Members Surrealistic Posted December 18, 2013 Members Share Posted December 18, 2013 Hi all you HCAG types. Been a while. A mandolin is not exactly an acoustic guitar but I think this is the nearest forum I'm going to get for a mandolin question to be on topic.Stupid noob question probably but ....Does a mandolin HAVE to be considerably harder to play than an acoustic guitar? I don't mean because of the narrow fingerboard - I can accept that - but the string tension on the mandolins I have (two of them) is really high and makes it really hard to play fluently. Is that because they're cheap and crappy (they're no-name things) or are all mandos like that?Cheers Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members roughtrade Posted December 18, 2013 Members Share Posted December 18, 2013 Nope. My wife has a mandolin that plays like butter. Weber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Surrealistic Posted December 18, 2013 Author Members Share Posted December 18, 2013 Thanks - I'd guessed it might be the case. Sounds like I'm in the market for a new mandolin then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FretFiend. Posted December 18, 2013 Members Share Posted December 18, 2013 The same laws apply to mandolins that apply to acoustic guitars.I paid $35 for a setup on a $50 Rogue mandolin, and it was worth every penny.A good setup can make even a cheap mandolin "play like butter". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Surrealistic Posted December 18, 2013 Author Members Share Posted December 18, 2013 FretFiend. wrote: The same laws apply to mandolins that apply to acoustic guitars. I paid $35 for a setup on a $50 Rogue mandolin, and it was worth every penny. A good setup can make even a cheap mandolin "play like butter". Interesting. Presumably not every guitar tech is going to be adept at setting up a mandolin though - or are they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Opa John Posted December 18, 2013 Members Share Posted December 18, 2013 I've got a cheap $150 Ibanez that I got at Sam Ash. It came out of the box with what I'd call a perfect setup. It's an "A" style all-laminated that plays and sounds as good as some more expensive mandolins I've had in the past. I think, with a proper setup and medium gauge strings, just about any mandolin can be made to sound and play pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Graeca Posted December 18, 2013 Members Share Posted December 18, 2013 Take one (or both) to a good repairman and have them set up properly. Then they'll be as easy to play as your guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members katopp Posted December 18, 2013 Members Share Posted December 18, 2013 No, they won't.The high tension will still make a noticeable difference. If you want to have something that is as easky to play as a guitar, get an Octave Mando a Mandocello or an Irish Bouzouki. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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