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Thread: How did you find the mandolin world?

  1. #26

    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    Dunno - it just sorta happened....
    "Well, I don't know much about bands but I do know you can't make a living selling big trombones, no sir. Mandolin picks, perhaps..."

  2. #27

    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    I called a music store that was going out of business to see what they had in the way of guitars. He said he was sold out but they had some mandolins....offered me a great price on a new Eastman 315 so I said sure, why not. Found out I love it! I've barely touched my guitars for close to a year now.
    Northfield F5M #268, AT02 #7

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  4. #28

    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    Went with my father and his military buddy as a young lad to see Bill Monroe and others at a show in Virginia back in the sixties. My father knew this man named Carlton Haney when we lived in Rockingham county, nc at the time. My father was a photographer in the us Air Force during the Korea war and continued it as a hobby in civilian life. He took lots of pics then but most are black and white stuff of those shows due to he had his own dark room at home but only developed the B&W pics. Now digital made all his old equipment obsolete but he had fun and I had fun tagging along.
    Last edited by Richard58; Jul-31-2014 at 4:01pm.

  5. #29
    Diving Deeper Marc Ferry's Avatar
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    When I was 7, I saw a high school bluegrass band and I fell in love with the mandolin. A year later, I started playing, and a few years after that, I started taking lessons from the mandolinist in that high school bluegrass band that inspired me!

    Now that I think about it... I sure am glad I discovered the mandolin.

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  7. #30
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    I was completely unaware of LZ's connection to mandolin. I always loved all sorts of instruments and a bunch of us in college got together one time to form a jug band to appear on a local amateur hour TV show. There were other guitar players so one guy lent me his Martin mandolin. After that i decided to get one of my own and bought an old American Conservatory bowlback from House of Musical Traditions when it was in New York. I had no clue what kinds of music were played on mandolin at that time and certainly had never heard of bluegrass or old time music.
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  8. #31

    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    Jimmy Page was the first mandolin player I saw live, at Led Zeppelin's June 1977 show at Madison Square Garden (although I had heard Bill Monroe and others on LP before then). By the end of the year I had a Kay mandolin and the Jack Tottle bluegrass mandolin book and was off to the races.

  9. #32
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    My dad used to play for barn dances back in the Ozarks of Arkansas. He played a Slingerland Songbird guitar. (I have it now.) The band also had a fiddle, mandolin, acoustic bass guitar and, sometimes, Simon playing his washtub bass. My mother played organ and piano in church. She had a Patsy Cline-quality alto voice. Dad was a huge Jimmie Rodgers, Bill Monroe and Chuck Wagon Gang fan. Starting early, I was constantly exposed to music. Although I certainly appreciate the talent necessary to play the other instruments (including the washtub bass), I like the sound of the mandolin most; the dobro is second.

  10. #33
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    Frank Wakefield in the Saratoga taverns.

    There's so much more to bluegrass mandolin than the speed thing, particularly if you look back in time. Heck, even today...
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  12. #34
    Registered User sgrexa's Avatar
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    .......I had no clue what kinds of music were played on mandolin at that time and certainly had never heard of bluegrass or old time music.
    And despite this, like a true mandolin maniac, soon became the proud owner of an early Monteleone Grand Artist mandola-brilliant!

    Sean

  13. #35
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ellen T View Post
    Although I enjoy listening to BG, I've never been at all tempted to learn to play it; I prefer playing softer, more nuanced music of many types.
    This is exactly how I feel too.
    ...

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  15. #36
    Registered User Onesound's Avatar
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    I subscribed to the CoMando email reflector for a number of years, starting in '97 if I recall. When it was being closed down, I think someone mentioned that there was a good forum on the Mandolin Cafe. At that time Mandozine also had a big audience.
    Cheers,

    Brian

    Angels don't play harps, they play mandolins

  16. #37

    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
    And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung,
    Would you hear my voice come thru the music,
    Would you hold it near as it were your own?

  17. #38
    MandolaViola bratsche's Avatar
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    I always pretty much knew about mandolins, and even once had an unplayable wallhanger bowlback adorning my livingspace. First experience playing one was in an opera production in the early 1990s. It was not a standard mandolin part, but the conductor wanted one played tremolo along with the melody, for effect or ambience, during 8 measures or so that occurred twice. He'd brought an instrument along, and given it to the concertmaster, whom I noticed was holding it with some distaste. I asked what was up, and he definitely didn't want to play it, so I volunteered.

    That was that. I played it, it went well, I forgot about it. Then another 6 or 7 years after that, I cannot remember where I heard it, but the word "mandola" came into my consciousness. I didn't previously know such an instrument existed. I entered the word into a search engine, and it took me to a site called MandolinCafe. And the rest is history.

