I hear what you’re saying brother, and don’t mean to be contentious, but I play a great deal of solo mandolin and my experience differs a bit. Played in the context of a song or tune with an established melody, that rootless C will be heard as a C rather than the other options by the brain of the listener ... context matters a great deal more than whether or not a root note is played in many if not most circumstances even when playing solo.
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