What to do with a spare mando?

[st_brickworks]

So, I'm hoping pretty soon to move on up from my entry-level A-style Stagg bit of rubbish. What should I do with it once I've upgraded? I'm considering using it for some open tuning - which ones are good fun? And what are other deviant uses I can put it to? For what it's worth, it's got a pickup, and rather unforgivingly high action (despite the bridge being at its lowest setting...
Bizarre tunings, drastic mods, I'm open to suggestions!

EDIT: I tend to play bluegrass, Scottish/Irish fiddle tunes and English folk songs, but in my non-mando time I'm a metalhead, and work with all sorts of musicians.

[OldSausage]

Use it as a foot rest?

[Ken Olmstead]

It is always nice to have a back up for various reasons. If you ever need repair work for instance. It could suck immensely not having and instrument to play for some weeks. Also the "Get up John" tuning is my favorite!

[Dave LaBoone]

First, you'll use it as your backup. Then, you'll acquire more and more mandolins, and it will eventually be a wall hanger.

Just you wait and see.....

[Petrus]

Yeah, you could put a piezo on there. My first mando was the Ibanez electroacoustic with a piezo pickup. I can run it through a guitar pedal effects processor (I use a Digitech cheapo) and get some interesting sounds. Also, by the time I get done with the input in my software program and have done what I wanted to do with the data (reverb, reverse, 1/10 speed, etc.) it hardly bears any relation to its raw sound, so the quality or lack thereof of the instrument is not noticeable. Basically it might as well be a solid-body at that point, but the point is you've now got a very inexpensive mando synth.

You say it has overly high action; has it been set up? First thing might be to trim down the nut.

[John Flynn]

There are people who own more than one mandolin?

[Petrus]

There are people who own more than one mandolin?

Polymandoly is an ancient tradition in many cultures.

[mandroid]

Hold open a window?

High action, needs a neck reset? was It the last one before factory paycheck was handed out?

[Ivan Kelsall]

Keep it as a back up instrument.Save up some more cash for another decent instrument & then trade the Stagg in or sell it.There's always somebody who can only afford a low cost instrument,& it is a good idea to have a back up instrument as good as you can get. What are you aiming for in your 'new' instrument ?,
Ivan

[yankees1]

I will send you my address and you may send to me as long as you offer free shipping !

[Pete Jenner]

I like the footrest idea but I'd fill it with cement first.

[yankees1]

It's only 3:25 a.m. here in Illinois ! How come everyone is in bed sleeping when they should be the Mandolin-cafe posting ?

[Minorkey]

High action? Try some slide on it! Does anyone do slide on a mando?

[Petrus]

High action? Try some slide on it! Does anyone do slide on a mando?

Yes.

[Minorkey]

I really must get my mando sorted out but I need to know if insulation tape is gonna mark the finish on the body or not.

[RustyPickup]

There are people who own more than one mandolin?

There are people who have ONLY one spare mandolin?

[Minorkey]

I only have one, and it will probably stay that way as Im poor as a church mouse. Would like a Ukulele next year...

[Pete Jenner]

Larry, I'm reasonably sure that most masking tape won't mark the finish but of course it depends on what the finish is. Just wait until America wakes up and I'm sure you'll get some good advice from the boffins.

Have you got Rob Meldrum's set up e-book?

[hokelore]

Cross-tune it.

[Minorkey]

Larry, I'm reasonably sure that most masking tape won't mark the finish but of course it depends on what the finish is. Just wait until America wakes up and I'm sure you'll get some good advice from the boffins.

Have you got Rob Meldrum's set up e-book?

I have yes. Read it yesterday, skipping to the intonation section as I dont have any tools and I dont want to mess with sanding the bridge. The bridge itself is set fine, no action issues at all. It just needed moving backwards which I've now done and improved things dramatically (snapping a E string in the process! )

[st_brickworks]

I've been meaning to get a Line 6 M5 multi-effects unit - could sound awesome putting mandolin through some mad shimmer reverb or something...
As for the action, the nut doesn't seem to be a problem, I think it's the bridge. The neck is a teeny bit bowed, but the main issue does seem to be that the bridge is just too damn high. Should probably try sanding it down at the bottom, but I'm not sure how to go about it...

[st_brickworks]

Hey, I posted it around 3am UK time - it's the mandolinning hour!

[st_brickworks]

Just found out about Andy Irvine's GDAD tuning - just recently got into AI, so I think I might give it a go and see what happens. Great responses all round, folks - what a welcome to the Café!

[Rodney Riley]

I loan my spare out to people interested in learning to play. Out for the fifth time. And last week another high schooler commented they would like to try it. So I know where it's going next. Out of the first four. Two bought mandolins Too early to tell on the one that has it now. But I know she was awarded a very good scholarship to the University of Kentucky because of her musical accomplishments. So maybe

[st_brickworks]

Just checked out Get Up John tuning - that's AWESOME!