Hey y'all - my mando is a generic Asian-made Fender F-style, for which I just got a Fishman pickup.
I left it with my repair guy to install, cause I don't trust myself sawing string grooves in a $300 pickup, and he just called to tell me that the jack, which clamps on like a fiddle's chinrest, won't close enough to grab the body - there's about 1/4" of clearance at its tightest setting.
So far as either of us can tell, it's an utterly generic F body, no skinnier than any other mandolin I've ever touched anyways. Has anyone else encountered this?
mandroid
Jan-08-2008, 4:16am
Clamp hardware used typically for Viola, get the parts for a Violin chin-rest, perhaps..
Mechanic's of the clamp hardware, on 'carpenters jack', consists of a sleeve that is threaded left hand on one side , right hand on the other and the other 2 parts
are threaded the same 1 lH, 1 RH.
Even smaller chin rest clamps are made for fractional size violins for the very young violin student.
or (unlikely) if you cannot find any parts to substitute,
look for a nut the right thread pitch and size ..
the RH threaded side more common,
and thread that nut on First ..
, then saw off a bit of each leg of the clamp.
you put the nut on first so by taking it off after the cut, threads are cleaned-up and put back in some shape so
you stand a chance of putting it back together.
[a common mechanics technique]
let me add,
if you take the clamp hardware apart and lay the 2 pieces
in a position that they would be when fitted,
just not having the center sleeve/nut covering ,
Note how much gap or lack of gap is between them.
when you re install the sleeve/nut each half is drawn
towards the other equally, as it turns,
hopefully not running out of thread
before closing on the rim of the ..
Mandolin in Question ..
its possible to run out of thread on one side, before the other, , start threading together simultaneously.
of course you can put the jack in the side of the mandolin,
or an end pin / jack combo,
and semi-permanently install the bridge piezo.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif
jim_n_virginia
Jan-09-2008, 7:04am
The Fender is probably thinner than the standard mandolin thickness. Before messing with the jack clamp by cutting it or searching for parts.
I would get a piece of thick cork board or other similar material that won't mar the finish and cut it out the same shape that the clamp part that clamps to the mandolin that has cork, rubber whatever to protect the finish when you clamp it on, in other words build up whats there (glue it on?) so you get a tight fit.