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Just to clear up some botanical confusion, Port Orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) and Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) are not in the same genus, but are in the same conifer family...

Thanks Mark for your appreciation, and thanks for being the head librarian for this project. I get a whole lot of value from the Cafe community. It’s nice that I had the opportunity to express my...

That’s really unfortunate. Once you try one, you’ll never go back!:))

Strad-O-Lins are just cool and fun mandolins shrouded in mystery. I’m very happy with mine and I also like how my late 30s Harmony Monterey mandolin sounds. Inexpensive instruments can still make...

Here’s the current contents of the two samplers:
212920. 212921

If there are picks that you recommend, especially those that are less well-known or more expensive, they would be good to add. ...

Hi Martin - That sounds like a good idea to put you in line behind Chris because you’re “local”. Best to PM Mark so he’s sure to see your request.

My wife chose “Give me Your Hand” which was very appropriate, since we met on the dance floor. Now it’s one of the tunes I play it on mandolin. And you can’t go wrong with O’Carolan - lots of...

Yes, another wonderful mandola tune! ….. Which reminds me, I need to continue working on the three Beatles tunes for which I have Colin’s excellent tab arrangements. So little time, so much...

I’ve finally finished the culling and reorganization of the two Mandolin Café Pick Samplers. Number one is on its way, practically next door to Jesse in the Bay Area, and number two is heading...

Also note that vintage instruments from GC have only a three day return window. I don’t know if this is the same for any used instrument, but good to pay attention when you purchase from them.

I have an older Trinity OM that has a decent sound and playability. Used ones can be picked up for a reasonable price. I have mine out on the couch so I can play it when I wander by. A good entry...

I just used a 3ft bolt cutter I had recently used (and not put back) to carefully cut the button off. It was easy and the small rivet hole seems ok. I did this on an old hat that is approaching its...

This question piqued my interest (and provided an excuse to procrastinate on starting some much-needed yard work). The fabric-covered button is called a 'Squatchee', also known as a squatcho. It...

Got my ebay Strad-O-Lin today and although the case, alas, doesn’t fit my 2-point SOL (the impetus for bidding), the new mandolin is a nice one. As such, my SAS has quieted slightly and I’ll not be...

My late wife was Annie (not the owner of this mandolin), so am tempted to bid, but as I have an eBay SOL arriving today (assuming FedEx is being honest), will probably pass (but maybe not!). Annie...

I’d like to see the khaki ones again.

I don’t know what art is, but I know what I like………mandolins!

Art should be part of everyone’s activities, whether it’s arranging what you make for dinner or how you plant your garden. Whatever...

The seller offered $100 off, so I went ahead and took the bait, mostly because I wanted the case for my 2-point Strad-O-Lin (and I don’t have this particular SOL model :))). I expect it to be shipped...

Hi Brad -

If you can wait a couple of weeks until I get back home, I can send you some unused dynamo label material to test and see what works best to remove the glue. Once you know that, you...

It’s a small instrument with a bottle gourd back. The gourd variety has various common names: dinosaur gourd, Caveman's Club, and Maranka Gourd.

Years ago I made a three stringed “cucurbitar” out...

I now have three different Stromberg Voisinet mandolins, none of which have a complete set of functioning tuners. The nicer two have mahogany sides and back (laminate?) while the other appears to be...

Necroposting?
211413
To
211414
Certainly a case of raising the dead!

This has been a fun discussion and will make me a little more careful when responding to threads…..in theory, at least!

I may have inadvertently necroposted by “thanking” a comment (not sure if that actually resurrects the thread) while looking for information on a particular topic.

I do appreciate when folks...

Well, the SOL I won on EBay came today. 211065 Overall, it’s in pretty good shape except for some fret wear. The fifth fret buzzes on the A and D strings, more pronounced on the A and goes pretty...

I’ll take the tuners apart, clean them with naphtha, and apply a fine machine oil I got from Stew Mac. I also have some lemon oil specific for fretboards - also a standard treatment for a new...