Here is Frank Zappa's (Mothers era) Twenty Small Cigars on Buchanan 10-string. Ctrl-click to download (option-click for Mac) if it won't play. http://www.twtunes.com/pages/Cigars.mp3 I'm using a Ryder soundhole pickup recorded direct from Crate amp head.
Nice work as always!
Thanks for listening and commenting. I had a chance to play this tune at a school concert with a bass, trpt, and mando trio. Used my little speaker and tiny amp. Sounds really nice with bass playing along. The 10 makes a good all-around instrument for me. We played jazz (All Blues, Night in Tunisia) and Bach solo pieces, and even a Beatles tune (segue from Silent Night into For No One in 3/4). Although I can of course get around more easily on my electric 5-string, the 10 fills the spectrum better, and has more rhythm thump as well as acoustic sparkle. It sounds wonderful for Bach, makes for a good singalong axe, and of course travels easily compared to guitar. And the short scale is much handier than an octave mando or even normal mandola.
