PDA

View Full Version : How much stock do you place in the "in the white" sound?



fscotte
Mar-18-2011, 6:18pm
I just strung up my A5 with red spruce top, european spruce back, western maple neck, and it sounds, not too bad. It's actually louder than my Gibson A5 with sitka spruce top, but it doesn't have the growl the Gibson has. My A5 has a more "stringy" sound at this point.

I guess, where do I go from here? Just play it for a couple weeks? Let it break in? And what can I do at this point to increase the "guts" or growl if it doesn't have any in a couple weeks? How do you know what to do?


ps. I know you cannot directly compare weights, but I did anyway. The Gibson came in at 642 grams and my A5 came in a 646 grams. I was pleasantly surprised to know that I didn't overbuild it at least based upon the weight.

Mandolin Mick
Mar-18-2011, 6:36pm
I personally believe in "playing in" a mandolin. However, if it doesn't have the "growl" ... that's something that's either there or it isn't. Gibsons with f-holes are famous for that and my F-9 certainly has it. With time that is enhanced, but if it's not there to start with ... maybe somebody else has experienced a change ... I haven't.

Dale Ludewig
Mar-18-2011, 6:59pm
Isn't it exciting? Strings on an instrument. The first time you actually hear it! I never cease to be amazed, even if I know pretty much what it's going to sound like. But there's always more. Volume.. And so on. In the white, I trust completely that I know what it's going to be. Finish will change it a bit, but probably not the core sound. Now get on with it. Adjust the neck shape a little if you think that would be good. Then off with the hardware and finish this one up. On to the next!

Audio Artillery
Mar-18-2011, 7:34pm
I've got nothing to add but congrats on getting this far!

Dave Cohen
Mar-18-2011, 9:17pm
I always string mine up in the white and play 'em. Sometimes I even tweak the plates a bit. They always sound like mandothingies.

One of the more accessible tweaks is the bass/treble balance. If the balance is tilted a bit toward the treble, you can remove material from the outside of the back plate to improve the bass response. Obviously, a little at a time, b/c at the "in the white" stage, you can't undo whatever you do. That may give you some "growl", whatever that is, or not. I don't use terms like "growl" or "stringy", so I can only guess at what you mean.

The primary sonic effect of finish is damping, and it is frequency dependent. They usually sound just a little less bright with finish than without. Other than that, no profound differences.

http://www.Cohenmando.com

Brett Byers
Mar-18-2011, 9:30pm
I just strung up my A5 with red spruce top, european spruce back, western maple neck, and it sounds, not too bad.


Is that just a typo, or did you build with a spruce top AND spruce back?

fscotte
Mar-19-2011, 4:03am
Oh sorry, yes should be european maple.

Tavy
Mar-19-2011, 4:25am
Just a random comment - but I associate the "stringy" sound (assuming we're talking about the same thing!!) with either:

* too light strings.
* Not enough downward pressure on the top (bridge break angle).
* Occationally from poor bridge or nut slots - not enough to actually buzz, but enough to cause the strings to be less "positive" sounding than they could be.
* Also from that new-string-brightness, you need to allow for that if you're comparing new with old strings.

fscotte
Mar-19-2011, 9:16am
You pretty much nailed that "strings" sound. I have Martin light gauge strings on there now that's all I had. Eagerly waiting for some J75's.

Rick Lindstrom
Mar-19-2011, 7:07pm
Carry on! The A5 I made has been being played in the white for nearly a year now <LOL> I plan to wipe some shellac on it eventually, but life is short and there's a lot of music needing to be made.

Rick