ISO advice/opinions for a noob

[McHull]

Hello All,
I'm a shiny new member and beginner mandolin player. I didn't see a formal introduction forum, so I figured make my first post here.

From lurking around through your forums, I've found a ton of good info for a beginner. I've ordered Mandolin for dummies and I intend to supplement that with Mandolessons.com.

My wife bought me a new Fender CT-100 mandolin (setup at the music store where she purchased it) I haven't found much info. about it, other than a used ad for a refurbished one that stated it had a solid spruce top, which I'm hoping is a good sign.

I'd greatly appreciate any other info. (good, bad or ugly) about the CT-100.

And lastly; are my big ole monkey fingers to big???? give it to me straight







Any other advice and/or opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Matt

[choctaw61]

Welcome to the café mcHull! I can't help you with information about the fender.But if properly set up it will be ok for a starter mandolin. As far as beefy fingers,there's quite a few here with those.They can be a plus on mandolin. Anyway come on over to the newbies group and join up,also check out the wood shed group.I'm sure others wull chime in soon that can tell you more aboht the fender mandolin.

[MikeEdgerton]

People with fingers larger than yours play and play well. The Fender is an entry level mandolin. Play the heck out of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdpQWLspdhk

[Randi Gormley]

You'll find it easier to put your fingers on the frets if you remember the mandolin is played more like a fiddle/violin than like a guitar. You can put the instrument up to your chin like a fiddle and see where your fingers naturally fall -- that's the angle you're looking for when you hold the mandolin correctly.

[JEStanek]

With time your fingers will find their home on that board. Welcome to the Cafe. I hope your mandolin playing brings you years of pleasure and fun.

Jamie

[Beanzy]

Speaking from my sausage digit perspective the good news sbout fat fingers is that it will discourage you from buying those Embergher bowlbacks with 1" nut, along with many of the very costly narrow-nut vintage F5 instruments and costing a small fortune.
You'll still oggle them as things of beauty and wonder, but are more likely to shrug and go "ah well, not for me".
So you're more probably going to be immune from the worst aspects of Mandolin Aquisition Syndrome.
Unfortunately the logical extension of this is the bigger mandolin family instruments, along with custom builds, which is a very slippery slope.

Coping mechanisms for awkwardness such as inadvertent muting or damping on adjacent strings include, bringing the hand well around the mandolin neck so the fingertips can come down as vertically as possible onto the double courses. As mentioned above index & ring finger knuckles toward the nut will allow more comfortable reaches. Avoid holding the left elbow behind you as that can hamper both of those efforts. As you reach for pinky on the G courses bring the hand around more by letting the elbow come forward and avoid any awkward wrist angling too. That should keep the fat finger impediments to a minimum.
Later on you may have to get a bit creative to keep the fingertips out of each others way, but that'll be for more advanced and fiddly stuff.

The good news is that you can probably make a two finger part of a chord (doublestop) with just the index or ring finger, whereas some would need to lay the finger flat as in a barre chord.

[jshane]

Dont worry about the fingers.

Some people don't like fenders too much, but i had one, and set it up great (get Rob's book here on the forum 'cause you will want to know how even if you think yours is set up fine). That fender was good and I played it for a long time.

GOOD LUCK!