Is my instrument sacrilege?

**dublinario** · Mar-11-2004, 10:50am

Hi, I am (predominantly) a Guitar player, but about 6 months ago I decided to branch out into the Mandolin. And, frankly, I love it. But as a beginner I was only interested in spending about 250 - 300 euro, and I found a lot of the Mandolins at that price very dodgy, and virtually never semi-acoustic.

Then I found the Mandolin you will see in the following picture....

http://store6.yimg.com/I/guitarshopnet_1768_5230536

....and jumped at the chance to have it. I always had a feeling that Mandolin purists/experts would HATE my Mandolin with a passion, but since I don't know any Mandolin players in real life (the internet is only semi-real), alas, I have still had no feedback to this day. And then I found this site.

So, I would like to open it to the floor. Is my Guitar style Mandolin Sacrilege? Am I going to Mandolin Hell when I die?

**mandolooter** · Mar-11-2004, 10:54am

I doubt it...

**Sellars** · Mar-11-2004, 10:56am

Ok, the bad news is: Yes, you do go to mandolin hell

the good thing is: You'll meet me there, because I own a Crafter too, we can play some music together when we're there

Seriously, I think it is a nice mando. On mine the action was a little high and the neck wasn't all that fast, but it has a really nice tone, ad it is great for irish and chords. (IMO)

R

**John Flynn** · Mar-11-2004, 11:38am

To tell the truth, you would probably get bad stares at a bluegrass jam, but who cares? If you like it, you should play it.

BTW, I think mandolin hell would be a big jam where you have a mandolin, but everyone else plays the banjo. You never actually play any tunes. The group spends eternity re-tuning.

**Lee** · Mar-11-2004, 11:56am

They're a great value. Ain't no sacrilege. I played one at a store through a vintage Fender Champ and it sounded great. I didn't buy it (but I bought the Champ).

**wannabethile** · Mar-11-2004, 12:46pm

if you like that mandolin, then you might want to try the ovation mandolin. i almost bought, and i was very impressed with it. it was easy to play, and you could plug it in if you wanted to. and its looks just like their guitars. just food for thought.

**Ken Sager** · Mar-11-2004, 1:21pm

Mandolin hell is the jam with more than 5 mandolins. I've been there and trust me, any mandolin can lead you there.

Play the Crafter and enjoy it. Don't worry about what others may or may not think about it.

Best,
Ken

Mar-11-2004, 1:23pm

ovation......Ovation......OVATION!!.......GAK!!

Be sure (if you must) that you get the American made MM68......

Somebody bring me a Advil & my bloodpressure pill....... #

Mar-11-2004, 1:38pm

Ovation? down here we call them Ovulation mandolins!

**Greenmando** · Mar-11-2004, 4:23pm

Never have to worry about those big Texan belt buckles messing up a Ovation

**Dru Lee Parsec** · Mar-11-2004, 4:27pm

Now come on guys. I own an Ovation acoutic guitar and I must say: As guitars go this is one nice snow shovel.

**Ted Eschliman** · Mar-11-2004, 4:31pm

nevermind...

**John Flynn** · Mar-11-2004, 4:32pm

I heard a great quip about Ovation guitars from the manager of a local music store. BTW, I just think it's a funny comment, I have nothing against Ovations at all. I think they are a great, innovative design.

The guy said, "Playing an Ovation is like dancing with a pregnant woman."

**Stillpicking** · Mar-11-2004, 8:57pm

Hey I got a Crafter 2 years ago as a travel mando, I can toss it into the car and not worry about it coming apart. Its been on 2 summer vacations where the outside temp. was 90 for the whole week on one of the vacations. Pulled it out to play after a long days drive and it just need a little tuning but not as much as my all wood mandos would have, I think they would have needed some serious repair work. Its not a Gibson but it is not meant to be. For the price it plays OK and sounds OK plugged in and unplugged.
Play it and have fun !!

