MAS... upgrade the Mandolin, or go down the Mandola path?

[terzinator]

I love my Blackfaced Collings MT, but I think an Ellis A, or BRW 2-point, or Collings MT2V would be a realllllly nice upgrade.

However, I also think I'd like to get a good mandola (maybe one of the Weber Gallatin D-hole A-style units...)

The upgrade would cost more, obviously (even if I sold the MT to finance it), but I see some of these fine specimens and I can't help but get wandering thoughts. The MT is certainly a professional-calibre instrument, though. I could play it forever and it would never fail to satisfy.

I do play in a bluegrass band (totally for fun, not for profit!), and we host bluegrass jams... but we don't play ONLY bluegrass, and we don't really play "straight-ahead" bluegrass. Meaning, I'm not a speedy player, and we don't claim to have that hard-driving straight-ahead, traditional BG sound. More of a laid-back, Grateful Dead, Steve Earle kinda bluegrass.

So I don't need some Monroe-esque sounding mandolin at all. The MT works great. And a mandola would be fun to introduce a new sound into the mix.

Not that I'll decide based on what y'all think, just that it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the matter. And if you own a mandola, it would be fun to hear how/when you're using it if you also play mandolin.

[Toycona]

To satisfy my curiosity, I bought a used TC mandola, which is a fine entry level dola. What I've come to understand about my own preferences is...I really like playing 5ths, full, 4 finger chords, and mainly bluegrass (less OT/IT), and I prefer less sustain and more chop. I've played the Collings MT mandola a few times and would buy one today if I could, but for now the cost effective arrangement for me is to continue playing my Manndolin in jams and such, and noodle on the TC dola when the mood strikes me. Actually, I think it's a good ear training and finger stretching exercise to jump between the two instruments periodically.

[draino]

I prefer breadth to absolute quality. Given that you're happy with your current f-hole mando, I'd get either a mandola or an oval hole mandolin. I love going back and forth between my flat-top and f-hole mandos and am glad I got the flat-top instead of an f-hole upgrade, even though my f-hole mando is only a lowly km-150. Each instrument gives me a different perspective on my playing and on the music I play, and I feel that helps me grow as a player. Maybe in another 10 years I will be far enough along in mandolin journey that I know what my sound, style and technique are such that I'll know exactly which one instrument I should go after, but right now I feel like I'm growing too much and too unpredictably to justify locking myself into one really great instrument.

[SternART]

I had a very nice Smart mandola for several years.......just found I wasn't playing it that much. It was cool to get out, to maybe back vocals, or when there were a few other mandos playing, but I found it didn't stand out or have it's own space in a band situation, kinda overlaps the guitar's territory. I do miss it, but realized I'm primarily a mandolin player.

[terzinator]

I had a very nice Smart mandola for several years.......just found I wasn't playing it that much. It was cool to get out, to maybe back vocals, or when there were a few other mandos playing, but I found it didn't stand out or have it's own space in a band situation, kinda overlaps the guitar's territory. I do miss it, but realized I'm primarily a mandolin player.

That's one of the factors to consider. Probably why I'd wait to pounce on a used mandola rather than buy new. It's also why I wouldn't go for anything to outrageously priced. The Gallatin (around $1900 new) seems about the max of what I'd need. I want quality, but I don't need it to be sublime!

Frankly, the one song that draws me to the mandola is Shady Grove (Grisman/Garcia version)... we do it all the time, and I play it on mandolin, but I like the more hoarse-sounding tone Grisman gets from his mandola on that tune. We often just play as a trio, and I think a mandola could fill the gaps better in some songs.

But I just saw on the Collings Facebook page a new Tangerine burst MT2V.

[QCS]

As I read your post, I immediately thought of an Oval. Seems Draino had the same thoughts. See if you can get your hands on an oval and spend some time with it. In fact, see if you can play a few. Get your present instrument out and compare the tonal differences. You might be pleasantly surprised.

[lenf12]

I have a beautiful Duff H-5 mandola that I got about 10 years ago when I played in the Providence Mandolin Orchestra. Like Art Stern, I am primarily a mandolin player so nowadays the 'dola mostly sits out on a stand begging to be caressed (along with the guitar, dobro, fiddle and e-mando). I already have an f holed Gibson F-12 and oval holed F-4 so I have both of those sounds covered and use them both quite a lot. The 'dola gives me an additional voice that I rarely take advantage of. I guess I should expand my circle of musical friends to include some folks who will welcome and appreciate my use of the 'dola.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

[Barry Wilson]

I want one of each type of instrument in my collection. mandola would be a cool addition. I jump back and forth between the mando and OM now. something in between? hmmm. might be cheaper than the mandocello too

[catmandu2]

Well, if you want MAS, definitely go with dola, which is conducive to further manifestations of GAS, right? I found that after mandolin I wanted not only dolas but every other kind of mandolin-family instrument as well. What actually happened for me was, after playing dola I got heavily into tenor banjo, but this was largely a function of my musical interests and performing activities at the time.

Of course, logically I think it might be more determined by the style of music and playing situations in which you participate and/or anticipate. I highly recommend dola for jazz

If you stay with mandolin only, you're limiting your Acquisition Syndrome potential. Of course this might be a good thing, but there is always a better/different mandolin somewhere...the quest for which you can indulge your desiring with. But I find music irresistable, all kinds, and so my GAS is more music-driven; there's no end to this. Being biased, I recommend going with different music, different instruments and different experiences...more opportunities for fun

[John Rosett]

You could always get a 10 string and cover all the bases with one instrument.

