My chop chords ring

[Deaf David]

I confess. I have a really cheap mandolin (F-style with scroll). It plays as well as some much more expensive ones I've tried in the stores, and has a pretty crisp tone with individual notes. Definitely not a high end tone, but as good as some instruments I've tried that were far more expensive.

The problem is that when I do chop chords it has an irritating ringing sound. I had thought, being fairly new to this, that it was my technique and I just needed to find the right combination.

While in a shop waiting for my daughter to finish her fiddle lesson I pulled an Oscar Schmitt mandolin off the wall and it had a sold chunk on the muted chords, even with fairly fast chord changes.

So, I'm assuming it's the cheap mandolin. What is causing this and can it be corrected (short of buying another mandolin)? Could it possibly be the strings, or the bridge?

It's a (don't laugh) Old Hickory with a solid wood top, and a possibly resin bridge (maybe just plastic).

[lkb3rd]

Thread some old leather lacing around the strings between the bridge and tailpiece

[reely989]

I wouldn't worry about it. My Collings MF does it too. The best remedy is muting the strings between the bridge and tailpiece. I just put a piece of electric tape across them. A strip of leather looks much better but I'm not that classy. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Caleb

[Deaf David]

Thanks for the great tip. I wouldn't have thought to do that.

I originally bought this for my 13 year old daughter who plays guitar and fiddle. She thought she was interested in mandolin but quickly lost that interest. For better or worse, it has caused me to put my dobro on the back stand.

There should be some kind of warning label on the things about how addictive they are.

[Jerry Byers]

As mentioned, a strip of leather may help. Technique and action may also contribute. I can get my Fern to ring if I hit it wrong.

[mfalkner]

Jerry,

I got the same problem on my japan-era Kentucky. I, too, chalked it up to technique. Going to try a Strip, but can someone point me to some technical advice on pick technique/attack for chopping?

I'm a guitar player trying to add mando, and can manage OK with crosspicking, etc., but my rhythm work is not cutting it right now.

[g_mc]

<tune: winter wonderland>
My chop chords ring,
# Are you listenin'?
In the jam...
# my brow is glistenin',
Still I'm happy tonight
# trying to get it right,
playin' an Old Hickory mandolin...
<tune: off>
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Roydw3]

My Washburn does it too...so I put leather under the strings in the tailpiece and on top off the strings under the tailpiece cover. Then I went to the hardware store and bought rubber grommets and put them between the pairs of strings. Now more ringing. It cost me about three dollars to fix the problem. Hope this helps
Denny

[Michael_M]

If the ringing is coming from the nut of the mando, you can use a number 2 pencil to fill in the string grooves with the lead. Just rub the lead into the groove like you would fill in a box on a piece of paper.