ON THE BENCH #5: Birthday Fender Mando-Strat/Caster Electric Mandolin Setup, & Demo!

[@fivewattworld]

That is so great! But oh my that '66 12 string. Great stuff Mike! BTW, mentioned you fondly on my first live stream yesterday!

[@Puisheen]

YOU ARE TOO KIND! Let's catch up soon!

[@ZaneDalton]

Omg it’s five watt world! Dude, I love your channel!

[@Puisheen]

@@ZaneDalton Keith is the best

[@thewaterboyjjx175]

@@Puisheen Keith really is the bob ross of guitars.

[@DylanPank71]

I gather Alex Chilton used one of these (or at least a '50s/'60s original) on the Big Star track "September Gurls"

[@seanfromaustin]

I love that you know about Chris Thile. He's a Mando god!

[@steelopus]

The only thing that would’ve made me like this more is if you had whined “Daaaaaaaaaaad!” when the lights went out.

[@triniep82]

Never heard a mando through a Marshall and a POG! What a treat.

[@danc.732]

*clicking the thumbs up button* *Borat voice* "I like"

[@ChrisHopkinsBass]

I saw one of the original Fender models in a "cash generator" (sort of like a pawn shop) store about 18-19 years ago for around £350. I decided not to get it and have regretted it ever since!

[@jfinester]

The original Fender electric mandolin had four single strings rather than four pairs of strings. Leo Fender designed it to be used in Western Swing bands by fiddle players who doubled on mandolin. It was felt that an electric instrument didn’t need the paired strings for volume, and the Western Swing guys wanted more of a guitar-like tone.

[@martinjimenez4495]

Love the mischief.

[@xzatious]

Birthday Surprise! Is KZbin's hottest video. It's got it all, Sam Bush tunes, broken strings, clappy bois, unbridled joy, amazing demos, and don't look now, but there's some arcing electricity sure to give you a real zap!

[@Puisheen]

I read this in a Stefon voice and it rules

[@jammesluckett]

Happy Birthday, Mike!

[@Puisheen]

HEY YOU HOW ARE YOU

[@jammesluckett]

@@Puisheen Hey, now! I can’t complain, thank you. Feeling optimistic and grateful, in general. Made great progress last year; groundwork set for positive and productive year. And… every week that offers up some Puisheen is made all the more fantastic. I’m also stoked about the milestones you’ve reached. I hope you continue to be inspired by new spaces, new faces, and the earworms created by your awesome imagination and some choice gear!

[@EricMerrow]

I've never heard a mandolin sound so heavy! I friggin love it!

[@sub-jec-tiv]

Sounds lovely. Also i love the dorky hockystick headstock. I know lots of people hate em. But yeah, dig it.

[@soyburglar77]

I was trying to get an amp plug out of a wall socket once and like a genius, jammed a butter knife down in between the forks. After a brief lightning storm, it blew out every power source to the back of the house. Expensive lesson and glad I’m not dead.

[@Puisheen]

Oh my god I'm glad you survived wow

[@BaBaBaBenny]

WOO! I got octave pedal and distortion just like I asked for on IG! A man of your word Mike.

[@willbrundish3749]

Was really looking forward to this video! Such consistently great content man!

[@francisgori5631]

I really love your channel! Not only am I a recent offset convert- and you are a wealth of information on them, but you always exude such positivity... I’m always smiling when I’m watching your content! Thank you Mike!

[@90srulz91]

Sweet mando and great tune choices. Glad you survived the the Big Bang!

[@thomasfourth]

God, I love how it sounds with the EXP Trem - I can hear it over a low organ drone with a slow Leslie. The re-voiced Lithium sounds lovely too! I'm glad you're having so much fun. :)

[@MikeandTheMistakes]

I wholeheartedly support that mod list, seafoam and mint sounds killer

[@tobisteffen]

I have tuned a mando strat to ukulele tuning with proper string gauges.

[@flamedmahoganytable9749]

What gauges if i may ask?

