Page 4 of 4 FirstFirst 1234
Results 76 to 94 of 94

Thread: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

  1. #76

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who posted on this thread. Now I have to figure out what I can do to mount a mic or pickup on one of my mandolins, or start saving up for an electric…

    Tom Wright, I am listening to your trio on YouTube as I write. Phenomenal stuff.

  2. #77
    Registered User Tom Wright's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Rockville, MD
    Posts
    1,919
    Blog Entries
    7

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    Here's a remix of the opener from the video show.

    Bandcamp -- https://tomwright1.bandcamp.com/
    Videos--YouTube
    Sound Clips--SoundCloud
    The viola is proof that man is not rational

  3. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Tom Wright For This Useful Post:


  4. #78
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Windsor, Ohio
    Posts
    63

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    When we heard Rickie Lee Jones at the Kent Stage a few years ago, in her ensemble was a woman playing a 4-string electric mandolin which had an excellent real mandolin sound. And the concert was fabulous.

  5. #79
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Upstate New York
    Posts
    24,807
    Blog Entries
    56

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    Quote Originally Posted by JeffD View Post
    My thoughts run towards an eight string emando. Then you have the chorus effect of unison strings, and killer tremolo opportunities. It keeps it mandolinny.
    I have grown wiser in the last 9 years. I now go the other way, single string electrics. I find them much easier to control.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

  6. #80
    Registered User Perry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Rockland Cty, NY
    Posts
    2,145

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    Couple of weeks ago I dusted off my Ryder 4 string (looks like a Telecaster). I sat in with some friends and did an entire show of Grateful Dead stuff. Prior to the show I did a fair mount of translating my Dead guitar knowledge to mando. It was a lot of fun and it perked my interest again in electric mandolin and mandolin in general. I have been on a deep dive of solo jazz guitar. I am now enjoying translating some of that jazz guitar stuff to mando.

    So yeah they are similar especially if you play both guitar and mandolin but there are some definite mandolinistic sounds that only come out on the fifths tuning.

    Abercrombie tuned his electric mandolin like a guitar so that doesn’t count

    Don’t know if this Facebook post will work….it’s a clip from the show mentioned above. Many of those runs in the beginning is the Ryder as is the beginning of the big jam.


  7. The following members say thank you to Perry for this post:


  8. #81
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Upstate New York
    Posts
    24,807
    Blog Entries
    56

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    Going back to the original posters question so many years ago...

    The electric mandolin will add to an ensemble things an electric guitar will not. Especially in something improvisatory, like jazz or rock or swing. The electric mandolin will be played differently than the electric guitar. The intervals, the harmonies, which choices of progressions are easy and which are harder for a mandolinner, versus those of a guitar, the mandolinners intuitions developed with things tuned in fifths, all of that is going to be unique to the mandolin. Unless one went after emulating guitar solos note for note, the mandolin voice is going to be unique to the mandolin, even if the specific tonal qualities of the instrument. weren't
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

  9. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to JeffD For This Useful Post:


  10. #82
    Registered User lowtone2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    lower alabama
    Posts
    893

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?


  11. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to lowtone2 For This Useful Post:


  12. #83
    Registered User lowtone2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    lower alabama
    Posts
    893

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    Heard this today on SiriusXM’s Real Jazz channel.


  13. #84
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    There are two points to this mandolin. Well, three, when you factor in Jethro playing it.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Jethros Mandolin.jpg 
Views:	42 
Size:	597.8 KB 
ID:	208774

    Quote Originally Posted by Perry View Post
    Don’t know if this Facebook post will work….
    It does and it doesn't. It doesn't display the full frame, but it does play the audio. I've had the same problem with posting videos from fb. Don't know why.

    But I did want to say I also have a Ryder four-string. I've had great experiences with it. I don't play jazz, though I will venture into swing. Not with the Ryder, though - that's more for rock, blues, and country. Though to tell the truth, when I was working on my last album, one song called for some rocking. I got a stronger sound out of my Gibson A acoustic with Fishman bridge. Not sure why, but it really kicked butt. I'm pretty impressed with it. And I used the Ryder a lot in my old Americana band, always did great. Ah, life is full of mysteries.

    Anyway, you're the first person I've known to own a Ryder other than me.
    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!

