Many thank to Rob for his (free!) ebook on Mandolin setups. It’s yours for the asking (rob.meldrum@gmail.com).
Many thank to Rob for his (free!) ebook on Mandolin setups. It’s yours for the asking (rob.meldrum@gmail.com).
Even if you don't want to do setup stuff yourself, it is a "must read" for any mandolin owner.
New to mando? Click this link -->Newbies to join us at the Newbies Social Group.
Just send an email to rob.meldrum@gmail.com with "mandolin setup" in the subject line and he will email you a copy of his ebook for free (free to all mandolincafe members).
My website and blog: honketyhank.com
Time well spent reading it even if you have no intent to do the work, you can speak intelligently to the luthier when you need something done.
Timothy F. Lewis
"If brains was lard, that boy couldn't grease a very big skillet" J.D. Clampett
Great book.
In a similar style as the book:
What is the thickness of a quarter? A dime? Euro, etc? (wikipedia.com)
How many placed together will squeeze under the fourth string at the twelfth fret?
If they squeezed under the fifteenth fret a month ago and now with thunderstorms outside the house it’s the sixteenth fret, what does that mean?
What’s your preferred range?
Thanks Rob.
I had a strange phenomona happen last winter. We had for three weeks a very wet spell for this area. For two weeks, my mandolins held almost a perfect tune. My theory was they had absorbed all the moisture they could, and that stabilized the wood. Contrast that with the recent three day 100 degree dry spell where my mandolins went flat a half step. 95% of the time, it is a happy perfect medium. Wood is not static. I usually get away with a slight winter tweak, then back in the spring.
It must be a constant battle for touring artists. I know in some areas people have summer and winter saddles for their guitars. It is important to understand mandolin geometry for yourself so you can do the minor tweaks yourself. That is what Rob's book will do for you. I'd like to see him do an advanced version on fret leveling, the icing on the setup cake.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
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