My mandolin broke my heart

brucemoffatt

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I've finally bit the bullet and admitted I am not a mandolin player. It has taken lots of years of trying to get good at it and never getting there, but I'm there now - at the point of saying enough is quite enough.

I've advertised my good mandolin on mandolin cafe. It's breaking my heart, but the ax deserves a better player than I'll ever be.

I feel like writing a sad lament to mark the parting of a battered ego and an instrument that is a broken heart. If I do, I'll play it on uke.
 
Stuff like this happens to all of us. For quite a number of years, I thought I was Clapton...then reality set in and the uke saved me.
 
I don't think you should give up on it if you enjoy playing the mandolin...I mean, if you enjoy playing 3 chords, what does it matter if you'll never be a professional at it?

All I know is I would never sell an instrument just because I didn't think I was good enough at it...especially if it would involve the words 'broken heart.'

Best of luck with the sale. I saw the post on MC, and it is a beautiful instrument.
 
Hi Bruce,
Also saw your post in the MC classified. Your mando is just beautiful. You may regret selling it. I agree with Skitzic that you don't have to be a professional to enjoy it.
 
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Aloha Bruce,
Sorry to hear you're throwing in the towel ....it's an awesome instrument.....You know I seen one of the builders at Kanilea Make himself a Mandouke with ukulele strings and he play it awesome...but he probally
has 30 plus years playing it...sometimes it not meant to be and it's better you move on....I can imagine you can get a really custom uke for that price....or several premimum ones....Good Luck whatever you do..
Happy Strummings.....MM Stan
 
I was thinking that I would not want to be without my mandolin and saw your post at MC and realized you have 2 other mandolins so you are covered. Nice looking mando.
 
I was thinking that I would not want to be without my mandolin and saw your post at MC and realized you have 2 other mandolins so you are covered. Nice looking mando.

The other two I built myself and they have a special place in my life. The first one, the Dark Lord, I built while I was battling kidney cancer. It's a flat top and back and the tone is quite deep and dark for a mando, but the overtones are a little bit off key. The second one, the Wee Beastie, is an F5, arch top (King Billy Pine) and back (Acacia), F holes but no scroll. One piece neck in the Spanish Heel style made of teak. It rings. It's perfect for jazz, mebbe a bit bright for folk. Anyway, they are there any time I might want to go and carve up my finger tips again.
 
I can almost hear those mandos. Nice job. Either there is a weird reflection on the back of one of those mandolins or a wear spot from a lot of playing. My instrument repair / building life was nipped in the bud about 28 years ago when I thought I would try to restore an old bowl back mandolin. I had begun to sand it and stepped into another room and when I came back in my 3 year old son was standing over the mandolin with a hammer. He had fixed the top for Dad. Now I'm ready to try again.
 
I've made a little vid of the Peter Coombe mando. I'm not happy with the recording quality of the sound. In real life it is rich and complex and it has heaps of sustain. In this vid the mic picks up a tenth of the real qualities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV7lcdFHhNE

Rex Thewonderdog (he has his own fan page on Facebook hint hint) make a guest appearance, just like he has in my life. Onya Rexie.
 
Beautiful instrument Bruce. It reminds me of some old Gibson A style mandos that I should have bought 30 years ago for $400-$500.
 
Yes it's a magnificent instrument. I'm looking for the best option for shipping it from Adelaide to Canberra for a potential new owner to see it and play it. I'm really very nervous to hand it over to a freight company, even in a hard case in a padded box. I wish I knew someone who was flying there so I could send it with them. :(
 
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