General Music Chat

yesterday, i loaded the little woman and our dog into the car and drove 150 miles down to Springfield MO to meet up w someone who was selling a 2007 RIGEL A+ Deluxe mando. damn, the things we do for love.... wife, dog, AND me!

back in the summer i sold off a cpl of mandos that weren't seeing much use. so, needing a "backup mando" to my beloved 87 Flatiron A5 Jr, i've been half assed looking for one. this little guy came along and i had to snatch it up.

this ain't your dad's mando! Rigels incorporate a lot of new and different design concepts. the biggest, being that the back and sides are carved out of one solid piece of maple and then the top is seamlessly laid on that. so the sides are completely rounded off and super comfy. it's also a bolt on....the neck sits in a channel and is held on w ONE BOLT! (the stap button bolt).

they are known for their ease of play, great tones, and excellent plugged in sound.....(soundboard piezos)

first gig w it tomorrow!

Sweet nice Mando! Let us know how it cuts thru in the mix?

thanks, jeff.

will do. these days i've mostly been using my Mid Missouri solid body mando when gigging out on non bluegrass gigs. now, THAT thing cuts! but of course it doesn't really cop the same "acoustic" and percussive tone.

tomorrow is a low volume duo gig at a winery so i won't have to crank it over a loud band, but next weekend i'll put it into action at the truckstop w The 121's...and that is ONE loud band!

some more mando porn..... here's my '87 Flatiron A5 Jr.

Gee Mark, what's it like playing a mandolin?

I see 2 sets of strings, in a 4 string pattern.

Is it like a bass setup at all?

I played a banjo not long ago that was completely whacked out with a piezo pickup and just as I was deciding that I hated it, they plugged it into my rig.

Then I was lost in it for 45 minutes and when I looked up, they were all laughing and asking me how I liked it.

I shook my head and replied that "it was confusing to me".
I never played a banjo before this and don't even know how to tune one, so I surmise that it sounded rough at best. (eeek) lol

Gee Mark, what's it like playing a mandolin?

I see 2 sets of strings, in a 4 string pattern.

Is it like a bass setup at all?

I played a banjo not long ago that was completely whacked out with a piezo pickup and just as I was deciding that I hated it, they plugged it into my rig.

Then I was lost in it for 45 minutes and when I looked up, they were all laughing and asking me how I liked it.

I shook my head and replied that "it was confusing to me".
I never played a banjo before this and don't even know how to tune one, so I surmise that it sounded rough at best. (eeek) lol

a mando is basically a fretted violin w double courses (double strings) tuned in unison. unlike a gtr that mostly tuned in 4ths....like a violin it's tuned in 5ths. GG DD AA EE from low to high.

i absolutely LOVE mando. yeah, it's fun playing melodies and soloing but i think the thing i enjoy most on it is playing rhythm and accompanying. in bluegrass you're basically the snare drum playing on 2 and 4. and you "chop"....where you almost entirely mute the strings and just kinda "hint" at the chord while strumming hard.

was that a 5 string banjo or a tenor (4 string) you were messing with?

Please excuse my ignorance..

It was a banjo with a piezo in it., I think they made that themselves.
It looked like it was a "home brain surgery kit".

It was 4 strings (i think), up until about the 3rd or 4th fret when it had an extra string. (>?!>?:?!>!??!>) THAT string is all I really remember about that devil banjo..I can't play it like it's supposed to be played.

Basically, I felt like I couldn't use the bass register very well because I always associate that last string the same as the 1st string, as in a g chord.

So I caught myself trying to trying to use chords that don't exist for banjo but work on my reg guitar. In the end, I had to give up the accompanying bass chords because I just couldn't get it together enough.

But I had a good time, I'll try anything with a string on it.

Right now, I think my next victim will be an electric violin or electric cello if I can find someone who has one I can try. lol

That and an EBOW.. ooh yummm. tasty.

