Jazz Mandolins

[nickster60]

I have started to fool around with some jazz tunes. I have a Rover RM-75 and I don't think it is a great choice for this style of music. It has a rather woody tone and it doesn't chord as well as some others I have tried. It plays well but doesn't seem to be well suited for the jazz style. It likes to be played pretty aggressively.

What is the mandolin of choice for jazz. Oval hole F hole, A style of F style. String gauges?


Thanks for the help
Nick

[catmandu2]

Personally, I like my archtop mandola for jazz.

[mandroid]

I understand Rover , budget purchase is not responsive to a light touch, but will give adequate sound when you whack on it with some force , and for Jazz material you need a more responsive mandolin.
Either F or Oval hole will do .. just have to step up a few notches to something made less with the priority of keeping the cost at a minimum , in workmanship.

I 2nd the richness of a Mandola for Jazzy warmth, F mandolin chord forms are Bb on mandola tunings.

I'd look at that A5 Lebeda in the classifieds if you want a nicer Mandolin , that could be set up as a jazzy sound, lighter touch , if the mandolin voice is still what grabs you, seller is asking just $800... Jiri L does good work.

Note the Phoenix Jazz, adds a Magnetic pickup, to his nice 2 point mandolins.
No bronze wound strings then , magnetic field needs to 'see' a metal alloy winding with iron in it.

A definable jazz look would be like a 'Djangolin', a version, in mandolin size, of the French Selmer guitars,
if you look in the Eye Candy section on the Front/home page there are a few builders alive to serve your needs ,
David Hodson, British Builder, who made mine, is no longer around. :(

:popcorn:

[Pete Martin]

I use a wonderful 23 A2 for Jazz, using my Gilchrist for fiddle tunes and Bluegrass. Just like the way the A2 goes with the others I play with.

[JEStanek]

Before buying a new instrument try some different strings like the Jazzmando.com JM-11s. They give a warmer tone. Change your pick too, maybe a Dawg?

Jamie

[Baron Collins-Hill]

i second the call for giving jazzmando strings. i put jazzmandos on my gibson a9, a very bluegrassy mandolin and have been playing jazz on it for years. also, try out a dawg pick or maybe the proplec heavy (1.5) big triangles.

baron

[nickster60]

I use a dawg Pic which I like. I have a Epiphone A that I have been using for jazz it isnt great but it plays ok. I am hoping to come across a decent A style mando. I do like the jazz stuff it is fun and challenging.

[REO-11100]

If it's not too late. I play a A700 Alvarez, Medium price, Loud bark and holds it's own in a group w/o a pick up. The fret board is a little narrow but it has a light touch with a clean delivery, but that depends on you.

[Magnus Geijer]

Try a four-string if you can find one. I built myself this one on a hunch, and now I can't help but jazzify anything I play.

/Magnus

[mandroid]

happy [when I can take it out] use my 8 string conversion it's down to 4, , and strung with a .049 C string , displacing the E..
works nicely , CGDA.. humbucker pickup

I've seen in the past year or 2 some other modifications :a GoldTone Rigel replica , which replaced the last few frets with a kent armstrong pickup , and left the Piezo bridge in place , offering a dual source
out thru a TRS jack..
its back in the electric 45&8 section

[CES]

Fender FM-62 (AKA, Rigel copy) Blueburst with Jazzmando strings and a passive P/U if amplification needed. Not a high end mando, but screams for jazz...play it with a 1.5 mm pick or a Wegen 140 if I want a brighter sound. Mandobird is fun on a clean channel, too.

Check Jazzmando.com for more info, and I'm working my way through Ted's book now...so far I really like it, and if nothing else it's really working my pinky...

Agree that the less expensive way to go would be to try different strings...in addition to those above you could try the Sam Bush Monel wound Gibson set. Thicker picks tend to give me a warmer tone, but that may not hold for you. I love the sound Phoenix and Rigel both have produced, but, alas, am not nearly good enough to justify such an upgrade yet. Perhaps more affordable but still very nice would be Breedlove's offerings...very playable, and not necessarily designed (except maybe for the FF) for just BG.

[Jean-Pierre WOOS]

I play a Maurice Dupont: one of the early first Selmer style mandolin.
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/21/l_f903e6ee6fdfb558d74a827679284cbb.jpg
Verry loud and great tone with Tuomastik medium gauge...
It's my favorite mandolin since years...

[Bruce Clausen]

Cool, JP! Great sound and great playing on your Myspace tunes.

BC

[Dfyngravity]

My new jazz mandolin should be completed fairly soon!

Custom Holst Jazz Mando:

[Ivan Kelsall]

Lebeda make a beautiful Jazz-5 Mandolin with an in-built piezo electric bridge pickup & an end jack plug. If you're going to play your Mandolin thro.an amp.,then the tones, volume etc.are whatever you want them to be via.the amp.tone & vol.controls,
Ivan;)

[djweiss]

How about a Phoenix Jazz model...

[foldedpath]

If you're into fingerstyle jazz, the special-order Breedlove/Zenkl mandola is a sweet instrument.

[swinginmandolins]

Another suggestion for a Holst.