as regards the mandolin. I have a round-backed italian mandolin as old as the hills. As we play often in public, our wizzard sound man has been eating his hair out to get me electrified. The biggest obstacle being my lack of fluid funding.! However another of our group who plays the flute has the cutest little clip on microphone which she doesn't need when he plugs her into his system, and as a make do, clipped it onto my mandolin( in the hole ). It worked beautifully!!!!!! Though someday i will get myself a real bit, though the profis say there is no need to start rebuilding bridges!!:::::::::Brigid