New Gibson A9

[dgrimm]

Just got a great deal on a Gibson A9 from GC.They asked me not to disclose the price. Anyway how much difference will a cast tailpiece make, if any.Are some better than others? Give me your opinions. Also what kind and gauge strings come on a new Gibson. Thanks

[Lane Pryce]

Hey welcome to the Nine Club.I use J75's and GHS 270's on my F9.J75's have the most bang.As far as your tailpiece goes I would leave it alone.You could get a real proper setup for the cost of a cast tailpiece.The benefits of the setup out-weigh any negligable benefit from a new tailpiece. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif Lp

[Dale Ludewig]

I have no idea what strings are on your new Gibson, nor what to recommend. That's a personal matter, IMHO. Gotta experiment.

Tailpiece: Once again, IMHO, I think a cast tailpiece would probably give you more sustain, but it might cost something in "chop". Depends on the mando. I use cast tailpieces exclusively, but I'm after a particular sound. I build mine with that in mind. I'm not trying to build a Gibson imitation. I played a Gibson MM distressed model the other night owned by Dave Harvie (sp?). Incredible instrument. But they're designed with all that in mind.

Before I laid out the bucks for a cast tailpiece, I'd try to find a mando with one and see if you like it.

You sound like you're very happy with your purchase. Congrats. Why are you looking to change the sound? Me- I'm always curious.

[TonyP]

I too am curious. I started out on electric guitar and the lore was more mass in the bridge and tailpiece = more sustain. Just seemed like it was more urban legend than truth. My roomate was always doing that stuff and I could never hear the difference. I did change my bridge on my mando and decided to go with the crowd at that time and go with the cast tailpiece. I kinda regret it now as it didn't change anything except make it harder to change strings. Plus I had to figure out some way to damp the wolf tones as it didn't have the damping the old tailpiece had. I never had the prob with my old Gibson style tailpiece of the rattle, just every once in a while the cover would pop off. I feel like I got what I was after with the Brekke Bridge(more bottom end, better mids, toned down the piercing high end) but I'm still baffled by the tailpiece thing. Logically speaking, most string resonance is dead by the time it gets past the bridge, right? So how is it supposedly helping anything? I still like the tailpiece on my old bowl back best. Just a plate on the butt end of the top, no overhang like all the modern tp's. Easy to put strings on. Simple. I'm curious Dale about your statements about "chop" and stuff. You obviously have done something to have that opinion. I think it's really hard to be empirical about something that takes so long to A/B as changing a tailpiece. Does look cool, no doubt.

[Dale Ludewig]

Tony, I'm going to have to keep this short to make it postable- the cafe has limits on posts. So here we go in my experience as a builder (and player). Bridge- the less mass, the better, IMHO. Brekke bridges will bring out bass on the intrument, at the cost of the treble. (boy is this going to bring out trouble- I think they're great, but they cut off volume from most instruments (most)). They suck up string energy- you might as well carve the the top that much thicker at that point, IMHO.

Tailpieces are another story. Bulky tailpiece (cast)- we're leaving ease of string change out of this = more sustain. Just my experience. Less heavy tailpiece = more chop power (truly dependent on the mandolin, but a generality), but less sustain. Think about it. Heavy tailpiece shoves more energy into the top, but also absorbs it back from the top. Lighter weight tailpiece shoves the same amount of energy back into the top but doesn't have the mass to store the energy coming back.

This is my experience. ONLY. I think might get a stronger chop with a lighter tail piece on a mandolin. On the same mando, you might getter better sustain with a cast tailpiece.

These are generalities based on my experience. I make no claim to be an expert. Oh, by the way- changing strings on a cast tailpiece can be a real pain. I've done it enough to get it down pretty quickly. Squeeze the loops with a pliers until they barely can be pushed over the "hooks". If in question, put a little masking tape over the "hook" to keep the string there while you tighten up.

No empirical claims here. Just my experience. YMMV.

[Dale Ludewig]

Tony- I didn't address your thoughts about the tailpiece being of little concern once the strings hit the saddle/ bridge. #Pardon me, if I'm using the wrong words for what you were addressing. #From my experience, the tailpiece is always an issue in tone. #Yes, it can yield 'wolf tones'. #This is more an issue with bowed instruments than with plucked (sounds like a professor, eh?) instruments.

