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Thread: Chris Thile's first mandolin

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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Chris Thile's first mandolin

    I tend to dismiss these mandolins but when Scott posted a link to this article on Facebook the other day I realized what mandolin Chris started on. If it as good enough for Chris then, maybe it might be good enough for anyone else starting out. I will note that he hasn't played that one in quite a while or at least I can't find any pictures of him playing it.

    I wonder if he still has it?
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    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
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    Default Re: Chris Thile's first mandolin

    That looks quite similar to my first mandolin, purchased in 1979. Mine had a natural top. I don't remember the brand name-- it might even have been unlabeled. I played it for a few months, and then bought a 1942 Strad-o-lin for 60 or 80 bucks. I gave the Asian mandolin to a friend of mine, and within a year, the top caved in. Oh well . . .

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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile's first mandolin

    I'm not surprised that the tops would cave in but they made so many of them over the years that you can still buy them with somebody's label or no label at all on eBay daily.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
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    Default Re: Chris Thile's first mandolin

    Well, I wasn't too happy about it. My friend was a sweet, gentle young woman; and she took very good care of the mandolin. She thought that she had done something wrong and felt guilty about it. I tried to assure her that it wasn't her fault, but I know it bothered her.

    I should have bought her another mandolin, but I was broke in those days, and mandolins were not so easy to find back then.

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    Default Re: Chris Thile's first mandolin

    I was just wondering what the Gibson was that he is holding on his first album Leading Off. I would guess it was a Flatiron era but never have known. The album was from '94.

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    NY Naturalist BradKlein's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile's first mandolin

    In an interview with Grisman (Fretboard Journal), Thile says of his first mandolin, "I had a Sylvia. It was made by Kay."
    BradKlein
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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile's first mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by BradKlein View Post
    In an interview with Grisman (Fretboard Journal), Thile says of his first mandolin, "I had a Sylvia. It was made by Kay."
    If that was it it wasn't made by Kay but they were imported with the Kay name on them along with dozens of other names.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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    Default Re: Chris Thile's first mandolin

    Bottom of the photo says Jan 1, 1970...Pretty sure that CT was not even born at that time.

    Curious about that.

    Kirk

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    Registered User Tom C's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile's first mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Hilburn View Post
    I was just wondering what the Gibson was that he is holding on his first album Leading Off. I would guess it was a Flatiron era but never have known. The album was from '94.
    I remember John Moore being annoyed in a light heart that Gibson gave Chris a mando while he was his teacher in or around that time.

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    formerly Philphool Phil Goodson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile's first mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom C View Post
    I remember John Moore being annoyed in a light heart that Gibson gave Chris a mando while he was his teacher in or around that time.
    'Cause John was playing a Kentucky at the time???
    Phil

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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile's first mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by tiltman View Post
    Bottom of the photo says Jan 1, 1970...Pretty sure that CT was not even born at that time.

    Curious about that.

    Kirk
    Born February 20, 1981 according to Wikipedia. Then again my Wikipedia page says I'm good looking.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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    Registered User Tom Morse's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile's first mandolin

    Photos in 1970 were pre-digital age. Film and Poloroid only, which did not date/time stamp. So who knows?
    Jethro lives! (Tiny, too!)

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    Default Re: Chris Thile's first mandolin

    That's the "default" setting on the digital camera. The owner neglected to set the actual date/time.

    Len B.
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    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile's first mandolin

    Actually that date is applied as the creation date on saved files in certain applications on a Mac when the clock isn't set correctly. I'm sure that's what this was. I had to Google it.

    Leave it to those crazy kids at Apple to apply a date that precedes 1-1-80 (the beginning MS-DOS date) by 10 years.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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    Registered User mreidsma's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chris Thile's first mandolin

    The “epoch” start date in UNIX, which is the core of the Mac operating system, begins at midnight on 1/1/1970. So someone didn’t set the date and the computer resumed to the beginning of “UNIX time.”

    Fun fact: in the languages I work in I often have to represent dates and time by the number of seconds (or milliseconds) *since* 1/1/70. You can see the current epoch time at https://www.epochconverter.com/ which is handily bookmarked on my work computer.

    -M

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    Default Re: Chris Thile's first mandolin

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