Ways to sneak a mandolin in the house ?

[PhillipeTaylor]

I wonder sometimes, when I see a newish 2, 3, or $4 thousand dollar mandolin for sale in the classifieds with the reason for selling being "financial emergency", or "unexpected financial problems" and the like, whether it isn't the little woman laying down the law for her spouse to ". . . . get that thing out of the house by the end of the month! You know we can't afford such an extravagance!"

The other thing is, I hope the suggestions in this thread are all in fun. I'd hate like hell to think that couples' relationships are founded on deception, lying, and subterfuge. Why would anyone even want to be married under such circumstances?

LOL!

people who have young kids are horrified listening to parents who have teenagers... things parents will say about their kids, about what they want to do to them, these new parents leave these discussions horrified and discuss how they will never be parents like that. 10 years later and they're having those discussions, laughing it up and having a good time. marriage is the same way, if you don't get the joke,you will.

[filthyluke]

That is genius!

[Michael Bridges]

Yeah,Yeah. Those of us who know your situation can see thru you! You've got the best of both worlds. Never have to sneak one in, you just go to the shop and build it! Add to that the fact that your wife plays, (pretty darn well) music herself, and is quite the artist, and just a darn nice lady, and you're livin' the mando dream!

The real trick is to get your wife hooked on any and all instruments tuned in fifths.
Tenor guitar? "It's a present for you, honey!"
Waldzither? "I restored it for you, honey!"
Works great! :-)

[Ed Goist]

...Waldzither?...

Gesundheit!

[Rush Burkhardt]

Scenario 1: When I leave the house with the possibility of a mandolin acquisition I carry an empty case. I am careful that my wife sees me carrying a mandolin case out of the house. When I return I casually make certain she sees the case return.
Scenario 2: When there are jam sessions, lots of instruments go and come. If I'm lucky there's confusion.
Scenario 3: Strong pre-nup! MAS was a pre-existing condition!
And...I married a golfer! She has her own _AS issues...the Imelda Marcos of golf shoes!

[Wolfmanbob]

The really important thing is to prevent them from knowing how much these instruments really cost. I once had my wife angry at me because I told her I spent about $500...It was really about $5000.

[Bertram Henze]

The really important thing is to prevent them from knowing how much these instruments really cost. I once had my wife angry at me because I told her I spent about $500...It was really about $5000.

The really important thing is to prevent them from ever reading threads on the Cafe

[mandroid]

Have a second house, to go practice in.. hopefully it is not the Dog's.

[vegas]

I don't sneak instruments in anymore, been single 18months now. ( last live in girlfriend said if you get one more mandolin I'm leaving, so I bought two) Seriously It's a shame if you do have to sneak them in because it indicates that some part of you feels remorse for getting your new instrument. This takes away from the pure joy you should feel.

Hats off to you, sir!

[vegas]

A mate of mine was mad on model railways and was continually spending money he couldn't afford on new model engines, track, wagons, etc. He was always worried that his wife would find out how much he was spending on his hobby/obsession, so he came to an agreement with the guy who owned the model shop. The price of a new engine would be, say, £100, which my friend paid. However, the shop owner would give him two bills - one for £100, and one for £20 that he could show his wife when she inevitably said: "How much have you been wasting on model trains now?" Sneaky, but it worked - until she divorced him...

.....and ended up marrying a man who's hobby was a mistress. She never saw the mistress or even knew about her and she lived happily in ignorance ever after!

No spouse ever got an STD from MAS.

[Bill Clements]

Tell your spouse you're on the Mando Diet, since that new purchase will preclude you from buying groceries!
No sneaking required!

[bratsche]

I snicker at this thread, mainly out of envy, because it proves that husbands can be worse than wives in this regard.

Shoot, I've even had to sneak any accessories or strings into the house! And this was true even before we became casualties of the economy and had almost no money left to spend for pleasure...

bratsche

[Astro]

When I want another instrument, I start seriously looking at boats.

My wife catches me and says --"Please not another boat...why not get that mandolin you've been wanting".

[allenhopkins]

...people who have young kids are horrified listening to parents who have teenagers... things parents will say about their kids, about what they want to do to them, these new parents leave these discussions horrified and discuss how they will never be parents like that. 10 years later and they're having those discussions, laughing it up and having a good time. marriage is the same way, if you don't get the joke,you will.

Married 44 years next October, still don't get it.

Not saying that there aren't disagreements, things where each of us hasn't been totally honest about what was happening, serious differences of viewpoints. But the idea that one of us needs permission from the other to do something that's neither destructive nor risky -- don't get it.

Joan used to collect dolls, and spent quite a bit of our mutual incomes on them. I, on the other hand, was accumulating musical instruments. Used to say to myself, "At least these instruments can pay for themselves, if I keep playing semi-professionally." And, in fact, they did, unlike the dolls.

