View Full Version : My lowly Washburn ;)
Brian Krashpad
Jul-13-2009, 10:30am
I'm a newbie player and only have one mandolin, a Washburn OM-10E "Faith" model:
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/6636/mandocroppedez9.jpg
My dad lent me his old German-made '60's Framus mandolin awhile back (which I'm guessing is a fair instrument, sure is pretty anyhow) and asked for it back, so I checked out the local Craigslist and picked up this Washie for $85.
I've been playing it in church for the last couple weeks and it seems to get the job done, so I have no complaints at all.
PS-- no offense intended to anyone who has the same or a similar model, I don't know zip about mandolins but simply from the price I reckon this must be a budget axe.
It's more about the player and his/her talent than the instrument! Besides, how many people who listen to your playing know about mandolins? So, love your little Washburn, keep it tuned and treat her well. She will return the favours...
Brian Krashpad
Jul-13-2009, 11:26am
It's more about the player and his/her talent than the instrument! Besides, how many people who listen to your playing know about mandolins? So, love your little Washburn, keep it tuned and treat her well. She will return the favours...
Haha, no doubt, it's just that right now I'm not too long in the talent department. Still, at least I know not to play over my head, and experience on other instruments allows me to "cover" pretty well, so, so far I reckon I've got most people fooled.
;)
Patrick Market
Jul-13-2009, 12:11pm
It's more about the player and his/her talent than the instrument! Besides, how many people who listen to your playing know about mandolins? So, love your little Washburn, keep it tuned and treat her well. She will return the favours...
I couldn't agree more. I have moved onto a very nice Hohner, but I still have my Bently, which I got 6 years ago for maybe $95. It's my beater, and it doesn't have the sound quality of my new toy or so many of the other makes that are touted in this forum. All the same, it is near and dear.
I think your Wash looks dandy. Thanks for sharing the pic.
RichM
Jul-13-2009, 12:46pm
I started on an inexpensive Washburn years ago, and it led me to the most fun and fulfilling musical hobby I've ever had. I hope your Washburn is at least as good to you!
Brian Krashpad
Jul-13-2009, 1:21pm
Thanks guys! I'm having a blast! I come from a punk-rock (among other things) background, so my attitude is definitely that I can do whatever I set my mind to, and won't need the world's finest gear to have a lot of fun along the way. DIY! I wish I had time to properly really study and practice, but instead I think I'm going to have to simply attempt to learn my one service song per Sunday, figuring out new chords as I go, and hope that what I teach myself "sticks." At least I have a background with some other stringed instruments, so I'm not starting, at this late date (I'm 51), totally from scratch.
;)
Richard Sanabia
Jul-13-2009, 2:37pm
It's more about the player and his/her talent than the instrument! Besides, how many people who listen to your playing know about mandolins? So, love your little Washburn, keep it tuned and treat her well. She will return the favours...
Bravo Fran. I agree 100%. I am in the same boat. My favorite mandos are instruments I have gotten as gifts, or rebuilt myself. I like to play the high dollar mandos just to see what they are like. There are a lot of mandolins around here, and I jam a lot, and there is plenty of opportunity to try out lots of neat stuff. I recently got a little bowl back from Jake, and I am having a lot of fun with it. Great tone, and fun to play, and it wasn't expensive. It cost less taking another couple out to a nice restaurant. I don't need to find the Holy Grail of mandos, but it would be nice to play a few tunes on it.
Randy King
Jul-13-2009, 3:01pm
Hey here is an 1980 Jethro Burns model I have. Sorry I'm in the pic to!
Brian Krashpad
Jul-13-2009, 3:03pm
Hey here is an 1980 Jethro Burns model I have. Sorry I'm in the pic to!
Well, THAT Washburn doesn't look very lowly!
;)
Randy King
Jul-13-2009, 3:07pm
Yep It's a keeper thats for sure!
Brian Krashpad
Jul-13-2009, 4:24pm
Yep It's a keeper that's for sure!
I'll probably even keep mine. Since it's the first mandolin I ever played in public. I still have my first acoustic guitar, and my first electric guitar I ever played in public. So I don't wanna mess with the mojo!
;)
Wendell Jeong
Jul-13-2009, 7:54pm
[QUOTE=Brian Krashpad;689173]I'm a newbie player and only have one mandolin, a Washburn OM-10E "Faith" model:
Your Washburn is like my lowly Hohner. I just upgraded to a Michael Kelly, but I still enjoy playing the Hohner everytime I pick it up. If it works for you, play and enjoy it.
Susie A
Jul-13-2009, 8:17pm
I too have a Washburn, when I saw the title of your post I was sure it said "lovely"! It might not be much but my Washburn makes MY heart happy. That's what it's all about, right?
Susie
Brian Krashpad
Jul-13-2009, 8:21pm
I too have a Washburn, when I saw the title of your post I was sure it said "lovely"! It might not be much but my Washburn makes MY heart happy. That's what it's all about, right?
Susie
Haha, you're absolutely right.
And welcome to the forum.
Patrick Market
Jul-14-2009, 3:21pm
[QUOTE=Brian Krashpad;689173]I'm a newbie player and only have one mandolin, a Washburn OM-10E "Faith" model:
Your Washburn is like my lowly Hohner. I just upgraded to a Michael Kelly, but I still enjoy playing the Hohner everytime I pick it up. If it works for you, play and enjoy it.
Hey, wjeong. What model of Hohner do you have?
Mike Romkey
Jul-14-2009, 4:25pm
The first mando I bought is a Washburn. I still have it. I played it, then my kid played it. He even got Chris Thile to sign it. It's a solid little instrument and totally playable.
Wendell Jeong
Jul-14-2009, 5:46pm
[QUOTE=wjeong;689333]
Hey, wjeong. What model of Hohner do you have?
Patrick,
It has no model number on it. It is an electric and I've seen a number of them out on ebay that look the same. Here is one of them
http://cgi.ebay.com/Hohner-HMAE-Acoustic-Electric-Mandolin_W0QQitemZ370213959984QQcmdZViewItemQQptZL H_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item563278b930&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116
The really big difference I notice in playing it and my MK is that is has very thin frets which makes it harder to play. When I got this as a present, I took back to the shop where my wife bought it and asked them to set it up better. String height was way too high. They did a ###### job but didn't charge me. I took it to another place and they adjusted it a little better. After hearing about a better music store, I decided to try for a third adjustment. They lowered the strings more and shaved a little off the bridge which really helped to give me more height adjustment. After playing it for a little while longer, I decided to get out my assortment of saw blades and lower the strings at the nut even move. It took a while to get this to a point of good playability.
Wendell
Patrick Market
Jul-14-2009, 8:35pm
Wendell,
That looks like a fine A-style. Thanks for the link. I have seen very little evidence of Hohner players in this forum, so I was surprised by your post. I shopped around a bit, then took the plunge and traded up to a Hohner HFM100 this year; I've been happy with the result. The set up was fine, and my only real complaint so far has been a noticeable ringing from below the bridge after I'd chop a chord. A little chenille thread (from my fly tying days) between the bridge and the tailpiece killed that off quick. Barks real nice now.
Pat