Hi everyone,
Played the piano before but never a string instrument.
I know that an Octave Mandolin has a similar setup to a Mandolin (same GDAE tuning, the OM would practically be the same, just an octave lower), and that I should be able to work with a book developed for Mandolin beginners, but things aren't quite clear.
I'm reading that some chord shapes are different, due to the length of the Octave Mandolin's neck, and therefore some chords playable on a Mandolin aren't achievable on an Octave Mandolin unless one has extremely long fingers.
How much of an issue is this? If it's just a handful of chords that need modification, and the rest of a Mandolin beginner's guidebook could be followed with no other adjustments, then that's good news.
Would appreciate any experienced persons advice!
Looking to spend no more than $300, for a solid octave mandolin. Is it possible to get something that's relatively decent quality for this price?
Hello, I am looking for recommendations for an octave mandolin, budget around $1000, could be somewhat more if i like the instrument well enough.
My actual preference would have been a 10 string CGDAE, but i don't really want the delicate sound of a bouzouki or cittern, my ears hear a difference between a bouzouki and an octave mandolin (on videos).
Plus a custom made instrument can get expensive in a hurry.
Somehow the guitar body ones sound somewhat weird on videos, not sure why.
Seeing one in person in southern Ohio would be interesting to be sure.
Hi all,
My girlfriend has been wanting an "octave mandolin" lately. She has a mandolin, so I assume this is different? Her birthday is coming up and I'd like to buy her one, but I have no idea what I'm looking for. Does anyone have any suggestions (ideally <$200)?
Thanks!
I am thinking about learning to play mandolin for the second time. The first time was 15 years ago, when my life was super hectic, and I ended up not practicing much and eventually letting it go. At the time I had a Trinity College octave and a beautiful shiny Eastman 515. I sold them both and moved on to other things.
Now, my life is a lot quieter. My kids are grown and on their own, I work remotely, and my husband recently had to move home (to another country) to care for his elderly and unwell parents. So I have a lot of potential practice time in the house by myself, without annoying other folks with my plinking. I was delighted to find so many online lessons available now - my Trinity octave came with an intro lesson on VHS (!) so this is a big improvement.
What I can't decide though, is whether to begin with a regular mandolin or an octave. I absolutely love the deeper sound of the octave; less zingy-zingy but still definitely a mando and not a guitar sound. I will be playing 99% for myself, there will be no performing, although I'm not averse to playing with others around a campfire if I ever get good enough. I'm a Deadhead from way back, but I love all kinds of music and want to try everything from folk to metal. My current favorite playlist is a combination of Billy Strings and Ghost.
My main concern around mandolin vs octave is about learning to play. I remember literally nothing from my first pass at this and will have to start over from absolute ground zero. I play no other instruments and don't read music yet. Given that, I'd like to remove as many frustrations and obstacles to practicing as possible, because I'll need to do a heckin' lot of it. Here are my questions:
- Would it be easier to focus on learning mandolin as a foundation first, and then add an octave later?
- Are online mandolin lessons usable with the octave scale, or are the chord finger shapes completely different?
- As a compromise, might an oval-hole mando give me a little of that deeper sound, or is it not that different from an f-hole?
Thank you!
I’m looking for an octave mandolin that won’t break the bank, but is still a good quality instrument. I have been looking at a few different companies, but I just feel lost, and I want to make sure I’m getting a nice instrument for the money. Any recommendations would be appreciated!
I've been creeping on Reverb, MandolinCafe, eBay, etc. for octave mandolin postings but as I've never played an octave mandolin I was hoping for some advice for what exactly to keep my eye out for. I'm hoping to find something with a warm tone and alot of sustain (I'm assuming an oval hole would be best here). I love the sound of the weber bridgers but they're kind of hard to find.
Any ideas on what I should keep an eye out for? Whether it be maker, wood, etc. any advice would be greatly appreciated! 😃
Hello everyone,
—————— Question 1: Looking to see if anyone has a used octave mandolin for sale. Budget models specifically, budget is $400 or less. Otherwise I’ll likely be purchasing a Hora octave mandolin. (See post below before judging me for that decision!) —————— Question 2: If anyone has had an experience with specific online or physical copies of learning material, I would love to get recommendations! Any type/play style as I am interested in learning different techniques. ——————
Background: I am looking to purchase an octave mandolin to play primarily for hobby purposes. I play in a “pirate” band, playing traditional pub songs and shanties. I play guitar and baritone ukulele currently but would like a new challenge to learn a new instrument. I have access to a mandolin that I’ve been practicing on, and I enjoy playing it, so I know moving up to an OM is something I am ready for.
Use: That being said, I would be primarily playing as practice and a hobby. If I did upgrade to using it in the band I would only have a couple songs out of our ~50 songs to play it on, so I don’t see a need to spend ~$1000 on a nice OM.
I am currently looking at purchasing a Hora OM. I’ve done some research and it seems that the hora would play fine with some adjustments. It helps that I’m dating an orchestral instrument repair tech, so I’m confident that the adjustments won’t be an issue.
