# General Mandolin Topics > General Mandolin Discussions >  What's in a name?

## pjlama

For some reason when I read posts I also try and determine what the posters screen name means, some are obvious but others... I know it silly but I'm curious and avoiding my work.
So my screen name is my first name and the first four letters of my last;
pjlama = PJ LaMariana

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## JHo

The Jason H. in mine most likely speaks for itself. As for the 847 though, that's my local area code (in Evanston IL, the first town north of Chicago on the shore).

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## Rick Crenshaw

My screen name is an adjective for what I was when I got ahold of my D18GE (Golden Era) guitar. I love that guitar, alas, a newer, beautiful Proulx Mahogany/Adirondack dread has taken its place. I would have kept both if I could, but MAS rules my house now. I still think this is the Golden Era of lutherie in guitars and mandolins, thus I have kept the moniker.

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## DryBones

ok, so I found this line of car accessories at Walmart. You know seat covers and steering wheel covers, license plate brackets etc. Dry Bones Surf Co. At the time I was an avid fisherman and just took up kayak fishing. I was joining a fishing message board and needed a screenname. The logo for Dry Bones was a fish skeleton in an oval (see my Signature) and being that I am not a very good swimmer I thought that is exactly what I need to stay in that kayak...dry bones. stupid, I know but so am I

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## fatt-dad

I just didn't like portly pappa.

f-d

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## Tim

I can't play but I have *T*hree *i*nvestment *m*andolins.

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## John Flynn

Well, "jflynnstl" used to be part of the email address I had when I registered on the Cafe' many moons ago. Truth be told, I never wanted it to be my screen name. I accidentally put it in the wrong box on the form and then when I realized my error, I figured, what the heck. 

"Mando Johnny" was my intended screen name. It came from two sources: First, my late paternal grandmother, who I was very close to, was the only person who used to call me Johnny, so I consider it a term of endearment. Second, one of my favorite songs of all time is a duet between Emmylou Harris and Waylon Jennings, entitled "Spanish Johnny." It is about a killer in the old West "who would never hurt a child, but sang to his mandolin." When I needed a screen name here, "Mando Johnny" just popped in my head.

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## Ken Sager

My name is actually Richard Sager, but when I was born my parents didn't think I looked like a Richard. For six months they called me "Son" until they settled on Ken.

True story.

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## cooper4205

This is the real Cooper. I couldn't think of anything snappy, so I just used his name and slapped my old football number (42) and the year we got him on the end (05).

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## sunburst

6 years of staining and finishing for an instrument manufacturer and being a builder of other instruments besides mandolins led me to try to figure out a "handle" that related to making mandolins, but not only mandolins. Short, easily recognizable, and cheerful sounding, I settled on "sunburst".

So far, I like this thread. I'm a curious type too, and I often wonder where other's handles came from.

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## Tillmanator

My last name is Tillman and I'm a school teacher. I'm kind of a butt kicker in the classroom.... I don't settle for average performances or lagging effort. (I teach music.)  Since I started teaching right around the time that the first Terminator movie came out, kids naturally started calling me "The Tillmanator". The name has stuck and been passed down to later generations of kids. 18 years later, I'm still called Tillmanator. I use it on all the message boards and list serves that I frequent.

Right after I signed up here, I realized I should have chosen the name Mando Lynn. (Lynn is my first name.) But seeing as how there are sooo many folks part of this message board and the obviousness of it, that name was probably already taken. So I put Mando Lynn in my sig instead.

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## Jim MacDaniel

My screen name is neither clever nor creative.

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## Stephanie Reiser

Well, I was one who had "borrowed" it (Amanda Lyn), as I think it is a cute name. I even call my dog "Mandy". If I had to do it over again I would just use my real name, but it's okay either way.

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## 8ch(pl)

The 2 best years of my 25 year military career were spent with the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's). Their Official Abbreviation is 8CH(PL). I was attached as the Regimental Tentmaker, the only one in my trade. It was the only posting where I felt that my efforts were appreciated.

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## Jack Roberts

When I was a cub scout, almost 50 years ago, we had the official cub scout method for secret messages. it was "gnitirw sdrawkcab".

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## DryBones

good one, Jack!

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## Bing Cullen

Bing was a nickname I had as a child. My sister used to call me this. It came from a radio show with a character called Chief Binga Banga who I loved apparently. Anyway when it came to doing inlay of my name on a headstock this was a lot shorter than Lindsay. Wish I could sing like him tho...Crosby ie

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## mugbucket

Basically just two random words pulled out of a dictionary to satisfy a email handle for a college class about 10 years ago. You'd be surprised how many variants of Ski or 45ACP were already taken.




Ski
************
Eastman 615

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## 12 fret

I have to have about 50 user names and passwords at work and they all require combibations of letters and numerals. I got in the habit of using Martin model designations so I could remember them. Of all instruments, my favorite is a recently acquired D18 12 fret from the vintage series. Its like a pipe organ with strings

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## testore

I won my first award as a violin maker with an antiqued copy of a Testore viola. The first time any maker had won a workmanship award for doing crude work,in the style of another maker. Amongst a few violin making friends of mine I am known for my Testore copies,so I've adopted that knickname.

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## Skin it Back

There's a great song by Rodney Crowell called "I Walk the Line (Revisted)" which includes Johnny Cash singing. When the guitarist plays an especially good lick during his solo, JC blurts out "Oh, skin it back". I've always loved that part of the song- I gather it means go for it. I know there is a Little Feat song called Skin It Back, but that is not what what I had in mind when I selected the name.

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## violmando

I also play string bass, aka bass viol, as well as viola da gamba, so there's the violmando...it's now my name on a couple of other boards as well since it's easy for ME to remember it![B]I used to use basser alot, but somehow mandobasser just didn't sound right, ya know? Yvonne in Ohio

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## Jim Broyles

The highly unimaginative first and last initials along with 'mando.' I'd try to think up something cooler now if I were starting over. I think I'd search through the Stanley Brothers' catalog for a song title, or a lyric line I could use. Maybe something like Daybreak in Pennsy, or something.

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## allenhopkins

> There's a great song by Rodney Crowell called "I Walk the Line (Revisted)" which includes Johnny Cash singing. When the guitarist plays an especially good lick during his solo, JC blurts out "Oh, skin it back". I've always loved that part of the song- I gather it means go for it.


Debating whether to post this at all; *PLEASE* understand I DO NOT intend to offend:


What it means to a US Army medic, at least in my experience: retract the foreskin, for what was elegantly termed the "p*cker* check."

* this is not a euphemism for "picker," sorry to say...

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## swampy

When I moved to New England from SC years ago a bass playing friend of mine dubbed me "Swamp Fox" after the revolutionary war hero from SC. Other people abbreviated and I've been known as Swampy every since. It's funny how many people there don't even know my real name. It's Nate BTW.

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## Caleb

I don't take music all that serious, so I'm a bit of a slacker when it comes to theory, etc. #I just like to play and have fun and let the music move me wherever it will. #I don't read music or know most of the lingo, so I'm pretty much seen as a slacker, musically, by lots of folks. #

My username elsewhere on the net is normally wolf_of_the_bees. #But it just didn't seem to fit the mandolin cafe all that well for some reason. #

Great thread.

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## MikeEdgerton

Allen, You're correct regarding the phrase "Skin it back". That is what it means. It was used by the medics in the Army when making a physical check of the male private parts when dealing with those that had not been surgically altered at birth. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised it wasn't flagged. It certainly doesn't mean go for it. Then again, every time I see tiltman I have to look twice.

I didn't do well with my first screen name so I simply used the one on my birth certificate. It makes it a little easier.

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## Tighthead

Mine's the name for the position I play in The Game Played in Heaven.

Aye, that last one was too big!

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## tnpathfinder

While looking online for auto parts several years ago, I signed up use Auto Zone parts catalog and had to choose a username. I live in TN and drove a Nissan Pathfinder. 240,000 miles later I still got the truck and still use the name. I plan on driving it till it won't make a shadow or I guess buy a new Pathy so I don't have to change handles.

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## MikeEdgerton

> The Game Played in Heaven.


Canasta?

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## coletrickle

Nice one tighthead. If I were change my screen name in that vain I would be "hooker" but that always lends itself to explination unless you know some good rugby song to sing, which generally helps clear things up. Instead I go with the old standby college nickname..."coletrickle on the outside!!!!!!!"

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## ourgang

At the time I registered I was playing guitar in a band called SPANKY Moore, SPANKY was a character in the "Our Gang Comedies" back in the 30's , 40's and 50's, hince ourgang.

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## f5loar

Mine is rather obvious. Not to be confused with "F5Journal" although we do get mistaken since we both are famous mandolin pickers and are the same age(he is in charge of the Loar website numbers)nor to be confused with the king of the Bluegrass Stomp "F5Joe"(no one can take that title from good ole Joe!). While I don't get confusion here in other chat rooms I am on it does raise some questions as to what it means. It seems so common to me now I had a James Tailpiece cover engraved with it.

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## red7flag

Was redflag7, but was taken. I used to teach psychology. I would always talk about paying attention to red flags, or your intuition. Just kind of stuck.
Tony

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## mandroid

Thought of Marvin in h2g2. I can relate.

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## mounmon

I spent a couple of formative years in rural Haiti. In the quirky French Creole of that country, moun=person mon=mountain, i.e. a mountain person or hillbilly. Really unsophisticated people, many of whom would come to our hospital having never seen running water or a flush toilet (I always got a kick seeing muddy footprints on the seat). Anyway, I'm kind of a hick so thought it fit.  
Rick

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## Don Christy

Used to ride motorcylces a lot. I have a Ducati and started posting on bulletin boards as ducati08. ducati was always taken, ducati01, etc taken too. Surprisingly, ducati08 never seems to be taken (unless it's me!).
Don

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## clarksavage

Sheesh. I need to come up with a new screen name and get creative! This is all very interesting to me. 

My full name is Clark Savage Turner, I used to practice law (I'm a recovering attorney, now I teach software design ethics at a University....) My clients and opponents just loved my middle name "Savage" (it is of Irish derivation, believe it or not!) and I often got called Mr. Savage even though I was the fellow negotiating hard to avoid court, costs and hassles for my clients. Still, I enjoyed the attention. Hence, Clark Savage.

For those of you who wander over to the UMGF, I use "wa3jpg" over there, my amateur radio callsign. Bunch of "hams" seem to play music around here too.

Clark

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## Bill Snyder

In my first post I wanted to ask a builder a question and I had to join in order to post. I was asking the question out of curiousity - hence the handle. 
Oddly enough at the time I did not realize it was ok to use your name otherwise I probably would have.

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## Big Joe

Mine probably seems pretty obvious. I've been called "Big Joe" for many years and it is easy for people to remember. The may never remember Joe Vest, but they would remember Big Joe. The nickname started many years before my girth reached its more recent proportions. It really had to do with my attitude towards life more than my physical size.

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## bradeinhorn

firstnamelastname

i like to have my name out there for full disclosure purposes.

though many still call me brade for short. Perhaps they read it as brade in horn? whatever that means.

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## merlin

name of first siamese cat when i was a little tike. (seal point for those who know siamese cats)

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## Milan Christi

M and C for the initials of my name - 'Gitarz' was something I thought was clever back in the early days of the internet BG (Before Google) and before I ever considered playing mandolin. Now I'm stuck with it because I'm still not very clever.

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## woodwizard

Mine's pretty obvious too ... at least it is in my neck of the woods. I've been carving wood for about 30 years. Sometime ago my friends gave me the nickname woodwizard and recently I've started using it. Say I'm proud to say Roland White has one of my carvings in Nashville. Something an ole' Arkansas boy can be proud of. Yeap!

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## DryBones

Woodwizard...cool looking stuff. Do you have a website and sell your carvings to the masses?

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## woodwizard

Sure nuff... thanks
www.cswnet.com/~myparks/index.htm

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## Eugene

Mine is derived from ancient Greek for "well born." Oh yeah, and it's my name too.

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## Fliss

Mine is the short version of my "proper" name, Felicity, which means "happines"  

Fliss

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## F5G WIZ

I was playing an F5G at the time (it's long gone, a victim of MAS) and the slang word Gwiz has been around for quite a while. So I combined the two, F5G wiz. Not that I am a whiz on the old F5G or anything like that. Guess I should have spelled it F5 Gwiz. Anyway, got rid of the Gibson to pay for the Poe. I am Poeboy on another website. 

Woodwizard, love the carvings, I carve woodspirits myself.  Mostly in Cottonwood bark. I'll post a picture later.

Darrin

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## hendrix2

When I was 14 years old I was obsessed by Jimi Hendrix. I am a guitarplayer myself and it was the time internet just began to settle.
So I was surfing for the first time on the web and on a certain website I had to register myself. So I deceided to name myself Hendrix, but that was already taken so it became Hendrix2. Now all these years later I hate the name, but I still use it somehow

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## PseudoCelt

I have an Irish name and I play a lot of Irish music. Many people have just assumed that I must be Irish purely because of my name. As far as I know, I have no connection to Ireland at all, so I'm just a pseudo-Celt.

I wanted to avoid a username containing "mandolin" or "mando", since that seemed a little unimaginative for a mandolin forum.

Patrick

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## Hans

Hans was my fathers nickname and is short for Johann.

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## LateBloomer

I started playing mandolin when I was 35. I thought I had picked it up rather late (then found out there are lots of others here who also started in their 30's, 40's or 50's). I have also done a lot of gardening, so LateBloomer seemed perfect.

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## french guy

french guy , because I'm really french and ,, one moment ,, yes I'm a boy . I take this name to be sure to be forgiven when I write and make many mistakes with my language .
I must say that when I was child at school i never obtain more than 5/20 in the english work .
When I need to have or transmit infos , english is so important that I now regret to not work a lot at school .

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## Phil Goodson

Don't feel bad, Jean. Many of us "now regret to not work a lot at school."
--------------

My handle comes from my sign-in on the "Motley Fools" investment board back in the '90s.  I tried online investing and did okay till the market crash. 

After losing my shirt, I gave up investing by myself but I kept the screen name because I'd used it to register at so many places. 

I was going to re-register and change to something more clever, but that involved changing my email address again.

Phil

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## june39

"June" was engraved in the truss rod cover of my '39 F5 when I acquired it in the early '70's. I just left it on.

Doug McCash

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## The Old Sarge

Neigh on to forty years in police work makes me "Old" and I held the rank for Sergeant with a major police department for a number of years (I'm in a different area of law enforcement now) hence the "Sarge".

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## Yuletide

Interesting thread.
Sold honey locally for years under the name "Yuletide Honey" since I had to call it something and "Bob's Honey" didn't sound quite right. "Yuletide" seemed to help with holiday season sales, as though there was some connection between honey and Xmas. Soon I was calling the little business "Yuletide Apiary". When I started raising Shetland sheep, I needed a farm name to use on lamb registrations, so "Yuletide Apiary" became "Yuletide Farm". My fellow Shetland breeders started referring to me as "Yuletide Bob" meaning Bob of Yuletide Farm, and it stuck.

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## twaaang

Back in the days before my mandolin obsession, it was all banjo for me. I decided to advertise my fixation on my car's license plate with TWANG -- but wait! for the same extra fee for vanity plates in Vermont, you can have up to seven characters, which gets me to TWAAANG with a certain satisfactory onomatopoeia. (They even sent me TWAANG at first, which I returned with understandable indignation.) This is mildly amusing at stoplights, seeing some reactions in my rear-view mirror. It drew absolutely no comment from Scott and Ted, though, when I picked them up at the Burlington airport a couple years ago.

You can tell there's not much to do here, but I can now honestly say I've used "onomatopoeia" in a sentence. -- Paul

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## El Greco

I agree, very interesting thread # 

Well, I appreciate art (I think), I'm Greek (became U.S. citizen last August) and as a fan of Doménicos Theotokópoulos'(El Greco) paintings I chose to borrow his artistic name for the cafe.

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## Bill Van Liere

I am the MANDO player and my wife is Shelly LYNN. We stuck the two together to create our E-mail address which is Mandolynn at blah blah blah. I had to add the "-" to post on the Cafe beacuse Mandolynn was already taken. I really never had any intention to post much, but a thread came up about what type of top wood did you select for your Brentrup and I decided to chime in that I chose Italian which lead to typical debate as to the proper mane of this particular Spruce. Well whatever, being a horticulturist I found this amusing and entertaining, so I'm still here.