To me, the nut becomes almost irrelavent (sp?) once a string is fretted. #So, a bone nut vs. a MOP nut is cosmetic, from my experience. #The tailpiece is always in play. #It doesn't stop playing a role. #The strings go over the bridge but the vibrations continue on to the tailpiece. #If the tailpiece wasn't always a factor you wouldn't have those "wolf" tones- actually, I'd call them something like "overtones". #They're much more active with a cast tailpiece- hence, your experience. #If they're a problem with your mando, weave some felt between the strings, use rubber grommets, or something like that. #You may have very sensitive hearing that senses those tones that other people don't hear. #Some people do.

[TonyP]

Well see Dale, I use my own home made damper behind the bridge, and one above the nut, to stop the overtones. Made it out of one of my daughter's hair clips and lined it with leather so it wouldn't rattle. My old tp had a piece of felt in it that damped the strings. I see it like the old can telephones we used to make as a kid. You know, two cans with a string between them. If the string was tight you could talk into one can and the vibrations would travel to the other can and you could hear what they were saying. If I remember right, if you held the string, you couldn't hear anything. So that's why I think , with my string damper on there, the tailpiece aint' doin nuthin. To me, the main transmission of vibration is through the bridge to the top. Just being an arm chair engineer, the tones produced by the after the bridge strings are, if allowed to ring, mostly be adding odd harmonics that would tend to weaken some primary tones(the ones being fretted) and enhance others. I noticed a lot purer tone from my mando with the Brekke. It's as close to a solid bridge as you can get with an adjustable. All mando's, playing techniques , ears, add nauseam are different. I'm not trying to put anybody down just exploring ideas with others with different ideas/experiences. I'm glad you took the time to express yours.
The only thing about restringing I've come up with is to bend the loops up so I can reach under and hook those little devils. Being an old auto mech I'm used to working blind where I can't see http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Doesn't mean I have to like it.....

[straight-a]

Welcome to the "A List"! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif I've found that the J-75's and Gibson Monroes sound the best on mine. I prefer the Monroes but the 75's are so close that the price justifies them. About the only thing I haven't tried are the silk & bronze and/or steel. I've heard good things about them from other A-9 owners so they are next on my list. The coated strings have been the least favorable for me. EXP's, Elixers, etc. just don't work on mine. Really lose a lot of tone with them for some reason.

[Baron Collins-Hill]

Another welcome from a happy a9 owner. i would leave the tailpeice as it is. i had j74's on it and they sounded really good, but then i tried elixers, and they sound twice as good (to me) then the J74's. i also love they way they feel. i am going to try the diadarrio flat 74's next, bu i think i am addicted to the elixers already. i also play alot of bluegrass stuff, but not the way bluegrass bands do, i make it all crazy, kinda like jazzgrass.

[Greenmando]

Just got a great deal on a Gibson A9 from GC.They asked me not to disclose the price. Anyway how much difference will a cast tailpiece make, if any. Are some better than others? Give me your opinions. Also what kind and gauge strings come on a new Gibson. Thanks
I would not worry about GC, they are no longer selling Gibson mandolins and are just liquidating old stock.
Many of us here last November bought F9's and A9's at greatly reduced prices. I bought a great F9 for $1600 which was 1/2 of MSRP. The F9 is just as nice as my A9.

I've been using J74's for a while now. I do usually remove the tailpiece cover when I play thou.

[Nathan Sanders]

I called a Guitar Center just a few days ago hoping they would still have an A-9 in stock, at a really good price. Of course they did not have one, but the salesman said he could order one, and the price he gave me was very reasonable. Go figure.

[Jeff A]

An A9 ordered from GC is probably leftovers from Musicians Friend which is in cahoots with GC

[Nathan Sanders]

Yep, Musicians Friend leftovers would make sense. In any case, the price was good.

[Greenmando]

I found mine by talking to a salesman in GC and finding what stores had what in stock. Took quite a few stores and salemen till I found who had what in stock.

Musicians Friend is just the website for GC.