Problems we like to have ...

[Mark Gunter]

Struck me as maybe an interesting topic.

What brought it on this morning was choosing a mandolin to take outside with my coffee. On the way, I had to walk past some other instruments and they were sort of calling out, “take me!” I ignored them with a smile.

This happens a lot, and this morning it dawned on me what a fine problem it is to have several instruments that I love to play - having to ignore one or more from time to time really just makes me thankful for the ones I love the most.

What’s a problem that you’re glad to have?

[dhergert]

Yup.

You'd think by now we'd have evolved 2 extra arm and hand sets and an extra mouth so we can play two instruments and sing harmony and melody at the same time.

May have to wait a few more years for those to develop.

[Mark Wilson]

Florence maybe. Can't go outside and do things that need done. Doesn't leave much but mandolin unfortunately. And it's taking it's time - another problem I'm ok with.

[Br1ck]

Well, I get up and take stock of which body parts are going to ache today, then realize I didn't die in my sleep.

I remember the twenty years it took to work up to my Martin M36. On the way there I'd bought $20K worth of classical instruments for my daughters. Now I must have twenty instruments, electric guitars and basses, two ukes, a dobro, two lap steels, and seven acoustics. Then I found mandolin and am up to four. But I play most of my good acoustic instruments semi regularly, that M 36 is in the A list rotation. But I play mandolin 70% of the time trying to get good enough to play with others before the body parts start failing. Hand surgery next week, so that seems a loosing battle.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Mark - Mostly i play one of my 3 mandolins on a rotation basis - however,there have been more than a few days when i'm overcome with pangs of guilt by not playing one or the other,& i have to play them all !. Sometimes,if a mandolin is sounding particularly good,i'll play that one for a few days - then the ''guilt trip'' sets in.

I put new GHS A270's on my Ellis a few days ago & it's sounding amazing,so i just HAD to play it. Yesterday,whilst playing it,i realised that i hadn't played my Weber over that time,guilt hit me & i had to play that one for an hour or so. My Lebeda must be begining to know the meaning of loneliness by now,so i'll give it a bit of TLC today - kids !!!,
Ivan

[yankees1]

Called MP which is mandolin polygamy ! I have three mandolins and a fourth to be delivered in 2019. Very motivating to me to switch off from mandolin to mandolin while practicing. My wife says, don't get any ideas !

[Eric Platt]

Yup. Am just fine switching between my 2 Gibsons. Which works well right now as the 1910 is getting a Brekke bridge fitted and might not be back in time for a gig on the 22nd.

As I just got a second OM, not sure if it will be rotation or not. Still in the honeymoon period with the new one so don't expect to be playing the Eastman for a month or more.

[JeffD]

I am slowly moving into the realm of classical mandolin, and the wonderful terrible transcendent frustrating problems I am having constitute most of my activity. Its really hard. Its really great.

[LadysSolo]

Mark - Mostly i play one of my 3 mandolins on a rotation basis - however,there have been more than a few days when i'm overcome with pangs of guilt by not playing one or the other,& i have to play them all !. Sometimes,if a mandolin is sounding particularly good,i'll play that one for a few days - then the ''guilt trip'' sets in.
Ivan

This! I have 3 fabulous mandolins, whenever I switch from one to the other I realize why I love that one, and so on and so on. It is wonderful to have so many great sounding mandolins to choose from! I just wish I had more time to play (come on retirement! - 3 years to part-time, 6 1/2 years to retirement!)

[MikeZito]

Yes, I must confess that I rather like the particular problem of being a multi-instrumentalist . . . but I often find myself conflicted when somebody says 'I need you to play guitar', and I am disappointed that I don't get to play mandolin - or when they say 'Come play bass' and I wonder why they didn't ask me to sit in on drums . . . .

I guess I should just be grateful that they don't say; 'I have heard you play before - maybe you can just sit here and pour the beer for the rest of us.'

[Dave Martin]

I guess I should just be grateful that they don't say; 'I have heard you play before - maybe you can just sit here and pour the beer for the rest of us.'

I am often asked "Why don't you play an instrumental?" paraphrased "for God's sake don't sing!"

[Bunnyf]

Three that come immediately to me:
Having an instrument that’s so nice that you worry about taking it out.
Having so many different instruments that you can't decide which to play today.
Having so much free time that you can play for hours until your fingers ache.
I’ve been lucky enough to have all these “problems”.

[LadysSolo]

Three that come immediately to me:
Having an instrument that’s so nice that you worry about taking it out.
Having so many different instruments that you can't decide which to play today.
Having so much free time that you can play for hours until your fingers ache.
I’ve been lucky enough to have all these “problems”.

I have #1 and #2, wish I had #3! Lucky you!

[BluesPreacher]

Welp:
-Having a variety of mando-family instruments (m'cello, bouzouki, tenor banjo, mando, electric slide mando) and having difficulty deciding which one to play.
-Deciding which instrument to play for which song(s) or genre(s).
-Having a pretty good collection of mando family and other stringed instruments and having difficulty deciding which to play.
-Deciding which and how many of my instruments to take to an open mike, gig, jam session or church service.

That's for starters.

(Fun thread!)

[farmerjones]

I am slowly moving into the realm of classical mandolin, and the wonderful terrible transcendent frustrating problems I am having constitute most of my activity. Its really hard. Its really great.

I am indeed with you in as far as I love a good puzzle. I catch my self transposing things, for what? One never knows. One can really get the feel for a tune in this way.

I do have a nest full of just about everything but a dog-house bass. Like the man said, "it's good to have good tools."
All the better to solve puzzles.

[Br1ck]

I have #1 and #2, wish I had #3! Lucky you!

Number 3, free time, has contributed greatly to my current surgically induced condition, so be careful what you wish for.

Whe I told a friend I was playing a bunch before this hiatus, he said, so business as usual, eh?

[Michael Neverisky]

I own only one of each instrument I play and I suppose, while not a "problem", I do have some regret about the way I tend to binge on one instrument for a while and ignore the others. Not enough time in the day. Which I guess it the real "problem" I am grateful to have: a full time job that, while it keeps me away from my instruments, puts food on my table and a roof over my head!

[Mark Gunter]

I started ignoring my Breedlove guitar a while back; it was my main axe for about five years. Today I cut a deal to trade that guitar for several months of weekly lessons from a local mandolin hero! I'll be polishing it up today and bringing it in to my first such lesson in the morning!

I really like thinning the herd this way. That guitar has been a good friend, but it's so-o-o heavy to haul around. I doubt I'll ever miss it, since I have other guitars to choose from and that Breedlove was not the holy grail Martin I hope to own some day. The problem, having to say goodbye to an old friend. What I like about it is getting good value in fun and music out of the loss of it.

[Bill Cameron]

“Which session am I going to this week?”
“OMG I’m tired after last night out, am I really going out two nights in a row?”
“OMG I’m tired, am I really going out three nights in a row?”
“I guess it’s time to change some strings, already...”