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## thistle3585

I own a Thistle class sailboat and the sail/boat number is 3585.

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## Bruce Evans

I play guitar, ukulele, mandolin, plectrum banjo, clawhammer banjo, piano and about a dozen other instruments. 

My wife is fluent in Spanish. When I met her 9 years ago this month I started to learn a bit of Spanish to impress her. 

"Toco todo," means "I play everything."

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## Timbofood

Timbo-nickname from my big sister when I was (Very) young
Food- #Suffice to say I enjoy gustatorial delights oft to excess!
I have never had to put a number with it yet!

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## Mike Buesseler

Well, I shouldn't keep people in suspense any longer....My real name is Mike Buesseler! (There, the mystery is solved!) When I registered at the Cafe, I was sure MikeB would be taken, but...nope. (I wish I'd have chosen "Eugene," dang it! Now I understand 'eugenics.')

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## littledonnie

it's a nickname a dispatcher gave me a long time ago and it stuck. I like to think it fits as at 6'5" I'm the smaller of the two boys in the family. My younger brother is 6'8"

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## good_ol_al_61

Good thread!

Good-'ol-Al was the name they guys in the fabrication shop I ran gave me. I used to hang out with them before and after work (i.e. local coffee shop, local pub, etc.). They never had anyone in management do that with them before. Then when they were short handed in the fab shop, I would put on my work clothes and work side-by-side with them. Whenever they or one of thier family members was in the hospital, I would personally deliver the flowers and visit them regularly. It made a difference in the productivity and there wasn't anything that they wouldn't do for me. They just started calling me Good-'ol-Al as a consequence and it stuck for over 10 years. The 61 is the year of my birth.

The by-line of The Happy Mandolin Player is the fact that I view every day as a gift. Most things are not worth getting upset about when you REALLY look at the situation. I was given a 40% chance to live in March '99 with a heart attack. I'm still kickin' and going to work everyday. Pickin' on the weekends to boot. I lived to see my grandson born two years ago. Married for over 20 years to a lovely wife. Life is good.

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## sgarrity

Mine is kinda boring. I bet you can figure it out   :Cool:

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## John Uhrig

Well I hope the mando part is self explanatory. The nucs part is because I'm a Nuclear Medicine Technologist.

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## otterly2k

Well, I've carried the nickname "Otter" for about 18 years...having something to do with being playful, enjoying water, and some other situational stuff...long story. Also, spending a lot of time with groups of women, there were always several Karens, so it became handy to have a more unique nickname. It stuck... and now in some circles I'm known as Otter, and in others as Karen.

Otterly2k came about as an email handle that was initiated in the year 2000 (hence, 2k). 

It's interesting that some folks here choose to use their real names in the interest of full disclosure. When I first started coming around the Cafe, I deliberately chose anonymity b/c I have learned (the hard way) that using one's full real name can attract unsolicited spam as well as harassment at times. I think this may be more true for women than for men. And also for people with very Google-able names like mine. I'm less worried about that now that I'm more familiar with this community...but that's why I don't typically sign my full name.

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## YeaYea

I was thinking of having a mandolin inspired name. But since my niece and nephew somehow call me YeaYea, I couldn't resist.

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## picksnbits

I put way too much thought into mine and still came up with something pretty goofy. Horses and bluegrass are my main hobbies and I work with computers.  Bridles have bits, computers have bits, two-bits is the old standby ending to every bluegrass song, but twobits wasn't available as an email address. Neither was threebits or fourbits. So I settled for ....

I think about changing it every time I post here, but I'm too lazy and forgetful to actually do anything about it.

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## mandopete

I dunno, clarinetpete just didn't have the pizzaz I was looking for.

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## MikeEdgerton

> I dunno, clarinetpete just didn't have the pizzaz I was looking for.


You're right, that name is way too Hollywood.

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## salleyann

Wife's nickname and our e-mail address. Nickname was given to
her many years ago because of her reaction to a rousing version of the song at a festival.

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## grandmainger

grandmainger = grand mainger

switch to French
Grand = Tall (I'm 1.92m)
Mainger = Germain (swapping syllables is a national past time for us frogs)

Germain's my first name... Grand Mainger is the nickname given to me by my friends

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## CharlieKnuth

I used another name on the previous board, but thought I wouldn't hide my identity. Besides, not too many people can pronounce it correctly.

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## JEStanek

Perhaps I'm not clever enough to make a unique one to remember... I remain,
Jamie Stanek... E is after a minister my folks loved Emmett Burns McGukin. I've kept that tradtion alive with my son (named after an Episcopal Priest my wife and I love).

Jamie

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## Jason Kessler

I'm a filmmaker and film buff. "'F' for Fake" was the name of Orson Welles' last film, and the F4 pun was too good to resist.

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## Windflite

Using the combination of my circa 1989 hobbies (private pilot and sailboat racing), Windflite Computer Systems, Inc. became the name of our then startup software company. # Has been a good ride for all these years, although we did end up securing the URL 'windflight.com' as well in order to combat spelling issues! #I really should come up with something related to Mando! #

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## steve V. johnson

"sliabh stv"

I am stv and the first part is the Irish word for mountain.  I take that from the phrase "sliabh luachra," which literally means 'the rushy mountain,' and also means a region of the southwest of Ireland around the Cork/Kerry/Limerick county borders, my favorite and my 'home' part of Ireland. 

Sliabh Luachra is an area with no center and no boundaries, but it does have a characteristic style of traditional music, poetry and dance.

stv

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## JGWoods

JGWoods- Some places I'm Joe, some I'm Gordon. Kinda weird, I am morphing from using my middle name as my "real" name to using my first name- more tangling with legal stuff, forms, hospitals etc. pushes me to use name #1 more often.

Under that it says nebo- the Mt where Moses stood looking into the promised land that he never entered...

"...and if I thought it would do any good I'd stand on the rock where Moses stood..." 
(The Band- Up On Cripple Creek)

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## acousticphd

I've been lucky (or unlucky) to have had a lot of higher education, which in latter days has taught me to appreciate old Gibson A-styles.

Though "phd" was once interpreted by another member here as "post hole digger".

"acoustic" decribes my musical preference.

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## fatt-dad

The Evolution of "fatt-dad" - a story in three parts. . . . 

Act 1: #One day I was talking to my father and I asked him, "If you were to have a vanity plate, what would it say"? #Without reservation, he said, "Drawrof". #To which I said, "er, Dad, why?". #"Well, that's "forward" spelled backwards - ha". #So, I went to the DMV and got DRAWROF for my vaniety plate. #Nobody ever "got it". . . . 

Act 2: #My daughter and her friend (both 4 at the time) called me "fat dad". #They giggled (I wasn't fat at the time and had recently completed a marathon). #They just thought it was funny. #I thought to myself, "Hey, I can get rid of that DRAWROF vaniety plate and get "FAT DAD". #Alas, it was taken. . . . #But, FATT DAD wasn't!! #I upgraded my vaniety plate.

Act 3: #The internet era. #Like how many folks use "fatt-dad" when they assign a user name? #So far, it's been working, except for those sites that just won't take a hyphen - then I'm just fattdad. #I even got fatt-dad.com, but don't get your hopes up, it's pretty lame.

f-d

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## John Hill

Even though I live in Louisville now, for a while I lived in St. Paul, MN and was dubbed "MN John" by a few friends and it stuck long enough to be used as my screen name. I don't know how to get rid of the "Flatwound" part however...

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## Landgrass

My German surname is Landgraf and I love Bluegrass. The two kind of morphed together in "Landgrass". I also love golf so on some other places I'm dlandgolf.


David Landgraf

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## arbarnhart

It is my initials and name.

*I ain't hidin' from nobody; nobody's hidin' from me*

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## pickinNgrinnin

pickinNgrinnin...nuff said

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## Steve Davis

I'm overt.

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## kyblue

Because I'm a Kentucky girl that sometimes gets the blues, loves blues music, and most of the time is a big U of KY Wildcat basketball fan (as in 'go big blue'.)

