Mics for mandolin and Spanish Laud

I've recently been getting a little more serious about my mandolin playing and just upgraded from a super cheap mando to a Breedlove Quartz OO and have also just gotten a Spanish laud (Steve Howe - I've Seen All Good People, Wondrous Stories, Close to the Edge and The Remembering).

I currently use my Oktava MK-012 and Rode NT1-A, both modified by Michael Joly at OktavaMod, for recording guitar.  I will try using these for the mandolin and laud, but was wondering if there were better mic options that people had come across for these higher pitched string instruments.  I want to make sure I capture the bright sound, but also the unique darker resonant tones of the wood/body of these instruments.   I've read where some folks use ribbon mics for this in place of the condenser, or even alone.

Does anyone have any thoughts, experience, or recommendations for recording these instruments?  If you have used or would recommend trying a ribbon, what would be your recommendation for an under $500 ribbon mic.  I liked the looks (and price!) of the Golden Age Project R1 Active Mk2 that SOS reviewed as part of their ribbon mic review a couple of years ago.

Many thanks.
Bud

Hi Mike,

Yes I saw and read the great reviews of that one in the same SOS article.  It's about double what I want to spend right now, but maybe I should just wait a little and save my pennies and get the better mic?

Hi batsbrew,

Nice mic, but wouldn't that be a bit of an overlap with my Rode NT1-a?   
Thanks,
Bud

So if anyone has Yes'  'Tales from Topographic Oceans',  the closest of Steve Howe's recordings to what I want is between 9:10 and 10:00 on 'The Remembering'.  I'm not going to go overboard trying to capture this exactly, I look on it more as a way to learn.  I have a particular tone of a somewhat unusual instrument I want to capture and am just curious how people more experienced than me would go about it.
Thanks!

IK Obi


An EV 635a would rock on that.

Hi Obi,
Thanks for the suggestion.  Have you used this on mandolin?  Know of any recordings of it?

IK Obi


No not personally but have on Violin, Banjo and Ukelele. Sounds great and is my first mic I go for when miking stringed instruments.

Cool.  I like the price too.  I'll have to find one to check out.
Cheers!

Yup exactly, and because its dynamic it also can round out the sound on stringed instruments. You can even get really close if you want a lot of detail. Sometimes I'll throw a condenser further out and mix those two to taste.