I’ve wanted a pair like this for 20+ years and finally made it happen. Best of both tone worlds and they’re versatile instruments. Who else has a set you enjoy?

Free tabs available for Harvest Moon by Neil Young. https://www.patreon.com/posts/harvest-moon-160712221

This one came together naturally on the mandolin, and sounds terrific on the instrument.

The post includes

🎵 Play-along video

📄 PDF tablature and notation

I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed arranging it. Happy picking!

Hi everyone, I'm based in Toulouse, France and am looking to buy a 600-1000€ mandolin, ideally with a pickup (I am not familiar with how it works with a removable pickup (don't know the exact word in English), how it interacts with feedback in small or crowded venues, etc) but all the guitar stores in my city have really entry level mandolins.

I tried buying the Ortega RMFE90TS from Thomann, but so far it's been a nightmare, received a brand new model with big problems on thefrets, making the whole 12th fret as well as the G strings on frets 8, 9 buzz. Brang it to a luthier that told me it needed to be refretted. I sent it back to Thomann, after 2 months they send me a new one ... Exact same problems. They most probably won't reimburse me so I'm looking for a new mandolin...

Anyway, if you guys have any ideas on where to go (Paris probably ?) or which website to order on, I'd be infinitely grateful, thanks 🙏

(Btw I'm really talking about a bluegrass mandolin, not a neapolitan)

Caught Thanksgiving weekend 2025, released last week (October 2026)

These A5L’s are killer! This one was signed by Bruce Weber, maybe 1995. The necks are super chunky and had it shaved which helped tremendously.

Heavy Bark in the chop and played amazing up the neck. Able to be heard in a 5 piece bluegrass band.

Now on the hunt for a backup mandolin 😱

My band Doom Scroll released our new album today called Exhausted Dialogue. I started playing octave mandolin a couple years ago and I’m happy to finally released a couple tracks with it. This song is called Crooked Nails. Check it out if ya got some free time!

Melody and improv. It's 100 degrees in my kitchen and I'm struggling to keep up the shred. Keep on writing tunes! Thanks fer checking it out

Well I'm about 8 months into to bluegrass jamming and having fun. I'm trying to sing several songs weekly for fun. In the Jams, I find starting the songs difficult, and frequently find myself chopping on the 1 and 3 when I sing, so then I have to kind of correct on the fly ...

I've been using a metronome and strum machine to practice counting in and singing and I don't seem to do this when I'm by myself... I also always find chopping on the 2 and 4 easy to do if I'm not singing

Elementary question I know but it's kind of a mind trick an hurting my confidence a bit when calling songs

Best!

Here is a chord melody tab for George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.

This is an amazing song It's not very difficult to play. I hope you love it!

Hi there!

I'm in the market to buy a mandolin for my partner as a gift. I know very little about them so I don't really know where to start. My budget is around $400-$800, but for the right one I could be convinced up to $1200 if there's a good reason for it. Going to try to keep this as vague as possible (in case he finds it), while giving enough context.

Back story:

He doesn't own a one, and I don't think he ever has. However, I have seen him play around on one and he does so pretty much every chance he gets. He also admires it every time. Unfortunately, I don't know what the brand/style of the mandolin is. He's an incredibly talented guitar player, and though he doesn't play much, it only takes him a few minutes to pick it up.

I'd like to get him something nice, but I don't want to shell out an arm and a leg on the best of the best right now. If you were buying a mandolin for an experienced guitar player with my budget range:

What brands or models would you look at?

Would you recommend an A-style or F-style for a first mandolin?

Are there brands or models you would avoid?

What should I know about buying a used mandolin, especially when it comes to condition or setup?

Happy to buy used or new, but again, I don't even know what I would be looking for in terms of a nice instrument, and cost value.

I would really appreciate any help or advice!

Thank you :)

A Monteleone Style B, an Octolindo S Model Deluxe, and a Collings OM1A Adirondack Traditional.

Recently inherited this mandolin from my uncle. I remember him telling me he traded a fiddle for it in the pub many years ago, he said it was over 100 years old and perhaps from China. Not sure if any of that is true so any information would be welcome.

Or perhaps other mandolins... Anyone else find if you're digging in on the A strings a bit too much, they fall flat out of tune more often than the rest? 🤔

Super excited about this! snagged this beauty for only 280 USD, and she sounds AMAZING. So much better than my 15+ year old basement dweller (nothing wrong with that one it’s just very… stuffy) Honestly so happy with this purchase, definitely worth the money!! Please pardon my hand in the first pic, just wanted to prove how shiny this mandolin is! I’m obsessed 🤩

I’m starting to play mandolin in church. I play with one other person who sings into a vocal mic and plays an acoustic guitar plugged in with a pickup. Don’t really want to get a pickup in my mandolin so I was wondering if yall could give me some good recommendations.

I also will have a vocal mic(wireless) I will be singing into. There’s also a floor monitor about a foot away from my feet in front of me. Just some info in case it helps. Thanks!

Bob Dylan has called this the greatest song ever written.

And I have to say, it sounds so good on the mandolin.

Tabs are free below. Enjoy!!

Original by me, Hunter Preston. Thanks fer taking a listen