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## DryBones

> Even though I live in Louisville now, for a while I lived in St. Paul, MN and was dubbed "MN John" by a few friends and it stuck long enough to be used as my screen name. I don't know how to get rid of the "Flatwound" part however...


go to "your control panel" and update your profile

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## tree

I'm a registered forester and certified arborist, so it's what I think about a lot.

One of my vertically challenged friends here at work (he stands about 5' 4", I'm 6' 2") calls me "tree" (and loudly, at that) but then he has a nickname for everybody he knows. 

It's #nice, short, easy to remember, and related to mandolins. #

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## Elliot Luber

I used to use "Santiago" as my alias on a kayak fishing site. Santiago is the name of the old man in Hemmingway's "The Old Man and the Sea." The name just stuck as I developed other interests, though I still kayak when I get a chance. I don't play a Bandolim or choro or anything.

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## Keith Erickson

_8_String_Keith_

*8_String*- in reference to the mandolin that we all know and love  

*Keith*- The name Keith is _Irish_ in origin and means _From the Battlefield_.

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## entau

I used to be halfdeadhippie - but I had to kill the email address due to abusive messaging from my ex spouse -long story -
 fullydeadhippie just didn't sound right - 

entau is one of those words like aloha in hawaiian ( spelling?) from a language invented by a friend of mine

it means - "very much" but can be used as "hello" or "thank you", or "I understand", or "yes" 

I was going to use it as a band (musical group)name - not getting too far with that- another long story
my life has gone through so many drastic changes - even loosing some of my favorite instruments in a car crash.
alas "all my problems are meaningless - that don't make them go away" (Neil Young- On the Beach)

so I guess I am entau the cafe member formally known as halfdeadhippie

----------


## allenhopkins

What's to explain?

----------


## ruraltradpunk

"rural" because I live rurally (you know you're in a small Irish village when it only possesses ONE pub and it only opens on weekends!), "trad" because I'm mad into Irish trad music now, "punk" because I'm an aging punk rocker!

Jill

----------


## good_ol_al_61

Mandopluker... every situation takes two. It was obvious that you were a quality person the way you "spoke" to me in your emails.

I know there are many that you inspire in your life.

Kudos!

----------


## jim_n_virginia

My name is George and I live in Kansas.

----------


## MikeEdgerton

> My name is George and I live in Kansas.


OK, warn me before you do that next time. I just spit water all over my keyboard.

----------


## chirorehab

Hmm..

I'm a chiropractor specializing in rehab....

Eric Nelson, DC CCSP
www.nelsonpilates.com

----------


## farmerjones

i wish i could say my last name was Smith and i actually live in Chicago, but i can't. 

The only thing slightly ironic is ima cube dweller by day. But i do live on a farm and even wear bib-overalls. 

A full-time farmer doesn't have time for this.

----------


## Rroyd

My Japanese F5 has a label that says it was inspected by Rroyd Roar on July 9, 1983.

----------


## Larry Simonson

The words "dynamite", "dynamo", "dynamic" etc. were derived from the traditional unit of force, "Dyne". Well, "Dyne" has been relegated to obsolescence and replaced by "Newton", so I've been on a one-man crusade to update all the dyne derived words with there modern-day equivalents. Maybe when I get this accomplished I will change my cafe name to "Joulonomics" and continue my work. None of this has anything to do with my real name which is Larry

----------


## Dena Haselwander

Another matter-of-fact one: d for Dena and middle name Marie.



Dena

----------


## Mark Walker

Mine is self-explanatory. #

Playing anywhere other than IN the closet, milk cows go dry, horses elevate to about four feet and stampede in all directions at that altitude, cats bark, dogs meow and skunks expel their aromatic scent - all much to the total dismay of other folks in my rural neighborhood.

The nice thing is the clothes don't throw me out of the closet. #

----------


## Lee Callicutt

John Cleese, as the French Knight at the tower gate in the Python's Holy Grail, shouting down at the questors below: 
"I farrhhht in your general direction, Engleeeesh peeegdog!"

With apologies to Grisman, as well as my late, great, Jack Russell, who I lovingly referred to from time to time as PigDog despite the fact that that wasn't her name.

----------


## Rocky Top

> My name is George and I live in Kansas. #


And I'm a Florida Gator fan!

----------


## Ken Feil

I'm old (70) and been pickin mandolin since 1968. So Olpicker

----------


## Gene Bragg

Mandonewby was taken and everyone at work says I'm old as dirt(57)cuz I've been the 35yrs. I just started learning the mando 3 months ago. So put it together.

----------


## Dan Cole

My fraternity and member number: Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE), Alpha Delta Chapter, University of Idaho.

----------


## Phil Jolly

My Fraternity as well: Kappa Sigma (Ksig)

----------


## fredfrank

Although you might think I have two first names, this is actually my first and last name.

----------


## pathfinder

I branched out from guitar with a cheap mando in 1982. #At that time, there was no Internet or Mandolin Cafe. #I had no books, sheetmusic or tabs for guidance. #I discovered chords, progressions, double-stops and solos on my own (with some knowledge of music theory acquired from my guitar background). 

Over the next twenty years, I eventually smartened up and started buying books and videos when I could find (and afford) them. #But I never learned how to read tabs. #And I still prefer to 'break down' and learn a new tune on my own.

I don't recommend my 'blueprint' for learning how to play mando. #It's inefficient, it's time-consuming and one can develop a lot of bad playing habits which become more difficult to discard as one gets older. #

When I registered and was obliged to select a user name on the Cafe four years ago, 'pathfinder' seemed like a logical choice.

And I have no regrets. #The Cafe is a brilliant discussion board and just another 'path' I've discovered towards getting proficient on this little axe before I meet my Maker. #Don't worry. #I'm only 55.

----------


## mandomick

Being the first message board/forum I'd ever seen and not knowing any better I thought I had to have a name other than my given Michael (Mick) Meinsler for a screen name. I couldn't help but notice all the mando this's and mando that's who were posting here so mandomick it was. Seeing how my computer skills and mandolin playing were at the same approximate level at that time, mandoduh would've been more appropriate.

----------


## Peter Hackman

Peter is my Christian name, Hackman is my family name.
Highly original.

----------


## Greenmando

I love the myth and idea of the Greenman.

----------


## swampstomper

My other obsession is Orienteering -- it's a form of running where you have to cut across country looking for cleverly hidden control points, picking any route you want, just using map and compass. Living in the Netherlands where most of the country is pretty wet, that just about explains it. Years ago I lived (and picked) in North Carolina in the flatlands and worked as a soil surveyor, and had to cut across lots of wet piney woods ("pocosins" they call them down there), so was stomping the swamp there too.

----------


## G_Smolt

Short for "Gastineau Smolt", a popular Dolly Varden fly.

Fitting, because I am Fish-Obsessed, much more than mando-obsessed...the Dolly is one of the fish I am smitten by, and I live on the shore of Gastineau Channel, on Douglas Island, Alaska.

Mark

----------


## Rick Cadger

duh... i used to play mostly flat top mandos.

----------


## Sheryl McDonald

My last name is McDonald, my hubby's last name is Harvey --when we got married, I didn't change my name [I felt like there were too many music gigs where people knew me by McDonald], so we always said we both change our name to Mcharvey. mcH is just a short version of that.... sheryl

----------


## Narayan Kersak

Ralian = short for, Ralian'thas Annavrin...great elven arch mage of Jacitus. (My high school dungeons and dragons character.)

----------


## Mark Walker

> Although you might think I have two first names, this is actually my first and last name.


I used to work with a guy named 'Tom David.' 

We used to refer to him as "David comma Tom." #  # (David, Tom)

Great thread. Kudos to pjlama!

----------


## Timbofood

I used to go with a girl with 3 first names (my secret!) Dear girl, I sold a stiver for Christmas money(among it's other problems) when I was with her

----------


## maddog

I was christened "maddog" by an admiring "fan" when I was in a folk rock band. as by nature I`m a pretty quiet and retiring guy, even when taking the lead guitar/mandolin line, and as I`m a M.D. by profession...the nickname stuck. mark.

----------


## billhay4

I have multiple personalities.
Bill
I have multiple personalities.
Bill
I have multiple personalities.
Bill
I have multiple personalities.
Bill

----------


## mandolooter

My first mandolin was a Weymann mandolute...I am not a crook!

----------


## MikeEdgerton

> I am not a crook!


