Introduce yourself...

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  1. Oggy
    Oggy
    Who are you and where do you live?

    How long have you played mandolin?

    How many and what kind of mandolins do you own?

    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin?

    Which players are your main inspiration?

    Do you play in a band?

    Do you have any sound or video files to share to show your style of playing?

    And so on...
  2. billkilpatrick
    my name is bill - i live in italy - my mandolin interests are wide, varying and constantly changing. i used to play in a group performing medieval music - still do, when music is required but, no ... no band. via youtube i found lots of people to play with - guitarists, mostly; playing along with their video, filling in on mandolin. here's the latest sample (beatles tune):

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72oVXEC5BEA

    ... sabrina's singing is probably best described as "sincere" - marco's guitar playing is flawless. they come from genoa, here in italy.

    regards - bill
  3. Spencer
    Spencer
    Who are you and where do you live?

    Spencer Sorenson, Lyngby Denmark (Copenhagen suburb)

    How long have you played mandolin? since 1972

    How many and what kind of mandolins do you own? A Flatbush A4 (F-holes), a Flatbush A0 (Round hole) an old Harmony, and my father's old Sterling flattop.

    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin? Mostly Bluegrass, fiddle tunes - breakdowns, reels, hornpipes and a couple jigs.

    Which players are your main inspiration? Nate Bray, Jethro and Tiny Moore, plus a lot of the modern players.

    Do you play in a band? The Copenhagen Mountain Boys

    Do you have any sound or video files to share to show your style of playing?

    Some sound bites from our CD on www.copenhagenmountainboys.dk (the link is temporarily down as of May 2010)

    If any of you are bluegrassers, I plan to be at EWOB in the Netherlands, be fun to meet some of the Cafe folks.

    Spencer
  4. Oggy
    Oggy
    My name is Oskar and I live in northern Sweden. I have played the mandolin for about 5 years.

    Try to be a versatile mandolinist and I jump from bluegrass to jazz to folk to blues. My favourite players are Chris Thile, Don Stiernberg and Mike Compton... representatives of very different styles. I try to mix them all togehter.

    Only have one mandolin, a Kimble A5.

    I play in a country/bluegrass-band called Sandy Hill String Band, but actually not mandolin, just fiddle and guitar.
  5. Philippe Bony
    Philippe Bony
    I live in southern Burgundy (near "Beaujolais"!) and I play mandolin since... 1974.
    Mainly Bluegrass and Dawg music.
    I play in "Moonshine" band, with Christopher Howard-Williams, FBMA (French Bluegrass Music Association) president and La Roche Bluegrass Festival "fondateur"!
    I play in "Bluegrass Deluxe" and "Wondergrass" too.
    My mandolins are custom build F style (1988 and 2005) since I play lefty!

    some videos in concert or studio
  6. Fliss
    Fliss
    I live in the north west of England, and I've been playing around 3 and a half years (since re-starting after a long gap, having played a little bit when I was younger.)

    I have two mandolins - a Newell A5 style, and a Davidson flat top - photos of both can be found in my albums (the Davidson is my avatar.) I've also recently bought a cittern and am starting to learn to play it. Learning to tune it is one of the first challenges I also play guitar and started learning to sing around 18 months ago.

    I love Celtic style music. A mandolinist whose playing I particularly admire is Chris Lee, mandolin player with Full House. They're a local band and run the Raven Folk Club. I'd love to be able to play in a band playing that type of music, a mix of traditional, folk covers, and original music.

    I'm going to the BMG summer school in Wiltshire this year, so if anyone else is going, I'll see you there!

    Fliss
  7. Charles the Bear
    Charles the Bear
    Who are you and where do you live? I'm Charles, and I live in Edinburgh, Scotland.

    How long have you played mandolin? About 3 months.

    How many and what kind of mandolins do you own? Just one, bought off of ebay, made in Ho Chi Minh City, an F5 with an abalone dragon on its back. It's solid wood, and holding together for the moment, but I'll upgrade sometime soon, maybe by trading one of my too many guitars to play.

    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin? Well, still starting out, but a variety of tunes, Scottish melodies, I'm learning my first simple Bach piece.

    Which players are your main inspiration? No one really, rather stumbled across the mandolin. Chris Thile is a genius, though.

    Do you play in a band? No, maybe one day.

