Marc S Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 On 26/01/2023 at 19:35, tauzero said: I find the mandolin a bit cramped on my left hand - I got an Irish bouzouki which is more comfortable, tuned to GDAE rather than GDAD. I fancied playing mandolin for ages, and as soon as I got one, I also found space to be very tight for my left hand - I just couldn't stop my bass players fingers from straying into areas they shouldn't... there just simply wasn't enough space to form some chord shapes. So I did exactly the same thing, and bought a Bouzouki (though I don't think it's an Irish Bouzouki - it seems longer scale length) anyhow, that is also tuned to GDAE. I did that so I could play the same chords as I was learning on the mandolin. Now what I really need, is time to persist with it, and a decent pickup. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 (edited) 9 hours ago, Marc S said: there just simply wasn't enough space to form some chord shapes. It's not really a chordal instrument. Don't be misled by the similarity to a guitar. Yes, the frets mean that one can play chords, but they were designed to be melodic instruments. Most of bluegrass mandolin seems to feature fast melodic runs. Vivaldi's mandolin concertos are again melodies not chords. Edited January 30, 2023 by bass_dinger 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 Walking one of the dogs earlier and somebody dropped a passenger and their shopping off. Getting the shopping out of the boot they pulled out what looked like a Mandolin - though it could have been a number of other obscure instruments TBH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upside downer Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 10 hours ago, Marc S said: bought a Bouzouki (though I don't think it's an Irish Bouzouki - it seems longer scale length) 650mm is the usual scale but they can be longer. Both my Greek and Irish 'zouks are 670mm. Gives you more resonance, according to those in the know. Any chance of a picture of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc S Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 (edited) 13 hours ago, upside downer said: 650mm is the usual scale but they can be longer. Both my Greek and Irish 'zouks are 670mm. Gives you more resonance, according to those in the know. Any chance of a picture of it? I haven't got a photo, or the Bouzouki to hand - but it's one of these... https://www.musicroom.com/ozark-bouzouki-flat-back-oza2222?glid=gb&CAWELAID=120075890000279149&gclid=CjwKCAiAleOeBhBdEiwAfgmXf_D1k-0AlN0iRyZ37d4QVK2CJSpokHSf2ZVgf4KpbHZkw5GvvrwJqhoCXJEQAvD_BwE EDIT: The shop where I bought it weren't aware of whether it's a Greek Bouzouki, but I do recall the description as being "Flat Back" I only just remembered it's an Ozark branded instrument. Edited January 31, 2023 by Marc S 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upside downer Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 3 hours ago, Marc S said: I haven't got a photo, or the Bouzouki to hand - but it's one of these... https://www.musicroom.com/ozark-bouzouki-flat-back-oza2222?glid=gb&CAWELAID=120075890000279149&gclid=CjwKCAiAleOeBhBdEiwAfgmXf_D1k-0AlN0iRyZ37d4QVK2CJSpokHSf2ZVgf4KpbHZkw5GvvrwJqhoCXJEQAvD_BwE EDIT: The shop where I bought it weren't aware of whether it's a Greek Bouzouki, but I do recall the description as being "Flat Back" I only just remembered it's an Ozark branded instrument. That's an Irish bouzouki. Flat back rather the round back of a Greek, and the Greek is tuned CFAD (one step below the high four of a guitar). The Irish has versatility with the option of a few tunings. GDAE for those with mandolin knowledge in mind but for accompaniment and drone notes GDAD and ADAD are more common. Then, there's the octave string argument, too. Some like the top two courses to be in octaves, others all the courses in unison. There are so many of these little variations (including scale length) that make these instruments so fascinating. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralf1e Posted January 31, 2023 Share Posted January 31, 2023 2 minutes ago, upside downer said: That's an Irish bouzouki. Flat back rather the round back of a Greek, and the Greek is tuned CFAD (one step below the high four of a guitar). The Irish has versatility with the option of a few tunings. GDAE for those with mandolin knowledge in mind but for accompaniment and drone notes GDAD and ADAD are more common. Then, there's the octave string argument, too. Some like the top two courses to be in octaves, others all the courses in unison. There are so many of these little variations (including scale length) that make these instruments so fascinating. That is so good as a deal! You can't buy the materials for that! Its not even a meal out for four 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassfinger Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 Planning mine live for the first time next week, and then again the week after. Losing My Religion and Maggie May respectively, so nothing too challenging, although the little widdly fills on LMR took a bit of practive with my big P bass ready hands . I'm quite looking forward to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeyboro Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 Took one round the world for a year, travelling. Never bonded with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 3 hours ago, Bassfinger said: Planning mine live for the first time next week, and then again the week after. Losing My Religion and Maggie May respectively, so nothing too challenging, although the little widdly fills on LMR took a bit of practive with my big P bass ready hands . I'm quite looking forward to it. Good luck with that, hope it goes well. LMR has an odtave guitar on it too, I'd love to have a go on one of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted February 26, 2023 Share Posted February 26, 2023 (edited) My mandolin tuning buttons are falling apart. They fracture, and then fall off of the shaft. Superglue fixes them, but they now look ugly. The plastic is likely to be 40 or 50 years old - is this degradation a known thing? The tuner action is also variable - sometimes stiff, other times no connection between the cog and worm drive, when I loosen the string. I am thinking of changing out the tuners to one of these Expensive £68 https://hobgoblin.com/ashbury-as-2038-slotted-mandolin-machine-heads Cheaper at about £21 (gold plated) https://hobgoblin.com/ashbury-as-2018-mandolin-machine-heads-gold Nickel is the least costly at £14 (but out of stock until June 2023). https://hobgoblin.com/ashbury-as-2016-mandolin-machine-heads-nickel Anyone ever upgraded mandolin tuners before? Edited February 26, 2023 by bass_dinger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted February 26, 2023 Share Posted February 26, 2023 Eagle Music have some alternatives. https://www.eaglemusicshop.com/mandolin-machine-heads-tuners Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted February 26, 2023 Share Posted February 26, 2023 8 minutes ago, pete.young said: Eagle Music have some alternatives. https://www.eaglemusicshop.com/mandolin-machine-heads-tuners One of those alternatives is Gotoh - they are a respected brand, I think. Perhaps that is the option I should go for. Thanks @pete.young Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blisters on my fingers Posted February 26, 2023 Share Posted February 26, 2023 I would just replace them, but..... