Floridectomy (mklfstb)

[farmerjones]

It was bound to happen. Yesterday it did. That's an old Exacto brand saw. 12-15 teeth/inch. Just a guess. Finer would've been better, but I had a rifle file kit poised for action. Just as well use them for the de-burring.

No, I didn't use my piano for a work bench. I sat it there for the pictures.

I used a Sharpy to black in the exposed tip. 4mm x 12mm rectangle. Hardly noticeable with the full binding.


Does it sound better? Yes! The whole problem was the incapability to "pick away."
Now I may apply the plectrum in an acceptable fashion. (All the usual internet era disclaimers apply) This is not FaceBook. We, hopefully, are all adults here.

[Jeff Mando]

I appreciate that you didn't remove the strings for such major surgery! No need to make work out of it!

[HonketyHank]

Why stop at Tampa? I woulda gone all the way to Jacksonville.

[JeffD]

Why stop at Tampa? I woulda gone all the way to Jacksonville.

I just splorted my coffee.

[Bertram Henze]

is that your blood on the towel?

[farmerjones]

is that your blood on the towel?

No. My music room has become the repository of ugly/mismatched terry towels.
Rather than constantly casing my instruments, I've taken to throwing a towel over the strings, as a dust cover.
A room full of short, thin, ghosts. Veeerrryyyy Scaaaarrrreeeyyyyyy! ! ! ! ! OO OO OOOhhhhhhh! ! ! !! !

[CES]

No. My music room has become the repository of ugly/mismatched terry towels.
Rather than constantly casing my instruments, I've taken to throwing a towel over the strings, as a dust cover.
A room full of short, thin, ghosts. Veeerrryyyy Scaaaarrrreeeyyyyyy! ! ! ! ! OO OO OOOhhhhhhh! ! ! !! !

Looks nice and clean. Just out of curiosity, are you going to try to salvage any of the binding from the removed portion to cover the end? I don't know that I'd personally go to that trouble for a 199 dollar mandolin, but could be fun to tinker with...

[dhergert]

I had considered doing the same with my MK, but since I decided to install a pick guard which is at the same height as the top of the florida scoop, I decided to leave the florida and learn to pick higher -- which is an education that I'm still working on.

If I had cut it off, I probably would have cut the florida off just after fret 20 like my F9 is. I had thought about then cannibalizing some of the cut-off section's full-width binding to mend the end. Maybe. Or maybe not.

I did expect that since I had only paid $199 for mine, I wouldn't mind leaving it a little more "rustic". This hasn't happened so far. Me thinks I like my MK too much.

Btw, one of the differences I saw among the 4 MKs that I handled was different treatment of the florida scoop. One was barely scooped at all, only about a 1/16" drop with a straight downward cut. Two of them were more deeply scooped, but not with a curve cut, but an angle cut. Mine, the first one I received, is the only one that had a deep scoop with a nice curved scoop cut.

[farmerjones]

Why stop at Tampa? I woulda gone all the way to Jacksonville.

Y'know, I'm usually the one not wanting to chop off the proverbial dog's tail an inch at a time. But honestly, I didn't even think about it. Now I'm thinking, what if Thile wants this thing? He'll want those bonus frets.

[farmerjones]

Mine, the first one I received, is the only one that had a deep scoop with a nice curved scoop cut.

This one was well executed as well. But alas, it had to depart.


Binding restoration had not occurred to me. Had this been in another class I may have taken it to a Luthier. Why is that? As it is, better is the enemy of good enough.

If there were twenty of these units sold because of a forum thread. And say, ten were de-floridated. There's every reason to believe there'd be ten different approaches. That's what makes it interesting.

[Ryk Loske]

Splorted! Thank you Jeff for the Christmas present of my new favorite word.

Ryk

[mandroid]

Our Family Cat defended his territory vigorously, over the years The Vet had to amputate
a little more Tail,
as battle wounds got infected.. Dogs would cross the street, staying out of the conflict zone,
after a time..

You still have a couple frets to go, before the Sam Bush like editing is reached..
then a bit of binding can tidy up the edge..

[Paul Busman]

Is a Florida really that much of a hindrance? My F mando doesn't have one, but I pick pretty much parallel to the instrument's top and can't envision my pick hitting something below the strings.

[DavidKOS]

For those of you that are familiar with my take on those so-called "extra frets", I will mercifully make no comment on this other than I hope the OP is very happy.

[derbex]

For those of you that are familiar with my take on those so-called "extra frets", I will mercifully make no comment on this other than I hope the OP is very happy.

So I shouldn't do it on the Calace then?

[Barry Wilson]

It looks good. I glued a piece of the left over binding on the end of mine.

[farmerjones]

I suck enough and am old enough that I went with a saw rather than days & months of resetting my technique.

Those are "Bonus frets!"
Good chance they would need dressing to actually be functional.
I surely don't mess with them. That's the rosin zone to me.

Barely needed retuning after. I should A/B this with my Eastman for a vid.
It really is a fine little rig, at any price.

[Br1ck]

I think I'll end up scooping my MKs Florida a little at a time untill I get the same result.

[Bertram Henze]

I guess this operation might become a standard part of "setup". Builders might consider providing a removable Florida that doubles as electronic tuner when turned out of aligned position.

[David L]

I guess this operation might become a standard part of "setup". Builders might consider providing a removable Florida that doubles as electronic tuner when turned out of aligned position.

At a workshop years ago, Radim Zenkl had a custom-made mandolin with a detachable fretboard extension which he would use only on the tunes that needed the high frets. It also had a fairly wide fretboard which facilitated his countrapuntal classical techniques.

[DavidKOS]

So I shouldn't do it on the Calace then?

Not around me!

At a workshop years ago, Radim Zenkl had a custom-made mandolin with a detachable fretboard extension which he would use only on the tunes that needed the high frets. It also had a fairly wide fretboard which facilitated his countrapuntal classical techniques.

that sounds like Radim!

[Charlie Bernstein]

Is a Florida really that much of a hindrance? My F mando doesn't have one, but I pick pretty much parallel to the instrument's top and can't envision my pick hitting something below the strings.

Oh, man, I'd be getting tangled up in that thing all the time. Sold myelectrified Fender because my pick was always clicking on the pickup.