A question about hand size and two mandolin choices.

[mlindbrg]

Sorry in advance for all the new threads. So I think I might have narrowed my choices of a new mandolin down to two. This will be a starter mandolin shared by my wife and myself. The problem is she is very petite and has tiny hands. Looking at either the jbovier A5 tradition and the Eastman md-315 would the difference in neck size prove to be a struggle for someone with tiny hands? The whole reason I started this quest was because her hands are small enough she struggled with learning guitar and hasn't made any progress. I don't want something that will only be playable for me.

[Eric F.]

I've never played a JBovier, but I think the Eastman would pose no special problem for petite hands.

[Nashville]

Do know of Sierra Hull? She is a fantastic mandolin player and a very petite girl. She was always small for her age and started playing mandolin when she was just about 9 years old. At first she could only play 3 finger chords because her hands were so small. It didn't stop her from becoming a superb mandolin player. Today at 23 she is still a tiny young woman but she can play the heck out of it. Anyway, your wife shouldn't have any problem with it. You both should be able to enjoy the same mandolin.

[DataNick]

I don't think there's much if any of a difference in the neck-profiles and sizes of those 2 mandolins, having owned both a JBovier and an Eastman.

Go for either one and enjoy!

[Randi Gormley]

fwiw, I've found that the Eastman has a relatively narrow fretboard compared with a lot of other offerings, and a radius fretboard as well, which helps you reach stuff. I have relatively small hands (to go with my relatively short stature). As Nashville said, you can learn to play pretty much any width fretboard if it's what you're used to. I learned on a bowlback, which has a narrow fretboard, and I still retain a slight preference for narrow vs wide. I, too, tried guitar but my hands were much too small back when I was trying to learn (some 45 years ago) and I've always found the mandolin to be much easier to use. YMMV, of course.

[Mando_Lynn]

I teach elementary school and my second graders play mandolins. Her hands CAN'T be smaller than that. We use the Savannah SA-100 which has a somewhat thick neck.

[jmp]

Generally speaking, mandolins are always great for people with small hands. It's people with BIG hands that can have a problem.

[Billbass1]

I believe a great setup is more essential than the neck size on a mandolin .
The Eastman 315 is a great choice and if you buy from Folkmusician.com ,
Robert Fear will do an outstanding setup for both of you .

[bart mcneil]

A mandolin should be a delight for someone with small hands... It is the folks with big hands who have to squinch them to use the fret board effectively.

As suggested above a set up mando is very important. Insist that it be set up before you buy it, or any mandolin. It will have to be done either by a dealer or by you after purchase, but in either case it must be done for comfort, ease of playing and in tune playing. Sorry but that is the case with all mandos. Most arrive at the dealers without proper set up. If a dealer won't or cannot do it you are at the wrong dealer.

Sounds like a couple of good choices.

[bratsche]

My hands are most likely smaller than all the adult guys' hands who play mandolin. Yet I find mandola much more comfortable to play. Mandolin always feels like "squinching" to me, so I can only imagine how it would feel if I had big hands. Everyone's different.

bratsche

[Mike Scott]

I have pretty small hands, for example I wear a ladies large golf glove. I have never even seen a J. Bovier, but have played an Eastman 315 and found it totally fine for me. Just my $.02. YMMV

[Ellen T]

I have small hands, at least the fingers are short, but I don't have a problem with reach on the mandolin. It may help that many years ago I played upright bass and tenor recorder, both of which can be challenging for stubbies. I think I developed a habit of stretching my hands back then and I still do it without really thinking, just spreading out as far as possible like for a piano octave. I hope your wife doesn't mind keeping her nails pretty short; getting nails tangled in the double strings or accidentally going pizzicato on the next string down is more of a problem than finger reach.