Moon Mandolins Again

Previous to the conversation a week or so ago, I had already decided to try a Moon mandolin. I just received it and am very pleased ; nice, big rich sound. I haven’t played any higher end mandos; the most expensive was a Gibson F-9, so I have no real basis for comparison, but the Moon mandolin for me is much, much easier to play than the Gibson, and the sound is a lot sweeter. The price was reasonable, too; I didn’t have to mortgage the house. I think these mandos are definitely worth a try.

Well the guy I know who recently bought the Moon Mandola is delighted with it, as are a couple of people who have tried it out. So have fun with your new toy!

Thanks, Ptarmigan, I have been. You, actually, were responsible for my final decision. I’d given myself a week to think over the purchase, and then lo and behold…. your post appeared. Definitely took it as a “yes! spend the money! buy! buy! buy it!” I don’t regret it for a moment. I’m even taking it to church today instead of my violin. Heh, heh, heh---what are they gonna do, drag me down from the balcony?

Isn’t that the name of an old Medieval madrigal - “Drag him down from yon Balcony” - so forsooth, this has probably already happened, perhaps in the C17th, after some impetuous young fellow rushed out & parted with his hard earned groats, at the ‘Barras’, for a new Lute! 🙂

I assume you survived the ordeal today?

I love my Moon flat-top. It’s body is deeper than another I’ve seen, and I’ve modified it a bit. It has a Weber tailpiece, solid cocobolo/bone bridge, Shaller tuning machines, slightly radiused binding (the original was quite sharp), and a strap button in the heel. The basic chasis of the thing was good from the outset, but I’m a tinkerer so some things change. The dealer didn’t know what they had nor recognized that it would open up profoundly with a bit of play. My experience with maple is a bit of a delay in opening up. This one has a nice light flame.

More than some other mandolins I’ve known, smothering the back really dampens the tone, so I hold it at an angle to my tummy so as to let it ring. I don’t use a tone-guard.

I carry it in a Gator F-style case where the strap gets the scroll cut-out, but it gets hung on the wall at home.

It prefers lighter strings.

If anything ever happens to it I will buy another in a heartbeat.

Peace, Mooh.

Hello Ptarmigan, Yes I survived church, no broken extremeties, mando intact. The church is a 107 yr old cathedral, so the acoustics and the mandolin…..mmmmmmmm……I’ll bet God has a Moon mandolin in His possesion now. Funny thing--no-one knew what it was (remember this is Oklahoma--bluegrass, Bill Monroe F-style Gibsons)--I heard “That was really pretty, I didn’t know you played the guitar….” uh, ah, well I don’t.

To Mooh--I’m glad you said that about lighter strings; I was thinking that while playing today. I don’t know what kind of strings are on the mando, whatever they strung it with at the music store. I’m tempted to try some Thomasticks on it. And what a clever idea to use an F-style case for strap room (one of those “well, duh!” things I wish I’d thought of.)

Pleased to hear it dmarie. By the way, I go in & out of schools all the time over here & it’s not the first time a teacher here has asked me what my Mandolin is! Still they can’t know everything I suppose, can they? - But they sure as heck act like they do! Ooops, sorry, hope your not a teacher? Oh well, too late anyway!

Uh, yeah, have to admit to being a bona fide orchestra teacher. And you would be appalled at what comes out of the mouths of degreed music teachers who absolutely should know better. I have had colleagues whose main instrument areas are in the woodwind families argue with me about how to tune, string and play a violin. One band director even went as far as to tell me, even though he knows I play in a symphony orchestra, that it’s impossible for wind and brass instruments to play with strings because they are written in different keys. Wonder what he did with the money his mom gave him for college?

dmarie…I use light strings because the D‘Addario Flattops I had used on a previous archtop were really putting a lot of tension on the Moon top, and the lights sound better on this particular instrument. The notes just leap out of the thing. Still use D’Addario though…J62 (10/14/24/34).

Peace, Mooh.

Mooh, what about gauges of 11, 15, 24 and 33? Too much in the top strings? I’m just now realizing I have to think flat-top as opposed to archtop. There is a set of strings called JazzMando that are these gauges. I like the way they sound, very clear and bell-like. Would these work, or should I opt for lighter?

Congratulations DMarie Iam Sure You Made a Good Choice
Long May You Play It And Long May It Sound Sweet…..

dmarie…The set you suggest has a lighter 4th and that might balance nicely with the slightly heavier 1st and 2nd strings. Not likely a problem for the instrument. Good luck!

Peace, Mooh.

Hi, I know this is an old discussion, but I am looking to buy a second mandolin, I have a Moon, (in fact I used to work in Jimmys shop) and wondered if there is anything out there that compares in price and quality. I have the flatop A style with the passive fishman pickup. I was considering the master series carved top, but for around the same money I have seen some old gibsons, though I doubt I would want to fit a pickup to one of them. I play in irish bars in Tenerife to holiday makers that think its a banjo. Any thoughts would be very well appreciated.
Thanks oki.
P.S. I find that my moon prefers heavy strings. I use the thomastik 154 ST and have found them to be the best for the instrument.