"Man Cave" sort of

[MANDOLINMYSTER]

Well we have all heard the term "Man Cave" but this morning I coined a new term, or at least to me.

I now have and extra room in my house were I keep all my mandolins and mandolin related stuff hence my "Mandolin Cave" :))

[JeffD]

:))

I have contemplated doing something like that, a music room. But my living room has kind of turned into the defacto music room. I move other activities, like mere living, into other, lesser rooms.

[JEStanek]

I prefer Mandolin-efest Destiny and a mandolin in every room of my house.

Jamie

[JeffD]

Seriously for a second, what I would love to do is have one room dedicated to hosting jam sessions.

[JEStanek]

You would have loved the old house I lived in for a year in Front Royal, VA. It was one of those wierd add a room houses from over 200 years ago. You know you have to step up or down with each new room you go into seemingly. Anyway, it also had the old Warren County Virginia Meeting house attached to it. 20' x 50' with a cathedral cieling and logs of windows and hardwood floors. Had a fire place at one end and entry to the kitchen at the other. It was a bear to heat though.

Jamie

[catmandu2]

Your place sounds like mine Jeff; only two rooms without instruments scattered all around (one is the kitchen). I knew my wife was the one for me--as she was the only woman who ever permitted this...she actually permits me to keep my drums and some amps near the back door.

[JeffD]

I envision a room with its own entrance from outside. One whole wall is a garage style overhead door, that can be opened in summer, and closed in winter.

A big open space with 10 or more armless chairs of various shapes and conditions against one wall ready to be made into a circle. Very large hook rug on the floor, that can be quickly rolled up and put aside if a contra dance breaks out. A large couch against another wall, and another against the third. I envision a wood stove and huge great pile of cut wood, but a fireplace is nice too. If a fireplace, then there is a retired bowlback mandolin on the mantle, and two framed pictures on the wall above - one of Marty Stuart and the other of Charlie Poole. (Hey its my room right?)

Piano, stand up bass, ready for who ever wants to play them. Some music stands and some instrument stands as needed.

Over in the corner a round table with some of the unused chairs around it, for spouses and other civilians, and a place to eat the chili and cornbread that is always just ready. (Again, this is my fantasy.)

[JeffD]

Can I have another room for my fishing stuff?

[catmandu2]

Sorry, no room. But if you gave up 8 or 9 of the armless chairs...or perhaps ordered them backless as well... Or, maybe eliminating the two framed pictures...in lieu of one 8 x 10 b/w glossy of Jack White (okay, autographed).

What of the quickly rolled-up rug?...afraid of a little blood?

And where's the bar?


... and a place to eat the chili and cornbread that is always just ready. (Again, this is my fantasy.)

It might get a bit gamey in there...unless, everyone takes "Beano" in your fantasy..

[JeffD]

:))

[catmandu2]

Again, it sounds much like our place...except we have a retired swayback under the mantle, and she could stand taking the beano, if ya know what I mean (It's no picnic, much less eutopia).

[strings777]

:grin:....every time I see the word beano, I have to laugh :)) pffffftttt!!!....pardon me :redface:

[Markus]

My wife offered up a basement room with a very nice view as a music room ... but I do fear any minor retreat from the current complete takeover of the living room.

As the mando, guitar, uke, and fiddle all hang in the living room together [and I get complaints when they're all put away] ... there will be instruments around.

I just fear that getting the mixer, looper, mics/stands, and amp back in the living room will not turn out to be a successful long-term proposition once they `have a place, and it ain't here!'.

I do like your room concept, Jeff, provided the door [when closed] is a window. Storms, snowstorms ... I've made some powerful music when looking at intemperate weather.

Can it have some sort of magic anti-bug device? This time of year it would be needed as well.

[Marty Henrickson]

Jeff, the room sounds good, but if you put up the pic of Jack White (as per catmandu's post), you must flank it with pics of Steve Earle and Taylor Swift. Also, +1 on the windows.

All of my main instruments are in my corner of the living room. I've actually got a triple guitar stand that was a 6-guitar stand before I took the top half off. I should put it back on and tell my wife that I just have to buy a couple more instruments, 'cause it just wouldn't look right not being full!

Mandolinmyster, how about a picture of your "mandolin cave"?

[JeffD]

There is nothing like chili and corn bread after a jam. I would put a fridge in the jam room too, but they are pretty noisey, and out of tune.

Ya know, if I had a small raised area at one end to serve as a stage, I could host some house concerts.

[catmandu2]

My wife offered up a basement room with a very nice view as a music room ... but I do fear any minor retreat from the current complete takeover of the living room.

As the mando, guitar, uke, and fiddle all hang in the living room together [and I get complaints when they're all put away] ... there will be instruments around.

I just fear that getting the mixer, looper, mics/stands, and amp back in the living room will not turn out to be a successful long-term proposition once they `have a place, and it ain't here!'.

I do like your room concept, Jeff, provided the door [when closed] is a window. Storms, snowstorms ... I've made some powerful music when looking at intemperate weather.

Can it have some sort of magic anti-bug device? This time of year it would be needed as well.

Markus, do your folks complain because they're not hearing you play music, or because they don't have access to the instruments...? Your place sounds like a bachelor pad .. you must have a very understanding wife.

