Fender Mandocaster recordings, vids, samples

[Jim MacDaniel]

What recordings, videos, or even sound MP3 sound samples featuring Fender Mandocasters are out there that you know of?

Regarding recordings, I can only think of one off the top of my head, John Kruth's wonderful The Cherry Electric, but can you think of any other artists who used the Mandocaster on their studio recordings?

Regarding videos, I just did several youtube searches, but "mandocaster" only resulted in vids featuring Eastwood mandolins, as well as one with that 5-string semi-acoustic model from earlier this decade. "Fender electric mandolin" as well resulted in none of the original Fender solid-body electric models. Do you know of any links to Fender Mandocaster vids -- or perhaps some of you Mandocaster owners out there posted some vids of your own making?

[jefflester]

Probably on some Sam Bush album (Ice Caps maybe?), but I can't think of a specific song.

John Paul Jones "Going to California" and "That's the Way" on Zeppelin's How the West Was Won. JPJ played several different mandolins, but on the 1972 US tour that this recording comes from he was playing a Fender Mandocaster.

[mandroid]

Brings to mind the image of Homer on a Strat and Jethro on a Mandocaster... saw a picture as such awhile back..

I looked in a copy of Jethro's 'mandolin player' book, written with Ken Eidson ,
theres a picture of the 2 of them, in The Burns home,
on Mandocasters, playing thru Pignose amps.

OK, I know.. offering neither audio or video, ..

[mrmando]

John Abercrombie -- titles listed at Emando.com.

Alex Gregory on Paganini's Last Stand.

There's one pictured on the back of a Marshall Crenshaw record ... don't know if that means someone played it on the recording.

[jefflester]

Brings to mind the image of Homer on a Strat and Jethro on a Mandocaster... saw a picture as such awhile back..

There's the picture that's on emando where Jethro looks menacing.

[journeybear]

Tiny Moore is who comes to mind. First person I ever saw with a 5-string Mandocaster. Used to play with Merle Haggard, also put out plenty of records on his own. Search around at discussions at tdpri.com for this thread - MandoTele .............4 String Mandolin - someone posted an audio clip of his solo on Trouble In Mind. Pretty smooth.

Someone mentioned Alex Gregory. His myspace page has a seven minute video clip of him working out with a power trio. Might not be a Mandocaster per se - it's a static long shot, hard to see detail.

Carrie Rodriguez has been known to pick a Mandocaster or two. I hear tell of her playing one on Prairie Home Companion, though it might have been a Mandobird. Audio might be available through their website. And as I recall the first song she played on her appearance at Austin City Limits this season featured an electric mandolin.

You can check out the song "Langostino" I have up on my myspace page - mandolinsteve - but that is NOT a Mandocaster. It's my late lamented (done got stole) Gibson F-12 through a Yamaha Rex50 (distortion & reverb) and badly mixed.

If I can think of any more Mandocaster examples I'll post 'em.

[mrmando]

Tiny Moore never played a Mandocaster to my knowledge. Early sides with Bob Wills were done on a Gibson EM150; post-1952 he mostly played the Bigsby 5-string or a Roberts copy thereof.

Carrie Rodriguez plays a MandoBird.

Pretty sure Alex is using one of his own builds on that video.

[journeybear]

Tiny Moore never played a Mandocaster to my knowledge. Early sides with Bob Wills were done on a Gibson EM150; post-1952 he mostly played the Bigsby 5-string or a Roberts copy thereof.

You are correct, sir. This came up in another discussion, but yes - he started with the EM150, then the Bigsby, pictured on the album "Tiny Moore - Music," which was the first time I saw an electric mandolin.

Carrie Rodriguez plays a MandoBird.

Also correct. (I do, too. ) Nice picture of them both at emando.com.

Pretty sure Alex is using one of his own builds on that video.

Hard to tell for sure with the "cinematography." I would think it quite possible owing to his relationship with Fender.

Having recently learned that Mandocaster is not a registered trademark and sometimes the term is used casually to refer to any electric mandolin, I suggested some examples of not specifically Fender electrics being played. Now I see the title of this thread specifically mentions Fender so I apologize for contributing to confusion and inaccuracy.

Really surprised there is not one Fender Mandocaster video at youtube, according to their search engine. Maybe that means their owners are too busy gigging to post any. Let's hope so!

[mrmando]

On the trio video, Alex is clearly playing one of his early Explorer-shaped instruments, which were built with the help of the Gibson custom shop and say "Gibson" on the headstock.

[Shelby Eicher]

It's not a fender mandocaster but it might be of interest. I've got an audio clip and picture of my custom 4 string on www.jazzmando.com listed under tips and tricks. The tune is Christmas Time Is Here.
Cheers,
Shelby

[journeybear]

On the trio video, Alex is clearly playing one of his early Explorer-shaped instruments, which were built with the help of the Gibson custom shop and say "Gibson" on the headstock.

If you say so. Your monitor must be better than mine. I can barely see the amps are Marshalls! At any rate, it's a pretty good example of what can be done with an electric mandolin, rock style. http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...elid=187863430

There is also a short video of him working out on what could be a prototype or custom-built similar to a Mandocaster: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...ideoid=9174805 It's a closeup shot so you can't see the whole thing. The body is very similar and the headstock looks like the signature Fender shape, but has no decal. Whatever it is, this is a good demonstration of some of the instrument's capabilities, through a pretty cool effect.

[mrmando]

Yes, the workout video is one of Alex's early Pentalins. Might be the same purple-flake one pictured on the cover of the 13 Jokes CD.

[mandocrucian]

Richard Thompson played my '57 Fender Mandocaster on an instrumental "Farther Along" on my CD On Fire & Ready!. It sounds pretty much like his guitar playing - plenty of bending, RT vibrato - only higher up. I'm playing the F4. (Thompson plays his Strat on three of the other tracks).

Niles H

[John McGann]

It's not a fender mandocaster but it might be of interest. I've got an audio clip and picture of my custom 4 string on www.jazzmando.com listed under tips and tricks. The tune is Christmas Time Is Here.
Cheers,
Shelby

Beautifully done!

[mrmando]

It's not a fender mandocaster but it might be of interest.

Indeed. Who built that fine instrument?

[jefflester]

Indeed. Who built that fine instrument?

Gorgeous instrument.

"My scale length is 16 3/4. The woods are spruce and maple and the binding is Tulip wood. The A D G C tuning is awesome for Jazz."

Tuned in 4ths or is he just counting backwards? :-)
I assume the latter, since that's what Ted and the tab say.