Hi Mandolin Cafe members,
I just found an old thread that I posted ten years ago when I was looking to buy my first mandolin and remembered that I had an account here!
I have a question: our musically-inclined 2-year old has expressed a desire to have his own mandolin for his birthday; he likes mine and wants one "like Daddy's." I found a cheap Rogue mandolin on Reverb that I bought but the strings need to be replaced and it got me thinking...
Are there strings that are "softer" than regular bronze acoustic strings that one could use? Maybe GHS Silk and Steels? Is there anything analogous to nylon string guitar in the mandolin world that isn't a straight up ukulele?
When he expressed the same interest in my guitar last year, I bought the cheapest nylon string guitar I could find. I figured any damage he could do to my real acoustic instrument was going to cost more to repair than having a beater family guitar around. But the nylon stings were also easier on his hands, and he gravitates towards that (and a ukulele) for that reason.
To be clear, this is not yet for fretting or actually learning on, so volume/intonation/etc. isn't really a concern.
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks so much!
Bookmarks