    Do you have any sound or video files to share to show your style of playing? No, maybe one day.

    Charles
  8. Hans_k
    Hans_k
    My name is Hans, I live in Groningen, a town in the northern part of the Netherlands. I started playing the mandolin two years ago. I don't have much time to practice (unfortunately), with a day job and two small kids it's hard to find the time. I own a Morgan Monroe MMS3w and three weeks ago I recieved my new mandolin, a Jade F18. The Jade is a great mandolin! I play in a band called The Hillbilly Holler. A beginning bluegrass band, you can find us at http://www.youtube.com/thehillbillyholler and at http://www.myspace.com/thehillbillyholler. My favorite mandoline players are Chris Thile, Mike Compton, Sam Bush , Anthony Hannigan, and many more.....
  9. Mandoist
    Kevin Lynch; living in The Netherlands since 2008. I've played mandolin since 1976; guitar since age 7. I have possessed Joe Val's 1923 Gibson F5 Lloyd Loar since he passed away in 1985. It is currently for sale. I also have a ca.1920's Bacon Mandolin; my grandfather's late 1800's Lyon & Healy bowl-back; and an early 1930s Weymann MandoLute. I've primarily played Bluegrass; also folk, swing/jazz; whatever comes my way! "Inspirations" while learning my chops were some early pioneers: Bill Monroe, PeeWee Lambert, Bill Napier, Dave Appollon, Jethro Burns. I've also been inspired by many players through the years: professionals and students. Listen and learn, I guess? Not in a band at the moment. I've been playing professionally since 1979 in USA. I am currently searching for freelance work in Europe and possibly beyond. Touring is a possibility.
  10. swampstomper
    swampstomper
    D G "SwampStomper" Rossiter; Enschede (NL), originally from central NY state (Ithaca), over on the sane side of the pond since 1997, started mando in 1971 but have been really serious only in the last five years -- once I reformed some bad right and left hand habits and got into systematic practice. Main mando is Lebeda A5 Master Model, also have a more modest Lebeda B5 (for sale) and an Ithaca Stringed Instrument "A0" and a 35-year-old Ibanez A beater with frets worn to the fingerboard. I am primarily a bluegrasser but love to work on other styles, especially Jethro and Django. Sometimes I have to make do with old-time jams so I develop a mando style for those. So many good players -- but I get blown away by the more powerful ones (Mon in all his phases, Buzz, Vern Williams, Compton) in preference to the "machine gun" styles. I do try to play some Jethro, Dawg and Jesse and enjoy interesting players like Tony Williamson and Jesse Brock. No band over in my neck of the woods. My job involves a lot of foreign travel so it would be hard. I try to develop my own style based on a lot of solo playing (practicing) so I tend to play more chords, double stops and rhythmic figures than I would if I always had a bass and guitar to back me up.

    I'll be at EWOB also.
  11. billkilpatrick
    ciao s-s - i was born in geneva, n.y. - spent most of my formative years in southern ct. and nyc. and now - like you - living here in "yurp," in italy - on (relatively) saner shores. your lebeda must be a thing of beauty. i'm expecting a new loar LM-600 in a about a month's time - after which i will NEVER! - positively EVER!!! be tempted to acquire another instrument, ever-ever again.

    yeah ...

    oddly enough, i own relatively few mandolin cd's. what interests me is playing the mandolin as a solo instrument - as if it were a lute or a guitar. there's some interest here in italy for bluegrass music but it's mostly ersatz nashville, performed in chinese-made cowboy boots and sung in unbelievable accents ... the sort of checkered tablecloth, candle in the empty chianti wine bottle, "o sole mio" ... "lady and the tramp" type pastiche you might expect from americans interested in italian music.

    pleased to make your acquaintance once again here in "groups." - bill
  12. Ronny
    Ronny
    Hi !

    My name is Ronan, I live in Brittany...
    I play banjolin since april 2008, so I'm a kind of newbie... This year, I built a solid body E-mando, and I'm just starting to play with.
    I mainly play Irish and Klezmer music...
  13. Pavel Bulin
    Pavel Bulin
    Hi,
    My name is Pavel, I live in Prague, Czech Republic.

    I've been playing mandolin around 8 years (10 is more accurately).

