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  1. A Kansas Nutcracker - with Mandolins

    inline imageLet's just get the jokes right out in the open. I live in Kansas, and you can guarantee I've heard all the jokes about this state. It's all true.

    I've been to the world's largest ball of twine, the world's largest prairie dog, the world's deepest hand-dug well... and the concrete Garden of Eden, these, our pitiful most laughed about tourist destinations and the butt of endless jokes. No, thank ...
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  2. Notes from the Under-Weathered

    I am sick. A sickness that lingers to the point of insanity. A sickness so insipid yet tolerable, even workable. Not so debilitating that you miss work or important social obligations. No. You subjugate yourself to those responsibilities, while concurrently screaming inside "Let Me Sleep!"

    I have been sick exactly one week this morning. In celebration of this anniversary, this intolerable illness has decided to inflict a sizable headache upon my person, as well as ...
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  3. There's other instruments in Choro besides bandolim?

    So like many of you I love choro music. My fascination with this Brazilian style has led me to many wonderful discoveries, such as Mike and Ham and Will Patton.

    I was lucky enough to track down my own bandolim from a cafe member:



    And I've been studying the style and learning tunes on mandolin. It's been great.

    But recently I started getting interested ...
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  4. CGDAEG on guitar body

    by , Dec-11-2008 at 6:43am (Johnny McGann's Random Musical Allsorts)
    CGDAEG has been used by Robert Fripp (of King Crimson) and his disciples via Guitar Craft for over 20 years. I decided to put it on one of my electric guitars to check it out.

    As you can see, it is very mando-friendly, since:

    • the bottom 4 strings= Mandocello
    • Middle 4= Octave Mando


    The G string on top lets you play melody between the E and G without as many stretches; allows for a closer interval on top of chord voicings.

    My ...
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  5. Happy Birthday, Butch

    Probably a lot of mandolin players never had the chance to see Butch in his old bluegrass days. Now you can. Happy Birthday, Butch. You rock!

    [YOUTUBE="T2U6kkBwj54"][/YOUTUBE]

    Updated Dec-13-2008 at 6:15pm by Scott Tichenor

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    General Mandolin Comments
  6. 2008 in Review

    It's easy to forget what can happen in the short span of a year. Here are some of more memorable events of 2008 for the mandolin community (my opinion, make your own! ):

    January - Marilynn Mair releases the first major U.S. mandolin Method Book in decades, The Complete Mandolinist.

    February - the emergence of Sierra Hull as a major force in the bluegrass world. The release of Punch, by the Thile-led Punch brothers was the source of much conversation, pro and con. ...

    Updated Dec-14-2008 at 8:24pm by Scott Tichenor

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    General Mandolin Comments
  7. 10 Silliest Things I've Read on the Mandolin Cafe Message Board

    Long past due, and in the spirit of my 2008 summary, let me recall in no particular order of importance some the silliest things I've ever read on this message board--or at least, those I can remember.

    OK, maybe a few I'll rank up high as being the most memorable. Sorry if anyone made these comments and you recognize yourself. Get your own blog and complain about me!

    1. The Mandolin Cafe is responsible for an increase in the prices of all mandolins.

    ...

    Updated Dec-17-2008 at 7:05pm by Scott Tichenor

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    General Mandolin Comments
  8. Making a Mandolin De-Damping Machine

    Have you ever had a mandolin go to sleep on you, or wished the break-in process for a new mandolin (that still thinks it's a tree) could go a little faster? Did you ever get a vintage instrument that spent a few years in a closet, attic, or under a bed?

    The only solution for this is to play the heck out of the mandolin until it comes back to life. But what if you don't have the time, or are too impatient to wait for it to wake up? This is where the mystical and mysterious would of ...
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  9. The Road Home - A Tribute to Butch Baldassari

    inline imageThe Road Home - A Tribute to Butch Baldassari is a new recording that should be out in a few weeks. Right now we don't have an exact date on when that release will be. Some history on this: the project was spearheaded by Dr. Brian Hull of Wichita Falls, Texas and was conceived in August or September of last year. Brian is a mandolin player, long-time friend of Butch's and a supporter of the arts. All proceeds from the sale of the recording will go ...
  10. Attention, Bald Men

    OK, enough with the attention grabbing headline. This will not be a Bosley Hair Club replacement commercial.

    We recently met an outstanding locally owned company that does a first-class job producing custom ball caps and thought it was high time to produce a Mandolin Cafe version.

    So, off I send my talented graphic artist wife assigned the task of trying to squeeze the Cafe's horrid logo (she didn't do it) onto a ball cap. And yes, don't worry, we'll tweak the tuners ...

    Updated Feb-14-2009 at 7:50am by Scott Tichenor

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