Chris Thile plays a Gilchrist Model 5 Mandocello

cartervintage.com/collections...
As part of the mandolin tasting we hosted, Chris played through several of Steve Gilchrist's instruments. In this video Chris is on a
1996 Gilchrist Model 5 Mandocello. This instrument is not for sale, but Carter Vintage is the sole distributor for Gilchrist instruments. Give us a call or email to place an order for a mandocello in the next batch!

[@jsbach347]

Man what a cool song he is playing.

[@TheRflynn]

Hey Johann, when are we going to get that new album? And those cantatas someone lost down the back of the sofa!

[@whatitoya1015]

@@TheRflynn yeah and something for trombone while he’s at it

[@djabroni_brochacho4644]

Sweet hair my brah.

[@pspicerwensley]

Well played Johann! 😂

[@tomcoryell]

Take a bow Mr. B!

[@DownUFO]

Wow, just wow. This tiny man is a great mandolin player.

[@jacobhelbig]

and with all the miniature mandolins and guitars in the background!

[@russellphillips4979]

Haaaa

[@ised-5239]

@@jacobhelbig The miniatures on the left are mandolins and the instrument he plays is a mandocello aka octave mandola.

[@jacobhelbig]

@@ised-5239 i chose to believe this is a ukulele shop and that chris thile is 3'6"

[@ised-5239]

@@jacobhelbig The mandocello (octave mandola) and octave mandolin are the baritone tenor instrument members of the mandolin family, the mandolin is the alto member, mandola is the tenor voice, the piccolo mandolin is the soprano member.

[@gagaoolala9167]

Chris Thile totally should go through the cello suites on mandocello. Would buy.

[@alex0589]

holy shit. twice.

[@banjoandlefty]

thrice

[@NikkoWhitworth]

he needs to revise them a bit first haha.

[@daw162]

He could have an original version for "at work" music. The sort of slowness compared to "normal chris" makes for great work background music.

[@34672rr]

only 20k for a used one

[@MikeKobb]

"See, I would want one of these to like, just go through the cello suites." Yes, please.

[@kd5nrh]

Exactly; I've heard a lot of people play the prelude, but never even the rest of the first suite. I'd buy that album without a second thought.

[@peter-subramanian]

In unison with Yo-Yo Ma

[@brucedenis71]

That low C tho...hits you right in the feels.

[@MichaelCarMusic]

Thile doing the cello suites needs to be a thing!! After he finishes the sonatas and partitas, of course...

[@jonathanwinskie9788]

Chris, dinking around on somebody's mandocello: *casually busts out the opening to Cello Suite #1 - Prelude* You're a master, sir. Never change.

[@deniseelalahoho50]

I love when he plays classical on mandolin. He’s so, so talented.

[@nancychace8619]

Nice to hear him in such a relaxed setting. Beautiful sound.

[@wupeide]

Thanks for posting these videos - very cool instruments and it is always fun to watch Chris Thile do his thing!

[@jonimaricruz1692]

I’ve never seen or heard one before, it’s beautiful, I love the tone and the fullness of it.

[@alexlavake]

Oh that’s beautiful!!!! The pieces you could play on it are infinite!!

[@infledermaus]

Yes, Chris! Buy that thing and do the cello suites!!! Pleeeeez! Whine whine!

[@christianboyd8264]

That is way to sick Thile. I play the cello and mandolin. My next instrument is definitley going to be a mandocello!

[@lizlaenger4940]

I love watching him play, I love his commentary. Thanks for sharing.

[@SuperJupiter9]

I just discovered the mandocello, what a nice sound and tone! great video

[@penpal222]

MANNN, WHEN HE BUSTED INTO THE SUITE, I LOST IT

[@ByeX360]

Whoa! Thanks for sharing! I love this mandocello

[@duckyymomo]

had no idea the mandocello was a thing. and i want it now.

[@PeterEvans_music]

Do you have one now?

[@BHAKTIBROPHY]

Chris! I still have his first CD. I think he was 12. Extraordinary then and now!

[@oicsaywhat]

Wow some sweet melodies he was playing!

[@chickenfarm09]

almost like mando, guitar and cello all wrapped up in one

[@patrickbly4170]

He so nice... the music is really his heart speaking.

[@maddieheward7573]

When he started playing that one piece it actually made me cry it was that beautiful of a sound

[@jamesfrederick99]

I love his enthusiasm.

[@sonomama82]

Lovely playing. Thanks my dude.

[@TimothySweeney]

Yes Chris should get cello and do a solo tour of the suites

[@sherrieg98]

Beautiful tone

[@hopefulhyena3400]

I don't think I have ever heard someone pick up a mandocello and not play Bach Cello Suite 1.

