Hang on to your Mandobirds

[leahcim]

Hi All, Thanks for the tips. My wife has hidden the Bird until 15th as it's a birthday present. Feel like a kid at 45! Hey Pip
eous, sounds like a good jam going on there.

[Tom Sailor]

Hi leahcim, also check www.almuse.co.uk for Mandobird pickup upgrades if you didn't do until now. I played a MB VIII for a few months (Polecat lended me) and it definitely needs an e-string pushup. If it's a new one it may happen to need a nut upgrade. I normally use FCGD tuning on my Mandolin; IMHO it sounds somehow fuller and it makes me able to play Bb-sheets of the Real Book that are normally used by Sopran and Tenor Saxophone, Flugelhorn and Bb-Trumpet players. Most Jazz tunes are composed in flat keys (Bb, Eb, Ab and more) and you will flush two flats with this tuning, makes it easier to play good solos ;-) You may need heavier string gauge though. Might be useful to open a new thread about this tuning sonetimes. Have fun, Tom

[Pipeous]

I will say I might need to wire in a better ground because I got some noise when I clicked on a particularly heavy amp setting like a princeton or marshall for example.

[pjlama]

I'm totally stoked, my wife got me a gift certificate to a local store for our anniversary this weekend. So anyway I didn't know what to get and low and behold they had a IV bird on close out for $149 with bag! It sounds awesome and is a hoot to play.

[journeybear]

I got both mine from ebay for about that, maybe a little less. Definitely a decent entry level instrument, easy enough action. I got a good four years out of it. But I am really glad I finally upgraded to a custom made Ryder EM-44 with two humbucking pickups. Much bigger sound and finally no more intonation problems, no more doubt as to whether my playing sounds right. Been putting off getting something real nice for a long time, and finally decided I had denied myself long enough. Now I understand why people shell out for instruments made by small builders. Really big difference. Cost six times as much, but is it six times better? Oh, I daresay so, and then some! Now, what to do with the MandoBirds ...

[Mandobart]

One of the local music shops still has a Mandobird VIII, been there now for a few months. I'm the only electric mando player I know around here. If anyone is interested PM & I'll send you the info. NFI.