I have the 805V and really like the varnish finish. I think it contributes to a better tone, and while I take great care of my instruments I accept that they will get some marks if I am playing a...
Type: Posts; User: mrbook
I have the 805V and really like the varnish finish. I think it contributes to a better tone, and while I take great care of my instruments I accept that they will get some marks if I am playing a...
Every guitar I have seen with a select spruce top has laminated wood. I assume it is no different in a mandolin. Taylor, I think, uses the term "layered wood" which almost sounds elegant until you...
"Yes I know they are not the best choice..." Don't spend your money if you are going to look down on them. I think the Eastman mandolins are good, and have a 505, 514, and an 805V. I like and play...
I recommended it to a friend once, and used it to play with hum as a duo. I bought one to use in some live situations where I didn't want to bring some of my more expensive mics, but found it is good...
I keep it fairly high, with the bottom of the mandolin about the level of my belly button (if you could see it, which is not likely). I like to keep my left wrist low, and be able to get the mandolin...
I try to take care of my instruments, but they get marks and dings from being out playing. That's what instruments are for - to be taken out and played, and I do that every time a chance comes up. I...
It's your guitar. Doesn't matter who made it or what you paid for it. Do what you want. Such embellishments were done years ago when there weren't many builders making guitars with pearl, but there...
It seems that for every stupid idea out there you can find someone to support and defend it. If you want stage experience, go to open mikes, charity events, or community events that just want someone...
Some of the younger kids I know with rock bands face this situation all the time - they have to "rent" the venue to play it, or buy tickets, etc. I've played for very little, or even free when...
A friend had one, made in Vietnam. Looked cool, played nicely, but the think finish sort of killed the sound (probably not the only thing).Wouldn't mind having one around for the look.
My daughter once caught some school kids tossing her violin case around like a football, so after getting it back she locked the case so it wouldn't open by accident if it happened again. When she...
I saw Ry Cooder play it in the 70s with thumb and finger picks, a different approach from most players. Works, though.
Sometimes the cheap socket sets found in variety stores or dollar stores have the thin walls that work well.
There is a 1970s Haggard song called "Living with the Shades Pulled Down" - just before the break, I believe he says, "All right, Tiny," and it sounds like Tiny Moore and his electric mandolin. Can't...
I was getting numbness in my fingers for a while, more playing mandolin than guitar or banjo. I was also finding a lot of stress in the band I had played with for years. Changed playing companions -...
I thoroughly enjoyed the book when I first read it, and often reread selected chapters from time to time. I first heard and saw Monroe in the late 1960s and always remained a fan. I am never turned...
Marty regularly plays Clarence White's Telecaster, and has a great appreciation for the music he plays as well as the ability to play it. Check out the Marty Stuart Show on the RFD network, Lots of...
About a year ago I was in a Guitar Center Center and saw a Kustom PA50. 50 watts, 3 channels (2 XLR), two 4.5" speakers and one 3.5" horn. 15v phantom power, but you can use an adapter for 48v, as I...
I have played an occasional gig with a generator in the past without incident using a small system (all we needed). Last week, I played in a band on a parade float, and the generator had problems. It...
Everyone seems to be an instrument expert these days - until they ask questions that show how little they actually know. Do your work, and answer questions when you feel a need to do so. No matter...
I would go for "The Cold Hard Facts"
Some of these "old guys" sound pretty good with the friends they have been playing with for years because they have learned to adapt to each other's timing eccentricities. When they get out with a...
I saw a concert in the early 80s (or maybe the 70s) with the Seldom Scene and Bill Monroe (with Mac Wiseman opening). The Scene did their set, and during Monroe's show Duffy came out with a push...
Ther was a time when I owned about 65 instruments or so - about 30 guitars, 9 mandolins, 7 banjos, plus ukes, fiddles, and others. Yes, each one is different, and they are great to collect like any...