A few years ago, I played a used Fletcher Brock 10-stringer at Dusty Strings that also had octave pairs on those three courses. That instrument was absolutely stunning in looks, tone, and volume! I...
A few years ago, I played a used Fletcher Brock 10-stringer at Dusty Strings that also had octave pairs on those three courses. That instrument was absolutely stunning in looks, tone, and volume! I...
Yup, Strings introduces the band by name in the last verse. Usually, Schatz wears a hat.
That was an excellent run through the song, as you'd expect from that roster. However, I usually...
More often than not, the mandolin: guitar equivalency price ratio is about 2:1. In other words, the relative quality of a $2K mando is about the same as a $1K guitar. So, given the guitars that you...
I've never played one of Richard's mandolins. However, I have a cittern that he built in 2010, and it's tremendous! I bought it used in 2013 from someone who sold it in the Café Classifieds because...
I played one of those at Gryphon a few months ago, and it was tremendous! It sounded more like the Artist F5, but was priced in between the standard F5 and the Big Mon.
It definitely is. :)
I visited the showroom a month ago, on a side trip from Ann Arbor, where my daughter now lives. I made an appointment with Derek to play the Quickstep and the EleOcto. The...
Agreed! If you subscribe to that podcast, it's Episode 47. If you don't, here's the link: https://www.fretboardjournal.com/podcasts/luthier-on-luthier-frank-ford/
I'll second all of the...
"Sinatra was swinging,
All the drunks they were singing,
We kissed on a corner,
Then danced through the night.
The boys of the NYPD choir
Were singing Galway Bay,
And the bells were ringing...
I totally agree! However, I've probably played a dozen pre-Loar A's over the years, and some had way more mojo than others. So, I always suggest that people play before they buy --- which may mean...
Interesting question. I've seen people discuss various tunings for cittern --- which is basically a mandocello with an additional course on the high end --- but not for mandocello. If other writers...
Looks like a great reference project! We're going to be driving around Lake Erie next month, and there are a few pins that are close, but not close enough for a detour, unfortunately.
On the West...
Great interview! The Weber tradition is definitely in good hands and heart.
If they're only going to be building three mandos a month, what will the pricing be?
That would be a great Acoustic Oasis release, if the lawyers would approve!!!
Sylvan Music in Santa Cruz currently has two A5 Ensembles (#267 and #270) in stock. My mandobuddy and I went down there yesterday to try them out, since the last Girouard A's that we played there...
For me, this is a tricky approach. Years ago, I took a great eight-session bluegrass band performance workshop, and midway through that, our coach --- a local professional musician --- asked me why...
Yup!
The main difference from your recorder experience will be that you're going from C to G instead of from C to F. Another difference comes from dealing with a stringed instrument, rather than...
I think that Northfield has done a great job of giving more bang for the bucks with their three F models. I like the Big Mon way more than the NS-F5S, and I like the Artist way more than the Big...
Thanks for the list of songs to check out. I have a couple of PB albums, but only listened to them once. This will give me a more targeted exploration of their music.
I agree about the new NC...
From the preview tracks, I get the sense that the upcoming album will be traditional, but not old-fashioned in the straight-outta-Appalachia sense.
You might like John Reischman and the Jaybirds. They write a lot of their own material, and they're in a really nice lane in between the traditionalists and the jamgrass bands. Also, check out some...
Places to start:
https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Octave-Mandolin-Bouzouki/dp/0786686790
https://www.homespun.com/shop/hs_bouzouki1
https://homespun.com/shop/hs_mandolin16
Joe Walsh offers an...
"To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar
Yup. So where I am right now is a place where I continually improve and plateau and...
From a 2000 article in the LA Times, marking forty years of the Topanga Canyon Banjo and Fiddle Contest:
"Over the last 40 years, contestants have ranged in age from 4 to 98 and in ability from...
I feel like I've logged in to the Medicare Cafe. :grin:
At 66, I guess you can call me "The Kid."
The question is, do you want to be an Ernie or a Bert? Actually, it doesn't matter, because...
The main difference you might notice in feel is that Eastman necks are 1 3/32", and Northfields are 1 1/8" (with wide nut models at 1 3/16").
Looking long-term, and I know that many Northfield...