Mandolin Volume in Sessions-- OK, what's the solution?

[Loren]

I wonder if ports on the driver's side rim make a significant difference with regards to how well the player can hear himself?

Paul, weren't you the one who posted a link to the mando maker's website that had had made one with 3 sound holes on the topside rim? Might be worth asking the guy how that one turned out.

Loren

[meemtp]

I'd say either the tenor banjo route or take up the fiddle. Our session isn't huge, usually 6-8, but unless there's only a few people playing, I have a hard time hearing myself on the fiddle, never mind a mando, I used to have the same problem when I played the flute. The acoustics can be wonky in some of these pubs. The punters can hear everything well, but you struggle to hear yourself or the player next to you. Experienced that this evening myself actually.

[Loren]

I'm with your Corin, I'm thinking of switching over to the Trumpet, I figure that way not only will I be able to hear myself at sessions, but I'll have the added benefit of significantly simplified fingering - only 3 fingers to have to deal with instead of six!

Plus, folks at the session will appreciate all the elbow room that get's free'd up on my right, without that awkward bunch of flute hanging out into the next guy's personal space.

Yup, I think my trumpet and I are I'm going to make some new friends at the next session......

Loren

[rh]

So what now, the National reso mando?

i've been scoping the new Nationals out myself, by all accounts it is really responsive, has a sweet tone and is in a totally different league than the Johnsons or what-have-you. Butch Baldassari said it is the solution to volume problems in acoustic situations (they'd probably string you up in a BG jam though).

Dan Beimborn says his Lebeda F5 is really loud, he uses it for sessions. Otherwise, i think he sold his tenor banjo and plays a vintage National tenor guitar in its place (brass body IIRC).

[Rick C.]

So what now, the National reso mando?

i've been scoping the new Nationals out myself, by all accounts it is really responsive, has a sweet tone and is in a totally different league than the Johnsons or what-have-you. Butch Baldassari said it is the solution to volume problems in acoustic situations (they'd probably string you up in a BG jam though).

Dan Beimborn says his Lebeda F5 is really loud, he uses it for sessions. Otherwise, i think he sold his tenor banjo and plays a vintage National tenor guitar in its place (brass body IIRC).

Very interesting...

Yeah, I need to catch up with Dan. Haven't seen him since I picked him up at the Nashville airport for the Dragon Reels sessions. He and I of course ended up downtown at Gruhn's, where we sat in the front glass-encased room and had some tunes. Drew a bit of a crowd too, as I recall.

That was Roger's old Sobell I owned, BTW.


Rick

[Wormdiet]

A really low-tech solution might be to where a wide-rimmed hat that will provide some articifial personal reverb.

I've done this in sesions with a whistle and it does work. Might be worth a shot for your mando.

[Rick C.]

Wormdiet,

Ha! Maybe one of those big Chinese deals...

Clever name. Fisherman or Lutheran?

Rick

[Loren]

Here ya go rick, your ship has come in: http://www.mandolincafe.com/cgi-bin/cla ... =retrieval

Loren

[Rick C.]

Mmmmm....

[buddhu]

I play mandolin in a sing-along session at our local pub. In fact, that is what I play most now, even more than whistle and tenor banjo. The volume thing is definitely tricky.

We don't have many instruments, just a couple of guitars, a 5-string banjo, a tin whistle and, very occasionally, a concertina. But there are about 8 people singing so it can get a bit loud.

The mando I use for the session is a cheapo Crafter electro-acoustic M70E. It is almost indestructible and the tuning remains remarkably steady even with the changes of temperature involved in taking it from a warm house into cold air and then into a pub which blows hot and cold amost from minute to minute!

The volume thing does seem to be partly in the ear of the beholder (meaning the player in this case). Everyone else reckons they can hear me, but there are times when playing melody that I actually have to put my ear against the mando to hear it above the din. It's got to the stage where I now spend most of the session just strumming chords guitar style because I can't hear to play properly.

I suppose I could plug it in, but when I started the session I said it was acoustic only... and, like I said, everyone else seems to be able to hear it ok.

[dirtyheel]

http://www.tone-gard.com/comments.htm

try this. it's a wire basket of sorts that holds the mando away from the body and thus keeps your body from dampening some of the noises. got a bandmate who uses one and loves it

[Lorenzo]

http://www.tone-gard.com/comments.htm

try this. it's a wire basket of sorts that holds the mando away from the body and thus keeps your body from dampening some of the noises. got a bandmate who uses one and loves it

That article about Radim Zenkl's tone-gaurd was good. Has anyone seen Zenkl perform? I have a couple of his albums. Fantastic mando player.