Newbie, if you're still with us, here's a recent thread on mandolin-banjos:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...Mandolin-Banjo
Newbie, if you're still with us, here's a recent thread on mandolin-banjos:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/t...Mandolin-Banjo
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
Oops, posted the same message twice.
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
Probably, poor dear. Never did anything to hurt anybody, then gets treated thisaway. Honestly, even though I no longer had a professional use for her, she was a good-sounding instrument, as these things go - nowhere near as harsh as a typical banjolin. It might yet be worth restoring, theoretically - although it could well be more cost-effective to find another one for a similar sum. I should ask my luthier if he still has it, tucked away in a corner of his basement. It might have been lost in a flood, though, which would settle the matter.
Good luck with that. The first part of that was fearless leader's assessment, and him being a drummer, makes sense from that perspective. My assessment is not terribly flattering, but you're welcome to it.
But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller
Furthering Mandolin Consciousness
Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!
I see Ranald is trying to direct the thread back to the topic at hand.
To be honest, the main reason I exacerbated the diversion was I was afraid the OP might be put off by the "devil's instrument" designation, and maybe not realizing it was a joke.
I'm no expert in instruments by any stretch, but the only marking on mine is on the dowel inside, and you have to take the shiny back plate off to see it.
Well, I know these get a bad rap for being obnoxious, but most folks put mandolin strings on them. Even the X-light 9-32 mandolin strings are too heavy. That will stress the instrument and make it harsh. I use two sets of tenor banjo strings, it is a banjo first, with the G a 28, and it allows me a .010 on the E. A 28 is a heavy string for a banjo. It makes them much easier to play, last longer without self destructing, and most importantly sound waaay better.
THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!
Just to add further complications, there are four-stringed instruments that are neither ukulele-banjos, nor four-string mandolin banjos.
They are called melody banjos, and, while rarely found, may be products of the more prestigious companies -- Vega, Paramount, Gibson et. al.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller
Furthering Mandolin Consciousness
Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!
The term “melody banjo” sounds, to me, a bit of an oxymoron.
Having given the matter some further thought, if you take 4 strings off a mandolin-banjo, does it stop being a mandolin-banjo? If you were to take all the strings off, it wouldn’t stop being a mandolin-banjo.
I'm new to the sound it makes but I have a way of making my acoustic guitar sound unholy as well so yes it makes an unholy sound but my friend played it and sounded like a banjo kinda
David either completely missed or just ignored your assertion. To the uninitiated: it's more or less the "conventional wisdom" among many members hereabouts that b****s are more akin to annoying noisemakers than musical instruments, so the juxtaposition of a musical term with their name results in an oxymoron.
In the first condition, it would be a single-string mandolin-b****, yet still a m-b. In the second condition it would still be a m-b, but since the possibility of producing sound had been disabled, it would then be rendered safe for human interaction. Indeed, it would have developed into something that could serve a useful purpose - a wall hanging. That is, if you can stomach even the mere sight of it.Having given the matter some further thought, if you take 4 strings off a mandolin-banjo, does it stop being a mandolin-banjo? If you were to take all the strings off, it wouldn’t stop being a mandolin-banjo.
[Note to OP: Just kidding. Mostly Enjoy your new acquisition. Tune it same as a mandolin - GDAE. Have fun with it. ]
But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller
Furthering Mandolin Consciousness
Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!
Hey now! I think when you take the strings off, it's just a m-b waiting for new strings. Maybe you just decided to try the tenor banjo ones vs. the mandolin ones as suggested by pops1 above.
And YMMV, but mine is very nice looking
Maybe not as lovely as my mandolin, but still very cool, in her own way
Well, yes. It is what it is, strings or not. The structure isn't changed by the existence or lack of accessories - or necessities, which strings are, in order to enable functionality.
Yes, as always, YMMV. To each his/her own. I should try to find the thread from a couple months ago concerning the guy in England who collected some 800-900 b****s, festooning every wall in his flat. That might produce some deleterious effects on some viewers.
But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller
Furthering Mandolin Consciousness
Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!
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