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In the forum there is some discussion of the idea of a Celtic Mandolin with reference to a good article http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/blog/celtic-mandolin/ to which it would be impossible for me to add.

In the past, not being able to add to a discussion has rarely stopped me from contributing. But more and more I am of the mind of a quote from a Burning Man poster: “having something to say is highly overrated”. So I will move my thoughts from the forum to the blogs.
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I was at an OT jam a couple of weeks ago. The jam was southern Appalachian at its core.

And a second mandolin showed up, and he was much more of a bluegrasser.

So as the jam progressed we traded breaks. I would play the melody, which is what I do, and then do a chorded OT back up while he took these flights of fancy entirely out of character of old time. Then he would hand it back to me and I would play the melody, which is what I do, while he did a chord backup a ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2RpyfzNG2s

A couple of years ago I just had to buy a mandolin. I had been driving past the store for some time - The Gladesville Guitar Factory - and then one day I looked up the internet and saw this beautiful mandolin, so sleek and elegant.

I raced in to buy it, got $50 off (although I never bargain) and then thought....well I don't know how to play. I used to play piano and flute with a few dabbles on an autoharp and love singing.

Found a teacher and started weekly for about ...

Guitar players are not very unique people on Earth. Some teach, others play in the amateur band or on the restaurant scene, others work part-time giving private lessons or playing in the subways. How to find a job in Milwaukee? http://mke414.com/jobs

Many, having received specialized classical musical education, leaving the world of music, not to find ways how to make money on the guitar and start to earn a living in the business. How many musicians are so many vital ways. Only a ...

As a rule I don't like to eat my own words, so excuse me while I grab fork and spoon. The Nashville NAMM Show which I'd boasted on the home page was quite the networking opportunity for mandolinists is not what it used to be. Still, there are valuable contacts made, experiences you're glad you were a part of and information that might not have been discovered otherwise. Allow me to share some of those.

I was invited down a day before the show by Tim Nelson of Eastman. Tim's lengthy ...

This may be the first time a a Mandolin was played on nation wide T.V. A peanut microphone was attached to the Mandolin with a big rubber band and plugged into an amp along with a electrified tenor guitar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcTAiL65T-E

I am looking back at my first Mandolin Symposium, and enjoying the memories of hearing and seeing great players at close range, teaching and rehearsing, and showing why we refer to them as great. I am thinking of new friends, such as Al, Bill, and Kaden, Eugenio and the nice homme francais from Nice, Alan and Amy, and of course Steve, Pete, and Patrice. Too many other names to recall; I am counting on Steve’s email list to help maintain contact until next year. Caterina described feeling a letdown ...

I sure would like to see Mandolin Café caps for sale again. I am sure there is a demand for them and can't understand why MC never has them for sale. ??

Importing, Exporting or Travelling with Musical Instruments: What you need to know about CITES regulations

Musical instruments frequently contain parts made from endangered or threatened species of plants and animals. Some of the most common examples include:

Elephant Ivory: Used for nuts and saddles on guitars, tuning pegs, bowed instrument and bagpipe fittings and also for inlays. This is an Appendix I species in which all international trade is strictly controlled. ...