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As mentioned earlier (please refer to post #4 in this thread), the string tension to achieve a given note, played at a given scale length, depends on the mass per unit length (that is, the linear...

Sure looks to be a Hoffee-inspired case with an Ikea-inspired name! :grin:

Here's my answer:

Since the downbearing force on the feet of a floating mandolin bridge is easily around 100 lbs, there is no slippage that occurs between these feet and the mandolin top itself. ...

The short answer is that carved-top mandolins are not flat-top guitars, and they follow rather different construction and design principles. The modern carved mandolin design (e.g., A- and F-type...

This perspective is very interesting to me, and mostly (although not completely) correct, in my opinion. A good part of tone is certainly in the hand -- great players seem to be able to coax a...

I've always wondered what's meant by the phrase "honest play wear." Is there some form of "dishonest play wear" to contrast it with? I suppose one could argue that deliberately distressing a new...

Have you considered trying Mapes strings? These are comparatively inexpensive (just $6 to $8 a set), coated, and available in whatever custom gauges that you care to specify! Just go to their...

Do not buy a mandolin with a back whose seam is separating like that. Also, avoid any F-model mandolin with a superfluous strap button at the base of the neck.

Well, that picture shows a picture of Gibson F4 model, sometimes known as a "three-point," dating from around 1900 (or, possibly, it's a replica of one). It has a scroll and three body points, an...

Both musicians and makers alike have long prized the aesthetic qualities of musical instruments, placing value in their looks, as well as their sounds. This duality goes back as long as human...

Polls are funny things. The answers you'll get depend a whole lot on context, and on exactly how you phrase the question. A great many mandolinists play at least some bluegrass music. Some...

Dear Peter,

Thanks for adding your perspective on this, which I appreciate. And I find much that I agree about. With all respect, though, I think you have confused the terminology just a bit....

(Sorry) An important correction and distinction: Don McRostie does not perform tap tuning. He uses deflection tuning. This is different in fundamental ways.

In most instantiations, tap tuning is...

I'm with DavidKOS on this one!

If you happen to play bluegrass or oldtime music on the 5-string banjo, you can "sweeten" its usual open-G tuning (gDGBD) by slightly flattening the open B-string...

As the saying goes: "Everyone to his taste!" Or her taste. In Latin: "De gustibus non est disputandum." Look: not all software is for all people, and some folks just have a hard time grasping...

Sherry --

Keep in mind that a trill is a rapid back-and-forth alternation between two adjacent scale notes. If you're playing something that's from the American folk, Celtic, oldtime, or bluegrass...

Sherry -- In Windows, use the "Video Editor" program that comes free with the operating system; it's by far the simplest. You can trim the video with that. You can also add text, titles, etc....

On my opinion, the Bobelock case is unnecessarily long, placing the accessory compartment above the peghead, rather than under the neck, as it is for most other cases. The extra length makes it...

Traditions are not merely a consequence of blind adherence to older precedents: they tend to exist for perfectly good reasons. The traditional topwood for a mandolin is spruce (there are several...

"Intermediate" basically means "in between." In this case, it's in between being a beginner, who is just starting out, and being an advanced player, who's comfortable with most musical situations...

According to Aquila's website, their set ("Red series") is designed for mandolins, nor mandolas. Also, they specify Baroque or "Historical" mandolins, as opposed to modern ("country") or...

Well, 17" is very close to a typical mandola scale length (which is 16.5"), but it is pretty far away from a typical octave mandolin scale (20"-25"). If you want to tune your ukulele in musical...

Wiping down the neck may help to prevent the build-up of residues (finger oils; grease; dirt) on the mandolin neck. However, there is little evidence that doing so will prevent you from wearing...

Hate to disagree (sorry!), but PTFE (poly-trifluoroethylene), also known as Teflon (R), is NOT a carcinogen. Where did you get that information from? You should not spread disinformation and scare...

Scott -- I was referring to the EXP74's and EXP75's. These are no longer listed as available at D'Addario's website. See here: https://www.daddario.com/products/guitar/mandolin/

You can still...