The mandolin goes... steampunk?

**Matt DeBlass** · Nov-30-2009, 4:42pm

I'm booked to play at the Steampunk World's Fair here in New Jersey in May (look! That's me and my mandolin towards the bottom of the performers page here).
I get to be a "street musician" for the event, playing at various places throughout the day.
What I'm trying to figure out is what, if anything I need to add to my repertoire (which is primarily Celtic folk) and if I can dress up myself and my instruments with any appropriate, and removable, gadgetry to make the cut. If anybody has suggestions, chime in, but mostly I thought this was just a strange and kinda cool new place to take the mandolin.

**JoeD** · Nov-30-2009, 4:50pm

I'd delve into Steam Powered Aeroplane. John Hartford was Steampunk before Steampunk was cool.

**catmandu2** · Nov-30-2009, 4:50pm

Way to go, Matt. IMO, your harping will reliably draw attention, but as it's a rather sombre instrument, you can more easily "grab" people with vocals added to your mando/guitar accompaniment. Maybe between now and May, you can learn some of your repertoire on harmonica--if you don't already: personally, I enjoy the interplay of at least two instruments, and find that it creates more interest for many listeners. IME, people are most easily captured for short periods of time with the ostentatious combination of banjo and harmonica. Also, you could add another player (perhaps a fiddler?

).

**Mike Bunting** · Nov-30-2009, 4:51pm

Looks like an excellent gig.

**delsbrother** · Nov-30-2009, 5:12pm

For Sale Here

**Mandoviol** · Nov-30-2009, 5:33pm

You might want to add some rags and comic/parlor songs from the late Victorian Era as well to your repertoire. If you don't necessarily want to stick to time-period songs, you may want to look at somebody like Jonathan Coulton for mad scientist and monster-themed songs (Paul and Storm's "Live" is pretty good re reanimation of corpses). As for costume, that's up to you. I'd look around online to see what some Steampunk costumes look like. Maybe you should attach pistons to your mandolin?

**allenhopkins** · Nov-30-2009, 5:49pm

Get a banjo-mandolin. Paint the head with psychedelic swirls. Attach a flashing LED to the headstock. Then learn The Final Countdown like this guy:

Is that "steampunk" or what? One of my all-time favorite YouTube music videos...

**Matt DeBlass** · Nov-30-2009, 6:04pm

Allen, I don't know WHAT it is, but it sure is cool.
I'm thinking of trying to fabricate a tone-guard/armrest from some brass or copper tubing. We'll see if I can make it work.
The steampunk music scene seems pretty eclectic, from what I've been able to see, with no hard and fast rules, which is appealing. This is one of those gigs where I knew a few people involved and said "hey, this looks cool, if I play music will you let me in for free?"
As for costuming, I was thinking of taking my cues from Victorian-era cyclists, and getting kind of a Cecil Sharp "bicycling balladeer" vibe going.

That harp mandolin, though, would be perfect... but just a wee bit outside my budget for a non-paying gig.

**Mandoviol** · Nov-30-2009, 7:33pm

Cecil Sharp? Haha, then you need to learn the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain's version of "Shaft," in which they reference Sharp.

**Matt DeBlass** · Nov-30-2009, 7:51pm

Originally Posted by Mandoviol

Cecil Sharp? Haha, then you need to learn the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain's version of "Shaft," in which they reference Sharp.

"who is the man who wore plus-fours in the Appalachian Mountains?"

**J. Galoshes Esq.** · Nov-30-2009, 7:57pm

I love the juxtaposition of the pictures on that site.

They all have a certain burlesque/anachronistic hipsterness to them, and then you show up like "hey guys I play mandolin!"

Love it

**Ben Milne** · Nov-30-2009, 8:23pm

I saw Liam Finn play a set the other day using a loop station and octave pedal in his guitar rig. this allowed him to set grooves, and then move on to loop in some basslickss etc, and would then finish the song off drumming and singing...

I'd love to see you put your Bodhran (or any of your instruments for that matter) through a loop and jam along... if you could rig up a rechargable system on a trolley that could be a freakin sweet street performance.

**Bertram Henze** · Dec-01-2009, 2:20am

Make sure to get a pair of brass goggles and a RM-1 mandolin, and wear some beaten-up leather jacket with it.

