Where's the sweet spot?

[mcgannahanskjellifetti]

In guitar flatpicking it's pretty much established that you want to pick at the very bottom of the soundhole (maybe even lower) for the best tone. #Is there an established sweet spot for mandolin picking?

Personally, I really like the sound I get picking directly over the last few frets on the fretboard. #The only problem is the clicky clacky I get from hitting the frets. I'm almost considering removing those frets and maybe even scooping out the fretboard a bit to give my pick some room.

I'm not sure about this, however, because while this position sounds best when I'm just playing by myself, it may not cut as well when playing with others. #Back to the guitar, it actually sounds better playing directly over the soundhole if you're playing solo, but you need to go south a bit when playing with others to get that "cut".

sorry for rambling.....

[250sc]

Use the full range of tones available from right next to the bridge to over the fingerboard. (You might not want to play in the "sweet spot" all the time. As you mentioned, you might need to cut through more by pushing out more high frequencies)

It's just like guitar....closer to the bridge=brightness and closer to the 12th fret=warmth.

[TomTyrrell]

There's a reason so many mandolins have scooped fretboards and it isn't to save money on frets.

[mcgannahanskjellifetti]

There's a reason so many mandolins have scooped fretboards and it isn't to save money on frets.

So how do you remove those frets?

[woodwizard]

I think you use a tool called fret pliers that you can purchace through Stewart-McDonald. That would be my guess. I've never done it. I bet that's gonna be an easy one to answer for some of our wonderful builders that are members here.

[mandroid]

They , the frets are pushed in , there is a tang, tiny bumps, in a T like piece of metal[you see the top of the T] that keep them better in place ..
probably better to go to someone that does Refrets, and have them do it .
Scooping is removing enough wood from the 'Florida' part of the fretboard extension so it no longer has fret slots.

sam bush type fingerboard cuts off the florida,

- think Rising sea levels - (*)

[mcgannahanskjellifetti]

Mine doesn't have the Florida section (Kentucky KM172) but I'm thinking I'd have to lower the fretboard a bit or my pick would be hitting it.

[Chip Booth]

I'd say there is no established sweet spot, just trust your ears as to where it is. I often find it is over the fretboard just a little bit, and as result my mandolins don't have an extension or have been scooped. If you need to scoop yours go for it, if that's the sound you like best.

Chip

[devilstone_the_bard]

I like right at the bottom of the sound hole on my A and F. I notice a lot of folks (mostly on Fs) like the last few frets - that's just what I gathered from watching Youtube.

[Celtic Saguaro]

Where the 24th fret is (or would be) is a natural sweet spot. That's where I pick mostly on my f holed instruments. On my oval hole mandolins, as on the guitar, just to the bridge side of the sound hole works best.

[MikeEdgerton]

So how do you remove those frets?

When I scooped the fretboard on my F5G I basically followed the Frank Ford method illustrated here. Rather than spend money on specialty tools from Stewmac I simply used a pair of end cutters. I could have used sidecutters as well.

[UnityGain]

Pick. #Listen. #Change. #Pick. Listen. Repeat.

Your ears are going to be the best indication of where the sweet spot on your mandolin is, and there are a lot of variables, pick type thickness point shape bevel, amount of pull through the strings, amount of dig into the strings, pick angle speed of wrist, etc... its almost endless.

Do what sounds the best to you, and its not a bad idea to do it in front of a hard surface if you have a f hole mandolin, a plate glass window or sliding door is ideal, it will reflect back more of the sound to you and give you a better idea how you sound in front of the insturment -- and it is definatly different that what you hear, luckily its usually better that what you hear.

And speaking of which, if your worried about cutting, ask your feellow band members, because you might be cutting more than you expect. F hole mandolins are notiorious for being louder to everone else but the player due to how the sound projects from the instruemnt.

[Doug Edwards]

I scooped the extention on my StewMac kit. #I fretted the board, then decided I'd scoop it. I pulled the frets, then used a chisel to remove part of the wood. Then I used a dremmel with a sanding drum to even it out. Finished it up to 4k grit Micro Mesh. It turned out good. #If you decide to just remove the frets, a knife and wire cutters will get it done. Heat up the area first and then proceed with caution, as to not chip out the finger board. You can fill the slots with epoxy and sawdust mixture. Then sand flush.

Scooping the fretboard