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Thread: 8 string mandobird rock, thoughts...

  1. #1
    Registered User Justus True Waldron's Avatar
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    Default 8 string mandobird rock, thoughts...

    I've been staying more on the acoustic mando pages of this site, but since I have 2 electric mandos I figured I might as well hop over here for a change. Here's a video of a band I was in about 2 years ago, playing my mandobird. Now I know lots of people knock the bird... and believe me I can see where there are coming from... I had to do a lot of set up work to get the intonation and playability where I wanted it. Even after that I had the classic E-string-is-quieter-then-all-the-rest problem... but some compression and some tube saturation made that all but go away. My thinking with the electrics is that I have an acoustic mando for bluegrass... why not go full on electric with the bird? I set up my effects accordingly. However, I got the 8-string, not the 4-string, as I was hoping the extra strings would keep it from sounding EXACTLY like a guitar. With distortion, two strings do some interesting things - beats and the like. Once I got used to it, I kind of liked it. Anyways, here was my take on the electric mandolin... please keep in mind that this song/video was written/recorded/filmed in two days for a school project, and is far from perfect [=



    Not two long after this video I started playing lots more acoustic stuff... the mandobird went under my bed. Got it out a few months ago, and the action is at least a little more than "manly". Seeing as there is no truss rod, I gave up. Found an eastwood mandola at the local shop - truss rod, humbucker. Much more professional feeling instrument, also 8 strings. I'm in electric heaven... I guess that's my axe now! Thinking of turning the mandobird into a 5 string with a strat style single coils and maple neck... any thoughts?
    - 2004 Macica A
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    Default Re: 8 string mandobird rock, thoughts...

    Pretty good song and good playing esp. that wrinkle near the end....but to me it sounds mostly like an exotic electric guitar v. an amplified mando. Exceptional video quality - how did you record it?
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  3. #3
    Registered User Justus True Waldron's Avatar
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    Default Re: 8 string mandobird rock, thoughts...

    I agree with you on the exotic guitar thing... the double strings make it sound fatter and warbly-er than a guitar, but not especially so. We had other songs that sounded more mandolin-like, but alas, no good recordings of them. Again, I play a lot of acoustic mando, so this was my chance to mess with pedals. It's tough to get a sound that's both mando and driving electric! I'm still trying [=
    The sound was recorded at the radio station I was working at, the video done by an exchange student from a singapore film school, using her Panasonic Lumix DSLR. Now she does animation for motion pictures - captain america, harry potter, etc. Ahhh the recourses I had access to in school... I'm back to the real world now!
    - 2004 Macica A
    - 1952 Selmer Centered Tone
    - Eastwood electric mandola
    (and lots more)

  4. #4
    Luthier&Pickup maker ret. Soundfarmer Pete's Avatar
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    Default Re: 8 string mandobird rock, thoughts...

    Super job....I enjoyed the mando texture....really effective!
    No reason why you can`t mod the Mandobird to a 5 string although you`d have to widen the neck pocket slightly.
    If you`re not too good at woodwork, Tom over at Moongazer Music makes necks and his kits have a great reputation......also does 5 string bridges by Andrew Jerman and a wide variety of pickups.

  5. #5
    In The Van Ben Milne's Avatar
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    Default Re: 8 string mandobird rock, thoughts...

    If you going to bother with pickups and a neck, you're already up for a bridge, leave the mandobird alone and start from scratch or a kit.
    Cool tune, nice vid. Looking forward to seeing your Eastwood 'dola in action.
    Hereby & forthwith, any instrument with an odd number of strings shall be considered broken. With regard to mix levels, usually the best approach is treating the mandolin the same as a cowbell.

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