I'm a fiddle player (based in the UK) toying with the idea of getting hold of an octave mandola. Initially, I don't want to spend much more than £300. Any suggestions as to what I should consider buying (or what to avoid)? Thanks
try a crowd called Celtic Star based in Germany, they sell stuff on youtube. i bought a bouzouki off them with a pickup for 200 euro - not the best but not the worst either
Do you mean "octave mandolin" (octave below mandolin) or Is there such a thing as an "octave mandola" (octave below mandola)? I had mandola that I tuned down to octave mandolin pitch because my hands are too small to play a real octave mandolin. It lost a little brightness, but worked pretty well for playing backup in a band that played Irish, Scottish and English dance music.
The mandola/mandolin thing is a bit confusing - what I'm after is the instrument that's tuned EADG like a fiddle so I'll automatically know where to put my fingers! I think that's an octave mandola??
Tracie is right enough, it's an octave mandolin, tuned EADG. TheSilver Spear is talking about my mate Seumas MacLennan who does make lovely instruments but they are quite far from your budget. I've heard of Freshwater OM's that go relatively inexpensively but I think you'll struggle to get one for that type of budget to be honest.
The terminology does seem to be a bit confused. I've heard them called either 'octave mandolin' or 'octave mandola'. It's the same instrument, normally. To me, I'd rather call it an 'octave mandola' because it seems stupid to call a big instrument by a name that means "little mandola". But then, there's the ambiguity over whether it should be an octave lower than mandola ...
So bogman, you are suggesting that an octave mandola, or Octave mandolin is the instrument that's tuned EADG like a fiddle .? .......
you play the mandolin? mandola?
so he >>'' will automatically know where to put my fingers! I think that's an octave mandola??''<<
No west coast its not. Its a mandolin, like I said.
Unfortunately it appears bogman knows as much as you do about the instrument and is IMO perhaps not the best person on this thread to take advice from bearing that in mind.
It dose help to read what is being said, rather than what you think they said.
I agree NCFA ridiculous. But don't take my word for it, there are actually quite a few of us here who DO play the instrument, and have done so for decades. before intervening further shall we wait and see what the others have to say?
Well please bear in mind before you launch into a tirade of abuse that I also play the mandolin and bouzouki (neither particularly well but both well enough to offer "expert" advice by your standards).
No one is suggesting that the OM is the same size as a fiddle or plays in the same octave. Everyone can agree that that is the mandolin. That is not what west-coaster is after though.
Well I would agree with bogman that £300 is quite a small budget for a reasonable OM or bouzouki. It isn't like guitars in that mass production brings the prices down. It is quite easy to get a reasonable guitar for that money.
Ozark might have something that would suffice. My first bouzouki was a basic Ozark. That was considerably under £300. It wasn't very good though.
The best value could come through second hand options but it might require some patience.
"So bogman, you are suggesting that an octave mandola, or Octave mandolin is the instrument that's tuned EADG like a fiddle .? .......
you play the mandolin? mandola?"
here we go again
Spellbreaker. I play in a trad trio. Me, a fiddle player and Seumas on Octave Mandolin, sometimes misnamed a Mandola. Seumas is a well respected luthier. His speciality is OM's. You can ask Frank Tate about him. I play with Seumas probably 100 times a year. He stays at my house every thursday after the session. There are people on this site that will confirm this if necessary. The OP being from the west coast of Scotland, there's a fair chance he knows of Seumas.
You mean youve been playing mandolin professionally for 40 odd yrs? I dont think so NCFA. As far as Im concerned an expert in the field of trad will have done so at least. there are very few Posters here who qualify IMHO. Im an intermediate player with 25yrs under my belt, and a bit of extra body fat too
Expert? means different things to different people....
See! That's the behaviour I was talking about on the other thread. If you could disagree with someone and not act like a douche about it, i.e. screaming that they are ignorant and that you've been playing for X years, you would be treated with a lot more respect by your fellow Mustardians. Just sayin'.