[pjlama]

she actually permits me to keep my drums and some amps near the back door.

I think she's hoping that they'll go first in the event of a break-in :))

Seriously good timing on the thread, we're moving tomorrow and I finally get my own music room, I'm very excited!

[Marty Henrickson]

I think she's hoping that they'll go first in the event of a break-in
Could be. If she suggests you leave them set up in the front yard, you should be really suspicious!

[Randi Gormley]

One of the people who occasionally drifts by for sessions has the top half of a barn-cum-garage made into a loft apartment where we hold house concerts: fireplace included, and large windows, wooden floor, bodhrans and whatnot on the walls and a small kitchen area (plus bathrooms) -- fits about 20 people on a good day. One of our guiding lights redid his home a couple of years ago and created two music rooms, one in the basement that has since been taken over by his kids for their video games and computers and stuff, and the livingroom, which has a fireplace, wood floors, room for about 25 people on couches and chairs and a bathroom. He has two bowlbacks as decoration on the mantle. Great acoustics for house concerts. If you can build your own music space, I'm in deep envy. We've piled all our instruments in the living room (which my kids have always called 'the piano room') and there's little space for the couch and chair we keep there, but you have to sit on something to play! Our instruments don't stray from there unless you count my husband's beater guitar, which he keeps upstairs next to the computer when he's playing at composing.
Now, books -- that's another thing entirely. I think the bathroom is the only place in our house that doesn't have books shelved in it somewhere. Even the hallways have their shelving. Luckily, the books work well with the music-making, seem to give an added dimension to the sound.

[TonyP]

I love dreaming of a music space. The #1 requirement is a spouse that's into it, and mine is, so our place is geared toward it. Luckily for both of us electric inst and sound equipment are not part of the picture so we don't bug anybody. Our small front room now opens into the little front courtyard because we had French doors put in. I enjoy playing outside as much as possible, and our neighbors love the music too. Another requirement I guess.

So we have band practices here and if it's too cool outside, just leave the doors open and play inside. My ultimate goal is to rework the courtyard by expanding it another 5' towards the street, making a natural stage for jams and maybe even house concerts.

That's my happy place as I don't relate to the cave thing.

[Markus]

Markus, do your folks complain because they're not hearing you play music, or because they don't have access to the instruments...? Your place sounds like a bachelor pad .. you must have a very understanding wife.

I have an awesome wife, who met me during a major musical period of my life ... having an instrument sitting nearby was part of the package deal she got. When there grew to be too many stands, hangers on the wall that needed some sort of art/decoration was a `concession'. :)

I care for our three year old around home most days, every few weeks we have a `music day' ... the mini mixer, loop pedal, recorder, and a couple of mic stands [running through the computer speakers] are next to the keyboard for whenever the mood strikes.

I doubt she'd welcome the amp and all 5 mic stands out every day ... which they don't need to be. The looper and recorder are ready in 10 seconds for when the mood or inspiration strikes ... smaller than the computer monitor takes up on the same desk.

Being around home more than her, I get a lot of this forgiven. It also helps that I cook up a excellent Indian/curry dinner every week, keep the honey-do list short, and record a cute loop-song for Mommy every few weeks. If she gets a 2 minute tune that makes her smile every week or two ... it seems like useful equipment.

[Beanzy]

I'm so made up in this respect as my wife plays and teaches piano so there's one of our rooms in our barn which has the grand piano at one end and the woodburner at the other (far enough not to be a problem.) All the walls where there are no windows are lined with book cases. But even though the lower area of the room is about 20' x 35' and the roof is about 14' high, it feels cramped as we inherited a stack of her dads furniture which we've just got to get rid of. In the room we have her piano, full size keyboard & violin, my 11 year old son's trombone, fiddles & guitar along with my mandolin, cello, electric bass and whistles music stands his TV and Xbox etc. on the mezannine lives my recording studio & kit in it's flight cases. It's got great acoustics as the walls are solid stone and the floor is bare wood with a rug. But there's a snag..... solo practice times. For this I tend to pick up the mandolin and retreat to the bedroom unless no one is in, otherwise I get interrupted. So good for space but too many musicians in the house. :)

The fly fishing kit has it's own wardrobe in an outer barn with sea kayaks and bikes so that's the hardware mancave.

[catmandu2]

Markus, that sounds like a great environment you have. I play out with a couple of different bands, and my gigging gear--amps, drums, keyboards--is stowed near the door for easy in/out. But I'd love to have a lot of this set up--kids love synths. Maybe some day, we'll have the wherewithal to create more of a studio environment--right now, it's just a house with instruments and assorted gear scattered everywhere..

Ha, I'm like beanzy...our house is loaded with instruments like it's furniture. My mancove is the garage where I stow all my outdoor gear.

[JeffD]

Now, books -- that's another thing entirely. I think the bathroom is the only place in our house that doesn't have books shelved in it somewhere. Even the hallways have their shelving. Luckily, the books work well with the music-making, seem to give an added dimension to the sound.

Another thing that is out of control. I have had fantasies of making a library of sorts out of one of the bedrooms.

[Charles E.]

We have a 1920's bungalow in down town Raleigh. The front bedroom is my man(dolin) cave. We put on an addition out the back a few years ago, so that is our main living area. I can shut the door and not bother my wife.