Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Anyone play a mandola

#1

In the past I thought about branching out to the banjo. I’ve just played with a few in the local guitar shop. I really don’t like the longer fretboard (confirmed playing on my wife’s guitar). So think I’m sticking with the mandolin family.

I’m just curious if anyone on here plays mandola and how they like it. If you play one let me know how you like it compared to a mandolin please. Also, I’m curious what type of strings they use.

I’m a plodder on buying new stuff so I"m not looking to have a new instrument in my home any time soon (plus daughter #1 got married back in March and daughter #2 is getting married in January so unless I’m the band for the reception, the mandola is waiting) Just starting to get the bug for something new.

Thanks yall.

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#2

I believe @Mark_Rocka plays the Mandola

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#3

I don’t own a mandola, though I have played one before. To me, it just felt like a bigger, lower tuned mandolin. You’ll most likely have to use slightly different fingerings due to the larger frets, but other than that, the playing is largely the same. It’s a lot of fun, but not often used in a bluegrass context.
As for the strings, I’d probably start with these: https://store.banjobenclark.com/products/daddario-ej76-medium-phosphor-bronze-mandola-strings

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#4

I thought about getting one. I thought it would be fun, but I ended up not doing it. I don’t think I would use it that much with other folks, so I feared it would become a closet queen.

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#5

@Stuart.Gamble, I’m afraid I know nothing about mandola’s (or mandolins for that matter), but I feel your pain with daughters’ weddings. I paid for three weddings within a 2 year period several years back–really cuts into the toy budget. But congrats on the weddings all the same. And on another related note, my daughter #2 has recently become engaged to a great guy (after a particularly nasty divorce from a skunk). She stated that they don’t expect me to pay for this one, but to save money she wants me to play my banjo at her wedding. So the pressure is on to actually figure out how to do some decent playing in public. Fortunately I think she realizes that the bar of expectations needs to stay pretty low. :slightly_smiling_face:

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#6

@JKL Good luck with your upcoming banjo gig! I believe the last think my daughter wants to hear at the wedding is my picking (I’m going with just escorting her down the aisle, I’m better at walking than picking :slight_smile: )

Cool thing is, my wife and I were married in the same church as both my daughters and actually we will all have the same organist play (this guy has been the organist for over 30 years).

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#7

I love them! They’re really fun and a fresh new voice

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#8

I’m definitely not the best person to ask. I own an electeic mandocello, which is slightly bigger than a mandola. It’s only 4 strings, though, so I’m not even sure that counts. :laughing:

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#9

I have an Eastman MDA815. I play mandolin tunes on it, without adjusting the fretting. I haven’t yet tried to learn to play with it as a Mandola. Playing it for 10-15 minutes ends up being great finger exercise, and makes the mandolin seem a lot smaller. Eventually I’ll learn to play it as a Mandola, but for now, I enjoy just playing mandolin tunes on it, in a different key. It’s got a great sound, although it’s much more suited to open chords than chops.

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#10

oh i see :face_with_hand_over_mouth: I guess now you know my knowledge of such things :sweat_smile:

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