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Post by vikingblues on Jan 12, 2014 19:31:45 GMT
For a change GAS is maybe alleviated / reduced at no cost. Salvaged by my Mum from the back of a cupboard - a Mandolin that must be at least 30 years old! No labels inside - no logos etc on the headstock / back of the headstock. Does have the following printed on the body:- Tannhauser GES.GESCH.    I've ordered some new loop strings. The ones that are on it must be at least 20 years old, so I don't dare to try to tune them - there'd be flying metal everywhere. Surprisingly it sounds not to bad even with dirt ridden old rusted strings on it. Has been zipped up in a proper mandolin bag for it's time in storage which has maybe helped. Not really any scratches / damage that I can see. When the strings arrive I'm hoping it can do some duty in duetting with my better half and her ukes. Anybody recognise the name of / know anything about Tannhauser. I've tried some Google searching but not much luck other than finding they also did Harp Guitar (Tannhauser is obviously a name that will come up with many, many hits nothing to do with a mandolin!). Tannhauser Harp GuitarThe name would suggest Germany, but that could well be a red herring. I will maybe get some sound samples for opinions at some point. I've currently not much idea what a decent mandolin should sound like. As for tuning and chord shapes etc - there's some more homework for me. |
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leoroberts
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Post by leoroberts on Jan 12, 2014 20:07:28 GMT
I can tell you that one was recently sold at auction in Canada by Michael Spooner and Sons Auctioneers for C$80... doesn't tell you much about them - but gives you an idea of value vikingblues |
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windminstrel
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Post by windminstrel on Jan 13, 2014 19:46:30 GMT
One sold on Ebay (scroll down the page): Ebay Listing...will get back when I get some more info. |
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windminstrel
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Post by windminstrel on Jan 13, 2014 22:13:22 GMT
..... if you know anybody who speaks German, this may help:
Working off some of the info I could understand, I found a mandolin maker in Markneukirchen, Bavaria called Fritz Dick in a Historic Addressbook Genealogical site, the entry is as follows:
Dick Fritz Mandolinenmacher Schützenstr. 64 1929
.... even if this information has nothing at all to do with your mandolin, I find researching fun. There seemed to be quite a few stringed instrument makers / handlers in this place.
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Jan 13, 2014 23:10:50 GMT
..... if you know anybody who speaks German, this may help: I'm sure Akquarius would do a better job, but, resorting to Google translator - i will start to try to breathe some life "Master Tannhäuser" . Underlying this is an instrument maker (guitar maker ? ) Richard Dick and distributors . The Life-history I have not unfortunately . As so often here in Mark Neukirchen served the first letter of the name as Signum (fire temple / list ) . The company was founded in 1885 in Mark Neukirchen. It was according to the entry in the global address book from 1926 , a musical instrument strings and shipping in the Erlbacher Road 842 In the WAB ( 1932) was the Company's headquarters in Apian - Bennewitz Road 847 B , and it states: " String and Woodwind production and action." Plucked were in any case built there in the workshop, in wind instruments " RIDI " was probably only intermediaries (?) . The owners of the company were both Richard and Bruno Dick. Guitars were so beautiful names like " Tannhäuser ", " Arion " , "The Little Quiet" or " Walter vd Vogelweide " .
Now you could write a small novel to do so. There were later made ??including tennis rackets, the family went to Germany , etc. But this leads us too far . Would be something for "East-West Gechichten " .
Keith |
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Post by missclarktree on Jan 14, 2014 18:46:31 GMT
vikingblues said, "For a change GAS is maybe alleviated / reduced at no cost.
Salvaged by my Mum from the back of a cupboard - a Mandolin that must be at least 30 years old!"
Wow! Wish my Mum had cupboards like that.
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Post by vikingblues on Jan 14, 2014 19:07:03 GMT
Thank you very much for your research and efforts at getting information. I really appreciate it.  That one on the e-bay listing posted by windminstrel looks to be very similar, though the pattern on the back of mine has the same two colours but in a fanned out shape a bit like like thick rays from a light. Good research on finding that German text, and thanks Keith - that translator gives a good flavour even if it's not a perfect translation! Can be a bit of fun trying to solve a mystery. I was optimistic that with it being at least 35 years old it probably was actually made in Germany - not sure there was so much farming out instrument making to other parts of the world back then. It does seem pretty solid and not distressed from its age. I've just received a set of strings today so hopefully I'll get a chance to put them on and try it out a bit better tonight. Though I'm going to be struggling to know where notes are with yet another different tuning.  |
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windminstrel
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Post by windminstrel on Jan 14, 2014 19:53:48 GMT
It does seem pretty solid and not distressed from its age. I've just received a set of strings today so hopefully I'll get a chance to put them on and try it out a bit better tonight. Though I'm going to be struggling to know where notes are with yet another different tuning. ..... I'm getting quite interested in mandolins after looking around at various websites. The following may be of use in your quest: Mandolin Cafe
Mandolin Tab Net
Mandolin Magazine
Mandolin Chord Find
Playing Mandolin (UK)
Cheers, Paul  |
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Post by vikingblues on Jan 15, 2014 14:04:22 GMT
vikingblues said, "For a change GAS is maybe alleviated / reduced at no cost.
