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Hello, All.

I am revisiting this thread, because I have become obsessed with this 17 inch scale length in lower GDAE tuning (octave mandolin, tenor banjo, one octave down from fiddle, or however...

Hello, All.

I am back on the hunt. I love the sound and feel of nylon, and have GDAE exclusive obsession. I have capoed a tenor banjo all the way down to 17 inch for the low Octave Mando/Tenor...

Hello. May I suggest you check out Central CT Sessions with your browser. The Glastonbury session (which always ran opposite the Hannifans, I think) is 1st and 3rd Sunday, 4-6, at the Irish...

Thanks for the octave violin suggestion, Harley Marty, and also Fox, for the super fat string idea. I will try the former, but the latter wouldn’t fit my (to me) precious Gibson trapdoor mandolin...

Hello. This thread is where I “live” in GDAE on odd, short instruments. I use a mixed bag of classical nylon strings for D,A,E and a .54 d’Addario for G. But here’s the rub: I use them in scale...

Thanks again to all. I am trying the 2 frets per finger, and it really isn't a huge difference very often. I am realizing that my main reason for not playing "standard" way is that I switch very...

Wow, foldedpath. What a marvelously clear and complete response to my rather choppy posts. I will try your experiment (although Silver Spear is only an occasional tune at my local session, and not...

Thanks again, Folks, for the latest round. I will make it my plan to find out more about the "standard" one finger/2 frets, and give it a try. However, I won't stress over it. I am still really...

Jim, I don't know about derailing....perhaps I should pm you, but basically, I use the Aquila Red mandolin strings, save the E, which is an Aquila E from the "Soprano Uke fifths" set I use on three...

Thanks to all! I am amazed by the quick and thoughtful replies, and judging by three of them, a bit embarrassed that I didn't really spell out my question very clearly. So, here's a bit more: I...

Hello, Folks. I am just about a year in to my "fifths-tuned" adventure, and ready for my second class at Catskills Irish Arts Week. Seems (despite last summer's teacher's remonstrations) I have...

I am polka-obsessed. I am currently focusing on: The Little Diamond Set (Little Diamond, Murroe, and Maids of Ardath), and a set of Sliabh Luachra (spelling?) from Jackie Daly starting with the 42...

You have many experienced responders, so what I have to say is probably preposterously simplistic, but here's how I started: I was struck by the 5ths tuning, and the related similarity/consistency...

As a recent (one and a half year) convert to strings, I must say, literally, that "I owe it all to GDAE tuning!" I never could grasp the intervals in standard guitar, nor uke tuning, but somehow...

I just did a quick "look" for 31U strings and tenor ukes, and people seem to love them. I have the 30U set on four soprano-sized instruments (a FireFly banjo uke, an old Gibson Trapdoor Mandolin...

The tension stuff perplexes me; thanks for the comparisons and the very helpful suggestions, all! I should have mentioned that I would also consider nylon, since that is what the 14" mando-banjo was...

Thanks, all, for the thoughtful replies. I will look for the Thomasticks. My goal is fast tune-playing, but I don't care about chords. I will probably get a cheap tenor uke (17" scale) to try, but...

Hello, all. I have had my curiousity piqued by some posts on the relationship of scale length to notes/scales. My goal is the range of tenor banjo/octave mandolin, with the shortest possible scale...

It does look nice! I have an old Gibson mando-banjo, strung in Aquila Red mandolin nylon, and it is a blast. The 4 nylon strings are easy on the fingers, and the Aquila set makes the tension feel...

I have a '23 Gibson trapdoor mandolin banjo, which I have set up as a four string "melody banjo" with the Aquila Red nylgut mandolin strings (and have the second set as a spare.) Most everyone who...

I am late to this thread, but have used the Aquila Red Mandolin strings (save the high E, which I replaced after two breaks with the E, from the regular Nylgut Soprano 5ths Uke set) and am very...

Paul, I don't kow if you already posted, since I, too, am old. But to continue the "outside the box" part of the chat, I made my cheap "tenor guitar" by retuning a 40 dollar (brand new!) Rogue...

Hello, All.

I am fresh from Mando classes with Mary Coogan at Catskills Irish Arts Week (briefly described in another thread) but am moved to share the feedback I got from her and my classmates...

Hello, All.

I am very lucky to have been in the Mando class at CIAW last week, taught by the amazing Mary Coogan (she of Cherish the Ladies fame!) and I could not have had a better time, nor felt...

Hello, Folks.
I am now setup with G string from an individual D'Addario .50w; D from D'Addario hard tension classical guitar D, A from the D'Addario hard tension set (the fattest plain) and....ta...