View Full Version : Just finished my first mandolin string change!
Cheap Asian mandolins need string changes right away, right? Well, I did it. Was dreading it, but now it's done! Kind of a pain though.
:grin:
Bill Kammerzell
Nov-09-2017, 3:31pm
Cheap Asian mandolins need string changes right away, right? Well, I did it. Was dreading it, but now it's done! Kind of a pain though.
:grin:
I don't know? Depends how they sounded, how long they were on the mandolin, etc. I've never done it that soon, and I've bought my share of Asian mandolins. But, if it sounds better, great! You did one string at a time? If not. If you removed all the strings at once, did you mark the placement of the bridge?
jesserules
Nov-09-2017, 6:15pm
Cheap Asian mandolins need string changes right away, right? Well, I did it. Was dreading it, but now it's done! Kind of a pain though.
:grin:
Not so much a string change, as checking the playability (strings not painfully high or buzzing because they're too low), and intonation (making sure every string plays in tune wherever you fret it).
Changing the strings can't hurt though. And many people think it's the worst part of being a mandolinist, so congratulations on just getting it done!
OneChordTrick
Nov-09-2017, 6:22pm
Changing the strings can't hurt though. And many people think it's the worst part of being a mandolinist, so congratulations on just getting it done!
It does hurt, I shed blood every time I change my strings :confused:
jesserules
Nov-09-2017, 7:12pm
It does hurt, I shed blood every time I change my strings :confused:
Ah, but you're all the stronger for it!
...........................
Right?
yankees1
Nov-09-2017, 7:14pm
It will get as easy as changing your underwear !
Charles E.
Nov-09-2017, 7:25pm
There are numerous threads here that give tips for easier string changes. One that helped me was putting a piece of masking tape over the loops and hooks on the new strings before putting the end in the tuner so that they do not come off while bringing the string up to tension. After you have done it a few times it will get easier.
DHopkins
Nov-09-2017, 7:44pm
My body chemistry seems to corrode strings and I probably have to change strings more often than many. I'd rather spend a weekend in jail than do it. It's not difficult or time-consuming. I just don't like doing it.
Louise NM
Nov-10-2017, 12:22am
Yeah, it's a rotten job, and has to be done pretty often. The sound of the new strings takes a lot of the sting out of it, though.
Br1ck
Nov-10-2017, 12:42am
It's a piece of cake compared to a 12 string with a slotted headstock.
TallMikeM
Nov-10-2017, 4:00am
good for you, I started my 1st string change about 2 years ago, still have the E's to do.
I changed them hoping it would help a intonation problem with the mandolin. However, no joy. Note the position of the bridge after setting intonation with a tuner.
162213
Charles E.
Nov-10-2017, 8:29am
good for you, I started my 1st string change about 2 years ago, still have the E's to do.
Great, coffee through the nose and all over my key board! ;)
UsuallyPickin
Nov-10-2017, 11:00am
Well .... it does get easier with practice and the right tools and space. Firstly a capo holds the strings under tension on the tailpiece so they won't continue to pop off the hook. Secondly a mandolin sized string winder will make the process considerably faster. THis one has a built in string cutter and bridge pin puller for a n instrument if needed. R/ http://http://www.westmusic.com/p/planet-waves-dp0002-string-pro-windercutter-500267?origin=product-search&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=comparsionshopping&aff=5115&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_avPyK201wIVUz2BCh3ZyAHnEAQYBSAB EgIb2vD_BwE
jesserules
Nov-10-2017, 12:18pm
I changed them hoping it would help a intonation problem with the mandolin. However, no joy. Note the position of the bridge after setting intonation with a tuner.
162213
Check out the Rob Meldrum book, if you haven't already:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?88286-Mandolin-setup-by-Rob-Meldrum&highlight=setup+meldrum
Check out the Rob Meldrum book, if you haven't already:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?88286-Mandolin-setup-by-Rob-Meldrum&highlight=setup+meldrum
Thank you, but this mandolin is a "lemon" I'm afraid.
Bertram Henze
Nov-10-2017, 1:38pm
It does hurt, I shed blood every time I change my strings :confused:
It will get as easy as changing your underwear !
Let's all meet in a time when you needed a wrench to change your underwear - and yes, it hurt, too...
https://images.pexels.com/photos/339805/pexels-photo-339805.jpeg?w=1260&h=750&auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb
Apart from that, I don't understand what the fuss is about. You develop a fixed routine and follow it thereafter. You can even read Cafe posts while doing it.
Bill Kammerzell
Nov-10-2017, 2:13pm
Thank you, but this mandolin is a "lemon" I'm afraid.
So, resetting the bridge position didn't help?
Shouldn't the bridge be roughly even with the center of the f-holes? Look at the picture again. Eyeballing the bass side, it's close to an inch off. The treble side looks to only be 1/4 inch or so off. Should the bridge really need to be at that extreme angle for good intonation? Also, this causes the strings to be at too high of an angle from the tail-piece to the bridge, so that the strings are catching on the underside of the tail-piece cover. I can't believe this is normal?
Bill Kammerzell
Nov-10-2017, 2:38pm
Shouldn't the bridge be roughly even with the center of the f-holes? Look at the picture again. Eyeballing the bass side, it's close to an inch off. The treble side looks to only be 1/4 inch or so off. Should the bridge really need to be at that extreme angle for good intonation? Also, this causes the strings to be at too high of an angle from the tail-piece to the bridge, so that the strings are catching on the underside of the tail-piece cover. I can't believe this is normal?
No. Strings touch the underside of the tailpiece cover. You can put a piece of felt there. Measure the distance from the front of the mandolin nut to the 12th fret wire. That should be the same distance from the 12th fret wire to the bridge. I generally put the bass side just a touch further. You'll have to loosen the strings some to move the bridge to that position. But... if your intonation is okay, the position you have it in is fine.
None of the mandolins I own have the bridge perfectly centered between the centers of the two F holes.
Yours doesn't really look as much as an inch off. How does it sound and play?
No. Strings touch the underside of the tailpiece cover. You can put a piece of felt there. Measure the distance from the front of the mandolin nut to the 12th fret wire. That should be the same distance from the 12th fret wire to the bridge. I generally put the bass side just a touch further. You'll have to loosen the strings some to move the bridge to that position. But... if your intonation is okay, the position you have it in is fine.
None of the mandolins I own have the bridge perfectly centered between the centers of the two F holes.
Yours doesn't really look as much as an inch off. How does it sound and play?
Well I'm embarrassed now...
:confused:
Is changing Mandolin strings worse than changing bouzuki strings? I only have experience of the latter, and there are certainly times when one could weep! The capo idea to keep up the tension certainly sounds worth a try. Why do the fine strings sometimes just break at the loop, as if at a whim? I almost gave up when I de-balled some guitar strings once (I was trying out flatwounds), only to find that the loops were much smaller, but I persevered, and eventually achieved the impossible. Do we conclude, then, that the world would be a better place if all mandos were designed for ball end strings? I gather there are designs that accept ball ends and still have a floating bridge - aren't there? Do some purists prefer a floating bridge for sound quality reasons...? Or is it just a tradition thing?
No. Strings touch the underside of the tailpiece cover. You can put a piece of felt there. Measure the distance from the front of the mandolin nut to the 12th fret wire. That should be the same distance from the 12th fret wire to the bridge. I generally put the bass side just a touch further. You'll have to loosen the strings some to move the bridge to that position. But... if your intonation is okay, the position you have it in is fine.
None of the mandolins I own have the bridge perfectly centered between the centers of the two F holes.
Yours doesn't really look as much as an inch off. How does it sound and play?
It's a bit tough to play, and sounds a bit "tight", but good to my ears. I'll keep working on it. And it may open up a bit as I play it.
Bill Kammerzell
Nov-10-2017, 4:14pm
It's a bit tough to play, and sounds a bit "tight", but good to my ears. I'll keep working on it. And it may open up a bit as I play it.
Okay. Have you checked the "Action" or the distance of the strings from the fret wire? I use a feeler gauge. For me, in general, I like the string height to be, .050" at the 12th fret G strings, and .040" at the 12th fret E strings. Understand that I like the action high. It shouldn't be any higher than that though. Its adjusted with the wheels on the bridge. Converting those to fractions, neither should be over 3/64". It can certainly be lower. Check that and then I'll try and help you out checking the neck relief. By the way, I sent you a PM. (Private message.)
Okay. Have you checked the "Action" or the distance of the strings from the fret wire? I use a feeler gauge. For me, in general, I like the string height to be, .050" at the 12th fret G strings, and .040" at the 12th fret E strings. Understand that I like the action high. It shouldn't be any higher than that though. Its adjusted with the wheels on the bridge. Not sure what that is in fractions. It can certainly be lower. Check that and then I'll try and help you out checking the neck relief. By the way, I sent you a PM. (Private message.)
I'll have to shave a bit off the bridge, I think. That should fit it better to the curve of the sound board as well.
Bill Kammerzell
Nov-10-2017, 5:15pm
I'll have to shave a bit off the bridge, I think. That should fit it better to the curve of the sound board as well.
You shouldn't have to do that with a new mandolin. Are you sure? Could it be that it is tilted? Possibly leaning toward the fretboard?
colorado_al
Nov-10-2017, 5:16pm
Seriously, get the Rob Meldrum setup e-book. It will teach you what you need to know to make this mandolin play well.
If you're not into the work that it takes, I'd return the mandolin and buy one from a know seller who will do the setup for you before delivery.
Where did you buy the loar from?
Just to make sure I made the right decision on not sending the mandolin back. The bridge slanted like that to achieve good intonation is fine?
I've gone back and forth on the issue, if it is one.
Bill Kammerzell
Nov-15-2017, 3:15pm
Truthfully, to be certain, I'd have to have the mandolin in my hands. If it plays well, sounds good, intonates correctly, I'd likely keep it. If you are not satisfied though, send it back.
Truthfully, to be certain, I'd have to have the mandolin in my hands. If it plays well, sounds good, intonates correctly, I'd likely keep it. If you are not satisfied though, send it back.
I've warmed up to it a bit. I've been playing it pretty much non-stop.
Jim1hays
Nov-16-2017, 5:52pm
I am having intonation issues as well. more like buzzing. I have a Washburn F body M3Ek mandolin and like the feel of thin strings. I have been using Martins light strings. I tried your positioning adjustment nut to 12th fret then 12th fret to the bridge. I measure 12-11/16th inches from nut to 12th fret and if I measure from 12th fret to the bridge the E string side of the bridge is about 1/4 inch forward of the G string side. And the F hole points do not line up with the same point on the bridge. Is this normal? It is advertised with a 13.75 inch scale so is that from nut to bridge?
Jim1hays
Nov-16-2017, 5:56pm
Man I am embarrassed. It measures 11 and 11/16th inches from nut to 12th fret and same from 12th fret to the bridge.
Bill Kammerzell
Nov-16-2017, 6:04pm
A number of things could cause buzzing. If it is one string, could be the nut slot. If it's more than one, it could be the neck relief. Or the action could be set a little too low.
twilson
Nov-16-2017, 6:25pm
First string change? Way to go. Only 10.000 or so more to go. If you’re a youngster.
Jim1hays
Nov-16-2017, 6:55pm
I removed the tailpiece cover and also checked the clearance at the first fret and it is .015 inches. does not seem to be too low but maybe. The bridge is adjusted all the way down. and It is on all strings.I reset the bridge today and will see what that does. I may just go to D'Addario medium EJ74 phosphore bronze strings as well. Also will try to raise the bridge a little as you suggested. Thanks!
Bill Kammerzell
Nov-16-2017, 11:03pm
I removed the tailpiece cover and also checked the clearance at the first fret and it is .015 inches. does not seem to be too low but maybe. The bridge is adjusted all the way down. and It is on all strings.I reset the bridge today and will see what that does. I may just go to D'Addario medium EJ74 phosphore bronze strings as well. Also will try to raise the bridge a little as you suggested. Thanks!
What is the measurement at the 12th fret?