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John Maddock has just posted a comparison of his 8 string Ceccherini and my 10 string Ceccherini on YouTube- the channel is tavymusic. I am very pleased to hear my mandolin played and compare it with...

Thanks Bren, lovely to think of you reading the thread in Aberdeen - I was there once in the late 1970’s with the Edinburgh University Orchestra. Here in Belfast it’s certainly cold, but no snow....

Thanks Jim, it has certainly been a tough year. The best thing to happen in 2020 for me is taking up the mandolin - a friend and fellow violinist had become totally addicted to playing mandolin and...

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My Grandmother's mandolin arrived back yesterday from John Maddock - it looks and sounds so much better! I am thrilled to be able to play it now. Thanks to Martin Jonas for recommending John....

Yes, work is grand, though a bit tiring! I am going to send the mandolin over to John Maddock, as suggested by Martin - really keen to get it sorted out properly. Then I just have to get used to...

Yes, it was Neil, and the strings arrived from him really quickly - lightest possible set. Sorry for delay in replying, I have been working and only just saw your post this morning.

Thank you Martin - I am so glad to hear that these are well-regarded instruments - you obviously know a great deal about Ceccherini mandolins. I really enjoyed hearing and seeing you play one. I...

Probably good advice Ray, but I will give the third strings a go for a while - just for the experience!
You are so right about the skill level of players who can cope with the unexpected - but only...

Thanks for that, excellent!

Thanks Jim for your thoughts. I am thinking of trying to play the 10 strings as it was originally made - to see if I can get to grips with it. Plan B would be going down to the normal 8 strings if...

Thanks Allen, I too am curious about playing on the triple courses. My fingers are not big, but neither were my Grandmothers and she played it - so we will see. I am taking it to be looked at next...

Thanks Ray for all the information - not surprisingly my local music shop only sell standard sets of strings. I phoned Newtone and the nice guy there took me through the options (I didn't know about...

Brilliant - a serious brain-twister!

Thanks for that Nick, I know nothing about bluegrass so I enjoyed listening to it.

Oh, it looks great - what a lot of knowledge and effort you were able to put into it to bring it back to such fine condition.
I have been having lessons recently, as those count as education/work...

You're right about the string lengths Nick. The Eastman is indeed 14" - I have to work hard with the 4th finger, as my violin string length is only 12 3/4". The bowl back is 13 1/4" so that's...

Thanks Ray for that - I haven't heard of Newtone brand. I'm still fairly new to the mandolin, after 50 years playing the violin! Will check it out.

Thanks again Nick, you can tell I am new to this! I have been recommended someone in Belfast who is going to take a look at it - he's mainly a guitar repair person so will look at the frets (which...

Thanks for your reply Nevin, that sounds positive, though I have to admit I don't know what 'OP' means!

My Eastman is the flatback MD504 which I love playing and was well set up by Eagle Music. The idea of an older Italian bowl back is delightful and there is the sentimental attachment of it being my...

will have a read at that, cheers

That all sounds promising - thanks again Nick for your advice. I will certainly try the strings you recommend - haven't heard of them before. They certainly aren't expensive - I have been using the...

Thank you so much for replying Nick. I have to confess I tuned it right up to pitch, the tuners all work ok and none of the ancient strings broke. Then I started to worry about it and have now got...

I have been given my Grandmother's Ceccherini mandolin - she played in a mandolin trio with her sisters in the late 1920's/early 1930's. It hasn't been played since then. I am a violin teacher who...