The "Reel" Thing

[Steve L]

Just wanted to share a very pleasant experience. We had a 60ish gentleman visiting Boston from Liverpool drop by our weekly session. He's primarily a fiddler, but was travelling with his mandolin. He was a joy to play with. He had come up through decades of sessions...didn't know the title of a single tune, but could play anything we knew and unquestionably hundreds more.

It wasn't a matter of "chops" with this guy, but a wonderful lilting, bubbling feel that he brought to every tune he played. I'd never had the chance to play with a mando player that comes purely out of the Celtic traditions and I feel I learned a lot just from listening to the bounce he put into the music.

I never even took my Breedlove out of the case and stayed on the 'zouk all night. It was a real treat.

[mandobob]

Man, that is just great. I'm sure he enjoyed himself as well.


didn't know the title of a single tune

I know of a guy that had a similiar experience at an audition in Brooklyn; he'd been learning tunes for years and years and knew every one by name. That night he said he got his (musical) clock cleaned, and nary a title was spoken; he said the intro was all the lads needed.

[Ward Elliott]

That's very cool! We've had a couple really good players show up at our local session too, and it's so much fun to hear someone just rip into tune after tune after tune. We had a guy show up one night with a concertina and he knew any tune that anyone could think of, then he pulled out a harmonica and tore it up! He could sing too! Very fun night!

[GBG]

Steve, how does your Breedlove work for ITM ? I have a Quartz KO, but haven't played much Irish music with others.

[Steve L]

GBG, it works quite well. I have a KF and bought it specifically for playing Irish- Scottish trad I decided after playing oval hole flat tops for a while that I needed the projection of an arch top with f holes. I don't play bluegrass, so that tone didn't interest me and based soley on what I read here on the cafe, decided the KF was for me. It was a gamble that's played off. Dale cater had a great deal on one in the classifieds and I jumped on it.

I love the playability...it feels like someone measured my hand and made this for me. It has a bit more sustain than other f holes I played, which for me is great. I've only had it a few months and they take quite a while to fully open but so far I'm very happy. Your KO should work out great. These Quartz series mandos from Breedlove really are an amazing bargain. It came strung up with Thomastiks which I do like, but I think it will cut better with Bronze strings. I'll try those when the Thomastiks finally wear out.

[GBG]

Ironically I bought a used KF from Dale that I thought would be good for Irish music, and it would have been for the reasons you mention, but I just HAD TO HAVE an oval hole. So I traded the KF back to Dale and bought a new Quartz KO from him about 7 months ago. It is starting to get right. I tried different strings including the TI's, but I always come back to the J74's.