Increase E-string volume

[dorenac]

On my mandolin right now I'm using .011 strings and I want a bit more volume from the E's. I've raised the saddle and that has helped, but I don't want it much higher. I'm thinking about trying .0115 strings as an experiment to bring out some more volume. Has anyone tried bigger strings to increase volume? Another theory I also heard from a friend is actually decreasing to .010 to see if that makes it louder and brighter. Any thoughts or successfully tried solutions?

[Ken]

Two things that have worked for me in bringing out the E string a little more are:
1. using a bone insert in the bridge saddle under the e string, this seems to reinforce the brightness
2. making sure I'm picking back closer to the bridge instead of at the end of the fingerboard where I usually do

On the mandolin I used these two techniques on it did bring out the e string a little more, enough to satisfy me in what I was looking for, but it wasn't a huge change. My experience with using heavier strings is that on most of my mandolins if I go too heavy they seem to choke the tone, not improve it, but I do admit to not liking too dry a tone, and prefer it a little richer with more overtones.

Have fun experimenting!

[Tobin]

I had this problem on my first mandolin that had very anemic E strings, and I tried going to heavier strings. It did exactly what Ken described: it choked the tone. It actually sounded more muted, not louder (although a lot of people say that heavier E strings helped them). I tried everything I could to get my E strings to sound better, and the only thing that worked for me was buying a better mandolin.

[dorenac]

When I say I want a louder E course I mean when compared to the other 3 courses. The tone and sound I get is very good, but it doesn't sound as though it projects as well. It doesn't quite compete with the other six strings. So I'm hoping to find a way to just tweak it a bit. This mandolin is a very high quality instrument from a well respected builder. And overall it is a fantastic mandolin. Maybe I'm getting picky but I would like a bit more oomph.

[fiddler37]

So what do you suggest to reduce the volume and brightness of the e-string?

[Beanzy]

It would be good to know what mandolin you are using, what bridge is on it and was it fitted post purchase or just factory-fitted? At the back of my mind is the thought that string sets are normally well balanced, so any imbalance is not for the strings to fix, being better resolved at the source of the discrepancy.

[roysboy]

It would be good to know what mandolin you are using, what bridge is on it and was it fitted post purchase or just factory-fitted? At the back of my mind is the thought that string sets are normally well balanced, so any imbalance is not for the strings to fix, being better resolved at the source of the discrepancy.

I found that going to heavier a E string (115 ) increased my volume . Also , I recently increased the volume of my G string by sanding the foot of the bridge more evenly ...better contact . Perhaps that's worth looking at to improve the sound of your E string . On 3 mandolins , when I put on the heavier gauge strings ( J75s), projection improved dramatically ,however tone became darker with less sustain , which was to be expected . I went back to J74's with a heavier G . You really have to experiment with your own axe . Its fun .

[almeriastrings]

Certainly different mandolins react different to different brands and gauges of strings. Setup (and bridge) are also critical. Without knowing what the mandolin actually is, though, hard to make concrete suggestions.

[dhbailey]

Have you recorded your mandolin playing, with the recorder about 20 feet away from you? It's amazing what the difference is between what we hear as we play the instrument, compared to what the audience hears. Before you make any changes, record yourself and make sure that you need louder E strings -- they may be in great balance from the point of view of the audience.

[Freddyfingers]

No one has pointed out the elephant in th room. So I will. A p90

[dorenac]

Freddyfingers please explain. Apology for this ignorance!

[Cheryl Watson]

I replaced my bridge with a Cumberland Acoustic bridge and this strengthened the E-strings a bit, but in general, the overall tone sounds better with more projection and better intonation.

I have also found that a slightly heavier gauge E-string course can be louder or choke the tone, but certainly it is worth the try. The bone insert is a good idea if you do not mind brighter, which gives the E-string more cut.

Even some high-end mandolins have one course that is a bit stronger or a bit weaker than the rest, but none that I have played that are very noticeably so.

[Polecat]

Have you recorded your mandolin playing, with the recorder about 20 feet away from you? It's amazing what the difference is between what we hear as we play the instrument, compared to what the audience hears. Before you make any changes, record yourself and make sure that you need louder E strings -- they may be in great balance from the point of view of the audience.

My thoughts entirely. Better still, if you have someone at hand who can play the mandolin ever rudimentarily, have them play and go in front of them and listen. What we hear is not what most other people hear, and it's useful to be aware of that.

[Max Girouard]

I'm not saying this is the same situation, but............

I am friends with one of the village elders, who happen to bring in a mandolin (not one of mine) complaining of the very same issue. After picking a few tunes on it, I couldn't hear a difference, but he was insistent that the e strings were weaker than the rest.

A few weeks later he came back and said he had fixed it, and everything was sounding fine again. This is what he used............

http://www.amazon.com/Debrox-Drops-Earwax-Removal-Aid/dp/B000GCI9EQ

[dorenac]

Max,
You may have solved my problem!!!

[Tobin]

Max, that actually could be part of the equation. Not ear wax necessarily, but hearing perception. It's well known that the older we get, the more our ears start to lose their ability to hear higher frequencies. It would make sense that the E strings are the first ones to start sounding weak to our ears, even if they're really OK.

[Freddyfingers]

Freddyfingers please explain. Apology for this ignorance!


My apologies. I was referring to a P90, single coil guitar pickup. They cut through anything. Just ask George Thorogood.