I've got a mandobird and was thinking of replacing the nut (I tried cutting the slots deeper and went a little too far...) with bone. I was also thinking of a new bridge, since mine is too far forward to properly intonate the G string. I was thinking something more like a floating bridge or Les Paul style, possibly with some sort of tail piece that I could use loop end strings? Has anyone tried any of this? What did you use? Did it work out well?
To tune the G I just removed the spring and installed a few washers behind the bridge so that I could get the string all the way back. It just made it far enough for passable intonation.
Bob
Bob Higgins
Rigel Q-95
Mid-Mo M4, M11
Weber Hyalite Oval
That's about where I'm at. No washers though. I took out the string and yanked it back as far as I could and it's ok, but not dead on. I did replace the nut and it made a huge difference though!
Does someone have a closeup shot of the bridge? Is it a string-through the body bridge? I have some mini rectangle saddles that I use on my bridges that are smaller than standard guitar saddles. There may be enough difference in size to give you the necessary travel to correctly intonate the string. Anyone have the dimensions of the saddle and I can compare them to mine.
Does this help?Originally Posted by (thistle3585 @ Mar. 30 2005, 10:49)
If you can't make it out in that pic, they are string-through-body.
Darrell
ps Sea Foam... Cooooooool!
Thistle, is that the style of saddle you use? I'm not really an electric guy so I don't know all the lingo... Do your bridges use string through body?
I don't use the string through design, although it would be fairly easy to convert a bridge to a string through design. I have a set of gold, rectangle saddles like what is pictured, and they are 3/4" long by 3/8" wide without the screw. If that is shorter than what you have, then they should be able to give you that, the difference in length, amount more of adjustment. I can search some sources and see if I can come up with something smaller. Can someone tell me what the length and width of their saddle is? I have a friend who bought a mandobird and I will see if I can compare them with his.
I'd actually prefer to not have string-through, since the holes on mine are too far forward which is part of the reason it's hard to intonate. Do you have a picture of your bridge?
The Mandobird bridge is 1 5/8" x 2 1/16".
Perhaps fill the screwholes,in the body and shift the bridge baseplate a trifle, and make new ones. that should get the range of adjustment for intonation purposes into a better spot.
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I'm not familiar with that bridge, but if you move the existing bridge I think you need to drill new holes in the bridge for the strings? You might be better off drilling holes underneath the adjustment screw and run the strings through those.
I will try and post some photos of my bridges sometime this week.
I dont own one. But... the mechanic in me speaks up..
So they are thru the body anchored strings,then?
or not? if the string is anchored to the baseplate endflange #its easier.
If you only need 0.125" more, the hole thru the body
shouldn't #be covered by the bridge piece.
the ferrule hole could also be filled with maple dowel from the hardware store and redrilled too, its only wood, afterall.
presumably, one was trying to get the intonation to sound right, right?
if string is too short either the bridge location is making the string too short, or ?
[for the other end, offsets can be created at the nut end, I've seen technical intonation, minor shifting of the individual fret crowns but how much $ to sink into a 200 dollar instrument?]
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writing about music
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