Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Mandolins (... OK, probably more than really you cared to know...)
History:
The mandolin is yet another “modern” instrument, to grow out of the ancient lute. So many instruments have evolved from lutes and even today, those of us who work on building and repairing stringed instruments are called “luthiers” but, you sure don't see many people playing these old instruments…? But, I digress... The mandolin is itself evolved from the larger scaled “mandola”, also called the “mandolino”, a simpler lute like instrument, with 8 strings tuned in unison and plucked with a plectrum. Mandolin means “little mandola”.
The transition from the mandolino to the mandolin began in the mid 1700's with the designing of the metal-string mandolin by the Vinaccia family, consisting of 3 brass strings and one of gut, using friction tuning pegs on a fingerboard that sat "flush" with the soundboard. Mandolin popularity grew in the next 60 years or so. It was used by young men courting, by street musicians, and in concert halls.
Following the Napoleonic era, its popularity began to fail and the mandolin became a folk instrument. Not unlike quite a few other instruments, a popular culture event would bring it back to popularity...
That event was the Paris Exposition of 1878 and the introduction of the “Estudiantes Españoles” (The Spanish Students). With their popularity, a new awareness of the instrument was created. This awareness spawned a wave of Italian mandolinists traveling through Europe in the 1880s and 1890s and in the United States by the mid-1880s, playing and teaching their instrument. The group landed in the U.S. on January 2, 1880, in New York City, and played in Boston and New York to wildly enthusiastic crowds. The instrument's popularity continued to increase during the 1890s and mandolin popularity saw its peak in the "early years of the 20th century.” Thousands took up the instrument as a pastime, and it became an instrument of society, taken up by young men and women. Mandolin orchestras were formed worldwide, incorporating not only the mandolin family of instruments but also guitars, double basses, and zithers.
During this “Golden Age” of the mandolin, when the instrument became extremely popular, many worldwide mandolin orchestras were organized. High-quality instruments were more and more available. They thrived until after WWI, when the popularity gradually fell again, most likely due to the rise in competition from the “jazz era”. During this era phonograph records, movies, bicycles, automobiles, and outdoor recreation became more popular than learning to play an instrument.
The famous Lloyd Loar Master Model from Gibson (1923) was designed to boost the flagging interest in mandolin ensembles, with little success. However, the "Loar" became the defining instrument of bluegrass music when Bill Monroe purchased an F-5 S/N 73987 in a Florida barbershop in 1943 and popularized it as his main instrument. His unique style of playing lead melodies like a fiddler, “percussive chording” known as ”the chop” - almost like the drive of a snare drum. He played the Mandolin with a unique style of quickly struck and muted strings, along with a percussive blues feel, especially up the neck in keys that had not been used much in country music before, notably B and E. He emphasized a powerful, syncopated right hand that still drives this music we love so much today.
Luthier Information:
Here are some pointers for setting up a new mandolin, or for setting up after a string change. With all of the strings on, under loose tension, make sure the bridge/saddle is vertical and making good contact with the top of the mandolin. Start with the bridge centered in between the notches of the “f “ holes. Look at both the front and rear of the bridge to make sure it is making solid contact with the top. Tune all of the strings to pitch, using your electronic tuner. It's a good idea to start with the two center courses (the D and A strings), get them to the proper pitch, and then double-check the bridge to ensure it is still seated properly. You can then move on to the E and G strings and again check the bridge seating. If your strings are new you may need to re-tune them once or twice. New strings usually need a day or two get stretched out and stay in tune. I like to tune all of the strings to pitch so that the pressure on the bridge/saddle is exactly what it will be when using the mandolin. Once you have good intonation it’s a good idea to not move or remove the bridge/saddle. It's a good idea to mark the front and back of the bridge feet with a fine point pencil, so if it is moved, you can get it back into position. If you have tuning issues, don't immediately blame the tuning machines. Often, the problem can be with the string slots cut in the nut. You may hear the string “catching” as it's tuned, causing the pitch to change inconsistently. In this case, try rubbing the tip of a pencil in the nut slot, allowing the graphite to lubricate the string movement. Any major issues, like string height adjustment, play ability, etc, is best left to an experienced luthier. If any of you have concerns, feel free to approach me at one of our gatherings for advice.