Are travel mandolins worth it?

[judyeakhand]

I'm also curious about travel mandolins. I love traveling and exploring new places too! It's interesting to hear about your Skyesound 'Wee Traveller' mandolin. The design sounds unique with the longer nut-to-bridge length and the use of reclaimed furniture wood.
In terms of playability, have you found the travel mandolin to be enjoyable to play? Does it have a similar sound and feel to a regular-sized mandolin? It's great that it's more compact and quieter than the Eastman mandolin, but I can understand your hesitation if it still needs to fit in a regular gig bag.
By the way, while browsing online, I came across Jungle Vista Hotel. Have you been there or heard anything about it? I always appreciate hearing personal experiences and recommendations from fellow travelers.

[poul hansen]

Now the thread has arised from the dead, I'll add a status.

I ended up buying another Hora mandolin, as the one I use daily at the computer. It is very playable, sounds good and has now survived a couple of years in the car. I planned on just buying another one, at less than 200$, if it ever broke, but it's still like new, just kept in a gigbag.

I have 7 pocket mandolins by now and I like the pecularity of them but not the sound. The best sounding are the bowlbacks but that rather defies the purpose of a smaller travel mandolin.

[Mark Gunter]

Thanks for the update, Poul!

I’m of the attitude of those who consider a mandolin a travel instrument, and like Condido I prefer to take with me whichever is my favorite at the time. At my age and physical state, I no longer do much in the way of backpacking, primitive camping or even tent camping. Most travel for business is via airplane and as mentioned, mandolins fit in the overhead. Unlike a guitar which must be entrusted to luggage gorillas, you can retain possession or stewardship of your mandolin at all times, why not bring the one you enjoy most in that circumstance? Never had a complaint playing or practicing in a hotel room, and have had great joy busking and meeting and playing with other buskers.

Camping trips for me these days (and I do a lot of them) means traveling in a climate-controlled automobile and using a climate controlled camper.

Reading through this thread it all comes down to your own goals, circumstances and level of anxiety about your tools.

[Bren]

Never had a complaint playing or practicing in a hotel room, and have had great joy busking and meeting and playing with other buskers.

Oh, I've had a complaint practising in a hotel room. It was daytime, so I didn't expect any issues.
But the guest in the next room was working nightshift on the city tunnel, and I was using my Donmo metal resonator mandolin. As quietly as I could, but hey.

Agree x100 about the great joy meeting others.

[Dagger Gordon]

If I were travelling by car or camper van I would not take a travel mandolin - I would take a good one.

If I am flying and the idea is to travel as light as possible, then my Seagull mandolin can fit in my backpack which I take on the plane, so I only have one item of luggage IN TOTAL. Anything else involves having at least two items of luggage - ie the instrument and your suitcase or rucksack or whatever, and so one of these will probably need to be checked in, and of course is then more to carry around.
If none of that is a problem to you, then I don't really see any need to have a travel mandolin.

[Mark Gunter]

I tend to fly on business 4 to 5 times a year, and fortunately, I can generally use Southwest, which is a great boon because you can check two bags at no additional charge. I check one with clothing, etc. and one with business equipment. You’re allowed two carryons, that’s my mandolin for the overhead and a backpack for under the seat.

After a lifetime of guitar, when I began to warm up to mandolin, one of the big thrills was its portability relative to a guitar. So easy to carry with you anywhere and whip it out any time you have a little down time. What an awesome instrument!

[Mitch Stein]

After a lifetime of guitar, when I began to warm up to mandolin, one of the big thrills was its portability relative to a guitar. So easy to carry with you anywhere and whip it out any time you have a little down time. What an awesome instrument!

I'll add in the portability of accessories. Even my LoudBox amps. There's no gig I can't carry all my stuff in one trip. I watch my bandmates suffer (to me, needlessly) carrying big honkin amps that seem to be the only way they can get "their sound". Fuggetaboutit.