[@markgrafstrom1704]

So masterful.... awesome!

[@CrAck-MoNey]

Beautiful instrument.

[@mannybigburrito3178]

Beautiful instrument

[@9999plato]

That sounds awesome, so sonorous. Makes me lust for one. I know the reason it sounds so good is because of who is playing it.

[@edwincancelii2917]

The mandocello & the baritone guitar make a good duo.

[@AndytheChav]

Beautiful.

[@richardstevens4230]

Yeah, he will just casually go through the cello suites, because he has an awesome mind for music and can play from memory for long pieces, unlike we mortals who struggle

[@ruckusfitnesd7505]

Sounds so good

[@eschenjay]

man look at baby Chris. so young and ensouled

[@jamieholmes5443]

Looks like an elf found a loar mandolin ;)

[@ggoty]

sounds incredible still

[@thereseclairecreates]

I’m in love with its tone!!!

[@alex0589]

God i wish he would buy one of those and blindside everyone by making a heavy-music-mandocello record. "The deftones meet radiohead but with mandocello, u mad?" - Pitchfork, probably.

[@gildahobbs8829]

take my money already

[@dowrow6898]

YES

[@nunyanunya4147]

neither ov the bands you mentioned were metal... nor does one have to 'surprise others' with 'metal'. as a lifelong metalhead. most ov it in the last 20 years has just been hitting the E string(drop D or rose C) semi-rhythmically. go back and listen to the radio or tell your partner how witty you are. you will find no love on the internet.

[@KILGORETROU7]

@@nunyanunya4147 he said heavy - not metal !!! you are obviously confused, as their is a h-u-g-e difference but whilst I could go on, I won't curse you with the same fate, as no one should be subjected to listening to the crap on the radio (unless it's a cool university station or some public non-profit ordeal that showcases talent here and their th4u the day)

[@nunyanunya4147]

@@KILGORETROU7 *thumbs up in equal parts passive-aggressive self-righteous and condescending*

[@markgrass5082]

Do the cello suites on that. If you do i will definitely buy it.

[@democracydignityhumanrights]

I need one so bad

[@asyamusina4990]

I love you, Chris

[@ised-5239]

Mandocello can also be called octave mandola due to its tuning sound is one octave lower from standard mandola.

[@ised-5239]

octave/tenor mandola

[@bearron]

Love it. I want one.

[@bstimy]

Oh man, i wanted that to keep going.......and going.......

[@bcrater6400]

Well, you don't see one of those every day......gorgeous.

[@RavenMadd9]

great player ,,,,,want a mandocello after hearing this

[@davepelfrey3958]

OMG, love the deep sound of that Mandocello. Plus he's not a bad player either. LOL

[@eddierayvanlynch6133]

Next up, Chris plays Megadeth on a cigar-box rubber band guitar and deflates the remaining 2% of my ego. Hope he puts it on Spotify, tho

[@RSTI191]

My next instrument. It just sings..wow.

[@MrNostars]

It sounds like chocolate butter!

[@oddfellowfloyd]

Beautiful! Could you play some chords? It sounds like a nice range of my 7-string guitars... Could you install a pickup in it?

[@Tonetwisters]

Oh, that thing is really neat. I wonder how that would fit with a semi-hollow electric 12-string and a regular mandolin??

[@AmraphelofShinar]

Who knew Jude Law could play like that?

[@DannyAdair]

Exactly! At first I wondered what Will Forte was doing in a guitar store on KZbin, but then I realized it was Jude the whole time.

[@emilbirkedal8430]

@@DannyAdair It's not Jude.. It's Brian Austin Green

[@Harry777]

@@emilbirkedal8430 WOOSH

[@fetermcblues]

Gosh it sounds ;ole Oud ... unbelievable !!

[@Slarti]

Bach, an excellent choice of music!

[@MarceloZirpoli]

Awesome!!

[@mikelord9860]

Does Gilchrist (or any other company, for that matter) make lefty mandocellos?

[@williamsmith41]

For me that K-5 "Mando style build" is gorgeous say compared to the few real Loar K-5's as they are just an L-5 body with the 8 string neck! Thats also why I love the old K-4's!

[@chrn5207]

What's he playing at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="90">1:30</a>??

[@richYart]

😍 he can play Bach with everything 😎😉

[@dontaylor7315]

Now I wish Thile would play ALL of his Bach transcriptions on this instrument (well not literally this one, it belongs to someone else, but one just like it).🎵🤣

[@gregrogers8317]

This one was on the cutting table about the same time as my FERN 96325

[@nmgreg11]

That was cool.

