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2016 Pava Pro A style. In the last month I am perceiving that it has less volume than previously. I just did a string change, no difference (from GHS A270 to D'addario EXP74). Tom Ellis had a look at it in October and found it fine. Nothing seems loose to me, all joints are tight, bridge makes full contact. Made no changes to it at all in the last month, it just seems quieter than usual. Any troubleshooting tips??
Humidity change with change of seasons...need a truss adjustment?
Same pick?
Have you had your hearing checked? Just kidding
Definitely could be humidity...
Another thought....Are you playing it hard, every day? My Stiver, and an Ellis I owned, got “sleepy” and tight-sounding pretty quickly when not played regularly. Some mandolins are more susceptible to this...
Play it hard... for an hour or so... for a few days. I’d also suggest loosening the strings and raising the bridge.... give each wheel a quarter to half-turn up. It’s a little change that can make a big difference, sometimes.
Do you have a Bluechip? I don’t care what anyone says... $35 spent on a CT 55 is the cheapest volume and tone improvement you can make...
Try some Monel strings or something with a different sound... might be more appealing to your ears...
You might be unconsciously muffling the top or back with your posture or technique.... a tone-gard always helps...
If it’s a Pava, I seriously doubt it’s a mandolin issue...
Good luck!
Thanks for all the suggestions, keep 'em coming
Neck relief is the same, straight neck.
Same pick Blue Chip TAD60.
I do play fairly hard.
I find as my mandolin ages and gets warmer it is a little quieter, but the sound is so much better. It is warmer in the highs and more complex in the lows.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rdodger99
Wearing winter sweaters maybe? November in Colorado, probably not lightweight t-shirt season? I've had bulky clothing interfere with instrument volume before...Quote:
Originally Posted by Jstring
Might be worth a try. I haven't personally had occasion to try a Tone-Gard, but people here are always saying good things about them. (NFI)Quote:
Originally Posted by Jstring
From emonortem - "Humidity change with change of seasons...". Spot on - & temp.changes as well. I get that every year when the temp.drops. No humidity problems in the UK,but temp. most certainly. My mandolins loose volume & sound 'tight' ie. a loss of sustain as the wood is colder & less able to resonate.
It's something that we learn to live with - however,let your mandolin 'soak' for a few hours in a nice warm room,& try it again. I've been amazed at the difference that can make,along with a few other Cafe members who've experienced the same thing,
Ivan;)
I think pops has got it. As the tone changes the apparent volume changes. Back off the mid highs in a PA with out changing volume and it appears to be not as loudQuote:
Originally Posted by pops1
Mandos are such small noise makers, even slight changes in the weather will affect their tone. Or anything else different that you're doing. When you changed your strings, it'll take some time for the bridge to resettle, especially if you moved it from its original position.
Check for top sinkage, that would have some effect if it's done so!
If you raise or lower your action (bridge) that will change you intonation. If the weather changes more dry, more wet and the mandolin adjusts to that, it will change your intonation. I find also when intonation is a little out the mandolin is brighter, it is much warmer with proper intonation and if it seems bright, I check my bridge location. If it is out and brighter, it sounds louder. If it is in and warmer, it is a little quieter.
Just to be sure..Did the perceived drop in volume first occur prior to the string change? I find that my Pava Satin A model really loves the GHS A-270s.
Scott
Check the action at 12th fret. The recent colder drier weather made my mandolins drop their action by about 1/64th inch and I noticed less volume. A tiny tweek of the bridge height fixed things.
I'll also mention that I've never seen much problem with intonation changes when I make a minor change in bridge height although others report lots of problems with this. I do check the intonation frequently, but it seldom seems to change on my mandolins unless the bridge has been moved or leaning. Guess I'm lucky.:)
I'm getting old, and my hearing is not what it used to be... :(Quote:
Have you had your hearing checked?
stand close, facing the closed glass sliding door & you will hear the reflected sound output,
of that F mandolin, better..
There is one thing that is rarely mentioned but can be a factor to those that notice the details of tone and volume... It is not just the effect of climate on the instrument that we are hearing (though that comes in to play as well). It is the way sound travels.
Attachment 162761
Dry air does not transfer sound waves nearly as well as humid air.
Now this is mostly at work above 2k kHz. The bulk of mandolin frequency is below that, but there is still plenty of stuff going on above 2k on a mando.
A room's tone will change as well. Wooden walls, furniture, etc...
Any one of these changes may not make a huge difference, but all combined can be noticeable.
It's getting colder. Perhaps you are wearing a thicker shirt which is muting it more against it's back???
Quote:
Originally Posted by JL277z
Great minds think alike... ;) :grin: :)Quote:
Originally Posted by fentonjames
I have a Pava Pro; they are fantastic. Tone AND volume should be great. Check this (from the Ellis website):
"Pay attention that the bridge top doesn’t tip forward as strings are constantly tightened over time, which it will. It causes the bridge base to not make full contact with the top and only touch at the front edge. With the mandolin at pitch, lay the mandolin on your lap with the tailpiece against your belly and firmly pull the bridge top toward you till it moves and/or squeaks. If you can’t budge it, loosen the strings some and try again. Keeping the bridge top straight will improve tone and intonation."
Hope this solves your concern.
I can tell you what to do and I think you will love the new sound of your Pava ! Try Mapes strings and order Phosphorus Bronze in the following "custom gauges" 11.5, 16, 26 and 40 !! Five dollar a set ! My Ellis A5 woke up completely on the D and G strings and it is a different and better voice ! Five dollar a set is a cheap fix !Quote:
Originally Posted by rdodger99
Lot's of good suggestions here.
But a couple of thoughts:
Colorado? Last couple of months? About the same time the heat came on and humidity went down?
But I have played quite a few Pava's and they really seem to warm up after about two years. Since yours is a 2016 this would be about that time. It's not sudden though, and really not a loss of volume but rather an increased warmer, richer tone. When new they are a bit more trebly and jangly, so when that mitigates it does seem to have less punch and cut. I really like the played in tone better myself.
You might also try a tone guard. It really made a difference with my Pava. Try playing it without touching the back and see if you don't get better projection.
I know when it gets cold up here in good ole PA, instruments, I play guitar and mando but mando is where I really notice the change!!mandolins dry out a bit and require some truss rod and or bridge adjustment, Normally have to raise the action a bit on bridge to get back your volume, and hopefully the neck relief stays the same so ya don't have to mess with the truss rod, if you do just do a quarter turn one day and if needed another the next, I did some serious turning on my rod on a rare vintage F-5 Gibson years ago and well no harm but there was creaking sounds I sure didn't like!
The mandolin's voice may just be changing because it is aging, humidity changes, etc., or:
Check for loose seams and loose tone bars.
Try another set of strings. My instrument hated the EXPs. The chemistry between strings and instruments is complicated.