Re: My first OM: a series of daft questions
With regard to the tailpiece, it's easier to put together a non-standard set of strings -- e.g. you have a couple courses in octaves, a couple in unison -- if you can use guitar strings, since these tend to come in a wider choice of gauges than loop-end mandolin strings. There are expedients, such as crushing the "ball" with pliers and using the resulting loop, that allow you to fit ball-end strings to the tailpiece hooks of mandolin-type tailpiece; I find the "two-way" tailpiece set-ups convenient.
Octave strings on the lower two courses produce nice, rich chords, and if you're basically chording you may find this attractive. They can sound a little complicated if you're playing lead, since the melody "gets lower as you go higher," if you get what I mean, when you leave the octave courses for the unison courses.
"Fixed bridge" generally means a pin bridge; not too many fixed-bridge instruments with tailpieces. Also means you're using ball-end strings (see discussion above). I don't have any mando-family instruments with pin bridges, can't comment on the sound.
Options for strap attachment are getting an after-market threaded strap button and screwing it into the end block -- although Hobgoblin advertises the Style E as having a "strap end pin," so you may only be thinking about fastening the other end of the strap. In that case you can screw a threaded strap button into the neck block where the neck joins the body, or you can attach that end of the strap around the headstock above the nut. I'd get pro advice as to where to locate the strap button, since you can exert a certain amount of downward pressure on the instrument while playing, and you don't want the strap button to tear out; similarly, you don't want to split the neck block by mis-locating the button installation.
If your budget's £550, hope you get a deal on the Style E, which is listing in the US for $995/£740.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
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