Installed a Schertler resocoil in an octave

[kurth83]

In my new Trinity College Octave Mando.

I applied two lessons I learned from this forum:
1 - used reamers instead of drill bits to expand the hole in the wood, much cleaner results.
2 - used BlueTac putty to install the pickup instead of epoxy, so it's more easily (re)movable.

Overall it was an easy install, here is my contribution to the clever tricks:

1 - I reused the same strings by using a capo to hold them slightly taught at fret 1, and simply disconnected them from the tailpiece. Used some velcro wire ties (along with the capo) to hold the strings until I was ready to reconnect them.

2 - Used masking tape to mark the bridge position before disconnecting the strings.

Reassembling was much easier than in previous times as a result. The bridge was still perfectly in tune, removed the masking tape after the strings were tightened.

And as for the sound, Schertler is rated from 40 to 12khz, fine for an octave where the low string is 98 hz.

I plugged it into my rig (preamp + PA), and it sounded fantastic (well, just like it is supposed to). This is my first octave with a pickup and the Schertler passes the test.

The resocoil gives a great sound, since it is an actual mic, not a piezo, but needs a nice preamp to shine.

On the plus side, my hand can fit inside the octave, I didn't have to guide the pickup with a string, like assembling a ship in a bottle like a regular mando.