Tristram
Sep-13-2010, 11:50am
Been playing guitar and bass for about twenty years now, but have finally made a journey in the mandolin and recently the mandocello! Awesome instruments, surprised I didn't get involved with them sooner.
They were all made in Korea, which is where I'm currently living.
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=62507&d=1284396468
My first purchase, about a month ago, was a 'Popman' mandolin - good luck finding any mention of that make online! Please post a link if you do. It's the black a-style in the picture. It did not feel comfortable at all with regular mandolin tuning, so it remains tuned to E-A-D-G. With no dead frets and such a soft fingerboard, feel really happy with it. It seems to be from the budget end, it's so light.
Because the popman wasn't happy tuned so high, I decided to get another tuned to regular, and maybe get something a little more fancy.
Instead I found a semi-acoustic mandocello! Serendipidous really, as only a couple of days before I'd really wanted to try one. The only one in all of the stores it seemed (there's a guitar mecha in seoul which some of you may have heard of - awesome place, and not at all filled with #### as might be some, including my own initial, expectations). So I was buzzed, and at around the equivalent of a little under $400, thought it was well worth it.
That this mandocello had 9 strings struck me as odd in the store. But didn't think much of it as I wasn't that familiar with the mando family or it's cohorts. The instrument sounded so beautiful, and had a pickup which said "Little Giant Mandolin Co", encouraging me to belive that whoever made it new what they were doing.
Having such rotten luck finding any mention of a Popman mandolin, was totally psyched to see that the make Ozark, had a website and actually seemed to be a fairly well known manufacturer. And I was even more psyched to actually find the mandocello - but under their bazouki page, and identifying it as the 2244E.
http://www.ozark-acoustic.com/folk/bouzoukis.html
A closer inspection however revealed only 8 strings. And all subsequent searches menion 10 string occasionally, but not 9. So guessing this thing is custom made. There are some extra notches in the bridge, so thinking someone added the string, seemlessly, I might add! It's an awesome job.
Right now I've got the mandocello (irish bazouki!?!) tuned to mandolin, with the extra 9th tuned to low G so theres the possibility of deep resonance to compliment higher playing. Any lower and it just flops and rattles about. Sounds incredible, a little difficult to finger, have to use three fingers to play a 'd', but so used to the guitar it's not really an issue. Such an amazing instrument, never been so satisfied with a new toy as I am with this. As my band is multi-instrumental, bringing in the mandocello with the mandolins works so well. I am overwhelmingly excited to be playing with these gorgeous instruments.
If anyone has any insights or knowledge about a limited release of 9-string mandocellos/bazoukis from Orzak, would love to know a little bit more about this. And what note the low string is meant to be tuned to? Doesn't sound that great (doesn't really sound at all) below D. But have yet to try a thicker gauge string. The string is thicker than the next two up that I guess are meant to be 'C' strings but which are currently tuned, very happily, to G.
The third in the picture I bought the same day. Was originally going for an MK f-style, but as I'd stumbled across an f-style mandocello, thought I pick up another budget, and went for the red Rally A style electric.
The necks super thin in comparison to Popman and the f-style Deans my friends bought the same day (all from the same store - so we got an immense discount off everything).
But it's a super adequet little instrument, resonant and recommended for a starter like me. It's a little tinny when plugged in, but sounds good with the treble ultra-low. Playing through an acoustic amp may solve that issue, an investment for the future. And the mandocello has taken over my life anyway :)
A super sexy Orzak 9-string Mandocello/Bazouki with an awesome pick-up and very sweet tones. It's overwehelmingly cool.
They were all made in Korea, which is where I'm currently living.
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=62507&d=1284396468
My first purchase, about a month ago, was a 'Popman' mandolin - good luck finding any mention of that make online! Please post a link if you do. It's the black a-style in the picture. It did not feel comfortable at all with regular mandolin tuning, so it remains tuned to E-A-D-G. With no dead frets and such a soft fingerboard, feel really happy with it. It seems to be from the budget end, it's so light.
Because the popman wasn't happy tuned so high, I decided to get another tuned to regular, and maybe get something a little more fancy.
Instead I found a semi-acoustic mandocello! Serendipidous really, as only a couple of days before I'd really wanted to try one. The only one in all of the stores it seemed (there's a guitar mecha in seoul which some of you may have heard of - awesome place, and not at all filled with #### as might be some, including my own initial, expectations). So I was buzzed, and at around the equivalent of a little under $400, thought it was well worth it.
That this mandocello had 9 strings struck me as odd in the store. But didn't think much of it as I wasn't that familiar with the mando family or it's cohorts. The instrument sounded so beautiful, and had a pickup which said "Little Giant Mandolin Co", encouraging me to belive that whoever made it new what they were doing.
Having such rotten luck finding any mention of a Popman mandolin, was totally psyched to see that the make Ozark, had a website and actually seemed to be a fairly well known manufacturer. And I was even more psyched to actually find the mandocello - but under their bazouki page, and identifying it as the 2244E.
http://www.ozark-acoustic.com/folk/bouzoukis.html
A closer inspection however revealed only 8 strings. And all subsequent searches menion 10 string occasionally, but not 9. So guessing this thing is custom made. There are some extra notches in the bridge, so thinking someone added the string, seemlessly, I might add! It's an awesome job.
Right now I've got the mandocello (irish bazouki!?!) tuned to mandolin, with the extra 9th tuned to low G so theres the possibility of deep resonance to compliment higher playing. Any lower and it just flops and rattles about. Sounds incredible, a little difficult to finger, have to use three fingers to play a 'd', but so used to the guitar it's not really an issue. Such an amazing instrument, never been so satisfied with a new toy as I am with this. As my band is multi-instrumental, bringing in the mandocello with the mandolins works so well. I am overwhelmingly excited to be playing with these gorgeous instruments.
If anyone has any insights or knowledge about a limited release of 9-string mandocellos/bazoukis from Orzak, would love to know a little bit more about this. And what note the low string is meant to be tuned to? Doesn't sound that great (doesn't really sound at all) below D. But have yet to try a thicker gauge string. The string is thicker than the next two up that I guess are meant to be 'C' strings but which are currently tuned, very happily, to G.
The third in the picture I bought the same day. Was originally going for an MK f-style, but as I'd stumbled across an f-style mandocello, thought I pick up another budget, and went for the red Rally A style electric.
The necks super thin in comparison to Popman and the f-style Deans my friends bought the same day (all from the same store - so we got an immense discount off everything).
But it's a super adequet little instrument, resonant and recommended for a starter like me. It's a little tinny when plugged in, but sounds good with the treble ultra-low. Playing through an acoustic amp may solve that issue, an investment for the future. And the mandocello has taken over my life anyway :)
A super sexy Orzak 9-string Mandocello/Bazouki with an awesome pick-up and very sweet tones. It's overwehelmingly cool.