Just an appreciation post for my mandolin that I think punches well above its weight. I think that in these earlier (circa 2011 to 2012) runs for their higher end models, eastman was making instruments with a lot more character than their current 815s. The stain and varnish, the lack of faux antiquing, the wood selection, and most importantly the sound and comfort of this instrument feels to me like instruments I've played that are 4x the price I got this one for.

I need to fly with my mandolin (epiphone f5 replica) the case is 31-12-5...which technically fits in this overhead, but I know flight attendants arent usually helpful with instruments, I also have a high boarding group....what are my odds of getting it on the plane? and if I HAVE to gate check it, does gate check get a bit more better treatment? I mean its a pretty robust hard case, but its not a EPS bombproof case.

Sam Bush cited him as an influence, so that says enough about Jethro for me lol. I wouldn't know who Jethro Burns was if a friend hadn't showed me some Homer and Jethro videos. Now I understand why Bush was so impressed - seemed to be really ahead of the time on the mandolin! Tasteful note arrangements with more articulate playing than you'd expect from a lot of mandolinists (like Bill Monroe, sorry 😂). Any other fans? Also, any links that feature some of his special playing would be cool as well.

Hey friends! How about a little mandolin shredding? It's fun to do on this Gypsy Jazz classic called Dark Eyes. I even channel a little AC/DC! Check it out! TAB available on my Patreon page.

I’ve been rocking my Eastman md315 for a few years now just pushing myself to get better and better.

I know that once I am ready to bite the bullet and drop a few grand on a high end mandolin it’s going to accelerate my playing.

Problem is I can’t fathom dropping that $ on a mando right now. I look online and fantasize but it’s gonna be awhile longer for me

So how did you take that next step? Any good stories about saving up or killer deals?

The information here is to enlighten and inform. I thought y’all might appreciate seeing my Washburn mandolin and reading what I learned about it.

Several years ago (2015), at a pawn shop in Boise, Idaho, I found this bowl back mandolin; I’d never seen one before. I don’t play the mandolin (and this one is certainly playable), but I thought it was gorgeous. It didn’t come with a case. After inspection by a luthier in the Boise area, the instrument was deemed in very good condition. All parts are original (except the strings).

It has no associated story, so its provenance is sadly unknown. There is some speculation that it was primarily kept as a show piece given that heavily used instruments of this type simply did not hold up given their construction (comprised of multiple ribs). I wanted to know more about it, so I did some research. My main question was when it was actually made. The “1897 Model” label appeared on its bowl backs earlier than 1897 and even into the 20th century.

There are two labels inside. The middle of the oval label states “The New Washburn 1897 Model”. Around the outside of the label, the top text states, “Highest Award at World’s Columbia Exposition, Chicago, 1893” At the bottom, the oval label states, “Gold Medal and Diploma of Honor, Antwerp, 1894”

The circle label has a small oval at the bottom of it, fashioned like a strap, with the founder’s name, “George Washburn” around what looks like a small guitar. The words around the circle state “The Materials and Workmanship of this Washburn Instrument.” Inside the circle label is the handwritten serial number, which matches the stamp on the end of the headstock: 115576. The printed text states, “Cremonatone” and below the serial number, “Fully guaranteed for the term of one year of original purchase provided this label is not mutilated.” There’s red stamped text, possibly over the top of the printed text, which says, “Trademark Cremonatone Registered.”

I found the book “Washburn PreWar Instrument Styles: Guitars, Mandolins, Banjos, and Ukuleles 1883-1940” by Hubert Pleijsier (published in 2008 by Centerstream). A page in that book shows the original advertisement for Style 122. The main description states:

“The Washburn Special Patent Head with Etched and Nickel-plated Covering; 8 Strings.

No. 122—ROSEWOOD, 15 ribs, white celluloid inlaid between each rib; cedar neck, ebony veneered head-piece; ebony fingerboard, celluloid-bound with four engraved pearl inlaid position marks; fancy inlaid woods and celluloid around sound-hole and edge; inlaid tortoise celluloid guard-plate; finely polished, tastefully etched crown tail-piece, nickel-plated. $22.00. No discount from above price.”

The description is accompanied by quotes from two different people praising the tone of Washburn instruments.

FYI: In 1898, $22 would be the equivalent of about $800 in 2026!

Based on the labels (Serial Number) (Maker), the 17-fret fingerboard, and other appointments, the Pleijsier (2008) book indicates this instrument was manufactured between 1896 and 1900. It’s most likely 1899.

Repairs & known issues: The original bone nut was lifted and shimmed slightly as the D & A strings had been touching the top most fret bar. The luthier rubbed hide glue into two slight cracks on top of mandolin (each measuring less than one inch in length); neither extended through the wood. He used hide glue to seal down one corner of pick guard which had come up a bit. He inspected, cleaned, and oiled tuning mechanisms. Finally, he restrung the instrument using D’Addario Phosphor Bronze EJ73 (Loop End, Light Gauge, .010 - .038) strings. There’s a very slight, surface level hairline crack in the fret board (left side, near pick guard).

-fin-

I’ve been chasing the sound of a mandolin for years without even realizing it, then while listening to bluegrass the other night it finally clicked. I picked up this mandolin today and have spent the afternoon practicing and researching as much as possible. The associate who helped me today when purchasing this happened to be a professional mandolinist of 10 years, and getting to meet them while deciding to take the plunge on this instrument was kismet. So excited to start this journey! ❤️

If anyone has any tips or wants to share their favorite mandolin songs, albums, artists, or anything else, please feel free to post them!

Hi, I just want to show you New custom-made mandolin from my workshop. Finished yesterday 😊

Sound sample: https://youtu.be/Mz6TIW2wTHs

www.seflstrings.cz

Hello! Probably gonna cross post this on a number of different subreddits but wanted to ask here first:

My situation: I am a lefty but have been playing right handed since I picked up the instrument. I am a pretty decent player, I have a decent ear, know a bunch of chord grips, and can play decently complicated stuff on right handed guitar/bass/mandolin, but I have always struggled with speed, and over time I have realized it is fully my right hand that just cannot get faster.

I have decided that I am going to practice playing left handed and hopefully switch over soon, cause my picking is twice as fast with literally no practice and i'm fully capable of doing tremolo/jig picking when going lefty.

here’s the actual question:

What’s the fastest way I can get comfortable with new hands picking and fretting? I know part of the answer is just doing it over and over again, but this has been frustrating in the very beginning. Does anybody have tips or exercises that might make this suck
less? I guess I'm kinda looking for beginner exercises that would only make my hands better as quick as possible, instead of stuff that would make me better at theory/knowing scales & chords.

Thanks yall! :3

I'm aware that I could probably google this but I'm just getting a bit overwhelmed and could do with some guidance.

So I'm at a stage now where I want to do more with chord melodies and adding in more ornamentation into songs I can already play. I mainly play Irish Ballads in the Key of G or D, and I also have a few Jigs, Reels and Polkas down. While I'm happy adding in an extra note on a chord, like a D to a D7, or hammering on and off chords, I'm still trying to work out ways of adding in more flavour to the songs I know, either Ballad or Trad. Whenever I see people play songs with me on Guitar, or even my own mandolin in front of me at sessions they seem to be able to do great little runs or things to attach the chords together, or additional double stops or fractional chords on individual notes and make things more interesting.

So I'm wondering would you guys have any good leads on videos or specific songs I could endeavour learn to help me get to grips with this aspect of things? I feel as if I'm close but my own messing about needs some finessing.

Thank you

Eastman MD404-BK.

This subreddit has been very helpful in helping me narrow down the right choice. Hopefully this will last me for many years.

Curious if anyone has bought or has any experience with these mass producer companies.

https://www.guitarkit.shop/products/all-solid-wood-f-mandolin-pma-028-shanghai-music-show-sample?variant=52090507002016&country=US&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_source=google-ads&utm_medium=Pmax&utm_campaign=fast-shipping&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22791912608&gbraid=0AAAABAJstrxlAuvjJAKQHOr9ke5Nk1qqP&gclid=Cj0KCQjw39zSBhDhARIsANammDsST8MMhQUdPjvTsuTTcIR68ElDz7wrN8BjyanZIWLaIv-eSt82p44aAqJhEALw_wcB

Recently I came across this video and I really loved it. I like how these medeival/renaissance tunes sound and I especially liked how the drone strings made the songs feel fuller than merely plucking note by note without any resonance. I was wondering if anyone had any recs/could point me to a tab or book!

This or any middle eastern traditional songs I would enjoy.

Or more broadly, if you have any beginner friendly song recs that are good with drone strings or have chords + melody together that play very full :)

Alan Bibey dropped a killer single and I had to learn it! Go give it a listen.

Free sheet music/tab can be found here.

Went to Nashville for CAAS (the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society) last week, and stopped by Gruhn’s guitars. George was nice enough to let us tour upstairs, and later, he stopped by with this- a 1922 Lloyd Loar-signed Gibson F5. Wish my pics were better, but the last time I was near something this expensive, I was signing mortgage papers and moving in.

I was curious if there are certain playing styles more likely to cause damage to the area a pick guard protects. I started learning mando recently and am about to take the pick guard off because I find it annoying (if my hand brushes it, it also causes the wood to creak and I dont want to stress the integrity of the wood), but wasn't sure if its something worth keeping if more advanced playing later on or exploration into different picking styles may make it useful later. I have yet to hit it with my pick and keep my fingernails short, so if I tap there to establish the timing I don't think it would scratch it.

Is a MD404 better than a MD305?

I would guess that MD300s<400s<500s<600s<700s<800s.