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Had it done to my Summit F200. I really dislike the feel of poly finish on a neck, it feels sticky under my hands. The speed neck definitely made it smoother and more playable, feels more like a...

It's been a couple months since you posted, not sure if you're still looking, but I just bought one of these and thought I'd weigh in.

The good news: neck feel great to me, very similar to my...

What Jeff said - electric instruments with magnetic pickups always buzz unless you are in contact with the strings/some metal on the instrument. The amount varies depending on your surroundings, the...

Longtime (though not current) worship player, just wanted to say - no shame in using a capo! Singers need what they need as far as keys go and often its just easier to slap a capo on 1 to play in G#...

I put the EFT-76 Flat Tops on my my MDO305, which are a 16-53 set, with no issues. They've been on there a couple of years now and it is doing fine, a huge upgrade to the tone. They do increase the...

Jim's advice is good! you could use your 3rd finger on the 6th fret Eb in 37 as well. 1st finger for 1 and 2, 2nd finger for 3 and 4. Shift to third position (1st finger on 5th fret) on the A in 38,...

Hello MandoCafe friends,

Just wanted to share the news here that I recently put together an album of original compositions featuring the mandolin. Titled "Among White Clouds", I was inspired by...

I've had mine for a couple of years and like it a lot. I 100% recommend a good set up and switching from the stock strings to these:
...

The first mandolin I ever played was my grandparents 1919 Gibson A-2, complete with 30 year old strings and original frets that were so flat it was almost unplayable. Without a frame of reference I...

You could check out "Essentials for Strings" by Gerald Anderson. The first several pages are a series of increasingly complex rhythms in various time signatures. This is how I was taught when I was...

We run multiple humidifiers in our house of varying styles and definitely deal with the white mineral deposits. We've been dropping these in the tanks and it does help quite a bit:...

I was taught when I learned guitar that the smallest note value in the phrase, so 16th notes in this case, sets the "down up" pattern. This functionally turns your right hand into a subdividing...

Hi Scott,

Please change mine to Benjamin Gieseke. The reference to a book I was into in high school is getting old. :D

Thanks!

I think the first time I ever saw mandolin be played was the Goo Goo Dolls performing on some talk show, their guitar player had a mandolin that he wore up high and a Gibson SG slung low so he could...

Very nice! Congratulations!

Regarding amp and effects pedals-not sure what your budget is, but probably the easiest and most cost effective way to jump in on effects and upgrade your amp at the...

OK that helps, thank you! Individual settings are going to require some tweaking to taste on your end, but some broad recommendations (referencing the manual here)I would make are:
Slight...

Hello John,

I used to have the Digitech RP80, little brother to your device, for years. Not quite as flexible but I imagine the sounds are pretty similar.

It would help to know what you are...

For me, it probably happened about 4 years ago in 2016 when I left my last job at a church that included a music component. I had wanted mandolin to be my primary instrument for years, but the demand...

I've cut open a Rogue (long story) and as I recall it had one brace like piece of wood running straight down the middle. No idea if it would have held up over time.

I did have a The Loar Lm-400...

I second Chris Bowsman and Erin M's comments above. I was taught that whether you sit or stand your instrument should remain in the same position, so your technique does not change. For mandolin this...

I'm no luthier, but it looks to me like the bridge is sagging in the middle. I had one of those Fender mandolins and the bridge saddle actually broke in the middle and had to be replaced. Having a...

Hello! Welcome to the Cafe, and to mandolin! I also started out playing classical violin and took up mandolin along the way, I think you'll enjoy the experience!

Regarding your questions:


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I've been wrestling with the dynamics question a lot over the last couple of years as I've started playing in a mandolin orchestra in addition to solo at home. Here's just a few of my...

Fulltone OCD for drive most of the time
Outlaw Effects boost with bass and treble controls so I can sculpt it to the unique frequency range of emando
Donner Golden Tremolo
Earthquaker Devices...

Thank you to everyone who replied for your suggestions and comments! They were very helpful and interesting to read. The VIP package was well worth it and easily one of the coolest experiences of my...