Thanks for refreshing this thread, Amos. And thanks to Willie-O for responding back in September, too. I missed seeing your comments.

I don't really understand why you'd want to make it sound like a guitar, as a rhythm instrument, when it has it's own great sound. -- Exactly what I thought, Willie-O. I've listened to all the MP3s available on the Mandolin Cafe site, and there's so much 'more' to the mandolin than trying to make it sound like a guitar.

I guess I just wondered if the 'guitar' sound was a new trend . . . but, to me at least, it just resembles attempts at producing a pig's ear from a silk purse . . . so to speak. ;-)

All the best, Áine