back during the mandolin craze in the usa gibson established a line of instruments that followed the violin pattern and americans and canadians have followed those terms ever since. i get confused what to call some things. i have alovely octave mandolin i just bought that was called a mandola byt he seller. i tune it adad or gdad so i don't know what to call it. a zouk maybe. i have a five course octave thingey that i happily call a cittern but no gibson convention mandola/ although i love mandolin and used to make more money busking with mandolin that with any of the octave cousins, right now in happy retirement i enjoy playing the octave instruments.

so yeah i got ias as well. seven harpsm seven or eight guitars , bouzoukis greek and celtic, citterns even very old ones, (two from about 1750, one french and one english) and many many more. luckily my wife remembers that some of her friends husbamds have gambling, drinking and infedility problems--i just love music and music al instruments. and i get to make money occasionally or teach youngsters.

i went to a local highland games today and gave introductory harp lessons to anyone who came along. one three year old girl was able to play two chords--with both hands! she's got a future in music. many others could play basic chords with a little patience and i had a great day.

so instrument aquisition syndrome isn't all bad