Addendum: Even if you think to yourself, "That guy is a moron," you come across much better if you don't SAY that. Politely and rationally disagree with someone's assertions, if you must, but avoid the ad hominums and don't accuse other posters of ignorance or anything else.
No Will, I don't consider myself an expert on either instrument at all. I have already said that I am no good at either. I wouldn't even describe myself as an intermediate player. I would say I own them. I know enough to know their respective sizes though and how they are tuned. I have also bought them in the past and shopped around. Therefore I have enough basic knowledge to answer the question - which I have now done.
dito NCFA, I 'own' a mandolin and an octave mandolin. I could say, if I were someone else, I've being playing mandolin for 20 years. But no, I can play some tunes on them but that's it. I'm not a 'mandolin player' but then neither is spellbreaker.
The only mandolin family instrument tuned like a fiddle with a similar scale length that matches the OP's expressed requirements is the mandolin.
TSS. Ok. thanks for the advise.
[edit]
The OP;
>>I'm a fiddle player (based in the UK) toying with the idea of getting hold of an octave mandola. Initially, I don't want to spend much more than £300. Any suggestions as to what I should consider buying (or what to avoid)? Thanks <<>> The mandola/mandolin thing is a bit confusing - what I'm after is the instrument that's tuned EADG like a fiddle so I'll automatically know where to put my fingers! I think that's an octave mandola??
If I'm permitted to speak Spellbreaker, west-coaster could be talking of either. Would you agree with that. It's simple. west-coaster, if you are looking for the instrument roughly the same size as a fiddle then your looking for a mandolin, but judging by your bio I can't imagine you don't know what a mandolin is. If your looking for the instrument, tuned GDAE, roughly the size of a banjo then you're looking for an octave mandolin.
But west-coaster didn't ask for something of the same scale length. They asked for something of the same tuning so that they knew where to put their fingers.
All the instruments within that family can be tuned the same as a fiddle. They can also be tuned differently (as indeed can the fiddle). I am sure west-coaster knows what a mandolin is. That is not what they want.
Why do people get so excited about the name of this instrument?
It seems to me that it just another example of the rich diversity of the English/American language. I play a Fylde OM and as the maker calls it an Octave Mandola, so do I. I also couldn't give a flying frog if someone else calls it an Octave Mandolin. To me, the main indicator of what the scale length ,purpose or standard tuning it is in is the terms Tenor or Octave. I have read lots of articles each of which is quite adamant that there terminology is the only right one, It's almost as bad as religions.
Back to the OP, Ashbury do some good value for money instruments. The quality can be quite variable, so you need to play before you buy to get a good one.
west coaster (where?); I can confirm what both TSS and BM have to say about Seumas on Skye, as he dose make fine instruments, of which I've played quite a few. They do sound good and look very bonny and I think they are very competitively priced actually despite the high standard. Would be worth having a word with him anyway as he dose have an ear to the ground regarding second had instruments as well as building his own.
I can guarantee you that I am a worse mandolin player than both of you. I know Al at least will swear to that, as he's witnessed me staring hopelessly at something with frets. So there.
Unfortunately for us solid, spellchecker can only correct errors in relation to its data base. so dose is a fine word unfortunately it means something differently to does. as I noticed in my post above.
Perhaps thy think you are me? same spelling error... I mean come on, they thought I was little chup and big tab because we both post from Clare and our spelling aint so hot! , I mean look at who got taken in by that! talk about embarrassing! LOL some people have no shame
Done it myself on occasion so who am I to judge? Didn't notice until pointed out though. But haven't you got better things to be doing instead of getting all correctorial on us back of the class gang??
Also, did you really think I was Spellbreaker hiding behind another user ID?
Yes work has that effect on me too, still I'm a couple of hours ahead of GMT at the moment so knocking of time is anytime soon, yipee, banjo mayhem in 15mins.......
You say tomayto, I say tomahto. Octave mandolas and octave mandolins are the same thang. One octave down from a mandolin. Hey, I don't know one end of any of these things from the other. It was, or is, Ron Kavana's axe of choice for playing tunes in gigs and (I think) sessions. I wonder where Ron is now and what he's up to. He's probably a professor by now. He played the best gig I've ever been to in my life, on October 1 1993, with just his missus, his box player and his octave mandola. He was damned good on his octave mandola, was Ron.
A mandola is tuned CGDA, half an octave down from a mandolin. It is a bit longer than a mando. An octave mandolin is one full octave down from fiddle/mando.
Because these things are not sold in epic quantities, they are not cheap. I woudl say, for $300, which is really low, your best bet would be, buy a used trinity college bouzouki, capo it, and put pairs of same-tuned strings on it. The only guy I knwo who makes OMs starts at $1500
Mandolin = little tinny thing that you can't hear in a session. Fun to play. Tuned like a fiddle.
Mandola (American usage) = slightly bigger and less tinny thing that you REALLY can't hear in a session. Also fun to play, but I usually capo it to the second fret. Tuned CGDA, usually, like a viola.
Mandola, octave mandola ('cross the pond usage, sometimes) - see octave mandolin
Bouzouki - see octave mandolin
Blarge - see octave mandolin
Octave mandolin - four-course fretted instrument with about the same scale length as a guitar, various names and tunings are popular, but basically tuned like a mandolin, an octave lower
Mandocello - Big mandolin-shaped object. Tuned like a cello, octave below the viola.
Original poster clearly meant the thing with lots of names and lots of tunings. At that price range, the Trinity College seems like the most likely place to start. I've had a chance to play some of those lately (the bouzouki has become a bit of a fad here in Boston lately, it's all the rage) and they make some pretty decent instruments.
Well, looking back n this posting, I'm glad I didn't get involved earlier.
The whole tenor mandola/octave mandola/mandolin naming confusion all arose because people who switched from playing tenor banjo didn't realize that the instrument tuned CGDA was just called a mandola, NOT a tenor mandola. They then carried this confusing nomenclature on to the OM, which SHOULD BE an octave mandoLIN.
Technically.
But then the colloqualisms and common usage creep in.....
And I call my bouzouki a long-necked octave mandolin, because that describes it perfectly, technically, and makes sense to the general public who know nothing about Johnny Moynihan and his many exploits.... ( see Wikipedia ) ......
.... and then there are those on this forum who will have an argument just for the sake of it ( naming no nom-de-plumes ).....
"Sigh."
Oh, and I'd recommend a Trinity Colleg/Johnstons/Ozark/Vintage mandola or OM, but replace the tinny tailpiece with a sturdy brass or bronze one, and the bridge supplied with a Red-Henry-pattern one, and you will have a very satisfying instrument to play for the bucks !
Sorry for opening that can of worms...! Thank you for the gems of wisdom buried in the above thread and in the emails. And apologies for my miss-spelling of 'octave'.
Ocatve mandola advice
Ocatve mandola advice
I'm a fiddle player (based in the UK) toying with the idea of getting hold of an octave mandola. Initially, I don't want to spend much more than £300. Any suggestions as to what I should consider buying (or what to avoid)? Thanks
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by west-coaster
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Look up Seumas McLennan on Skye. I doubt he charges as little as £300 (I actually have no idea) but he makes gorgeous instruments.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
try a crowd called Celtic Star based in Germany, they sell stuff on youtube. i bought a bouzouki off them with a pickup for 200 euro - not the best but not the worst either
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by banjo'd
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Do you mean "octave mandolin" (octave below mandolin) or Is there such a thing as an "octave mandola" (octave below mandola)? I had mandola that I tuned down to octave mandolin pitch because my hands are too small to play a real octave mandolin. It lost a little brightness, but worked pretty well for playing backup in a band that played Irish, Scottish and English dance music.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by Tracie
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
The mandola/mandolin thing is a bit confusing - what I'm after is the instrument that's tuned EADG like a fiddle so I'll automatically know where to put my fingers! I think that's an octave mandola??
