Buying a Mandola For Church?

[zgraft]

Hey guys,
I'm thinking about buying a mandola for church and church related music projects. Probably going with the Eastman 315, as I don't have the budget (nor really need) for a nicer one.
My thinking is it'll be a bit less bright sounding than my F style, but a bit more punchy than my octave, which I use quite a bit and well, it just tends to get lost in the acoustic guitar mixes.
I know there are probably zero videos of a mandola being used in church (in a non-old time gospel way at least), but are there any videos that anyone knows of, with a mandola and a voice or two?
I'm having trouble finding something to hear how the timbres sound.
Thanks

[allenhopkins]

Mandela can be a nice compromise between mandolin and octave mandolin. It works well for vocal accompaniment, since it plays more in a voice-friendly range than the mandolin does, but doesn't end up getting overwhelmed by guitar.

I've been playing my 1920's Stahl recently, more than I play other mandolins in my collection. I'd also consider perhaps trying one of the flat-top, oval-hole instruments. I had an Eastman MDA615 for a while, but didn't care for the f-hole "choppy" sound, as much as I enjoy the oval-hole timbre. All of my mandolas (Sobell, Stahl, Washburn bowl-back) are oval-holes now.

[meow-n-dolin]

Hey guys,
I'm thinking about buying a mandola for church and church related music projects. Probably going with the Eastman 315, as I don't have the budget (nor really need) for a nicer one.

Thanks

I recently performed "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" with a mandola and a Cajun box drum (my wife provided the vocals. It worked very well. I currently own the Eastman, and I like it -- however, for this application, I would have preferred my Trinity College mandola (I lost the TC in a fire). So while I can recommend the Eastman, if you have a chance to try the TC, or another flat-top, you might want to check it out.

Al

[Sue Rieter]

My Mid Mo M15 with a video (not me playing!).

[CES]

I’ll admit ignorance to current pricing, but I believe Sawchyn makes a flattop mandola in their “Beavertail” line. Once in a blue moon you can find a Flatiron pancake Dola, and they’re still reasonably priced (Chris Thile still occasionally pulls out his Flatiron Bouzouki on tour). Can’t hurt to put a want add in the classifieds and see what turns up.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with an Eastman 315, either. They’re well made, good (sometimes great) sounding instruments. And you can have a pickup installed from the dealer if you need it for plug and play convenience at church. I head up our youth praise band at church and volumes usually aren’t so loud that using a mic isn’t an option, but my default in that setting has become my Rigel, for the plug in convenience.

Also, if you haven’t already, capo your OM at the fifth fret and see how that sounds. The dola will be different because of the smaller body, but it can give you an idea of how it will sit in the mix. Note also that you’ll need to learn new chord shapes (G chord is fingered like a D on mandolin, for example), though that comes pretty easy).

[Simon DS]

“…I'm having trouble finding something to hear how the timbres sound”

- checkout our Song a Week group here, lots of different settings of tunes, most with guitar accomp.
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/g...=67&styleid=15

[Dave Wrede]

zgraft, I have used mandola in church and it does tend to get swallowed up by any guitars in the neighborhood. But maybe that's just my playing.

[Chuck Leyda]

Here's my wife and I with a mandola and guitar and two voices. I think they blend well. I try to do something different rom the guitar. I like oval hole mandolas.

[Mandobart]

I'm a lucky guy in that a slightly used Cricketfiddle 10 string A style oval hole mandola basically fell in my lap several years ago at a very affordable price. It covers the range of a mandola and mandolin with the large, deep, resonant body of a 'dola. It's my all around do it all instrument for camping, travel, playing in a band, etc.

I've got several other fiddles, mandolins, octave mandolins, mandocello, banjo and of course guitars. But the 10 string mandola is the most versatile.

[Sue Rieter]

I'm a lucky guy in that a slightly used Cricketfiddle 10 string A style oval hole mandola basically fell in my lap several years ago at a very affordable price. It covers the range of a mandola and mandolin with the large, deep, resonant body of a 'dola. It's my all around do it all instrument for camping, travel, playing in a band, etc.

I've got several other fiddles, mandolins, octave mandolins, mandocello, banjo and of course guitars. But the 10 string mandola is the most versatile.

That sounds extremely cool.