Kestrel #4 mandola sound clip

[kestrel]

Well, as promised, here is a sound clip of the Kestrel #4 mandola.

There are a few two-finger chords, at the beginning, then an abbreviated version of the hornpipe "Boys of Bluehill".

I'm kind of embarrassed to air this. I've been in the shop almost constantly, the past month, and haven't been getting in much practice - and - I've only been playing mandola for two-days, now, so this is pretty sloppy. The extra 2.5 inches of scale length, over the mandolin, takes some getting used to - and I ain't that great of a mandolin player, to begin with.

No laughing allowed. Anyone caught sniggering will be asked to gather up their books, and stand in the hallway until class is over. Then see me at my desk.

The instrument has only been strung for two days, but it does seem to be settling in pretty nicely, and I'm looking forward to it getting only better. Maybe, with some practice, I might even get better at playing it.

Thanks, Gene

[Skip Kelley]

Gene, It sounds like the dola is settling in nicely! It has a very nice warm sound like a mandola should! You should be proud! Nice job!

[Bill Snyder]

Gene,
I thought the mandola sounded good and the musician did a fine job.

[dulcillini]

Sounds Great !

I have a Bridger mandola. What kind of strings are you using ?

[kestrel]

Thanks, guys.

Michael - The strings are our Ted's own: Jazz Mando JD-13's. I freakin' love these things! Since I put the J-11's on my first mandolin, I've used nothing else. IMO the tone is angellic, and the way they feel under the fingers is almost sensual. To boot, they seem to last forever. My chemistry eats up most strings in three-weeks to a month. The JM's, on my main mandolin, are approaching a year, and they show no signs of needing to be replaced. Sorry Ted.:redface:

No, I do not work for Ted.

Gene

[viv]

ooooo.....nice, warm, rich sound. i think it's wonderful--looks AND sounds lovely! you should be quite proud, gene.

[steve V. johnson]

Wonderful, Gene! Well done!

Congratulations, that's a great sounding -and- -looking mandola.

Are you going to keep it ... or... is it going to go 'up for adoption' ?

Are you taking orders? ;-)

All the best,

stv

[Mandoe]

I gotta say I think your mandola sounds great! Lots of pop.

What does it look like?

[kestrel]

Thanks, y'all.

Steve - As soon as the umbilicus is severed, it'll be up for adoption. Our friend Brian is ragging on me to "Get over it.", or I'll son be swimming in mandolins. I know he's right, but man, it's really hard to part with your children. :redface: Yeah, I'm taking orders. Mostly from my wife, but for instruments, too.

Manoe - Pictures are posted, six threads down, under "Mandola Birth".

[DryBones]

estrel, What's that 2 fingered chord diddie you are playing in the beginning? I swear I play the exact same thing every time I pick up my mandolin. Just a bunch of G-C-D's but even the rythmm and ending are the same. :disbelief:

[kestrel]

Jason -

I haven't got a clue. It's just a progression of I IV V chords that I've strummed, every time I've picked up a stringed instrument, for the past fifty-years. Never thought of it as having a name, but somehow, I doubt that we could copyright it. Great minds... I guess. :grin:

Gene

[Phil Goodson]

Gene,

We still need a picture. The thing sounds great!