She's been liquidating parts of her collection, and finding, unfortunately, that "collector dolls" purchased new often don't appreciate in value, rather the opposite. (Similar disappointments here on the Cafe sometimes; between the categories of "new" and "vintage," there's generally a serious drop in mandolin values.) But it never occurred to me that she needed my permission to spend a reasonable amount of money, a sum that didn't threaten our family responsibilities, on something that was important to her. Nor did I seek her permission to spend money on instruments.

And neither of us sneaked our purchases into the house. Matter of fact, we'd show them to each other; the other one might say, "Wow, that's pretty expensive," but didn't expect to have a veto over his/her spouse's actions.

Again, not boasting, just saying that once you start hiding innocuous things or actions from a spouse, the proverbial "slippery slope" may well be nearby.

[Tomando]

I was doing pretty good until I took it outa the case, it has the whole house smelling like a new Collings.
Did'nt take the boss lady long to figger out what's going on.

Couldn't you just have said you got a can of Pla-Doh...?

[JeffD]

The really important thing is to prevent them from ever reading threads on the Cafe

Like they aren't.

[bmac]

This is a funny thread... It is funny because there is an element of truth in it that almost all of us can relate to. Any activity can get out of hand and cause major friction... but those are exceptions. The rule is that a little friction is human and not necessarily a bad thing.

I think what is disturbing about this thread is that folks are taking it so seriously.

[j. condino]

Nobody even notices when I bring a couple of mandolins in the house these days. On the other end of the spectrum, I've got 9 (!!!!) upright basses in the house right now. No hiding that herd of giant elephants taking up the whole room!

j.
www.condino.com

[Michael Bridges]

Hey! I've got some extra space in my music room. Being the helpful kinda guy I am, I could help you out with getting one of those out of your way.We could even arrange visitation rights.

Nobody even notices when I bring a couple of mandolins in the house these days. On the other end of the spectrum, I've got 9 (!!!!) upright basses in the house right now. No hiding that herd of giant elephants taking up the whole room!

j.
www.condino.com

[phiddlepicker]

This is a funny thread... It is funny because there is an element of truth in it that almost all of us can relate to. Any activity can get out of hand and cause major friction... but those are exceptions. The rule is that a little friction is human and not necessarily a bad thing.

I think what is disturbing about this thread is that folks are taking it so seriously.

and friction is thus why astroglide was invented

[Barry Wilson]

I've only been with my lady for 10 months but we are going to the music store together next weekend to buy her her first ukelele... of course I will have to buy one as well to teach her how to play :D

[stevedenver]

This is a funny thread... It is funny because there is an element of truth in it that almost all of us can relate to. Any activity can get out of hand and cause major friction... but those are exceptions. The rule is that a little friction is human and not necessarily a bad thing.

I think what is disturbing about this thread is that folks are taking it so seriously.

Yeah ive noticed that a lot too.
Clearly if you're coming to a board, seeking counsel from a bunch of strangers, you had better expect a variety of viewpoints, and take them with a grain of salt.

Dont know if folks have much sense of humor.
It appears to me to be a lot less here, with some, than on other music boards with apparently younger members, but also a lot more restrained and civil.

[JonZ]

The Classic Approach: Put mandolin inside a wooden horse. Put the horse at the door with a bow around its neck. Ring the doorbell and run.

The Modern Approach: Talk up your desire for a mandolin at least 3 times as expensive the one you intend to buy for about a month. When wife/husband goes to "special weekend event", bring new mandolin into house.

[allenhopkins]

...Dont know if folks have much sense of humor. It appears to me to be a lot less here, with some, than on other music boards with apparently younger members, but also a lot more restrained and civil.

Honestly, I do see the humorous potential of the subject. But it also bothers me that there are real grown-up men (and women) who seem to think they can't honestly say to their spouses, "Here's the new mandolin I just bought; ain't it nice?"

I assume they aren't blowing the mortgage money on it, or driving the family into bankruptcy. Would they act the same way, if it were a new shotgun or baseball glove or fishing pole? Maybe, but there's also the implication that music is not really serious, that buying musical instruments is something to be embarrassed or defensive or "sneaky" about, and that She Who Must Be Obeyed has the power to kibosh your purchase if she catches you at it. Or, at least, to banish you and your mandolin to the doghouse.

It may be funny, but is it healthy? I don't want my wife "sneaking" stuff into the house; I feel she's got the right, as a responsible adult and full partner in our relationship, to make decisions that spend our joint resources without subterfuge. And I claim the same right.

Now, doughnuts -- I'd probably sneak those into the house -- but we all know I shouldn't be eatin' 'em (six pounds down so far…).

[mrmando]

Amateurs. I hid an upright bass in plain sight for six months.