Posted in: String by RVDaniels on January 11th, 2009 | 0 Comments
People around the world are discovering a love for traditional music. Bluegrass and Celtic music are both gaining in popularity along with a desire to play the mandolin. Here are some things to consider when buying a mandolin to learn on.
Do you love both Celtic and Bluegrass music? The sound of those mandolins, guitars and banjos is so beautiful. It makes you want to join in and play along with the band. Well, you can learn to play if you work a little at it and pay attention to a few details. It’s important that you choose your instrument with some care and not just buy the cheapest mandolin you can find. A poor quality instrument or a poorly set up instrument will be harder to play and will discourage you from learning as quickly or as well as you might with a better instrument. Here are some things to consider when purchasing your first mandolin.
What kind of music do you want to play? For traditional folk music and Celtic music the A type mandolin works well. Most bluegrass pickers prefer the F type or Kentucky mandolin.Hobgoblin Music USA offers instruments reasonably priced and of good quality for the beginner. There are several other places you can get helpful information and see some good mandolins. Mandolin Cafe, http://mandolincafe.com, offers a wide array of resources for the beginner as well as the accomplished musician. There are forums and message boards as well as links to places to buy your mandolin.
There are mandolins with solid wood tops and mandolins with laminate tops. Always get a solid top for better sound and a longer lasting instrument. The older a solid wood instrument gets the better it sounds. Look at the instruments neck to make sure its not warped or crooked. As for set up, that means how the bridge is set, and what sort of string are on the mandolin. This is important as the bridge must be adjusted properly( for height of strings above neck) in order to make chords properly. Always begin learning how to play on light gauge strings so that it will be easier to learn and you won’t get discouraged. Another part of setting up is tuning the mandolin. Most good instrument suppliers whether online or in a shop will set up the instrument properly before delivery.
I hope you have enjoyed this and will also enjoy many hours playing your new mandolin.
