Ibanez Mandolin question

[CarbonCub]

Hi there
I'm new to this forum so firstly hello from the UK and secondly I hope beginner questions aren't discouraged! I've played ukulele for a few years and fancied something different so bought an Ibanez M510 mandolin. I'm getting on quite well with it but wish to try a change of strings but have fallen at the first hurdle. Just how do you remove the cover over the strings at the base of the instrument? I've pulled it, pushed it and twisted it with some force but it doesn't budge. Am I missing some trick here? I've just thought - it's not held on by string tension is it?
Thanks for a nice site, very informative.

[colorado_al]

Welcome!
The cover slides off towards the endpin.
You can take a coin and slide it.
https://youtu.be/fLIRe-0wprA

[Ray(T)]

Welcome also. Some can be a bit tight but, as colorado-al says, it should slide off. If its been on for some time, there could be some corrosion holding it. A bit of judicious bending with a pair of pliers,once it’s off, could produce a better fit.

Whereabouts in the UK are you?

[CarbonCub]

Thanks colorado_al and Ray(T). It's certainly on tight and hasn't yielded to the coin method yet. The instrument is brand new so corrosion shouldn't be an issue. I don't like using a lot of force because of the potential consequences of a slip, so I may just unscrew the whole assembly and deal with it off the instrument.

I'm in North Hampshire Ray.

[OneChordTrick]

Given the user name anywhere near Popham?

[CarbonCub]

Ha! You know your aircraft! Blackwater near Camberley so a bit of a way from Popham. I fly an R/C model of a Carbon Cub, hence the username.

[Ray(T)]

I used to fly at Lasham; but that was a long time ago.

Sounds like a bit of brute force is required - it went on so it should come off!

[Timbofood]

They can be stubborn! I have had to use a towel laid over the top and put y thumbs on both “top corners” and slide it off, it will slide but, it might take a while to get it sorted out but, patience will win out.

[CarbonCub]

It’s off! The way the assembly is made leaves a slot which was just right for inserting a wide bladed screwdriver enabling me to lever the cover backwards. It didn’t give up without a fight but with much wiggling and persuasion from the screwdriver it gradually yielded. The metalwork has some very rough edges which need dressing with a Swiss file and maybe a smear of Copperslip to make it more easily removable in future. Thanks to all for helping out.

[Ray(T)]

Good. Clean it up and bend it to get a better/slacker fit. It doesn’t actually do anything but make the tailpiece look nice. As long as it doesn’t rattle or drop off, you can leave it as slack as you like.

[Roger Moss]

You could always just leave it off. Depends on your need for beauty. Here's another idea. As long as it's off why not put one on that's not so ornery. If you want to spend, Allen makes several cast replacements that will go right on with no need to drill new screw holes. They make string changing a breeze and I think they look great.

[Br1ck]

If it is new, likely it needs a setup, unless you bought from an exceptional retailer. Get Rob Meldrum's free e book and follow the directions.

[CarbonCub]

Thanks Br1ck, I've already got the files from Rob. Just waiting for strings to arrive then I'll get on with it.

[Timbofood]

While you have the cover off, see if you can find some double stick tape and a piece of felt to stick on the inside for “string damping”.
It has worked very nicely for me and it never gets lost.

[DaveGinNJ]

Hi there
I'm new to this forum so firstly hello from the UK and secondly I hope beginner questions aren't discouraged! I've played ukulele for a few years and fancied something different so bought an Ibanez M510 mandolin. I'm getting on quite well with it but wish to try a change of strings but have fallen at the first hurdle. Just how do you remove the cover over the strings at the base of the instrument? I've pulled it, pushed it and twisted it with some force but it doesn't budge. Am I missing some trick here? I've just thought - it's not held on by string tension is it?
Thanks for a nice site, very informative.

CarbonCub, I have the same instrument I bought a couple of weeks ago. The sounds is decent but the bridge setup is awful. The bridge cannot be lowered enough to provide decent action there does not appear to have been any attempt to contour it to the top. Curious if you are seeing the same thing?

[treidm]

The metalwork has some very rough edges which need dressing with a Swiss file and maybe a smear of Copperslip to make it more easily removable in future.

