View Full Version : Newbie Needs Help Identifying Mandolin
Purdy Bear
Aug-25-2015, 5:28am
Hi Everyone
This is my first post, sorry I couldn't find an introduction section, so here goes. I've recently started playing a Ukulele, and was doing some window shopping on Ebay when I found this Mandolin. The Mandolin was on my list to play, and well I sort of fell in love with this one.
I need some help identifying it. There is no label on the inside, but it does look like it's lined with paper with a pink flowery type pattern. The artwork on the front is painted on and the metal piece covering the string has no decoration to it, nor makers mark. The tuning pegs seem to be on a solid piece of metal and not on the singular ones. It does have one string missing and I have ordered the EJ74 strings to do that with. There is no marking on the Head like they have on Ukes.
The reasons I got this one, is because I really celtic type music and other types, but not the jazzy type works. I intend to learn on this one and if I want to progress further then get a more expensive one, this was just under £50 for it plus P&P. I may even be very naughty and turn it into a mandouke, or restring with Aquila nylon to take it back to the original sound.
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q15/PurdyAngelicBear/IMG_7857_zpsmtsaoflf.jpg (http://s132.photobucket.com/user/PurdyAngelicBear/media/IMG_7857_zpsmtsaoflf.jpg.html)
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q15/PurdyAngelicBear/IMG_7858_zpssamcj8bm.jpg (http://s132.photobucket.com/user/PurdyAngelicBear/media/IMG_7858_zpssamcj8bm.jpg.html)
My questions are:
1. What make do you think it is, or how old it is?
2. How can I clean it?
3. Do I replace just the one string missing or them all? Is a job a complete novice can do or is it worth paying my local guitar shop to do it?
Thanks for your help.
Purdy
vic-victor
Aug-25-2015, 6:01am
1. German or Czech manufacture, most likely East German.
2. I'd clean it with a cloth lightly damp with pure alcohol (unless it is shellac polished, which is highly unlikely). Kills bacteria, too :)
3. Though it is easy to change the strings - if you haven't done that before, even on a guitar - take it to your local music shop. All strings best to be changed and they can also do a setup for you.
multidon
Aug-25-2015, 6:45am
Cleaning with alcohol is not advisable. You have no idea what type of finish that is. Alcohol will attack shellac and some varnishes.
First try a clean cotton cloth slightly dampened slightly with water, distilled if possible. If that doesn't work try a little saliva. Believe it or not there are enzymes in there that will break down the organic compounds that make up much of the handling grime on old instruments. If you have to get more aggressive naphtha (lighter fluid) is generally a good choice. Try it on an inconspicuous place on the instrument first. That ought to do it for you.
There are generally no truss rods on those so I would string it very lightly. EJ 74 is likely too heavy. GHS A240 might be the ticket, same gauge as recommended for old bowl backs.
EdHanrahan
Aug-25-2015, 7:39am
... The tuning pegs seem to be on a solid piece of metal and not on the singular ones. ...
That's common across all mandolins as individual tuners make the headstock feel disproportionately heavy, especially with enclosed gears.
Unlike ukuleles and flattop guitars, most mandolins have a "floating" bridge, held on by string pressure only. That can make re-stringing a chore, as you'll (eventually, regardless) need to know how to set intonation based on the bridge location. And that can change with the type/weight of string used.
Recommend Frank Ford's "Frets.com" as an excellent source of information; anything that applies to archtop guitars also applies to floating-bridge everything else. Yes, even mandoukes!
And hey: Welcome!
Bill Snyder
Aug-25-2015, 9:02am
Change all the strings, but do it one at a time. That way the bridge stays in place. Use a set of light gage strings just to be safe and not over stress any part of the mandolin.
k0k0peli
Aug-25-2015, 10:25am
Welcome, glad to see you've come over to the mando side of the force! I recently bought (US$30) a somewhat similar Soviet mandolin. Yours is probably sturdier. Mine came with 2 rusty strings, a chipped bridge, and cracks in the neck and soundboard. A bit of thinned wood glue healed the major damage. Restringing it was rather a chore because of the lousy tailpiece design. My biggest concern was intonation but once I got it setup it plays fine.
Adjusting a floating bridge for proper intonation is straightforward -- merely nudge the bridge under the top and bottom strings until fretting at the octave and taking the octave harmonic give the same frequency -- but that takes some practice. Yes, you could have a music shop set it up for you; you may want to watch how it's done so you can make your own adjustments as needed.
I used light gauge steel strings on mine. I do NOT recommend stringing a mando with composites like nylgut -- they don't have enough tension to drive the soundboard. And my experiment with tuning a mando like an 8-string 'uke flopped because the fretboard is too narrow for 'uke-style chording. I do keep string tension down a bit by tuning it GDAD 'Irish' rather than standard GDAE 'Italian'. (That's what some old-time fiddlers call such tunings.) That Gee-Dad! tuning lets me play some guitar-form tricks on the upper courses and eases some chording.
You will find that your newly-gained 'uke skills won't apply much to mando playing. Chording, fingering, and picking are quite different. The 'uke is tuned in 4ths with a 3rd thrown in; the mando is tuned in 5ths. Old guitarists like me-self think of mando chords as bass-guitar chords set backwards. 'Ukes are strummed or fingerpicked; mandos are usually flatpicked, although I've been known to defile mine with fingerpicks. ;) I also have a cheap 'uke loaded with Aquila Soprano Fifths 30U nylgut strings so I *can* easily fingerpick mando patterns on a somewhat wider fingerboard. Mandos are usually under 30mm at the nut whilst soprano 'ukes are around 35mm and that makes a difference with my large fingers.
Have fun with your new treasure!
Purdy Bear
Aug-25-2015, 1:00pm
Thanks for all your comemnts, suggestions, tip etc. I'll write them down in my pocket book, so I don't forget them.
I gave the instrument a clean this afternoon, the only place it was really grubby was round the headstock, with the pegs feeling very sticky. It was almost like a cigerette like tar, but it didn't smell at all. I just used cold boiled water with a yellow duster and some cotton wool round the head, anyway it's clean now.
I've tuned the strings that are there, and tried a few notes (I found a great free app for that). It's going to take me a while to get used to the metal strings, compared to the Aquila nylon, but that will come with time. I found a plastic pick I had with a Dulcimer I don't play, so I can get moving with learning the skills I need. I also have a plastic thumb pick if I need it.
My time table is to learn the Ukulele in the morning practice and the Mandolin in the afternoon. I have played the flute previously so know the basics of music theory and reading music. The fret chart is drawn up, and I've printed off some chord charts, so I just need to go to You Tube to do some lessons. :)
Thanks for all you help.
XX