What has your mandolin been called?

[Gunnar]

So we've probably all been asked about our "small guitar", but what else has your mandolin been mistaken for? I've had it mistaken for a banjo (and vice versa too) a fiddle, and an ukulele.

[William Smith]

Yep Baby Guitar, What is it? Is that a Uke! No sorry its a mandolin, a what? ya know the thing I was just playing on stage-that's a mandolin-ohhhhhhhh

[Ray(T)]

What kind of banjo do you have in that case? - it was a National RM-1

What’s that instrument called? - “George”

[John Bertotti]

I generally get it as a question, Is that a mandolin? or What's in the case? Or the comment Wow that's beautiful or similar.

[jaybp30]

My dad tells everyone that asks that I play ukulele. I've corrected him about a dozen times. He is 65 and has no memory problems. I guess he just really likes the uke.

[Timbofood]

Nothing suitable for a family friendly forum like this!

[FLATROCK HILL]

Nothing suitable for a family friendly forum like this!

My wife calls them 'Mandolins'.

It's the accompanying adjectives that are questionable... especially if she's home to see the UPS man drop off anther oblong cardboard box.

[Gunnar]

I always get asked about the case (a shaped F style case) whether it holds an ukulele or a fiddle

[lenf12]

I once went into a bank to deposit a check and I was carrying a shaped F style case with my mandolin inside. All the customers and tellers suddenly got very quiet. Wonder what they were thinking??

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[MikeEdgerton]

I once went into a bank to deposit a check and I was carrying a shaped F style case with my mandolin inside. All the customers and tellers suddenly got very quiet. Wonder what they were thinking??

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

Well Len, it's simple. When a customer walks into a bank with a violin case people are generally afraid that he has a machine gun in it and will take it out and rob the place. When a customer walks into a bank with a mandolin case they are afraid he's going to take it out and play it.

[lenf12]

Well Len, it's simple. When a customer walks into a bank with a violin case people are generally afraid that he has a machine gun in it and will take it out and rob the place. When a customer walks into a bank with a mandolin case they are afraid he's going to take it out and play it.

To their great relief, I deposited the check and left without playing a single note

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[UsuallyPickin]

I recently played at a church and a very young fellow …. first or second grade came up to me after the set and said" I really like your little guitar". I thanked him, politely corrected him and showed him a little bit of a fiddle tune. I was later told that " he never talks to anyone". The exchange left me feeling like a mandolin ambassador. R/

[MikeZito]

When a customer walks into a bank with a violin case people are generally afraid that he has a machine gun in it and will take it out and rob the place. When a customer walks into a bank with a mandolin case they are afraid he's going to take it out and play it.

I used to have a sticker on my mandolin case that said:

WARNING: I have a MANDOLIN,
and I'm not afraid to use it!

[Ken]

Often when I tell people who ask that its a mandolin in the case, their response is "what's that". Our work is not done here folks.

[trodgers]

Once upon a time, a nice lady referred to my octave mandolin as a "Lithuanian Banjo." No idea how she came up with that.

[albino]

That’s a good one. I think I’ll use that.

[Marty Jacobson]

I don't have a good one... but when I tell people I make guitars, they say, "Cool!"
When I tell people I make mandolins, they say, "Why?"

[Jonathan K]

My 10-year-old daughter insists on calling my A a banjo because she enjoys my reaction.

[DHopkins]

I once went into a bank to deposit a check and I was carrying a shaped F style case with my mandolin inside. All the customers and tellers suddenly got very quiet. Wonder what they were thinking??

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[T.D.Nydn]

Well,I pretty much played the " man" out of it last night so all I have left is a "dolin"...

[kurth83]

I brought in a mandostang once, it got called a mini-strat by the band mates.

[Chris W.]

I was playing my octave on stage and a fellow came up and said “what is that an oud?” Seemed odd that he knew of an oud but not a big mandolin. Another time I was in the park playing some of the Bach cello suites on my mandolin and a lady came over and asked why I was playing viola music on a ukulele. That seemed odd as well.

[David Lewis]

I did a solo bit at the last show I did, using my epiphone mm-40. I played some blues, some bluegrass, some folk. About 20 minutes worth.

At the end of the night someone said 'Loved that banjo - you should play more of it!'

I didn't correct them...

[David Lewis]

I've also been told 'That's not a mandolin. What is it really?'

Erm... an 8-string 1/4 size lute with f-holes? I don't know?

[Marty Jacobson]

Erm... an 8-string 1/4 size lute with f-holes? I don't know?

A violin, but I lost the bow, put too many strings on it, and don't know how to get it in tune...