idle mandolin changes tone

[Kevin Stueve]

I just took a 5 day motorcycle trip to explore the bourbon trail As much as I wanted to travel with my mandolin that wasn't practical or possible. Anyhow when I picked it up upon my return it sounded different and it has taken about 3 days of playing to get back the tone I remember. Is this just my imagination or is 5 days enough idle time for a mandolin to go to "sleep" ?

[Teak]

If you were riding a Harley I'd say that it took you 3 days to get your hearing back.

[EdSherry]

I too have noticed that, if an instrument hasn't been played in a while, it can take time to "wake it up." That's one reason some folks use mechanical devices like the Tone Rite to "excite" the top.

[allowishish]

If you were riding a Harley I'd say that it took you 3 days to get your hearing back.

Lol. Best forum post of the week.

[Kevin Stueve]

If you were riding a Harley I'd say that it took you 3 days to get your hearing back.

not only a harley but a sportster, so suffice it to say
that after 1500 miles, I'm not sitting a lot

[Ivan Kelsall]

Mandolins will change in tone after a few days of not being played,but next time check the tuning to see if it's sharp or flat. I've found that if cold,mine sound sharp & if warm,they go flat.The other factor is humidity,something that fortunately,we're not over troubled with in the UK - but yes,they can change & sound different,
Ivan

[Relio]

Not long ago I purchased a nice $6000 mandolin on the classifieds. It's owner hadn't played it in a while for medical reasons. I returned it because it sounded very muted, now I'm wondering if it was just asleep.

[Teak]

Deleted. (Forgot to quote.)

[Teak]

not only a harley but a sportster, so suffice it to say
that after 1500 miles, I'm not sitting a lot

Walking like a cowboy?

When my mandolin or mandola sound a bit off, I put on new strings which helps bring them back to life. I don't doubt your observation, however. That's why heavily played instruments sound much better than newer ones.

[Tobin]

Yes, I'll notice my instruments will "go to sleep" after even short periods of not being played. Obviously, the phenomenon is more noticeable the longer it goes unplayed.

But I'm willing to admit that some of it may just be in my head, or that it takes a while for my ears to readjust and my fingers to remember the nuances of how to play each particular instrument. So there's surely some psychological or physiological component to this as well.

[k0k0peli]

Other than string pitch changes, I have not noticed any my axes sounding different after periods of disuse. I do notice that my fingers tune-in after playing any instrument for some minutes or longer after not playing it for some hours or more. I think that has more to do with my (re)gaining comfort with holding and manipulating it, than with the inanimate object responding to me. We hear players talking of their instruments becoming 'hot' after a bit of playing. That could be scientifically tested. Has anyone measured changes in wood vibration, density, any other physical factors, before and after use?

[OldSausage]

Not long ago I purchased a nice $6000 mandolin on the classifieds. It's owner hadn't played it in a while for medical reasons. I returned it because it sounded very muted, now I'm wondering if it was just asleep.

Don't worry, you made the correct choice.

[JeffD]

That could be scientifically tested. Has anyone measured changes in wood vibration, density, any other physical factors, before and after use?

With all the threads on this site about waking up and opening up, and all the threads on guitar forums about this, I would think a kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a double blind study of these effects would be very successful.

Some would be supporting the research in order to see what's what - many, if not most, would be supporting the research in order to finally have verifiable scientific results that support their adamantly defended prejudice.

[JeffD]

Don't worry, you made the correct choice.

Absolutely.

[Bill Baldridge]

Mine seems to be different every time I take it out of the case, which I try to do everyday. Lots of reasons given above that I agree with. Isn't it cool that we have something we like so much we pay so much attention to it?

[JeffD]

Isn't it cool that we have something we like so much we pay so much attention to it?

Absolutely.

[roysboy]

Don't worry, you made the correct choice.

Agreed . Besides, I'd want a 6,000 dollar instrument to be WIDE 'awake' 24/7 , 352 days a year and make breakfast .

[Franc Homier Lieu]

All this discussion of the tone of an idle mandolin reminds me of

[d18daddy]

UPS dropped off a used Ratliff that I purchased to me yesterday, and I was a little disappointed with the tone at first. A half hour into playing it was much better and three hours in it had blossomed and sounded incredible. Don't think it was in my mind, but one never knows.

[Eric F.]

Agreed . Besides, I'd want a 6,000 dollar instrument to be WIDE 'awake' 24/7 , 352 days a year and make breakfast .

So it can sleep 13 days a year and 14 on leap years? And what do we do for breakfast on those days?

[fscotte]

Sure does. When you pick a string you are adding additional stress to the entire mandolin by pulling/pushing on the string you are making the neck bend towards the bridge, the back is sinking slightly, and the top sinks as well. Think of a bow, when you pull the string the bow bends. The same thing happens with any stringed instrument.

Other factors include temps, humidity, etc.. All can effect tone. Making the assumption that tone stays the same all the time is just absurd. Wood breathes and moves with stress, and with it so does the overall tone.

[Isaac Revard]

[jaycat]

UPS dropped off a used Ratliff that I purchased to me yesterday, and I was a little disappointed with the tone at first. A half hour into playing it was much better and three hours in it had blossomed and sounded incredible. Don't think it was in my mind, but one never knows.

I picked up my old Kalamazoo the other day, and at first was a little disappointed with the tone. So I went and made a drink. A half hour later, it sounded much better. And three hours and three more drinks later, it sounded like a freakin' Gilchrist.

[d18daddy]

This was one instance in my life when alcohol was not a contributing factor jaycat.

[Kevin Stueve]

I never put a lot of credence in instruments going to "sleep" . I've played guitar for 40 years and can't say I ever noticed it. I sure noticed something on this mandolin (and no it wasn't out of tune, I tune every time I pick it up). I speculate it is more likely my calluses changed or my muscle memory wasn't exact about finger placement, but hey maybe I'm wrong and wooden instruments do go to sleep from lack of playing