Woodswalker
Apr-22-2015, 5:24pm
I bought a Gold Tone Mandola on ebay. The action was a bit high so I had it set-up at Sam Ash music store. They lowered the nut & built up the bridge, I think. OK, now the action is better on the first & 2nd fret...but get to about the 5th fret and my fingers are slipping off the strings.
I admit I'm a newbie. I have played banjo & guitar, but an instrument with double strings is new to me and my fingertips aren't that wide. I went to my first few jams & came home with blisters on my fingers. I spose that is all part of the learning curve? Or did I simply buy the wrong Mando for me? I know that if an instrument is too difficult to play, a person may never improve on it. Should I have tried to get the finest, plays-like-butter instrument in the country? (good luck finding it. You can't go into Guitar Center and try out a bunch of Mandolas.)
Or are there some more things I can do to improve the playability? I wonder if I can adjust the truss rod...and maybe try to get some super-light strings. I'm already using the light gauge D'addario mandola strings...there's nothing lighter for the Mandola. Maybe just super light guitar strings, or something.
I can live with the fingertip blisters...I'm sure they'll go away...but having my fingertips slip off the lower 2 courses of strings is kind of lame. Perhaps I should at least replace those with a lighter gauge.
A new set of fingers would be great!;)
I admit I'm a newbie. I have played banjo & guitar, but an instrument with double strings is new to me and my fingertips aren't that wide. I went to my first few jams & came home with blisters on my fingers. I spose that is all part of the learning curve? Or did I simply buy the wrong Mando for me? I know that if an instrument is too difficult to play, a person may never improve on it. Should I have tried to get the finest, plays-like-butter instrument in the country? (good luck finding it. You can't go into Guitar Center and try out a bunch of Mandolas.)
Or are there some more things I can do to improve the playability? I wonder if I can adjust the truss rod...and maybe try to get some super-light strings. I'm already using the light gauge D'addario mandola strings...there's nothing lighter for the Mandola. Maybe just super light guitar strings, or something.
I can live with the fingertip blisters...I'm sure they'll go away...but having my fingertips slip off the lower 2 courses of strings is kind of lame. Perhaps I should at least replace those with a lighter gauge.
A new set of fingers would be great!;)