Mandolin maintenance

[Milesw]

Hi all. Yesterday I was fortunate enough to acquire a Roberts signed, 2003 F5L.I've got an armrest and Calton case coming from Elderly on Monday, and I plan to keep it in its case when not in use, but I'm wondering; what do you all do to keep playability, safety, and appearance in check? Ive never had a mando of this caliber before (previous mando 1976 Alvarez a900 f5, which i still love). I appreciate all of your advice

[Marty Jacobson]

If it were a car, the shop would tell you to flush the tailpiece fluid, replace the tuning machine screws and bridge posts, do a tone bar realignment. Total cost well under $3k.
If there's nothing wrong, just keep it at proper humidity and change the strings from time to time. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. There's nothing different structurally about a high-end mandolin than a cheap one.

[EdHanrahan]

... in its case when not in use ...

Never never never ever put the instrument in without latching the case, at least one latch. Picking up a not-obviously-unlatched case is a surefire way to damage an instrument.

[Ray(T)]

......and dont forget to play the hell out of it!

[Ivan Kelsall]

The things that need a bit of attention every now & again are the things you finger most - the strings. If the strings on my mandolin feel a bit tacky,or the weather's been a bit humid like the past few days over here,i have an old,clean cotton hankie onto which i'll spray a quick squirt of either or WD40 or 'Servisol' elec.switch cleaner. I'll wipe the strings over from bridge to tailpiece a couple of times & then wipe it straight off. All that does is to remove any 'tackiness' & it also gives the strings a microscopic coating of anti-oxidant to help stop them from corroding so quickly. It takes about 10 seconds & leaves my strings feeling like new.

As for the mandolin 'wood' - I wipe it over with a soft,yellow duster to keep it free of wrist marks & i use a 1" wide soft bristle brush to brush debris off the top & fingerboard. Mostly i change my strings one pair at a time,but every 3 to 4 months i'll take 'em all of & give my mandolin a good clean. That involves using a Silver Polishing cloth to shine up the frets,a wipe over the fingerboard with a light furniture oil ( i use Teak oil) - wipe on/wipe off,just to restore the patina of the ebony fingerboard & a quick wipe over the top/back & sides with beeswax furniture polish - again,wipe on / wipe off.

It's not necessary to do that,but it's kept my 10 year old Weber "Fern" & 16 year old Lebeda "Special" looking like new. Unfortunately,the previous owner of my Ellis "A" style was less careful - it's got more dings & marks than the Weber & Lebeda combined - they've got none !!!.

A word of caution regarding the armrest. If you can get hold of a piece of soft leather,place it between the turnbuckles on the armrest & the side of your mandolin. I bought a good quality armrest for my first high quality mandolin. I put it on,used it & it was fine. After putting it in it's case - easy to do,the following day,i noticed that one of the turnbuckles had pressed against the side of the mandolin & flaked off a tiny bit of the finish. I removed it & binned it so as not to be tempted to use it again,
Ivan

[MontanaMatt]

Ivan, are you saying that two or three times a year you completely unload the top? Removing the bridge?
Anyone else have a strong opinion on this?
I've spent my whole string change life avoiding unloading fiddle and mando tops, keeping all but one string on, to avoid the "going to sleep" effect.

[EdHanrahan]

... avoiding unloading fiddle and mando tops ... to avoid the "going to sleep" effect.

In my experience, "going to sleep" is more a matter of time than of soundboard pressure, although that might be a factor. 20 minutes of banging out high-volume chords seems to work like an alarm clock, reversing a year or two of inactivity.

Unloading an arched top does make re-tuning a bit more finicky as it re-compresses under string pressure but not really a major issue, assuming you're not in the middle of a gig!

[Pittsburgh Bill]

Much depends upon your living environment. As mentioned humidity control (excessive humidity or dryness) needs to be managed.Keeping strings clean, etc. all of course are important. But keeping your mandolin in a case???? I believe this depends upon your environment. If previously mentioned factors are managed I question why a mandolin needs to be cased if your home is free of pets, children and other destructive forces. Transporting out of the home is a whole other denominator.
I was previously informed by a known luthier of something I never gave much thought to and that is how you pick up a mandolin. He expressed that common cracks leading from the bottom of the treble side of a"f " hole on an arch top was the result of people picking their mandolins up by the body rather than the neck. Maybe, maybe not. Something to think about.

[Denny Gies]

As indicated above, keep it in the case, latched at all times, when you aren't using it. Polish it every now and then with a good instrument polish. Change strings when they get dull and play the snot out of it. Don't leave it in a hot car.

[Milesw]

Thanks for all the advice. Im in a house with two kids (5 and 1.5) and a dog. Shes staying in the case.
Also, Ive got a planet waves humidifier for the case. Will this work?
Thanks again.

[Br1ck]

Never never never ever put the instrument in without latching the case, at least one latch. Picking up a not-obviously-unlatched case is a surefire way to damage an instrument.

I have a basic rule of thumb. If a case has three latches, latch them all. I have guitar case with six latches. All are latched except the one I'm playing. Usually I play one guitar for a week. This one gets three latches minimum. A travelite zippered case gets the velcro and half a zip. This has kept me safe from my own stupidity.