[@pmay222]

is he the feller from that band with the song about the lighthouse. ?

[@jacemeldrum5052]

I like how they called it a mandolin tasting

[@HVACRILLA]

That smile says it all, pick one up 🤣🤣 🎉🎉 for another goat rodeo. Mando cello and yo-yo ma dueling it out 🤣🤣

[@d.harrison1570]

Early in the video, I thought "first thing I would do on a mandocello is some Bach suites." Looks like I'm not the only one.

[@PipeCat1965]

Way cool concept. And I had no idea Quentin Tarantino played so well.

[@JimmyLoden]

What was the arrangement he played at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="150">2:30</a>-<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="160">2:40</a>? Thanks

[@26ruben1]

BEAST !!!!!!!!

[@richardrincon3090]

Do they come left-handed

[@BlueNotaMaestro]

now I want one ...

[@bowieschiffers]

What is the song that he plays at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="66">1:06</a>/<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="67">1:07</a>?

[@987jof]

I can’t tell if that walk behind him is far away or if those are tiny mandolins on display to his right

[@TJjjjjjjjjjj]

They are just normal mandolins , look at the guitars

[@MrBreenlucas]

What is he playing at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="64">1:04</a> ?

[@folkrap12]

bach cello suite 1 in G

Brian Ivy (Prelude)

[@liamtahaney713]

I've never seen an f style mandocello wow wow wow

[@ronpaulrevered]

Can I get a guitar that looks like this?

[@garibaldistudios5406]

the closet you could get is an archtop

[@billholder1330]

We wants one 😂

[@the_nondrive_side]

Octave pairs sound better in my option. Bouzuoki?

[@dsnooz]

So is this basically a bass mandolin?

[@ronnybonymace]

No it's a double strung fretted cello basically, one that you play by picking rather than using a bow

[@dowrow6898]

more like bass mandola, one octave below mandola

[@vincentlamb3436]

Mandolin (violin), Mandola (Viola), Mandocello (Cello), Mandobass (bass). Mandolin, mandola, and mandocello are in treble clef, mandobass is in bass clef.

[@omarjamal5442]

Vincent Lamb mandolin music is treble clef I would assume if the rest of the mandolin family mirrors it's violin/viol equivalents then Mandola would be an alto clef range instrument and mandobcello and mandobass would be bass clef.

[@infledermaus]

Omar Jamal I would have to agree. That's way below the mandolin in scale. I played with the LA Mandolin Orchestra and the mandolas always played the C clef. We also had a couple mandocellos and a mandobass played by this little woman with a quite voluptuous body. It was so much bigger than her. An amusing sight! She had no trouble playing it though. Mandocello has such a deep, beautiful tone.

[@mdhj67]

I want one but with a thin body - like an ES-335. And I'll need a six string guitar neck and a single P90 pickup.

[@skotg406]

" cool thing to have for a solo tour...." How about another duo tour with Mike Marshall, but with Mandocellos..... Seattle was amazing that time at Town hall with consecutive Lloyd Loars.

[@Idogomusic]

It sounds just like an Oud

[@4ourty5ive]

I paused the screen once or twice after the <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="101">1:41</a> mark and i feel like he could be Willem Defoe's son lol

[@sethcragan6649]

I think he might have left with that beautiful instrument and somebody else left with a rather sizable addition to their bank account

[@akiray1999]

i want one

[@josephreynolds2401]

Always wanted a lower sound from my mando hehe, Would like this a lot.

[@dlc1119]

Nice that the owner gets his baby tuned by a master, for free ;-)

[@WaterFlame957]

He's still cute as hell!!! 😍😍😍

[@rainblaze.]

sounds like golden melted chocolate with a hint of pepper

[@JTSunriseMusic]

I’d like to hear dueling mandolins with a mando cello

[@westrokker]

Whatever happened to Nickel Creek?

[@volantmix975]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="96">1:36</a> When you play the begining melody of Eleanor Rigby with out knowing

[@ny4978]

volant mix that's Bach...

[@Fallinldols]

Plug it in and run it through 5 distortion pedals

[@liamtahaney713]

Yes!

[@poisonjoe1812]

I've put a Mandocello through a big muff fuzz pedal and a Ds-1 and it sounds ridiculously awesome.

[@clayton56tube]

I want to hear it doubled an octave up - can't afford Gilchrist though - Gold Tone is making one. Electric guitar full hollow with mando neck.

[@Vsko478]

quentin tarantino is mando player