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by west-coaster
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Tracie is right enough, it's an octave mandolin, tuned EADG. TheSilver Spear is talking about my mate Seumas MacLennan who does make lovely instruments but they are quite far from your budget. I've heard of Freshwater OM's that go relatively inexpensively but I think you'll struggle to get one for that type of budget to be honest.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by bogman
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
The terminology does seem to be a bit confused. I've heard them called either 'octave mandolin' or 'octave mandola'. It's the same instrument, normally. To me, I'd rather call it an 'octave mandola' because it seems stupid to call a big instrument by a name that means "little mandola". But then, there's the ambiguity over whether it should be an octave lower than mandola ...
I'll get me coat.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by ethical blend
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
GDAE, GDAE, GDAE, GDAE
Not EADG
There is a proper order to these things. Bass to treble.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
West coaster, you want a mandolin, same tuning system as a fiddle, same general string length . That is the instruments name. .
Violin=mandolin
viola =mandola.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by piobagusfidil
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Oops, sorry NCFA, just woke up after session night and copied from above. Lazy and very hazy
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by bogman
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
No he doesn't. He wants an OM.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by bogman
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
So bogman, you are suggesting that an octave mandola, or Octave mandolin is the instrument that's tuned EADG like a fiddle .? .......
you play the mandolin? mandola?
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by piobagusfidil
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
FFS Spellbreaker, this is getting ridiculous.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
so he >>'' will automatically know where to put my fingers! I think that's an octave mandola??''<<
No west coast its not. Its a mandolin, like I said.
Unfortunately it appears bogman knows as much as you do about the instrument and is IMO perhaps not the best person on this thread to take advice from bearing that in mind.
It dose help to read what is being said, rather than what you think they said.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by piobagusfidil
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
I agree NCFA ridiculous. But don't take my word for it, there are actually quite a few of us here who DO play the instrument, and have done so for decades. before intervening further shall we wait and see what the others have to say?
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by piobagusfidil
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Well please bear in mind before you launch into a tirade of abuse that I also play the mandolin and bouzouki (neither particularly well but both well enough to offer "expert" advice by your standards).
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
No one is suggesting that the OM is the same size as a fiddle or plays in the same octave. Everyone can agree that that is the mandolin. That is not what west-coaster is after though.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Is that so NCF A, how interesting. Well then you can advise him.....
and I have never ever abused anyone on this site, EVER, and I resent your suggestion that I have. though I did call gill a twit once admittedly .
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by piobagusfidil
twit ?! aagh there goes the site filter. that should read an 'a'.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by piobagusfidil
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Well I would agree with bogman that £300 is quite a small budget for a reasonable OM or bouzouki. It isn't like guitars in that mass production brings the prices down. It is quite easy to get a reasonable guitar for that money.
Ozark might have something that would suffice. My first bouzouki was a basic Ozark. That was considerably under £300. It wasn't very good though.
The best value could come through second hand options but it might require some patience.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
"So bogman, you are suggesting that an octave mandola, or Octave mandolin is the instrument that's tuned EADG like a fiddle .? .......
you play the mandolin? mandola?"
here we go again
Spellbreaker. I play in a trad trio. Me, a fiddle player and Seumas on Octave Mandolin, sometimes misnamed a Mandola. Seumas is a well respected luthier. His speciality is OM's. You can ask Frank Tate about him. I play with Seumas probably 100 times a year. He stays at my house every thursday after the session. There are people on this site that will confirm this if necessary. The OP being from the west coast of Scotland, there's a fair chance he knows of Seumas.
Belt up.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by bogman
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
You mean youve been playing mandolin professionally for 40 odd yrs? I dont think so NCFA. As far as Im concerned an expert in the field of trad will have done so at least. there are very few Posters here who qualify IMHO. Im an intermediate player with 25yrs under my belt, and a bit of extra body fat too
Expert? means different things to different people....
