Mandolin sounds awful, help needed in boiling springs South Carol

[Mad Martigan]

I have a MK Legacy Dragonfly mandolin, just bought a nice Cumberland flat saddle bridge and had it set up at a music shop down the road. It's buzzed before the bridge was replaced...but now it's even worse. I took the bridge off raised the action and it's still buzzing. I'd love to have someone who plays mandolin or works on them to look at it so they could give me an idea of what to do. The guys I've taken it to don't seem to know a lot about mandolins mostly just guitar. If someone can help let me know! Thanks Adam

[pops1]

Adam,it's hard to know what to tell you without being able to see it. In person would be better, but maybe some pictures would help. I don't know how to put up pic's, but hopefully you will be able to. Does it buzz when playing an open string or fretted? A little more info would also help. Can you measure the distance between the top of the 12th fret and the bottom of the G and E strings, this needs to be fairly accurate be under a light at an angle where you can see a ruler.

[texaspaul]

Buzzing or non-musical noise can come from many sources. First try to isolate the source. Buzzing can come from your tailpiece, a loose cover plate, strings against the tailpiece ( they should touch the lip and slightly break over it but no strong pressure) a leather strip or felt picece at this point may help. This might also help with overtones.
I once had a buzz from the adjustment wheel on the bridge that was loose. Another time the tuner button retainer screw was loose. Yet another time the tuner plate was loose.
You can have a loose fret, you can see if the buzz is present while playing open strings and/or by fretting at different positions.
A loose tone bar brace or any loose part can cause a buzz. Try to isolate the source before trying to fix it. Good luck.

[KOakley]

According to the MK website that model has a radius fretboard. Why would you try to use a flat bridge?

[Willie Poole]

One thing not mentioned is the truss rod might be loose...It it buzzes when played open then keep touching different parts of the mandolin to see if any of them stop the buzzing...

[mandobassman]

According to the MK website that model has a radius fretboard. Why would you try to use a flat bridge?

Yes, it would be darn near impossible to properly set up a flat saddle bridge with a radius fingerboard. The middle strings could be buzzing on the frets if the action was set to the outer strings.

I had a slight bit of buzzing on my J Bovier when I first bought it. A very slight twist of the truss rod and it has been gone ever since.

[nordian]

You have a fine instrument builder and repair man in your neck of the woods. Walter Johnson who builds "June" mandolins and guitars has a shop in Campobello SC. He has a facebook page and a website under June mandolins. He may be in the builders database here on the cafe. He will have mandolins in the classifieds here on the cafe from time to time. I would contact him and let him take a look at it. Very nice and professional gentleman.

[nordian]

Walter is in the builders database here. Enter June into the search and he'll come up.

[WW52]

There's also Fifth String Music over in Greenville. Haven't been in there in many years, but according their website they deal in acoustic instruments, including mandolins, and do repair work. Might be worth a call.

[Consecon]

Yes, it would be darn near impossible to properly set up a flat saddle bridge with a radius fingerboard. The middle strings could be buzzing on the frets if the action was set to the outer strings.

I have no doubt that what you are saying is true. I have the opposite scenario with an MK mandolin. The specs on mine also say "radiused fingerboard". I remembered that feature from when I picked this mandolin out. When I looked for an ebony bridge upgrade, I bought a radiused bridge.
Once I had a chance to compare the bridge radius to the fingerboard, I had to recheck the specs to ensure that that I had not misread. The radius is hard to detect with only an eyeball. I'm not so sure that I even see what could be called a radius. The new bridge that I bought on the other hand has a very distinct radius. The original bridge is flat.
In any case, my amateur opinion is that this mandolin is better suited to a flat bridge.
I will need to rework this new bridge considerably if I want to use it on my MK.

Mad Martigan, I'd love to see a low angle picture of your fretboard.

[colorado_al]

I have no doubt that what you are saying is true. I have the opposite scenario with an MK mandolin. The specs on mine also say "radiused fingerboard". I remembered that feature from when I picked this mandolin out. When I looked for an ebony bridge upgrade, I bought a radiused bridge.
Once I had a chance to compare the bridge radius to the fingerboard, I had to recheck the specs to ensure that that I had not misread. The radius is hard to detect with only an eyeball. I'm not so sure that I even see what could be called a radius. The new bridge that I bought on the other hand has a very distinct radius. The original bridge is flat.
In any case, my amateur opinion is that this mandolin is better suited to a flat bridge.
I will need to rework this new bridge considerably if I want to use it on my MK.

Mad Martigan, I'd love to see a low angle picture of your fretboard.

There are different radii that are used and you need a radiused bridge that matches the radius of your fretboard.

[pops1]

I would just take the flat bridge and file the strings to the proper height by measuring each, cut off the excess so each string is not buried and call it a day. Then look for the buzzing once it is set up properly.