New Mandolin Day (NMD)

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  1. HonketyHank
    HonketyHank
    NMD - Lyon and Healy Model C

    Finally arrived. Two days late but it got here safe and sound. I was a little concerned because it did not have a case. But Elderly did an excellent job of packing. Three cheers!

    Here it is:


    As you can see, it is missing the original tailpiece cover. I think I will take off the existing tailpiece and replace it with an old cloud tailpiece. Lyon and Healy used a similar tailpiece and cover starting a few years after this mandolin was made.

    Elderly put on a set of strings before I bought it. I didn't ask what they were but I put my digital calipers on them and they measure out very close to John Pearse 80/20 mediums. The mandolin sounds good with them but I am looking for a more classical sound. I plan to get a set of Thomastiks on it ASAP.

    Louise, which set of TI's did you install? I am thinking Mediums would be OK.

    This mandolin has bar frets and they are quite low. Still playable but could be replaced for easier fretting. New frets will be on my long term list for this mandolin.

    Here is the tailpiece and cover I will probably use to replace the original (I'll save the original, of course):
  2. NDO
    NDO
    Congratulations Hank! That’s a beauty! I can’t wait to hear it.
  3. HonketyHank
    HonketyHank
    I have been busy this past week:

  4. Sherry Cadenhead
    Sherry Cadenhead
    OMG! Love that cartoon!

    And, just when I said I wasn't interested in more instruments, you would go and get an L&H!
  5. Sue Rieter
    Sue Rieter


    Beautiful mandolin, Henry. And I like the tailpiece you have planned.
  6. Southern Man
    Southern Man
    Congratulations, she's a beauty. I notice you have 3 oval holes in that picture. Do you have any f-holes?
  7. Mark Gunter
    Mark Gunter
    I had for a long time dreamed of visiting you, Henry, when my traveling days begin again, just to play and record some tunes and visit a fellow newbie MC mandolin buddy - but now, I’m thinking a visit will be more along the lines of being able to sample your awesome growing collection of mandolin delights!

    Congrats, that should make an excellent addition. Play it in good health!
  8. bbcee
    bbcee
    Congrats Henry, that's a great addition to the collection (what's the difference between a herd and a collection? Maybe something as classy as an L&H!). Enjoy it for all of us!
  9. HonketyHank
    HonketyHank
    SM - yes, in fact I do have an f-holer or two.
    Mark - the problem is that I have been unable to make myself divest. I really gotta make some tough decisions pretty soon.
    bbcee - it is still a collection but watch this space ...

    All - I am hoping I can make this thing sing as nicely as it is capable. It sounds pretty good so far. I plan to do the TOM video with it even though I have really fallen in love with the (f-hole) Weber I used on that practice video a couple weeks ago. One or the other is going to be jealous if I am not very careful.
  10. Louise NM
    Louise NM
    Wow, Henry, that looks like it's in really nice shape! Long-scale or short? Guess on the year? By any chance does the old cover you have fit without having to replace the whole tailpiece? I think I remember reading that some of the clouds will fit the L&H base. The lever on the L&H tailpieces makes string changes easier—holds the end of the string in place, kind of like a James. Mine has the tiny, low original frets also. I suppose they should be replaced, but I'm not in a hurry to mess with it.

    As to strings, I have the TI mittels on mine.

    Let's hear it! Doesn't have to be anything fancy, just some open strings and a scale if nothing else.
  11. HonketyHank
    HonketyHank
    It's long scale (13.75" +/-). I think the cloud tp cover would fit with a few tweaks and twists, but I would need to take off the tailpiece to do it. And if that didn't work out then I would have a buggered up tailpiece and a buggered up cloud tp cover. And since the cloud tp cover doesn't even come close to covering the tailpiece on the mandolin, I don't particularly like the looks. I think it looks better without any cover, than with a cover that doesn't cover.

    I am not in a big hurry on the tailpiece or the frets. The main thing I have found that really needs attention is the nut slots on the D strings are too wide and thus very buzzy when played open. If had been doing my pinkie exercises since day one, I could probably just say "Well, that's not a problem, just don't play an open D -- duuuh!". Elderly very pointedly noted in its description that the mandolin needed some setup work and the salesperson repeated it. So I don't have a problem with the nut or the frets (which I could see in the pictures) or the need to tweak the bridge placement for better intonation.

    I do believe that taller frets will help me play more precisely and with a little better speed. With short frets you either need rock-hard calluses or you need to exert more force down on the fretboard to get a clean tone. I noticed that immediately with Ricketts HP while going after that high B with my wimpy pinkie. So I'll probably get the mandolin refretted before too long.

    Right now I have some paper under the D strings at the nut, so they don't buzz so noticeably. I will probably fill in the slots with CA glue and baking soda, then re-cut them, but I will wait until I get the TI strings because I am pretty sure G string slots will need the same treatment along with the D slots with the thinner strings.

    Maybe I'll post a short video clip tomorrow.
  12. HonketyHank
    HonketyHank
    Here's a quick sound sample. Tune is "Tennessee Fiddler". From a tabledit file transcribed by Mike Stangeland. I think it's in the MC Tabledit Library.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWerZ_NSocU
  13. Louise NM
    Louise NM
    Sounds really nice, and it will only get better as you and it get used to one another. Great tone top to bottom.
  14. NDO
    NDO
    Sounds great Hank!
  15. bbcee
    bbcee
    Really sounds good, Henry. Are we to expect a Honkety-LouiseNM duet on L&H's in the near future??
  16. Louise NM
    Louise NM
    We're going for a trio with this guy.
  17. Sherry Cadenhead
    Sherry Cadenhead
    That's gorgeous. Do I hear a buzz?
  18. HonketyHank
    HonketyHank
    If you are talking about my L&H, you might have:
    1. My hearing is bad enough that I might not even notice.
    2. The frets are low enough that anything less than very precise fretting could buzz.
    3. A couple of the nut slots are way too wide, so those strings can buzz when played open.

    If you are talking about the mandocello, it is too good looking for me to notice, even if I could hear it buzz.
  19. NDO
    NDO
    Your ears are more discerning than mine Sherry! I didn’t hear any buzz on the mando.
    I was gratified to see on the mandocello video a few edits where he stopped and redid a few parts so I don’t feel so bad about not getting things perfect when I’m playing
  20. Sherry Cadenhead
    Sherry Cadenhead
    Henry, sorry you thought I was referring to your new L&H! It looks and sounds great. I hesitate to be too complimentary, as doing so reminds me that if I were interested in a new instrument, an L&H would be it.

    So I'm the only one who hears the mchello's buzz?
  21. Rep Tommel
    Rep Tommel
    That's a gorgeous instrument.

    -Tom
  22. Louise NM
    Louise NM
    Sherry, I hear two things in the video, other than what has to be the sweetest cello on the planet: one is the kind of thwacking sound longer strings sometimes make in general, and the other is the whistling noise from the player's hand sliding up the strings as he changes position. Do either of those line up with what you're hearing?
  23. Sherry Cadenhead
    Sherry Cadenhead
    Louise, I suppose it's the "thwacking" I hear. I get that with the Weber when I pull, rather than press the G string.
  24. jwsimpson
    jwsimpson
    I'm a newbie and just purchased my first mandolin a few weeks ago. I purchased a used The Loar "Honey Creek" LM-110. Previous owner had it a couple months and decided they didn't want it. Mr. Bob Chuckrow did the setup for me and I just got it back this weekend. I'm excited to keep learning and progressing. As a lifelong learner, I'm always open to constructive criticism!

  25. Sue Rieter
    Sue Rieter
    Cool! You look like a happy man
  26. NDO
    NDO
    That’s awesome! Congratulations.
  27. HonketyHank
    HonketyHank
    Neat! My first real mandolin was a "The Loar" A model (before that was a mandolin banjo with no name).
  28. jwsimpson
    jwsimpson
    Sue, how can you not be happy when you're playing a mandolin?!?

    NDO, thanks for the encouragement!