  14. #85
    Registered User Tom Wright's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Rockville, MD
    Posts
    1,919
    Blog Entries
    7

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    I have a Ryder EM45, but mainly use my Almuse. I converted the 45 to 10-string.
    Bandcamp -- https://tomwright1.bandcamp.com/
    Videos--YouTube
    Sound Clips--SoundCloud
    The viola is proof that man is not rational

  15. The following members say thank you to Tom Wright for this post:


  16. #86
    Registered User BillWilliams's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2022
    Location
    Barreiro, Portugal
    Posts
    155

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    Its interesting to compare Don's sound and style in the Freight Trane video wheres he's playing a single course instrument and other tracks where he's on a double course electroacoustic mandolin

  17. The following members say thank you to BillWilliams for this post:


  18. #87
    Registered User BillWilliams's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2022
    Location
    Barreiro, Portugal
    Posts
    155

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    Quote Originally Posted by lowtone2 View Post
    Heard this today on SiriusXM’s Real Jazz channel.
    Thanks for the pointer - I had no idea Abercrombie also played mandolin.
    Had a guitar lesson from him once - he was patient and gracious.

  19. #88
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Albany NY
    Posts
    2,065

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    Lets face it electric instruments have weaved there way into the fabric of modern music, even into styles that traditionally use only acoustic instruments. While there are certainly settings where one may want to remain 100% acoustic for various reasons, in most situations introducing electric instruments is not considered Faux Pau, or impolite.
    On the question of single string verses course, I am one to think of mandolin sound as having the unison course. A single string electric mandolin to me does not sound any different than an electric guitar tone wise.
    Stormy Morning Orchestra

    My YouTube Channel

    "Mean Old Timer, He's got grey hair, Mean Old Timer he just don't care
    Got no compassion, thinks its a sin
    All he does is sit around an play the Mandolin"

  20. The following members say thank you to tmsweeney for this post:


  21. #89
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    Perhaps not. I switched to single strings during my stint in my first electric band, when I was playing an EM-150. It was bloody difficult to keep the double strings in tune with each other - sounded awful. Yes, one loses that distinctive ringing chorus-y sound, but one gains freedom from that headache. And also, as I found out much later when I got hip to light gauge strings, string bending. I will still bend strings on my amplified acoustic Gibson A, but it more suggests than actually presents a bent note. The Ryder gives me a two-fret bend. It almost satisfies my desire for a tremolo bar. Someday ... :cool.

    As to electric instruments in acoustic settings, I remember there was quite a furor when bluegrass/newgrass bands started using electric bass. Oh, the traditionalists went nuts about that! I think they've calmed down by now. It's been forty years ...
    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!

  22. #90
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Albany NY
    Posts
    2,065

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    I have an electric K mandola, coursed, I don't have the tuning problem as discussed ( at least I don't hear it) same for my Eastwood Electric octave, tuned in courses. I am expecting the Eastwood copy of the Batwing electrics, with coursed strings, so we shall see. I agree bending strings with coursed is not really practical.
    Stormy Morning Orchestra

    My YouTube Channel

    "Mean Old Timer, He's got grey hair, Mean Old Timer he just don't care
    Got no compassion, thinks its a sin
    All he does is sit around an play the Mandolin"

  23. #91
    Registered User jefflester's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    California
    Posts
    2,471

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    Quote Originally Posted by BillWilliams View Post
    Thanks for the pointer - I had no idea Abercrombie also played mandolin.
    Had a guitar lesson from him once - he was patient and gracious.
    https://www.fretboardjournal.com/fea...tric-mandolin/

  24. The following members say thank you to jefflester for this post:


  25. #92
    Registered User BillWilliams's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2022
    Location
    Barreiro, Portugal
    Posts
    155

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    Excellent article.

  26. #93
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Thailand
    Posts
    8

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    I would say mandolin and guitar have very distinct voices, electric or acoustic. I wouldn't be too concerned about them sounding alike.

  27. The following members say thank you to Thaitriplet for this post:


  28. #94
    Registered User lowtone2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    lower alabama
    Posts
    893

    Default Re: Is there much point to an electric jazz mandolin?

    Isaac says this mandola sounds like an electric guitar, but I think it has a quality that you really can’t get on guitar. Plus the completely different sounding chord voicings , etc…


Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •