neck angle

[Don]

Does neck angle affect the sound of the mandolin?What is the effect of a shallow or low angle?High angle?Is it expensive to have a neck angle "corrected"?

[Chris Baird]

There are a number of variables that effect the amount of force exerted on the top of the mandolin. #Those variables being neck angle, height of the neck as it sits in the body, height of the bridge, height of the arch, and height of the tailpiece. #Every mandolin will have an ideal amount of force on the top plate. #The neck angle by itself is mainly used as a string action modifier and has little effect on break over angle. #The tolerances for neck angle are small consequently just a few degrees of creep will render a mandolin unplayable. #The bridge height and height of the neck set are the greatest break over angle modifiers. #A neck reset is involved and I would guess a $4-500 job.

In other words the neck angle is associated with playabliity where as the height of the neck set and bridge height are associated with the tone.

[Don]

I guess the height of the neck set is what I was wondering about.I have three oval holes and the distance from the mando top to the bottom of the outside G string at the bridge is noticably different on each one.One seems really low at 7/16.
The other two are 17/32 and 3/4.The mando with the 7/16 height doesn't sound bad,though not so sweet as the other two.Is there a general range for the height of the neck set?