Just noticed this.............

[bluemtgrass]

I have a couple of mandolins. The one with the top most curve in the middle or center of the main mandolin body ( where the bridge goes ) seem to have a warmer, bassier tone ) Granted 2 mandos are hardly a scientific test, but it makes sense to me ( who is not a builder ) that it may make a difference in the sound. For example it would likewise make sense not to put the bridge near the end of the mandolin even if that was where the innotation was correct. Seems like the top would not vibrate as much. Jumping in the middle of the trampoline instead of near the end etc..

Anyone else notice this or do I need to buy more mandolins to check it out ? :grin:

[Marty Henrickson]

I suggest you send your two mandolins to me to see if I can confirm your observation!

[Kip Carter]

Anyone else notice this or do I need to buy more mandolins to check it out ? :grin:

Hmmmmmm I would think you need more samples to prove or disprove your theory... I think the answer and quantity is obvious...

82244
The Ultimate Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything.
Kip...

[Ed Goist]

...snip...it would likewise make sense not to put the bridge near the end of the mandolin even if that was where the innotation was correct. Seems like the top would not vibrate as much. Jumping in the middle of the trampoline instead of near the end etc..
...snip...

I believe this was the exact reasoning behind Lloyd Loar's design of the longer neck on the F5 (body join at 15th fret as opposed to 12th). Having more of the neck/fretboard north of the body positions the bridge closer to the center of the soundboard at correct intonation.

Of course, on the F5, Loar took the idea of maximizing the dynamic potential of the soundboard even further by elevating the fretboard off of the body.

[draino]

For example it would likewise make sense not to put the bridge near the end of the mandolin even if that was where the innotation was correct. Seems like the top would not vibrate as much. Jumping in the middle of the trampoline instead of near the end etc..

Anyone else notice this or do I need to buy more mandolins to check it out ? :grin:

I dunno, I don't care how un-warm and tinny the "tone", I'm pretty sure I'll always prefer the sound of a mandolin having the bridge located for proper intonation.

[AKmusic]

Pull the frets and put that bridge anywhere you want!

Enjoy!

[bluemtgrass]

Actually the more I look at this the more it makes sense. If the bridge is located either on the upslope or downslope of the mandolin body, its going to be pretty hard to fit and keep the bridge from wanting to tug up or down instead of keeping its respective mandolin feet planted solidly on the instrument.

Sooo.... How many are you looking right now and wondering and looking and wondering..etc etc.

[Mando Tristan]

Kip, 42 is the ultimate answer alright!
Anyway, the effect on the tone you have noticed is a feature of every string instrument. It has to do with how much vibration is put into the strings, wether from a pick, fingers, or a bow. The farther from the bridge, the more vibration. Thus creating a louder and different tone.

[bluemtgrass]

Not sure I understand. You're saying the farther the bridge is from the " center of the curve ( as opposed to being dead center which would be relatively flat as far as the bridge is concerned ) the louder and different the tone ? On mine, the bridge that sits dead center is loud, woody and keeps ringing almost too much so. The other one ( off center on the down side of the curve towards the headstock has a decent loud tone with a tighter sound, not as woody, loses its ring quicker but still has a faint after ring for a long time if you put your head close to the f holes.

I apologize if I haven't confused you yet. :grin:

[Mando Tristan]

Oops! :redface: I misread, I went on a rant about picking location. However, the location of the bridge does affect intonation. When the bridge is closer to the end of the neck, it causes the intonation to go sharp and you can hear this when you play some fretted notes. On mine, I can hear it starting to get sharp around the fifth fret. The opposite is also true, moving the bridge towards the tailpiece make the intonation go flat.
Loudness depends on how much vibration get transferred to the body. The hardness of the bridge wood and how well the bridge comes in contact affect this. If both your bridges are ebony, the quieter one may have a softer piece of ebony, or the bridge isnt making the best contact with the soundboard. The later can be fixed with proper setup, while the soft wood can only be fixed by putting on a new bridge. Thus a well setup mandolin with a hard bridge will be louder than one without.
Tone can be affected by the wood varieties used. Like Walnut will make a mando with a darker tone than maple.

[bluemtgrass]

The inntonation is spot on both mandolins. Its just that the bridge location of the mandolin body is dead center on the hump of one. So this bridge is straight up at a 90 degree angle. The other mando has the hump not in the center but towards the rear thus making the bridge sit on the downward slope a bit. Both are almost by the f holes where most mandolins have their bridge. Obviously, the one with the bridge sitting on the downward slope a bit needed to be curved a bit so it wouldn't have a forward lean to it. I wonder if that accounts for the forward lean I see on some mandolins. Its just that I never really gave it a thought before. Generally speaking, I was wondering if most guys have mandos w/ the bridge location exactly in the center of the hump of the mandolin, assuming of course thats where the innonation is correct. :popcorn: