Civil War Mandolin??

[eric marten]

Re: Civil War Mandolin??

[QUOTE=joewhitney Hank, in the realm of authentic campaigning, (the subject of this site), I agree completely. It's just that in the real world, the higher your standards, the fewer the numbers. Most fiddlers, banjoists and guitarists don't like messing with gut strings, or taking off the chin rest or tuners, so it's possible you may just end up with few or even no musicians at some events, instead of mostly authentic but very talented musicians

Given how prevalent music was among the soldiers (one of the few diversions in that pre-electric age), having no, or almost no, musicians doesn't sound that authentic to me either.

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Joe, I respectfully disagree, and I mean that sincerely. (It is nice to have a spirited debate). The following young fiddle apprentices - (I'm naming them just to keep count): Jeff, John Henry, Dan B., Michael, Dan M., Brody, Conor, Brian, Nicholas, (and a few more whose names escape me) - have worked regularly here at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, in 100 degree summer heat, rain, winter snow, indoors and outdoors, and NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THEM WOULD DREAM OF TRYING TO DECEIVE THE PUBLIC by playing fiddles with chin-rests, fine tuners, steel strings, nylon (plastic) strings, nylon "tail guts", modern pitch, etc. The strings they use are primarily Pirastro Chorda, uncovered gut violin strings, easily obtainable on the internet. These are all teen-agers, and they never, ever whine about how hard it is to play period instruments. Every now and then, some reenactor staggers in to the grounds and pulls out a modern violin with modern strings. The result: The correct period fiddlers usually pack up (their period cases) and move elsewhere because they can't compete with the modern metallic sounds of modern outfitted violins with steel and metal-wrapped nylon strings. And the comment about how the regimental string bands only have difficulty outdoors, and no problem indoors with period instruments - does this mean when they record their CD's in a studio they switch to gut strings? I don't think so. If "entertainers" are going to use modern instruments, they might as well dress the part and not bother to wear Civil War uniforms. Sorry for sounding so grouchy sometimes - it just is not right to treat spectators and reenactors so dishonestly.

If these kids can play so beautifully, and talk to their audiences about period instruments, gut strings, etc, without complaining, or considering it "messing" with gut strings, why can't the adult reenactors?

There- I've had my say.

Eric Marten
Music Historian
Old Bethpage Village Restoration

[joewhitney]

Re: Civil War Mandolin??

Well Eric, I may have to recommend that brand of strings to our players, because we frequently have to take breaks for retuning, while our banjoists apply heat to their skin heads and gut strings and apologize to the audience, explaining how the instruments are made with trees and animal parts and therefore are affected by the weather.

That's usually when the rest of us start to pull out our old banjo jokes, like how you the two banjos: "Shoot one of the banjoists". ;-)

Joe Whitney

[Jboring]

Re: Civil War Mandolin??

Well Eric, I may have to recommend that brand of strings to our players, because we frequently have to take breaks for retuning, while our banjoists apply heat to their skin heads and gut strings and apologize to the audience, explaining how the instruments are made with trees and animal parts and therefore are affected by the weather.

That's usually when the rest of us start to pull out our old banjo jokes, like how you the two banjos: "Shoot one of the banjoists". ;-)

Joe Whitney

Have your banjoists tried carrying a couple different height bridges with them?

[joewhitney]

Re: Civil War Mandolin??

Don't know. I'll ask. That would affect the action, but on a long enough neck it might not matter much.

One thing I've suggested which they haven't taken me up on yet is trying to make the skin heads more water/dampness resistant. Elias Howe advertised he had a now unkown treatment for waterproofing drumheads, and I've heard old time banjoists had a similar treatment using some concoction containing linseed oil and egg whites (ever try getting egg white off siding after it dries?)

I put linseed oil on my drum heads and bodhran heads, and it seems to make a pretty big difference. But I can't say any of my original drums appeared to have had any such treatment on them, so who knows how prevalent it might have been. However linseed oil was the universal long lasting treatment for items exposed to moisture, especially the millions of feet of fencing running all over the country (unfortunately mold thinks it's delicious!)

Joe Whitney

[Jboring]

Re: Civil War Mandolin??

Don't know. I'll ask. That would affect the action, but on a long enough neck it might not matter much.

One thing I've suggested which they haven't taken me up on yet is trying to make the skin heads more water/dampness resistant. Elias Howe advertised he had a now unkown treatment for waterproofing drumheads, and I've heard old time banjoists had a similar treatment using some concoction containing linseed oil and egg whites (ever try getting egg white off siding after it dries?)

I put linseed oil on my drum heads and bodhran heads, and it seems to make a pretty big difference. But I can't say any of my original drums appeared to have had any such treatment on them, so who knows how prevalent it might have been. However linseed oil was the universal long lasting treatment for items exposed to moisture, especially the millions of feet of fencing running all over the country (unfortunately mold thinks it's delicious!)

Joe Whitney

It might not affect the action as much as you think. As the heads get damper...they'll lose tension....you know this. The taller bridge pushing down on the skin with tighten that head up and press into the head, bringing the action down...prolly not exactly where it was when the gig started, but it's an art not a science :) If it helps out...I'll be glad to hear about it.