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  18. #39
    Wood and Wire Perry Babasin's Avatar
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Ry Cooder, and later David Grisman. Oh and Dan Hicks the Hot Licks are in there too... A friend gave me a generic acoustic/electric A-style in '76 but I just occasionally messed around with it, until 2002 when things got a little more serious. When I heard Nickel Creek, I just had to play... I love acoustic music!!

    And how did you find yourself this morning? Vivian Stanshall from the Bonzo Dog Band replies "I just rolled back the covers, and there I was!"
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  20. #40
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    Second star to the right and straight on till morning.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

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  21. #41

    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    Via this gem, which I still enjoy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shady_G...Grisman_album)

  22. #42

    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    Zep for me too. Additionally, LZ also got me playing banjo, pedal steel, DADGAD and various other tunings on guitar.. As a kid growing up in "Rock City" they really were my entree into "folk" music

    I still like to play Kashmir, Four Sticks, Bron y"aur et al on 12-string

  23. #43
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    Quote Originally Posted by crisscross View Post
    ...Would you hold it near as it were your own?
    No. Well, probably not.

    First heard mandolins around 1961, in Boston; Joe Val with the Charles River Valley Boys, Bobby Osborne, Frank Wakefield with the Greenbriar Boys. Played banjo (badly) at the time; still do (not as badly). Graduated college, got drafted, hung around the Denver Folklore Center, started playing guitar (badly); still do (not as badly). Got my DD 214, came back to Rochester, wanted to play bluegrass with my brother on guitar and my friend Bob on banjo (better than me). Found a 'teens Gibson A-1 in the attic while cleaning out Grandfather's house, got it fixed up, started the Flower City Ramblers in 1970 playing mandolin (badly); still do (not as badly).

    Cascade of different mandolins/mandolas/octave mandolins/mandocelli since.

    Interesting, since I came from a folk/bluegrass background, how many others heard mandolin in a pop/rock context. If I'd never hung around Boston coffeehouses in the '60's, would I have picked mandolin out of the cacophony of pop/rock sounds and instruments since? Can't tell. Amazing what listening to the Kingston Trio as a high school kid can lead to.
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  25. #44

    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    allen I didn't know you hung around the denver folklore center
    I did/do and started in about 1969. small world.

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  27. #45
    Registered User Onesound's Avatar
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    Quote Originally Posted by Onesound View Post
    I subscribed to the CoMando email reflector for a number of years...., starting in '97 if I recall. When it was being closed down, I think someone mentioned that there was a good forum on the Mandolin Cafe. At that time Mandozine also had a big audience.
    Duh, I should have read this closer - answered wrong question.

    For years, I had played guitar but never considered playing anything else. Then I discovered Frets Magazine in '79 which expanded my music world. So, I started keeping a lookout for other instruments in the local music stores. The typical music store around here was more likely to have band instruments than anything else. But, one day, I spotted a mandolin hanging on the wall, and asked the salesman to let me check it out. At only $99, I took it and a beginners book home with me.
    Cheers,

    Brian

    Angels don't play harps, they play mandolins

  28. #46
    Registered User ash89's Avatar
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    Quote Originally Posted by sgrexa View Post
    You would think Led Zeppelin would open some doors? God bless John Paul Jones:

    exactly.. memphis, tenn. zeppelin show in 1968..
    3rd row from front

    then of course there was homer and jethro too...
    probably on the ed sullivan show..
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  29. #47
    Registered User sgrexa's Avatar
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    Quote Originally Posted by ash89 View Post
    exactly.. memphis, tenn. zeppelin show in 1968..
    3rd row from front

    then of course there was homer and jethro too...
    probably on the ed sullivan show..
    Review please!

    Sean

  30. #48
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    Would love to play with Dave Mansfield and One of the classical virtuosos of the mando world

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  31. #49
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    When deciding to play the mandolin and looked urgently to find a reputable source of advice, we googled mandolin. Incidentally the café website comes up quickly. I went to the site, well, the rest is by now a part of the old history book, a journal, diary or scrap book of some kind? Have never regretted it for one moment! Now it's moving towards that mandola.

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  32. #50
    Walking the long road... Fr. White's Avatar
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    Default Re: How did you find the mandolin world?

    As I mention recently in another thread: I was/am struggling with being underemployed and the emotional toll this can take on a fellow. I decided that learning a musical instrument would be a good use of my time. Then at a get together with some men from my church - Pipe Night - some of the guys brought out musical instruments and began to jam a bit. One of the instruments was a mandolin and I just loved the sound of it: how it just rang out like a sweet sounding bell carrying over the guitar.

    I found my way to this site, asked for some advice, lurked around for a bit, and then bought my Eastman 504. 3 Months later and some decent finger callouses, I continue to butcher the poor thing but having fun the whole time.
    +

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