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Post by alexkirtley on May 27, 2014 21:52:16 GMT
Today I went into a music shop and just decided for the fun of it to pick up a mandolin for the first ever time, the guy there showed me a few chords, I was messing around with it for a while and slowly started developing a liking for the mandolin, now I want to buy one.
The mandolin I liked and played was a old bowlback mandolin, the tuners said they were patented in 1900 so it was probably made somewhere between 1900 and 1920, it had a maple bowl and I personally liked it, I don't know the make, didn't check, the guy there said it sounded thin but I didn't know as I had nothing to compare it to, I thought it sounded nice though, this was £80, however he also mentioned he had another currently in repair that will be for sale, that one was apparently nicer, better made and with a rosewood bowl, however that one will be around £150.
I can just about afford the maple one, I can't afford the other one, do you think it may be best saving for the 'better' one or buying the one I can afford and have played.
I know people say you can't play bluegrass or blues on a bowlback mandolin but I don't see why not, the £80 one has a nice sound that would suit it particularly well and there is a video of someone playing a ragtime piece on a bowlback from 1886, it sounded good!, in addition, I have a 20's open back banjo and I collect gramophones and phonographs so one of these would make a nice, antique addition I think.
Opinions?
Thanks
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walkingdecay
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Post by walkingdecay on May 27, 2014 23:34:47 GMT
If you have the chance I would try some flatbacks first to see if you favour them. Personally I prefer A and F styles for their rather less brittle tones and projection, and for me they are physically easier to handle than bowlbacks, but in the end if you like the feel and tone of the one you tried that's the most important consideration.
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Post by vikingblues on May 28, 2014 7:32:16 GMT
As said - if you like the feel and tone of an instrument then that's not to be ignored. If it's a new type of instrument you're wanting to play and you find it comfortable straight away that's good news and makes good progress much more likely. It would be useful to try some other types if you can, just in case you find you have an even stronger liking for the different sound, or indeed the playing feel and comfort. Bowlbacks have the reputation for being more difficult to play, but if you've already tried on and like it that maybe isn't a factor. Bluegrass is a blank canvass to me but I'm not convinced about the oft said blues players shouldn't use the bowlbacks - I've seen it said because of the less fat tone. I can't help but think of the numbers of Telecaster and Strat players who have had a great deal of success in the blues genre with a somewhat less than fat tone. Most of the blues feel on any instrument comes from the player anyway - hell you can play blues on a cittern if you feel inclined! This compartmentalising by the rules police is irritating - only certain types of instruments for certain types of music, must use a pick when playing electric guitar, etc., etc. Narrow minds ... and I'm sure I'm as guilty of thinking that way as anyone. At the sort of price level you're looking at it wouldn't be out of the question that a flatback could come along as an addition at some point in the future anyway.
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Post by Trevor TAMCO on May 28, 2014 7:54:40 GMT
If you like it buy. If you get on with the mandolin you can explore and move on later.
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Martin
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Post by Martin on May 28, 2014 8:10:22 GMT
Seems a good price for an antique mandolin if it's in good playing condition and you like it well enough.
You can play any sort of music you want on it as far as I'm concerned. The only thing I'd say about bluegrass is that some mandolin styles are more suited to the requirements of bluegrass music, at least when played acoustically (without amplification), in that they will be louder, with more projection and typically have a bluegrass 'bark' when playing rhythmic chop chords. I found that out when trialling some mandolins for a bluegrass setting, and eventually plumping for an Eastman 'A' style with 'F' holes.
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walkingdecay
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Post by walkingdecay on May 28, 2014 10:55:29 GMT
The only thing I'd say about bluegrass is that some mandolin styles are more suited to the requirements of bluegrass music, at least when played acoustically (without amplification), in that they will be louder, with more projection and typically have a bluegrass 'bark' when playing rhythmic chop chords. I found that out when trialling some mandolins for a bluegrass setting, and eventually plumping for an Eastman 'A' style with 'F' holes. That's true. You can get around the lack of bark for rhythm playing by muting with the back of the hand, simply because you're basically hitting the beat like a snare drum, but when playing breaks it becomes difficult to get the growl of playing partial chords on the lower strings that Bill Monroe made part of the sound of bluegrass mandolin. Nothing to stop you fudging, or playing those passages in a linear fashion though.
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Post by alexkirtley on May 28, 2014 12:06:44 GMT
I think I may buy it, or at least one of them. I was browsing and found Kenny Hall, who plays a roundback and it sounds quite good, for the maple one £80 is his asking price, and he probably has had it a while, considering I have bought several instruments from him in the past he may be able to knock it down in price.
The action is good, seems stable, I think any back splits were repaired, and the price of mandolins seem to be quite acceptable so I can always buy a Loar flatback mandolin later if I desire.
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Post by curmudgeon on Jun 4, 2014 19:55:31 GMT
I'll not comment on an £80 instrument but I do have some experience in playing bluegrass. Fretted instruments developed and refined in the 20th century came into existence as a tool for a specific job.
Mr Gibson did more development work on the mando than anyone else and he developed the carved top/back mando to be used in mando orchestras, but because of their far superior tonal qualities and strength became the standard.
Bluegrass is "old time" music on steroids and is a performance music as opposed to dance music and all the instruments commonly used are "bred" to give high volume and power.
The banjo changed from the frailing design to the resonator banjo, the guitar changed from being a 000 or a Gibson to a Martin dreadnought, and the mandolin changed from simple flat-backs or the a-o to the F-5 model - because it had the cutting power.
The bowl-back mando is a fragile classical instrument and fine for that purpose - but it isn't going to cut it in a bluegrass environment.
It's a bit like trying to play a classical gut strung guitar in a bluegrass jam. It's not snobbery or eliteism - it is just a matter of "tools for the job" - that's all.
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