[Pittsburgh Bill]

[QUOTE=Milesw;1599597
Also, Ive got a planet waves humidifier for the case. Will this work?
Thanks again.[/QUOTE]

Your humidifier should work if you need more humidity. My homes (Pa, Fl, & camp in western NY) have excessive humidity. My homes are controlled but when at camp or traveling I use an aluminum cased sylca dehumidifier in my case (s) to keep the humidity down.
Get a good digital hygrometer to determine your need.

[Ivan Kelsall]

From Montana Matt - "....two or three times a year you completely unload the top? Removing the bridge ?." Yes - why ever not ?. As for my mandolin (whichever one i strip down) ''going to sleep'',it's never happened. How would you go on if you needed a re-fret or new bridge or some other work requiring the removal of the strings ?. From taking all the strings off,to putting a new set on
takes about 5 to 10 minutes in total - if my mandolins sounded 'not right' after such a short time,then i'd suspect something was very wrong,
Ivan

[tree]

In addition to the latched case advice, take the time to clean up your mandolin whenever you change strings. Wipe it down all over with a clean dry cotton cloth, using a slightly dampened rag to loosen up tough spots and then the dry cloth to remove the moisture.

Frank Ford's web site Frets.com is the best source of good mandolin maintenance information.

[UsuallyPickin]

Well ...... Instruments that get played get dinged. Oh well .... the first one hurts the most. Yes with kids and a dog keeping your instrument in the case when not in hand is a good policy. For me unloading the top once a year and cleaning the fret board and instrument thoroughly and then lightly oiling it is plenty. Though I wipe the finger board and instrument down with a damp cloth each time I change strings. Bridges have to be reset regularly anyway due to slight movements. Mark your bridge's feet with some painters tape or carefully measure for placement before removing all the strings. That saves time when resetting it. Enjoy that Gibson ....... R/

[fatt-dad]

treat it like your Alvarez.

(agree on the case and have no opinions on in-case humidifiers - never used one, but live in Virginia.)

I don't unload the top, but know folks that do - just not me.

f-d

[JeffD]

I never never unload the top. That top wood has never relaxed since it was built.

[allenhopkins]

Humidity is the one factor that can damage your mandolin without you're being aware of its effects, until they become so pronounced that you can't help noticing -- wood cracks, protruding fret ends, glue joint failure. Get a decent hygrometer, keep it where the instrument's stored if you can't stick it into the case itself, and check it frequently. Humidity in the 40-60% range should avoid any damage; an in-case humidifier can help, but having the entire room at proper humidity is preferable.

Sudden extreme temperature changes produce finish damage -- "checking" or "alligatoring," fine cracks in the finish, not the wood. If your mandolin's out in the car trunk on a 0º night, don't bring it into a warm house and immediately open its case. Prolonged exposure to direct radiant heat can soften some finishes (ask my Eastman mandola).

Prolonged exposure to heat in the 90-100º range can soften glue joints, and make mahogany necks pliable enough to result in warpage through string tension. Most common environment for this is, again, your car; the trunk may actually be better than the passenger compartment, surprisingly. Some type of insulation around the case, "space blanket" reflector for radiant heat, a quilt or similar for convected heat -- worth considering.

Accidental damage from not casing the instrument, failure of a strap, etc. is not uncommon. There are common-sense precautions that minimize exposure, many of which have been cited above.

Don't be paranoid, and don't expect to play an instrument frequently, and have it look pristine. Practical actions, careful treatment -- not rocket science. No "secrets to a well-preserved mandolin," other than shoving it under the bed and not playing it. What fun is that? Just treat it with respect.

[Timbofood]

Just don't SIT on it!

[sbhikes]

I've been told you should measure the distance from the nut to the bridge every time you change the strings, even if you change strings by only removing and replacing one at a time. That's something I've never heard of before or ever done.

[Ivan Kelsall]

From sbhikes - " I've been told you should measure the distance from the nut to the bridge every time you change the strings, even if you change strings by only removing and replacing one at a time.". I suppose that you could do that every time,if only to prove to yourself that you needn't do it at all !. Replacing the strings one pair at a time is what i normally do,however,i usually remove the A & E strings together,then replace the A strings first & then the E strings - working from the centre of the bridge outwards it's less fiddly that way. I then do the same on the bass side remove the G & D strings & replace the D & then the G strings. I've never had the bridge move on any of my mandolins,but i do take care not to touch the bridge under the lighter string pressure.

I always check the octave note at the 12th fret to some note as soon as i get some tension on the strings. Getting the octave on the 'A' strings spot on, works perfectly for me,
Ivan

[Tim N]

What about hanging your mandolin on the wall? I have all my instruments on the wall, and it means that they get played more, and are out of reach of theoretical small children and dogs. It's also the best wall decko I can think of. Having said that, we live a part of Germany that is generally more humid than the other extreme, and our aged central heating never achieves any kind of extremes of heat or dryness in Winter. I keep them out of the sun, and all around them are large houseplants with porus stone mulch which when kept watered probably create a more humid environment. Dust could be a problem, so maintenance means cleaning strings and wiping over with a soft cloth, but you'd do that anyway. Those are my thoughts anyway, but you may prefer not to do this of course.

[sbhikes]

I leave mine out leaning against the couch so I can play any time. I live in a dry, mild climate and there's really no wall space anywhere.