**Matt DeBlass** · Dec-01-2009, 6:23am

I like the idea of the loop pedal, not just for this gig but for future shows. Since I play mostly solo, it would be cool to be able to lay down at least some sort of rhythm track.

Of course, if I really wanted to go steampunk with a drum machine, I'd do it James Taylor style, with an analog drumming machine

**Steve Conley** · Dec-01-2009, 12:00pm

Much of the Steampunk aesthetic can be gleaned from the Girl Genius webcomic ("Adventure! Romance! MAD SCIENCE!") by Kaja and Phil Foglio, which is also just lots of fun to read.

I used to joke about building a portative calliope for my steampunk band, but I don't think that could really be managed without some serious second degree burns.

An old friend of mine, who I haven't had a chance to talk to in many, many years, sells steampunk jewelry and does custom work according to her website. No financial interest personally and I can't really vouch for anything, but here's the link, if for no other reason than to get some ideas: http://www.etsy.com/shop/DivineIguan...ion_id=5625389

**Matt DeBlass** · Dec-01-2009, 11:55pm

One of the organizers of the festival I'm playing at in May just had a small-ish steampunk-themed gathering. I got lots of ideas, and met some of the people. Some really nice folks who are a lot of fun to hang around with.
I also came to realize that, as someone who builds fixed-gear bicycles and tinkers with acoustic instruments as hobbies, I already have a lot in common with them.

**Bertram Henze** · Dec-02-2009, 2:37am

An slightly steampunkish element most of us already have is an electronic tuner attached to the headstock. Just have it encrusted with brass and cogwheels and you're done.

**Mandoviol** · Dec-02-2009, 3:08am

You need to put on a G-string extender (like the C-string extender on an upright bass) to make it look more mechanical (and change tunings on the fly).

**T.J.** · Dec-02-2009, 7:09pm

National RM-1...

...versus Beltona Koru.

I like the Koru's fake scroll, cut into the top and lined with speaker grille.

But, for sheer industrial design steampunk, the winner has to be... the Donmo!

**delsbrother** · Dec-02-2009, 8:11pm

Stroh mandolin FTW!

**Mandoviol** · Dec-02-2009, 8:58pm

Originally Posted by delsbrother

Stroh mandolin FTW!

Did Stroh ever make a mandolin? I know they made a guitar. If so, I am going to get my hands on one ASAP.

**Matt DeBlass** · Dec-02-2009, 11:48pm

Very much wishing the budget included a resonator mandolin. I may have to build a cigar-box instrument before the event.
By the way, at the thing I went to the other night, I actually had somebody come up and recognize me as "the harp and mandolin guy."

**delsbrother** · Dec-03-2009, 12:06am

As long as you're building a cigar box, throw some sub-basses on it. Then you can be the harp-mandolin guy.

Mandoviol, there was a thread awhile back that discussed a Stroh mandolin on eBay, but alas all the links are dead. There was a pic in one of the posts, but I don't know if it was ever determined if it was really a Stroh.

**T.J.** · Dec-04-2009, 7:48pm

If I were to alter the mandolin you have in the picture, there's a few things I'd do.

First off, the wonderful wire which goes from the bridge to the soundhole looks like it's just waiting to be covered with something which makes it look like a small brass pipe. What is that thing? Why does he have a small steam tube attached there? *laugh*

I'd probably add a small brass plate going over the tip of the headstock, covering the center of the front of the pegboard and a bit of the back in order to hold it on. I'd probably use some sort of backing material to prevent scratching. The brass plate would have gears which look like they come in contact with the bases of the tuner posts.

You could also replace the tailpiece cover with something looking like old brass.

A thin plate with gears and a small indicator dial could be slid into the body so it's visible through the upper soundhole.

----

Stroh did make a mandolin. There's a few webpages which reproduce the Stroh catalog page with the mandolin and guitar listings. The instrument in the link matches the catalog illustration.

----

Looking at those resonator mandolins has made me wonder about picking up one of the inexpensive Recording King metal bodies. My wallet is regretting my having looked at this thread.... *laugh*

Even getting a reso-uke and restringing it for full fifths/mando tuning is probably a cool idea. It is probably fairly loud, and looks fairly industrial.

Unfortunately, the low end reso-ukes are the same price as a low-end reso mandolin...