[@tobisteffen]

@@flamedmahoganytable9749 don’t know anymore. I have sold it.

[@Sutra-xn1xl]

Wow, those sounds!

[@Smegness]

Much very splendid-did-ness. I have just recently stumbled onto yourself, your channel and I have to say Colour me converted. I had always had a 'hankering' for a JM but have never made the leap. Damn you for tempting me further. Love the little Mandocaster (this is definitely the way) Keep on keeping on sir. You have a fan who is a Scot.

[@bretolson8484]

AGH!!! I’m so glad you didn’t get fried! I have an FM-52E SB that will come out of it’s case today, thanks for all the inspiration and sharing your wisdom 🙏 AGH!!!

[@dela4153]

I also own one of these. Years ago there was a company that would make custom bridges for the mandostrat, defunct. Recently purchased Jerman Four String bridge on reverb. It fits mine, maybe with the fender half sized barrel saddles it will work for your 8 string. Please make a follow-up video if you end up upgrading the bridge. Great video and playing :)

[@johncourage9424]

Mike, these videos are the realest!! Errant mandolin strings shorting the power? Its a rodeo out here!!! This is the first time Ive seen an 8 string version, all the old ones I have ever player were 4 strings- I setup and helped sell the 4th or 5th one ever made! Keep the hits comin', loving the videos!!

[@adamdavis106]

I was kinda bummed that this one was about a mandolin and not a usual offset, but then you nearly died and I had to hold back tears from laughing at all the bits and the end made it one of the best.

[@thecaveofthedead]

Love the Grogu plan. Looking forward to seeing that.

[@conorfowler]

That thing is beautiful, and sounds great. Shame you couldn't get the pots replaced, but I'm glad you didn't get electrocuted!

[@timbond1499]

“Skinny nuuuuuttss!” Just like they say it at the ball game

[@tommccarthy1443]

Cool! I got one of these too.

[@niccals917]

I love the evolving visual style of Mike's videos lol, from the skinny nuts to the disclaimers, there's loads of great jokes in here, makes the videos far more entertaining than the usual unedited 70 year old man from the midwest who wants to tell you if you're not playing a Strat or Tele then you're just wrong and should stop.

[@Puisheen]

"Evolving visual style" is such a nice way of putting "Oh look Mike figured out how to make a video finally" thank you!

[@niccals917]

@@Puisheen Pleasure's all mine, I'm the one who gets to enjoy this content! :)... Originally I wanted to say "growing memeability" but I felt as if that was undermining the skill of editing

[@Puisheen]

@@niccals917 Also valid! haha

[@telecasterbear]

Thumbs up for the glorious orange beard.

[@Slochicki]

Ha that lithium version was killer!

[@tylersonnier1778]

My b day is the 15th as well! HBD! and i too want a Fender Mando-Strat!

[@soyburglar77]

A also almost commented that you should paint it green and call it Baby Yoda before this 22:10 😂😂😂🤟🏼🤟🏼🤟🏼

[@michaelpowers3283]

Snap, crackle, and a pop

[@JustinDirrenberger]

Great vid! So glad you didn't electrocut yourself!

[@marcomelillo4590]

Buon compleanno!!!!

[@Tribute2JohnnyB]

7:30 : Sounds like some always smooth Ben Levin action happening there...

[@mattdoliver1984]

Ooooh she’s definitely a beaut and I love the tort guard but something’s telling me it would look amazing with an aged mint or an aged white guard ......I wish I had one of these Mandolins 👍🏼

[@ashrafimaduddin8162]

Please do video on mustang! All the mods and etc. Keep it up :)

[@BasBach]

If you know a machinist or you can do a base plate using the one it has as example you can probably create a better bridge and can use jazzmaster saddles to get a much better spacing. In theory it should work like a telecaster bridge. Really digging this channel!!! Good vibes dude.

