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Thread: bluegrass on electric mandocello

  1. #1
    Registered User Jailboogie300's Avatar
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    Default bluegrass on electric mandocello

    Who is a fan of bluegrass, and knows how to play electric mandocello?
    It would be really cool bluegrass or country. on electric mandocello.
    Click image for larger version. 

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  2. #2
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: bluegrass on electric mandocello

    Is that a guitar conversion? Who's the builder of this beast? What's the scale length?

    Probably not going to get a lot of use in bluegrass bands, except maybe to play bass lines.
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    Quietly Making Noise Dave Greenspoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: bluegrass on electric mandocello

    Quote Originally Posted by mrmando View Post
    Is that a guitar conversion? Who's the builder of this beast? What's the scale length?

    Probably not going to get a lot of use in bluegrass bands, except maybe to play bass lines.
    Expand the photo and you see GL Stiles tenor. Here's a little bit more.
    Axes: Eastman MD-515 & El Rey; Eastwood S Mandola
    Amps: Fishman Loudbox 100; Rivera Clubster Royale Recording Head & R212 cab; Laney Cub 10

  5. #4
    Registered User Jailboogie300's Avatar
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    Default Re: bluegrass on electric mandocello

    Do you know who plays E.mandocello in bluegrass?

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    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: bluegrass on electric mandocello

    You Can, but the instrumentation for BG AFAIK, is such that you are Overlapping in the Guitar range.

    So you filling that role?, or a 2nd voice in the same range?
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  7. #6
    Registered User Jailboogie300's Avatar
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    Default Re: bluegrass on electric mandocello

    Do you have an electric mandocello?

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    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: bluegrass on electric mandocello

    I've owned a few electric mandocellos -- a couple of Ovations, a Soares'y, a converted Epiphone archtop guitar. None of them were all that comfortable to play, compared to my Andersen acoustic.

    If you actually know anything about bluegrass, you'll understand that no working bluegrass band of any note has ever used an electric mandocello. (Mike Marshall played acoustic mandocello on a few tunes with the Dawg, and that's as close as it gets.)

    And if you actually know anything about mandocellos, you'll be aware that the GL Stiles 8-string tenor you posted, with its 23-inch scale, would sound like wet laundry if you tried to string it as a mandocello.
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    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: bluegrass on electric mandocello

    The way bluegrass traditionalists have set the instrumentation in stone is rigidly

    Guitar : Martin D type, Banjo 5 dtring, Scruggs style

    Mandolin , Gibson f5 type..

    Violin-Fiddler , and a Bass Viol.

    You can choose to play the music on what ever suits you,

    though the BG originalists will murmer-mumble amongst them selves in the back of the room.


    I have an electric 4 string I can run thru a guitar synth that can get down to the range of a Cello,
    though its actually more in a Viola-mandola tuning..

    Very Trad BG verboten.




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    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: bluegrass on electric mandocello

    Re stringing It? , chiming in with Martin, I'd recommend more Irish Zouk , light, for an octave down from a Mandolin GDAE.

    My pickin' buddy has a Irish Zouk , he uses as, chorded accompaniment to sing songs, not nessisarly taken from BG CD's.

    I have a 23" scale tenor guitar , its just a little heavier strung, I tune it FCGD..




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    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: bluegrass on electric mandocello

    Well, i've seen other instruments used in a bluegrass setting: dobro, tenor guitar, mandola, harmonica, pennywhistle, accordion, even clarinet ...

    Just never an electric mandocello.

    Do bands that use violoncello, like Crooked Still, count as "bluegrass"? Discuss amongst yourselves.
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    Registered User Jailboogie300's Avatar
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    Default Re: bluegrass on electric mandocello


    It would be cool if it were electric.

  13. #12
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: bluegrass on electric mandocello

    Quote Originally Posted by Jailboogie300 View Post
    It would be cool if it were electric.
    It's a vintage K4 and that should be cool enough for anybody.

    Playing "Red Wing" once through in the key of C as a solo number doesn't equal incorporating the mandocello into a bluegrass band. The Amazing McNasty Brothers bill themselves as a "cowboy" or "Western comedy" band anyhow.
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

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    Registered User Jailboogie300's Avatar
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    Default Re: bluegrass on electric mandocello

    Quote Originally Posted by Jailboogie300 View Post

    It would be cool if it were electric.
    It's very cool, you're right. But I would like to see electric.

  15. #14
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: bluegrass on electric mandocello

    Quote Originally Posted by Jailboogie300 View Post
    It's very cool, you're right. But I would like to see electric.
    Well, you're going to have to buy yourself one and then try to build a band around it, but don't be surprised if you get a citation from the bluegrass police. Because an electric mandocello in bluegrass ain't no part of nothin'.

    Now this, on the other hand ...
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

    Notorious: My Celtic CD--listen & buy!

    Lyon & Healy • Wood • Thormahlen • Andersen • Bacorn • Yanuziello • Fender • National • Gibson • Franke • Fuchs • Aceto • Three Hungry Pit Bulls

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  17. #15
    poor excuse for anything Charlieshafer's Avatar
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    Default Re: bluegrass on electric mandocello

    I still have an electric mandocello and for years tried to use it for anything other than Duane Eddy surf music. After numerous attempts, it's good for... surf music. Lots of reverb, and a low roaming bass line with a fast right hand. That's it in a nutshell.

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