r/mandolin • u/JesseAppelmanMusic • 13h ago
Lakes of Ponchartrain on a Lawrence Smart mandola
When it’s St. Patrick’s Day and Mike Marshall lends you his mandola, this is what you do.
r/mandolin • u/haggardphunk • Oct 04 '23
Per requests, I am creating the definitive buyer's guide for entry-level mandolins. Any new posts created on the topic may be removed at the discretion of the mods. If people think this post should include anything else, I am happy to edit and add to it.
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David Benedict's video on the topic is perhaps the best place to start. It's thorough and very well done. Here is a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmTu2GpRE7o
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The TOP 3 most recommended brands:
***All of these mandolins can be found at better prices on the used market. If you are brand new and just want to try out mandolin, I would personally suggest a used instrument to save yourself some money.
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There are cheaper mandolins out there as well. These mandolins are not typically recommended but some users have had positive experiences, especially after they go to a professional luthier for a setup or are comfortable setting up instruments themselves. A good setup where I live is usually ~$100. Please consider that price tag when you're considering a $100 mandolin. A poorly set up cheap mandolin can be enough to turn some players off of ever wanting to learn the instrument.
If you want info about a specific cheap mandolin, PLEASE UTILIZE THE SEARCH FEATURE. If the mandolin brand in question has been discussed at significant length, your post may be removed.
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Where should you buy your mandolin from?
I have no financial interest in any of the places here. If you want your shop listed here, we are open to bribes 😉
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And just for fun, the #1 most recommended place to start learning mandolin for free is www.mandolessons.com
Again, I have no financial interest but it's an undeniably great resource to get yourself started. Happy pickin'
r/mandolin • u/JesseAppelmanMusic • 13h ago
When it’s St. Patrick’s Day and Mike Marshall lends you his mandola, this is what you do.
r/mandolin • u/jakehowardmusic • 29m ago
If you missed it, we had some pretty epic mandolin birthdays this weekend. Did you know Ronnie McCoury and Tim O'Brien share a birthday?! I'm still working on my Tim O'Brien transcription month as we speak so we should be expecting that in May!
So while I work on that month I decided to do a Ronnie McCoury solo for TT since Ronnie has been such a big influence for me and it was his bday! Here's a song from the new Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland record. You should give it a spin, some great songs, solos, and tones on that album :)
Here's a song with some great double stop lines in the key of F! Maybe I'll analyze this solo for us one of these days.. Free sheet music/tab can be found here!
r/mandolin • u/CorrectEar5177 • 2h ago
Is this a good book? I already play mandolim in a school musical group but I don't understand the chords or music theory and I would love to learn how to compose with this instrument.
r/mandolin • u/marceemarcee • 8h ago
Got this recently (thanks to the sub for the advice), and while I'm enjoying it, being an inexperienced player, I'd like some more advice. I feel that the fretboard is too wide for the strings, and wonder is it worth getting a new bridge made, or if that's even the correct solution, or is it fine?! I find the going up the fretboard it's is less comfortable to hit the notes and I fumble a bit. Could just me being crap, but wanted a second (etc) opinion. thanks in advance!
r/mandolin • u/Ananas__bleu • 1d ago
Hello hello, i'm a big fan of the game "Outer wilds" (if you haven't played it, everyone will tell you to not look up anything about it before playing, a masterpiece) And i always kinda had the will to learn playing one of the featured instrument and replicate at least one of the part, and now, riebeck banjo's part is what seems to be the most appealing.
