A set of Argentine strings - I use D'Addario J74s exclusively (except on the mandola, of course, and the electric, nickel wound).
OK, not so weird. But I can't think of any other time I've been gifted something mandolin-related.
Oh, wait - my mom gave me my first mandolin. That WAS weird. And in so doing, ruined my life. I mean, brought into my life immense amounts of self-perpetuating joy, light, and fulfillment. Yeah, that's 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!
Matt, neither of these qualify as "odd"--rather, they are AWESOME! My son, also named Matt, gave me two treasures for Father's Day this year: A copy of the classic Skaggs-Rice vinyl, with the cover signed by Ricky Skaggs; and, an autographed picture of Tony Rice. They are now hanging on the wall in my library/office/music room along with vinyls of "The Best of the Greenbriar Boys and John Herald", "The Model Church" by J.D. Crowe and the Kentucky Mountain Boys, and Mandolin Orange's "This Side of Jordan". To give you some indication of my musical interests, on the opposite wall is a poster of John Coltrane from his "Blue Train" album. BTW: Absolutely love the "Mouse Playing Mandolin"--totally awesome!! ...Old Dog Dave
Old Dog Dave: Do the best you can, as long as you can, and all the rest is gravy.
1918 Gibson A Oval hole
2004 Gibson F9
2004 Gibson A9
Weber Gallatin A
Bruhn double-point
The Epiphone MM-30
Dillion Electric (Rickenbacker style)
Strangest instrument-related gift? A lot of them seem to involve harmonicas...
Evy Mayer gave me a Koch "Concert" harmonica, made in Germany, which was a key of C "echo harp" with two bells attached to little posts sticking up from the harp's body. Oddly, neither of the bells is pitched C.
Lee Vaccaro gave me a Rolmonica, which is a "player piano" harmonica with punched paper tapes you crank through while blowing it. Big seller in the 1920's -- not.
Someone, can't remember who, gave me a S S Stewart Collegian ukulele banjo, in a canvas bag, which he found in a closet. Still play it.
A woman who saw me playing somewhere came up to me and gave me a Meisel guitar-zither, four chords and a bunch of chromatic melody strings. I tuned it up -- once -- and learned one tune on it, to play at a Ren Faire gig in Arizona. Since then it's sat in its case.
My friend Cathy McGrath gave me a gig bag for a bowed psaltery; luckily, I had a psaltery that fit it.
My frequent collaborator Jim Kimball gave me two 1890's Autoharps, one of which may be the never-cataloged Model 7. Or it may not. Right now I'm trying to get the back re-attached.
My friends Bob and Karen gave me a guitar-shaped tin box, the size of a small lunchbox, with strap attachments. Too small for an instrument, but I sometimes stick tuners or other accessories in it to take to a gig.
-- That's all that come to mind...
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
Mine, like Allen’s, is harmonica related. A friend gave me a keychain with tiny little harmonica on it. It’s kinda cute and the harmonica is actually functional, sorta.
My mandolin related gift (to myself) was a t shirt printed with mandolin chords, obtained here at the cafe store.
Last edited by Dave Hicks; Jul-29-2021 at 5:29pm.
A six string A style Christmas ornament.
2021 The Loar LM700 VS
We give fun presents for Christmas. I got this oddly wrapped gift and before opening said "What is this? a scary clown statue playing mandolin?"... Sure enough, it was.
Was it a box like this one? https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...Anull%7D%22%7D
Phoebe, my 2021 Collings MT mandolin
Dolly, my 2021 Ibanez M522 mandolin
Louise, my 193x SS Maxwell mandolin
Fiona, My 2021 GSM guitar-bodied octave resonator mandolin
Charlotte, my 2016 Eastman MDO 305 octave mandolin
And Giuliana, my 2002 Hans Schuster 505 violin, Nehenehe, my 2021 Aklot concert ukulele,
Annie, my 2022 Guild M-140 guitar, Joni, my 1963 Harmony 1215 Archtone archtop guitar,
Yoko, my ca. 1963 Yamaha Dynamic No.15 guitar, and Rich, my 1959 husband.
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!
I don't (but then, I don't have a guitar, either). It looks like it could do service holding spare strings, a winder and/or nippers, a polishing cloth? I'm fond of boxes to keep stuff in, so if those suggestions don't appeal, let me know and I'll think up some other ideas.
Phoebe, my 2021 Collings MT mandolin
Dolly, my 2021 Ibanez M522 mandolin
Louise, my 193x SS Maxwell mandolin
Fiona, My 2021 GSM guitar-bodied octave resonator mandolin
Charlotte, my 2016 Eastman MDO 305 octave mandolin
And Giuliana, my 2002 Hans Schuster 505 violin, Nehenehe, my 2021 Aklot concert ukulele,
Annie, my 2022 Guild M-140 guitar, Joni, my 1963 Harmony 1215 Archtone archtop guitar,
Yoko, my ca. 1963 Yamaha Dynamic No.15 guitar, and Rich, my 1959 husband.
- Ed
"Then one day we weren't as young as before
Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
But by all those roads, my friend, we've travelled down
I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you."
- Ian Tyson
Now that is awesome!!
That's not odd, that's wonderful! A kind, generous, and beautiful gift.
Well, there are three mandolins, so in that sense, it is odd ...
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!
Regarding my "lunch box" or whatever, I was intrigued by the strap attachments for a box as small as that.
I put two dozen "Resist" buttons in it to distribute at a New England Folk Festival workshop I gave a couple years ago; a bunch of old folkies sang a bunch of old lefty songs and felt good and self-righteous about it. Nothing like having your overall issue positions reinforced in a safe environment, by people who all agree with you.
Anyway, I'll continue to use it whenever I have a need to transport a small amount of musical gear.
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
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