Thanks to robster

[buchrob]

I want to say a special thanks to robster (Rob Meldrum) for making his excellent PDF on set-up available to us all.

Last year I bought a bottom-of-the-line that I fine-tuned using his directions plus a few of my own inventions, but decided to sell today. Well, 2 couples tumbled out of the van.

The “buyer” picked it up and said “it’s not as loud as yours” to the “expert”. But he was happy enough, so I asked the expert what he played and he said “Loar”. Well obviously pressed spruce can’t compete with a carved solid top when it comes to sound.

Then the “buyer” suggested the “expert” try it out for fun. Some 20 seconds of first-rate playing then a very long face: “this has better fingering than mine”.

It can be done folks. That last quarter mile in the set-up dept. Wins the race every time.

[Rob Zamites]

What a wonderful story! And I agree, the best instrument in the world can be horrible if the set-up is poor. So, when you buying your next $60 mando to set up?

[Ray S]

I would also like to thank robster (Rob Meldrum) for his book How to set up a mandolin

[donaldrstewart]

Another big Thank you to Robert Meldrum here.
I very recently purchased an Epiphone MM30 as a first mandolin. By the looks, I think the local store did little more than unpack it from the box, tune it and hang it on the wall. The action is not too bad, but intonation has lots of room for improvement. Probably going to wait until I change the strings, for a more thorough setup.

[Rob Meldrum]

buchrob, great story! I get a big smile when I hear from folks who have improved the playability of their instruments. As you noted, an inexpensive instrument with a good setup will play more easily than an expensive instrument with a poor setup (or not set up, just pulled from the factory's box).

The ebook is still free, just email me at rob.meldrum@gmail.com, put Mandolin Setup in the subject line, and ask nicely! Post a thank-you in a thread on this site and it will bubble the thread up so new visitors can find the thread more easily! Rob

[gtani7]

Mr. Meldrum:

I keep sending people from reddit to get the setup ebook, it's really helped a lot of people. Thanks again for writing/photographing/formatting/editing it.

[Rob Meldrum]

Gtani7, thanks for the compliment. Keep sending folks to me and I'll keep sending the ebook. :-)

Rob

[Martin Matthews]

So, I email Rob too and within 6 hours he replies.

It doesn't get much better.

Thank you

[Br1ck]

You are right about that last bit being important. I kept at it until my MK played as good as my Silverangel. As I was very conservative, it took a lot of hours and a passel of e strings, but I'm pretty happy now. About the only thing now is that I thinned out the Florida, but as I've seen on other scooped Floridas, many pull two more frets so the scoop is longer, and I think I will do that because I think my mandolin's sweet spot is right about where my scoop starts now.

Everyone needs Rob's book so they can properly evaluate their mandolin, even if they don't want to do their own work.