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had some time to kill yesterday so i thought i'd record some stuff w the "new" Rigel mando. they're up on my BM page.

http://www.bandmix.com/planetguy/


nothing fancy.....just threw up a CARVIN large condensor mic and let it rip. so excuse the slop. pretty rough mixes too. as the youngsters love to say..."whatever".

wanting to do a comparison, the first tune "Iguana" has the Rigel mando on the left and my much loved Flatiron A5 Jr on the right. the Rigel is really growing on me though it'll likely always play second fiddle to the Flatiron. The Rigel is real even sounding high to low but lacks that low end woof of the A5 Jr.

"Mandongo" has three trks of mando all recorded using the Rigel's internal pickup. for shits and grins i put some effects on one the mando trks.

Finally, there's a short excerpt of "Gone Goodbye". damn, i wish BM would give us a little more time for tunes. then again, maybe that's a GOOD thing and a blessing in disguise!

Enjoyable.
Not my standard fare of course but catchy tunes none the less.

Thanks for posting.

Sweet I like the new mando!

thanks for checking it out, guys.

You make it sound like it's a lot fun to play.
Gots to get me one... someday!

Damn I dig the Iguana tune... reminds me of some of Chris Thiles "Punch Brothers" sounds!
Nice sounds PG!

thanks jahva.

mandolin is a blast. great for melody and soloing but playing rhythm on it is the bee's knees. it can be really percussive and is great for driving things when need be.

i think you'd really enjoy getting acquainted w one. and just like the world of gtrs.....used to be you could only get a P.O.S. beater for under $500, but now there are some very decent playable instruments to be had for affordable prices.

thanks again for the listen.

Nice mando sounds! I'm listening in mono, so I'm not certain which is which but they are two different sounding mandolins for sure.
Positively dawgish!
Iguana is really cool!

The trouble maker inside me wants to ask ... now what would they sound like playing a Carnatic raga? Like mayamalavagowla?

'Iguana' is nice. I can tell though, that mic-ing the mando is just as difficult with your better instruments - volume output is low (which means I have a real noise floor issue to outside noise intruding). I've seen this Oscar Schmidt electric/acoustic mando http://www.amazon.com/Oscar-Schmidt-A-S ... s=mandolin
but for $160 is probably sucks and won't be much better than my $100 Washburn.

VinnyViolin wrote:Nice mando sounds! I'm listening in mono, so I'm not certain which is which but they are two different sounding mandolins for sure.
Positively dawgish!
Iguana is really cool!

thank you, kind sir. the higher pitched part and solo is played on the Rigel.

The trouble maker inside me wants to ask ... now what would they sound like playing a Carnatic raga? Like mayamalavagowla?

now WHO could have predicted you'd go there? i'll have some time to fart around around on monday.....lemme see what i can come up. (remember the key to avoid disappointments is LOW expectations)

GuitarMikeB wrote:'Iguana' is nice. I can tell though, that mic-ing the mando is just as difficult with your better instruments - volume output is low (which means I have a real noise floor issue to outside noise intruding). I've seen this Oscar Schmidt electric/acoustic mando http://www.amazon.com/Oscar-Schmidt-A-S ... s=mandolin
but for $160 is probably sucks and won't be much better than my $100 Washburn.

thanks for looking in and checking out the tunes, mike.

it's less a problem of low output as it is my lazy, halfassed, and slipshod recording and mixing efforts. trust me, both of those mandos are what's referred to as "banjo killers"!

it's amazing the volume that a well set, up good mando produces.

the MERE MORTALS were over the other night and "just because" i decided to record our "session" onto my mini disc recorder using the same CARVIN large condensor mic. we're in a smallish room...and we're all pretty close. loud banjo, loud fiddle, gtrst, and 5 string elec bass (the TRADITIONAL bluegrass instrument!) .....the mando was completely dominating the mix on the first cpl of tunes...i had to back WAAAAAAAAAAY away from the mic to ge things more balanced.

i wouldn't expect too much from that Oscar Shitt mando. i've not seen their mandos, but color me unimpressed w their gtrs. i know the appeal to you likely lies in the fact that it has a pickup (and the price)... but if you can go just a little more bread you do have some better choices.

for instance... the cheaper acoustic/elec OVATION (Celebrity?) mando that gets high marks...as does the GODIN A-8. Eastwood has a nice solidbody called the "Mandocaster" (not to be confused w FENDER's model) and then there's the EPIPHONE Mandobird...also solid body and avail in 4 or 8 string versions.

Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea was playing a 8 string Mandobird when I saw them last weekend, nice instrument!

solid body mandos are a lot of fun. volume wise you get to run w the big dogs, you can play w some dirt, and they accept and play nicely w effexcts pedals.

when i'm playing w a loud band and/or in a loud venue this is my weapon of choice.

...a MID MISSOURI EM-8. maple body and neck. ebony fingerboard and Seymour Duncan single coil pickup. the thing is, if you're easily bugged by people commenting on your "little guitar"...well, it might not be the best lifestyle choice for ya.