What Is a Mandolin ?

[Picaro]

Mark Knopfler plays a steel bodied mandolin on some Dire Straits songs and a few on his solo albums as well. I think his is probably too large to be classified as a mandolin but that's the name they sell them under.

 

[protectionist]

Asked of people with little knowledge of it, WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP, please state, in 1 sentence, your answer to the title of this OP. Just toss in your best guess.

For those who know the answer, please refrain from posting, so as to not destroy the aim of the thread. Don't worry. We know you're smart.

I never cease to be amazed at how many people, don't know what a mandolin is, or anything about it. I want to get an idea of what causes this.

8-stringed, soprano instrument.

Brief, but correct. Thanks.

 

[protectionist]

Mark Knopfler plays a steel bodied mandolin on some Dire Straits songs and a few on his solo albums as well. I think his is probably too large to be classified as a mandolin but that's the name they sell them under.

I can't imagine a mandolin being steel. The whole essence of violins and mandolins is the sweet tones they produce from vibration of wood. This is why the type of woods used for them are chosen in special ways. Solid spruce top. Maple or mahagony back and sides.

If anybody wants to listen to a stringed instrument made of steel however, they have that perfect right.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Asked of people with little knowledge of it, WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP, please state, in 1 sentence, your answer to the title of this OP. Just toss in your best guess.

For those who know the answer, please refrain from posting, so as to not destroy the aim of the thread. Don't worry. We know you're smart.

I never cease to be amazed at how many people, don't know what a mandolin is, or anything about it. I want to get an idea of what causes this.

8-stringed, soprano instrument.

Brief, but correct. Thanks.

I also play one. I will be chasing this guy all my life:

 

[protectionist]

Asked of people with little knowledge of it, WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP, please state, in 1 sentence, your answer to the title of this OP. Just toss in your best guess.

For those who know the answer, please refrain from posting, so as to not destroy the aim of the thread. Don't worry. We know you're smart.

I never cease to be amazed at how many people, don't know what a mandolin is, or anything about it. I want to get an idea of what causes this.

8-stringed, soprano instrument.

Brief, but correct. Thanks.

I also play one. I will be chasing this guy all my life:

Very nice mandolin in that video, although it's limited by being all single note picking, with not a single double-stop tremolo, which is the real beauty of the mandolin, IMO.

Very cool that you play. What kind of mandolin do you have, and what do you play on it ?

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Asked of people with little knowledge of it, WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP, please state, in 1 sentence, your answer to the title of this OP. Just toss in your best guess.

For those who know the answer, please refrain from posting, so as to not destroy the aim of the thread. Don't worry. We know you're smart.

I never cease to be amazed at how many people, don't know what a mandolin is, or anything about it. I want to get an idea of what causes this.

8-stringed, soprano instrument.

Brief, but correct. Thanks.

I also play one. I will be chasing this guy all my life:

Very nice mandolin in that video, although it's limited by being all single note picking, with not a single double-stop tremolo, which is the real beauty of the mandolin, IMO.

Very cool that you play. What kind of mandolin do you have, and what do you play on it ?

Agreed on the door now stops and tremolo, though David Grisman is no slouch there, either.

I have an Ibanez with a pickup that I play live (surprisingly good value instrument, once upgraded with better tuners and properly bridged):

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez...H-nKVOAakcOiL_u3CIaL5zVRQ1ZQ5ZvUaAqH_EALw_wcB

I haven't put a lot of $$ into the mandolin, admittedly . It all goes into my electric guitar toys and acoustic guitar toys.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Asked of people with little knowledge of it, WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP, please state, in 1 sentence, your answer to the title of this OP. Just toss in your best guess.

For those who know the answer, please refrain from posting, so as to not destroy the aim of the thread. Don't worry. We know you're smart.

I never cease to be amazed at how many people, don't know what a mandolin is, or anything about it. I want to get an idea of what causes this.

8-stringed, soprano instrument.

Brief, but correct. Thanks.

I also play one. I will be chasing this guy all my life:

Very nice mandolin in that video, although it's limited by being all single note picking, with not a single double-stop tremolo, which is the real beauty of the mandolin, IMO.

Very cool that you play. What kind of mandolin do you have, and what do you play on it ?

As far as what I like to play, I enjoy bluegrass and playing original music on it.

 

[protectionist]

Asked of people with little knowledge of it, WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP, please state, in 1 sentence, your answer to the title of this OP. Just toss in your best guess.

For those who know the answer, please refrain from posting, so as to not destroy the aim of the thread. Don't worry. We know you're smart.

I never cease to be amazed at how many people, don't know what a mandolin is, or anything about it. I want to get an idea of what causes this.

8-stringed, soprano instrument.

Brief, but correct. Thanks.

I also play one. I will be chasing this guy all my life:

Very nice mandolin in that video, although it's limited by being all single note picking, with not a single double-stop tremolo, which is the real beauty of the mandolin, IMO.

Very cool that you play. What kind of mandolin do you have, and what do you play on it ?

As far as what I like to play, I enjoy bluegrass and playing original music on it.

I do the same. Bluegrass and just popular songs/tunes.

 

[Picaro]

Mark Knopfler plays a steel bodied mandolin on some Dire Straits songs and a few on his solo albums as well. I think his is probably too large to be classified as a mandolin but that's the name they sell them under.

I can't imagine a mandolin being steel. The whole essence of violins and mandolins is the sweet tones they produce from vibration of wood. This is why the type of woods used for them are chosen in special ways. Solid spruce top. Maple or mahagony back and sides.

If anybody wants to listen to a stringed instrument made of steel however, they have that perfect right.

Not only made of steel, but brass as well. They have a distinct sound and not at all unpleasant.

 

[protectionist]

Mark Knopfler plays a steel bodied mandolin on some Dire Straits songs and a few on his solo albums as well. I think his is probably too large to be classified as a mandolin but that's the name they sell them under.

I can't imagine a mandolin being steel. The whole essence of violins and mandolins is the sweet tones they produce from vibration of wood. This is why the type of woods used for them are chosen in special ways. Solid spruce top. Maple or mahagony back and sides.

If anybody wants to listen to a stringed instrument made of steel however, they have that perfect right.

Not only made of steel, but brass as well. They have a distinct sound and not at all unpleasant.

I'll stick with wood. Wood guitars, mandolins, violins, and baseball bats.