I would think it through before using something like copperslip
If it gets on finish, not sure how it would react

[OneChordTrick]

It’s off! The way the assembly is made leaves a slot which was just right for inserting a wide bladed screwdriver enabling me to lever the cover backwards. It didn’t give up without a fight but with much wiggling and persuasion from the screwdriver it gradually yielded. The metalwork has some very rough edges which need dressing with a Swiss file and maybe a smear of Copperslip to make it more easily removable in future. Thanks to all for helping out.

Good news! I wouldn’t use Copperslip though. In my experience it gets everywhere and is hard to remove from where you don’t want it. If taking the rough edges off doesn’t make it loose enough you could try gently bending the cover.

[CarbonCub]

DaveGinNJ you are exactly right. Though the bridge fits the top fairly well the holes in the saddle for the adjuster posts are too shallow so the lowest action I can achieve at 12th fret is about 3mm. Rob's excellent ebook explains very well how to sort that out, which I will do. The action is also high at the nut so that needs to be sorted too. No wonder my fingers hurt!

[CarbonCub]

Thanks for the caution against using Copperslip. After filing the rough edges smooth I can now get the cover off just with firm pressure from my thumbs.

I notice that the frilly decorative front edge of the cover contacts some of the thicker strings. Is that bad, should I bend up the front edge of the cover to clear all the strings?

[DaveGinNJ]

DaveGinNJ you are exactly right. Though the bridge fits the top fairly well the holes in the saddle for the adjuster posts are too shallow so the lowest action I can achieve at 12th fret is about 3mm. Rob's excellent ebook explains very well how to sort that out, which I will do. The action is also high at the nut so that needs to be sorted too. No wonder my fingers hurt!

After removing the protective foam and dialing the bridge down as low as it can go, I am a bit over 2mm the 12th fret. I may take a crack at sanding in down to get it lower. The rest of the instrument is finished pretty well, so I a bit baffled why they did not address this better even at the low price point

[MediumMando5722]

The reason it’s so cheap is the lack of setup work. Have you fitted the bridge yet? You’ll understand why that corner is cut once you do.

[Br1ck]

DaveGinNJ you are exactly right. Though the bridge fits the top fairly well the holes in the saddle for the adjuster posts are too shallow so the lowest action I can achieve at 12th fret is about 3mm. Rob's excellent ebook explains very well how to sort that out, which I will do. The action is also high at the nut so that needs to be sorted too. No wonder my fingers hurt!

It is unfortunate that those needing the best action are those buying entry level mandolins. Actually, everyone needs good action. I have seen firsthand what following Rob's instructions will do for a mandolin. I took things a step further and leveled my frets, but I already had the tools from guitar work I've done.

But take your time and you will end up with a much better sounding and playing instrument.

If taken to a pro, a great setup could set you back $150, something few are going to want to do on a cheaper mandolin, so following Rob's directions will get you great results.

[DaveGinNJ]

The reason it’s so cheap is the lack of setup work. Have you fitted the bridge yet? You’ll understand why that corner is cut once you do.

I tried sanding down the saddle to get the action lower but was not happy with the result. I ended up buying an inexpensive bridge on ebay that offered lower action (although I still filed it slightly). Even though it was a cheap replacement it looks much better than what came originally. The original bridge looked like is was formed with a hatchet or a sharp rock! I ordered a nut saw and hope to get the action at that end set up better.

[CarbonCub]

The reason it’s so cheap is the lack of setup work. Have you fitted the bridge yet? You’ll understand why that corner is cut once you do.

I started the setup today. The tailpiece cover was touching some of the strings, easily solved by bending the lip up a few degrees.
The bridge needed a small amount of lapping and now matches the profile of the top very well. The post holes in the saddle needed to be drilled deeper with a 4mm drill in a drill press and the base of the saddle needed sanding lightly. Now the saddle will go right down as low as the design allows. It's the nut next, that's tomorrow's job.

[Folkmusician.com]

Congrats on the new mandolin and welcome to the world of mandolin setup! Sounds like you are well on your way.