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I agree with most everyone here that the single most likely cause of strings going sharp between successive playing sessions is an increase in humidity, leading to an expansion of the wooden neck and...

If I'm not mistaken, the original Weber Gallatin model was not really an "F model." To save costs, it was unbound and it also had a partial scroll only, like this:

191474

Later versions of...

The whole premise of this thread strikes me as being rather silly. So let me ask (rhetorically): Do great looking cars have to perform better? Do great looking houses have to be nicer to live in? Do...

Well, I have that same Planet Waves device, and it does come with a built-in "shear cutter," just as you describe. I tried it, but I didn't like it. Due to the thickness of the metal sides, it is...

For those of us with limited space inside our instrument case compartments, an excellent choice is a set of miniature 3" diagonal cutters from Waymil, found here:...

It shouldn't take a luthier to change your strings. This is definitely something you'll want to add to your skill set as a budding mandolinist! There are lots of threads and videos on how to do...

It's worth noting that armrests for mandolins are nothing especially new. Many of the better Neopolitan bowlback mandolins from the late 1890's and early 1900's had armrests integrated into their...

Actually, any 'ol pair of diagonal cutters made from tempered steel should do well, like those depicted below. The brand doesn't matter much -- just get "diagonal cutters" (tempered steel) and not...

Jeez Louise. That was pretty darned rude of you, and unworthy of the Mandolin Cafe. I was being gracious, and not "giving permission" to anyone. How could you possibly come away with that...

Hmm. I've always wondered what "dishonest play wear" would be. Distressing an new instrument might well qualify (to some, anyway) as being "dishonest," but it certainly can't qualify as being any...

Yow. I, for one, would be thrilled if Michael Cleveland showed up at a jam I was in. What an opportunity, to play with a musician of his caliber, in such an intimate setting! Fabulous!! And I...

Gotta disagree, sorry. We tend hear this comment a bit, but when done well, playing at fast tempos does not cause a loss of "expression." Expression is the ability of music to convey a given mood. ...

Thanks, Allen, for pointing out that in the years before "bluegrass" was even a word used with respect to music, Bill Monroe played in a duo with his brother Charlie. This was an oldtime-influenced...

1. I'm afraid that the answer to your question is YES, you ARE being a grumpy old man to complain about this.

2. Not all bluegrass music is played fast. Not even all of Bill Monroe's music was...

A terrible loss to the musical world. He was a true giant of bluegrass/Americana music, and an inspiration to so many musicians in multiple generations. I remember hearing him play live with the...

Not so sure it's improving. "Silent Night" was composed by Franz Gruber. :cool:

I hear you. You can often tell the key of tune from the LAST chord played, which usually shares the same name as the key (but there are a few exceptions). In fact, the very last note of the melody...

It's perfectly possible to write bad -- or incomplete -- tablature. It is equally possible to write bad -- or incomplete -- standard notation, too! When perfectly good software is used to convert...

It's not one or the other: it's BOTH!

Per MC rules. you should probably move this post to the Classifieds, in the Mandolin Accessories section. Thanks!

I presume you're making a reference to the distaff side, although your use of that term is somewhat outdated. :) Yes, we should all celebrate femininity.

Actually, it's not a "strap button." It's an endpin. It comes from the violin tradition. But unlike the violin endpin, it does not hold the tailpiece in place. The end pin should be friction...

Clearly, the F-5 mandolin was not designed so that its lower point digs uncomfortably into your leg while seated playing. The obvious conclusion is that you are holding the instrument incorrectly. ...

The points raised by JeffD and Charles E. are not mutually exclusive! Yes, building an F model takes more time and effort for the carving, bending, binding, and all that. Therefore, a luthier has...

Sorry, but that statement is simply too broad and ill-considered to be accurate in any way. It only holds for "top level professionals" who happen to play some specific genres of music, such as...