    Default Re: Who plays the National RM1 as a primary mandolin

    Yes the D'Addario Flatwounds EFW74 or something like that are on the Stanley and it is lent to a friend who loves playing it, so he can warm it up for awhile, since I am breaking in my new Giacomel. I played on it a few days a go and thought it was warmer than with bronze strings and not as harsh on the top end. The Stanley is loud and brash on the treble with a more balanced midrange with bronze strings, but the flat wounds even it out. Great mandolin.
    2010 Giacomel J5 #86
    2019 David 各fl custom 2 point
    2008 National RM-1
    1941 National Style 0
    1968 Gibson EM-200

  24. The following members say thank you to Bert Deivert for this post:


Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •