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What do you call a 10-string instrument that's a standard mandolin with an extra C-string course below the G-string? I'm thinking this would be good after years of playing the standard instrument. Does anyone have experience of making this switch?
Thanks
The waldzither has 9 strings. One xtra low string.
If it is mandolin scale length it is a mandolin. They are fairly popular in choro, Brazilian makers have standard models. Tom Morton in Seattle makes a metal-body resonator type. Thomas Buchanan in UK makes a standard model with either a pin bridge or floating bridge, at a scale length 1/4" longer than American. I play that and a custom electric at the same scale length. The mandolin scale allows reaches for chord shapes not possible on the longer-scale CGDA instruments.
Check my links for lots of examples of 10-string tunes, especially solo acoustic. Also check Hamilton de Holanda, Brazilian virtuoso, for some amazing playing on 10-string.
Also, check Ian Coury---
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...ry-1st-solo-CD
I have played 10 string mandolin since 1984 as my primary instrument. However I tune the bottom strings to D which suits me better. I play Scottish music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR4M22Vrfrg
It’s a 10 string mandolin. :)
:)
Thanks, Dagger. Love your YouTube jigs. Any suggestions of a maker?
Also love your Fyrish Reel, btw. Play it often
Thanks a lot man.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mandolin.alastair
A big part of finding a maker obviously depends on your location and your budget.
As you probably realise, I play a Stefan Sobell 10 string mandolin. Hard to find and certainly expensive, but Sobell does now seem to be making mandolins again with a new chap helping him.
Tom Wright (see above) seems to have had a lot of luck with Buchanan instruments. I know Mr Buchanan. He used to live near me here in the Highlands and I tried out several of his mandolins in years gone by, but I have never played a 10 string mandolin by him.
I once (only once) tried a 10 string mandolin by London maker Paul Hathway in Hobgoblin in London. The guy in the shop really liked it and especially liked a pickup it was fitted with. It was not expensive, so maybe worth a look, but I have to stress I haven't seen much of his stuff.
Paul Shippey in England makes nice mandolins. Ewen MacPherson from Shooglenifty plays his instruments.
I don't really like recommending instruments which I haven't played, but this might give you food for thought.
Further to my comment about Hathway, I had a look to see if Hobgoblin are stocking his stuff these days.
It turns out there is a 10 string by him in their London store. They haven't got a picture yet.
No financial interest, and I obviously haven't tried it. If you live in Britain it might be worth a look, perhaps.
https://hobgoblin.com/hathway-mandol...made-in-london
There is a Girouard fan fret 10 string listed in the classifieds.
https://www.mandolincafe.com/ads/190795#190795
NFI
Interestingly, the reason I asked about Tom Jessen (TJ) and Cricket Fiddle in Minnesota (cricketfiddle.com) in the thread I started just yesterday is that I’m also think of getting a 10-string, and he makes them. Has a beautiful one available, in fact. If anyone has tried one of his instruments, I’d love to know what you think.
I think Mandobart might have a Jessen.
The factors to consider are scale length and body size and design. The floating bridge designs have more "pop" to the sound, and archtops are stronger in the midrange, especially F-hole archtops. These will be more audible in an acoustic-only setting. Then again, I always end up using amplification in a folk-dance gig.
Professional players that I know use straight-fret, not fanned, and the ones used by the Brazilian players have a mandolin scale length. The Hathaway is longer, as is the Jessen (I think). I played a Hathaway and felt the body should be larger, and the scale shorter. I have three Buchanans, liking the newest one best.
It's worth knowing that at a scale length greater than 14.3", a steel string will break when tuned to E5 or higher. Don't go longer than 14.25" - 14.3" if you plan on tuning to a mandolin's typical high E5.
It's a weird convergence of string tension, weight and strength. It just doesn't last long beyond those limits.
I've played my Paul Shippey oval hole mandolin since 2001, absolutely superb instrument, I bought it direct from Paul, his service was superb, great bloke to deal with.
Dave H
Thanks, Dagger, that's all really helpful. I'm exploring some of those options while trying not to spend too much...Quote:
Originally Posted by Dagger Gordon
I've used Thomastik light-gauge E's on my Rigel 15 7/8" scale 10-string R-200 "mandolin/mandola"s (Pete Langdell's definition) for years, and haven't had one snap yet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Explorer
I have 3 10 stringed instruments by Tom TJ Jessen (Cricketfiddle). A custom 10 string Hardanger 15" viola (5 top strings, 5 sympathetic understrings). It's a viola vs violin because of the body size. I have a custom 25-1/2" 10 string F4 shape mandocello. It's a mandocello vs octave mandolin again because of the body size and scale. I also have a 10 string A4 shape mandola bodied instrument (16-1/2" scale, over 2" deep). It's clearly too big to be a mandolin. You could call it a mandola-lin I guess. I call it a 10 string mandola. And guess what I run E strings up to .010 without breaking. No fan frets either.
To me, the body size determines what the instrument is - that's what determines the timbre and tonal properties. Decades ago when people first added a low C string to a violin that didn't make it a viola. When I added a high E to one of my violas that didn't transform it into a violin.
I bought one from Lawrence Nyberg early last year. He calls that model his “mini-cittern,” because he built it to be tuned CGDAE. I refer to it as my mandolinola, though, to convey that it has all the notes on both a mandolin and a mandola. It has a Sitka top with maple back and sides, because I wanted it to have lots of punch for when I play bluegrass.
The scale length is 15”, so Nyberg put a 9 on it for the E string. It’s incredibly tight, but I haven’t snapped one yet.
Because I don’t play mandola, I approach this mainly as a mandolin with a bonus course. I’ll start solos in the mandolin range, and then dip down to the C string somewhere in a solo. For a song in C or D, I’ll play most of the solo on the three D, A, and E strings, and then sometimes end by running all the way down to that low root note.
For chords, I can only play four-finger ones on the mandolin strings. On the mandola strings, I can only play three-finger chords, although that includes mini-bar chords like 2245x for a D chord.
I have a fanned-fret one that Bernie Lehmann built for me. I call it "Bernie."Quote:
Originally Posted by Mandolin.alastair
Takes a bit of "gettin' used to" to manipulate five courses and fanned frets. I've been spending most of my time with a standard mandolin instead. Still, the fanned frets and course-to-course varying scales allow one to use fairly standard string gauges.
10 string mandolins would also have a radiused fretboard to help w/ playability
Of my five 10-string mandolins, my first is flat, the rest are radiused. But the main thing is keeping the neck slim. Buchanan does not use an adjustable truss rod, so his necks are robust. My Almuse has a beautiful, slim, V-profile neck.Quote:
Originally Posted by s11141827
All have the same nut width and string spacing there. The acoustics spread more toward the bridge.
Anyone know of a luthier in Australia that makes a longer scale 10 string; or any second hand 10 stringers for sale?
Acquiring an excellent 10 string (bandolim) got me back into playing some mndln again. I'd not played much or any mndln for several years - as I'm not playing those folk genres these days. But as I play a lot of Brazilian music (guitar, accordion..) it was an opportunity to get some mndln in.
As Tom mentioned, the right instrument is important. I rarely if ever play four-course mndln, but the 5-course provides more the range I'm accustomed to, and for the music I play. My instrument feels more like guitar - and still be a mndln - with its wide board and very shallow neck (as I prefer on nylon/classical guitar). I often deploy guitar fingering, which I never did on 4-course mndln. The 10-string is very different, for me.