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red7flag
Jan-14-2006, 6:27pm
I am considering getting a mandola. I know the bass string is a C and is 1/5 lower than a mando. Is there anything else that I should be aware of as far as playing one. I continue to like the F style, I know the deal with the relative cost versus value. Are there any brands that do a great deal with F mandolas. Thanks in advance.
Tony

Dave Voyles
Jan-14-2006, 6:35pm
For an f style mandola at an entry level price, contact Jeff at Mandolins & More. www.mandolins.net. I played one of his J. Bovier mandolins and was fovorably impressed at less than $700 if I remember correctly. A nice 16" scale for easy playability. NFI on my part, it's just that Jeff is a good guy to deal with. Of course, he also has a beautiful Lebeda H-4 style that is to die for but it has a 17 inch scale. Good for some, but not me.

Jack Roberts
Jan-14-2006, 6:40pm
Weber, of course, will build an F-style mandola. You might have one built to match your Bitterroot. I think I played a Bridger mandola a while back, but it wasn't an F...Can't be sure, though, the brain doesn't keep track of all of them. Weber will build an oval holed bridger F mandola, because I asked. But never pulled the trigger on it, as I have my mandolin budget all spent.

J. Mark Lane
Jan-14-2006, 9:52pm
Actually, the C is a fourth from the G. The G is a fifth from the C.

Jim Garber
Jan-14-2006, 10:51pm
Actually, the C is a fifth down from the G. The G is a fifth up from the C.

Overall the mandola is tuned one-fifth lower than the mandolin.

Jim

J. Mark Lane
Jan-14-2006, 10:58pm
Jeez, try to have a little fun around here and somebody gets technical on ya.... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Jim Garber
Jan-14-2006, 11:00pm
Sorry, Mark. It is late and I read your post a few times and even then I was confused and wasn't sure I got it right.

Unless of course, you are talking about a pickled mandola.... errr... piccolo mandola. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Jim

J. Mark Lane
Jan-14-2006, 11:03pm
Well, I can't measure backwards. So a C is always a fourth away from a G. Still, I will always take a fifth if I can get one.

My mandola is not tuned a fifth lower than my mandolins. It just has an extra string. I've never figured out what to do with it. (Then again, my mandola has ten strings.)

mandomick
Jan-14-2006, 11:05pm
Play an oval hole 'dola before you buy. Don't know what your budget is but Bill Bussman has quite a few of his Old Waves floating around. He's definitely worth consulting if your looking to learn.

J. Mark Lane
Jan-14-2006, 11:14pm
Anyway, to complete the thought, if G is the one, then you are in the key of G. If you are in the key of G, C is the fourth. Regardless of what octave it is.

Now, I'm off to bed. Way past by bedtime. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Jim Garber
Jan-14-2006, 11:30pm
We are talking about scales rather than keys:

red7flag
Jan-15-2006, 10:11am
Another way to think of it is that in the key of C, G is the 5th to C. Since C is the lowest string you start with C, not G. Got you completely confused don't I Mark?
Tony

J. Mark Lane
Jan-15-2006, 10:31am
No, not at all, Tony. You guys are the ones who are confused. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

If you start with C, yes, of course -- G is the fifth. But that is measured *up*. Regardless of whether you are talking about "key" or "scale" (no difference). So yes, as noted, G is the fifth of C, or G is one fifth up from C.

But if you are starting from G, then C can never be a "fifth" from the G. C is the fourth note in the G scale (or key of G), regardless of what octave it is. So the mere fact that the low bass string on a mandola is a C does not make that tone the "fifth of G", regardless of whether it is an octave lower or higher than the G reference point. Measuring backwards is not allowed. <g>

PhilGE
Jan-15-2006, 2:10pm
Lessee, how'd that joke go? Oh, yeah!

A C, an Eb, and a G walk into a bar.

The bartender says, "Hey! We don't serve Minors here!"

So, the Eb left and the C and the G split a 5th between them.

Da Da Da Daaaaa, Da, Da, Da, Daaaaaaaaaaa!

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Jim Garber
Jan-15-2006, 9:07pm
Yes, C is the fourth of (key of) G. When we are talking about is the distance of one note from the other C to G is a fifth interval and G to C is a fourth interval, regardless of what key you are in.

All of this started from the question of whether a mandola is tuned one fifth below a mandolin. That answer is yes.

Jim

otterly2k
Jan-15-2006, 9:45pm
Who's on first?
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

J. Mark Lane
Jan-15-2006, 9:55pm
No, no. The question is: who is first on?

PhilGE
Jan-15-2006, 10:15pm
A mandolin and a mandola are walking bass lines into a bar. The mandolin goes up for a diatonic on the rocks while the mandola takes the chromatic approach down to some neighbors and asks to borrow a few notes for the next round...

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

-Phil, who can't recall the last time he was in a bar and who almost flunked music theory in high school...

mandolooter
Jan-16-2006, 11:43am
ok now im all confused and headed for the bar where the fifths are all lined up in pretty rows...

Daniel Nestlerode
Jan-16-2006, 1:51pm
Tony,
Though the mandolin has many variations in contruction and style, the mandola has a few more. To add to the confusion, in England, they're called tenor mandolas. Two big factors will assert themselves in your search. The first you are likley familiar with: oval hole vs. f hole. But the second is scale length, and makes a lot of difference with regard to sound/tone and playability.

Most Gibson mandolas (I say most because I'm not an expert and wouldn't DARE say "ALL Gibsons" around here without being one) have a 15" scale length. Most Webers have a 17" scale length. Lots of builders fall somewhere between.

I have a Weber Alder #2 (flat top oval hole) 'dola with which I am extremely happy. Not only because it is a wonderful instrument, but also because it doesn't sound a lot like my mandolin (arch top F hole). The scale length is a bear if you're trying to fret four finger chords, but it sounds great with the two finger open chords. The scale length gives the Weber added power that the Gibsons generally don't have, but the Gibsons are easier to play.

Play as many as you can; take advantage of 48 approval periods if you can't get to a shop with a decent selection.

Good luck, enjoy the search!
Daniel

sgarrity
Jan-16-2006, 1:55pm
I just got a Flatiron mandola and am slowly figuring things out. How do you guys tune these things?? My guitar tuner won't go down to that low C. Is this normal or do I need to get a new tuner?

Shaun

Lee
Jan-16-2006, 6:13pm
I second the 16" mandola scale. #The old Gibson 15-3/4" was a tad too short making the low C thud. #The 17" seems needlessly long. IMHO 16" is just right.
Tuning is easy. The highest string is a mandolin A. The next one lower is a mandolin D. The next one below that is the mandolin G. Then, tune the lowest string so that it plays the G note on the seventh fret. What could be simpler?

PhilGE
Jan-16-2006, 8:51pm
My 17" scale Spira Mandola (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=15;t=11226;hl=spira+and+man dola) has a fixed bridge and induced arch in top and back (sides are shaped so that the top and back have a slight arc to them. The 17" scale allows for great sustain and very clear tone. Yes, the reaches can be a bit much, but really not too bad for my medium sized hands. This instrument is not really a bluegrass instrument at all - it has a more piano/harpsichord like tone.

I'm glad to hear Daniel is still enjoying his Alder. I used to own one and loved the tone/sound. I sold it before I knew what I had.