    1. Váňa F5M - 2007 http://picasaweb.google.com/bulin.pavel/MyMandolin#
    2. MZ - mandolin F5 from Michal Zíta - 2001
    3. old "italic" mandolin from my grandfather

    Bluegrass, newgrass.

    Sam Bush, David Grisman, Chris Thile.

    GrassRoad http://grassroad.cz

    http://www.grassroad.cz/music.htm
  14. Shelagh Moore
    Shelagh Moore
    Who are you and where do you live? Richard Moore, Perthshire, Scotland

    How long have you played mandolin? About 45 years

    How many and what kind of mandolins do you own? Sim Daley Standard A, Fylde Touchstone, Gary Nava 2-point on order

    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin? Irish/Scottish, Old-Timey, a bit of bluegrass, some classical and anything else that seems to suit

    Which players are your main inspiration? Too many to mention

    Do you play in a band? Occasionally but mostly in informal sessions

    Do you have any sound or video files to share to show your style of playing? No... but might do something along those lines
  15. Manfred Hacker
    Manfred Hacker
    Who are you and where do you live?
    I am Manfred Hacker. I was born and raised in the great state of Bavaria and live in southern Germany.


    How long have you played mandolin?
    I have been playing for about 2 1/2 years pretty intensively. I played the violin for 9 years a lifetime ago. My fingers still remembered first position notes, so that gave me a headstart.
    Also a lifetime ago, I played drums in a band and have been dabbling at the guitar on and off for a long time


    How many and what kind of mandolins do you own?
    I own two Eastman mandolins, an F-style 815 and an oval hole 804. These were more or less random choices bought through the Internet. For a while, I commuted on weekends and wanted to have a mandolin at every place of residence.
    My dream is now to go to Brighton and check out all these mandolins at TAMCO


    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin?
    fiddle tunes, Irish, some easy classical stuff, Bluegrass (normally way too fast for me, I can't go faster than 165 on most tunes)

    Which players are your main inspiration?
    John McGann, because he was one of the first whose webpage I visited and learned from

    Do you play in a band?
    No, unfortunately not. I am more or less playing in solitary confinement. Would be fun to play with another mandolin or guitar player every now and then.

    Do you have any sound or video files to share to show your style of playing?
    Not yet, but I may be bold enough soon

    And so on...
  16. kristallyn
    kristallyn
    Who are you and where do you live?
    My name is Kris I am a 41 year old woman, I live in the netherlands somewhere up north on a farm with my husband and our two kids, an eight year old girl and a sixteen year old boy


    How long have you played mandolin?
    three days LOL..fell in love with the mandolin at EWOB last weekend, and my husband gifted me with one.

    How many and what kind of mandolins do you own?
    I own one mandolin, a kentucky km-505 ( with fishman pick-up)
    have been playing guitar for some time, studied music twenty-some years ago ( vocals)
    and started myself on the banjo two months ago, but somehow I find the mandolin a bit easier to play

    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin?
    well not that much yet but I am hoping to play bluegrass, and also to use it in my two bands as an addition to some pop songs

    Which players are your main inspiration?
    well ...I really don t know that many mandolin players, saw some awesome players at ewob last weekend but have no names yet..I m open to suggestions though so give me the names I should listen to!
    edit* recently discovered sierra hull

    Do you play in a band?
    yes but not on the mandolin (yet) I play guitar and sing in two bands, both play light popmusic with acoustic instruments and one also plays my own songs

    Do you have any sound or video files to share to show your style of playing?
    not yet, but as soon as there is anything worhtwhile I ll record and share

    open to tips, suggestions, help, friendship, contact, fun
  17. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    I am Bertram Henze and live in the Ruhr area in the west of Germany, 1 hour from Holland.

    I am playing since 1984 (I am not good at calculation, figure out how long that is).

    I play a Fylde Touchstone OM as main instrument, sometimes I pick up my old Aria 2-point mandolin from the wall.
    I play Irish/Scottish tunes and songs plus a minority of American pieces (OT/contradance).

    I am mainly a session player, inspired by whoever I can watch. I also do little duo performances with my wife, who plays flute, recorder and harmonicas.

    There are sound files on my website. I have recently posted some videos in the other social group I am a member of.

