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Thread: Is this how it starts?

  1. #101
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sue Rieter View Post
    I also played a 1917 Army Navy pancake mandolin. Good thing the latter was not available, or I would have been sorely tempted. Boy oh boy, did I like that one.
    Was it like his one?

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  2. #102
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    I saw that Yes, very much like that one, but in nicer shape.

  3. #103
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    The Octofone is back! Oh my gosh, I love it! It sounds so good, it looks so good. It did end up getting a refret, so it feels so good, too.
    Now I have to figure out what to do with it beyond strumming random chords. The octave paired G and D just sound amazing.
    This will probably kick the mandola out of second place for awhile, anyway.

    You may want to hear what it sounds like. Listen to Jake, he plays much better than I do


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  5. #104
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sue Rieter View Post
    ...he plays much better than I do...
    Better than me, also!

    The super-light construction of the Octofone does produce a very lively sound, lots of resonance, and quite long sustain. Unanticipated fringe benefits of a "cheap" instrument, for sure. I am gratified to hear another one played with the "octaved" 3rd and 4th courses.

    Did a concert last Friday, played Perry's Victory and Slavery Chain Done Broke At Last on my Octofone, just vocal accompaniment and a few basic melody riffs between verses. It had probably been six months since I'd taken it out and played it, and I realize what I'd been missing. Good luck with yours!
    Allen Hopkins
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  6. #105
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Quote Originally Posted by allenhopkins View Post
    Better than me, also!

    The super-light construction of the Octofone does produce a very lively sound, lots of resonance, and quite long sustain. Unanticipated fringe benefits of a "cheap" instrument, for sure. I am gratified to hear another one played with the "octaved" 3rd and 4th courses.

    Did a concert last Friday, played Perry's Victory and Slavery Chain Done Broke At Last on my Octofone, just vocal accompaniment and a few basic melody riffs between verses. It had probably been six months since I'd taken it out and played it, and I realize what I'd been missing. Good luck with yours!
    Thanks! I really like the sound. There's that extra complexity just picking one course; even more so with a chord. It was your description that got me interested; then Jake said it is his favorite way to tune them. So then I had to try it.

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  8. #106
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Ha ha, I succumbed to GIAS and bought myself another Stradolin, clarinet, that is. My husband thinks I'm crazy. I haven't played one of these in 45 years. Ha still have a little muscle memory and can play a scale. Now to figure out how to play it along with my mandolins. Too bad I can't just play with musical instruments all day long every day
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  10. #107
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    I sense an alto clarinet in your future, and possibly also a bass clarinet, then maybe a clarinet in A. But don't come home with an Eb soprano, or your DH will have legitimate grounds to say "enough," and your cat will leave.

    Oh, by the way, I string my Octofone lighter than Allen, with 11-16-26-40, and it has held up with no problems, un-reinforced neck and all.

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  12. #108
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Is that a Bb? I toyed with buying one of those-played in the fourth grade for a bit-geez that was 66 years ago. Glad I went with the Anglo concertina instead. The clarinet was not my cup of tea.......
    Thanks

    Several mandolins of varying quality-any one of which deserves a better player than I am.......

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  14. #109
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Mandolin + clarinet = klezmer, at least in my experience. Learn that freygish mode...
    Allen Hopkins
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  16. #110
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Nice find, Sue! Looks like it's in very good shape.

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  18. #111
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Ha ha Sue, you joined the club! I (about 3 years ago) bought an oboe and am teaching myself to play oboe. I wanted to play in the local orchestra, and all of the instruments that I already play are represented enough in the orchestra. So I picked an underrepresented instrument. I bought a fairly high-level used oboe so I don't have to upgrade anytime soon.

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  20. #112
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Yeah, it's a Bb like I had back in high school, and it's probably the only woodwind I need

    I don't know how old it is, I think older than the plastic one I had in the 70's, and it seems pretty nice. I bought this one because it had been gone through by an instrument repair person, had a new (though probably cheapie) mouthpiece, and because it's a Stradolin
    One of my high school friends played oboe, it looks kind of hard with that skinny little reed. It has a cool sound, though.

    Allen, I don't know anything about klezmer, but I'll be looking into it in my copious musical free time

    rcc56, I didn't fully know what strings Jake put on the Octofone; he gave me an extra set, so I went and looked: 12-16-30W/12-40W/16. I've only ever changed one set of strings on one instrument in a year and a half so I haven't really messed around with any different kinds of strings thus far.