I kind of like your old eBay name myself.

----------


## tiltman

I was trying to think of a username when my cat Tilt walked across the computer (a neurological problem left him with a head tilt - hence his name). His nickname was Tiltman and he was the coolest cat... so I borrowed his name.
(not to be a downer, but unfortunately he passed away last year - so now it's sort of a tribute to him)
Kirk

----------


## mandosox

The only time I get to practice in the summer is while the Red Sox are playing. They just sort of go together now.

----------


## Phil Hopkins

I teach philosophy and my specialty is ancient greek philosophy. Whenever I was first asked on whatever site it was years ago to post a screen name, it seemed to me that other users names were a kind of riddle. I always wondered what they meant and how they revealed something about the user. I thought I should do the same, but I'm not very creative, so I just picked the greek word for riddle. Plus, I saw Eugene was using a greek screenname...

----------


## Jim Rowland

My name is James G. Rowland. Does that explain anything?
Jim

----------


## RI-Grass

Bluegrass is a kind of grass.
Rye grass is a kind of grass.
I live in RI.
I don't know ... it sounded clever at the time.

Sal

----------


## Sandy Beckler

OK.....
Sanchan is the screen name.
My real name is Ralph, but as a toddler I had "Sandy" blonde hair so my Paternal grandmother took to calling me Sandy.

Many (30 or there about) years ago I met my wife who is from Japan, on our first trip to Japan (we leave in a week for our 19th trip) My then, future in-laws who spoke no English started calling me "Sanchan" and it has stuck. "chan" is a term of endearment in Japanese.
Thus, I am Sanchan.

----------


## B. T. Walker

It's the name of the primary star (Altair) in a prominent summer constellation (Aquila) in the northern hemisphere, and I added my lucky number to it (38).

----------


## Mike Bunting

I like mine 'cause my mother gave it to me!

----------


## TotahSam

Well my name is Sam and I live in the four corners area of New Mexico just outside of a town called Farmington. The Navajo name for Farmington is Totah which means "Three Rivers."  In the four corners area we have three rivers that merge - The San Juan, La Plata and Rio de los Animas. Someday I'm going to compose a song about the Rio de los Animas also known as The River of Lost Souls. I grew up in New Mexico and spent my entire life among the Navajo people. My dad is fluent in the Navajo and Zuni languages. I know enough to get me into trouble :P 

That's why I used Totah Sam

----------


## luckylarue

"I was walkin' down the street like Lucky Larue. 
One hand in my pocket, I was thinkin' 'bout you...

----------


## Bruce Evans

> It's the name of the primary star (Altair) in a prominent summer constellation (Aquila) in the northern hemisphere, and I added my lucky number to it (38).


I have always hoped that you were using an old Altair computer.

----------


## jaydee

My initials are J.D. and as long as I can remember I've been called by them at least of often as my actual name which is.
Jeremy Darrow

----------


## Chris "Bucket" Thomas

Bucket aka Mr. B aka Chris

In the early 90s I was working part time at an aerial banner/sign towing company. We were based at a 5500grass strip with not one luxury of life. No phone, no AC, no electricity, no bathroom (except the woods) etc. Suffice it to say there were no chairs, tables etc.

Well, everyone-pilots and ground crew alike-had a nicknameand they are searching for mine. Well, one early morning I had my behind planted on the only suitable sitting surface (it was muddy) in sight. It was an empty five-gallon oil bucket. Well, the comedians that worked there thought that it was funny that I had placed my bucket on the bucket. It stuck and the fellas were proud of themselves.

Fast-forward to the Mandolin Café initial login procedures. Obviously, Chris, CST, Chris Thomas and every other combination was taken & I was searching for something.

Because of this, folks at some of the local jams only know me by Bucket.

----------


## Links

I design golf courses, sometimes referred to as "links". It is also a short version of my email address linksmkr (short for links maker). Even most golfers think that when a golf course is referred to as a "links" course it means that you start on hole number 1 and do not return to the clubhouse or starting point until you finish the 18th hole (sometimes referred to as a continuous 18). Actualy "links" refers to the type of land a golf course was built on - linksland being made of sandy alluvial deposits, usually near the sea shore. Anyway, this is waaaaaaay to much information!

----------


## Dale Ludewig

I'm just boring.

----------


## Bill Snyder

> I'm just boring.


That's ok Dale. Your green and blue mando's are interesting enough to make up for it.

----------


## MandoSquirrel

I got the nickname "Squirrel" when I was 14, apparently, I looked like one(they tend to have more fur up top than I currently do). I "embraced" it, after all, it was the '60's: the Dead had Pigpen, Youngbloods had Banana,etc.

Mando has been one of my passions for over 30 years, & is the focus here.

Not much chance of "MandoSquirrel" being already taken.

----------


## bratsche

"Bratsche" is German for viola, which is the instrument I'm usually playing when I'm getting paid for it.

----------


## SamnSC

I'm Sam
I'm in SC

Sam

----------


## bluegrassjack2

I tried several that I wanted but they got rejected for one reason or another. Finally settled on this one.

----------


## Kapellmeister

I'm into 18th century reenacting and my persona is that of a German (Moravian) immigrant here in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. Although we were pacifists and just wished to be left alone (I was a music teacher in our little closed community), I was coerced to join the Northampton Co. militia and am now a member of the 6th PA regiment.

I'm new to the forum - happy to make your acquaintance. Someday I'd love to have a "period correct" version of a mandolin.

----------


## John Ritchhart

Short for Jabberwocky, The Lewis Carroll poem. "Twas brillig and the slithy toves..."
The tagline "We happy few" is from Shakespeare's Henry V. It seemed appropriate for the mando community we all belong to.

----------


## cooper4205

> Short for Jabberwocky, The Lewis Carroll poem. "Twas brillig and the slithy toves..."
> The tagline "We happy few" is from Shakespeare's Henry V. It seemed appropriate for the mando community we all belong to.


Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!

----------


## Treblemaker

Treblemaker....?
Does this really need explaining on a Mandolin Message Board?

http://www.WorldWideTed.com

----------


## Mandojulie

I started playing the mandolin shortly after my 45th birthday. #I found the Cafe soon after that. #I was in one of those "oh my goodness, I can't be this old" moods when I registered. #I was trying to convince myself that I was okay with being 45 (gruntled, NOT disgruntled.

Now I'm 46 and I'm tired of my screen name. #Is there a way to change your screen name without starting a new account?

I thought I might be Mando Julie or Mando Jules (A certain group of friends always call me jules)

Great topic.

Julie

----------


## Timbofood

So, have you a recipe for those fabulous Christmas cookies? See above.

----------


## hellindc

"hellin" -- first 6 letters of last name
"D" "C" -- initials

Assigned by university computer, but since I teach politics and periodically demonstrate against something in Washington, I thought "Hell in D.C." made sense.

----------


## mandolinplucker

I didn't pick up a mandolin till I was 55 years old. After 30+ years on the guitar I know when to change chords and how to keep in time. When I see these young musicians I am amazed at the speed and manual dexterity and talent that they have. My old fingers don't move that fast but I enjoy PLUCKING away on my mandolins. So--Mandolinplucker is the name that I chose because Mandolinplayer would be streching it a bit.

----------


## f5joe

f5joe:

f5 = mandolin model

joe = joe

I thought everybody knew? #

----------


## OlderThanWillie

When Willie posts his explanation, I will post mine.

----------


## Timbofood

Sorry, Still want the "Moravian Christmas cookie recipe" #
Still Timbofood.
I have not met a calorie I didn't like!
When I get a real screamer(more so than the Alvarez that I have) I may change screen name. Still working on Billbows!

----------


## OHC

I have a client who has an "in-house attorney". But, every so often, he comes boiling out of his office growling, "We're in trouble! Quick! Call the Out-House Counsel!"

The nickname stuck and now my clients call me the "Out-House Counsel". Therefore, OHC.

I explain it as a complement. Before they called attorneys SOB and worse, they called us "Counselor."

Frank R. Acuña
The Out-House Counsel

----------


## flutemandolin

I play flute and mandolin. Usually not at the same time.  

And, this is my first post in General Mandolin Discussions, so hi everyone!

