|
Post by martinrowe on Feb 28, 2024 16:26:31 GMT
David Oddy fixed a mandolin for me years ago, when he was doing it he told me of someone in South Devon who collected his instruments and regularly asked him to make another for him - "he must have about eight by now". He seemed bemused as to why anyone would want more than one. He also called Steve Knightly a "lazy b****r" as he didn't change his strings regularly - so you're not alone leoroberts - (and neither am I)
|
|
|
Post by martinrowe on Feb 20, 2024 12:31:26 GMT
Can't remember if I said this last time but I have three, a 1mm and two 1.5's. I used them for a bit and have no problem picking them up. There is no 'plasticky' sound from them, I interchange between them and the Wegen Mandolin 1.25 which I've been using for a fair while and, at the moment, don't see myself moving away from. Wegen's are warmer to my ears. A while ago I went through my old picks that I've bought and tried them, and they all sound inferior to a Blue Chip and a Wegen - adding together what I've paid for the cheap ones would easily pay for a Blue Chip - that's just aggravating as to my ears the cheap ones are simply no good. You could borrow the Blue Chip's but they have a left handed bevel. I still think of buying a 1.25 Jazz Blue Chip (think that's right) as they seem to be general purpose, but knowing that I'd be pleased after spending that amount of money is still an unknown and stops me taking the leap. For what it's worth I think it's the absence of that plasticky sound that is the reason people like them. I think the marketing works against itself. The fact that all those professionals endorse them gives you the sense that all you have to is to buy one and all your problems will be solved. I think they would be better off selling them by being honest i.e. that they are a good starting point (and the cheap ones stop you from even starting) that and you still have to learn to use a pick i.e. Bluegrass, Strumming, or rest stroke technique. I've heard professionals say that their pick technique is ongoing. I'm wondering if it simply takes years of trial and error. The Blue Chips and Wegen get you on the first rung. Taking a punt on a Wegen is not as expensive and is worth it in my view. I was surprised by this from Sven Jungbeck: Sven JungbeckLooking at it again it's a bit Wegen centric but he does talk about a Dunlop 1.5mm. It's the first 5 minutes - he's good though - no bull or smarminess. He does talk about those Dunlops in another video and does talk about playing them in as they will create a bevel as a result of your own technique. Hope it helps, I've found it a minefield. Enough(and ongoing), other opinions are available
|
|
|
Post by martinrowe on Feb 11, 2024 10:44:31 GMT
No need to get personal!
|
|
|
Post by martinrowe on Feb 7, 2024 15:29:57 GMT
That sounds good Leo - that sort of thing can be hit or miss can't it - glad it went well. I subscribe to Peghead Nation for online lessons and it works for me. I think the 'homework' scorpiodog mention comes into it, only in my case, to me. I'm paying £3 a week and I kick myself if I don't use it, I know it's 'only' £3 but that provides me with a slight nudge which seems to work and keeps me progressing. I think there is a notion that 'if something is free then you don't value it so much' - that seems to apply in this case, for me. Mind you, I wouldn't say no to a week of Bluegrass Mandolin teaching from Mike Compton at one of the Bluegrass festivals in the USA, or even a week in Paris at the Django Gypsy Jazz festival - just putting it out there folks - just putting it out there.
|
|
|
Post by martinrowe on Feb 5, 2024 23:32:37 GMT
|
|
|
Post by martinrowe on Feb 2, 2024 13:27:48 GMT
Here's Billy Strings who, if you don't know, is very big in the Bluegrass world, sold out concert tours etc, and his story on how he decided to learn theory. I thought it resonates.
|
|
|
Post by martinrowe on Jan 22, 2024 19:25:08 GMT
colins Hiscox Guitar Case Acquisition Syndrome - that's serious isn't it?
|
|
|
Post by martinrowe on Jan 20, 2024 22:19:46 GMT
Listening to that I had an inane grin on my face - always a good sign.
|
|
|
Post by martinrowe on Dec 23, 2023 8:06:45 GMT
Robbie
Over the summer I bought an Ellis left handed adjustable nut and bridge from Ellis Mandolins in Texas for my Pava Mandolin. I wanted something that I knew worked and finding them in England was impossible, so I went to the source.
After quite a few emails they sent me them (I still have to fit them) - cost me about £50 which was fine. The first shipping quote I was given was twice that, (the person in the office handling that side of things was in the dark, I'm not sure if they'd done much of that before). I queried it and did some searching myself and then received another shipping quote for about £10-20 if I remember - it wasn't expensive anyway. I think it was the USA's equivalent of Royal Mail and arrived in about 5 days. Hope it helps.
Big tracked parcels may be different but my pieces arrived in a padded jiffy bag and were fine.
Martin
|
|
|
Post by martinrowe on Dec 18, 2023 11:40:35 GMT
Yes. thanks doc
|
|
|
Post by martinrowe on Dec 15, 2023 22:20:17 GMT
That's great - loved it.
|
|
|
Post by martinrowe on Dec 7, 2023 9:20:02 GMT
I'm a bit concerned about that shirt.
|
|
|
Post by martinrowe on Dec 3, 2023 22:19:04 GMT
Lucinda Williams has a great voice doesn't she. I posted one up a short while ago on the Acoustic Cafe thread - Choctaw Bingo written by Ray Wylie Hubbard and sung by James McMurtry. To me the words have what I call resonance i.e their meaning seems to be fathomless. This Clay Pigeonsknocks me sideways every time I hear it. I deliberately don't play it much because what happens is that I keep on playing it and never tire of it. I first heard it sung by Ged Darby on here. Same thing as above really, one line gets me and then I realise that the song is full of lines with endless meaning. No matter how many times I listen to these there always seems to be another subtle meaning that encompasses something. A lot of Dylan and John Prine's stuff I could say the same about - but most people know about those I think.
|
|
|
Post by martinrowe on Nov 30, 2023 10:24:51 GMT
Ray Wylie Hubbard song performed by James McMurtry (father wrote the Last Picture Show).
Not many lyrics like this around methinks - very topical, all about a family reunion.
Double drop D apparently - one chord really.
|
|
|
Post by martinrowe on Nov 23, 2023 12:06:33 GMT
Brilliant song isn't it. (And a great late sixties/early seventies pine tongue and grooved wall to boot. More knots than you can shake a stick at. Did one of those with the Brother-In-Law back in the day. Always best to leave the wood in the room that your'e going to be working with it in to let it acclimatise.)
|
|