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Thread: Martin Krajicek and "unusually octave" mandolin.

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    Default Martin Krajicek and "unusually octave" mandolin.

    Mandolin is unusually tuned. I don't know how to name it?
    Mandolin Tuning G3G4 D4D5 A3A4 E4E5

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Martin Krajicek and "unusually octave" mandolin.

    I don't see any octave mandolin in that video, so i assume you are saying he tunes his mandolin to octaves. In the video you posted it looks like he is playing a vintage Gibson snakehead A with only 4 strings. I checked a few other videos where he is playing a Vana F-5 and in the closeups it looks like the strings are standard meaning the same gauge in each pair.

    Do you have a video where he is playing a mandolin tuned with octave pairs?
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    Default Re: Martin Krajicek and "unusually octave" mandolin.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    I don't see any octave mandolin in that video, so i assume you are saying he tunes his mandolin to octaves. In the video you posted it looks like he is playing a vintage Gibson snakehead A with only 4 strings. I checked a few other videos where he is playing a Vana F-5 and in the closeups it looks like the strings are standard meaning the same gauge in each pair.

    Do you have a video where he is playing a mandolin tuned with octave pairs?
    It does not use four but eight strings. Take a look at the photo here (enlarge it). https://ohlasy.info/clanky/2017/03/m...-festival.html
    It alternates a thin and thick strings.
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    Mandogenerator Mike Black's Avatar
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    Default Re: Martin Krajicek and "unusually octave" mandolin.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    I don't see any octave mandolin in that video, so i assume you are saying he tunes his mandolin to octaves. In the video you posted it looks like he is playing a vintage Gibson snakehead A with only 4 strings. I checked a few other videos where he is playing a Vana F-5 and in the closeups it looks like the strings are standard meaning the same gauge in each pair.

    Do you have a video where he is playing a mandolin tuned with octave pairs?
    At 0:23 and 2:11 in the video, they do a close-up of the mandolin and you can see the strings. The G and D have high octave strings like a 12 string guitar.

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    Registered User Simon DS's Avatar
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    Default Re: Martin Krajicek and "unusually octave" mandolin.

    Cool, I’d like to try this on a mandolin and tune everything down one or two notes, see how that sounds.

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Martin Krajicek and "unusually octave" mandolin.

    I stand corrected. I went back to the video and I did see the octave pairs. Sorry. Yes interesting. I love his playing and the joy he shows performing in the videos. I will download some of his music for sure.

    In that video the mandolin almost sounds like a harpsichord. Wonderful. And the singer has a haunting voice. The only disturbing thing is you can sort of hear some child talking in the background for some reason.
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    Default Re: Martin Krajicek and "unusually octave" mandolin.

    Saw Mike Compton and Joe Newberry recently. One of Mike's mandolins (not the Gilchrist) was strung with the G and D courses strung as octave pairs.

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    Default Re: Martin Krajicek and "unusually octave" mandolin.

    Quote Originally Posted by A 4 View Post
    Saw Mike Compton and Joe Newberry recently. One of Mike's mandolins (not the Gilchrist) was strung with the G and D courses strung as octave pairs.
    Thanks to all.

    This tuning could be called: octave pairs tuning. When the name Octave Mandlin is occupied:-)

    And besides Mike Compton, does anyone else use this tuning?
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    Registered User Jan Skovajsa's Avatar
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    Default Re: Martin Krajicek and "unusually octave" mandolin.

    I discussed this directly with Martin Krajicek. The mandolin is a Gibson A model from the 1920's that he bought from Mandolin Central about ten years ago. He tunes it from the bottom up GE DA AD EG or EG AD DA GE. Ordinary mandolin set of strings is used: they are just switched that creates the “octave“ or dulcimer/cimbalom effect. They are certainly NOT tuned in octaves.
    In other words: you have a mandolin in standard GG DD AA EE tuning. Then you take one G string from the pair and exchange it with one E string. Then you take one D string from the pair and exchange it with one A string.
    He plays mandolin in this tuning just in a few songs.

    His main mandolin is 2012 Vana F5 in normal tuning.
    http://www.vanamandolins.com

    You can hear both mandolins on this great album: https://music.apple.com/cz/album/div...usy/1151215175








    Quote Originally Posted by ondrej View Post
    Thanks to all.

    This tuning could be called: octave pairs tuning. When the name Octave Mandlin is occupied:-)

    And besides Mike Compton, does anyone else use this tuning?
    Last edited by Jan Skovajsa; Sep-04-2019 at 10:34am.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Martin Krajicek and "unusually octave" mandolin.

    Quote Originally Posted by ondrej View Post
    Thanks to all.

    This tuning could be called: octave pairs tuning. When the name Octave Mandlin is occupied:-)

    And besides Mike Compton, does anyone else use this tuning?
    This tuning used to be more common than it is now. I believe Howard Armstrong [a.k.a. "Louie Blooie"] used it sometimes, as did other blues/jazz/ragtime players.

    Norman Blake used it on the studio recording of "TAG Railroad Rag" on the album "Flower From the Fields of Alabama." In addition to the octaves on the 3rd and 4th courses of the mandolin, we tuned both the mandolin and the guitar a step below standard tuning. Norman played it on a fancy 30's sunburst Vega flat back mandolin. It was a neat mandolin. I believe that the mandolin ended up in David Grisman's hands for a time. I don't know whether David still has it or whether he passed it on.

    This tuning sounds really good on flat back mandolins.

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