----------


## Rufus

Mine originated from trying to come up with an easy to remember (for me) internet handle that wasn't my real name. I settled on Rufus Xavier Sasparilla from the School House Rock segment on pronouns. It has since been shortened to Rufus or RufusX in most cases. Also, I have a cat named Rufus, although I didn't give him the name (he was a hand-me-down) and I got him after having already picked my screen name. But it encouraged me to keep the name.

----------


## ab4usa

AB4USA was the MARS call sign at the base I was stationed at in Korea in the late 60's. Also known as "apples, bananas 4, Uncle Sams Asylum, comming to you from downtown Seoul, and I do mean Soul, Korea".

----------


## blawson

I am the offspring of the lesser-known Apoidea Ordinance.  (streeeeeeeetch)

----------


## MandoSquirrel

HA HA

----------


## MikeEdgerton

> I am the offspring of the lesser-known Apoidea Ordinance.


Man, that is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out there.

----------


## lawdawg

I'm a lawyer - a prosecutor and worked my way through college as a cop. Everyone in my family calls me this & I sponsor a few little league teams - they are all "LawDawgs."

Loren Lampert

----------


## 8STRINGR

"8STRINGR" , obviously referring to the mandolin as "6 stringer" would be to the guitar.

This is actually my license plate that I've had for a few years. I had to make a second choice when filing a plate application with the DMV in case the first was already taken. The first was going to be "PICKIN 8" the second was "8STRINGR". I could only have up to eight characters, so leaving out the "E".... I wound up getting "8STRINGR".

----------


## Steve Hinde

Masamando

Mas a mando? I do build a few.

Not the real story. I work for a German machine company called Masa. I am the service manager for North America. Just ask my customers, I'm the Masa man when they have problems. I'm on the road 48 weeks a year. Building is my hobby. I wish I could do it full time. (I have to make house payments though)
Ever seen the paving stones and wall blocks at Home Depot and Lowes? My Masa machines make most of those.

Seemed to fit when I joined in, then I learned about the MAS thing. Oh, well, it works.

Steve Hinde
Hinde Custom Instruments

----------


## f5joe

f5joe:

f5joe = Son of Big Mon

There, you have the truth.

----------


## blacksmith

Blacksmith should be obvious. As for Argon? Sums me up fairly accurately: Inert and Gaseous.

----------


## trailrider

Trailrider is my name since I ride a pleasure walking horse. Started taking mandolin lessons a couple months ago after I had total knee surgery and couldn't ride my horse. Anyway I really like the lesson's and the sound of a mandolin is fantastic, so I guess I've found another hobby. Really like reading all the interesting things that are here at the CAFE!! Hope somethings can improve my learning any helful hints or exerises I'd appreciate hearing. I attend church with Sharon gilchrist parents also. Thanks, Bev

----------


## Lily

> This is the real Cooper. I couldn't think of anything snappy, so I just used his name and slapped my old football number (42) and the year we got him on the end (05).


I'd been looking around this site for awhile and put off joining but it was this adorable dog's picture that FORCED me to join.  That's a face no human can resist and I don't want to meet the one who can!

Lily is my middle name.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

> Lily is my middle name.


That's cool!
I am nearly finished with a novel about two young women who support themselves by playing the guitar and mandolin together.
The guitar players name is Lily.

----------


## Ron Landis

"Scratch" was already taken, to I changed it to Scratchmo. I'm a hand engraver.

----------


## MikeEdgerton

> I'm a hand engraver.


You engrave hands?

----------


## Bill Snyder

Ouch!

----------


## MikeEdgerton

I couldn't help myself. 

By the way, I've often thought that I'd love to learn to engrave.

----------


## John Gardinsky

taurodont=bull tooth. An unusual find in my profession. Easy for me to remember and a handle that's not usually taken. John

----------


## Dan Krhla

> Ralian = short for, Ralian'thas Annavrin...great elven arch mage of Jacitus. (My high school dungeons and dragons character.)


whew, I thought I was the only one! 

I play a bard in any game that has one, and Devilstone is a toon of mine anywhere I go.

----------


## gr_store_feet

grocery store feet

http://www.thegourds.com/lyrics/ghoststrack_04.html

----------


## hangblague

I don't know the explanation. My Dad used to call me this. I don't think he knows why either.

----------


## neal

It's my name, although I wish I would have remembered to capitalize the 'N'. And I would have added my last name also, Paisley. But what the heck.

----------


## emitfo

emitfo is of time backwards which may mean timeless---something I have be accused of, or perhaps it mean reject fo(e)s and I didn't know it. Or maybe I'm a directional dyslexic and I just get confused sometimes.

Dyslexics Untie!

----------


## pjlama

This is a shameless bump as there has been a lot of new folks joining us in the last year. So please fire away if you're so inclined.

----------


## NoNickel

It doesn't have anything to do with Nickel Creek or my obvious inability to play like Chris Thile (although that would fit).

I came to mandolin from a blues guitar background. #One of my favorites to listen to back then was Robert Johnson. #In 1936, a record producer named Law took Johnson from Mississippi to Texas (San Antonio, I think) to cut some of the 29 sides that survive. #Law viewed Johnson as a primitive who had not been in a big city before and so was concerned about how Johnson would get along between sessions. #As the hotels were segregated, Law could not keep an eye on his charge in his own hotel, so he put Johnson up in a "colored" rooming house with instructions to stay put. #He gave him his telephone number and told Robert to call if there was any emergency.

Late in the evening, or early in the morning, Law got that call. #Johnson was on the other end of the line. #Law breathlessly asked what was wrong. #Robert replied "They's a girl here ready to do for me. #But she wants fifty cents and I lacks a nickel."

NoNickel is my tribute to RJ, and also to always being just a little short of what is needed to get the job done. #

----------


## MarthaWhitePicker

I own and operate the Bluegrass Bus Museum
The Museum is dedicated to Flatt & Scruggs/Bill Monroe.
Martha White has a long and rich tradition with Bluegrass Music.
hence my screen name
marthawhitepicker
http:://www.bluegrassbus.com

----------


## Yooper-Al

My name is Al, and, well, I'm a Yooper. That's a person from da U.P. of Michigan, heh? Da U.P. is da Upper Peninsula, not to be confused with da Lower Peninsula, which looks like a big mitten, ya know? Home of the famous band "da Yoopers" ("Rusty Chevrolet" sung to the tune of "Jingle Bells", "Second Week of Deer Camp", etc). I moved the mountains of New Mexico years ago, and been givin' 'er tar paper ever since. Played the guitar back in the 60's and 70's, then got the bug to try the mandolin a few months ago, cause I figured the chicks will dig it now like they used to back when I played guitar. LOL Jumped right in and bought an Eastman 615, figuring that if I made that kind of investment, I'd want to keep trying to learn how to play it. Surprised that I've lost my calluses over the last 25 years! How do you guys press those strings on the first fret? Ouch! I need to find an instructor around here to help get me started before I have the chance to develop bad habits.

Carry on!

Yooper-Al

----------


## man dough nollij

My Montana license plate is NOLLIJ. I'm always looking for new places to score new nollij, and this is where I come to learn about the Man Dough. Yep.

----------


## Austin Koerner

Popogamwich is my hobbit name. The funny thing is, I've never even seen a movie or read a book with a hobbit in it.

----------


## man dough nollij

I just figured it was like a sandwich, made with popo and gam, which I figured was, er, like okra, or something.

----------


## Jim

My name is Jim and because I'm not so creative thats what I used. The big surprise was that nobody else had used it, Probably because it's not especially clever. Got on the cafe a few years ago when I was shopping for my second mandolin to replace the POS Lotus I started out on. 
Yooper, Where are you in the NM mountains? I work in Raton.

----------


## Andrew DeMarco

linguist=I'm trained as a linguist, even though that is quickly becoming history for me.

----------


## Gutbucket

I use to play Upright bass. Some folks call it a gutbucket. Got sick of toteing it around, so I play mandolin. When I get sick of hauling that around, I'll play wax paper over a comb.

----------


## Yooper-Al

> Yooper, Where are you in the NM mountains? I work in Raton.


I'm in the Manzano mountains, about 35 miles SE of Albuquerque. #Right in the probable path of the "Big Springs" forest fire, except we had a nice rain last night and the Forest Circus decided that they now have the fire 75% contained. #May not have to evacuate. # Yipee!

