mando buzz

[matonman]

just changed strings on my epiphone mando ,now i have a buzz on the top d string, it seems to be buzzing on the first fret, i have used martin mediums[11-38] to replace the original stock strings.any ideas as how to fix this?
the strings sound tinny and harsh so thy will be coming off ,any advice as far as strings go, i have got some elixyrs but would welcome any input.

[Wade Hampton]

Mandolins can develop buzzes in all sorts of places that can sometimes seem to be coming from some other place entirely. I would suggest that you get some thin strips of leather or felt, and either glue one of them to the underside of the tailpiece cover, where the strings make contact with the metal, or else wedge one in there and leave it to be held in place by the string tension.

Another place that can give off unwanted noises and off key harmonics is the expanse of strings between the bridge and tailpiece. Weaving a piece of felt or leather in between this expanse of strings should eliminate that source of noise.

Those are just good general tips for mandolins - if the buzz is actually coming the fret itself, there's a good chance that the new Martin strings don't have as much tension on them as the original set had. The gauges you mentioned are a very light set, and chances are good that the original strings were a somewhat beefier D'Addario set.

The Martin and Darco (Martin subsidiary) mandolin string sets I've seen have been more suitable for the Martin mandolin design, which is a flattop design that isn't as robust or as loud as the more typical archtop mandolins based on the Gibson mandolin designs. Chances are that your Epiphone is set up for a more typical bluegrass mandolin string set.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Bingoccc]

Both John Pearse and DR sell .012 sets. I've tried both, love both. They give a much fuller sound than anything else I've tried yet.

Most buzzes and odd tones come from behind the bridge as Wade said. His advice is well worth trying.

[matonman]

thanks guys i have put some leather under the tailpiece as suggested,and damped off the strings behind he bridge but it's still buzzing i'm afraid,so i woud say it has something to do with string tension,the only thing is, i will have to order the heavier gauge online ,as the stores here only seem to be able to get 10's and 11's.
i will order some dr's and john pearse and see how it goes,thanks again