[Date Prev][Date Next]   [Thread Prev][Thread Next]   [Date Index][Thread Index][Author Index]

Re: "A Night of Spontaneous Compositions" @ Visual Arts Collective - January 13



That's a nice looking mando, Paul...F-Style...pricey too!  As for the cheapy I am playing by Gold Tone, it's the only single-string, 6-string Mandolin I could find on the market without having one made. Gibson used to make one, but discontinued it. Relative to how the traditional mandolin is tuned (in fifths), I suppose mine is tuned in an "altered" way, as it is tuned exactly like a guitar out of the box.That is why it was so easy for me to pickup and play.  Heck, it's basically a miniature jazz hollow-body guitar...except I tune it down to C rather than starting at E. It loosens up the strings a bit.  But I may try some altered tunings, like tuning it in tri-tones. That ought to force me to play outside the box. I need to buy some replacement strings for it, but I'm afraid I'll have to just order the strings individually.
 
As for electrifying it, I had one of those McIntre acoustic feather pickups installed in it....and the strap button that serves as a jack....then I run it through an LA Bags acoustic preamp....it sound quite good, although if I was willing to spend more money, I would have bought a pickup that fits under the bridge....the feather pickup still picks up a bit of external noise, which ends up being sort of interesting for the type of music I am playing!
 
After a year, if I am still hot over this 6-string mandolin, I plan to have a luthier make me a custom version that is a bit larger scale..like a 6-string tenor mandolin...maybe drop a few grand or so on one.  The fret size on this thing is just so hard to get used to. It slows me down, which I guess I need to do anyway. :)
 
K-
----- Original Message -----

 
Kris;
Just picked up a "Michael Kelly Octave Mando Plus". Haven't put it to "loop" use yet but was wondering what you're doing for "electrifying" your mando. Also, have you experimented with altered tunings and if so any idea where to find a chart detailing string guages/ tensions/ tunings?
Thanks. - Paul
http://homepage.mac.com/pmimlitsch/


On Dec 13, 2006, at 6:34 PM, Krispen Hartung wrote:

In case anyone is lurking around Boise, Idaho in January...Kaiser and I are at it again with our laptops and unusual instruments/effects....except that I'm playing the 6-string mandolin now