    Bertram
  18. David Casal
    David Casal
    david "ahab" casal, from vigo Galicia, i just arrive to mandoline with a cheap ibanez one.

    celtic punk folk style, galician traditionals, irish..

    i play in two bands, one just punk rock playing guitar, and the other celtic punkfolk guitar too. but the band need to incorporate that mandoline sound so i said "i´ll do" and now im trying hard every day, and i like it,
    i dont have realy idols but i respect everybody that believe and enjoy with what they are playing, from those i learn

    saudos
  19. magic-marmelade
    magic-marmelade
    I am right now in Rosario, Argentina, shooting videos of some crazy Tango dancers, next week in slovenia, and then on... no home since a while, some years... and live is fine like that !

    I met a mandoline in a big garbage container somewhere in the middle of the night in Denmark in 2004, decided to give this sweet instrument a new life instead of being crunched by a garbage truck, and since then i am hooked...

    Well, this swedish, a Levin from 60´s i guess, made in Goteborg, found in the garbage, fixed in Czech republic and by Hans Christensen, a great danish Bow maker (he fixed my mando with ivory!!!), and i met another mando a Perfektus, from the 50´s made in east germany. None are great great mandoline, but the wood is old and well dried and i can allow myself to wonder the planet with them on the shoulder without much stress... the idea is to live with the mando, anywhere i go...

    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin? Depending what day, what energy, who are the people i play with... it could go i guess from eastern folk, to french chanson, to trad, to garage or noise...

    Which players are your main inspiration? I have met very little mandoline players on my way, and i watch little. I tend to improvise all the time...

    Do you play in a band? There are people i play with, but not on regular basis..

    Here are three videos that say more than words...





  20. billkilpatrick
    ciao magic-jelly ...

    your videos are wonderful ... a pleasure to meet and to see you - bill
  21. Mandomarc
    Mandomarc
    Hello!

    Who are you and where do you live?
    My name is Marc and I live now in Luberon, in Provence (France), about an hour's drive east of Avignon.

    How long have you played mandolin?
    I started playing the mandolin when I was in Ireland in 1981. But I really got back into it a few years ago with my first visit to the 'Festival de Mandolines' in Lunel, France. Meeting so many mandolinists there boostered my playing.

    How many and what kind of mandolins do you own?
    I have three mandolins, none of which are of any financial value:
    The first one was acquired in Ireland in 1981, I have no idea who made it! I tuned it like a Mandola when I realized the neck had too much pressure from the strings and was threatening to break.
    I bought the second one second-hand in Pennsylvania in 1985: it's a Stadium, apparently a Strad-O-Lin derivation, as I learnt from the Strad-O-Lin mandolins Social Group on the mandolincafe forum... (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/group.php?groupid=53). I've played on it ever since: it has got such a soft sound!
    I recently bought through the internet a Stagg M50, because I wanted to experiment with an on-board microphone, but it's been disappointing so far, so I've rapidly come back to safety to the Stadium mando!

    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin?
    I started with Irish music, and American folk and old-time music. I like bluegrass, but it goes too fast for me, ... Now I like playing tunes from all over the world (Italian folk, Brazilian choro, Swing Manouche, Venezuelian merengue, Argentinian tangos, more and more classical music, and Provence old folk tunes)

    Which players are your main inspiration?
    So many of them! Let's mention the mesmerizing ones: The Dawg, Mike Marshall on the American side, Cristobal Soto, Hamilton da Hollanda and Armandinho for the South Americans, European Patrick Vaillant and Fabio Galluci. I haven't yet looked into Asia and Africa but I'm sure there will be something there too!!

    Do you play in a band?
    Not formally, but I'm in a duo with a guitarist friend, and we are trying to play now and then for friendly listeners when our job allows it!

    Do you have any sound or video files to share to show your style of playing?
    No, not yet!
  22. Susanne
    Susanne
    Shame on me!!!! I started this group and then just forgot about it! Too much in my head....but now I'm back

    Who are you and where do you live? I'm Susi, I live in the south of Sweden.

    How long have you played mandolin? Since 1996.

    How many and what kind of mandolins do you own?
    I've gotten rid of some mandolins. I now have a wonderful Flatbush A4 and a Sicilian bowlback. We found an old Levin mandola this week, it's broken but we'll try to fix it up. I also have a Joe Foley bouzouki - at least a mandolin family member.

    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin? Mainly bluegrass and oldtime, if I have to I also play a couple of Irish tunes Hornpipes and polkas can be fun on the mandolin, but otherwise Irish music bores me out.

