String tightness

[FAC]

Hi all, this is my first post here, hope I'm posting in the right section.

I have been playing guitar for a few years now, and recently came into possesion of an Ozark 2071 mandolin. I find that the strings are much tighter than on a guitar, which I did expect, but I feel they need too much physical strength to hold down. I know that many guitar players have the tendency at first to press down on the strings much harder than is necessary, but if I don't hold them down this hard, I don't get a clean sound.

Is this the case with all mandolins? Or might mine in some way be incorrectly set up? Or is the Ozark 2071 just maybe not a good choice for a beginner?

If this is the case with all mandolins, I'll just have to practise more and build up more callus and finger strength, but if it is just this certain one, I'm getting rid of it and getting one that's easier to play.

[walshb]

It sounds like your mando could need a setup. How's the action on it?
I felt the same way as you when my mando arrived a couple of weeks ago, but after lowering the action and adjusting the truss rod, it plays much easier. It still needs the nut slots to be cut deeper, to make fretting at the first fret easier.
I think a proper setup might make yours much easier to play.
I know nothing about an Ozark mandolin, however.

[FAC]

The action doesn't seem to high, but then again, I have nothing to compare it to. The thumbscrews on the bridge are set in the lowest possible position. I took two pictures and spliced them together which I am attaching, I know they are horrible, but maybe they can tell someone something =) The one right half is at the 12th fret, and the left half is at the nut...

It doesn't seem to have an adjustable truss rod...

EDIT: Some very unscientific measuring tells me that there is approx. 1.5-2mm between the G-string and the first fret.

[acousticphd]

FAQ,

Mandolins in the entry-level to intermediate priced category almost universally come with a stock nut action that is too high (just like guitars), and this is where your fingers are going to immediately feel it as a beginner. The treble A and E strings also probably feel especially tight and sharp compared to guitar strings. Any decent technician can properly adjust the depth of your nut slots, that should help immediately. The bridge on my first mandolin also wouldn't adjust low enough, and I ended up filing down the top of the bridge saddle to compensate. That's pretty easy; if you go too far you can simply raise the screws a little. The nut is trickier and easier to make a mistake that requires either filling the slot or replacing the nut.

[Bob A]

Action should be about 2mm at the 12th fret. Yours looks kinda high. Lighter gauge strings are a good idea for someone just starting out, until your fingers toughen up. You don't need any hand/joint problems from what should be an enjoyable pastime.

[FAC]

Thanks for the replies.

The action at the 12th fret is way higher than 2mm, I'd say closer to 5-7mm. I'm going to talk to the guys at the shop I bought it at and see if they'll do this for me. I did restring with the lightest gauge I could find, but with the action being this high, it didn't help much.

[Keith Erickson]

Hello & Welcome aboard FAC.

It's funny that you mention that you do not have a truss rod and that the thumb screws are as low as they go.

How does the neck look?

Does it look kind of warped?

Again welcome aboard http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[FAC]

Hi, and thanks for the welcome =)

No it doesn't look warped at all, at least not to my untrained eye. I can post detailed pictures of the mandolin when I get home from work in a couple of hours, if that will tell you guys anything.

Right now I'm guessing that the nut and bridge both need to be filed down a bit...

[otterly2k]

FAC-
All of the above is good advice... it is also possible that the neck is bowed or the angle is off.

That said... yes, the string tension is definitely higher than on a guitar and the fact of double course strings requires (and develops) more callous than guitar. And I think it takes some getting used to to get a clean sound moving from guitar to mando. But it does sound like there are issues with the instrument.

Have the setup and neck checked. See what the problem is and how much it'll cost to fix... based on that, decide if it's worth putting the $ into this instrument or whether you want to go for something different.

[FAC]

It would surprize me if the neck had warped, unless it came like that from the shop. I keep it on a wall with two electric guitars, one accoustic, and a ukulele, and they're all doing fine. The room's humidity and temperature are as stable as they get.

I'll take it to the shop tomorrow and see what they can do and for how much...

[Martin Jonas]

5 to 7 mm at the 12th fret would be an absolutely ridiculous action, and almost certainly unplayable. #With action, I find that it is very difficult to estimate by eye. #It really needs a gauge. #A pencil mark on the edge of a piece of paper will do fine. If your neck and frets are level enough to do so without buzzing, I'd go for around 2mm or a touch less. It'll transform your playing comfort. For the nut action, look at this (http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/GenSetup/NutAction/nutaction.html) article to see how close you are to the ideal.

I've just had a look at the Ozark 2071 (see below). #As far as I can see, it's a laminate-top f-hole A-style, which sells in the UK for around £140 (there is also a solid-top variation selling for £20 more). #Instruments in that range really need a decent setup before they're playable, both at the nut and at the bridge -- they are frequently sold with ludicrous nut heights. #Probably a similar instrument to the lower-end Kentuckys.

Martin

[FAC]

Yeah, thats the one. They go for around £260 here in Iceland (instruments are very expensive here), thats $465.

An example of instrument prices here. I went to the states a few years ago to buy a Gibson SG guitar. I bought a two-way plane ticket, found an excellent instrument, visited relatives and so on. I would have paid around $600 more for the instrument here in Iceland than I did for the plane tickets + the guitar in Michigan.

EDIT: I did an accurate measurement on the action at the 12th fret, not 5-7mm like I said before, closer to 4mm