keymandoguy
May-22-2004, 10:08am
What upgrades have you done by yourself not by a luthier ? I have a Morgan Monroe Beanblossom mando So far I have widened the Gslot on the nut to accomodate j 74 strings installed a ebony armrest and a Sullivan bridge. Still thinking about scooping the neck havent decided about that yet . http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
onlyagibsonisgoodenuff
May-22-2004, 10:20am
I scalloped the fingerboard extension on my Gibson F-5V Fern. It wasn't really that hard. Just be sure to put a towel or something like that between the extension and the mandolin top to protect it. Go slow with the files or moto tool, whichever you choose.
John Flynn
May-22-2004, 10:28am
After watching my luthier do it a couple of times and modifying some tools for the job, I have done full set ups on two inexpensive flat-top mandos. Operations included leveling and crowning frets, adjusting nut slots, lowering bridges and modifying compensation for better intonation. In addition, I have also slotted and fitted a blank nut, replaced tailpieces and installed forward strap buttons. I am pretty happy with the results, they are generally as good as what I would have expected if I paid for them and I learned a lot. At this point, however, I plan to still only have a pro work on my main mando for two reasons: May main mando is an arch-top, with a radiused fingerboard and a nice, shiny finish, all higher-risk situations, IMHO. Also, I have too many committments to have my main mando out of action for a while if anything goes wrong.