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Thread: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

  1. #1

    Default What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    This came up in a discussion with a friend regarding GAS.
    He asked if MAS was as bad.

    I gave this some thought and came up with the idea (no research at all done, just a thought) that mandolin players owned fewer mandolins than guitarists own guitars.

    Seemed to make sense when it popped into my head, but now I'm second guessing.

    SO....

    How many mandolins (if more than one) do you have?

    And if you like, the reason? (sound, looks, good deal, etc.)

  2. #2
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    That’s a very personal question 😊

    I’ll admit to more than 1

  3. #3

    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    Hmmm. Sounds like your wife is a member of the Cafe...........

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  5. #4

    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    Fewer than Jim Garber.

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    Registered User Eric Platt's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    Whatever is in my signature at the moment. Have oval holes and F holes, modern and vintage. Really admire folks that have one (or two). But that's just never been my style. Can see eventually going down to 3. But that would not include OMs.

    Another self serving reason is I play different styles of music in different settings and for some certain instruments seem to work better than others. In a full band, the Collings is excellent as it can carry with the fiddle. In a duo or small group without guitar, an oval hole often works better. But I also like oval hole for Midwest fiddle style tunes. At least when I'm not playing them on an OM.
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  9. #6

    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    Quote Originally Posted by Marty Jacobson View Post
    Fewer than Jim Garber.
    Beautiful!

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    Gibson F5L Gibson A5L
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    I don't know yet . . . . I do own fewer mandolins than guitars ….. it's close though …. R/
    I love hanging out with mandolin nerds . . . . . Thanks peeps ...

  11. #8

    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    I have 4 and that's a lot fewer instruments than any of my guitarist friends.

  12. #9
    Registered User William Smith's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    TOO MANY! 18 or so? Yeah I know I have a condition! They all are special in their own way, some are on the block to go for sale or swap?

    1924 Dec. 1st Lloyd Loar F-5 with Virzi
    1926 Gibson F-5 Fern
    1934 Gibson F-5 Fern
    1924 Gibson A-4 snake with Virzi
    1924 Gibson Tenor Lute to Mandola conversion
    1924 Gibson TLute-not a mando but KOOL!
    1935 Gibson F-12
    1939 Gibson F-7
    1939 Gibson F-7 conversion "Loar Buster"
    1935 Gibson A-50's, 3 of them, elevated board and F-holes
    1934 "Joe Wilson" perhaps the first real good F-5 copy-getting much needed work right now by D.H.
    1937 Cromwell G-6 "original Gumby"
    1986 William H. Smith F-5
    2009 Gibson F-10
    2017 Gary Vessel Loar Tribute F-5 with Virzi
    1938 Gibson WB A-50
    1958 Gibson F-5 with the treatment from Randy Wood-should be here any day!
    1934 Gibson A-OO-project
    1970's Ibanez F-5-that was Grampa Bills, Ronnie McCoury played this his first gig!
    a few more Grandpa WHS mandos that need help!
    1923 Gibson Mandolin Banjo MB-5
    1938 Gibson WB A-1
    1914 Gibson F-2 in need of resto or conversion, haven't decided!
    That's all off the top of my brain, a lot may go as I'm working some trade deals for another high end mandolin/and or pre-war Bone or Advanced Jumbo.

    Yep I have a mandolin problem but I love every second of the lunacy! Now cases don't even want to get into them as I have a major problem with the old hard to find ones and have many!
    I gave this list to show what trading up over the years has got me, anything can be accomplished if one puts their mind to it, I know there are others who have more than me and the same type quality stuff but I'm in pickers heaven!
    Last edited by William Smith; Aug-11-2019 at 8:14pm. Reason: forgot one

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  14. #10
    fishing with my mando darrylicshon's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    I had 52 guitars once, i am at 18 now. I had about the same amount of mandolins last year, but i have sold some to pay for others. I'm not sure how many i have now.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Ibanez 70's 524, 521, 3 511's,2 512's,513,1 514,3 80s 513's, 522
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  16. #11
    Dave Sheets
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    4 mandolins, one oval, one f, an electric and a stradolin that was too cool and too cheap to pass up. Kinda overkill, but they get used in different contexts.

