Search:

Type: Posts; User: Greg Mirken

Page 1 of 13 1 2 3 4

Search: Search took 0.01 seconds.

  1. Replies
    19
    Views
    1,928

    Re: Martin D18 Bridge Problem

    Shimming the saddle is the wrong way to go; it just puts more pressure on the top edge. The crack very likely extends under the saddle slot- the first thing to do is close it as best you can and...
  2. Re: Archtop mando bridge is as low as it can go - options?

    If that's the original Kentucky bridge, be aware that they may not be the highest quality wood. Taking material from the base is safer than taking it off the saddle. Removing 1/16" will allow you to...
  3. Replies
    18
    Views
    2,227

    Re: Scratch on satin finish fix?

    First, send that pic to the builder and get his perspective.
    Second, ditch the strap with a buckle!

    Greg Mirken
  4. Replies
    7
    Views
    998

    Re: Source for 'leques' (fan tuners)?

    Jo, possibly my friend Ron Fernandez can help you.

    http://www.fernandezmusic.com/

    Greg Mirken
  5. Replies
    20
    Views
    1,933

    Re: Fret Buzz, is it me or the instrument?

    As a violiner you know that an uneven fingerboard can lead to funky notes and odd sounds. The same thing holds for uneven frets, and is not uncommon on cheap instruments. One thing that happens is...
  6. Replies
    20
    Views
    1,933

    Re: Fret Buzz, is it me or the instrument?

    This might be the right place, but there isn't enough information to know. Are you referring to the "zing" as you release? That's technique. Have you played other mandolins? You say "probably factory...
  7. Replies
    8
    Views
    1,302

    Re: Buzz on open D string on jbovier ELS

    That's my preferred repair as well. The quick-n-dirty fix is superglue and baking soda to fill the slot, but that's temporary and as a pro, I wouldn't do it.
    The inlaid material doesn't have to be...
  8. Replies
    8
    Views
    1,798

    Re: Gibson mandolin top crack

    Not enough information; not a close enough photo. Crack looks open- has it been there for a long time? Trauma involved?
    Looks like the crack was stopped by the transverse brace, which is good....
  9. Replies
    3
    Views
    1,165

    Re: String height problem

    The fact that the phenomenon occurs on the E strings, near the fingerboard edge, supports the loose fret theory. I check for loose fret ends by tapping a steel 6" rule on each fret end. A tight fret...
  10. Replies
    19
    Views
    3,392

    Re: Dry Tone what is it and what defines it?

    I would describe the opposite of dry tone as "muddy", not "wet". And a muddy tone [to me] would be lots of mid-range and low-mids, but lacking in highs and low overtones. Hence a dry tone would be...
  11. Replies
    18
    Views
    2,410

    Re: Mystery corrosion - anyone know why?

    Yeah, no mystery at all. As the pickguard deteriorates it releases nitric acid. Once it starts, it accelerates.
    There’s not much you can do. Remove the guard before those frets are totally ruined.
    ...
  12. Replies
    6
    Views
    1,942

    Re: Pucker in top

    I think Rose#1 is on to it. If it played sharp (likely), the bridge was moved toward the tailpiece, and could easily have left indentations from the feet where it was before. Your mention of the...
  13. Replies
    14
    Views
    2,188

    Re: Fret sprout question

    Jay, regarding your original question, my experience is the board won't swell back enough to make any difference. File away...

    Greg Mirken
  14. Re: Corroded tailpiece on old bowlback---how to remove??

    If it is like many similar tailpieces the cover will lift straight up and off the part that's attached to the bowl. [You may have to push with something from underneath] That should reveal two more...
  15. Replies
    15
    Views
    2,761

    Re: Weird nut on Planet tuners

    You could make a socket from a length of hardware store brass tubing that fits over the post. Either file the end leaving two teeth to engage those notches or solder short lengths of nail to the...
  16. Replies
    6
    Views
    2,192

    Re: Tailpiece Is Crooked

    John, enlarging the photo from above shows the treble end of the bridge indeed not making contact. Good catch.
    And as John says, the tailpiece should be mounted so the strings track down the center...
  17. Replies
    52
    Views
    9,455

    Re: Harmony Monterey H410 Rescue

    I got an identical mandolin, Harmony Monterey, for my 13th birthday- 1962.
  18. Replies
    25
    Views
    9,898

    Re: Lifting bridge on a cheap acoustic guitar

    There’s a (good) chance the bridge is already bolted on. Are there “pearl” plastic dots on the bridge? Feel inside for hardware. If it’s bolted on just play away.
  19. Replies
    12
    Views
    2,483

    Re: More Neck Questions

    I'm always suspicious of real cheap instruments with bound fretboards, and that is about as entry-level a mandolin as you can find. I bet if you pop off the binding at the end of the "fingerboard"...
  20. Re: How to repair a gap between back plate and binding on 1914 A3

    Indeed, it is a very useful fixture. Not only on mandolins, I might add. He simply means this type of damage happens too often, and often heat and humidity are factors.
  21. Replies
    8
    Views
    1,975

    Re: Removing Lignin

    The most important thing about the stiffness of wood is that it is stiff in the direction of the grain, but flexes much more easily across the grain. This makes a soundboard that resists deforming...
  22. Replies
    39
    Views
    7,281

    Re: Raising 12th fret, worth it?

    I have a simple test to see if a fret is loose [in this case your 13th]; I take a 6" steel rule and tap the end on the frets. Tight frets make a clear "tink", any where a fret is loose in the board...
  23. Replies
    24
    Views
    5,113

    Re: Boomerang Banjo Mandolin

    A standard bit of kit I've found in many old banjo cases from the first half of the 20th Century is a tan art-gum eraser. That seems to have been the tool of choice for cleaning a calfskin head, and...
  24. Re: Is The Note On The 5th Fret Of Your Mando’s “A” String a “D”?

    If fretted notes are most sharp at the low frets but get closer in-tune as you move up to the 12th fret, the culprit is the height at the nut. As you push the strings down to contact the fret you are...
  25. Replies
    11
    Views
    2,580

    Re: Is this a serious concern?

    Necks are not glued to metal bodied instruments. At some point the neck began to pull forward and someone smooshed some kind of glue in there. It did no good, of course. It would not be very...
Results 1 to 25 of 315
Page 1 of 13 1 2 3 4