Not wanting to hijack the recent thread on GDAD-tuned mandolin, I decided to start a thread of my own. I recently pulled my old Harmony mandolin out of its case (its first outing in a couple of years) and, as an experiment, restrung it with octave pairs on the G and D. I was very pleased with the result - a very sweet, bright sound, without any serious intonation problems.
I've taken it out to a couple of sessions* already. It probably wouldn't be my first choice for playing tunes on, but it sounds great accompanying songs with countermelody, chords and arpeggios.
Fort those that want to know, the gauges I used are (starting from E):
0.011 - 0.015 - 0.026/0.010 - 0.040/0.014
i.e. a modified D'Addario J74 set.
*N.B. My local sessions are not, let us say, genre-specific. For anyone who might be quaking in the boots at the thought of my turning up at their session with my 'experimentally' strung mandolin, you may rest assured, I would not bring it to an Irish trad session. Furthermore, I would urge anyone thinking of doing so to consider their actions very carefully.
I bought a mandriola from eBay a number of years ago - this had twelve strings - an octave plus the 'normal' pair. What I found was that it was hard to tune it and quite hard to play melody as you got different notes picking in different directions. I subsequently got a regular octave mandolin and more recently have converted the mandriola into a madolin. The octave sound was mice and rich though for accompaniement.
Octave-strung mandolin
Octave-strung mandolin
Not wanting to hijack the recent thread on GDAD-tuned mandolin, I decided to start a thread of my own. I recently pulled my old Harmony mandolin out of its case (its first outing in a couple of years) and, as an experiment, restrung it with octave pairs on the G and D. I was very pleased with the result - a very sweet, bright sound, without any serious intonation problems.
I've taken it out to a couple of sessions* already. It probably wouldn't be my first choice for playing tunes on, but it sounds great accompanying songs with countermelody, chords and arpeggios.
Fort those that want to know, the gauges I used are (starting from E):
0.011 - 0.015 - 0.026/0.010 - 0.040/0.014
i.e. a modified D'Addario J74 set.
*N.B. My local sessions are not, let us say, genre-specific. For anyone who might be quaking in the boots at the thought of my turning up at their session with my 'experimentally' strung mandolin, you may rest assured, I would not bring it to an Irish trad session. Furthermore, I would urge anyone thinking of doing so to consider their actions very carefully.
# Posted on July 3rd 2009 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Octave-strung mandolin
Right, I know what I'm doing at the weekend.
I've thought of trying this on the emergency mandolin that I keep in the car - now I will do it.
D
PS I've "considered very carefully" the idea of taking it to an Irish trad session and decided that I'm up for a good fight.
# Posted on July 3rd 2009 by showaddydadito
Re: Octave-strung mandolin
Ragman - hi jack away!
Sharing and exchanging ideas is one the things I like about this website.
I play a converted four string Aria e-mando at TIM sessions on occasion with old coins covering the open peg holes .
People look at me as if I only have four strings - I do.
# Posted on July 4th 2009 by Cape Cod Struggler
Re: Octave-strung mandolin
I bought a mandriola from eBay a number of years ago - this had twelve strings - an octave plus the 'normal' pair. What I found was that it was hard to tune it and quite hard to play melody as you got different notes picking in different directions. I subsequently got a regular octave mandolin and more recently have converted the mandriola into a madolin. The octave sound was mice and rich though for accompaniement.
# Posted on April 25th 2011 by Eachann mac Bodach
Mice and rich
I find that I am almost incapable of typing comments into this site without at least one typo
# Posted on April 25th 2011 by Eachann mac Bodach