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The Blueridge BR 40T is very hard to beat for the US price, in the U.K. it is much more expensive!

Silk and steel will soften the tone of the wound strings. The plain steels in a silk&steel set are usually lighter than normal too, which might not improve the treble tone. It may take a little...

Hi folks. As part of my teaching for various pupils, I've recently put together a basic tenor guitar chord book, which is freely available from my website at:
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In case anyone is interested, I have owned the latest Martin tenor for several weeks now and here is my review of this instrument.

First, it is an Elderly Instruments exclusive. I do not live...

I was asked the other night if I'd played the mandolin all my life, I replied (Not Yet)!!!

Steve,
Thanks for your observations about folks' prejudices about a sight-unseen/sound unheard instrument on the other thread, and for your great summary review here. Your clip on Soundcloud...

People have told me that my mandolin sounds better when I close the case...

Steve: I would convert it to a three point by lopping off and creating a second bass-side point. Just a suggestion.

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I've posted this elsewhere, but if you're looking for a good spare inexpensive mandolin here's my advice. Buy a Rogue guitar and mandolin package ("two-fer") for a nickel under a hundred dollars,...

Pardon me if this sounds snarky, but any song can be played on tenor. Some chord voicings sound better than others on six-string as well. It's just a matter of finding the inversions that sound good...

I'm not sure what your expectations were, but I can't imagine that situation being discouraging.
When we start to learn and we get a few tunes down, we can play them alone at home with no problems,...

Forgive the shameless self promotion, but I am really excited about some new material from my band Velocipede. Here's a video that accompanies our new album:

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A longtime seller of many things, if you are going to sell a item don't nickel and dime the customer. Price your item to cover your overhead, in this case Paypal fees. I know most people who sell...

Part of the reason people believe they need a better mandolin is because they hang out here (maybe even too much). I'm living proof, and I love the Mandolin Cafe. My knowledge of the mandoin far...

One word: Love

If you like it better, it is the better mandolin for you. Forget the price, forget the name, play what you like.

Don't know if bringing unflattering stereotypes into the discussion is necessary. Not all of us have time to do 'abs' everyday.

It's always fun sifting through the various words of wisdom here. My big issue with taking a nice instrument to a music festival is dealing with the what-ifs: what if I leave it in a car on a hot...

No one ever died from a wrong note or dozen-- I should know, I haven't played a right one yet.

Giving away a mandolin for free to a deserving individual, and responding to someone asking for a freebie - two different things. In most cases I am betting that the deserving individual is not...

That would be set-up. That is the #1 cause of difficult playability.
Now, you say it's been set up by an excellent luthier, but unfortunately, that is not always a guarantee that the set up is good....

Find an inexpensive baritone uke....put on the middle 4 strings of a classical guitar set and tune as a tenor/mandola.

I'd play them both and then decide.

Fun

Look in part to nut width, neck shape, and fret size. Eastman more delicate and violin like. Depending on your hands and preference that might swing one way or the other. The Loar finish may well...