Budget: Obviously I am looking into a Hora so my budget is not that big. If there was a nicer OM available for closer to the $400 range I would I consider purchasing. Though the sub-$300 range seems more enticing.
Thanks everyone for your time to read this!
Hi all! I recently picked up mandolin again after a long time away from it. My main instrument is my voice, so Now that I’ve gotten to a point where I feel comfortable accompanying myself singing relatively straightforward folk songs, I am looking at octave mandolins for when the songs really need a deeper sound. I know they don’t come cheap, but I’m looking recommendations for octave mandolins that are relatively affordable (maybe under $1000) but still pretty good. Right now, I mostly just perform for my cat and in-laws who don’t know music…but looking for something that is good enough to use more broadly as I improve.
Hey guys , do any of you know where I could get my hands on an electric hard body octave mandolin, or have any of you guys seen one. A Google search didn't give me any help, and nothing came up. Do they even make them, or am I looking for something that doesn't exist.
Thanks in advance guys
thinking about getting and octave mandolin or a bouzouki. Would love some thought on which people prefer and why, and recommendations for affordable but reliable brands. I'm leaning toward the Octave mandolin due to the intended tuning being the same as the regular. thanks.
I posted a pic yesterday of an instrument I cobbled together and have started playing that is a cross between a guitar and an octave mandolin. Unfortunately I unknowingly broke the rules of the sub (yes, it was my fault). But I figured I would post again (hopefully within the rules this time) to answer the questions I received. Hopefully this is of interest to some of you, and may spur some other creative ideas for you to try out yourself if you’re into this kind of thing.
- The tuning is EADAE. (Actually I tune it a whole step lower so I can use 13s which I prefer). The doubled strings on the high A and E are in unison. This gives you the lowest three strings of a guitar and the highest three strings of an octave mandolin. I play it mostly fingerstyle but it could obviously be played with a pick (which I’m not particularly good with)
- You can do the same thing yourself if you’re interested in playing around with this- I have no previous luthier skills or knowledge, just watched a couple of youtube videos about slotting a nut and positioning a bridge. The only issue is finding an instrument to mod with the right scale - this particular guitar has a short 24” scale length, but I think it would work better with an even shorter scale.
- You could also just tune a regular guitar to the same tuning, but you wouldn’t have the doubled strings. Essentially you would be replacing the G and B strings with a single A string. (Obviously you would want to make a new nut, but I’ll bet even the stick nut would work in a pinch) I may experiment with a Taylor Jr or something and tune the 1st and 2nd strings to the same pitch (so high to low it would be EEADAE, all single strings). That way you could still get some of the “chorus” sounds that you get from doubled strings. You could also slide into unisons with that setup I suppose. The first string could also be used as a drone - or like the fifth string of a banjo(?) I have a single string banjo “capo” that could be used to change the pitch of that one string as well (I forget who makes it). I suppose banjo spikes might work as well (?) (I’m guessing someone else has done something similar with doubled strings on a guitar- maybe someone has also done this exact same guitar / mandolin tuning, who knows. There’s really nothing new under the sun.)
- Some ppl asked how it sounds. If it’s within the rules I’d be happy to make a sound file to share. I’m still feeling my way around this tuning, but I’ve stated working up s
I just got my bouzouki yesterday. I need a case for it though. What cases would y’all recommend would fit a hora Irish concert bouzouki?
I have no financial affiliation with these guys I just like them a lot. I’m so excited, I needed an excuse to buy an octave and now I have one. And the wife even said “OK I’ll take it out of your hide later, but go ahead and get it”
https://www.pegheadnation.com/news-reviews/breaking-news/octave-mandolin-with-joe-k-walsh-new-course-coming-soon/
I succesfully converted a 12 string guitar into a octave mandolin and i wish i knew this earlier in my life. The mehod is really simple and does not break anything, so you could go back to a regular guitar. This method require a 12 string guitar (6 string if you drill and file and buy tuners)
What i did is bought a eight string octave mandolin strings. i took a nail and saw the head off the nail. The nail goes into the soundhole under the bridge toward the ends of the loop strings. The caps are not needed anymore, but safe them were you never loose them. The tuning is not in GG, DD, AA, EE (if you do that i think the strings gonna break, but i'm not sure). The solution i found is to tune it lower and capo it. I set the tuning in FF, CC, GG, DD and put the capo on the second fret wich makes it the standard tuning of a real octave mandolin.
Verdict. I'm so blasted away that this did it. I never played mandolin or octave mandolin in my life, but i compared the chords with a mandolin on youtube tutorials and the fretting seems to be on the right spot everywhere. I was looking for a octave-mandolin almost vife years here in belgium and never found a dealer. The bluegrass genre is not so popular in belgium (and probably other country's too) and to find one needs to be purchased online wich i never do for instruments. My 12 string guitar that i had is a lucky instrument that i got, because at that time i bought it, it was a impulsive purchase.
The downside. Now there is just two downsides on it. The first is that if 1 string breaks, you need to replace all of them (or make them loose). This is because the nail is right behind the bridge and you can't reach it with your hand to wind it on the nail. The second problem is its not practical to convert to guitar to octave back and forth (you need to choose guitar or octave-mandolin dilemma).