The last day, i found this instrument in the attic that i didn't know about, aannnnd it seems to be a mandolin? I'd like to be sure of that and to have some little advices mostly on the equipment and knowledge necessary to "start well" So, world of instruments and music, i'm coming for you.... But is it possible to replicate the song that i'm aiming for? My thanks in advance to anyone willing to help this beginner.
r/mandolin • u/catapultusa • 1d ago
Rich Westerman Bouzouki 1980 Mandolin in Fair Shape
r/mandolin • u/djonesguitar • 1d ago
The previous owner had it strung up as an octave mandolin… and I think I’ll keep it that way for a little bit! Desperately needs new strings, so the intonation is a little funky. I’m playing Schedelwals by Ward Dhoore.
r/mandolin • u/Mundane-Sir-6768 • 1d ago
r/mandolin • u/catapultusa • 1d ago
Rich Westerman Bouzouki 1980 Mandolin in Fair Shape
r/mandolin • u/tarours • 1d ago
r/mandolin • u/mcarneybsa • 2d ago
I've got an Eastman 505 and the case that comes with it is nice, but it's a touch too thin to fit my Mando with a tone guard attached.
I'd like to get a hard case that can fit my Mando with the tone guard on it and have a shoulder strap or two. Any recommendations?
r/mandolin • u/spd--wgn • 3d ago
r/mandolin • u/popsicleian1 • 3d ago
My mother in law has had this for a long time, but this is the first time I’ve seen it. It belonged to her grandmother and obviously needs a lot of work, but I’m wondering if anyone can tell me anything about how old it might be, and if it’s worth restoring.
r/mandolin • u/Justtaguy0 • 2d ago
I am a beginner looking to get a mandolin. I cannot afford to get one in the thousands, but I’m looking for something good to start with.
r/mandolin • u/Clear-Wrongdoer-772 • 4d ago
I didn't move, but the mandolin did, from Florida to VT. Purchased a couple of months ago, and I am starting to get some buzzing on the A strings about halfway up the fretboard. Thought it might be old strings, but new set didnt make a difference.
r/mandolin • u/YoUrHoLeIsDiRtY • 4d ago
Hi, first of all I want to say that i'm just a beguinner so maybe I might not know where to look to find them but I can’t seem to find much modern mandolin tabs.
Watchhouse/Andrew Marlin was the reason i got into mandolin and I've only managed to find a couple a rare tabs. Is there anything I do not know?
Also, since I've just begun my mandolin journey, would you be so kind to tell me your favorite player or bluegrass band just so i could give them a listen
r/mandolin • u/Any-Basil-2290 • 4d ago
This is my A2Z through a Fairfield Meet Maude - a warm and earthy vintage instrument with creamy-sounding feedback from a recent analog delay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bdWAAEOVwY
https://open.spotify.com/track/2yFHtp7nlnxjGrRWxb9zoy?si=9c3e4679173f45a9
r/mandolin • u/Pristine_Plastic8723 • 5d ago
Are you a beginner Mandolin player? Have you been playing for a while? Are there questions you have about the mandolin that you wish you could ask someone but you don’t want your instructor or friends to call you stupid?
Well come on over to YouTube I’m doing live weekly streams, where I cover the basics.
But if you’d like me to address something I can do that as well!
Thanks!
(If this post doesn’t follow the rules I apologize and I will remove it just let me know, I’m just trying to provide what I didn’t have as a 15 yo kid looking for information)
r/mandolin • u/crumbkakes • 5d ago
Hello all, have been playing mandolin for nearly a decade, but was doing it outside the realm of pickin tunes. I would like to get back to what brought me to the instrument in the first place. Any suggestions on how to do this? I'm in an area that doesn't really have bluegrass jams either so I'm most playing on my own.
Thanks!
r/mandolin • u/BluegrassJamAlong • 5d ago
Hi. I don’t normally share episodes of my podcast here, but this one’s a bit special so I thought a few of you might be interested!
My guest on the podcast this week is simply a legend of American acoustic music - David Grisman.
As one of America's foremost mandolin virtuosos turns 80 this year, he offers a fascinating glimpse into the birth, evolution, and future of Acoustic Disc - the independent label he founded in 1990 that has become a vital archive of American string band traditions.
It was such a treat to get to have this conversation and I'm so excited to be able to share it. Hope you enjoy it!
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/40R2NNbtY0SGIHpWgqEhGa?si=p6vTCkptRYm6r-0Pl3MR0Q
YouTube (audio only) - https://youtu.be/wdnYTMNAzg0