Godin A8 help needed

[Oldmandoh]

My beloved Godin A8 has a broken D string saddle - each course has its own pickup - for some reason Godin are unable to help my plight ??- does anyone know who I can contact to get a replacement saddle? - this is an expensive mandolin to gather dust in the workshop and I can't afford a new one. My performance and my humour are going down hill fast I need a name, a number, a website anything PLEASE!!!!

[mandolinstew]

rmc.com is the company that makes those pickups.you can see them on their site.

[mandolinstew]

rmc.com is the company that makes those pickups.you can see them on their site.

(how did it break?)

[Oldmandoh]

You Stew are the best news for a while - thanks for the info - The hot centre strand of the cable is attached to the piezo on the underside of the saddle with a hard wax type material - this broke down and the lead came away - Godin would have nothing to do with my first request and directed me to their British distributer - they provided me with a saddle for a guitar - well done - the next one was not an output match and was sent back with angry note - this has taken nearly three months - I have better hopes for your rmc contact but am still not holding my breath.

[Nevin]

Could you repair the saddle? If all that has happened is a wire has come loose it sounds pretty straight forward.

[Oldmandoh]

Should it be so easy Nevin. The wire was (or should have been) attached to the slice of piezo material with a hard, black wax-like substance. Clearly this is a current carrying material which the hard waxes in my workshop are very definitely NOT. I assure you, a blob of solder would have saved me a lot of time, money, embarrassment and anxiety. But hey, a quick hi to Mandolinstew - I have contacted rmcpickups and we are on the way to purchasing a set of pickups. Good man. Two points of interest; whilst the price for the set is half decent, if you add the transfer of money over the pond and the post - this is one big hit on Oldmandoh's pension pot. Secondly although rmc seem to be California based my well earned pension seems to be going to (you've guessed it) Quebec via Toronto. It makes me a little puzzled as to why Godin have had so much trouble not solving my problem when the answer was in their own back yard.

[mandolinstew]

I have dealt with Godin in the past and found out that they are not very helpful.Also dealt with Fender(!?)and they were very helpful.Good luck with the fix.

[Oldmandoh]

Thanks Stew - Godins response is indeed very disappointing - so much so that I have started to build my own instrument which will have a carved top. I am using the dimensions of my poorly A8 but am fitting a Headway Snake pickup. When I have finished the instrument I will download a picture and some details.

[SkyeSmith]

Having an issue with the output from the E & especially the A sets of strings on my A8;
While seemingly ok plugged in at low wattage at home - the strings are completely swamped by the other two sets
( G & D )
The imbalance is making it unplayable live or for recording.
Have spoken with Godin a few times and done the cleaning and other checks, to no avail.
Most recent advice was to replace the two pick-ups........only problem is I don't know what the output levels
are due to the colour code being stripped away - probably by the cleaning fluid.
They said in that case I need to get all 4......?!? anyone able to tell me what I need??
Can't imagine they would be very cheap, so no need for 4!
Many thanks & apologies if this has been covered elsewhere!

[kjbllc]

might be cheaper to get another one, they run about $300 used I have sold 2 , after getting a rigel .

[Richard500]

Conducting silver-loaded epoxies can be used for precisely this, and are available at most electronics parts and tool supply houses. Piezos generate fairly high voltages, so even aquadag, which i remember as graphite in suspension, might be ok. The latter has very little adhesive strength if that matters. Of course, the mass of what is attached to the element matters. As a non-electrified plunker of instruments but a user of piezo devices for many other things, I can’t imagine costs like you mention!

[mandolinstew]

I sold my Godin.I just could not get used to the neck.Bought an Ovation msc 148 and did some work on it and like it much better.

[kjbllc]

having two a8 over a 10 year period , I would not recommend them