Printable View
I can't believe I can't seem to find this on the internet, so I ask the stupid question here. Does an octave mandolin have the same sort of floating bridge that a mandolin does, with the whole restring one at a time technique? Thanks....guitar/mandolin player whose MAS has moved to the OM.
Most of them do have floating bridges, although there are a few builders who make OMs with pin-through bridges (flat-top guitar-style).
Really up to the builder, I suppose. I have always used the floating bridge on my instruments though there are OMs with fixed, pin bridges. Bouzoukis are similar, with both types of bridge found.
As far as restringing, as long as you mark carefully where the bridge is before you remove the strings, then get it back to the same spot and the same way round, there is no reason to change the strings one at a time - stand by and await other opinions on this now! :cool:
John, I totally agree with your assertion that you can successfully change the strings en mass...however, I'm too lazy to want to have to set the intonation every time I change them, so I usually change a course at a time (rather than just one string). Even if you mark it correctly you still have to check the intonation and likely make small adjustments to get it "just so." Pain in the rear AFAIC! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by John Kelly
OP, most OMs do come with mandolin style floating bridges, but there are some builders who build flattop guitar style pin bridges. These seem to impart a different tone than their carved/arched top counterparts, but I've heard a couple that sounded quite nice...
There's good news and bad news about the pin bridge.
The good news is you don't have to readjust it after a total restringing (or any restringing, come to that, since winding a string up to pitch always drags the saddle a tiny bit towards the nut - after some 10 or 20 restringings a floating bridge starts leaning to the head).
The bad news is you can't readjust it, e.g. when putting on lighter or heavier strings. Your stuck with a fixed compensation.
The rest is sound preference. A pin bridge moves the top in a different way compared to the floating bridge. I personally stick with the floating bridge.