ryder mandos

I am contemplating going electric with a Ryder 4-string. I know 4stringmania plays a Ryder - if you're reading this what do you like about it? what don't you like? Anyone else have a review? Thanks!

I love mine, sound and playability, but I should preface that the only other electrics I've played are the mandobird and one of the new fender 5's. Neither of them are in the same league as my Ryder 4-string, so I can't offer a comparison to an instrument like a Schwab.

I'll list the problems that have come up, and leave off the list of things that I love, it's looong. I've had a hard time adjusting the saddles after string guage changes, but that's more my incompetance.
My instrument has two split-coil humbuckers, and that gives me all the different sounds I could want, with only one problem: the middle position sound when I split both pickups is really, really weak. I get around it by not using it...

Good luck!

Christian

What I don't like about going electric is all the amps that clutter up the house. GAS is as addicting as MAS.

Thanks, that's helpful. With guitar, I generally stick to a particular gauge pretty much permanently, so that issue probably won't apply. I'll probably get single coils (not sure whether one or two), so the coil-splitter shouldn't be a problem. I'm already set up with amps (though tempted by tweeds) so that's probably cool...

I have a Ryder 4-string electric mandolin and an electric octave mandolin...I love them both. The mandolin has two single coil pickups in the rhythmn and lead position. If you want to play both rhythm and lead you really need them both. I actually play rhythm in the center, split position...it has a little deeper tone. The pickups are very quiet. The octave mandolin has two humbucker pickups in the rhythm and lead positions. They are also very quiet and can hold its own on the low end vs an electric guitar. When no one else is around I can crank up the amp, lay on some distortion, and rattle the house with power chords, barring the low strings. It also sounds great in the lead position. The workmanship on both is terrific. On the octave I ordered the radiussed, ebony fretboard and upgraded to Schaller tuners...a good investment I think. The only other electric mandolin I've played is a single coil pickup mandoblaster...not bad, but the Ryder's are definitely a step up.

By the way I haven't had any problems on the single coil or humbucker pickups with switch in the center position...in fact I usually use the mix for chords.

I play through a Boss GT6 guitar processor and a Fender Pro Junior tube amp.

Good luck!

Thanks! I do believe I'm going to go for a Ryder EM44 (vaguely Strat-shaped). I'm hoping he can set it up with two single coils; otherwise I guess it'll be an EM24 (Tele-shaped).

Just to clarify, it seems like the middle position with my split coils is a peculiarity of those particular pu's and the wiring scheme. I use the middle position all the time when I play them as humbuckers, and it sounds *beautiful*. The single coil at the bridge is a really nice rhythm sound for "slam-grass" stuff...

Taboot, Taboot,

Christian

"middle position with my split coils is a peculiarity of those particular pu's and the wiring"

Wired out of phase, perhaps? I wonder if that's a "feature" or a "bug"?

Steve (Ryder) called it a feature. I call it a bug. I had the polarity (or was it phase, I forget) switched by a great tech friend of mine, and it didn't really seem to boost the output level. Oh well. For fatter rhythm sounds, I can use one each, split or not in various combinations. Those tones have both the body of the double coil, with the ring and clarity of a single. FWIW, I would buy the same instrument again, it's got such a huuuuge tonal range, this is a small issue by comparison.

Taboot, Taboot,

Christian

I decided on an EM44 (shaped like a Mandocaster, but more graceful contour) in natural, with tort guard. Two single coils. Thin finish on the neck and dot at the 9th fret rather than the 10th.

You'll be very happy with your choice, I'm sure. On Sunday I bought a new amp (yay tubes,) and have not yet been able to put my 44 down it sounds sooooo beautiful. This amp (Fender) gets such great tones out of the single coils, I'm really discovering them for the first time. Up until now, I've only played it through a solid-state Crate (vomit for your ears.) Proud parent moment: my instrument is pictured now on the em-44 page (http://www.sjryder.com/EM-44.htm, the natural one on the left,) if you'd like to get an idea of what to expect for yours... Let us know how it goes http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/...cons/smile.gif

Christian

Christian

Christian -

Glad to hear that the Ryder-Fender combination sounds good. #I owned a Crate solid state, too, but not for long. #Which Fender are you using? #My main amp is a Blues Jr, which works pretty well for guitar. #The tone controls are versatile enough that I think it will work out for mando, too.

Dave Hicks

PS: So I have a picture of your mando posted above my computer, I guess.

I'm playing a Pro Jr. that's been customized a bit: tube upgrades and a custom cabinet (large, and open-backed) with a nice 12" Celestion instead of the stock 10". #This amp has three things on the front panel: on/off, volume and tone. #That's it. #Between the different pick-up sounds, the tone on the mando and the one on the amp, and can get bright, dark, piercing or muffled on demand. #Just for the hell of it, I might keep the crate around until the mandolin arrives, play through that, and then plug into the Fender. #You'll soon get images of winged amplifiers, especially if you live in a house with a porch <grin>. #Peace.

Taboot, Taboot,

Christian "I posted a picture of the other 44 on my cube wall for months" McKee

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/...cons/blues.gif just a quick plug for Steve Ryder- he's an excellent craftsman and does great work!