The Mandolin - a history on Kickstarter

[Pete Jenner]

It needed saying Nick. There's only 24 days to go on the Kickstarter project.

[noah finn]

Graham,Just pledged. Greetings from Ireland and best of luck with the project.

[Anglocelt]

This looks like a very worthwhile publication Graham and a real labour of love. I would subscribe if only to check whether any of the info I sent you about early 20thC English makers made it into the book!
One query though. Why does postage outside the USA cost $35? That seems a lot and much more than I usually pay for music books from across the pond.
Kevin

[Graham McDonald]

Hello Kevin,

There are certainly several of your wonderful mandolin collection featured in the book. They made the whole section on English mandolins much more interesting! The postage is based on USPS First Class International rates, and shown in AU$. That converts at the moment to around US$25 or GBP14. I don't think I will be getting the bulk postage rates that Amazon gets

Cheers

[Pete Jenner]

How about a posting a few of the pictures Graham?

[Anglocelt]

Thanks for clarifying that Graham. I have now subscribed on Kickstarter.

[Gan Ainm]

It just happens that my birthday is soon after the expected Christmas delivery date, so I'm down! Hard to imagine $45 US could bring me more entertainement value for the dollar! Best luck

[Dale Ludewig]

I'm in.

[Marty Jacobson]

I saw some preview chapters last year at the GAL convention, and this is not only a reference book for dates and mandolinalia details, but an aesthetic reference book which should prove inspiring to anyone involved in the design of musical instruments.

I just backed the project. Can't wait to see it. Good on you, Graham.

BTW, Graham's other two books, The Mandolin Project and The Bouzouki Book, have been indispensable to me in developing my own process. Highly recommended.

[Rodney Riley]

I'm in Was thinking about the leather bound book, waited too long to decide. All sold

[Graham McDonald]

Peter J suggested a few photos, so here is another chapter, which is about a number of the smaller, and sometimes wonderfully obscure, American mandolin builders of the early parts of last century. These are people who did not work out of Kalamazoo, Chicago, Boston or New York (there are whole chapters on them), but in other parts of the country. It is certainly not every mandolin builder, but an interesting selection and there are some fascinating stories amongst them. This is a very compressed pdf, so the image quality is not great, and it will certainly look better when properly printed. If you do spot any typos, please let me know.

[Marcus CA]

The image quality came through pretty clearly on my iPad. Thanks for passing this along.

I loved the Wurlitzer ad at the end of this chapter. I was surprised to see koa being used for mandos back then, and I'm curious about the pick selection that they included in the package. Were thumbpicks commonly used for playing mandolins back then? Also, I use flatpicks of those two shapes for other instruments, but not mandolin.

[Graham McDonald]

I know little or nothing about what kind of picks were popular in the 1920s
Koa became popular after ukuleles took off after around 1915. Martin made all-koa mandolins in the 20s, as did Oscar Schmidt and there are a few koa Weissenborn mandolins around with very strange Mickey Mouse ear soundholes, but I have not been able to find a good enough quality picture of one for the book.

Cheers

[Nick Gellie]

Superb little excerpt Graham. Thanks for sharing. There were some marvellous mandolins made back them even if they do not shape up to modern day standards.

[Pete Jenner]

There is lots more information and photos at the Facebook page.

[bbcee]

After having purchased your excellent "Mandolin Project" eBook (Martin Style A, here I come!), I just threw down for this project.

Best of luck and thanks for all your hard work, Graham.

PS - glad I'm not the only one who wondered about the cover model!!

[Tavy]

Hi Graham, count me in as well... been looking forward to seeing this published!

[JH Murray]

I went for the ebook. Looks great!

[Pete Jenner]

Peter J suggested a few photos, so here is another chapter, which is about a number of the smaller, and sometimes wonderfully obscure, American mandolin builders of the early parts of last century. These are people who did not work out of Kalamazoo, Chicago, Boston or New York (there are whole chapters on them), but in other parts of the country. It is certainly not every mandolin builder, but an interesting selection and there are some fascinating stories amongst them. This is a very compressed pdf, so the image quality is not great, and it will certainly look better when properly printed. If you do spot any typos, please let me know.

Some great stories in this chapter. What a shame about the remnants of the Holzapfel factory being lost in a storm.

[d18daddy]

Just signed up.
Looking forward to see the finished product!

[Graham McDonald]

A couple of people asked if there could be more of the fancier leather bound hardback copies could be made available. I checked with the printer and another 25 can now be ordered. It should be possible to upgrade from a softcover edition. Hopefully I can get one for my mother

Cheers

Graham

[Rodney Riley]

Upgraded Thanks.

[Pete Jenner]

Graham, congratulations on reaching the half way point on the Kickstarter funding project.

Good luck getting the rest of the funding required for the first print run in the remaining 17 days.

[Graham McDonald]

Halfway through the Kickstarter campaign and halfway to my target, but it has frustratingly all slowed down. The Kickstarter folks generate a graph which is looking disturbingly flat, rather than trending upwards. They have made it a Staff Pick which should generate some more interest, but I had hoped the Cafe community might have been a little more enthusiastic. I think I have sent emails to everyone I know (and probably some I don't). I have 143 backers at the moment, but I will need another 250 people to put their hands up for what will be the only book of its kind about mandolins. I reckon it is pretty good (of course I would say that ) but the few folks who have read it have been equally as positive, so I am confidant that it will seen as both an entertaining and informative read.

Cheers

[JH Murray]

I see it has been shared on the Reddit Mandolin forum. Not sure where else you might want to share it.