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I have another idea. Borrow or rent a mandolin for a couple of weeks, and see if you are going to fall in love. If not, you saved even more money. If you do fall in love, then get yourself the very...

I rather enjoy being in a bubble, actually, where we go on and on about our artistic preferences and what not, in this tiny corner of the world where mandolin seems frightfully important. But I have...

You have to remember the time frame these were developed. Check up on Art Nouveau and such like art movements. Lots of extraneous curly bits in furniture, jewelry, designed objects, between 1890s...

I don't think that has anything to do with the oval hole itself. Its just the custom among arch top Gibsonesque style oval hole mandolns. There is nothing inherent in the oval hole that implies...

What I meant was, if you look at what music people listen to, say in this country, most people do not listen to bluegrass. The overwhelming majority do not. Going down the street talking to people...

I have that same prejudice. But, realistically, a mandolin made 100 years or more ago, in great shape, probably spent most of its time in a case under the bed, like a vampire gone to ground to be...

That mandolin could make someone happy forever. It is definitely someone's forever mandolin.

There is not much that a mandolin cannot do.

Yes. Good point.

I sometimes think the Kerman is the latest great step forward in mando-evolution, and it is inspired by the exactitudes and tonal expectations of the mandolin in classical music.

Here is an idea. Rent or borrow an instrument, for a couple of weeks or a month, to see if you are going to fall in love with it. If not, you saved even the $500, and if you do fall in love, you may...

Mandolin development where, when? Most of the mandolin development was before bluegrass. Way before bluegrass. The iconic F-5 design evolved before bluegrass, and was primarily envisioned for...

My goodness, I think you left out Sheraton brown. Very popular.

Not blonde I admit, but not a burst either.

This has been the hardest task for me. Sight reading the notes was easy in comapison.

For me it has been just listening a lot. Becoming familiar with the genre of music. So for example, I am very...

Verne, there is something I love about that instrument.

It is kind of transgressive, in a totally unassertive way. Kind of like Pee-wee Herman robs a bank.

Nice.

I have discovered that anyone who takes their playing seriously does a lot of practicing. For me, during normal times it is likely something like three, maybe sometimes four or five to one time spent...

So two significant incidents related to a performance expectation I have had:

In one it was a folk jam, popular folks songs and cowboy songs, and only two mandolins in the jam. I was playing my...

After a degree of personal soul searching I have concluded that it is the person taking the expensive instrument out of its case that experiences the performance anxiety, due to the perceived...

Better smell too!

To further complicate things, for some strings the way they sound out of the pack newly installed is not the sound they will have when they settle in. I play hard, and a lot, and the EJ74s mentioned...

No of course not.



I think approximately zero extent. Most musicians with any experience are pretty critical, and not easily bedazzled.



Of course there are. Quite a few examples. And in...

I am not going to presume to recommend a specific instrument or course of action. I'll just share some ideas, for you to do with as you would like. If my comments don't apply, perhaps they will help...

I am not a luthier. I do other stuff. But I do appreciate a piece of equipment that was designed taking into account maintenance.

I deal with electrical equipment used to respond to emergencies....

I had the florida scooped on a mandolin, a Paris Swing. And faux frets put in to keep the visuals. But that mandolin was all about visuals.

While it is true we can't look in two places at once, almost nobody stares continuously at their hands. So I think it quite possible to fulfil your obligations as a musician to catch the smiles of...

Oh my goodness. Banjolins. I have played a few.


* Are they much louder and/or more cutting than a decent bluegrass mandolin?

Yes. Very much so. With great power comes great responsibility....