Mando-mania

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 11 Mar 2006 11:22 am

The folks at Rigel mandolins have posted pictures of some of their prettier and more unusual mandolins, including mine, on their web site.

http://www.rigelinstruments.com/publish/article_132.shtml

Mine are the 2 matching blue A models, one with F holes and on with an oval hole, near the bottom of the page.

Somebody at a bluegrass festival once approached the company and angrily told them that mandolins were NOT supposed to look like that.

------------------
My web site

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 11 Mar 2006 12:06 pm

Somebody at a bluegrass festival once approached the company and angrily told them that mandolins were NOT supposed to look like that.

I think mandolins come in more shapes and sizes than just about any instrument made.
They should see some of the Regal mandolins from the 1920' and 1930's.

or a Martin mandolin from 1910

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 11 Mar 2006 1:08 pm

Thanks for posting those photos, Mike.

Those are beautiful.

Just because one person has a narrow-minded opinion about things like the appearance of a mandolin-no need to give them any press time about it. You have to take that stuff with a grain of salt.

------------------
Mark

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 11 Mar 2006 10:42 pm

After playing Mike's two instruments,I became a big fan of Rigel mandos as well. I think they stand up to anything out there in terms of fit,finish,playability and tone - and they're not afraid to be different. I like that.
Here's mine - also on the Rigel website.
http://www.rigelinstruments.com/rogues/article_91.shtml

-MJ-

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 12 Mar 2006 9:42 am

Beautiful instruments.

I always hate it when mandolin players play without dynamic range. The instrument can be very expressive, but you wouldn't know it listening to some of these bluegrass players.

I know a fiddle player who switches to mando on songs where he thinks the fiddle would be "too country". Like blues or rock tunes. Wrong approach, IMHO - I'd usually rather hear the fiddle.

------------------
<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b2005.gif" width="78 height="78">Bobby Lee (a.k.a. b0b) - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Williams D-12 E9, C6add9, Sierra Olympic S-12 (F Diatonic)
Sierra Laptop S-8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (E13, C6 or A6) My Blog

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 12 Mar 2006 11:05 am

The instrument can be very expressive, but you wouldn't know it listening to some of these bluegrass players.

Q: How many bluegrass musicians does it take to change a light bulb?

A: Five. One to change the bulb and four to complain that it's electric.

I really like what some of the Celtic mandolin players are doing.

John McGann · Post by **John McGann** » 12 Mar 2006 11:07 am

Adam Steffy and John Reischman come to mind as a very dynamic (and expressive) mando players...

------------------
http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff. Joaquin Murphey transcription book, Rhythm Tuneup DVD and more...

Jennings Ward · Post by **Jennings Ward** » 12 Mar 2006 2:38 pm

FOR TONE, AND VOLUME, I LOVE THE OLD " A "
STYLE AND " TATER BUG " SOUND AS COMPARED TO THE " F " STYLE MANDOLIN.... A VERY BEAUTIFUL
SOUND CAN BE HAD....WELL IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE PLAYER ALSO, BUT TO ME THEY SOUND BETTER ACCROSS THE BOARD......MY 1.5 CENTS.....
JENNINGS U PK;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

------------------
EMMONS D10 10-10 profex 2 deltafex ne1000 pv1000, pv 31 bd eq, +

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 12 Mar 2006 3:49 pm

I think the sound hole: f holes vs an oval hole, has more to do with the way the mando sounds than the A vs F shape. Since my 2 mandos are nearly identical in every other way, they make a good comparison study.

Oval hole mandos have a more immediate sound, but don't project as well. F hole instruments are not as warm and imtimate sounding, but project better.

I prefer hearing the oval hole when I'm playing, but when somebody else is playing across the room, the F hole mando is louder and clearer.

I always felt that the "point" near the bottom of the neck on a F model would get in the way of playing the uppermost frets. I must say though, that I've seen a wonderful player named Evan Marshall who plays an F model, get up there with no problems,

____________

In late 2004, my beloved Gibson mandolin that I've had for decades, broke. The internal bracing came loose and the top collapsed. (I thought it was my fault, but I've subsequently learned of several others from the same year that developed the same problem, so apprently the glue that held the bracing in place had deteriorated.)

