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Thread: The Loar issues

  1. #1

    Default The Loar issues

    Just bought my aloe LM-590. I have found my bridge to have a tilt toward the head stock. Also there is a buzzing that does not seem to be from too low of action which buzzes on more than one string. Could this be the truss rod? I bought the mandolin around 2 months ago new and have contacted Loar on the issue and they want me to ship it back to them to spend 4-8 weeks turnaround looking at it and addressing. Would I be better off driving the hour to see if the music store I got it from can fix these issues? Anyone else ever have sent in anything to Loar?

  2. #2
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Loar issues

    Look for a local repairman/luthier and take it to him/her. Diagnosing a buzz can be relatively simple, or it can be difficult and frustrating, but it is virtually impossible to do "over the internet". The bridge has probably tilted forward gradually with tuning, and may or may not be involved in the buzz you are hearing. An experienced luthier-type should be able to set everything right without too much effort, or else diagnose problems that need to be repaired, but he/she will need to examine the mandolin in hand.

  3. #3

    Default Re: The Loar issues

    Exactly what John said.. This can be so many differnt things.

    The two that are simple to fix and VERY comon. A loose screw on a tuner button and strings buzzing at the tailpiece. These happen all the time and are a real quick fix.

    Past that, it gets progressively more involved depending on what it is. If it is happening on multiple strings up and down the fretboard, there is a good chance it is a simple fix.
    Robert Fear
    http://www.folkmusician.com

    "Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't.
    " - Pete Seeger

  4. #4
    Confused... or?
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    Default Re: The Loar issues

    Sorry to repeat older posts, and this one does seem to be far from common, but ...

    I had a buzz like that develop after several months of messing with altered tunings. By repeating the de-tune / re-tune process dozens of times, the bridge developed an almost imperceptible lean toward the neck & headstock, as the strings repeatedly pulled the saddle/bridge with them when in tightening mode, but not so much when loosening. As best I could tell, the buzz came from the tailpiece-side edge of the bridge's foot not being firmly pressed into the soundboard.

    The solution was to simply (?) loosen the strings & straighten the bridge up - problem solved! Since then, I take care to NOT tune up all strings in unison, but to bring each string fully up to pitch on its own, allowing the previously-tuned strings to hold the bridge in place. Sure, the top will compress and you will need to re-tune pretty much all of them but, again, bringing only one string at a time fully up to concert pitch.
    - Ed

    "Then one day we weren't as young as before
    Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
    But by all those roads, my friend, we've travelled down
    I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you."
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