Mando Strat Question

[Garyinboston]

Hey all,

Riddle me this.

I have been playing my Fender Mando Srat for a while and it's pretty good in general

However, event though I have switched it out to have lighter than stock stings the strings are still REALLY stiff. high up the neck, approaching the octave it's really tight and plinky

I know this is due in part to the break angle of the strings from the bridge over the saddles

If I want to "soften" the action a bit could I not somehow reduce the break angle of the stings ?

Could I say, place a shim or spacer of hardwood under the bridge to raise it maybe 1/16 or 3/32"

Thoughts?

Gary

[kjbllc]

maybe try the builders / repairers section

[bart mcneil]

Certainly you can use a shim under your bridge to raise it. I always have a supply of Popsicle sticks handy for just small projects.

Not really sure that will cure any of your problems. But it is worth experimenting to find out if it works.

[LongBlackVeil]

I think these come with a neck shim already installed in the neck pocket. you could make a new smaller shim to decrease the neck angle a bit. I would think that would decrease tension alot better than messing with the break angle.

i could be wrong about there being a neck shim, i havent been around these much

[Marty Jacobson]

Ok, another thing to keep in mind here... are you comparing a Mando-Strat at the 19th fret to an electric guitar at the 19th fret? Improvising on a guitar, you can rock out using as many frets as you've got. On an electric mandolin, they will indeed sound plinky and thin above the 15th fret or so. It's just the nature of the beast.. once that string is only 4" long, it's just not going to have much harmonic content.. at least, not much that you can hear. Your dog might be thinking otherwise, though.

[Garyinboston]

Hi All,

Thanks for replies.

There is no neck shim so the only option is to change the break angle to soften the tension

This seems straight forward to me............. raise the bridge plate say 1/16" ~ 3/32" and lower the bridge barrels. This would decrease the tension NO?

I suppose if it didn't you could easliy reverse it.

Not that I am a woos but the tension on this mando is very / very tight

Pulling on the E string you can hardly move it ................. that's tight :crying:

Up in the first position is OK but start climbing to A ~ B etc and the combo of the closer the frets are together and the super tight string tension and you could slice meat with it.

Has nobody, in all of Mandolin Cafe Land ever pondered this?

Maybe I need a nap ?

Gary

[Elliot Luber]

This is a drawback of the shorter scale -- not running the strings all the way to the tail piece -- if I'm not mistaken. This is why many prefer an electric Mandola, it's longer. I have a Kentucky, but they're strung like an acoustic (except just four strings).

[Marty Jacobson]

Just a quick clarification. Changing the break angle won't significantly change the feel of the instrument. I build instruments with wildly varying break angles, and they feel the same if they are set up the same.
I've been playing an electric mandolin with .010" - .034" strings and they bend just fine. But they do need better callouses than you get from playing a mandolin. It'll feel like a vegetable slicer for a while. Then you get used to it - and the acoustic mandolin feels very easy to play, another benefit of playing electric mandolin.

Also, Santiago, the scale length is the distance from the nut to the bridge. The after-length, or distance from the bridge to the tailpiece, is largely irrelevant in this case.

[mrmando]

I don't see how raising the bridge would decrease the break angle. I should think it would do the opposite. You could put a shim into the neck pocket, and that would raise the fretboard a bit.

[Garyinboston]

I don't see how raising the bridge would decrease the break angle. I should think it would do the opposite. You could put a shim into the neck pocket, and that would raise the fretboard a bit.

The break angle is related to the point where the strings are anchored and where they come over the bridge barrels. The bridge barrels have to be at some specific height to A) clear the frets on the neck B) create the action the player desires.

If you raise the bridge plate the strings are now higher off the fretboard. To fix that you lower the bridge barrels. When you lower the bridge barrels you are changing / reducing the break angle.


Take the classic Telecaster top loader vs the string through body Telecaster as an example.

I own both styles. The top loader version is "softer" in feel & I'm pretty sure that's due in part to the softer / shallower break angle .

Not day and night but softer than the string through body design for sure. Now I'm sure Tele guys might argue this point but I know what it feels lioke because I own both styles. Top loader has a more slinky or rubbery feel to it.

The Mando Strat is related to the Tele in many ways with the bridge being a very obvious one.

It's true the Mando Strat's bridge is a top loader but if you continue the "top loader" idea / properties /design forward I think the idea has merit ?

Or not ............

Gary

[Garyinboston]

This is a drawback of the shorter scale -- not running the strings all the way to the tail piece -- if I'm not mistaken. This is why many prefer an electric Mandola, it's longer. I have a Kentucky, but they're strung like an acoustic (except just four strings).


I had considered the Kantucky. Tell me is the action, softer, closer in feel to an acoustic ?

Of course it would be really great if you'd had the chance to compare the Kentucky to the Mando Strat ?

Let me know,

Thanks,

Gary

[LongBlackVeil]

The break angle is related to the point where the strings are anchored and where they come over the bridge barrels. The bridge barrels have to be at some specific height to A) clear the frets on the neck B) create the action the player desires.

If you raise the bridge plate the strings are now higher off the fretboard. To fix that you lower the bridge barrels. When you lower the bridge barrels you are changing / reducing the break angle.


Take the classic Telecaster top loader vs the string through body Telecaster as an example.

I own both styles. The top loader version is "softer" in feel & I'm pretty sure that's due in part to the softer / shallower break angle .

Not day and night but softer than the string through body design for sure. Now I'm sure Tele guys might argue this point but I know what it feels lioke because I own both styles. Top loader has a more slinky or rubbery feel to it.

The Mando Strat is related to the Tele in many ways with the bridge being a very obvious one.

It's true the Mando Strat's bridge is a top loader but if you continue the "top loader" idea / properties /design forward I think the idea has merit ?

Or not ............

Gary


I'm a huge fan of the telecaster, I've done ALOT of modding and experimenting with them, and I agree with everything you said.

But the difference in break angle with a top loader vs a string thru, is a LOT bigger difference than what the op would accomplish with his idea. I just really don't think he would get his desired results by this method. But it's worth a shot I guess

[Garyinboston]

I'm a huge fan of the telecaster, I've done ALOT of modding and experimenting with them, and I agree with everything you said.

But the difference in break angle with a top loader vs a string thru, is a LOT bigger difference than what the op would accomplish with his idea. I just really don't think he would get his desired results by this method. But it's worth a shot I guess

Hey there,

My experience with the break angle on a string through Tele is, all though the ball end of the string is maybe an inch & 5/8" below the bridge pate the real break angle starts where the string clears the holes in the bridge and starts over the barrels. In that way the Mando Strat and the Tele have a similar "thing" going on behind the bridge barrels. In that way I'm think / hoping my idea has some merit and worth a shot.

I was hoping, of course, somebody would chime in with experience so we'll see

Thanks,

Gary

[mandroid]

Bolt on necks allow shims between, under the neck and body ..
to tweak your action.

I did this with my Godin A8, slipped a flat washer in that fit around the screws

Used 1 per screw, in my case.. raising the neck lowered the action ..

[Verne Andru]

Pictures?

Do you know someone who can do a setup for you?

I have a Fender 5-string. It was horrible until I swapped out the electronics and it got setup, now it plays and sounds great on all frets on all strings.