I have had my National for 5-6 years and ply in in all genres ( bluegrassers) think it is to loud and sounds like a banjo, which I also play. WE Just moves to Santa Cruz and been playing with the local (large) ukulele group on the beach this is the best group of people I have ever played with ( look up son's of the beach on utube) no games play what you bring they have congos,keyboard,harps, a flute. steel drum shackers dobros,guitars and several madolins all played on the beach every saturday! They have there own book with over 500 songs. I feel that I have died and gone to heaven this is the way I feel all music groups should be Music is the sole of the universe an should be shared. If this could happen there would be know hate or war I love playing for hospitals ans sick in's and it only took me 70 years to come to this conclusion
Nothing beats getting to play music with the right people in the right atmosphere. They can probably see your smile all the way to Capitola!
Bluegrassers have their own set of music police (usually loud banjo players). And the way the National mandolin sounds like a banjo is that it can be really loud just like a 5 string banjo, but to my ears it sounds like a mandolin. Which says a lot about who's complaining...
