Floyd rose (or other) for mandolin.

[Kid Charlemagne]

This is something that I've been struggling with for a little while, ever since I got my Schwab 5-string, and especially with my Mann SEM-5, which has slightly lighter strings and tends to go out of tune on the C string a bit faster.

I refuse to give up on 5-strings. They're the bridge between rock and mandolin, and I can't play a guitar anywhere near as well as I can the mandolin. That said, retuning is a pain in the neck.

Is there any record (or any direct knowledge) of someone using a locking nut system on a mandolin? Is there such a thing for the mandolin at all?

One more question: does a product exist that either functions as a locking nut, or is intended as such, that doesn't require drilling into the neck of the instrument?

[Django Fret]

I had one put on a modified Eastwood after having a whammy bar installed on it. This one was originally on a guitar, and adapted for four strings, but probably could also work for five.

[jmkatcher]

Does anyone make small locking tuners that would be appropriate for a mandolin headstock?

[mandroid]

those 40:1 steinberger tuners may be close to locking in effect, as string end is clamped and then pulled thru the mechanisim to raise pitch.

packing in 5 (on headstock space) would be reasonable
[gluing in plugs and re drilling?] , 8 probably not.

but topic was floppy C, was it not?

[Tebbie bear]

but topic was floppy C, was it not?

no the topic was a locking nut, to which locking tuners could be a possible alternative.

[vcalcaterra]

The Steinberger Gearless Tuners are very heavy. I have a set
on a Yamaha Tele and they are very accurate, but I had to
replace the strap buttons to get the guitar to balance with
them. I would not recommend them for mando.

I have Planet Waves auto-trim tuners (also by Ned) on my Fender 5 string and they work quite well. They lock the string to the post and cut off the excess as you tune. I had to drill out the holes larger than the stock bad tuners, but they improved the mandos "tunability" a lot. The strings still go out of tune, but not as often and tuning is a lot easier.


http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product....=361450

BTW: I'm having an EM-5 made and Jon is putting the stock Grover tuners on it. I wonder if I should ask him to put on the auto-trims?

-vince

[mandroid]

Fan fret schemes may help, as longer scale length means lower pitch is archived
at a bit more tension, and smaller guage wound string.
Novax Fandolin is shown on electric eye candy page, click on picture for NovaxGuitars website link.

Parallel fretted, the Pentaula is a 15" scale. adds a 45 degree draw down
angle past the 'nut' for the lowest string, which is an A ..

AEBF#C#

[Lee]

Kid, is yours Schwab's traditionally longer 14.5" scale, or the newer optional shorter one?

Yeah, the Schwab design needs those clampy-things screwed into peghead to bring the string height down to the level of the tuners and to give the string an angled break over the nut. #The clampy-things create an extra bearing point between the nut and tuner, which makes tuning more difficult; worst on the C string. The extra bearing point in the peghead area is unfortunate.

It's a little known fact that the string tension behind the nut and forward from the bridge will be a little tighter than the string's speaking length. #

[Tebbie bear]

do you mean string trees?

[Lee]

"String trees" sounds like as good a name as any I can think up.

Too bad the Schwab design didn't angle the peghead to eliminate the need for these "string trees". But then it wouldn't look so Fender-y.

[Kid Charlemagne]

First off, I should add that there's nothing wrong with either my Schwab or my new Mann. They both do exactly as they should, and any "problems" are inherent to the relatively short scale of the instrument and the C string. It's nothing that can't be dealt with. You just have to work harder to make sure everything's in tune.

It's just particularly noticeable because I've been playing a lot of Queen, and the power chords tend to show you quickly if you're even slightly out of tune. But since I tune by ear anyway (give me an A and I'm off!), it ain't no big thing.

Now...

Lee asked: Kid,is yours Schwab's traditionally longer 14.5" scale, or the newer optional shorter one?

The Schwab is the 14.5" scale, fortunately. I'd have gone insane long ago if I'd had to get used to a C string as floppy as one with a 13.75" scale would have been.

Mann is the same - 14.5".

mandroid noted:
Fan fret schemes may help, as longer scale length means lower pitch is at a bit more tension, and smaller guage wound string.

Novax Fandolin is shown on electric eye candy page, click on picture for NovaxGuitars website link.

One of these days when I have some more dough, I'm going to get a fan-fretted 6 string electric built. It may - nay, probably will - have to be an octave rather than a basic mandolin, but that's better in a lot of ways anyway. Deeper register, more potential for filling guitar spots in music.