mandolin as vocal accomp.

[Jonmiller]

My friend and I are hoping to go on a trip to Kygyzstan-music is a part of what we're going to be doing there and I usually travel with a guitar but this trip I want to take my mando. It's easier to travel with, goes as a carry on, easier to cart about on the streets and I can do just do so much more on mandolin than on guitar -jigs, standards, classical, jam with any local street musicians and also can play accomp with some nice runs where I'm only playing accomp. on guitar.
If I stay on the lower end, is it terrible to sing with mando? My friend plays hand drum.
I was hoping to find one of the Ovation doubleneck mando/guitars that I played at NAMM one year but it was a limited make.

[Andrew Lewis]

Personally, I think it sounds great. I do it all the time. Tim O'Brien stuff, traditional bluegrass, old time, folk songs...they all sound nice. Open chords tend to sound best, but moveable barre chords and chops work, too.

[R. Kane]

I like the mandola better for singing over. A matter of keys my voice doesn't totally suck in, and the desire for open strings.

[Jonmiller]

I would be taking my MT2, and also a mandola would be great too, I think in C tuning as a cellist and banjo player-but I'd also miss the higher mando pitch for the non vocal songs.
I take encouragement, I'll have to check out O'Brien.

[allenhopkins]

Take a mandola. And a capo. Put the capo on the 7th fret, you've got a mandolin. Limits you from going "up the neck" when you're already up the neck, but you can do all the first position stuff. And you have the lower-pitched, un-capoed mandola with which to sing.

Or get a 10-string. Or this. Except I guess someone already bought it.

[Jonmiller]

And how does the capoed mando sound-does finger well? Project?

[Eddie Sheehy]

Jon, I'd be up for letting you take the double-neck to Kygyzstan - that is if you like playing it. I don't have a lot of free time right now but if you PM me I'll give you a cell-phone number and maybe we can hook-up for an hour so over the next couple of days.
Eddie

[mandroid]

MHO, Off hand, having wooden instruments warp some from extended outdoor travel, camping etc.
The creation of CF Rainsong Guitars and the Mix Mandolins are a improvement in durability and consistancy, where weather is a factor.