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Makes me happy that the only corporate instruments I own (and I own quite a few instruments) are Fender and Godin.

What sblock said above... Fender did not protect its copyrights to the Telecaster and Stratocaster designs and so lost the right to do so. Rickenbacker, on the other hand, has done their due...

I use the Planet Waves Tri-Action. Moves easily while playing and is adjustable.

http://daddario.com/pwProductDetail.Page?ActiveID=4115&productid=612

Or just pull the rubber sleeve off and straighten the steel core in a vise. Works like a charm. Also make sure your fretboard really is flat before you do.

Here's some of the best:

https://www.you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy3LMXJ7bdE&t=30stube.com/watch?v=wy3LMXJ7bdE&t=30s

Online string tension calculator is your friend ;-)

http://www.bangzero.org/stringtension/

I always suggest practicing ornaments separate from tunes in exercises. My favorite is doing triplets in scales in thirds.

Wow! That is a beauty.

Is that a 10 string mando? mandola?

Bing! We have a winner! :-)

I had the great honor of accompanying Tommy for a week's worth of gigs in New Mexico back in 2004. I'll never forget the experience of sitting next to him, his music exploding off his fiddle like...

Anyone recognize the fella playing my Sobell in the 2nd photo above? (ca. 1983)

Here is John Renbourn's Sobell that sold at auction after he died a few years ago:

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Hello John,

I have had four Sobells (three citterns, one mando), three Stephen Owsley Smiths (two 10 string zouks, one mando), 3 Herb Taylors (two zouks and one tenor guitar), as well as a bunch...

Try picking "down-up" "down-up" "down-up-down" in each measure (and make sure the first downbeat in each measure is another downstroke):

down-up down-up down-up-down
1 2 1 2 1 ...

John - what year is your mando?

Yes, we could each drive 4 hours and meet halfway.

Follow-up: this instrument is now with a master builder in TN for repair. Should have it on a couple of months.

1986 Sobell (my 3rd and last)

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1984 Sobella mando

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Here's a couple of photos of the 2nd Sobell I had. This one made around 1980:

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169799

I posted some photos of my '78 Sobell in another thread and am really curious what other 70s-early 80s era Sobells or Abnetts (was Joe Foley building then?) instruments might be out there.

Might be, John. Don't remember the first time I met you but I think the first time I was at NTIF with Scartaglen was after I'd sold this one.

No, those CFAD strings will not work for octave mandolin tuning (why don't you try bouzouki tuning? It's a bouzouki, after all ;-)

Did you buy it new? If so then the strings that are on it will...

Specs:
19" scale
Maple back and sides and peghead overlay
Cedar top
Mahogany neck
Ebony fretboard
Body width: 13.5"
length: 15.5" to end of heel
depth: 3.25" at heel
...

This is a 1978 Sobell cittern that was the first zoukoid instrument I owned, purchased second hand from Gerald Trimble in 1981 (and sold a couple of years later when I bought another Sobell 2nd hand...