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by piobagusfidil
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
See! That's the behaviour I was talking about on the other thread. If you could disagree with someone and not act like a douche about it, i.e. screaming that they are ignorant and that you've been playing for X years, you would be treated with a lot more respect by your fellow Mustardians. Just sayin'.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Addendum: Even if you think to yourself, "That guy is a moron," you come across much better if you don't SAY that. Politely and rationally disagree with someone's assertions, if you must, but avoid the ad hominums and don't accuse other posters of ignorance or anything else.
Rules of Civil Discourse 101.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
No Will, I don't consider myself an expert on either instrument at all. I have already said that I am no good at either. I wouldn't even describe myself as an intermediate player. I would say I own them. I know enough to know their respective sizes though and how they are tuned. I have also bought them in the past and shopped around. Therefore I have enough basic knowledge to answer the question - which I have now done.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
dito NCFA, I 'own' a mandolin and an octave mandolin. I could say, if I were someone else, I've being playing mandolin for 20 years. But no, I can play some tunes on them but that's it. I'm not a 'mandolin player' but then neither is spellbreaker.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by bogman
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
The only mandolin family instrument tuned like a fiddle with a similar scale length that matches the OP's expressed requirements is the mandolin.
<<>> The mandola/mandolin thing is a bit confusing - what I'm after is the instrument that's tuned EADG like a fiddle so I'll automatically know where to put my fingers! I think that's an octave mandola??
TSS. Ok. thanks for the advise.
[edit]
The OP;
>>I'm a fiddle player (based in the UK) toying with the idea of getting hold of an octave mandola. Initially, I don't want to spend much more than £300. Any suggestions as to what I should consider buying (or what to avoid)? Thanks
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by west-coaster >>
.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by piobagusfidil
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
If I'm permitted to speak Spellbreaker, west-coaster could be talking of either. Would you agree with that. It's simple. west-coaster, if you are looking for the instrument roughly the same size as a fiddle then your looking for a mandolin, but judging by your bio I can't imagine you don't know what a mandolin is. If your looking for the instrument, tuned GDAE, roughly the size of a banjo then you're looking for an octave mandolin.
Surely that's reasonable Spellbreaker.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by bogman
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
But west-coaster didn't ask for something of the same scale length. They asked for something of the same tuning so that they knew where to put their fingers.
All the instruments within that family can be tuned the same as a fiddle. They can also be tuned differently (as indeed can the fiddle). I am sure west-coaster knows what a mandolin is. That is not what they want.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Cross-post
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
NCFA, sorry, my post looks wrong. Not dito at all, there is no doubt you are considerably better on mandolin than me.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by bogman
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Why do people get so excited about the name of this instrument?
It seems to me that it just another example of the rich diversity of the English/American language. I play a Fylde OM and as the maker calls it an Octave Mandola, so do I. I also couldn't give a flying frog if someone else calls it an Octave Mandolin. To me, the main indicator of what the scale length ,purpose or standard tuning it is in is the terms Tenor or Octave. I have read lots of articles each of which is quite adamant that there terminology is the only right one, It's almost as bad as religions.
Back to the OP, Ashbury do some good value for money instruments. The quality can be quite variable, so you need to play before you buy to get a good one.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by len
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Apologies len, your absolutely right.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by bogman
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Spellbreaker: > Sleeping dogs!
west coaster (where?); I can confirm what both TSS and BM have to say about Seumas on Skye, as he dose make fine instruments, of which I've played quite a few. They do sound good and look very bonny and I think they are very competitively priced actually despite the high standard. Would be worth having a word with him anyway as he dose have an ear to the ground regarding second had instruments as well as building his own.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by Solidmahog
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Good idea solidmahog. west-coaster, you can contact Seumas here... skye.sound@virgin.net
He lives in Dunvegan, Skye.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by bogman
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
I like the way you spell "dose", solidmahog. Reminds me of a thread a long, long time ago. Now what was it? Hmmm .....
