Woods and Tone

[Christy]

Still doing my research...

I am currently looking at Big Muddies. They all seem to have spruce tops but the backs are made of varying woods; maple, walnut, rosewood

As I look at mandolins will there be a difference in tone and intonation with different woods, or is it more personal preference in terms of looks?

Several people nave mentioned Big Muddy - do any of you have experience with them?

Thanks,
Chris

[Eric F.]

Chris Baird has a nice page on tonewoods here: http://www.archesmusic.com/tonewood.html

I've had three Big Muddy/Mid-Missouri mandolins/mandolas. I recommend them. I also like the model that is all mahogany, the M11 or whatever he calls it now.

[JEStanek]

You can listen to different Mid Mo's on the old Folk of the Woods pages (http://www.folkofthewood.com/page2518.htm#midmissouri). The different backwoods will give different sounds. You'll be able to hear the differences. Chris's pages are great too.

Jamie

[instrumentality]

Hi Christy,
I had a chance to play all 4 big muddy tonewood options side by side recently. I really like those little mandolins! To me they were comfortable to play and surprisingly loud. A little smaller than a typical arch-top, but I really like the way they look. If I didn't have to put a stop to my mandolin acquisition, I would have gotten the M3 (walnut back and sides) for myself.

Some differences I noticed:
-Magogany/spruce: a warmer, woody sound - pretty mellow compared to the others and doesn't project as well. Lots of people love the sound of mahogany but I don't think it's that great.
-Maple/spruce: the "brightest" sounding but also the "simplest" sounding to my ear. Crisp. Has some punch. Loud.
-Walnut/spruce: still bright and loud, though probably slightly less cutting tone than maple, but a little more complex sounding. My favorite one of the bunch - I thought it had the best balance of features/sound.
-Rosewood/spruce: loud and warmer sounding, less projection from several feet back than maple or walnut. Mike Dulak (the guy who makes them) likes this one the best. It's also the most expensive.

This is all subjective in terms of what you like, of course, and to a new player you might not notice the differences THAT much, especially if you're practicing mostly by yourself. But still, the differences are there.

The thing about the M3 is that it has a bit better fit/finish than the others - upgraded tuners, a nice wood inlay on the back. That, in addition to the sound, is why I would have gotten the M3. The rosewood, walnut, and all the models with wide fingerbards also have ebony fingerboards, which I prefered the look of to rosewood.

[Hans]

Big Muddy is a good choice, and so is Steve Smith's (Cumberland Acoustics) Redline Traveler. In flat top instruments, a factor in price is usually the back and side material, so your considerations might also go there. If this is going to be a starter instrument, you might want to get mahogany, and if you persist in your mandolin experience, later you may want to upgrade to a finer sounding instrument. Either one of these instruments will get you on your way with little trouble though.

[Dave Weiss]

I've got a walnut Big Muddy (wide neck) and just love it, it sounds great and is easy to play. I just can't say enough good things about it.
Mike is currently making a Mandola for me, Koa back and sides. I should have it in a couple of weeks...

[Christy]

I've got a walnut Big Muddy (wide neck) and just love it, it sounds great and is easy to play. I just can't say enough good things about it.
Mike is currently making a Mandola for me, Koa back and sides. I should have it in a couple of weeks...

Thanks. I did have a question about the wide neck, though. I have small hands and was wondering of the wider neck might be harder to play. I play classical guitar, which has a wider neck in terms of guitars, but with the way the chords are formed on the mandolin, it seems like a bigger stretch for me. Do you find that there is a greater stretch on the wide neck than the more traditional neck?

Chris

[pickloser]

I don't have small hands for a woman, but I find it difficult to play mandos with 1 3/16 neck widths at the nut, especially if there is any radius to the fretboard. I can play wide neck guitars without difficulty. On mandos, it seems just an extra 1/16th makes a difference to me. I think it's more of a finger length issue than hand size, but that's just my best guess. If you can possibly play a 1 3/16 neck before buying I would encourage you to do so. String spacing on the particular mando also seems to make a difference, not just the nut width itself.

You're going to love playing the mandolin!
Laura

[Dave Weiss]

Christy, The wide neck suits me. My only comparison would be the Kentucky 505 that I owned.
Not only does the Big Muddy have a wider neck, but there is considerably more wood there. I was switching back and forth between the 2 and found the Big Muddy much more comfortable and easier to play. The larger neck seemed to help me be more consistent with my left hand position. The wider neck and larger frets allowed me to fret a little better. Basic chords (2 and 3 finger variety) are also easier and cleaner.
The smaller neck of the Kentucky was a little easier for me if I had to play notes on the 6th or 7th frets (G and D courses) and though I've never played them I was able to form "chop" chords a little more comfortably.
I have relatively long skinny fingers, but I don't know if that's a help or a hindrance.
The standard 1 1/8" neck maybe just right for you.
If you're interested in getting a Big Muddy (my recommendation) give Mike Dulak a call and I'm sure he'll answer any questions and point you in the right direction. And don't forget to mention that you heard he'd take goats and geese as partial payment ;).
Hope that helps,

[Christy]

And don't forget to mention that you heard he'd take goats and geese as partial payment ;).
Hope that helps,

Darn! I sold all of my goats!

Chris

[Christy]

Chris Baird has a nice page on tonewoods here: http://www.archesmusic.com/tonewood.html



Thank you, there was some good info there. He certainly makes attractive mandolins!

Chris

[Eric F.]

Thank you, there was some good info there. He certainly makes attractive mandolins!

Chris

Yes, he does. Great-sounding, too.