**mandoJeremy** · Mar-11-2004, 9:38pm

Hey dublinario and Sellars, the WORST part for both of you is that hell is run by banjo players!

**Sellars** · Mar-12-2004, 2:23am

Originally Posted by (mandoJeremy @ Mar. 12 2004, 03:38)

Hey dublinario and Sellars, the WORST part for both of you is that hell is run by banjo players!

Yeah I know

but the good part is, the Crafter has a piezo pick-up, so I will be bringing a stack of amplifiers to play the h*ll out of hell

(I think I'll go for "Who's Sorry Now" #

)

**mandodude** · Mar-12-2004, 10:51am

Originally Posted by (jflynnstl @ Mar. 11 2004, 11:38)

To tell the truth, you would probably get bad stares at a bluegrass jam, but who cares?

Bad stares, you say? I sometimes get "bad stares" just for showing up at the local bluegrass jam with my requisite, bluegrass-looking, f-style mando sporting a very obvious, externally-mounted McIntyre P/U... kinda like some folks are saying, "His mando may look "bluegrass" and his pickin' may sound "bluegrass," but that ol' electric doohickey hangin' on that axe tells me he ain't really "bluegrass." To quote Mando Johnny, "...who cares?"

...besides, I just tell 'em that I only use it for pluggin' in the electronic tuner!"

;-)

**dublinario** · Mar-12-2004, 10:57am

Thanks for replying everyone. I think the consensus seems to be 'live and let live', that the Crafter mandolin itself is decent enough for the price, but to avoid taking it to a bluegrass festival unless accompanied by burly minders.

I also loved the imagery of Mandolin Hell, with rows and rows of players tuning for eternity, never attaining anywhere near the correct pitch. And around once a millenia, when one of the damned does achieve a decent tuning, 2 banjo players hold him down while a third cuts his strings.

Staying on the message topic of Sacrilege, I have another question: have many of you taken, what I would imagine to be a logical side-step into Violin playing? I mean, when I realised that Mandolins and Violins are tuned the same, with a neck of equal length, I went straight out and bought a Violin. Trouble is, I haven't gotten further than playing a few Major and Minor scales on it, because I do be too busy practising other instruments (I dabble with a few).

So, considering I have very little free time to spend on the Violin, I thought the perfect solution to speed up the learning process would be buy a fretted Violin, cutting down on the requisite Left-Hand learning curve. The instrument does exist, but manufacturers are quite rare. Has anyone ever used one? Are they sacrilege? Is it Sacrilege to talk about Violin on a Mandolin website? Am I too obsessed with Sacrilege?

Dub

**John Flynn** · Mar-12-2004, 11:29am

I do think you may be too obsessed by the sacrilege thing. If you are doing this for enjoyment, which I hope you are, the joy of playing should be your only guide and motivating factor. If you like playing the fiddle and want to get good at it, I would just rosin up the bow and play music you like playing on it. If you like playing the mando, get out your Crafter and play 'til you can't play no more. If you want to play the banjo...well, maybe there is sacrilege after all.

**garyblanchard** · Mar-12-2004, 11:36am

I bought a cheap ($25.00) EBay fiddle and something called "Don't Fret," which is a self-adhesive fingerboard attachment that has has "frets" printed on it. The purists will scream, but I say, "Let 'em!" I'm making a bit of progress and I'm happy. Good luck. Email me if you want more info on the "Don't Fret."

**dublinario** · Mar-15-2004, 8:48am

Hey Gary, that 'Don't Fret' thing sounds perfect for what I'm trying to achieve. Where abouts did you get it?

**garyblanchard** · Mar-15-2004, 10:39am

Here is a link for it. Good luck.

Don't Fret

**mad dawg** · Mar-15-2004, 10:47am

Sacrilege is having a mandolin and not playing it, regardless of its brand, model, or type. That being said, just play it and have fun with it. (Caution: following repeated use, you will likely start exhibing symptoms of MAS, after which you'll fondly refer to the Crafter as your first mandolin.)