I spent the entire 2005 NAMM show looking at mandolins. I checked out Weber, Collings, Breedlove, National, Michael Kelly, Eastman, and several others. I liked qite a few of them, but I fell in love with the Rigels. there was something indefinable about them that just clicked with me.

I once told my late father-in-law that I had made 2 really excellent decisions in my life. The first was marrying his daughter, and the second was buying an Acura.

I think choosing to replace the Gibson with a Rigel was the third.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 13 Mar 2006 8:50 am

Check out these ...
http://www.parisswing.com/D-Hole.1154.0.html

Plenty of room to store a sandwich in there.

And in action ...
http://www.parisswing.com/Artists.1135.0.html [This message was edited by Andy Volk on 13 March 2006 at 08:58 AM.]

Dennis Olearchik · Post by **Dennis Olearchik** » 13 Mar 2006 3:35 pm

Mike, what did you think of the Collings "A" style mando?

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 13 Mar 2006 4:15 pm

In addtion to John and Adam, try David Grisman's new album Tone Poets; Chris Thile, Shawn Lane from the group dobro master Rob Ickes is in, Blue Highway, Andy Leftwich who plays with Ricky Skaggs (and has a new album to be released next week, alos with Rob Ickes, and bassist Dave Pomeroy, called "Three Ring Circle"). Not to mention the great Sam Bush.

I get Bobby's point about some run-of-the-mill mando players-but those mentioned above are all incredible musicians and they can really make those little suckers sing!

------------------
Mark
[This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 13 March 2006 at 04:28 PM.][This message was edited by Mark Eaton on 13 March 2006 at 04:28 PM.]

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 13 Mar 2006 4:40 pm

Dennis, Collings makes very high quality instruments. Of all the mandos I saw at NAMM, the standouts besides Rigel were Collings, Weber and Breedlove. All of them were excellent, and I would have been happy with any of them. But on a totally subjective level, I liked the Rigels best of all.

------------------
My web site

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 13 Mar 2006 5:32 pm

Does electric count?

Dave Burr · Post by **Dave Burr** » 14 Mar 2006 5:42 am

If you want to see what a mandolin is capable of in the hands of masters, check out this link and go to show #287. http://www.woodsongs.com/showlist.asp

You'll need to right click on the "video" icon and save to your hard drive. It makes it much easier to skip through the talking. (warning: this requires a high speed connection)

I realize a lot of you mando folks already know how capable these guys are, but this note is for the "unawares".

PS. Mike, I think your mandos look awesome. I went the Collings "A" route, but I really love the look and playability of the Rigel as well.

Respecfully,
Dave Burr[This message was edited by Dave Burr on 14 March 2006 at 05:43 AM.]

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 14 Mar 2006 9:16 am

I went the Collings "A" route,

Dave, it's all good. Collings makes great stuff.

------------------
My web site

Mark Eaton · Post by **Mark Eaton** » 14 Mar 2006 9:48 am

Whoa! I hadn't seen that particular Woodsongs episode.

Chris playing his "Ode to a Butterfly" solo. The dexterity in his fingers!

Mike picking up the mandocello and they play "Bach Variations." Amazing sense of timing. These guys were born with metronomes inside their bodies.

A mando duet on Charlie Parker's "Scrapple for the Apple."

Unbelievable!

------------------
Mark

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 14 Mar 2006 12:51 pm

Add my name to the happy Rigel owners list. That Woodsongs episode 287 was so good I'd buy it on DVD if they have better video in high definition for it. I watched it a few months ago and then went back and watched parts of it again. Mike and and Chris fit together as well as any of the great duets on guitar like Atkins/Reed. I did buy their last two albums including the live one, and was severely disappointed that there was nothing musical on them and the sound quality was very muffled. Guess they got bored playing tunes and wanted to get very progressive.

Greg