|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,044
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,044 |
A few nights ago there was a musical special on television about Ringo Starr playing a show at Nashville, Tennessee's Ryman Auditorium to celebrate the release of his latest recording, an album of original country songs. The show was called +++ Ringo & Friends at the Ryman +++. The show had many country acts singing songs released by the Beatles as well as past Ringo Starr singles. The line up of songs and artists was terrific. One of the artists played a mandolin with a parlor size acoustic guitar body. After a little research I found out the instrument can be called a +++ Guitar-bodied Bouzouki Mandolin +++ or Mandola. I just thought it was neat and wanted to share it with you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,742
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,742 |
Yes, that is a cool instrument. A year or so ago I was looking for a mandola but I couldn't justify the cost so I grabbed a $70 (USD) mandolin. I still can't play it but it looks good hanging on my wall!
I arrived early to a restaurant.
The manager asks, "do you mind waiting a bit?"
I said no.
"Good", he said. "Take these drinks to table 3"
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 2,061
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 2,061 |
Nobody calls it a bouzouki-mandolin except for Gold Tone. It’s a guitar shaped Irish Bouzouki. These have a shorter scale than the more familiar Greek Bouzouki It’s not a mandola. That’s a 15” scale instrument tuned like a viola. Very popular in mandolin orchestras 120 years ago, very few made today. My Gibson H-2 was made in 1911 and my Martin AA-K in 1927. Eastman still makes them and I sell one of these every three years or so. Trinity College Mandola Full disclosure: I’m an authorized dealer for Saga (Trinity College), The Music Link/AXL (Recording King & Loar) and Gold Tone. The most popular folk variant is the octave mandolin. I have been looking for the owner of one identical to this Flatiron Octave Mandolin that used to belong to Jethro Burns—I helped him pick it out when he lived nearby. I sold it and most of my other mandolins to a local store after my stroke but couldn’t find the paperwork verifying provenance signed by his brother-in-law Chet Atkins (Jethro and Chet married twin sisters). My wife found the letter in a box a couple years ago and I’d like to reunite it with the mandolin. I recorded one of the Beethoven Sonatinas on it around 1999—other three were played on regular mandolins. I still own my 1916 Gibson A-1 and 1900 Washburn and hope to pass them on to a grand child if I ever have any. I have some heirloom banjos as well.
BIAB 2026 Audiophile Mac
24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia/Tahoe, M1 & M5 MBAir, 2012 MBP
Digital Performer11, Logic, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScore/Notion/Overture
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,044
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,044 |
Mike, Thank you for the input. The Gold Tone BZ-1000 link was the only link I could find of a mandolin with a guitar body. Nice to know you represent them. The television show didn't show the head stock well enough to see the brand. According to the +++ concert set list +++ the artists sung a cover of the Beatles "What Goes On" with Billy Strings on guitar and singing backing vocal and Molly Tuttle singing lead. I'm pretty sure she was playing the mandolin with acoustic guitar body instrument on this song. The acoustic guitar body with Martin style head stock with four strings per side was what caught my eye even before they started playing. The acoustic body shape seems pretty rare. The credits for the backing band ran by so fast on the screen I couldn't see who the musicians were. Dennis Crouch, Paul Franklin (steel guitar), Jim Keltner (drums), David Mansfield, Mike Rojas, Daniel Tashian. Homer and Jethro were great comedians that were also serious jazz musicians. As a child I enjoyed their humor and as I grew older I learned to enjoy their music.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 2,061
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 2,061 |
There are two Martin dreadnaught guitars in that configuration, both owned by the same guy. We’ve been in touch. He tunes Chicago aka same as an 8 string baritone uke—like the top 4 of a guitar with the D and G in octaves. He’s a Nick Reynolds (Kingston Trio) fan who tuned his Martin tenor the same way.
Santa Cruz and many others make a guitar shaped Mando-Cello with a 24”–28” scale. There was one Lloyd Loar K-5 built in the early 1920s. Any of these can be strung the same. I wouldn’t because the MCs must have thicker tops.
I miss playing, big time. About 50% of my gigs were bass, elec and upright, while the rest were mandolin/guitar/banjo. Nowadays, the only instrument I play live is tapping on the glass of an iPad. I still record my other instruments through the strategic use of capos, tunings and recording technology.
BIAB 2026 Audiophile Mac
24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia/Tahoe, M1 & M5 MBAir, 2012 MBP
Digital Performer11, Logic, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScore/Notion/Overture
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,044
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,044 |
Growing up my main focus was drums. I learned a few guitar chords to play along with family or friends but was never that interested in it. I found out I liked bass and learned to play bass by using the top four strings of the guitar. Carrying around a guitar was a whole lot easier than carrying drums.  While I was in the military I discovered a family owned guitar factory that made $99 electric guitar Christmas special kits for Montgomery Ward and JC Penny. Off season the elder went to Russia, Canada and South America buying exotic wood for his personal line of guitars. He made good money making custom instruments for American GI's. He made a Fender Jazz bass clone with hand wound pickups and Japanese audio grade electrical components, a 12-string acoustic dreadnought and a six string acoustic dreadnought for me. I still have the 12-string but sold the other two when money was needed worse than the instruments. Even though I don't play guitar well I love to pick-up the 12 string and listen to it sing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,274
Posts802,578
Members40,079
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean