Will the mandolin I ordered of thomann arrive built or in parts?

[Smiley Devlin]

I ordered the loar lm 520 vs. If it arrives in parts will a music sop build it for me?

[Ron McMillan]

It should arrive already built up - i.e. with everything in roughly the correct place.

Thomann is known for its high volume of sales and has a reputation for not performing any 'set up' on instruments it sells, so it is possible that it might not be perfectly ready to play when it arrives.

In that case, it would almost certainly be worth finding a luthier who knows mandolins to do some setting up for you.

But play it first, and if you are a newcomer to mandolins, have a friend who knows mandolins take a look at it in case it needs a bit of setting up.


ron

[Smiley Devlin]

Yea im a new comer The problem is there is no luthiers in my area live in Ireland so I might have to send it away somewhere if I can find a luthier online lol. How much would a set up cost roughly?

[Ron McMillan]

There are twelve Irish mandolin builders listed here on the site (above: Builders - search for 'ireland'). Some of them will likely do set ups as a side line business, or if they don't, they'll know who to call.

ron

[mrmando]

Lots of luthiers in Ireland. Did you check the Builders database here on the Cafe? What part of Ireland are you in?

[Smiley Devlin]

No I didn't no I could find that on this site I'm from newry Co.Down in the north

[Ron McMillan]

List of mandolin luthiers in Ireland, including a couple in the North, is here

But test it first, and get anyone who plays mandolin to test it too. It might not need a luthier, just a guy who has done simple setting up on his own instruments. The simpler parts of a set up are not rocket science - though some of the more complex issues are of course better left to a luthier.

ron

[Smiley Devlin]

thanks for your help

[trevor]

Hi Smiley,

As has been mentioned 'box shifters' such as Thomann don't usually do any set-up. Their prices are very competitive because they are simply a warehousing and shipping operation. You may be lucky or unlucky, I hope the latter. Check that the bridge fits snugly to the top and is in exactly the right place. You will be able to adjust the action (string height) with the bridge thumb wheels to suit yourself, loosen the strings first, be careful not to move the bridge while doing so.

I hope it works out, remember the best price isn't always the best deal.

[almeriastrings]

They do no setup. None at all. It will not have been touched since it left the factory in China... I see a lot of instruments purchased from them. The amount of work required can vary from basic setup, to major fault corrections....

This applies right across brands. They get the boxes in. They send the boxes out. They are very fast and efficient at that. The fact is, though, most mandolins (all?) and guitars, banjos require at least some setup work, so what you save on buying from them you can end up spending paying a luthier to put into playable condition...

[Francis J]

I've purchased loads of stuff from Thomann, from a flute to drums, cymbals, guitars, a uke, but never a mandolin. I've never had an issue with them, but as many have said above, they boast a turnaround time on orders, of less than 40 minutes from button click to dispatch. Having said that, you will probably be delighted to find that it will work out for you. Sometimes it can go wrong, but Thomann will not be sending out an instrument that hasn't been inspected, just not set up or adjusted in any way. I like to play an instrument for a while before asking anybody to make adjustments, but like the OP I live in Ireland where these services aren't readily accessible, so you have to develop some skill in instrument maintenance yourself, if you want to be a musician.

[billkilpatrick]

i've never had a problem with thomann either - once, the delivery that went awry was the fault of the courier here in italy, not them. don't be so quick to send your mandolin off to a luthier - there are lots of threads dealing with set-up "issues" here at the cafe and lots of people to help ... just one big ol' happy family ...

[Rob Meldrum]

Email me at rob.meldrum@gmail.com for a free copy of my ebook on how to set up a mandolin. With an investment of less than 10€ you will be able to measure the action and intonation, identify what needs to be adjusted, and learn how to lower the nut slots, fit the bridge to the top, and set the intonation. Rob

[almeriastrings]

Also... on the positive site with Thomann, you do get a three-year warranty on everything and they are very easy to deal with. I have done business with them for many years and they are very helpful.

[bmac]

Go to frets.com there is excellent instructions on how to set up your instrument and Yes, you can do it yourself, and Yes, it will improve tonality and playability and No, you won't regret it.

It has to be done!!! Whether you do it or someone else, so you might as well learn.

Also make sure you purchace some extra sets of strings.... Normally Chinese no name strings are terrible. Yours may be OK but you should have a spare set or two.