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Mando Setup
I've tried a bit here and there to play mando, big fat fingers aside, one of the things I struggle with is the setup. Particularly, on my mandos, it seems that the nut slots are a bit too high, and playing in first position is difficult.
I'm fairly competent at setting up guitars. But I'm not sure exactly how much of that directly applies. In particular i'm curious about the best way to gauge action at the nut. On a guitar I hold down the string at the third fret and check clearance at the first. Does that approach work on mandos, or should i be busting out the feeler gauges? Anything else substantially different about setting up a mandolin. What clearances should I be aiming for as a general benchmark?
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"What have I learned but the proper use for several tools" -Gary Snyder Bourgeois DR-A / Bowerman "Working Man's" OM / Martin Custom D-18 (adi & flame) / Martin OM-21 / Northwood M70 MJ / 1970s Sigma DR-7 / Eastman E6D / Flatiron Signature A5 / Silverangel Econo A (Call me Dan) |
#2
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Find Rob Meldrum's free ebook on mandolin setup on Google.
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#3
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I built my own F-5 mandolin from scratch back in the early 90’s while I was playing mandolin in a pretty good bluegrass band. Built it from blueprints of a 1928 Gibson F-5. Still have it and still play it. Not something I would ever want to take on again!
I did the nut slots much the same as a guitar. Just clearing the first fret when fretting the third. Playing near the nut on a mandolin is not going to feel the same as a guitar because of the higher tension on the strings, besides fretting two strings instead of one. Of course it will always have even more resistance near the nut due to the proximity to the strings anchor point. |
#4
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I second this piece of advice...
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"Music is much too important to be left to professionals." |
#5
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E-mail Rob with the subject line: Mandolin Set-up and he'll happily reply with his wonderful guide to all things Mandolin.
[email protected] |
#6
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Quote:
I bought a blowout Michael Kelly and got it playing well. While ballpark works for guitar, it won't for mandolin. I'm also a believer in leveling frets. After a fret level, you can get the action that much better. Have some thin viscosity superglue handy for when you cut the nutslots too deep. Likely you will have to do the glue and bone dust fix at least once. If you continue with mandolin, buy an Eastman or Kentucky 150 or better ASAP. Buy it from The Mandolin Store or Gryphon or Elderly and it will be good to go. Eastman does a pretty good job, but the Eastmans I've played factory direct aren't as well set up as the ones I play at Gryphon. And like most everything, a Weber or Northfield or Collings will have you playing extra hours.
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2007 Martin D 35 Custom 1970 Guild D 35 1965 Epiphone Texan 2011 Santa Cruz D P/W Pono OP 30 D parlor Pono OP12-30 Pono MT uke Goldtone Paul Beard squareneck resophonic Fluke tenor ukulele Boatload of home rolled telecasters "Shut up and play ur guitar" Frank Zappa |
#7
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Quote:
I do have nut files for guitar setup... but I supposed those won't be the right thing for the mando. I was thinking about buying or trying to trade for an Eastman. But I've never stuck with it long enough to justify the cost. This is, at least in part, because of poor setups... and the big fat fingers (but everybody says that David Grisman has big fat fingers too, so maybe that's just an excuse).
__________________
"What have I learned but the proper use for several tools" -Gary Snyder Bourgeois DR-A / Bowerman "Working Man's" OM / Martin Custom D-18 (adi & flame) / Martin OM-21 / Northwood M70 MJ / 1970s Sigma DR-7 / Eastman E6D / Flatiron Signature A5 / Silverangel Econo A (Call me Dan) |
#8
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So, the setup on the Kentucky is actually pretty decent, now that I've gone and looked at it again. But the GT could use some work... that's the more bluegrass oriented one, so that's the one I tend to reach for (plus F-styles are cool).
__________________
"What have I learned but the proper use for several tools" -Gary Snyder Bourgeois DR-A / Bowerman "Working Man's" OM / Martin Custom D-18 (adi & flame) / Martin OM-21 / Northwood M70 MJ / 1970s Sigma DR-7 / Eastman E6D / Flatiron Signature A5 / Silverangel Econo A (Call me Dan) |
#9
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Bought my Eastman MD615 from the Mandolin Store. Pretty well set up IMO.
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#10
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Quote:
Also seek out a wide neck. That might work for you, but there are many playing the Gibson 1 1/8 neck.
__________________
2007 Martin D 35 Custom 1970 Guild D 35 1965 Epiphone Texan 2011 Santa Cruz D P/W Pono OP 30 D parlor Pono OP12-30 Pono MT uke Goldtone Paul Beard squareneck resophonic Fluke tenor ukulele Boatload of home rolled telecasters "Shut up and play ur guitar" Frank Zappa |