A day isn't enough, so I made a weekend out of it! The Kentucky arrived Friday. I had a busier-than -usual weekend, but found an hour each day to play it. So far, so good. The fine folk at The Mandolin Store in Arizona sent it out quickly, and, I presume, well set up. (What do I know?) It was tuned down a step or so, so the first official act was bringing it up to pitch. I'm happy to report that all eight tuners work well. As Mike said with his, the craftsmanship is impeccable. Nice if not extravagant flame in the maple used for the back and sides, all seams and binding are as smooth as can be, nice job on the MOP inlay on the headstock, straight, close grain on the top. The nut has a slightly sharp edge on the treble side—would sandpaper or emery cloth remedy that? The case, frankly, stinks. Literally. Some sort of glue, I guess, that unleashes a powerful chemical smell when you open it. It's better now that it was at first, and I'm sure the smell will go away. Not the first case I have had like this. The Bobelocks I have for my violin and viola were horrid at first. Picking it up, my first impression was that it was little. My husband said the same thing when he saw it. I pulled out the Reno to compare. It's a tiny bit longer, due to the F-style headstock, but the body of the Kentucky is actually a bit wider. I guess the A-style just looks smaller than an F. It definitely weighs less. The sound is a bit tight, as I would expect from a never-played instrument, but even the first hour I played it made a difference. Partly the instrument waking up, partly my learning how to get a better tone from it. I figured out how to make a short video of it with "Rights of Man," but have no clue how to edit it, set up a YouTube account, and upload the video (if that's even possible with the program I used). That project will have to wait for a few free hours. All in all, I'm quite pleased with it. Mellower sound than the F, longer sustain. For the price, $499 including setup, odiferous case, and shipping, I can't imagine I could have done better.
Congrats again Louise, I know you're going to find a lot of reasons to shirk less important things (work, eating, etc.) to play that latest song in your head! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!
Welcome to the 272 club! I am assuming that you got one of the featherweight cases that dealers sometimes send with instruments - which I frankly am not a big fan of. If you want to 'upgrade' at some point, I can recommend the one below . . . very decent, traditional-looking, hard shell case, at a very reasonable price. https://www.musiciansfriend.com/acce...-mandolin-case Enjoy the new mandolin! p.s. - If somebody as technically challenged as I am can figure out how to record, edit and post a video on YouTube, anybody can do it! Be sure to let us know when you get it finished.
No pix? Didn’t happen. Just sayin’.
Congratulations on the new mando, Louise. I've dealt with a sharp nut edge once with careful filing. It was a little nerve wracking. Longer sustain will be nice for May's tune of the month - a waltz. You don't have to edit your videos. It's nice, and some do a lovely job, but the rough cuts are welcome as well.
Video editting is just an extra bit of fun and fluff for me. I enjoy doing it but it can be time consuming. So sometimes it is just trim the lead-in and the lead-out to length, then post. Other times I get really carried away. For software (Windows), dig around and try to find MovieMaker. It used to be included with Windows, but not any more. I used it exclusively when I started doing the TOM. I know I got it for free somewhere on the internet, but don't remember where. Maybe somebody else here knows where to find it. And even without editting, if you can Skype or if you have a smart phone, you can make a video. YouTube makes it easy to post, so just play around with their instructions and as they say in Gay Pairee "La viola".
Windows 10 comes with a video recorder, and the 'trim the lead-in and the lead-out to length, then post' editing feature that Hank mentioned above is very easy to use. Usually I will play a song snippet through 75 or 80 times until I get it almost right, then I will just trim out all of the horrible takes, and leave the one 'fair' one. Very simple.
OK, I found MovieMaker on the web. It is no longer supported by Microsoft but it seems to still work fine. You can get it by downloading a Microsoft package called "Windows Essentials". Since MS no longer supports it, it is no longer officially available. But "Wayback Machine" has all of MS's stuff archived, so here is the link to the last official version for download: http://web.archive.org/web/201701121...lsetup-all.exe This will download a setup program called wlsetup-all.exe. Run that. The first prompt will ask if you want to install everything or select the programs you want. Choose to select what you want. The next prompt will show all that is available. Make sure the check box for Photo Gallery and Movie Maker is checked. Uncheck all the other stuff. Then click the Install button.
Louise, nice review of your new mandolin. The setup on it should be very good. I was in TMS back in January and had them tinker with 2 of my instruments. With a bit of luck I am going back tomorrow and play (only) a couple of ovals again. Use a bit of fine sandpaper or emery cloth. Gently work the edge down. A emery board for fingernails will work just fine. Congratulations on the 272
No Windows programs on this computer. I took a couple of truly crapulous cell phone videos, and am uploading them to YouTube right now. Does it really take 20 minutes or more to upload about a minute of terrible video? Hank, I'll get a photo taken of the whole bunch one of these days. Like family pictures, I guess. Mike, I looked at that case. A couple of reviews said it was too shallow to hold an arch top without the top of the case resting on the bridge, so I just went with the foam one. Besides its smell, my kitties think cordura nylon is the best thing in the world to sharpen claws on, so this one won't last forever. Sleet & Trav, good to hear that the sharp edge can be softened. Trav, what ovals are you interested in? Bbcee, to my frustration, we're really busy at work right now. I spent a lot of Sunday afternoon there, and worked late this evening. It's really cutting into my mandolin time! Hate that.