    Hank, I'm glad to hear that others started on a similar instrument. My plan is to learn on this one for 1-2 years and then invest in a mid-level instrument.
  29. Sue Rieter
    Sue Rieter
    jw, I'm always happy when I'm playing my mandolin! I made it all the way through "Liberty" tonight at 60bpm for the first time, and was very happy.
    I know that's really pretty slow, but it feels fast to me

    Henry, is a banjo mandolin with no name anything like a horse with no name
  30. Sherry Cadenhead
    Sherry Cadenhead
    Thanks for posting that pic, JW. Next we want a video.
  31. jwsimpson
    jwsimpson
    @Sherry Cadenhead, I'm trying to figure things out on this site. I'm assuming I need to upload my video to an album and then post a link here in the group?
  32. NDO
    NDO
    Hank posted some instructions on how to post video in my new guy thread here:
    https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/g...044&do=discuss
  33. jwsimpson
    jwsimpson
    NDO, that's just what I needed! Thanks!
  34. HonketyHank
    HonketyHank
    jw - be sure to get Rob Meldrum's free ebook on mandolin setup. A good setup will make a basic mandolin as easy to play as the most expensive mandolin. Even a pretty decent setup, which can be done by most folks as taught by Rob, can make the difference between painful frustration and fun for a basic instrument.
  35. NDO
    NDO
    Totally agree on getting Rob’s free book but it looked like this was already professionally set up.
  36. Stacey Morris
    Stacey Morris
    Welcome to the Newbies group, JW!
  37. jwsimpson
    jwsimpson
    Thanks SOMorris!
  38. jwsimpson
    jwsimpson
    I've seen a few posts referencing MAS as a joke. I'm going to guess Mandolin Acquirement Syndrome?
  39. NDO
    NDO
    Yup, mandolin acquisition syndrome
    The struggle is real…
  40. Southern Man
    Southern Man
    MAS is no joke...
  41. Sue Rieter
    Sue Rieter
    True, very true. You just start with the one mandolin, and it's very fun. Then you might want something a little nicer, or a tad different... and well ... then it couldn't hurt to have another, a backup, as it were. Before you know it, you're looking at a line of cases on the other side of the room and reading the classifieds every day

    I'm on the wagon right now, myself. Really, I swear it
  42. jwsimpson
    jwsimpson
    lol. I was telling one of our local musicians I have a ridiculous desire to own a Weber Gallatin. My hometown is Gallatin, TN and I think it would be really cool to own an instrument that bears the name of your hometown. Completely irrational reason for getting one. Lucky for me, it isn't very likely that I'll see too many of those for sale since Weber stopped making them several years ago. And yes, I know the instrument was most likely named after Gallatin Gateway, MT but I'll just pretend it was named after my hometown ;-)
  43. Sue Rieter
    Sue Rieter
    Sherry just got one recently off the classifieds. And then there was a Gallatin mandola. You just have to keep your eyes peeled.
    (I'm a big one for encouraging other peoples' MAS )
  44. jwsimpson
    jwsimpson
    Not helping, Sue....
  45. Sherry Cadenhead
    Sherry Cadenhead
    JW, I absolutely love my Gallatin! But, for the right price . . . .
  46. jwsimpson
    jwsimpson
    Sherry, I've already told on myself, so I'd better walk away while I can!
  47. Southern Man
    Southern Man
    Gallatins turn up pretty frequently in the classifieds. I am not currently in the mrket for a new mandolin, but if the right Strad-o-lin came along, I could talk myself into it. As for the Webber, I'm waiting until I can go to some camps or workshops or try out more different higher end mandolins before fishing in those waters.
  48. Sue Rieter
    Sue Rieter
    There's a decent looking Strad-O-Lin up right now. It's been there for awhile, so maybe some negotiating is possible.

    (See how I am )
  49. jwsimpson
    jwsimpson
    Some had asked for my first video. Here it is, in all it's raw, unedited glory, recorded this afternoon on my Samsung Galaxy S8. Thanks in advance for your feedback.



    Full Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgVm2p9E4lU
  50. Sue Rieter
    Sue Rieter
    It sounds pretty darn good to me for six weeks, Jake! I'd say you've got pretty strong fingers and you are getting good sounds out of your mando. Of course, you got it set up by an A list luthier, so that helps. Do you play other instruments?

    I've found the Natural Metronome ap to be very helpful on my phone.
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