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Thread: Newbie question, 4 or 8?

  1. #1

    Default Newbie question, 4 or 8?

    Been playing lots of blues on my acoustic F style Kentucky. Been thinking to get an E-mando. On line I see both 4 and eight strings, can anybody with more experience than me give me the merits, drawbacks between the two? Thanks all.
    Bob K.

  2. #2

    Default Re: Newbie question, 4 or 8?

    take 4 strings off a 8 string and you have yourself a four . single strings allow for bending strings

    you can try this on your acoustic now to get a feel for it .

  3. #3
    Registered User Elliot Luber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newbie question, 4 or 8?

    I play acoustic eight and four string electric. Four string lets you do more guitar-style things like the bends mentioned above. Eight strings sounds more mandolin like. There are no wrong answers. If you live near a good store try both. If not listen to a bunch of clips on youtube, but understand that some of the sound comes from how it was recorded and what amp was used and how it was set, not just the instrument.

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    Default Re: Newbie question, 4 or 8?

    Even more fun is 5 strings. CGDAE. Gives you more range for leads. The lower range gets into guitar land ,sound wise.
    Chief. Way up North. Gibson 1917 A model with pickup. JL Smith 5 string electric. 1929 National Triolian resonator mandolin with pickup. National RM 1 with pickup. Ovation Applause. Fender FM- 60 E 5 string electric (with juiced pickups). 1950's Gibson EM-200 electric mandolin. 1954 Gibson EM-150 electric mandolin. Custom made "Jett Pink" 5 string electric- Bo Diddley slab style. Jay Roberts Tiny Moore model 5 string electric.

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    Registered User Tom Wright's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newbie question, 4 or 8?

    I feel an 8-string might as well be an acoustic with a pickup added. I went for 5.

    I posted some examples of 5-string playing. Check here:
    http://www.twtunes.com/pages/mando%20clips1.htm
    Bandcamp -- https://tomwright1.bandcamp.com/
    Videos--YouTube
    Sound Clips--SoundCloud
    The viola is proof that man is not rational

  6. #6
    Mandol'Aisne Daniel Nestlerode's Avatar
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    Default Re: Newbie question, 4 or 8?

    I have played 8, 5, and 4 string emandos. I own an 8 and a 4 currently. [And I am totally fried that I can't afford Martin's Fender FM-984 right now! ]

    I like 5 best when the fretboard is narrow enough to make 5 note chords sounds cohesive. Four usually seems like 80% of the capability I want. Eight strings feel and play like a standard acoustic mandolin (at least on my Fender FM-988). And strangely, I don;t miss the extra set of strings the way I do when playing a 4 string. I guess that means they're different beasts.

    So the way I look at it is... If you want to play something that sounds like an alto of soprano guitar, get the 4 string. If you want something that sounds lore like and played more like the mandolin you're used to, get the 8 string.

    Daniel

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