I've lived in the Youngstown, Ohio area my entire 50+ years. I played guitar some in my teens (say from age 15 to about age 21), including being in a very low-rent, short-lived bar band in the early 80s. However, upon graduation from college, I pretty much set the hobby aside, and focused on the start of my professional career and family.
Fast forward about 27 years...A couple of years ago; I decided to start playing the guitar again, and to commit serious effort, time, and emotional energy into re-discovering my music. I had come to realize that I very much missed making music.
Although never really very good, I very much enjoyed playing both acoustic and electric guitar, with my focus on blues and classic rock (stuff like Neil Young, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Frank Zappa, etc). I played from tablature and by ear (though not very well), having never learned to read music.
A few months of fun and productive guitar playing ensued. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how quickly my very modest skills on the guitar were returning. Moreover, I found that my patience with myself and my personal goals mindset made for slow but stress-free skill progress.Then, in March of 2010, I decided that I wanted to also take-up mandolin, having always loved the way the mandolin sounded when it was effectively used in rock settings (Led Zeppelin, Rory Gallagher, & REM most especially). After some research on the incredibly informative Mandolin Café website, I purchased an inexpensive Kentucky student mandolin (a Kentucky KM-172 oval hole).
From almost the moment I started playing the mandolin I loved it! Almost everything about playing the mandolin seemed to make more sense to me than playing the guitar...chords, melodies, leads, rhythms...It all seemed much more intuitive to me on the mandolin.
I have not stopped playing the mandolin since the day my first mandolin arrived in March! Also, I haven’t played any of my guitars since I got a mandolin.
In June of 2010, I began getting pretty serious tendon pain in my left index finger after playing the Kentucky for any serious period of time (30 minutes or more). After researching (again, on the Mandolin Café) and talking to a few guitarists I know, it was suggested that a radiused (or slightly curved from edge to edge) fretboard might solve the problem. In mid-summer of 2010 I picked up a Breedlove Quartz 00 mandolin with a radiused board, and, voila! - I found that the tendon pain pretty much disappeared!
Since then I’ve added a couple of custom built mandolins from Howard 'Sonny' Morris in Irrigon, Oregon. Sonny is a great guy to work with, and he makes excellent mandolins. I am the proud owner of Morris Mandolin A5 # 178 and A4 # 186 (both pictured below). I find Sonny's mandolins to be remarkably easy to play, and to provide excellent tone for the price.
So, still early in my mandolin journey, my primary focus in my instruments is on playability. I’m focusing on mandolins that will help me improve my technique, and which I’ll be able to play for long periods of time at one sitting. (I have also recently found that an armrest mounted onto the mandolin really helps in this regard.)
A secondary focus for me in an instrument is versatility. I want a mandolin that sounds good while playing all types of music. In this regard, based on my experience so far with mandolins (to be detailed in another post...) I have found my 'A5' mandolin style (almond shaped body with double 'f' holes) to be remarkably versatile.
So, with all this in mind, what am I looking for in a mandolin?...I want a mandolin that:
- Is easy to play and hard to put down,
- Helps make me a better player,
- Is Versatile, Sound Great, and is Attractive.
Listening to mandolin Music & Mandolin Players:
In the short time I've been listening to and playing the mandolin, I've come to respect, admire and even be influenced by the playing of several great mandolin players, including (listed pretty much in order):
Marty Stuart, Tim O'Brien, Rory Gallagher, Jethro Burns, Rebecca Lovell, Andy Statman, Ry Cooder, Yank Rachell, Bill Monroe, Mike Marshall, John Paul Jones, Chris Thile, Levon Helm, Jimmy Page, David Grisman, Norman and Nancy Blake, Jody Stecher, Sarah Jarosz, Jimi Hocking, Gerry Hundt, Ronnie McCoury, Stuart Duncan, Adam Steffey.
So, what kind of mandolin music do I like to listen to and play? A list of primary interests include: Blues mandolin, Classic Rock, Irish Traditional Music (especially Jigs and Reels), Old-Time Music, Modern Folk, and Traditional Fiddle Tunes.Mandolins I've owned so far on this still short journey:
* Kentu
cky KM-172 (sold)* Breedlove Satin Burst Quartz OO (sold)
* Howard Morris Antique Tobacco Sunburst A5 # 178 (seen to the left)
* Howard Morris Honey Amber A4 # 186 (seen to the right)
Custom build mandolin on order: Highland Strings blackface Orpheus 2-Point (more to come on this!)
