My Mandobird (unplugged)

[fiddlinfool]

I'm not saying this idea will work for everyone, and perhap I was the only one with a problem like this, but either way I did want to share.

I had been having a problem with finding daily practice time. With two kids under three-years old my only time for practice is after they are in bed and even then my F-style Washburn is loud enough to risk waking them up.

I had originally stuffed five pairs of socks into an old taterbug mando in an effort to deaden the sound so I could practice without waking the kids. In the end this only added weight (and an odd smell) to the mando but didn't do too much to deaden the sound.

To make a long story short - earlier this week I brought home an Epiphone electric Mandobird to play acoustically. I have found with this I can not only play in my room (next to the kids' bedrooms) when they are sleeping, but I can actually practice in the same room when they are watching TV as the unplugged mandobird has enough volume for me to hear myself play but not so much that it drowns out the TV, wakes the kids, etc. I'm not using headphones with this - just playing it unplugged and I am quite happy with the result.

I guess in the end whatever it takes to get the practice in is a great idea, so I just wanted to share my solution to this problem.

BTW - I still have the socks stuffed in the taterbug and can post some pics if anyone needs a laugh.

[Mattg]

I'm looking to buy one for just exactly the same reason. I'm not really wanting one to jam with it although it will be fun to pump some tunes through my kid's Strat rig. "Whiskey Before Breakfast" with some cool reverb and phaser effects on 10. Keeps the neighbors wondering.

Did you get the 4 or 8 string? If the 4, is it any different from playing the 8? Where did you get it?

If I get one, I will also get the micro amp/ earphone setups that plug directly into the instrument without the need to go through a large amp. That way I can play it louder for me without disturbing the house. It's funny though. I always feel like my playing and practicing is fairly annoying to the fam (probably is). The other day I picked up the mando after a longer business trip and started playing and my boy came in and said "that's what's been missing around here". The fam may be getting used to the racket.

[JEStanek]

There is an 8 string Kent e-mando near my work for sale that I've considered doing the same with. They want $200 for it but the Bride said no. It's a good idea.

Jamie

[fiddlinfool]

Mattg - I bought the Mandobird on ebay for about $140 (US). It's the eight string, tobacco burst finish version (I'll post a pic tonight). The more I practice with it (and the greater opportunities I now have to practice) the more I am convinced it's the best puchase I have made in a long time.

[Jim MacDaniel]

...They want $200 for it but the Bride said no.

<sigh> I've often been faced the same problem whenever I wanted to buy another instrument. (Marriage -- the only known cure for MAS.

[arbarnhart]

I have a 4 string e-mando for exactly this reason and I have mixed feelings. On a scale of 1-10, for quality of right hand practice I would give it a solid 8 and for left hand maybe a 6 or 7. My main mando is an 8 string acoustic oval A with small frets. With big frets and 4 strings, I get away with some left hand slop that sounds pretty bad on the acoustic. On the right hand the coupla points off are for three different minor reasons. The body is smaller so I don't have the same forearm placement. The bridge is different and I have a bridge cover that I can rest the heel of my hand pretty firmly against with no risk of muting the strings. That's a nice arrangement, but different than my acoustic. And then there is the matter of only having 4 strings so strumming is different. I can't work on pulling tone out of the oval hole, of course. However, for noodling and/or learning new material it is a 10 out of 10.

The reason I have mixed feelings is I am not sure 7/10 is good enough. I am looking at an option someone suggested of using a sliding cello mute on my acoustic. If that is adequate, I might sell the electric.

[delsbrother]

$200 is a very good price on a Kent, assuming it's in good condition.

[Hoosierpred]

I'm in the nashville area, and I have a mandobird that I would give someone a good price on----say $170 provided that you can pick it up and I don't have to go through the hassle of shipping.

[fiddlinfool]

Here's a pic of the mandobird and the bowlback (still stuffed with five pairs of socks)...

[Mattg]

Reviving an old thread. This has become my quite play practice rig but with a new twist. The mini-amp in the picture also will mix input from my MP3 player very nicely with input from the pick-up so that I can play along with any tune. It works very well and I can practice at all hours without disturbing the family. Win-win!

[Mattg]

A bit more. The amp is the Pocket-RockIt. It works pretty well but eats through 9 volts pretty fast. It is designed to plug into the instrument without the patch cord but it works best with a cord so that I can get to the controls. It has a few effects and they make some models with more effects. By-the-way. I played both the 4 and 8 string M-birds but liked the 8 string best. Not only does it simulate a real mando better but the 4 string's saddle has these little sharp screw heads that irritated my pick hand. I also use this with a Roland Cube with head phones. The Cube does have an aux input also but I haven't tried to plug any other audio source into it yet.