Question about my mandolin

[Ccnati]

I've had my RT-FM1 for about a week and for the most part it sounds good, but the intonation (especially on the G strings) is a bit off. Are these mandolins adjustable? There's a local bluegrass shop that I know would set it up for me, but if the intonation can't be changed there's no point. It sounds good enough on chords but from the 7th fret up it's around a quarter tone sharp (sounds like a bit over a quarter tone to me... almost a half time but not quite)

[George R. Lane]

Yes, the bridges on mandolins are adjustable. That shop should be able to do it for you.

[colorado_al]

Or you can do it yourself. If you're at all handy, you can adjust the intonation of your mandolin on your own, and you could do other setup if needed.
Get a copy of Rob Meldrum's e-book on mandolin setup

Just send an email to rob.meldrum@gmail.com with "mandolin setup" in the subject line and I will email you a copy for free (free to all mandolincafe members).

Rob

It has instructions on adjusting the location of the bridge and the bridge height, and also making adjustments to the nut if you need it.
I would at least try relocating the bridge on your own following his directions. If you can't get it to be right, then the bluegrass shop can help out.

[Paul Busman]

I'd agree with the suggestion to try it yourself with Rob Meldrums ebook. Depending on where you got your mandolin, it might not have had a proper setup. You might find other things about your mandolin that also need tweaking to get it playing to it's full potential. Also, things sometimes go out of whack, and it's good to know how to fix them.

[Ccnati]

Or you can do it yourself. If you're at all handy, you can adjust the intonation of your mandolin on your own, and you could do other setup if needed.
Get a copy of Rob Meldrum's e-book on mandolin setup

It has instructions on adjusting the location of the bridge and the bridge height, and also making adjustments to the nut if you need it.
I would at least try relocating the bridge on your own following his directions. If you can't get it to be right, then the bluegrass shop can help out.

I'm sure I could do that, but these guys don't charge much. When I bought my fiddle it was$10 to have it set up, plus the cost of strings. It's a bunch of retired guys just making enough to keep the doors open.

[EdHanrahan]

Just fyi ...

Most mandolins, meaning virtually ALL arch-top mandolins, have a "floating" bridge that's held on by string pressure alone. For various good reasons, that bridge, and the resultant intonation, needs to be adjustable. For one obvious reason, Murphy's law, that bridge eventually will change position whether you want it to or not. Changing strings, re-tuning, and even seasonal/daily environmental changes (that cause arch-tops to swell & contract by miniscule amounts) are some of the factors that upset your bridge's equilibrium. It's only sensible that we players know how to get it back into position without having to pay for a set-up each time.

Besides Rob Meldrum's excellent book, Frets.com is a most valuable resource. Don't avoid entries that specify "archtop guitar", as logic doesn't care about the size of the instrument.

[colorado_al]

I'm sure I could do that, but these guys don't charge much. When I bought my fiddle it was$10 to have it set up, plus the cost of strings. It's a bunch of retired guys just making enough to keep the doors open.

If it's only $10 I'd ask then to do it, and see if they'll show you what they're doing and explain it. I wouldn't spend much more money on a mandolin that costs $150 new.

[Br1ck]

Yes to the Meldrum e book. You will want to do the full setup. This is more important the cheaper your mandolin is, and everyone needs to be able to set intonation, just like you need to be able to change your strings.

Since you are being so thrifty, there is no point in paying someone to do a set up.

[Willie Poole]

I always wondered why posters don`t tell where they are located and then maybe some of us could offer our services to them if they are in our areas, I would set the bridge and do a basic set up free if a person would bring it to me...Some people that own some valuable instruments don`t want their location announced and I can understand that but for the normal priced mandolins, it could save the owners some time and money...MAYBE, all of us don`t work so cheap...

Willie

[Swimbob]

I just had to fine tune mine yesterday. It's very easy. Just loosen the strings some but not all the way. Slide the bridge one way or another and then use your tuner to tune one of the G strings and check the octave at the twelfth fret. Then tune all the strings and check the octaves for all courses. Might not be how a professional does it but it got mine close enough and saved me $10.

[Ccnati]

I always wondered why posters don`t tell where they are located and then maybe some of us could offer our services to them if they are in our areas, I would set the bridge and do a basic set up free if a person would bring it to me...Some people that own some valuable instruments don`t want their location announced and I can understand that but for the normal priced mandolins, it could save the owners some time and money...MAYBE, all of us don`t work so cheap...

Willie

I'm in northern Georgia. Forsyth county near dawsonville.

[allenhopkins]

I'm in northern Georgia. Forsyth county near dawsonville.

See, I woulda guessed Cincinnati OH from your screen name...

Hey, you never know (until someone tells you).

[Ccnati]

See, I woulda guessed Cincinnati OH from your screen name...

Hey, you never know (until someone tells you).

Username is based off my name, not really sure when I started using it but I've been using it for ages. Never even actually been to Cincinnati...

[multidon]

Baby, have you ever wondered? Wondered whatever became of me?

I’m livin’ On the air in Cincinnati, Cincinnati WKRP.

Got kind of tired, packin’ and unpackin’, town to town, up and down the dial.

Baby, you and me were never meant to be, just maybe think of me once in a while.

I’m at WKRP in Cinncinatti.


Sorry, I couldn’t resist! I’ll go to my corner now.