Yooper-Al

----------


## rnr

RnR=Rock and Roll or from my time in the military, Rest and Relaxation break - my wife is coming back from Iraq for 18 days RnR here at the end of July.

----------


## Chiledog

My last name is Yarbrough. #When I was in the Army, people started calling me "Yard Dog". #Heck, my 1st SGT called me Yard Dog. #Since Yard Dog is a common nick name, I decided to add one of my other favorite things in life...Peppers or Chiles. #That is how I became Chiledog, cause I like it *spicy* hot!

Cool thread, I read all 8 pages!

"NEXT!"


Todd

----------


## Clyde Clevenger

Habit. Sometimes good, sometimes not, but I can't kick it.

----------


## Tom Mullen

Mine is completely outta date:

I have been playing a mid 50's Gibson which was a real Hoss. I thot it was a '56 because of the FON, but the FON was smudged and the serial # indicated it was a '58. My avatar is a '51 peghead.......but.......I sold both those instruments and need a new handle.

----------


## Rick Schmidlin

Because I inspired by Bix and Clarence and I would love to create a pefect tone. So my quest is Tone Monster

----------


## ronsongz

I've been a professional songwriter for over
40 years (yeah, I'm an old guy!), ergo
my moniker.

Ron

----------


## alanz

My first name is "Alan", and my last name begins with... uh... "Z".

Clever, eh &lt;s&gt;

----------


## Stephen Lind

Guitar Player Mandolin Hack
it fits
it's easy to type
and i can remember it

----------


## Andy Nichols

A-Andy,thats me D-Debbie,my wife A-Andrea,my daughter L-Leah,my daughter = 04

----------


## Brad Weiss

> My first name is "Alan", and my last name begins with... uh... "Z".
> 
> Clever, eh &lt;s&gt;


Me too. #Only Brad. #And W. #Other than that, it's the same....

----------


## Jim Kirkland

I live in the desert (southern NM) and play the mando more than other instruments I own. My bluegrass band is Desert Willow. My harley forum name is desertclassic, just sorta fits. Jim

----------


## leathermarshmallow

Mine is because I look like a tough guy, but once you get to know me, I am a softy, therefore, Tough like leather on the outside with a softy marshmallow center.

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

> My screen name is neither clever nor creative.


But every single time I see it, my first glance puts it through my head as "jimma cd" instead of "jim macd"!! lol

----------


## Peakbagr

I climb mountains.

----------


## Trip

I'm a third

----------


## Pheasant Plucker

It's from an English tongue twister "Are you a pheasant plucker or a pheasant plucker's mate?" You must be careful when saying it! It's also the name my wife and I play under...
  I wanted to use the name I gave my cheap Johnson mando. I kept getting teased for playing with my little johnson in public, so I changed the peghead to 'Lil D*ck. that was vetoed by someone in charge.

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## Bertram Henze

Less fancy than most - first name + first letter of last name. I had to invent so many user names on various online sites that I wanted to settle for one that is not rejected everywhere because its already in use, and this one seems to work. The secret of peace is to choose what nobody else wants.

Bertram

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## gda(v)e

I hope I don't need to explain mine.

- Dave

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## Aran

My name is Aran

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## MikeEdgerton

> I hope I don't need to explain mine.
> 
> - Dave


Around here you might, but just the g and the parenthesis....

OK, I'm just kidding.

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## F5GRun

I love F5's and G-Runs. Some may think that I own an F5G and like to Run, but this is False. Especially the running part. However I wouldn't mind owning an F5G

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## Ken Olmstead

Probably obvious but I found the mandolin by way of the tenor banjo. I play dixieland style banjo and wanted an instrument tuned in fifths that would travel well. Also, I wanted to play with outher people and the mandolin seemed more condusive to that for what ever reason. Little did I know I would find the most perfect instrument ever invented. Symetrical tuning, travels extremely well but has adequate volume, not confined to a specific genre and everybody loves the sound! It really is a fabulous instrument!!

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## Jim Broyles

> I love F5's and G-Runs. #Some may think that I own an F5G and like to Run, but this is False. #Especially the running part. However I wouldn't mind owning an F5G


I love the guitar's "G run" in the B part of "Earl's Breakdown" by Flatt & Scruggs:

"&#124; E-G &#124;"

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## terrierguy

well..............all my pets have always been various breeds of terriers. We have mainly had Wire Fox Terriers, but have also had Scotties and have a Manchester too. All terrier breeds are great dogs!

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## LKN2MYIS

Retired hypnotist. 

LooK iN 2 MY I'S (something I've never used or ever heard another professional hypnotist use, but people expected it!)

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## MikeEdgerton

Suddenly I'm feeling sleepy....

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## LKN2MYIS

> Suddenly I'm feeling sleepy....


and it isn't sleep. 
It's a heightened awareness - don't get me started!

Now, on to the next screen name . . . . . . . . . 

And, Mike - I almost have yours figured out!

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## Chris Travers

Mine means crazy lotr(lord of the rings) fan (as in fanatic)

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## Jim Broyles

My name is Jay Beaman and I'm an osteopath. (DO) jbmando.

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## Jim Broyles

I made that up.

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## squirrelabama

Hey there Crazylotrfan.......FIGWIT RULES! 
Squirrelabama is a word that came from some crazy song that I my son was singing to himself one day when he was about 8 years old... I think he made it up, not sure. I too was trying to come up with a clever online handle at the time, and figured that word was probably unique and would not get rejected. Not sure what the heck it means, and neither does my son!

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## Jim Yates

When I signed up, Jim was already taken, so I took my brother's nickname for me from our teen years - "Blep".
By the way, it's also my nickname for him.

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## Lee

My brain hurt, so I just took the easiest way out.

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## GRW3

*G*eorge *R*aymond *W*ilson, *III*

The 3 is important to me as it's the direct connection to my Grandfather. I talked myself into thinking *IV* would not be a good idea for one of my boys. I'm sorry I did - maybe next generation. While I look like my father I am much more temperamentally like my Grandfather.

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## Ivan Kelsall

My father who was from Pittsburgh PA,USA & of Polish descent,was named George Arthur Saska. My 'original' given name was Ivan Saska. My father was killed during WW2 & my grandfather 
had my mother change my name to her family name. It was nearly changed once again when my mother re-married,but i was old enough then to be asked if i wanted that to happen,
                                         Saska

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## RI-Grass

Rhode Island - Bluegrass = RI-Grass

It's not the size of the state - it's the magic in it.

Sal

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## kmiller1610

A number of years ago, I was trying to register my name with a new Internet provider. It rejected kmiller, kmiller1, kmiller2. So I decided to add enough numbers so I was sure I would not be rejected.....

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## BlueMountain

I live on Blue Mountain, the first mountain in the Appalachian chain. The Appalachian Trail runs along the top of the mountain above my house. Blue Mountain isn't very high or wide, but it's about 150 miles long. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mo...(Pennsylvania)

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## Wesley

Ahhhh Well - My parents named me Wesley........

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## Keith Erickson

> I live on Blue Mountain, the first mountain in the Appalachian chain. The Appalachian Trail runs along the top of the mountain above my house. Blue Mountain isn't very high or wide, but it's about 150 miles long. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mo...(Pennsylvania)


Ed,

Reading your post brings back fond childhood memories of I-80 and the Delaware Water Gap.

Thanks for the walk down memory lane  

Cheers to you

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## ranger 740

I am a retired National Park Service protection ranger and I started in 1974.

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## woodwizard

Wood Carver

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## 2point

I was really surprised that it was still available. It's the style of mando I prefer. I guess I don't like that third point poking me in the leg. 

   I feel in love with a Randy Wood 2point a fellow Kamper played. I'm not normally impulsive, but driving home from Kamp that year, I stopped at Randy Woods shop near Savanah and ordered one. A year later and it was mine!

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## Skip Kelley

There are some really cool stories here! Mine is probably the most dull. Skip has been my nickname since I was a child. Thomas is my real name. Pop said I looked more like a Skip than a Thomas so it stuck. I am called Thomas at work however. I don't have enough imagination to come up with a better handle!

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## adgefan

I like Adge Cutler. Contrary to popular belief, my name has nothing to do with mandolins.