    But, I'm not even gonna start counting guitars and other stuff. Fortunately, my wife has WIAS (Wind-instrument acquisition syndrome), so we're on decent terms.
    -Dave
    Flatiron A
    Way too many other instruments

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  18. #12

    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    Great picture, Darryl! It looks like you live in a treehouse!

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    Registered User Randi Gormley's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    seven, but a few are out as loaners. My-husband-the-guitar-player has 3 guitars, so I win.
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  22. #14
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    I think I topped out at about 4 or 5 mandolins. On the other hand, my highest total of various stringed instruments at one time was 36.

    Yes, I have the same 'condition' as William . . . and apparently Darryl too . . . . and probably many, many more Cafe members . . . .

  23. #15

    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    Ok, first one to register a name that contains hoarder wins. mandohoarder, stringhorder, hoarderofmusicaloddities...

    I like that last one. I call dibs. :-)

    Although mandoaccumulator may have already won the prize. :-)

    I thought I had a lot of mandolins, and lost count at around six, nowhere near 52. But I can get over a dozen instruments in general, maybe approaching 20ish.

    Wind instruments... that brings back a few memories, hopefully flutes and not trumpets and trombones. :-)

    Although there is nothing like a beginning oboe player's quacking to make your day.
    Davey Stuart tenor guitar (based on his 18" mandola design).
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    Quote Originally Posted by kurth83 View Post
    Ok, first one to register a name that contains hoarder wins . . . Wind instruments... that brings back a few memories, hopefully flutes and not trumpets and trombones.
    For some reason I am having a hard time picturing somebody who is a tuba hoarder . . .

  25. #17
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    Quote Originally Posted by LKN2MYIS View Post

    I gave this some thought and came up with the idea (no research at all done, just a thought) that mandolin players owned fewer mandolins than guitarists own guitars.
    This has been my experience as well.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

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  26. #18
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    Two is all I need; my Randy Wood F 5 and a 1917 Gibson A 4.

  27. #19
    Registered User John Soper's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    Well there's my two ff-holes- one an A and one two point, one A-hole (the only F-style). Plus a hand made two point from a friend. Oh, and then there's the National Style one that I have set up with single strings, tuned like a mandola. Do I have to count the 2 electric mandolins- one 4 string & one 5 string? Or the tenor guitar tuned C-G-D-A?

    Fortunately, I sold an Ellis, or my mandolin count would have exceeded my guitars, even if you counted the lap steel and the tenor...

    There is no vaccination for MAS... or GAS...

  28. #20
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    One less than I'll own tomorrow!
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

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  30. #21
    Orrig Onion HonketyHank's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    It depends on what the definition of have is.
    New to mando? Click this link -->Newbies to join us at the Newbies Social Group.

    Just send an email to rob.meldrum@gmail.com with "mandolin setup" in the subject line and he will email you a copy of his ebook for free (free to all mandolincafe members).

    My website and blog: honketyhank.com

  31. #22
    Mandolin user MontanaMatt's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    Just two......for now
    2007 Weber Custom Elite "old wood"
    2017 Ratliff R5 Custom #1148
    Several nice old Fiddles
    2007 Martin 000-15S 12 fret Auditorium-slot head
    Deering Classic Open Back
    Too many microphones

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  32. #23
    Gibson F5L Gibson A5L
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    It's just that we all share an Instrumentality . . . . . R/
    I love hanging out with mandolin nerds . . . . . Thanks peeps ...

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  34. #24
    Out of tune HappyPickin's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    4 mandolins
    6 guitars
    1 banjo
    1 fiddle
    1 double bass
    1 ukulele
    1 Appalachian dulcimer

    Dang, I might need an intervention.
    Out of tune and out of time.

  35. #25
    Lurkist dhergert's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most mandolins you've owned at one time?

    3

    We won't get into my other instruments.
    (Suffice it to say the walls are alive with the sound of music).

    Btw, they're all "future firewood" (a term blissfully coined by my two very imaginative sons at an age severely lacking in wisdom).
    -- Don

    "Music: A minor auditory irritation occasionally characterized as pleasant."
    "It is a lot more fun to make music than it is to argue about it."


    2002 Gibson F-9
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    [About how I tune my mandolins]
    [Our recent arrival]

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