[mandopops]

When I want to travel lite w a Mandolin just to practice, not to jam, I bring my Martin A in a gig back. It weighs like nothing & fits under the seat. I don’t even need the overhead. That little ax plays & sounds good, too.

Joe B

[Bill McCall]

I’ve never had an issue traveling with my Ratliff A, overhead or under the seat. I love it and while it would hurt if damaged, it’s a player, not an heirloom.

So no ‘travel’ Mando.

[JeffD]

If I travel with a mandolin I agree Mark, I travel with my bestie.

But my job has changed over the years and these days I have a very stressful "miracles on demand" "stand and deliver" "why aren't we there yet" type job. I am good at it, and sometimes even great, but it takes all that I have in preparation and attention and yea even intestinal fortitude. I find that playing mandolin in the evenings is such a good break from work that it becomes difficult to get my head back in the game next morning. And so many people besides me, people who I don't even know and will never know, need me to "hit the ground running" with "my head in the game".

It is thrilling and all, but I haven't yet figured out how to switch on and switch off and switch on. So on these kinds of assignments, I don't usually take a mandolin. I spend my down time getting ready for my next up time.

But not every travel is like that. And so when I have the "mental freedom" to take a mandolin I take which ever one is my number one at the time. And of course if it is mandolin related travel, a festival or a jam far away, or even a musical camping trip, or even a non musical camping trip, I take the one I am going to want to play the most.

My brother is an avid fisherman and he has a saying about always taking your best fishing rod. Something like "I would rather I break that rod on a monster pike than on a garage door". In other words, wear it out taking it with you and using it.

[mbruno]

Piggy backing on Jeff's note about bringing it around work. I didn't mention this before, but I bring my mandolin on all my day job work trips. I go to conferences usually about 4 - 8 times a year - some big some small. Normally, I'd just play in my room to relax as Jeff mentioned.

One year at a medium sized conference I was talking with a prospect and we got to talking about music. Eventually I mentioned I had my mandolin with me in the room as I like it for breaks like Jeff mentioned. Immediately he pushed me to get it and play in the bar we were hanging out in - with all the other attendees / prospects. I was shy and din't want to at first (mostly I was worried about being "unprofessional"), but I did eventually.

Within about 20 minutes (probably less) I ended up with a crowd of maybe 30 conference folks around me all singing tunes together (lots of Billy Joel, 90s pop etc). In the crowd singing away were attendees I had tried to talk with at the conference, but wouldn't give me the time of day.

The next day, I had the best turnout I ever had before that day. Even those folks that refused to talk with me the day before were coming up to chat. It wasn't hard to move from how much fun playing music at the bar was to my sales pitch - and I had ended up with the best return ever at that show.

I already knew this to a degree, but from that day forward, I use my mandolin as an ice breaker when possible. Nearly everyone you want to talk with for whatever reason likely has either a "I used to play as a kid and I wish I never stopped" or a "I play X instrument too!" story. That connection is great that cannot be understated. In addition, playing music in unexpected places - like a bar at a conference - makes it that much more special for those that don't play and that much more interesting for those that do.

Travel with your mandolin and play in weird places. Good things will come

[Jeff Mando]

Mandolin is already tiny! What's the issue?

You could switch to harmonica......

[Dagger Gordon]

I already knew this to a degree, but from that day forward, I use my mandolin as an ice breaker when possible.

Travel with your mandolin and play in weird places. Good things will come

You got it, man. Exactly. That has always been my experience wherever I have gone.,

[Steve 2E]

Travel with your mandolin and play in weird places. Good things will come

Those are words to live by!

[Dick Dery]

Are they playable?

Yes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpnkCp2ubZ4

[Vegafan]

My Weber Sweet Pea lives discreetly under my desk. We're not supposed to store excess stuff in our open plan office, so it sneaks in ready for lunchtime practice. It even has its own under-desk storage tray courtesy of the recent changeover from towers to laptops...

So for me, this travel mandolin is worth it, for a bit of extra practice.