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  22. #113
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sue Rieter View Post
    Allen, I don't know anything about klezmer, but I'll be looking into it in my copious musical free time
    I am definitely impressed by your acquisitions and was curious how you can do it. Now you have revealed the secret.
    Jim

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  24. #114
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    I am definitely impressed by your acquisitions and was curious how you can do it. Now you have revealed the secret.
    The time allowance would be substantially more copious if I hadn't gotten heavily involved in my town's Tricentennial celebration not long before I bought my first mandolin. That's pretty fun too, though, so it's all good.
    Last edited by Sue Rieter; Sep-27-2021 at 2:09pm.

  25. #115

    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Don't skimp on the mouthpiece. But, both Hite and Fobes make very good pieces for not a lot of $.

    Also, you might try a synthetic reed - made all the difference on my bass clarinet.

    Have fun!

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  27. #116
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Okay, so this has already been discussed in a good amount of detail on the other thread, but here's the pictures and part of the story. I'm reinterpreting the story Dave wove for me.

    It came from Texas. Somebody loved it dearly, played the heck out of it, and maintained it themselves as best they could. The frets had been filed down so far there were almost no frets left, and sadly, there were gouges from the file on both sides of most of them. The original bridge was long gone, replaced by an odd home-made one piece bridge. The original tuners were long gone, and they had been replaced by a set of A style tuners. In order to access the tuner buttons, they carved out part of the back of the headstock. Clearly, they did what they had to with the resources at hand to keep playing. You can tell from marks around the hole that it was hung on that nail to keep it handy so that hard times musician could grab it whenever they liked - and that was often! All of these changes happened many years ago. Maybe this F2 helped someone keep it together during the Depression.

    This owner was also into metal work. You can see the weird and funky (and totally functional) metal armrest, and also the crazy plywood and metal case. I imagine the mando was taken down from the nail and carried to gigs and jams in this piece of musical folk art. (I'd never carry a mando in it, but it's great nonetheless).

    Seeing an emerald in the rough, Dave planed the fretboard, installed the new frets (they're great), installed the binding (it's perfect), replaced the tuners, fitted the new bridge, glued a brace and few other minor things. He told me he thought about carving a new scroll, but in the end, decided against it.

    It really sounds good. There's a cool certain mandolin-y sound that none of my others have. And I like the way it looks, the way it shows it's past. It has character. I don't think I'd want a perfect collector looking one, and I don't think this one would be as worn if it didn't sound so good.

    After I left Dave's I drove over to show it to Jake. He tweaked the setup just a tad, and gave an enthusiastic seal of approval. He thought it was a great deal. And I feel like I have a piece of musical history.

    I still love my Strad-O-Lin, but it has moved over into 2nd place, at least for now.
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    Last edited by Sue Rieter; Oct-02-2021 at 4:43pm.

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  29. #117
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Wonderful Sue! Nice set of vintage mandolins there. Gibson tailpiece covers show up on eBay and in the classifieds on occasion if you care.

    One on eBay at the moment...

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/32480602845...IAAOSwgVphUn9n

    NFI
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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  31. #118
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Quote Originally Posted by Charles E. View Post
    Wonderful Sue! Nice set of vintage mandolins there. Gibson tailpiece covers show up on eBay and in the classifieds on occasion if you care.

    One on eBay at the moment...

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/32480602845...IAAOSwgVphUn9n

    NFI
    You know, at least for now, I don't think I do.

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  33. #119
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Don't you wish it could tell you its stories, Sue? I'll bet it has some good ones!

    I'd love to hear both it and the Stradolin.

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  35. #120
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    What a beaut that F-2 is and what a great pair it and the Straddling are! I reckon you're going to have many happy years of picking with the new acquisition!
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  37. #121

    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    I love you have it hanging on a nail in the pics. The picture of you holding it tells the whole story. One happy camper. Congrats!
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  39. #122
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    A nice old mando that will get more respect than it's seen for a while, I'd guess. That case is one of the least sanitary bits of music equipment I've ever seen.

    D.H.

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  41. #123
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Hicks View Post
    A nice old mando that will get more respect than it's seen for a while, I'd guess. That case is one of the least sanitary bits of music equipment I've ever seen.

    D.H.
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  43. #124
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    As a violin restorer and repairer, we had to deal with what we would call "cheese" built up from make up, perspiration and rosin on violins. Uck.
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

  44. #125
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this how it starts?

    Wait now, you guys, there isn't any weird sticky stuff on or in that case. It's just metal and plywood that used to be painted black. There is a kind of sketchy old pillow case inside that the mando came to Dave wrapped in, but no accumulations of unknown matter. Now, when I stopped over to see Jake, he was working on a banjo that came to him with such an accumulation, and he talked about disassembly that took much longer than it should because of stuck together parts. eew.

    I played alot this past weekend. Pulled out tunes I hadn't worked on in ages. I almost (but not quite) feel like hanging it on a nail so that it will be close at hand.

    Been thinking about writing a story about what it's adventures could've been.

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