Re: Advice sought about 1917 Gibson H1 Mandola
A third vote for mandola CGDA tuning. You will open a new dimension of playing Celtic tunes with it -- especially since it's a top-line vintage instrument. I play mandola and octave mandolin in a Celtic band, and the opportunities for harmonies, counter-melodies, and "octave doubling" the fiddle/mandolin melody, are not only great musically, but lead to developing new approaches and skills.
Plus, you stop over-stressing the instrument by too-high string tension. You may need to have the current neck problem corrected, and that's a significant consideration, but my prejudice, often expressed here, is to tune and play instruments the way they were designed to be tuned and played, not try to make them into something else. My apologies to all Cafe members who want to tune their ukulele like a mandolin, or their octave mandolin like a mandocello, etc. etc.
Plus plus, no one complains if a mandola player puts a capo on.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
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