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by ethical blend
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
@ bogman - I seriously doubt that!!
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Hey, let's have an argument about which one of is is worse, lol.
No, I'm a considerably worse mandolin player than you
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by bogman
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
I can guarantee you that I am a worse mandolin player than both of you. I know Al at least will swear to that, as he's witnessed me staring hopelessly at something with frets.
So there.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Have I? I have seen you staring hopelessly and fretting. Is that close enough?
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by No Cause For Alarm
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Ah, Mrs Ethical, teachers pet eh. Spellchecker, perhaps I should employ it more often, but then again who's keeping score! Not me.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by Solidmahog
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Just nostalgia, Solid, just nostalgia. No malice intended.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by ethical blend
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/11933/comments#comment243342
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by ethical blend
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Unfortunately for us solid, spellchecker can only correct errors in relation to its data base. so dose is a fine word unfortunately it means something differently to does. as I noticed in my post above.
I mean come on, they thought I was little chup and big tab because we both post from Clare and our spelling aint so hot! , I mean look at who got taken in by that! talk about embarrassing! LOL some people have no shame 
Perhaps thy think you are me? same spelling error...
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by piobagusfidil
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
None taken : )
Nothing wrong with a bit of nostalgia, and actually not a bad thing pulling me for my spelling, as I have a tendency to be lazy.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by Solidmahog
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Oh well, in *that* case ...
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by ethical blend
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Heaven forbid Spellbreaker lol. I have noted the odd accusation of such multi handle abuses.
People can think I am who they want me to be and thats fine by me. I've had few tunes in Clare myself, mind.
Sorry to disapppoint, judge my by content and not my spelling ; )
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by Solidmahog
Re: Octave mandola advice
This "teacher's pet" is falling down on the job. I've only just noticed the title.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by ethical blend
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
EB, As I said who's keeping score, lol.
Done it myself on occasion so who am I to judge? Didn't notice until pointed out though. But haven't you got better things to be doing instead of getting all correctorial on us back of the class gang??
Also, did you really think I was Spellbreaker hiding behind another user ID?
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by Solidmahog
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
I didn't. Never said so.
Yeah, I can't be bothered with the spelling/grammar things really. And the only better thing I had to do was work.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by ethical blend
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Yes work has that effect on me too, still I'm a couple of hours ahead of GMT at the moment so knocking of time is anytime soon, yipee, banjo mayhem in 15mins.......
All the best with the rest of your day.
SMH
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by Solidmahog
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
wacwot
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by Oeidipus
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
You say tomayto, I say tomahto. Octave mandolas and octave mandolins are the same thang. One octave down from a mandolin. Hey, I don't know one end of any of these things from the other. It was, or is, Ron Kavana's axe of choice for playing tunes in gigs and (I think) sessions. I wonder where Ron is now and what he's up to. He's probably a professor by now. He played the best gig I've ever been to in my life, on October 1 1993, with just his missus, his box player and his octave mandola. He was damned good on his octave mandola, was Ron.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by Steve Shaw
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Ron's still going, but more interested in film these days and he's living back in his home town of Fermoy.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by MacCruiskeen
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
A mandola is tuned CGDA, half an octave down from a mandolin. It is a bit longer than a mando. An octave mandolin is one full octave down from fiddle/mando.
Because these things are not sold in epic quantities, they are not cheap. I woudl say, for $300, which is really low, your best bet would be, buy a used trinity college bouzouki, capo it, and put pairs of same-tuned strings on it. The only guy I knwo who makes OMs starts at $1500
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by chris stolz
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Mandolin = little tinny thing that you can't hear in a session. Fun to play. Tuned like a fiddle.
Mandola (American usage) = slightly bigger and less tinny thing that you REALLY can't hear in a session. Also fun to play, but I usually capo it to the second fret. Tuned CGDA, usually, like a viola.
