Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
'Scuse my ignorance, but can someone advise who I might listen to for interesting electric mandolin playing? I'm talking about electric as in 'electric guitar', rather than 'amplified'. I had a decent quality solid magnetic pickup mandolin a long time ago but never made any sense of it through my guitar amps and pedals. I'm not looking for virtuoso playing, or any particular genre, so much as interesting styles, techniques and sounds, preferably produced by technique rather than pedals (is there e.g. a Roy Buchanan of the electric mandolin?). Thanks!
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Here's a cut with Ronny McCoury on a Mandocaster. Subtle, but tasty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfjY9QC41dw
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Sam Bush banging away in a full on electric band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_XsQmMr3Os
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
What thread wouldn't be missing another Sierra Hull video?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfEcw3_jzZw
I find that electric mandolin playing is often not about the technique or skill (see above). If you're looking for someone taking mandolin into the electric guitar space, check this out. Not strictly electric mandolin but the way she plays is not like most acoustic players. The stuff starting around the 2 minute mark is *Chef's Kiss*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62STufC_EFY
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Mando in a blues setting with Yank Rachell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oexfqq2AhPs
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Gerry Hundt, Rich Delgroso.
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Tiny Moore, Johnny Gimble, Paul Glasse.
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Jimmy Ryan of The Blood Oranges and sideman for Cheri Knight
Jeff Bird of Cowboy Junkies
Sierra Hull
Steve Gibson, a legend in his mind :whistling:
and some of these people ... https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...ms-or-Artists/
Here is a very frustrating video of Cowboy Junkies with Jeff Bird ripping it - but the camera stays on Margo throughout. Their performance on The Tonight Show February 9th, 2011 is what alerted me to his presence. If you have Hulu you might be able to see that.
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Tiny Moore. Johnny Gimble.
Technique for 4 string electric mandolin not much different than electric guitar IMO
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Ha should have refreshed the page, John beat me to the suggestions
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
From Max "(is there e.g. a Roy Buchanan of the electric mandolin?)" Not in the my humble and sure to be disagreed on opinion. Roy, Jimi, and many jazz greats brought thier instruments to a whole different level. I haven't heard any electric mandolin artist do that. No offence to any artist above, thier all great mandolinists.But I just cannot, with my ears, not hear what sounds like someone playing a tiny guitar, like a guitar.
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
There are a total of three live videos of Cheri Knight, from a gig at The Mercury Lounge in New York in 1998, after the release of her great, great album "Northeast Kingdom." They're up at this youtube channel. Jimmy Ryan is playing in a more acoustic style on these. But this cut from the album features him in his glory, just wonderful tone. Majestic.
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Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
When this subject comes up I bite my tongue and try not to include myself in the discussion ... but that doesn't always work. I'm glad to have been in one band in which I had the freedom to explore my electric side. I wish there were more and better videos up, but life is ... like that.
For 2 1/2 years, we played every Monday night at Schooner Wharf Bar, a down-home funky place, yet one of the top clubs in Key West. (Charles Kuralt once called it "the center of the known universe.") I guess you could call us Americana, mostly. The lead singer/guitarist had a knack for finding material that wasn't overdone, yet instantly relatable, especially from a lot of Texas singer/songwriters. This is a take on Hayes Carll's satirical song. Lead starts around 1:53.
Sometime after I saw that I stopped wearing shorts to gigs, and upgraded from an Epiphone MandoBird to a custom-made Ryder. This is one of Rob's originals, an acerbic appraisal of the way commercialism has affected Key West. Lead starts around 2:30.
One year July 4th fell on a Monday, and I worked up "The Star-Spangled Banner" as an end-of-the-night encore. I was a bit the worse for the wear by this time, so there are some oopsies, which I mostly rescued all right. Maybe. :whistling: What I shouted in the middle was "wrong flag" in response to Rob sticking an American flag in my hat - should have been a Conch Republic flag. Maybe not.
BTW & FWIW, I play mandolin the way I do, because it's the only instrument I can play well enough to express my musical thoughts. If it sounds like a tiny guitar to someone, that's more they're not hearing it as it sounds - they're just not used to it. Both instruments have metal strings over magnetic pickups - it's the same thing. But since there are probably at least 10,000 electric guitarists for every one electric mandolinist, that sound is much, much less often heard. It'll take some getting used to, and some doing to get it there, but someday ... :mandosmiley:
Here's a track from our album, recorded live. It's a James McMurtry song - lawdy, I wish there was a version of his "Choctaw Bingo" - I really cut loose on that. But I'm pleased with my control on this - I was trying to make it sound like a pedal steel, and I think I did. The main lead starts at 3:33, and the wind-up at the end is also pretty good.
PS: More here on this thread: https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...-Rock-Mandolin
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Michael Kang of String Cheese Incident - on his five string octave mandolin.
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Jason Anick, on his 5 string Arrow.
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Nash the Slash took it to extremes.
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Trying to up load a video of heavy metal mandolinist Alex Gregory but it keeps inserting JB's videos instead. :confused: :mad:
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Isaac Eicher. This one lacks an E string, but you get the idea.
https://youtu.be/eUdSBiQd0f0
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Michael Lampert's primary instrument.
https://youtu.be/nNBRuqyI4TU
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Ricky Skaggs and a few others use it occasionally for a different color.
https://youtu.be/rmJlD5Tdaro
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Paul Glasse plays a nice electric. Look for something better if you're interested, he really is an great player.
https://youtu.be/KfSRBwtxEAg
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Re: Electric mandolin - who's interesting?
Andrew Hendryx does some nice tunes on electric.