The mandolin of William Smith Monroe (1911-1994)

...one string got loose and I am too lazy (and clumsy) to fix it, therefore I'm trying this out as a compromise lol. Gotta say, not the end of the world, I just wouldn't recommend using it on stage

Hi. Went to a car boot sale (garage sale) today and bought a 60s/70s EKO electric mandolin, made in Italy, just like the one in the picture (sorry, I've already pulled mine apart for refurb). Best part - it all works and cost £10...!!! Looking forward to putting new strings on it and playing. Any ideas on real-world value, as the reverb ones are £400.....🤷‍♂️ Cheers.

Looking at a Eastman 615 does anyone have any thoughts

And I got thinking: if an electric guitar can be called an ax, did I just buy a hatchet?

Looking into getting my first mando and came across this bundle on Elderly Instruments for $570 USD.

Includes: Kentucky KM 150 Kentucky padded gig bag Clip on tuner Extra strings 2 picks String crank Cleaning cloth Lesson book

I’m like 90% convinced but just wanted the community’s thought on the bundle, the gear, the company, etc.

Edit: ORDERED! Thank you to everyone for confirming I was getting good gear from an amazing company!

Borrowing a mandolin someone in my family had. Mandolin itself is not too old, a fender A-style. I play violin so I am used to string instruments. However, the strings are a bit rusty. It's a little out of tune (mostly the G string) and I'm wondering if I should try to tune it as I'm scared the strings could break. Not sure if my family is ok with me changing the strings, otherwise I would🥲.

For the strings, would I need a specific type for orchestra pieces? Or would any do?

Howdy folks, some of you may have seen David Benedict's recent video on 30 mandolin kick offs you should know. If not:

https://youtu.be/XSRnaDQzy5o?si=CSILDCbt4-2y8M-Z

Some real bangers in here for sure. As a challenge, I decided to transcribe them all! Check out the tab, notes, and play alongs on my soundslice.com page:

https://www.soundslice.com/users/tgmartin000/

Most of them are at the top of the list chronologically. A few others are older, so you'll have to search by name. Happy pickin!

Hey friends! If you've ever had pain in your fingers, hands or wrists after playing an instrument like mandolin, guitar or bass, it could be because you haven't warmed up. Here's a video that might help. I demonstrate some warm up exercises for mando including one from the great Jethro Burns. Cheers! https://youtu.be/qzcemG0v0Hg?si=P3X-TDucii0ohCqT

So I might be getting a mandolin for Christmas. I am only 17 and can’t afford it myself( don’t have a job too busy with school). I looked online and the classical ones are very expensive. I was not expecting this as usually classical guitars are less than electric. I wanted to get a classical but now I’m rethinking it. Should I get an electric or classical?

I just got a mandolin from a relative and Id love to get some help identifying it, I can’t tell if the brand is “Kay” or “Kax” but either way I have had no luck finding out anything else about it.

looking into getting an instrument from the mandolin family. I've been quite interested in a mandocello, as my primary goal would be songwriting (and cello rep, that would be fun).

however- would an octave mandolin make more sense?

hoping to stay under $1k so maybe a nice used mandolin would be the best bet?

I have an old Harmony mandolin that my Dad was given by someone at work about 10 years ago, who then gave it to me. It plays comfortably and I've managed to learn a lot on it, but it's got its issues and I'm looking to get some info on it if possible. It's an A style and, from the looks of it, is made of walnut, though I could be mistaken on that because I've never been great at identifying wood.

I'm considering maybe buying a beginner mandolin in the next year or so to start playing more frequently, but wondering if anyone knows anything about the model or potential age of this one and, judging by the attached pics, whether it seems like it would be worth getting repaired?

The main issue seems to be that the body has separated near the tailpiece and the sides have come undone, so the top and back have both shifted as the bass side wall has shifted up towards the top and the treble side has shifted down towards the back. The instrument still intonates well, and I think a properly trained luthier could probably fix it relatively easily, but I don't know about cheaply.

Here are the pics of it so you can see for yourself: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2NBhauB74YorCK8S7

Well I've been on a bit of an adventure this year. Started with a Dunlop Big Stubby 3mm (the fave for years), Dunlop Jumbo Flow 420 (didn't last long), Dunlop Jumbo Flow 3mm (was a fave for months), Dunlop Primetone Semi Round 1.5mm (tried it once, too thin for me) and finally, the black Weagan Bluegrass pick, which I've been hooked on for the last 2 months. Funny thing is a had a white one of them for years but never wanted to it, then lost it.

The only one I can't identify is the black soft edge pick beside the Weagan that has lost it's writing. Any ideas? I'm sure someone recently said it was also a Dunlop... I still enjoy this pick so much but it was a random purchase from a random store when I had a gig and was without any picks.

What's your fave pick, and do you have multiple faves? I'm pretty happy to have landed on the Weagan for now, and that I didn't go spend a fortune on a Blue Chip...! I tried a friends but it was too thin. The thick ones are >$80 USD 🙈

Something I have struggled w as a mando-beginner; I can't get my shoulder-strap to balance right such that my f-style mandolin will stop wanting to tip toward the headstock. I find it's hard to change hand positions for chord movement when the headstock & neck along with it are constantly tipping away from me. Does anyone else have this issue / have a suggested fix, or is this 'the norm' playing mandolin? not used to this challenge having come from an acoustic guitar background. Thanks in advance for your help! :)

I have an MD305 and recently emailed Eastman to inquire about upgrading my tail piece now that they offer this model with a cast piece over a stamped piece.

Just got a response today that asked for my shipping address and that they'd just mail me one.

Huge rave to Eastman. I'm overjoyed at how kind a gesture that is, especially for a company so large.

Looking to up my tremolo game and trying to compile a list of solos to transcribe. Any suggestions for tunes, or getting better at tremolo in general?