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One of the guys in my band has a Gil that has an extremely loud chop. Seriously hurts my ears if I'm facing him.

If you want to get a decent upright, I'd recommend a Thompson bass from String Emporium in Arizona. Thompson's are very similar to Shen, and I believe the company was started by ex-Shen employees....

Just go to Monroe camp. Both Kimball and Duff will be there and you can try out their instruments.

I have the honor of playing in a band with this guy. He's a great player. Here's his take on a Christmas classic. Hope you enjoy.

https://youtu.be/R_1IDIbszKc

Their latest model is now starting at $7500. Wow. Something I've learned, and it's proven to me year after year, it's not the mando, it's the player. We have a festival in Washington State every May...

First of all, thank you for all the work that you do on this site. I love the Cafe. But your response to Ivan is kinda harsh. Other folks, including those who are IBMA members have similar feelings....

My experience has been that it comes down to a power-play by the gate agents. A couple years ago I flew to Nashville with a guitar. As we lined up to board, I saw to other persons with guitars in...

I just put Silk and Steel on my mando. They started out sounding really dead. But the more I play, the more alive they are sounding. Much mellower than other strings I've tried.

While I haven't taken any lessons in person, I have had a few Skype lessons, and I've played in bands with world-class mandolin players. Guess what, they all have different ways of holding picks and...

I'm kinda feeling like I have the ability to play louder and perform double-stop/tremolo better with a free floating hand. When I rest my wrist on the bridge, I pick more with a scooping motion....

It's a great little festival. Other than Wintergrass, it's basically the first festival of the season in Washington State. The main concert venue is the school theater. The acoustics are great. The...

Crap! As any of you who are in bands know, coming up with a band name is the most difficult part of being in a band. I don't know why I was surprised to hear there is another band named String Theory...

While I appreciate the effort to keep the music acoustic, and I guess traditional, I don't understand the idea that an electrified bass is off limits. Monroe didn't have an electric bass, but other...

Wasn't he that creepy character in Lord Of The Rings?

While I love Ear Trumpet mics (I have several Edwina's, a Myrtle, and a Nadine), I don't think they are best for events where there is a lot of noise, like bars. They are best used at events where...

None of the original members. Last remaining member, Ben Eldridge, left a little while ago. Now they have Ron Stewart on banjo.

Well I pulled the trigger on a bass. I found it in a music store in Eugene, OR. It's a 1980's Fender Jazz Special, which is a P/J bass. I put some Thomastik strings on it. It's nice, not an upright,...

What do banjo players use for contraceptives? Their personalities!

I am not a fan of a lot of the bass playing on older albums. First of all, it sounds like the bands needed someone to play bass and taught that person in five minutes before the recording session....

I went all in. I have a Myrtle, three Edwina's and a Nadine (for the bass). I play in a couple bands. One band has a problem with singing into the Myrtle. The want to be tied to their own mics and...

You should check out the alto t x series of speakers. I had some tx8 and they were really good monitors. You can get volume and Clarity out of them. I later. Some QSC 8 speakers. They are very good...

Nick Dumas, the current mando player with Special C plays one. He loves it.

I just want to say that I am a big fan of those who found their way to the final ballot. But, there are so many other great players out there who deserve recognition. Of course a big factor is that...

Yep. Check out WA BG Association. We also have several festivals in the coming months. First one is in two weeks in Darrington. A week later in Stevenson, WA is the next. WA BG Assoc puts on a...

Cool, but does it sound like an upright?