How much for the new mando, if you don't mind sharing? I'd love an a/e mando, although I have no real use for it, at least being able to plug it in when needed might encourage me more. I've been at a few open mics where guys bring acoustic mandos and trying to mic them doesn't work too well using a vocal mic. I miced one with an SM57 one time, that worked pretty well for a low volume place (room was mostly empty).

Please excuse my ignorance..

s'ok...i'm used to it. oh snap! i kid. i kid. you know i got's da big love for ya, scott.

It was 4 strings (i think), up until about the 3rd or 4th fret when it had an extra string. (>?!>?:?!>!??!>) THAT string is all I really remember about that devil banjo..I can't play it like it's supposed to be played.

yeah, that's your five string "bluegrass" style banjo meant to be played fingerstyle.

the banjo is always talked about as descending from africa but there's also the sotts/irish thing too w that 5th string that begins/ends at the 5th fret. it's used as a "drone" .....much like you have w bagpipes. it's sometimes "capoed" (w little hooks) but rarely if ever fretted.

Basically, I felt like I couldn't use the bass register very well because I always associate that last string the same as the 1st string, as in a g chord.

think of it as the top 4 strings instead. if you ever drop you high E string on gtr down to a D to play slide....(if you ignore the drone 5th string on the banjo)....that's what you're looking at.

D G B D. low to high.


too bad you ain't down the block, scott. i'd be happy to loan you my P.O.S banjo to mess with. same for an old beater mando i have.

violin and cello are cool but they are an unholy bitch to get together enough to play ANYTHING that remotely resembles music!

you should check out mando...it's a blast and ya don't have to worry about your intonation!

How much for the new mando, if you don't mind sharing? I'd love an a/e mando, although I have no real use for it, at least being able to plug it in when needed might encourage me more. I've been at a few open mics where guys bring acoustic mandos and trying to mic them doesn't work too well using a vocal mic. I miced one with an SM57 one time, that worked pretty well for a low volume place (room was mostly empty).

sharing is caring.

he wanted $1300 (they listed for around $2600 back when the company was still around)...we agreed on $1200.

yeah, micing an acoustic mando ain't no fun if ya need any volume to hang.

i do love gathering aound one or two big diaphram condenors mics in bluegrass settings where ya walk in of out of the mic for your volume. it's the closest thing to playing straight up acoustic and then there's the cool comraderie and teamlike vibe of standing shoulder to shoulder w your bandmates.

Planet guy Im not a mandolin person but you have some very beautiful instruments!

The wood looks great on those two!

Im embarassed as beat up as my gitars git!

Never spent any significant time on a mandolin but I always appreciate a fine instrument. Enjoy!

Sweet nice Mando! Let us know how it cuts thru in the mix?

jeff, it worked great at a winery doing the duo gig. (easy enough.....smaller place w a quieter, and mostly polite crowd). man, did it sound good thru the PA! exactly like a good sounding acoustic... only louder.

real test will be tonight at the truckstop. i'll be bringing along my solid body mando as backup just in case i can't get the necessary volume w the Rigel to hang w the band.

Break a leg, Mark.

Give us a listen if you can, I'd love to be a fly on the wall for the truckstop gig this eve.

Sweet nice Mando! Let us know how it cuts thru in the mix?

jeff, it worked great at a winery doing the duo gig. (easy enough.....smaller place w a quieter, and mostly polite crowd). man, did it sound good thru the PA! exactly like a good sounding acoustic... only louder.

real test will be tonight at the truckstop. i'll be bringing along my solid body mando as backup just in case i can't get the necessary volume w the Rigel to hang w the band.

Cool keep us posted. Being trained classically on violin and the fact I am from Texas once I started becoming proficant on violin fiddle music came very naturally to me. By the 8th grade it was amazing what young kids are able to do. By the 10th I started to become bored and had an eye toward Rock guitar. I was at a friends house his dad was in a country band and they had an old Gibson mando laying around. I picked that thing up and from day one it came as naturally to me as fiddle music! Though I haven't played one in 20 years I still have a great respect for mando player especially in bluegrass music!