[@Puisheen]

I could more easily order saddles and there's actually a machinist who sells 8string bridges too

[@graydeotto2820]

And here I am using a piezo on a amazon mandolin LOL

[@danfrancisjr]

yes, grogu, yes, YES!

[@agathalloyd9039]

Yes!!! Can’t wait to see what Curtis comes up with, does it have the v-profile neck? The 8s I tried did and the 4s had a c-profile... the old school tele guy thing of bending the long saddle screw helped some with intonation and string placement

[@Puisheen]

Yeah, it's a softish V

[@Slochicki]

"clappy boi" lmao

[@leonardsrobert]

Hah! Grogu! That's great.

[@surfysonic9847]

Another great video! Shocking, simply shocking. ;P

[@joshk2181]

wow that tremolo pedal

[@roymontero4066]

So hip!

[@CORDUROY00]

When are you adding the AVRI trem? 😄

[@JohnSmith-ym4sl]

That disclaimer gave me Rick and morty vibes lol great vid

[@ggvbeer4339]

inca silver !! .. firemist blue !! .. shore line gold !! ..

[@DavidMorales008]

Awesome

[@analogkid8]

Fun video! Any fretboard oil to recommend (link plz) ?

[@Puisheen]

I go for regular old lemon oil

[@3bandEQ]

Totally makes sense if parent is shorter than the child. My Mom was like a foot taller than my grandmother (her mother). Total Golden Girls thing going on. Lol.

[@richardlange4591]

Your delivery reminds me so much of Alton Brown lol

[@3bandEQ]

2:24 gotta mention the Golden Girls for a height/size difference. Lol. Dorothy was at least a foot taller than Sophia. IRL my mom is 5’7” while my lil Portuguese gramma was 5’1” anyhow..

[@benbraidfoot6157]

Gonna go start a heavy rock band based on mandos, pogs, and distortion...

[@jefmaslan1702]

Mando-strat...I was really hoping for a Mandalorian themed strat considering your other Star Wars themed guitars. ☹️

[@Puisheen]

lol did you watch through the end

[@jefmaslan1702]

@@Puisheen in my defense, my comment was very early in the video.

[@Puisheen]

@@jefmaslan1702 Thanks for watching!

[@jhowellkc]

Always thought you were cool, but first playing example is "Bottom of the World" ?!? You win the internet today my man.

[@Puisheen]

I wish Tom Waits were my dad

[@jhowellkc]

@@Puisheen Ha! You and a lot of us.

[@ThatMattGoodMusic]

Never thought you could conjure the Weezer tone through a Mandolin but I love how wrong I was

[@bb.6969]

i know its sortof blasphemous but i think a curtis novak goldfoil would be amazing with this gorgeous mandocaster stratomando

[@MidtownSkyport]

Errant burr, sir

[@lynchfam100]

That comment deserves 20 paces at dawn with beanbags! 😂

[@scottworsham]

This is my kind of crazy.

[@vava9050]

Do I see a Yoda finally coming on?

[@frankking781]

I never knew "mandolin face" was a thing .

[@mastermachetier5594]

God don’t tease me with the mods you will do to this.

[@jralanmorgan]

Lmao, your videos are fun.

[@nigel900]

Me want one… 👍🏻

[@hwallen48]

you've probably already answered this question! But being an offset only guy, why dont you like Mustangs?

[@Puisheen]

Where are you getting that idea lol

[@hwallen48]

My bad! I assumed, do you have any videos on them? ( mustangs, cyclones, duo sonic) & Love the show 👏👍🎸🎵🎶

[@Puisheen]

@@hwallen48 That's okay, but just because I haven't yet featured something doesn't mean I don't like them!

[@hwallen48]

good to hear👍 looking forward to more videos!🎸✌❤

[@jakeruddy484]

what tuning do you use

[@InfiniteRhombus]

put a floyd rose on a mandolin please

[@Puisheen]

I would if I could

[@liberal4evermore]

Hey Mike. What did you pay or this?

[@quadraphonicbasspickup4037]

UH-OH

[@saviortilldeath]

This is the way!