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Thread: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

  1. #26
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ted Eschliman View Post
    Lighter strings can give you more left finger finesse
    ... which may or may not mean bending strings. I get nearly a three-fret bend thanks to light strings. Not that I'll go there all that often, but it's nice to know I can If I want.

    This is on single strings, though. Double strings will offer more resistance. Also, bending double strings may put them out of tune with each other. Indeed, that's what led me to single strings in the first place. My first electric, a Gibson EM 150, gave me fits with this, so I strung it singly. Kind of disappointing, as I really wanted that jingle jangle Byrds-y sound, but the trade-off was the string bending, enabling more bluesy and rock riffing.

    Nice looking ax, by the way. Adjusting the saddle heights might help balance your relative string volume.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

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  3. #27
    Mandol'Aisne Daniel Nestlerode's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    Quote Originally Posted by journeybear View Post
    ... which may or may not mean bending strings. I get nearly a three-fret bend thanks to light strings. Not that I'll go there all that often, but it's nice to know I can If I want.

    This is on single strings, though. Double strings will offer more resistance. Also, bending double strings may put them out of tune with each other. Indeed, that's what led me to single strings in the first place. My first electric, a Gibson EM 150, gave me fits with this, so I strung it singly. Kind of disappointing, as I really wanted that jingle jangle Byrds-y sound, but the trade-off was the string bending, enabling more bluesy and rock riffing.

    Nice looking ax, by the way. Adjusting the saddle heights might help balance your relative string volume.
    Was it Johnny Gimbel who restrung a Gibson A with 4 strings, and tuned them CGDA? I think it was.
    :-)

    Daniel

  4. #28
    Mangler of Tunes OneChordTrick's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    You all forgot to tell me that I needed a case

    So I decided to build one


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  6. #29

    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    Quote Originally Posted by OneChordTrick View Post
    You all forgot to tell me that I needed a case

    So I decided to build one

    That looks fun! Appropriately wild interior for an electric instrument.

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  8. #30
    Mandol'Aisne Daniel Nestlerode's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    Worthy of David Lindley!



    D

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  10. #31
    Mangler of Tunes OneChordTrick's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    Quote Originally Posted by Daniel Nestlerode View Post
    Worthy of David Lindley!



    D
    Was going more for Peter Stringfellow!

  11. #32
    Registered User Bob Visentin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    Thanks. I learned something new. Ferritic and martensitic stainless steels are magnetic. Annealed austenitic stainless steels are non-magnetic.

  12. #33
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ted Eschliman View Post
    This is pretty important. Strings you need will not only be a nickel alloy of some kind, but ball-end. Don't buy loop-end strings, and probably gauging lighter than on your acoustic.

    FWIW [a workaround] I got a few Cello string balls from my local instrument repair guy ..

    So, I can use loop end strings with the pair sharing that 1 ball..

    4 thru body ferrules 2 regular balls jam together., FM61,
    so I have to slack the other one to extract the broken ball string ..

    so 2 on 1 barrel is not that much a sacrifice..

    NB all 8 strings 4 plain 4 wound, have a steel core wire,
    so you may get adequate signal from even a bronze wound string
    with the field fluctuation of the core wire vibrating at the lower pitch
    the winding wire mass provides..





    ....
    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  13. #34
    Registered User Jairo Ramos's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    I suppose that low-cost mandolins need some updating. I have a Mandobird Viii and I've replaced the nut; the bridge and the pickup with new almuse pickup and bridge. No week E, no bad intonation...It sounds great now!

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  15. #35
    Mangler of Tunes OneChordTrick's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    Quote Originally Posted by jefflester View Post
    The electric pickups require a string that will create current when it passes through the magentic field created by the pickup. Bronze will generate a signal, but it will be lower and unbalanced across the strings.
    What I did discover today was that the supplied strings were actually Phosphor Bronze I had a hunch but I naively thought that they would supply suitable strings Great difference when I fitted suitable strings.

    Of course those of you who a brighter than me - so all of you - would have noticed immediately....

  16. #36
    Mandol'Aisne Daniel Nestlerode's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    mm. Sounds like a QA issue.

    The cool thing about emandos is that they are more like electric guitars than acoustic mandolins are like acoustic guitars. So you can take that instrument to any good set-up or repair luthier whether or not they have experience with mandolins. He or she will just need to be a bit more precise with regard to intonation.

    String diameter will have an effect as will pick up height. So getting that sorted will do wonders for volume and tone.

    Best,
    Daniel

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  18. #37
    Mangler of Tunes OneChordTrick's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    Set up was very straightforward; having done it for acoustic mandolins I knew what I was trying to achieve but could be achieved using an Allen key and screwdriver. Need to tweak a little more as I’ve shimmed the neck and restrung with the right strings.

  19. #38
    Mangler of Tunes OneChordTrick's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    Quote Originally Posted by Martin Ohrt View Post
    Welcome on the electric side ;-)

    After all, the most important thing to know about electrics: Once you got the instrument, you will buy amps and pedals - AAS and PAS will join in with MAS
    Well, Martin you were right

    This seems to have appeared....



    The things seem to be breeding!

  20. #39
    Registered User Martin Ohrt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    Oh yes, they do!
    Mandolins: 1920s (?) Meinel & Herold Bowlback, 2006 Furch "Redwood MA-1" A5

    Octaves: 2004 Fender FMO-66 Flat-Top, 2015 A. Karperien 5 String Electric

    Banjos: 2007 Gold Tone IT-250F Irish Tenor, 1963 Vega Vox No. 1 Plectrum, 2016 Recording King RK-OT25 Clawhammer

  21. #40

    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    I put Almuse pickups in my Eastwood 8-string. Took it from being useless for melody playing right back to being a real instrument. Yeah I complained about it here at the time because it was a fair amount of work that I had no experience doing, but I've gotten over it. I'd consider it a mandatory upgrade unless you're just going to play chords and need something in the background that sounds a bit like a mandolin. I did some recording with mine through my Katana amp and for what I did it sounds great, you wouldn't think it was an electric.

  22. #41
    Mangler of Tunes OneChordTrick's Avatar
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    Default Re: Going Electric - what do I need to know?

    Glad it all worked out for you in the end!

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