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This here is a Republic metal-body resonator mandolin, modeled off of the classic National resos of the 1920s and 1930s. Republics are build in China and then set up in Texas. They are very affordable — $350 for a mando with case — and the owner will set it up as a lefty for me.
I have an interest in the lost art of blues mandolin — a lot of the old-time black string bands had mandolin players, and many of them used oddball instruments like the resonator mandolin or the dreaded mando-banjo. These things are loud, and have a unique tone quality to them . . . I’d use this at the monthly old-time fiddlers’ jam session, and in my spare time work on some of the blues / jug band kinda stuff.
2 comments:
Where can we find some audio of these instruments you're posting? Because my level of discernment when it comes to bluegrass instruments is only slight more refined than fiddle/not-fiddle.
Here's a Chinese-made reso mandolin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmczNxKl7k8
And here's a tenor guitar being played in the Texas fiddle backup style:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoUlF_Akrv8
A mandolin is tuned GDAE, same as a fiddle. Tenors are usually tuned one-fifth lower, CGDA, like a mandola. They therefore sound a little like a mandolin and a little like a guitar.
Speaking of mandolas . . . just got an email from a guy who will build a lefty in my price range. They are the mandolin's big brother...great sound, but I would probably be wiser to upgrade the mandolin first, as it has a bit more of a well-defined role in old-timey and bluegrass music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDjweBLQU0Q
And finally, some blues on a beautiful Weissenborn acoustic lap steel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbaX05g6D9o
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