[draino]

Also would be good to think about what you're hoping to get out of the BRW two point, MT2V, etc. If its mostly appearance-driven (which, if you're lusting after one of those having not played one, then it probably is), then obtaining the tangerine burst MT2V probably won't kill your desire for the other two -- the BRW two-point will still be tempting, as will the perfect traditional look of an Ellis (and you'll probably also won't a blacktop again after selling the MT). If its the tone of those instruments . . . then getting a 'dola likely won't do anything to assuage your desire for an upgrade to your MT.

[TheMandoShop]

Being exposed to quite a few mandola players, I've found the most common thread in success or failure of enjoying the instrument was the scale. Mandolas come in a variety of scales. Consider the scale of the mandola you are choosing and you have a greater chance you will enjoy playing it.

[Marty Henrickson]

Being exposed to quite a few mandola players, I've found the most common thread in success or failure of enjoying the instrument was the scale. Mandolas come in a variety of scales. Consider the scale of the mandola you are choosing and you have a greater chance you will enjoy playing it.

Kyle, can you expound on this? I'm lusting after a 'dola myself, and more info is better.

I'm guessing it's either shorter scale = more familiar feel, or longer scale = more sonic difference

[terzinator]

draino has some very astute points above... I think it's probably a combination of sonic and visual MAS. I like the idea, though, of having a different instrument for certain things... I don't know that I'm a good enough mandolin player to have two good mandolins, and say "this song needs an oval hole, and this song an F-hole." You're right, though... if I sell the blacktop MT, I probably wouldn't go blacktop again... hence the drooling over that tangerine unit. I did play a laquer MT2 and it did feel more powerful than my MT; might have been the Adi top. The Varnish option I think would take it a step further.

Interesting point on the mandola scale length, Kyle... I wonder if the short scale will feel floppy?

Just a quick look around, here are some mandola scale lengths:
Collings: 15.9"
Weber: 17"
Eastman: 15-27/32”
Trinity College: 17"

An inch is a big difference for that short of a scale. I know that my short-scale Martin 000-18GE guitar MUST wear medium-gauge strings, or it feels really flabby. (Martin's short scale is 24.9" and their long scale is 25.4"... only 1/2" difference.)

[multidon]

My Mid Missouri mandola has a 15 1/2 inch scale length. That's about as short as I've ever seen. That makes it darned easy, in my opinion, to switch back and forth. In my opinion, if you got one of those, you would be killing two MAS birds with one stone without spending too much- you would get your feet wet in mandola playing and add a flat top/oval hole sound to your palette at the same time. Of course, to muddy the water (no pun intended, Big Muddy) I came up with a custom string set to tune it DAEB. And another thing I saw once that looked interesting was a special model Gibson made for the Mandolin Store, an instrument with a 15 inch scale that could be strung either as a mandolin or a mandola. I believe only 2 were made, one f hole and one oval. I forget where I saw that, eBay or the classifieds or somewhere else. That is an interesting idea! I guess it never caught on though.

[Charles E.]

Here is Newberry and Compton with Mike on a Duff mandola. The G and D strings are tuned to octaves, 17 inch scale.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmNCe1Nvhrs

Hope this helps

[TheMandoShop]

Kyle, can you expound on this? I'm lusting after a 'dola myself, and more info is better.

I'm guessing it's either shorter scale = more familiar feel, or longer scale = more sonic difference

The four different makers that I sell all have different scale lengths. The longest scale length is Weber at 17 inches for all their models. The Collings MT and MT2 come in at 15.9 inches. J Bovier just released their new FM5-Special mandola and it has a scale length of 15 7/8 inches. The Eastman mandola has a 1/32nd shorter scale at 15 27/32 inches. I have short stubby fingers so the shorter scale length is important to me. Someone else might find the larger scale is right for them and boy the Weber sounds awesome. If you’ve got to have that awesome Weber sound you can always have Weber build you a Mandola to your favorite scale. I’ve seen customers that loved the Mandola but didn’t think it was right for them until they had that ah-ha moment when the played a scale that was comfortable for them.

[Don Grieser]

The Collings mandola scale length is very comfortable. It's a bit wide at the nut--I'd prefer 1.25"--but it works. I had a 17.5" scale mandola and that was a beast to get around on--sounded amazing though.

[Toycona]

I'd totally agree on the Collings length. My TC is a 17" scale, and it's a bit of a stretch for three finger chords, and a big stretch for 4. The MT is more to my liking.

[terzinator]

So, for those who have played both 15.9" and 17" mandolas, is there noticeable difference in the tension of the strings? (Playability is easier, I'd guess, but does it sound buzzy or flabby?) Do you like heavier strings on the shorter scale?

[fatt-dad]

<snip> I don't know that I'm a good enough mandolin player to have two good mandolins <snip>

Uh oh, I'm in trouble. . .

Perhaps is the really talented that can pull whatever tone they want from whatever their playing, but for a amateur like me, I need all sorts of mandolins around to speak my mind.

Happy hunting, it does need to be fun after all.

f-d

[terzinator]

heh! I hear ya, F-D... I know I'm not a good enough guitar player to have the three guitars I have! So, yeah, my comment might appear naive or hypocritical or foolish...

But with my guitars, I can say "i want to do some blues fingerpicking" and I grab the 000-15S, or if I want to hammer it out at a bluegrass jam, I take the Dread. But the difference in mandolins to me at this stage is more subtle.

My thinking at this point is that I'll EVENTUALLY do both (upgrade the mandolin AND get a mandola), but just not sure when or in what order I'd do these silly things.

[Don Grieser]

terzinator, I used the J72 (lights) mandola strings on the 17" scale and the heavier J76 gauge on the Collings. C strings weren't flabby on either. J76 on the 17" scale worked too, but that was a lot of tension. Still got great tone with the lighter gauge on 17" and it was a lot easier to play. I have no qualms about using a capo on the dola--makes some keys easier to play. If you're in the habit of getting chords from watching the guitar players' hands, the dola will mess with your mind.