    Which players are your main inspiration? Tim O'Brien, Tim O'Brien and Tim O'Brien. Ronnie McCoury and Norman Blake (I know he's a guitar player but he's fine on the mandolin too and he plays it very nicely). Ricky Skaggs a bit because he's the one who inspired me to start playing in the first place.

    Do you play in a band? Yeah, sort of. My husband and I have a duo. We play bluegrassy and oldtimey and country-ish stuff.

    Do you have any sound or video files to share to show your style of playing?
    Yes, on You Tube. my stuff there isn't great, but at least something. Search on susiakasinead.
  23. David Casal
    David Casal
    to Charles the Bear

    hi
    i was on Hebrides pub, when a band started to play some scotish tunes, there was a mandoline player, maybe was the first time i see one so close, a young boy played on it and i get impressed, was a very good time, drinking caledonian beer , really good time.
    then the band stopped and a man who was drinking wild started to sing gaelic songs that was great.
    this was 8 years ago, i have to go again to Scotland, i fell in love with your country
  24. etteM
    etteM
    Who are you and where do you live? I´m Mette, i live in Oslo, Norway

    How long have you played mandolin? Since may 2009

    How many and what kind of mandolins do you own? Says " Morgan" on it

    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin? I´m taking lessons and learning some irish and folkmusic- style tunes, i also want to play Bluegrass and old boogie / rockabilly style rock´n roll if i can figure out how

    Which players are your main inspiration? haven´t decided

    Do you play in a band? Don´t need no band to make this look good

    Do you have any sound or video files to share to show your style of playing?
    maybe later
  25. Susanne
    Susanne
    Welcome Mette, nice to meet you! It's nice to see someone from close by We should meet up for a jam some time!!
  26. etteM
    etteM
    thanks ! yup, lets jam when i´ve learned the basics
  27. Blueb0ar
    Blueb0ar
    Hi, I'm Nick and live in Surrey, England.
    I have played the mandolin banjo since 1985.
    I have a Winsor No 1 mandolin banjo 1929. A John Grey mandolin banjo 1925. A new chinese mandolin for camping trips. A Weber Bitteroot round hole and an interesting 1930's German flatback which I am trying to gat some history on in the forum.
    I am competent at most Irish stuff but have been concentrating on Morris dance tunes recently. Filling in on other peoples C&W sets seems to be the mosy popular though.
    I can't name any single inpirations, if I like it I'll try and play it!
    Don't play in a band but fill in during pub sessions and play when its too wet to dance to entertain the crowd!
  28. mandonurse
    mandonurse
    My name is Benedikte (Benny for those who can't pronounce it) and I am from Oslo, Norway. I have owned my mandolin for a couple of years, but haven't started playing untill recently -the fear of failure I guess
    My curiousity for bluegrass introduced me to the mandolin, and now I totally love both -the mandolin and the BG.

    I don't play in an actual band but I am fortunate enough to be a part of a very (large) musical family, so I have musicians at hand whenever i want, almost. Some of them are also stuck on BG, so we're having some fun every now and then.
    I am learning how to play on my own, with a little help from Dix Bruce on dvd -it's working out so far
  29. Susanne
    Susanne
    You work as a nurse too?
  30. mandonurse
    mandonurse
    Yes, I've been a nurse for almost five years now. I'm a much better nurse than mandolin player. Yet.
  31. Cathal Whelehan
    Cathal Whelehan

    What is your name and where do you live?


    Hi there, my name is Cathal Whelehan, I'm Irish but have lived in Berlin since late 1993 where I'm a translator (fulltime working from home).

    I started playing the mandolin about 12 - 14 weeks ago and at the time intended only to use it for learning tunes on to transfer to tenor banjo but mandolin has quickly become my number one squeeze. It's perched on a stack of magazines directly within arm's reach of my office chair so there are hundreds of opportunities a day for a practice session on the sly.

    How many and what kind of mandolins do you own?


    If I'd answered two weeks ago, I'd have said one, but now it's three.

    The very first was a 50€ Stagg M20 off ebay (as I said it was just to learn tunes on originally). The newer ones are a Stanford DFM300 f-shaped mando which I bought used off a friend. It had a cracked nut when I bought and is still in the workshop being repaired. I can't really say a great deal about it therefore, other than that I loved the sound it made when I heard my friend playing it before the break and that I can't wait for it to be finished.

