-Getting the Best sounding mandolin-

[Poeticider]

ok first forum post!

Hi all,
I am a mandolin newbie (have only been playing for 4 months or so) and have got a few questions about getting the "how to get the best sounding mandolin" so here goes-

1.Curious to know if anyone has any tricks of the trade on how to get the best sound out of your instrument?

2. How can you reduce resonance from strumming?
I really get alot, and I would love to eliminate this as much as possible.
(I currently have a Tenson folk Mandolin and am currently using d'addario bronze wound strings.)

3. Any recommendations on great sounding strings/mandolins for UK folk music?
I'd love a sound that feels so authentic that it was aged in a jug of scrumpy yet crisp like a fresh picked apple! And minimal resonance please!

(if you are wondering I'm not going to rush out and buy a new mando, but I will certainly consider doing so in the long term!)

4. Many thanks to anyone who has took the time to read this!

Dan the mando-newbie/Poeticider

[Michael Weaver]

Resonance....are you playing two finger chords? If the strings are too bright for you you can try flat wound strings also. Lower end mandolins tend to be a little high on the treble end. Not saying that is the case, but have you tried playing different types of mandolins with different types of strings and setups? It sounds like you may need to search around for the sound you desire if the string change doesn't cut it for you.

[EdHanrahan]

Resonance? That needs a bit finer definition and/or analysis.

If you're saying that, for example, the G pair is louder than the other strings, it might be worthwhile to change out just that one pair for a lighter or maybe heavier gauge, and see what happens. I had exactly that happen on a '17 Gibson A-1, and lighter G's balanced it out nicely. Fortunately, strings are fairly cheap and you're gonna wear 'em out anyway.

If you're the hyper-analytical type or want to be one, you'll probably want a caliper that allows you to measure string gauges in thousandths of an inch. I find that to be more informative than most folks' use of the manufacturer's codes for full sets, like J-62 or FT-75, etc. (Are those actual codes? Don't know... I'm just guessing at examples!)

[JEStanek]

Welcome!

Could you mean overtones? Add a strip of leather through the strings between the bridge and tailpiece to remove those unwanted harmonics. If the strummed notes are persisting too long, use the heel of your palm to mute the strings, perhaps, near the bridge.

To get the best tone out, experiment and practice, you may need to vary where you strum moving towards the headstock or towards the bridge. Your tone will certainly change. You decide where is best for a particular tune or section of a tune. Try different picks and string combinations. In general strings and picks are inexpensive ways to experiment with your tone.


Jamie

[OldSausage]

Angle your pick with the leading edge downwards so you are not striking the string flat. Try to drive the pick through the string, don't bounce off it. Don't play too hard, but play hard enough to get a good strong contact. Make sure your action at the nut is good and low. Practice with an ear always for your tone as well as for the tune.

[almeriastrings]

This mandolin (or very similar)?

http://www.gewamusic.com/uk/produkte/zupfinstrumente-zubehor/trad-zupfinstr/mandolinen-mandolen/folkmandolinen/tenson-folk-mandoline-a-1-oval-black-cherry.html

These are a laminated, oval soundhole instrument. They sound quite a lot different from a solid, F-hole mandolin. However, for folk/Celtic styles, oval or round-hole mandolins are normally fine. As Ed and Jamie say - can you be a bit clearer on what exactly you mean by 'resonance'? What is it exactly that you do not like about the tone you are getting?

[JeffD]

Its always hard to use language to describe sounds. I am not sure what you mean by resonance. Typically resonance is something sought after in a good instrument.

Do you mean ringing. Or too much wrangle jangle? Too much sustain?

[Poeticider]

hi, thanks everyone for your quick responses. I think what i may be trying to describe are overtones- lets say i strum chords (especially when played louder) i get a background resonance, a kind of humming noise that can get very loud. I think it is worse with strings left open.

[Poeticider]

This mandolin (or very similar)?

http://www.gewamusic.com/uk/produkte/zupfinstrumente-zubehor/trad-zupfinstr/mandolinen-mandolen/folkmandolinen/tenson-folk-mandoline-a-1-oval-black-cherry.html

These are a laminated, oval soundhole instrument. They sound quite a lot different from a solid, F-hole mandolin. However, for folk/Celtic styles, oval or round-hole mandolins are normally fine. As Ed and Jamie say - can you be a bit clearer on what exactly you mean by 'resonance'? What is it exactly that you do not like about the tone you are getting?

yes, very similar to this, but instead of the oval hole i have 2 thinner hole to either side (it is model F505410 if my description doesnt make any sense!)

[Richard J]

Instead of "strip of leather through the strings between the bridge and tailpiece to remove those unwanted harmonics" get yourself a Weber Wood Nymph. Best thing I bought for my mandolin, which now sounds twice as good as it did before.

[allenhopkins]

yes, very similar to this, but instead of the oval hole i have 2 thinner hole to either side...

These are called "f-holes"; they sorta resemble the letter "f."


...I think what i may be trying to describe are overtones- lets say i strum chords (especially when played louder) i get a background resonance, a kind of humming noise that can get very loud...

Sounds like the portions of your strings between the bridge and the tailpiece, and possibly between the nut and the tuners, are vibrating. Consider the suggestions for deadening these portions, suggested by others in this thread.

[yankees1]

Question #1= Practice, practice, practice !

[Poeticider]

Hi, thanks again all for taking the time to read my post and give suggestions. I will definately keep the wood nymph in mind as something to try/buy in the future. This "overtone" i think can get better or worse each time i pick the mandolin and play so i think i will play around with different ideas people have suggested and see what works. =)

Also sorry for the slow responses, i am currently far from home (in guatemala) and have limited internet access! (Although i do have my mandolin to keep me company!)

[bmac]

Your questions are not that unusual for a person of your level of experience... You are still fighting your instrument and attempting to make it something it isn't, and probably never will be.

I think you are not yet accepting your instrument and dealing with it as it is... You are not comfortable with it yet. A very experienced player (with quite a few years of experience on lots of instruments) can make the instrument behave as they want it to, but more important not expect it to be something it isn't. That comes with experience.Many great players used cheap instruments yet pulled great sound from them.

Your terminology is imprecise, but that is OK because four months is a very short time. I would suggest making a point of discussing various issues on this site if only to get used to the "common language" of mandolin and sound which can only come with word usage and experience.

In glancing over the previous comments most folks did not know what exactly your questions meant. That is what I am referring to when I suggest that you spend time on this site learning the common language of mandolin players.

[Willie Poole]

I would also suggest that you place a thin piece of foam under the tailpiece cover, and also make sure the tailpiece is tight, both can cause unwanted tone to happen, strings my be set too low and hit the frets when you strum, try and learn how to get a good chop by lifting your fingers as soon as you strike a chord...Some people place little rubber gromments on the strings between the bridge and the tailpiece, I have never see that make any difference on any of my mandolins but a lot of people are doing it so on some mandolins it must help....

Like Bart suggested, don`t expect too much from a mandolin that hasn`t got it in the first place...

Willie