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## Elliot Luber

I'm not hispanic actually. I'm an avid kayak fan, and used to belong to a kayaking board under the name Santiago. It's a nod to Ernest Hemmingway's "The Old Man and the Sea," whose main character, an old man, was named Santiago. No one ever calls me Santiago, except here, but I've always wanted to jam with the Mariachi band at my local Mexican restaurant. My family does their best to discourage this.

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## jimbob

'cause it's my name

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## Chief

It comes from a skit I was in in high school, in which I played Chief Stringbean. It was a wrestling skit, about all-star wrestling, which was very big at the time, and very dumb. But for some reason it stuck. And now 40 years later, I'm still the Chief!

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## goderichcelticfest

Mine is Self Explanatory really I work with Goderich Celtic Fest and Celtic College which is running from Monday August 4th to Thursday August 7th. Give yourselves the opportunity to be taught by the best including one of the best contemporary flutists in the world Catherine McEvoy, the multitalented flute and tinwhistle master Olivia McTernan, and Irish tinwhistle extrordinaire Elaine Cormican, the latter two of the new Irish Supergroup Liadan . If you cant attend the College, then come to the Goderich Celtic Festival from August 8th- 10th to hear the dynamic music of the Allison Lupton Band, as well as many other talented and virtuosic musicians. For more information please visit the site www.celticfestival.ca or E-mail festival@celticfestival.ca /

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## Chris Wofford

This is supposed to be an old english version of my last name, Wofford. I very rarely get it rejected as a user name. If I do, I know I probably signed up on that site at some point years ago and just forgot.

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## kymandolin29

kymandolin is a combination of the great song by monroe and where im from , and 29 is for the yr of my mandolin....

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## Joel Spaulding

Short story long:
Almost 2 decades ago, in my previous life as a wanna-be John Lord/Robert Plant combination, I was too vain to wear glasses on stage and too poor (or #too poorly prioritized  #) to buy a new pair of contact lenses. Thus, I frequently bumped into speakers, cymbals,low hung PAR 64s, walked off the end of a stage (twice), generally was functionally blind beyond a few feet. My soundman decided that I was "Blind as a mole" - probably because "bat" doesn't rhyme with Joel. I became "Mole". 

In recent years, while in pharmacy school, my colleagues asked about nicknames and I shared the story above. After a 7-10 year break - I became "mole" again. During my last year of school we spent many "studious" afternoons and evenings playing trivia(NTN), sampling chicken wings and beverages while anticipating our graduation and hoods, Drmole became my trivia handle.

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## frankenstein

frankenstein was the one that wasn't rejected. 'spose i should get a mando made up of different parts, with a bolt through the neck. a flat head and a suit that's too small.

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## Rob Powell

About 16 years ago, some friends and I used to go to this Saloon that had 33 different beers on tap. I'd been studying different beers for brewing aside from the obvious reason 

I probably pontificated on the various aspects of various beers enough that one night, one of them challenged me probably to shut me up.

"I'll order you a beer and you tell me which one it is. If you guess right, I'll buy your beer for the rest of the night."

I guessed it correctly. This continued for a few weeks, them buying me mystery beers and me identifying them. It escalated into me buying for everyone if I was wrong. I pretty much never bought.

One of them finally said at some point, "Rob, you're such a BeerGeek." They all began calling me "The BeerGeek" and it stuck. 

Hey, I've been called worse

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## Bertram Henze

> "I'll order you a beer and you tell me which one it is. #If you guess right, I'll buy your beer for the rest of the night."
> 
> I guessed it correctly. #This continued for a few weeks, them buying me mystery beers and me identifying them. #It escalated into me buying for everyone if I was wrong. #I pretty much never bought.


Reminds me of a very memorable day when history prevented me from getting drunk. I was attending a software design conference in the eastern part of Germany. 
At the venue, they had a small trade show, and one of the stalls showed graphic marketing for local breweries, where you could test the beers and guess from the visual impression of the logos which one it was. I just was through my second correct guess when a woman stepped up beside us and said "Excuse me, have you heard that about New York?" She seemed very upset, and right so, because it was September 11th, 2001.

This story contributes not so much to the OP as it shows how vulnerable fun can be.

Bertram

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## mandozilla

I love old Sci-Fi and horror movies. I like to sit on the sofa and pick while watching thses old movies. There's a statue of Godzilla about a foot tall that stands on one of the speaker towers in the TV room. A few years ago, my wife bought a little mandolin Christmas ornament just the right size for that Godzilla statue to play. She put it in his hands and said, "That's you, Mandozilla." The rest is history.

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## epicentre

My SECOND mandolin was an Epiphone. It just seemed to flow from there.........go figure,

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## chordbanger

I detest chordbanging. It is a name I have called some of the guitar players at our jam session. I needed a name so I am using it, but I cannot stand it, especially when they bang on those barre chords when someone is trying to do a solo. There are plenty of chordbangers everywhere, but once in a great while, I will meet someone who is really great on the guitar, but that luxury does not happen often.

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## MandoRebel

I live in Georgia and have always been a bit of a rebel. I fell in love with the mandolin about 5 years ago. When I created my acount here on the Cafe, I just put the two together and came up with MandoRebel.

In rescent years I've started shooting competitions with Civil War era weapons which include Muskets and Cannons so the Rebel part still stands.

Hope that helps.

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## pickloser

I lose picks. Lots and lots of picks. Lost.

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## 45ACP-GDLF5

The .45acp round and 1911 A1 was the best ever handgun and caliber ever invented in the 20th century. It helped us through 2 World Wars and 2 Political Wars until the "powers that be" thought that the 9mm was better. So the .45acp was retired as the official sidearm of ther military in 1987. Horrible decision!  

I carry and shoot .45's pretty much exclusively. I've been shootin' since age 5 and pickin' mando since age 18, so I guess I'm a "Shooter/Picker"  # Pretty proficient in both. 

The GDLF5 stands for "Gibson Doyle Lawson F5" #Pretty self explanatory I guess.

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## Paul Kotapish

Just what I was born with.

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## Pete Martin

A combination of my first, middle and last name.

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## BiscoMando

Combination of one of my favourite bands, The Disco Biscuits (totally not bluegrass, but a major musical influence for me and my band nonetheless) and the mando part, well you can probably guess...

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## gonzograss

Played mando in a band called Curly Maple for 10 years (approx. 1994-2004), eventually becoming almost legendary (the band, that is) for playing unexpected, obscure, bold, controversial, butt-kickin', non-traditional, fun music. We could play a Stanley tune one minute and E.M.D. the next, and Pampa Lirima the next. Close a set w/ Sharp-Dressed Man, Up on the Blue Ridge, or Puttin' On the Ritz. Ballsy, spirited, soulful, and eminently musical, our style came to be known as gonzograss, because we certainly weren't the darling of traditional bluegrass festival promoters or audiences. We just played what we loved and had a small cult following, didn't care whether we worked or not, and just played w/ as much passion, grit and chutzpah [spelling?] as we felt. To be associated with Richie Dotson (banjo), Gary Bates (guitar), Bill Richardson (upright and electric bass), and sometimes Paul Anderson (violin) and his brother Billy (banjo) was the most fun I've ever had playing music.
~Joe Hannabach (gonzograss)

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## mandolirius

Mine's fairly obvious. I adapted it from a band I was in called "Mandolirium".

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## Landgrass

"Mine's fairly obvious. I adapted it from a band I was in called "Mandolirium"."

One of them "Unstrung Heroes"?

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## Nathan Sanders

Well, let's see. I think mine is pretty obvious. Although, I play a Gibson and not a Dudenbostel. I actually came up with the screen name before I knew of Dudenbostel mandolins.

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## mandolirius

&lt;One of them "Unstrung Heroes"?&gt; 

Yeah, but then there are so many of us, aren't there?

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## Sandy Beckler

I just hate to see this thread go dormant...for some of the new pickers whoyabe?

Sanchan or is it Sandy Beckler.... hmmm

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## Loudloar

It's probably obvious that Loud Loar a slang corruption of "Lloyd Loar". Coulda used "Lawd Loar" but didn't want to break the 3rd commandment.  :Wink: 

That's it to the left, and yes it's loud.

Steve

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## Yandy

Too wise Andy. Why Andy? Why and why not?

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