Mandobird mods

**daveb** · Dec-20-2006, 12:52pm

Here is my Mandobird with a Stuart Duncan Mini-Humbucker installed. After some milling I came out with a pretty clean setup. Daylight and dark over stock pickup. I also added a bone (Deer Antler) nut.

Dave

**daveb** · Dec-20-2006, 12:53pm

more....

**daveb** · Dec-20-2006, 12:54pm

one more.....

**bigdaddyguitar** · Dec-22-2006, 10:06pm

Excellent job !!! Thats one COOL looking mando . How does it sound

**daveb** · Dec-22-2006, 10:38pm

It sounds great, I am really a accoustic player and I wanted to try an electric. Its pretty fun to be able to plug in, add some effects and make sounds a mandolin shouldn't be able to make ! I tried the stock pickup and it was pretty sorry. It now has highs it never had before.

Dave

**John Flynn** · Dec-22-2006, 10:43pm

Dave:

A few questions. Exactly what model of Duncan is that? Is it a guitar pickup or a bass pickup? If it is guitar, did you disable any of the magnets or just mount as is?

**daveb** · Dec-22-2006, 11:10pm

It's the SM-1 vintage mini-humbucker, it has a "bar" magnet so string location is not critical.

Dave

**Trip** · Dec-25-2006, 10:56pm

So the sound levels are pretty even on all the strings?.....I was worried about possible spikey sound from a humbucker made for a six string guitar....how much was the pickup and how much labor did you have in it to install?

**daveb** · Dec-26-2006, 7:26am

The pickup was 80 dollars from musicians friend. I did the mill work and installed it myself. I have built only accoustic mandolins up to now, but I can see building some "Strat" style solid body electrics in the future. To me the sound is very even accross all the strings. I don't know a lot about pickups so I found out that the mini HB uses a bar magnet and not individual posts so it will work fine on a mando.

Dave