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted March 2, 2023 Share Posted March 2, 2023 On 26/02/2023 at 15:30, bass_dinger said: Anyone ever upgraded mandolin tuners before? Yes. I wouldn't call it an upgrade, exactly. More a sideways change. The Waverleys on my F5 were getting a bit slack and reluctant to hold tune, so I replaced them with Schallers. They've been very good so far (replaced at least 10 years ago). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prowla Posted March 2, 2023 Author Share Posted March 2, 2023 12 minutes ago, Dan Dare said: Yes. I wouldn't call it an upgrade, exactly. More a sideways change. The Waverleys on my F5 were getting a bit slack and reluctant to hold tune, so I replaced them with Schallers. They've been very good so far (replaced at least 10 years ago). A "sidegrade", as it's known... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted March 4, 2023 Share Posted March 4, 2023 On the mandolin cafe website, I found a link to an article on maintaining mandolin tuners. http://www.lutherie.net/tuner.maintenance.html I will try that, and replace the buttons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upside downer Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 Picked this up the other day. A 12 string mandolin which I believe is called a mandriola. The frets are a little wonky in places and the whole thing looks a little skewiff but it's very nice. Looks home made, especially as the bowl of it is an old frying pan! Plays well, stays in tune, very loud and it's non-stick 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted September 6, 2023 Share Posted September 6, 2023 For those that find a standard mandolin to tight on the fretboard but the bouzouki too long, there is the octave mandola, known as the octave mandolin in the USA which seems a more sensible name to me as that is what it is. A mandolin tuned an octave lower. This is mine, made by Dorset luthier Robin Greenwood: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted October 11, 2023 Share Posted October 11, 2023 The back is made of beautiful woods. However I haven’t played since before covid lockdown so it’s gone on Gumtree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted October 11, 2023 Share Posted October 11, 2023 1 hour ago, Grahambythesea said: The back is made of beautiful woods. However I haven’t played since before covid lockdown so it’s gone on Gumtree. Beautiful. However, I don't need another instrument. However however, I have DMd you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassfinger Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 I took up mandolin about two years ago. Like some of you guys I findnthe standard mando fretboard a bit tight, although that didn't stop me buying two. Like you Graham, found the octave mandolin to be the answer, an Ozark in my case. I tune mine in pairs. But now I've got to grips with that I also fancy an Irish Bouzouki as well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mediocre Polymath Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 Just stumbled across this thread and thought I'd raise my hand as another person who plays in both GDAE and EADG. I've dabbled in mandolin since I was a teenager (my dad also plays both), but I didn't really take to it with any particular enthusiasm until about six years ago, when I realised that a guitar I was making for someone else would leave exactly enough waste material to make an electric mandolin. I made this, which is has a excessively thick and heavy ash body based on a design by a 1970s British luthier called Peter Cook, and a cheap ebay piezo pickup running through a perfboard-and-splotchy-solder buffer circuit. I don't know if this is anyone else's experience, but I find that playing the mandolin for a week or two makes me come back to the bass with new ears and habits. The experience of looking at the same scale patterns the other way round makes me notice inversions and shapes I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. It's also just a fun instrument to play. I typically go through cycles of playing the mandolin constantly for about six weeks, then putting it aside for about six months when the strings get manky and I can't bring myself to go through the monumental hassle of replacing them. Like seemingly everyone here though, I've also found myself eyeing tenor mandolas and octave mandolas/mandolins. For me it's not so much a question of size (though I'd be lying if I said I could play much of anything above the 9th fret) as it is one of pitch. I just don't find the sound of the top string on a mandolin to be musically useful. I think that's partly to do with the quality of the instrument (the high E sounds better on my dad's Nigel Thornbory acoustic mandolin than it does on my electric one) but it think it's also just a taste thing. It's like the plinky top keys on an old upright piano. This is the design I've been toying with. Not sure if I'll actually bother to build it though. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 14 hours ago, Mediocre Polymath said: This is the design I've been toying with. Not sure if I'll actually bother to build it though. I like it! Elements of a Rick, and a more usable scale length. My own mandolin is a laminate top, and has poor tone. With so little wood to vibrate, the quality of the material is more important than for larger instruments, perhaps? Once I retire, I will invest more time in music - mandolin included 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted April 3 Share Posted April 3 I saw Steve James playing mandolin about 12 years ago and he was great. He said there's two things you can be sure of as a mandolin player, you'll always be broke and you'll always be out of tune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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