5ths First Music Co. - Education, Instrument Sales/Rentals, Studio.

5ths First Music Co. founded by songwriter and mandolinist J. Carmichael was born out of a simple idea: music is simple. Not effortless, and not without investment, but simpler than most institutions and the music industry would have us believe. The gateway to this simplicity is a tuning system that’s deeply rooted in music history but lost the popularity contest: fifths tuning. Learning on fifths‑tuned instruments; ukuleles, mandolins, tenor guitars, and guitars in New Standard Tuning, offers a way to study music that’s more accessible for beginners and a powerful tool for experienced musicians.

What you’ll find here

For now, we’re primarily offering our book 5ths First String Theory and building an inventory of fifths‑tuned ukuleles. We plan to expand into additional instrument sales and rentals in the (hopefully near) future.

Why the ukulele?

In fifths, the ukulele becomes a cost‑effective, beginner‑friendly way to learn fifths tuning without the expense of a mandolin. Many affordable mandolins are hard to play and enjoy, while there are plenty of budget‑friendly ukuleles that can be set up to play well and not feel like toys. The catch is that, right now, you’ll rarely find ukuleles sold or rented already set up in fifths.

5ths First Music Co. is changing that. We’re acquiring instruments, setting them up in fifths, and upgrading hardware, nuts, and saddles where needed so they play and sound like real instruments, not disposable starter gear. We don’t have a permanent storefront yet, but we’re regularly at the Garden Valley Farmers Market on summer Saturdays and also see customers by appointment to view and try our fifths‑tuned ukulele inventory.

Online Course

To compliment the book 5ths First String Theory we are currently working on building an online course that will be available soon. Signup for our mailing list today so that you know when it goes live!

Studio

In addition to our educational offerings and instrument sales/rentals 5ths First is also home to a small but mighty recording studio tucked into the mountains of Boise County, Idaho.

At the center of the room is a dedicated Pro Tools rig with Chameleon labs 7602 (Neve Clone) outboard preamps and a tube compressor. The studio features a number of instruments that inspired 5ths First Music Co: Dammann Custom Instruments Mandocello and Altomando, Weber Bitterroot mandolin, a brazillian made 5 course mandolin, tenor banjo, tenor guitars, fifths‑tuned ukes, electric tenor guitar, 7 string electric in New Standard Tuning and a handful of other stringed instruments that find their way onto projects when it serves the song. On top of this we also have some high quality guitar amps, a full drum set, bass guitars and quality microphones. The studio also features a fully treated isolation room for vocals and acoustic recordings, and our “workshop/woodroom” can also be utilized as a live room for drums and other instruments when we want a more live sound.

When you book here we can accommodate clients for several days if needed with a tiny house with 2 loft beds and 2 main‑floor beds, stocked with coffee, drinks, snacks etc as well as an extra bed and space for air mattresses etc in the studio itself.

All of this surrounded by multiple ways in which to recreate: from hiking and kayaking to fishing or even hunting for those who may be more adventurous (non-guided, those adventures would be on you). There are vendors in the area that will rent UTVs and mountain bikes, guided river rafting trips, and not too far away, there are opportunities for backpacking if you want to extend your time in the area.

For a full gear list or to set up an appointment shoot us an email today!