My new Chinese Bowl Back

[Hany Hayek]

This a new Chinese Bowl Back I bought yesterday. It is sold in Italy and in Greece under different names (Comet in Italy - Privatera and La Perla in Greece) for around EUR 170.00. I bought it here for a lot less. It was a stock from a shipment from a few years back left in the warehouse of a music store. Probably the quality we get here (at least finish issues) is not the same they get in Europe.
I followed Jim Garber's advise, I only bought it because it sounded nice, as there is not much hope that the sound will get better in time (due to the shiny finish)
I am not sure what wood the top is (whether pine or spruce as mostly I can't tell them apart), It has 17 ribs don't know what wood either (probably walnut). The frets are brass and very well placed and leveled, the bridge is not that good and will need some work as I can't get the G string into a good intonation. I'll probably have to lower it at the G a little. Surprisingly all the rest of the intonation is very good. It has a zero freight, which is crucial for me (for set up reasons obviously) AND it has a 33 cm scale (distance from zero fret to the middle of fret 12 is 16.5 cm).
It has a good treble but not a rich bass. Sustain is not like my old Italian mandolins.
I bought it because now that I can play a little, I needed I mandolin I could move around. With all that shiny finish weather conditions will probably not affect it.
Here are pics and a couple of demos I made.
127257127258127259


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gAaLmM_RlM&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLV4X_EnSY0&feature=youtu.be

[derbex]

Sounds pretty good for a travel mandolin. I use an old deMeglio that I bought on ebay, it wasn't in nearly as good condition as I thought it was, but it seems structurally sound, although I would have more confidence in your chinese import.

[DavidKOS]

Enjoy, looks like a nice mandolin for the money.

Love them bowls!

[Hany Hayek]

I was hoping that someone could confirm the woods used on this mandolin, specially that I posted such clear pictures :)

[DavidKOS]

I was hoping that someone could confirm the woods used on this mandolin, specially that I posted such clear pictures :)

Your pictures are fine, it's my (lack of) knowledge of tonewoods that is preventing me from helping. I know I've seen that wood on the neck and back before on many instruments.....but with Asian made items there are so many woods that are used that it gets hard to be definitive.

[jmp]

I was hoping that someone could confirm the woods used on this mandolin, specially that I posted such clear pictures :)

The woods look similar to my Chinese made TC 325 which has spruce top, maple sides/back, and mahogany neck. However, the low price point you mentioned I would suspect maybe other woods like pine that you mentioned, or maybe even non-solid wood construction.

[DavidKOS]

The woods look similar to my Chinese made TC 325 which has spruce top, maple sides/back, and mahogany neck. However, the low price point you mentioned I would suspect maybe other woods like pine that you mentioned, or maybe even non-solid wood construction.

Yes - but that instrument looks solid and those "mahogany" parts may be of Asian woods analog to true mahogany, that's pretty common.

[Hany Hayek]

I am reviving this old thread because I need to improve the sound of the basses on this mandolin.
I have since the first post straightened the upper part of the fingerboard, leveled the frets, made a compensation to the bridge The intonation on the mandolin is perfect all the way up the fingerboard. The string height at the 12th fret is lower than 2 mm, with only the G buzzing when trying to play in higher position at the 10th fret.
The mandolin is very loud, but to me the sound is not balanced. The basses G and D are not even closely comparable to any of my Italian bowl backs (old restored and baring a lot of scars from their past battles with unworthy owners).
I even tried using Labella strings with a G string gauged 0.036 and it did not improve much.
The bridge on the mandolin (it came with it) is probably made of walnut (same material as the ribs). I never got to change it although I always knew it's too soft for a bridge.
Now to come to my question, if I decide to make an ebony bridge for it, can I expect any significant change to the sound on my bass.
I also suspect that I have to file the top of the nut as the slots are deep and to my understanding the strings should only be half way into the slots. But I have a zero fret...
Feed back and sharing similar experience will be great.

[Hany Hayek]

Just realized this Thread needs to be in the General Mandolin discussion. Sorry for that