Guitarm style mandolin? Or mandolin style guitar?

C

carsoste

New member
Hi:
I was looking for a gig bag for my mandolin online and found a page selling guitar style mandolins. Having played guitar for years, being one who is just learning to play mandolin, and having never seen one bfore i was curious about them. Has anyone out there played one. Do they sound like a guitar or a mandolin? Are they very expensive?
If you could tell me a little details about them i would appreciate it.
Thanks.
 
I am curious on this, too. Link please! My brain works for 'guitar tunings', I really struggle with mando tuning. When I play uke, I just pretend it's the top 4 guitar strings tuned up 3 semitones!
Band I saw Sunday night, one guy played a solid body electric mandolin for 1 song. It appeared to be tuned like a regular mandolin.
 
Might sound a little different, but probably not much. Once you get up in that pitch range, it takes something pretty radical to change things much.
 
carsoste said:
Hi
Here's the link where I saw it:https://www.goldtone.com/products/details/w/instrument/462/GME-6.
Tell me what you guys think.
Click to expand...

That's just an "octave guitar". A little guitar, tuned up an octave from normal tuning.

Mixsit's link is just a 5 string similar thing. There are a lot of similar instruments. I saw a fantastic guitarist play one a few months ago, but it sounded like a guitar, not a mando. When he wanted a real mando sound, he used an a/e one.

Here's a more definitive showing of electric mandolins (many of those 5 string models):
Mandolin Cafe - Mandolins - Electric Mandolins
Take a look at the double necks! Mandolin Cafe - Mandolins - Double Neck Mandolins


What I'd be interested in is an acoustic/electric that sounds like a true mandolin but had guitar tuning, so 8 strings, but tuned D-G-B-E (for example).

A real mandolin has 8 strings, with 4 courses of 2 strings each, that's what gives it it's sound.
 
Mandolin plays like an upside down inverted guitar,if you can get your head around that.Don't fool yourself,learn how to play it the right way.
 
mjbphotos said:
That's just an "octave guitar". A little guitar, tuned up an octave from normal tuning.

Mixsit's link is just a 5 string similar thing. There are a lot of similar instruments. I saw a fantastic guitarist play one a few months ago, but it sounded like a guitar, not a mando. When he wanted a real mando sound, he used an a/e one.

Here's a more definitive showing of electric mandolins (many of those 5 string models):
Mandolin Cafe - Mandolins - Electric Mandolins
Take a look at the double necks! Mandolin Cafe - Mandolins - Double Neck Mandolins


What I'd be interested in is an acoustic/electric that sounds like a true mandolin but had guitar tuning, so 8 strings, but tuned D-G-B-E (for example).

A real mandolin has 8 strings, with 4 courses of 2 strings each, that's what gives it it's sound.
Click to expand...
Because of the layout,the voicings on a mandolin will sound different along with the sound of the double strings.
A ukulele is closer to a guitar,but because the top string is high,you again get a different voicing than a guitar with a capo.
 
acidrock said:
Don't fool yourself,learn how to play it the right way.
Click to expand...

My wife gave me my mando. very cheap one, doesn't sound that good except on the top two courses. So I don't play it much. I was just curious regarding the OP's original post about a 'guitar style' mandolin. Probably one of those 5 strings.
 
it's a baritone mando............

I've seen six sting banjos that tune like guitars but mandos are inverted....

it's upside fuckin' down........messes with my head....


Here's my mando...
 

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mjbphotos said:
That's just an "octave guitar". A little guitar, tuned up an octave from normal tuning.

Mixsit's link is just a 5 string similar thing. There are a lot of similar instruments. I saw a fantastic guitarist play one a few months ago, but it sounded like a guitar, not a mando. When he wanted a real mando sound, he used an a/e one.

Here's a more definitive showing of electric mandolins (many of those 5 string models):
Mandolin Cafe - Mandolins - Electric Mandolins
Take a look at the double necks! Mandolin Cafe - Mandolins - Double Neck Mandolins


What I'd be interested in is an acoustic/electric that sounds like a true mandolin but had guitar tuning, so 8 strings, but tuned D-G-B-E (for example).

A real mandolin has 8 strings, with 4 courses of 2 strings each, that's what gives it it's sound.
Click to expand...

A lot of cool mandos,but I would only want the eight string versions.
 
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