    The last one is a Trinity College which I bought heavily reduced due to a pretty spectacular palm-print under the finish on the neck and another similar but much smaller mark halfway across the headstock (hard to describe.... they look a bit like smoke captured in glass). As something to learn on and get to know more about the sound of a flat top it's fine though.

    Somewhere in the future I expect I'll want to have a mandolin custom-made but I expect a lot of myself in terms of learning, before I go that far.

    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin?

    At the moment almost exclusively Irish music although I've listened to a fair number of Nordic pieces recently and really liked them. I can see myself trying one or two for sure.


    Which players are your main inspiration?

    Hmmm..... I wouldn't even know most of their names. I'm no good with names. I only got into this through banjo, as I said, so Barney McKenna would be one I would absolutely HAVE to name. As for mandolin I don't really have a role model as such.

    Do you play in a band?

    No. Just with friends for the craic. My ultimate target would be able to play mandolin perfectly while lying on a hammock.

    Do you have any sound or video files to share to show your style of playing?

    At the minute, no one is even allowed in the room when I'm practising
  32. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Hi,
    I have been playing mandolin for quite a few years now, and been building them since 2005.
    I am based in the small village of Ardnadam on the shores of The Holy Loch in the beautiful county of Argyll in Scotland, a place I have no desire to leave!
    I play one of my own mandolins and one of my own octaves and my principal musical interest is Scottish and Celtic music. I also play a lovely Lowden O32 Acoustic guitar. I play with a group of friends in a band called The Old Bores (there's a story to the spelling of the name) and we play mainly for our own pleasure but also quite often around our home area in Argyll. We have also been invited twice to play in the Cairncastle Ulster/Scots Folk Festival in Northern Ireland and were there in July of 2008 and 2009.
    We are regulars at the monthly open folk nights held in the Whistlefield Inn on Loch Eck, about ten miles from my home. These evenings are always great fun and there is a really wide variety of music and instruments on offer and a great atmosphere.
    Enough of me for now.
  33. mandojen
    mandojen
    Who are you and where do you live? My name is Jen and I live in Broadstairs, Kent, UK. I am in my late 40s and my main hobby is litening to live acoustic music. I just bought a little campervan so am planning on going to as many music (mostly folk) festivals as I can in 2010

    How long have you played mandolin? Only for about a year, with not enough practise!

    How many and what kind of mandolins do you own? I bought my first mandolin on eBay for £15 - a Blue Moon (chinese) model which isnt that bad and I take this one to pub sessions. In the summer I pruchased a beautiful Buchanan mandolin which I love.

    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin? mainly contemporary english folk (a very limited repertoire)

    Which players are your main inspiration? Lots of local musicians I go to see regularly

    Do you play in a band? No, but I attend sessions where I can sit in a dark corner!

    Do you have any sound or video files to share to show your style of playing? You're joking...!
  34. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Welcome, Jen. I am fairly new member too and have found this and the Mandolin.org.uk site are both really good resources for players, listeners and anyone with an interest in mandolins, music, etc. Very friendly folk and willing to offer advice, help and encouragement.
    If you manage to reach Scotland in your van give us a call to find out if there are any sessions on; we have a good monthly open session here at the Whistlefield Inn on Loch Eck in Argyll on the first Friday of each month. You can play, listen, join in or just chill out.
  35. mandojen
    mandojen
    thanks for the welcome john, hopefully my campervan would make it that far! lol maybe once i've got used to it, i could bravely drive to argyll...
    if you, or other cafe members are in broadstairs let me know - there are some good sessions down here, especially during folk week.
    off i go to practise... cheers
  36. Gelsenbury
    Gelsenbury
    My name is Dennis, I come from Gelsenkirchen in Germany and currently live in Sturry near Canterbury. I've been practising mandolin since I bought my first instrument at the end of November last year. It's a Stagg M20, cheap and also the only model my local store had. It sounds perfectly OK to me so far. I'm nowhere near good enough to play in a band yet, but in the future I hope to be able to join one - great fun to make music together, after all.
  37. bevb
    bevb
    Who are you and where do you live?
    I live in Dorset on the south coast of England

    How long have you played mandolin?
    About ten years maybe, interspersed with guitar and octave mando

    How many and what kind of mandolins do you own?
    I've got a National RM, an Oakwood acoustic, an Almuse 5 string electric and a Jerman 5 string electric, plus a tenor banjo and a concert uke.