Salvaged by my Mum from the back of a cupboard - a Mandolin that must be at least 30 years old!"
Wow! Wish my Mum had cupboards like that.
It has a lot to do with the fact that my late father was very keen on not throwing anything out. It does seem pretty solid and not distressed from its age. I've just received a set of strings today so hopefully I'll get a chance to put them on and try it out a bit better tonight. Though I'm going to be struggling to know where notes are with yet another different tuning. ..... I'm getting quite interested in mandolins after looking around at various websites. The following may be of use in your quest: Mandolin Cafe
Mandolin Tab Net
Mandolin Magazine
Mandolin Chord Find
Playing Mandolin (UK)
Cheers, Paul Thanks for those links Paul. Certainly interesting and useful. Helped to give me some guidelines on a brief noodle I managed on it last night. Not much time to play it as changing the strings took quite a long time - partly down to having to get the technique right for getting the looped ends of the strings to attached correctly. A couple of the machine heads are rather stiff too - but I got there in the end. It sounds not bad at all - even with me playing it. I'll try and demo some sounds in the next few days. |
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Post by vikingblues on Jan 15, 2014 19:22:11 GMT
Additions to the info which you have very helpfully given me here. Mark Neukirchen - which I thought was someones name is a place - Markneukirchen in Saxony. "A surprising fact is that Germany, despite its high population density, still has 29% of its land mass covered by woods and forests. It is probably for these climatic and geographical reasons, that during the last century, the European country most famous for producing mandolins after Italy, was Germany. During the period of the existence of E. Germany, there was practically a factory-scale production of instruments around Markneukirchen in Saxony. Sadly, due to the principles of the regime, individual luthiers, some of whom were excellent, were prohibited from putting their names in their creations. Thus there are many German mandolins still in existence, and amongst them, some of excellent quality made by master luthiers. "from this site : Mandolin Luthier Website ref German Mandolin makers.So it would appear East Germany, at least 10 years before the Berlin wall came down, is birthplace of the mandolin. Elsewhere on the same site we have a page about domed mandolins. Domeback Mandolins"These arch back mandolins are typical of many made in Germany in Markneukirken. The back is often made in contrasting woods, and is domed."The pictured examples of this type of Markneukirken mandolin are very much like mine. There are too a couple of pictures specifically labelled Tannhauser. However given the part I've highlighted in bold above - " Sadly, due to the principles of the regime, individual luthiers, some of whom were excellent, were prohibited from putting their names in their creations." - it would appear highly unlikely I will make any further progress on finding who made the instrument. |
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windminstrel
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Post by windminstrel on Jan 16, 2014 19:53:55 GMT
- it would appear highly unlikely I will make any further progress on finding who made the instrument. .... maybe, maybe not  . ..... meanwhile, this may be of interest to either yourself or others on the forum: Mandolin History |
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Post by vikingblues on Jan 16, 2014 19:54:29 GMT
One very small soundbite. A simple Scottish Slow Air - "Ashokans Farewell" (Jay Ungar) from Nigel Gatherers Mandolin Site. Two tracks - one part playing chords, the other on lead. Simple chords thankfully : D,G,Em,C, though A (frets 2,2,4,5 a bit more tricky). I don't tend to listen to this sort of music and I certainly don't play it, so the end result could be well of the mark technically and timing wise. First Test of Tannhauser MandolinIt's nice to let an instrument sing after so many years. Also a strange but good feeling to have an instrument played by my late father - though he never really got the hang of the mandolin - his speciality was keyboards (piano and clavichord) played to a high standard very well indeed. Does it sound half decent an instrument to those of you who know more about mandolins? Bearing in mind the inexpertise of the player! I think I could have positioned the microphone with more care if I'd had time for a better sound too. |
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windminstrel
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Post by windminstrel on Jan 16, 2014 20:08:31 GMT
....nice to hear it being played. I am not a mandolin owner or player (yet), but to me it sounded good. You have done well in such a short time. Well done. |
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Post by ocarolan on Jan 17, 2014 1:07:38 GMT
I enjoyed the sound of your mandolin vikingblues, and it seems you're getting the hang of it already - nice one.  I still find an A major chord of 2245 is a bit of a handful for me after many years of trying. So I hardly ever play that shape unless absolutely ncessary, and tend to use 6700 a lot or 2200 (which is really A5, neither major nor minor) instead. have you tried those? Either would work fine in Ashokan Farewell. Keith |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2014 10:57:54 GMT
Can't help specifically, but I do remember that there were a lot of very similar East German mandolins out there in the '70s, retailing at the budget end of the market. I remember buying a second hand one labelled Musima for 15 quid from Camden market. It was a pig to fret but sang true enough and was really loud!
Regarding chords, another two finger A that's useful is 6200, with 5200 to form an A minor sitting only a fret away.
Might be a good idea to work on 2245 occasionally though, because it's so easy to form all sorts of A variants out of there with little movement, such as Amin (2235), A7 (2243), Amin6 (0045) - a creepy inversion, known to scare horses and attract sheep - and Amin7 (2233), plus the closed shapes are moveable and lend themselves to rhythmic "chunking" techniques. I'll add that with that same second fret barre down you can also finger other shapes, like a G6 (4253) and an Emin (4223). The mandolin is a very accommodating instrument.
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Jo whoever he is.
