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Thanks for posting Bob. I used to live a couple miles from the Orme family store in Ottawa. Orme's Furniture.
And then a couple years back I picked up a Howe - Orme mandolin in a thrift store.

Tell us about the venues that you expect to play.
In my experience a noisy bar room calls for a piezo pickup. It's simpler to manage feedback free sound levels in that loud environment.
In a quiet...

Edit ; Nevermind, I misread the original post.

If I have to step away, it goes back in the case.
At home I keep my instuments in my office. In spring, summer, fall they're probably on stands. If the heat is on they're in cases with humidifiers....

I bought an MK on a whim as a travel instrument, because I wasn`t comfortable lugging a guitar around. I never looked back. It`s setup beautifully and plays great. It may have it's limitations sound...

Thanks Jim.
When I was at it I took a brand new screwdriver that fit
the slot very well and I applied as much force as I dared to that soft brass screw. It didn't budge.
Having recently dealt...

I`ve done audio recordings at jam sessions and was very pleased with the results. It was simple, portable, flexible.
First lesson is that not all recording apps are the same. The codec makes all the...

The ultrasonic cleaner worked quite well. Cleaned things the grime, but kept the patina. The tuners loosened up, but not evenly. Some ended up a bit more loose than I would like, others still have...

Oh it's a slippery slope.
I started with Rob's book and was very pleased with the results. I timidly filed the nut and lowered the action. I did not go as low as most detail. I stopped short out of...

Thanks guys.
And thank you for the insight and tips Tavy. I'll search out some PTFE.

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Greetings all,
Last weekend I happened upon a Howe-Orme mandolin in a thrift shop. It's a hundred years old and in good condition. I am now the proud owner.
I plan to address a few minor issues....

I truly stumbled upon this and had it dropped in my lap. I had been putting off some errands all week. On my way I decided to swing by the thrift shop across from the best bar in the worst part of...

Here's some better pictures.

Thanks Mike I'll check out those links. I have poked around a bit reading up already. Orme seems to be the same company that I've bought furniture from in Ottawa.
I had a bit of time to inspect the...

I'm having a bit of trouble uploading a picture.
Hopefully this works.

Mandolins a rather scarce around here, but I think that has worked to my advantage. I found that buying a mandolin opened up a world of jam and performance opportunities in the local guitar dominated...

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Here's a picture I took when I bought it.

Lots of good advice already. Thank you. I knew I could count on you guys.
I'll read up on how to upload pictures.

And comes out with a Howe - Orme, (Style 1?) mandolin that looks like it has never been played.
At first I was excited to find a good clean old mandolin to play and care for. I ordered ultra light...

Start with Rob Meldrum's free e book. You will gain an appreciation and understanding of the basics of setting up a stringed instrument. This will pay off in spades when you decide to upgrade.
I...

I bought a cheap lapel mic ($10?) for recording jams I am very pleased. the cord and extension allow me to place the mic strategically distant from the louder instruments while the phone stays within...

Interesting to hear about the disk thickness. I could only guess that this translates to more mass.
I used generic disks, they're pretty much wafer thin. I did put a dab of silicone rubber on the...

Thanks for feedback.



Good detail on disk size. I did start with three sizes; 10, 15 and 20. My ear quickly settled on the 10s and I never gave the larger ones a fair chance. Glad to know...

A while back while researching mandolin pickups, I realized that it was well within my education and abilities to build my own. I don't claim to be The expert in any aspect of mandolins or their...