    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin?
    Mainly English folk tunes, some original songs and tunes and other 'odd stuff' . I enjoy just noodling, who knows what might pop out !

    Which players are your main inspiration?
    Don't really have any, best to find your own style I reckon. Dave Gilmore ? Andy Summers ?

    Do you play in a band?
    I play the banjo for a morris side and a molly dance side..The mandolin is just not loud enough when faced with a wall of melodians. I also record a lot of my own stuff, mixture of the acoustic and electric mandos and ukulele, (everyone should have one).

    Do you have any sound or video files to share to show your style of playing?
    Not yet but hoping to soon.

    Glad to be here.
  38. M.Marmot
    M.Marmot
    Who are you and where do you live?

    Hallo, I'm Mark Halpin, originally from Ireland, currently in Lyon, France, and before the year is out i'll probably be somewhere up in Picardy.

    How long have you played mandolin?

    Its been... holy moly, i just realised that it might be closing on seven years since i first started playing a mandolin.

    How many and what kind of mandolins do you own?

    Through those years i drifted my way through a few cheaper brands, now I have a wee Paul Hathway mandolin that does me grand. I also have a mandolin sized Cumbus, affectionately known as the 'Fun Pot'.

    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin?

    Essentially up until this year i have used the mandolin to back singing, from both me (yikes) and others, so that has meant moving through quite a few styles. Left to my own devices i have tended towards Blues, Jugband and Oldtime.

    The current mission is to get up to speed playing traditional fiddle tunes, its an area i have sorely neglected and i think concentrating on this will help my ramshackle playing no end.

    Which players are your main inspiration?

    Where to start?

    Start at the beginning, an instruction book by Andy Statman, a musician whose music, on mandolin and clarinet i have grown to admire immensely.
    Then for an age it was Sam Bush and Dave Grisman.
    Tim O Brien also had a mighty say in matters.
    Norman Blake especially with Peter Oustroushko, i do be loving them.
    Then theres Yank Rachell, Ry Cooder, Rich Del Grosso,
    the great, great, Jethro Burns.

    Recently, Patrick Vaillant's mandolin music has been floating my musical boat.

    Do you play in a band?

    No, i have played with a ballad group and as part of a duo, but they were all rather ad hoc affairs.

    Do you have any sound or video files to share to show your style of playing?

    No, i don't have any recordings of my own, but from the amount of times i have had a camera in my face while performing leads me to fear that there may be incriminating footage out there somewhere (shudder)
  39. Tosh Marshall
    Tosh Marshall
    Who are you and where do you live?
    I am Tosh Marshall, live in Notting Hill, London via Warrington & Dover

    How long have you played mandolin?
    Three years this May.

    How many and what kind of mandolins do you own?
    I have a Paul Shippey Cherry A4 and a couple of Eastmans (815 & 505) from Trevor's TAMCO in Brighton. Currently having a 10 string built by Paul Shippey.

    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin?
    Mainly Traditional.

    Which players are your main inspiration?
    Everyone who contributes here, from rank beginner to the top pros, they are real heroes. It's an amazing site that Scott and his team have created that is informative, accessible and global. You can't get much better than that. I listen to a lot of stuff, not just mandolin players but all the usual suspects are in my collection.

    Do you play in a band?
    No, just with the Self Help Group here in London. It's a hobby, I wanted to learn to read music and in my opinion, the mandolin is a perfect instrument to learn to read.

    Do you have any sound or video files to share to show your style of playing?
    http://mandolins.yolasite.com/media.php Not great, but we're getting better...honest!!!!
  40. Susanne
    Susanne
    Tosh, it's a very nice website you have there!!!!!! Some time ago I planned to create a site with resources for beginning/intermediate mandolin players but I don't see the need anymore...
  41. Tosh Marshall
    Tosh Marshall
    Thanks Susi, there is about a dozen of us and we have a laugh. It's a lot of fun and great to learn to traditional music at a pace we all can contend with. It's great to have a meeting place once a month to pick you up when you're down and inspire you to keep going. We'll never be the best, but for us just to play traditional music and have fun is fantastic.......
  42. Susanne
    Susanne
    I wish I could join you! It sounds like the perfect place to learn to play music.
  43. Ptarmi
    Ptarmi
    Who are you and where do you live?