As one who has enjoyed living with toxoplasmosis since before my oldest memories, I gotta say that you are now obligated to get another case. The kitties have claimed this one, so tough luck for you. But watch out. There is only enough room in a mandolin case for one cat. You said kitties, plural. One case per cat, thank you. Then if you want a case for your actual mandolin, you'll have to get another one, spray it down with that feline inhibitor stuff, and hope it doesn't dissolve the finish on your mandolin. ps: it is obligatory that one post a picture of one's cat(s) curled up in one's mandolin case(s).
I have one cat who only fits in a viola case—mandolin and violin cases just don't fit his frame! He was sitting atop the new mandolin case earlier. I'm hiding this case from them, after they destroyed a couple of cases a few years ago—clawed one right down to the wood. My sons and I only have fiberglass or CF cases for the violins, violas, and cello that do/used to live here. My first mandolin and my mandola came with hard cases. They do still like to sit in them, but after one of the psychokitties peed on a case blanket, we don't encourage them to get in the cases.
Hey Louise: Despite what the reviews say, I can tell you with 100% certainty my KM-272 fits into the Musician's Gear case that I bought . . . just a little bit of information to keep in mind, once Garfield finishes shredding your current case. My YouTube sample videos are only 30 seconds long and they take a couple of minutes to upload - so, yes the process can be slow. Just remember to post a link to your video when it is done.
Congrats on the new acquisition, Louise!
Hi Louise. I wanted to compare the sound of the Collings and Weber ovals. Plus, a 514. Then TMS also had a used Bitterroot that was priced right. Unfortunately for me, my truck decided to go clunk and plunk. So with a potentially expensive repair bill looming I decided to forego the mandolin shopping trip. What I really think I want is a F4 style and sound thus the Eastman 514.
Well, speaking of cats and cases ...
Pretty kitty, and fits that case perfectly! Trav'lin, hope the truck is OK, or if it needs repair that it is small potatoes. Hate when that happens. Mike, I'm glad to hear that case will fit. If I remember, those are about $50, and the next step up is $100 or more.
As this is the one-year thread (and because I seem to have at least a watery idea of the video thing) I'll post short clips of each instrument. This is my first instrument, the famous antique store find: Last fall, I added a mandola: And then succumbed to Oval Hole Fever last week:
Quick tip, don't have a light behind you when videoing - you're backlit. Though the hairlight is nice, there's nothing but shadows in the foreground. You either need to balance that light with an overhead room light or similar, or seat yourself differently. Most people are guilty of this though, usually with a window. I do it, but I compensate for the backlight using the camera controls, and in post-production.
Louise: THANKS for the comparison videos! You most certainly hit the jackpot with your 'Reno' find. Very nice. I REALLY like the tone of that KM-272 . . . but, you knew that already, didn't you? Keep up the good work.
Sportsnapper, I was surprised at how badly the lamp burned out the video, especially since there was still ambient light in the room. No such thing as camera controls, it's just a phone. (Although it shoots great still pictures.) Mike, the Kentucky sounds better every day. As I said earlier, some of that, I'm sure, is me making friends with it, but a lot is the instrument opening up as it gets played.
Wow, so cool to hear your instruments and your playing, Louise. That Reno sounds great!
I'd say you got three nice scores there, Louise! And nice playing besides. You don't fear the pinky! I'd like to learn Lovely Joan - do you have the TEF/tab for it by any chance? Sounds great on the mandola.
Neat, Louise. And Lovely Joan suits my ear, too.
The version I used for "Lovely Joan" came from Ralph Vaughan Williams's arrangement of "Greensleeves." He kind of sticks it in the middle. There are versions of it on both The Session and traditionalmusic.co.uk. It's a gorgeous tune, isn't it?
Nice. I thought for a long time that the composer's name was Rayvon Williams, having been acquainted with it only through the medium of FM radio. I even passed up buying an LP once because I had never heard of Ralph Vaughn Williams.
With his first name pronounced "Rafe" it's an easy mistake to make.
One more time: Well, speaking of cats and cases ... From our classified ad section today: "Comes with a clean TKL case that does not smell like cat pee."
Wonder if it smells like a dead skunk, then? Horse manure? Bone dust? You know, once you get started with the unsolicited denials, hard to know where to stop. Or should I assume that any instrument case will indeed smell like cat pee unless otherwise advised?
I have come across some cases over the years that would have been improved by cat pee . . .
Mike, if you still have those cases, I'll loan you Oscar for awhile. That cat can (and has) peed on everything imaginable. His superhero persona is The Urinator. Hank, take out the words "does not" and insert "no longer" and you might be closer to the truth. Once the Febreze wears off . . .
Louise, I'm thrilled you've posted a video! Love the sound of the nandola. Maybe when I've mastered the mandolin. . . .
Mandola!
