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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 2487
| Hey all a question if I may?
Looking at two more instruments to fill my fingers with work (and play). Decided on a new Gibson es 137 for the electric work, nice cross between the old and the new! (Yes I am influenced by Steve Howe just can't affford an old es 175)
Now I am looking into a mandolin? Love the Ovation look and My Adamas guitars are hands down the best Acoustics I have ever played! So What suggestions do you have in your experience for a Mandolin? I have always been leary of the Applause or bottom line celebrities but I see a bunch of Ovation variations out there? Nice looking celebrity's as well? Would love to find an Adamas Mandolin to match the 6 & 12 but that will be way to price heavy for what little work I need to do on a mandolin? To be honest I do not even know what the tuning is on a mandolin? never had one in my hands? I am hoping it is tuned like the four high strings on a guiter? Thanks again Still working out all those Yes songs! and by the way Dave Mathews Band music is tricky to learn but wow what musician's ! Randy |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Just sold an ES137 a couple of weeks ago, very nice guitar.
Since Ovation came out with the mando a couple of other companies have followed (as usual) including Tacoma & Godin and I'd happily use either of those if I didn't have my Ovation (30th anniversary "book" model)
If by "Adamas mandolin" you mean a carbon-fibre top there's not many around. One member of this board has one custom-made & there's a prototype at the factory which somre of us got to play last week. Very nice. Srtictly speaking the Ovation mandolins are Elite-style rather than Adamas, but we're splitting hairs.
Mando tuning is the same as viloin, GDAE, tuned in 5ths with the G the same as the 3rd string on guitar. There has been a couple of discussions about the pros & cons of tuning mandoilin in 4ths & 3rds like guitar, try a search. Personally I think it's a waste of an instrument. If you want a mandolin-like sound with haveing to learn a new tuning try a Tiple. |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 2487
| Thanks Paul I do want the sound I am sure I can learn the fingering? Makes sense If it was tuned like a 12 string it would sound like the high end of a 12 string and not a mandolin?
If I may? What is a Tiple? and what would any of you say a good price is on an ovation mandolin?
What numbers am I looking for? MM ?
I see a bunch on ebay and I am unsure what models are the best? I figured an Adamas model is out of range for me for what I need this instrumnet for. I will only play it, most likely, for a few minutes on two or three songs in a night? Thanks again Looking forward to making the Ovation Tour next year? Randy |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 2487
| Paul By the way that 137 Gibson you sold? was that the triburst? I saw a beauty on ebay ? I am figureing in the $1250- $1350 range new perhaps a little less used? Anyone else out there got a nice 137? Also would love to here a musicians opinion on the sound? I know they will load the old style or the newer style pickups? I am wondering which to go with? I figure it may be easier to tone the newer style down than it would be to enhance the older style when needed? |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 6197
Location: Phoenix AZ | MM-68 is what you want. You absolutely get what you pay for. I went through the whole evolution. Started with an Applause mando. It was total crap. Upgraded to a Celebrity model. It was partial crap. The only thing keeping it from being total crap was that it looked good. Then finally got a MM-68 Book Mando. That's the cream of the crop and what I should have gotten to begin with before wasting money on the imports. The MM-68 is just awesome. Dave |
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January 2004
Posts: 648
Location: Florida | The deal of a lifetime (ok maybe not) on the MM68 for essentially nothing fell thru. So... I decided to get a mandolin anyway.
There are things you'd wish you'd rather not have known about mandolins once you go looking at em. First thing, if you can check out an honest-to-Pete F5 Gibson, then remembering its sound, try a low end import, you'll be amazed how how LITTLE the sound and tone differ.
The other thing is you'll get to hear the horror stories about tops caving in, necks taking a left hand turn, tailpieces flying loose, tuners breaking... all sorts of things. And thats on the F5 Gibson! The imports get worse.
Then you'll discover what a real pain in the ass it is to tune a mandolin, with low end models with crap-ola-supreme tuners and ill fitting nuts being the worst of the lot.
And finally, you'll probably end up wishing the scale was about two inches or so longer than the thirteen-someting inches thats standard. But, thats a mandolin for ya.
I played: Gibson F5, Gibson F9, some Flatiron A type mandolin, a Kentucky (Korean import), and some even lower end models not worth mentioning. Keep in mind - I know doodly-squat about actually PLAYING a mandolin before I purchased one. I was able to look up and remember four chords C, F, G and D and was able dink out "Oh Susanna".