    Dick Glasgow, born in Edinburgh, but now living on the Causeway Coast of North Antrim.


    How long have you played mandolin?

    Bought my first Mandolin in Aberdeen back in 1976!
    One of those bowl-back Japanese Susuki Mandolins, a bit like This One

    I then played an Oakwood Original Mandolin for nearly 20 years.


    How many and what kind of mandolins do you own?

    Personally speaking I don't like to collect instruments.
    I reckon they're made to play music & I know that if I had more than one, I'd only ever play the best one, so I only keep one ... & leave the rest for others to play.
    I'm not greedy!


    What kind of music do you play on the mandolin?

    Irish & Scottish Music are my main diet, but I love Old Time Music too, but as I don't play chords, I'm not much use at playing the OT stuff on the Mandolin.


    Which players are your main inspiration?

    Dagger Gordon & Kevin MacLeod


    Do you play in a band?

    I play in a Session Band every Saturday night.
    We are: Scad the Beggars


    Do you have any sound or video files to share to show your style of playing?

    If you can be bothered, I have a YouTube Channel

    P.S. If any of you folks find yourself heading for the Causeway Coast of North Antrim with a Mandolin under your arm, give me a shout & I'll be happy to keep you posted on where & where the local sessions will be happening, while you are in the area.
    Cheers
    Dick
  44. dendrite
    dendrite
    HI, I'm Doro from Germany, NRW, a small place near Muenster.

    I don't play Mandolin, but I want to get into it, I just love the sound of the instrument. So I registered hoping to get some tips and help on here.

    I've been playing music as long as I can think (it runs in the family) and I've been writing songs since I was 13. My style it folky / singer-songwritery - more or less. And since my new band's joining me in my new found favour for country music I thought I could maybe have a try on the mandolin. I can play the guitar - so I'm hoping I will manage eventually (I know it takes some time to learn it).

    I'd like to get a bluegrass mandolin - rather a good used one than a cheap new one. I find it hard to find something for a reasonable price over here - does anyone have suggestions? Since I can't play yet and don't know whether I will really manage to play one day, I don't want to spend too much money on it - about 250 Euros or so - I know you will laugh at that sum - but if I like it I can still invest more in a decent instrument. First I must reach a certain standard.

    In my band (we're still starting and only three of us right now) I sing and I play the guitar - mainly western guitar. We are not complete yet, so I can't tell which direction we're heading in, but probably, if I write the songs, something with strong folk influences. I'll post something when we have some representable ;-)

    Music I like - too much to mention everything, mainly rock. Music which inspires me: Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler, stuff like Alison Krauss, music like CSN(&Y). I'm not trying to copy anyone.

    That's it - hope to find some nice contacts on here which help me on my way to become a mandolin player ;-) See you around then -
    Doro
  45. shortsighted_stevie_b
    shortsighted_stevie_b
    Hi,
    my name is Stephan, I'm 51 years old and I live in Hannover/Germany.
    Playing guitar for decades, I'm new to the Mandolin.
    I own a Martinez (Korean made) F-Style and a Fylde Walnut Touchstone, which is my momentary pride
    Meanwhile too lazy to play in bands, I only bother family and neighbours at home.
    I am interested in many kinds of music, from jazz to blues/bluesrock and back.
    David Grisman is the mando-player I admire most - at the moment.

    That's all for now.
  46. Susanne
    Susanne
    It's nice to meet you, Stephan. I was thinking of getting a Fylde octave mandolin (among tons of other builders that I looked at) but then I came across a very nice Gypsy instead. It sounds like you're happy with your Fylde!
  47. dendrite
    dendrite
    Looks like Stephan's Martinez will be mine soon :-)
  48. M.Marmot
    M.Marmot
    Good luck with the Martinez, i hope it brings you many hours of good cheer
  49. dendrite
    dendrite
    Thank you! The first contact was very positive - hope I find a couple of hours this weekend to get to know it a little better :-) Be prepared I might ask some questions sooner or later ;-)
  50. swampstomper
    swampstomper
    Dendrite, now we can really have some fun playing dueling mandolins... congratulations!
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