Hello Cafe pickers

[Chris W.]

After many years of playing guitar, I had a weird dream about mandolins that kind of stuck with me so I bought a cheap pawn shop mando and just kind of noodled around on it. I had no internet at the time so I would visit this site at work to look up some easy chords then try them out at home. That was 2 years ago. Still have my old beater but have since upgraded. All of the money that I usually spend on guitar-related goodies has been spent on mando-related goodies. I have the Mandolin for Dummies book. Once I had internet access my first transaction was at the Mandolin Store. I have signed up at Mike Marshall's mandolin school and now am a member here.

I love my guitars, but man its not looking good.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi

Chris

[Randi Gormley]

Ah, the beginning of that upward slide to mandolin obsession ... welcome!

[Eric F.]

Welcome, Chris. Your story will resonate to many around here. Enjoy!

[DataNick]

Welcome Chris!

Enjoy your mando journey from guitarland...I have...LOL!

[F-2 Dave]

Hello Chris.

[Steve Zawacki]

Welcome, Chris. There's no turning back. These things will haunt you....

[Ken Olmstead]

Welcome, Chris. There's no turning back. These things will haunt you....

They really do, and...HI!!!!

[Chris W.]

Welcome, Chris. There's no turning back. These things will haunt you....

I think they already have. In my crazy mandolin dream I was surrounded by all kinds of weird shaped mandos and each one I picked up sounded great....then I woke up and bought a $40 mandolin and did not quite sound like I did in the dream.

[mandolinplucker]

Welcome. I find it useful to be able to play mandolin and guitar. IMHO One mandolin and one banjo and one bass is all that a jam needs. If someone who plays mandolin better than me, which ain't hard to find, I put mine in the case and grab guitar. I have friends who are satisfied to just chop chords so I will stay on the mando. I don't like fiddle tunes enough to learn them so if that is what the group is playing I will grab my guitar and play rhythm. It is handy to play both.

[BeginnerMandolinistTyler]

Welcome Chris! I also made the switch from guitar to mandolin a year and a half ago. One of the best choices I have made. If you have any questions, feel free to ask other members of the Cafe (see my username for details).

[Petrus]

Welcome aboard and I predict you're going to have some good times with your mando. Speaking as a near-newbie myself, the learning curve isn't that steep. Mando for Dummies is a great first book. Pay particular attention to the material in the back about choosing an instrument and setting it up.

I actually came to the mandolin by way of the violin. Same tuning, same number of strings. Though the frets felt a little like a prison for my fingers, I still appreciated the ease of hitting the right note all the time. I find going back and forth on both intruments improves my playing on both, and gives needed relaxation from one or the other (which we all need to avoid burnout.) I only got into the guitar very recently, and it has not displaced either the mando or fiddle from my heart. In fact, I'm now getting into ukes -- again, four strings, GDAE (the way I tune it, anyway) and tenor guitar. I can thus play several different instruments without having to relearn any chords or fingerings or tunings.

Watch out for incipient signs of MAS (mandolin acquisition syndrome.) It's been known to affect neophytes as well as old-timers. I've got to get my own MAS under control. My MAS says "buy it!," but my bank keeps saying "insufficient funds."