Re: Making an Eastman Sing
Originally Posted by
Cobalt
Thanks for the comments. I guess there's a wide variation on what each of us is looking for (or listening for) in a mandolin. Certainly the heavier types of plectrum are just too dull-sounding for my ears, the harmonic content of string and instrument is muted and muffled. But that's me. Others will seek other ideals. As I mentioned it may be my ageing ears which don't hear what others are hearing, that could play a role too.
It's always interesting to me how each player can have such different responses to picks. I have two Eastman mandolins - an MD505 and MD315. I do the occasional pick test, but I've been loving the Primetone 1.5mm picks for a couple of months, both for the feel and action as well as for the resulting sound. The "dullness" you note with heavier pics still seems overly bright to my ears, especially if I use something like an EJ74 string set. At the moment, the slightly darker monel string and the Primetone 1.5mm are perfect to my ears. I too have aging ears and don't hear as well as I used to, so I often wonder what a "too bright" sound to me must be like for a young set of ears!
Doug Brock
2018 Kimble 2 point (#259), Eastman MD315, Eastman MDA315, some guitars, banjos, and fiddles
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