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Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2000

I am thinking about putting in a quarterman cone in the future. Do you sell these? How hard are they to install?

Yes, we will be carrying the quarterman cones within a few weeks. I've been working with Paul Beard on a couple of things recently. They are easy to install...although, on your Triolian, I'm not sure how much more it would improve the tone. The Regal Triolian has a nasal tone that cannot be beat with its very own Spun Biscuit Cone.

Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000

Can you recommend a small 4 track recorder or something similar to record basic songs with? I'd like to be able to lay down a bass track, then come back and do some guitar, etc. on top of it. I am specifically wondering how best to do this with acoustic instruments, in a small home setting.

I'd go with the all-in-one Tascam Digital 4-Track Recorders...These allow you a fully integrated system without sacrificing good tonal reproduction. The problem with magnetic type recorders (analog) is that on a 4-track cassette-type the speed has to be increased to compensate for any degradation because of the smaller media.

Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999

I have nothing to do with my time ..Having raised my blind/deaf son ,now 16 yr. old in group home. My gifted 16 yr. old girl married in college..and my prodigal 28 yr. old out of our life, I've decided to learn music.....I`m not sure I`ll play but I'm trying....Is there any thing easy I`ll learn ,like eggs??,washboard or spoons.But these require skills too! Thank you, sincerely, Ms. Eli` I do write gospel , when the Lord sees fit to give me the words and tunes.....[no chords, just little christian songs.My husbands a blues musician, and in the words of his idol Roy Book Binder, we just replace oh God for Oh Baby[ bad joke]...

Hi, You're never too old to pick up any instrument, including the banjo. Although, there are instruments that are considerably easier to learn and gain enjoyment immediately. One of these is the dulcimer. Within minutes of playing the dulcimer, simple tunes can be played all the way through...If you like the sound of the banjo, you'll love the cascading tones of the dulcimer. The dulcimer is tuned to an open chord so that as you strum it, it has a harmonious sound that becomes difficult to make sound bad...to play a melody only requires fretting one string while strumming all the strings. There are many instruction books on the dulcimer that go by a number system allowing the beginner a good head start without the drudgery of having to learn to read music.

We do also carry banjos, fiddles, guitars, dobros and basses...even so, I've found that the dulcimer is the most well received by those who want to get involved in playing music without the many years of practice usually required just to produce pleasant sounds. Let me know if I can assist you further...Mickey

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Date: Sun, 9 May 1999

I thought of another question and I figure I'd better ask it now before the bidding ends. Does your policy of upgrading instruments hold true on the ebay auction also? Well, it is late and I'd better go get prone. Thanks! Sincerely, JD

Hi there, Sure it does...we honestly believe in our customer base; our business is based on a repeat customer base who is completely confident in what they purchase through us. Our 100% satisfaction guarantee and the ability to always retain your initial investment are two policies that establish this confidence. You never have to concern yourself with being stuck with anything purchased through us. Thanks for your continued interest...Let me know if you have any further questions or if I can assist you with anything else...Mickey

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Question:

11/16/98: I linked to your site from Mandolin Cafe. I am thinking of picking up a mandolin, but I have almost no idea what I'm looking at or for. I play a little bit of guitar, so I'm familiar with fretted instruments, but I don't know any tunes, tunings, or techniques for playing a mandolin. How can I tell if I'm looking at a quality instrument, or at a piece of firewood? Thanks for your time, and site! Gary

Answer:

Thanks for touching base with us. We're going to be putting up a lot of material relative to the questions you're asking. Watch for beginner mandolin lessons within the next week or two. We'll also have articles such as: "How to Purchase Your First Mandolin" etc.

It's fortunate that you have a little background in guitar. This helps immensely.

Usually, when purchasing your first instrument, and especially if you're inexperienced in how to play it, you'll have to depend on the name recognition. For instance, if you can afford it, you can't go wrong with a Gibson or a Breedlove. If you're looking for an affordable quality instrument, then there are many more variables and more susceptibility to making a wrong decision.

Another consideration is what style of playing do you plan to pursue with your new mandolin. This is an important benchmark; every style of mandolin will lend itself to different genres, techniques, etc.

For instance, if you're planning on delving into bluegrass, I'd recommend a mandolin with f-holes at the very least; whereas, if you're looking for a woody open sound with lots of sustain, go for a roundhole mandolin.

You're welcome to contact me if you've found an instrument but are unsure of its quality and value by ing:

Question:

I was just looking at your 2 crosspicking guitar lessons on The Flatpicking Guitar Page. While learning to play banjo, it took me a long time to figure out at that I needed to accent certain notes to make the melody of a song stand out from my roll patterns. No one ever really explained this concept to me and I just sort of chanced upon it after many months of practicing.

My only comment would be to add a symbol above the notes that need to be accented. This will help out beginners a great deal. I'm looking forward to the book (Guitar Crosspicking Technique). Will there be a CD with it? Jeff

Answer:

This is so true...although it can become confusing for the beginner to try to comprehend a technique as subtle as accenting the notes. I'm hoping to write an essay on its importance to supplement the online lessons. We will be compiling CDs for both the Mandolin Crosspicking Technique and the Guitar Crosspicking Technique books.

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