Re: Eastwood Airline solid electric mandola
I've been down this road, here is what I do, I only use four strings, and like to bend and use vibrato, basically they are electric guitar-like things.
I have two of them, one strung as a tenor guitar (mandola) CGDA, and one string as an OM (GDAE).
It is very dark, especially as an OM, I used an effects pedal to brighten things up, I did my own setup, here are the string gauges I used:
mandola (11P, 15P, 26W, 38W) I like D'Addario NYXL wounds to brighten things a bit, tension is a bit higher on the top string cuz it was a bit weak.
0.0110 in. 17.43 lbs
0.0150 in. 14.44 lbs
0.0260 in. 16.26 lbs NYXL
0.0380 in. 14.70 lbs NYXL
OM: (13.5P, 22P, 34W, 52W).
0.0135 in. 14.73 lbs
0.0220 in. 14.85 lbs
0.0340 in. 15.29 lbs NYXL
0.0520 in. 14.90 lbs NYXL
As far as which slots to use I found a way I really like (and I've been playing on these heavily all year):
- near the nut put them in the high slots except the low string which is spaced out more (in the far slot). This makes it easier to reach the low string without touching the next string.
- on the bridge use all high slots, this avoids too great a string spacing on the low pair of strings as you move up the neck.
I cut a new nut on one, and regret it, the strategy above really makes for a playable string spacing and you can restring back to 8 strings any time.
Davey Stuart tenor guitar (based on his 18" mandola design).
Eastman MD-604SB with Grover 309 tuners.
Eastwood 4 string electric mandostang, 2x Airline e-mandola (4-string) one strung as an e-OM.
DSP's: Helix HX Stomp, various Zooms.
Amps: THR-10, Sony XB-20.
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