Mandola, octave mandola ('cross the pond usage, sometimes) - see octave mandolin
Bouzouki - see octave mandolin
Blarge - see octave mandolin
Octave mandolin - four-course fretted instrument with about the same scale length as a guitar, various names and tunings are popular, but basically tuned like a mandolin, an octave lower
Mandocello - Big mandolin-shaped object. Tuned like a cello, octave below the viola.
Original poster clearly meant the thing with lots of names and lots of tunings. At that price range, the Trinity College seems like the most likely place to start. I've had a chance to play some of those lately (the bouzouki has become a bit of a fad here in Boston lately, it's all the rage) and they make some pretty decent instruments.
(Can somebody turn the jigbot off?)
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Yes Chris, that's how Seumas, mentioned above, explains it. I didn't want to go into it as it's too much hard work at the moment.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by bogman
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Here we go again!
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by len
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Nah, we're sorted, len.
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by Steve Shaw
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
511
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by Oeidipus
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
fejayzsake: get yerself a Davy Stuart OM and stop the whingin' about it.
Jerry Adams to the rescue! ....and hup, Dun na nGall!
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by Skull Duggeraigh Dubh
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Well, looking back n this posting, I'm glad I didn't get involved earlier.
The whole tenor mandola/octave mandola/mandolin naming confusion all arose because people who switched from playing tenor banjo didn't realize that the instrument tuned CGDA was just called a mandola, NOT a tenor mandola. They then carried this confusing nomenclature on to the OM, which SHOULD BE an octave mandoLIN.
Technically.
But then the colloqualisms and common usage creep in.....
And I call my bouzouki a long-necked octave mandolin, because that describes it perfectly, technically, and makes sense to the general public who know nothing about Johnny Moynihan and his many exploits.... ( see Wikipedia ) ......
.... and then there are those on this forum who will have an argument just for the sake of it ( naming no nom-de-plumes ).....
"Sigh."
# Posted on November 26th 2010 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Oh, and I'd recommend a Trinity Colleg/Johnstons/Ozark/Vintage mandola or OM, but replace the tinny tailpiece with a sturdy brass or bronze one, and the bridge supplied with a Red-Henry-pattern one, and you will have a very satisfying instrument to play for the bucks !
# Posted on November 27th 2010 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
<<Surely that's reasonable Spellbreaker.>>
Very reasonable Bogman. a concise and fair summery.
Mind a quick google would sort that out for him pretty quickly. eg
http://www.ceolas.org/instruments/cittern.html
# Posted on November 27th 2010 by piobagusfidil
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
".... and then there are those on this forum who will have an argument just for the sake of it ( naming no nom-de-plumes )....."
I was just about to say "Is it I, Lord?" when I realised that I don't have a nom de plume. I only have a nom. I feel thoroughly exempted.
# Posted on November 27th 2010 by Steve Shaw
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
LOL, and if you were going to choose a nom de plume, or nom de guerre, wouldn't you pick something more exotic than "Steve Shaw"?
# Posted on November 27th 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Yeah. I thought something like "jlig" might be good.
# Posted on November 27th 2010 by Steve Shaw
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
I think you'll find that's taken.
# Posted on November 27th 2010 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Jaysus Jon, you had to go and mingle my surname into this?
# Posted on November 27th 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
I don't know what you're on about, Will.
# Posted on November 27th 2010 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
lol
# Posted on November 27th 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Or should I say, lliw?
# Posted on November 27th 2010 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
He could call himself Away.
After all, where there's a Will, there's Away.
# Posted on November 27th 2010 by AlBrown
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Al, you're a bad person.
# Posted on November 27th 2010 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Sorry for opening that can of worms...! Thank you for the gems of wisdom buried in the above thread and in the emails. And apologies for my miss-spelling of 'octave'.
# Posted on November 27th 2010 by west-coaster
Re: Ocatve mandola advice
Coaster, the worms aren't your responsibility and Ocatve, well don't worry about it, I aint for apologising for misspelling does with dose, lol.
# Posted on November 27th 2010 by Solidmahog