I ended up getting a Tacoma base model M1e. Got it sight unseen with full return privs. No need, its at least "decently" made. Inside looks clean, well made, drip free, etc etc. Its no frills for sure.
However - the Ovation MM68 was a hell of a lot prettier, and a bit louder (although the Tacoma is pretty loud as mandolins go). |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 45
Location: Oakton, VA | Randy,
I bought an Ovation model MM-68 instead of trying to amplify my acoustic mandolin. This was over a year ago and I'm quite happy with it.
Ovation makes three mandolins within a relatively narrow price range: the USA made MM-68, the Celebrity (MCS-148) and the Applause (MAE-148). Somewhat confusing, but the Ebayers are able to distinguish the models easily. Check past activity for pricing.
I prefer the five piece neck of the MM-68 and the intonation of this instrument was right on the mark but, frankly, what sold me was the excellent response I got from the customer service guys on an altogether unrelated transaction. I have a long memory.
In my view, the voicings you can coax out of the GDAE tuning define the mandolin sound. Many open position chord fingerings are quite simple -- try it, it grows on you.
-Tom |
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December 2001
Posts: 7222
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I am getting ready to sell an MM68 in mint condition. Check the for sale area, as I won't get it onto eBay until later this month. |
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August 2003
Posts: 4619
Location: SoCal | Got a MM68 a couple of weeks ago...very, very nice. Took my inexpensive 'A' and tuned to Nashville just for fun. Highly recommend the MM68. |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Randy, A Tiple (pronounced Tee-play) is a small South-American 12-string guitar (in 4 courses) of which Martin produced a version in the mid 1920's. They still make them to custom order I believe. They used their tenor uke body and gave it 10 strings in 4 course 2/3/3/2. They sound like a cross between a mandolin, uke, & 12-string guitar capo'd way up. Tuning is A D F# B, same as top 4 of guitar but up a 5th. You can see the Martin version here
http://www.woodsong.com/sold/gtr4_mart_t28.htm
I played a custom-made all Koa replica of a Martin Tiple until I forced myself to learn mandlolin. The Tiple was sold pretty quicky after that |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 171
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma | I just recently got a MCS148 off of ebay and I like it.. ($250, factory 2nd, new)... It's not as expensive as the MM.. but it fills my need... I can play it OK but it takes alittle bit of time to get used to the tiny neck... Trying to tune it like a guitar never worked for me because the finger positions in the chords are too close together... I figure it's tuned in fiths to give more room for big hand guys like me... Playing a D chord on a mandolin is simple compared to trying to fit your fingers on the neck tuned like a guitar... Learing the chords is rather simple.. start out learning the major chords then work you way thru the minors ect. and you'll be banging more songs out of it than you will believe.. Plus, the little Ovation Mandolins are so cute!... Everyone wants to pick mine up and try to play it!
Best of luck,
Gerald |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 2487
| Nice guy's and Thanks all round! Glad to here the fingering is fairly easy? I have my hands full now with that dam Steve Howe! Man I figure out quick riff fill in between chords and he throws me another curve with the next set! Hey Al I got me a Keyboard player full of knowledge and other things as well! He helps me too! My favorite is to do an all-nighter and learn the chord progressions and a scale or two then act confused when he shows up! Then I let him explain it to me! and I run through the whole thing with him! He just looks at me puzzled?? takes a drink of his Diet Coke and lights a cigarette! really pissis him off that I can do that and not read a bit of music! I do not know how I can keep a couple a dozen songs and a hundred chords and scales in my head. but I can't understand those little chicken scratch doodles on a line that tell me what I should be doing all along? Amazing!
Paul Wish I had known about that Gibson es 137! I will own one just as soon as the right one comes along or I get sick of looking, and buy one new!
Thanks again Guys |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 14
Location: Brentwood, TN | I have one of the 30th Anniv. Ovation mandolins and I LOVE it. Mine is a natural top. I got one for a fellow bandmember when I was with Glen Campbell and gave it to him about 10 years ago and it's still what he plays on stage. His is a black one. I have a buddy on the road with me in Lee Greenwood's band using what he calls an "oh-please" and he drools over the chance to play mine. He's had problems with the tuners too and replaced them. However, his electric tone is really good on stage.
If you go for one of the Ovations go for the top end stuff because you do get what you pay for. I have loved their instruments for about 30 years now!! (yikes, does time fly when you're having fun!) |
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Mandolins & Hollowbody's