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Thread: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

  1. #1
    Registered User verbs4us's Avatar
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    Default Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    Would appreciate some wisdom. I recently came into a new Due, which is way beyond my present abilities and I hope will force me to give it its due (no pun intended). It is still green and I have two problems I hope you can help me solve:

    ACTION: Action and intonation are great. But I do struggle with barre chords. Thinking of going a step down from mediums to light-weights. Maybe something brighter than J-74s, since it still feels more plunky than I remember broken-in Campys sounded. John Pearse phosphors sound great on my Weber. I wonder if light-weights will rob the instrument of its earthiness and deep, round sound.

    THE SLEEPY E: The E string is noticably weaker than the others. All the others can bark when you dig in, but the E is a shrinking violet. It does ring, but doesn't come close to the volume of the others. Don't seem to have this problem on the Weber or on other mandos I have tried. Joe's set-up is otherwise perfect, so I'm wondering if the soft E is a function of break-in? Will it get worse if I switch to lights?

    thanks for your thoughts.

  2. #2
    harvester of clams Bill McCall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    A lighter e string won't be more powerful, although if you lighten only the others the balance may seem better.
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    I have a Due. I put D’Addario NB strings on it. But mine has a European top and is x-braced. You might try a 11.5 as an E. Don’t go down in gauge. As Bill says, it won’t improve the sound. You might also try Curt Mangan mediums. They have less tension, but more resonance.
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    formerly Philphool Phil Goodson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    You can make a é by holding down the alt key while you type 130 on the keypad with 'numlock' activated. Like in Dué.
    Phil

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  7. #5
    Registered User verbs4us's Avatar
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    Thank you! I was not aware that string tension varied by brand. I thought it was just by gauge. Are there others that are lower tension?

  8. #6

    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    Not that I’ve tried. Are you looking for something that’s easier on your hands? I have noticed that the neck on Due is a little larger than on some of my other mandolins. How about trying monel strings.
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    Pictures, pictures, pictures!

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  11. #8

    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    Play it a lot for about a year with the daddy-o 74s and revisit the issue in a year.

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  13. #9
    Registered User verbs4us's Avatar
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    It's x-braced, and I asked Joe to make the top finish blond. Hard to tell in this photo, but the top is lighter than his usual finish. The pick-guard is completely cantilevered from the based of the neck, so it does not touch or dampen the top -- a clever design.

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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    Play it every day for at least 30 minutes. It needs some waking up.
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    Orrig Onion HonketyHank's Avatar
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    Quote Originally Posted by Philphool View Post
    You can make a é by holding down the alt key while you type 130 on the keypad with 'numlock' activated. Like in Dué.
    That does work, but I believe the Due is named as the Italian word for two, as in two-pointer. Thus no accent.
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    Registered User CWRoyds's Avatar
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    I would try Straight Up Strings Mediums.
    They have a balanced tone across the courses.
    I think the E and G are slightly heavier relative to the other two courses.
    Might help with your E string.
    They are cheap as good strings go.

    Also, it might just need to be played hard for a while to get up to speed.
    Beat on it for a few days and see what happens.
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  18. #13
    formerly Philphool Phil Goodson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    Quote Originally Posted by HonketyHank View Post
    That does work, but I believe the Due is named as the Italian word for two, as in two-pointer. Thus no accent.
    Perhaps so, but the accent is used on the Campnellastrings website. So there you go. Here's a link to the page showing the "Dué"
    Phil

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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    Sweet looking instrument - thanks for sharing the picture!

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    Orrig Onion HonketyHank's Avatar
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    Well, I'll be darned and touché.
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  22. #16
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    First of all what strings do you have on it now? Did Joe tell you what he strings them with? As others have noted, just play it a lot. I do believe that there is some break-in time but this is also a new instrument to you so you will have to break yourself in, too, and find the best ways to make it sound as you prefer. You could also experiment with other strings. If it is only the e-string then I would go with what others said and get a slightly heavier one.

    It could also be the nut slots angles on the e strings.

    Play it for a week or two then contact Joe and see if he has any further suggestions.
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    Registered User Jim Roberts's Avatar
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    Maybe consider taking it to a well respected luthier to have the set up checked...

  24. #18
    Registered User verbs4us's Avatar
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    Thanks Jim. Joe delivered it with J74s.

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    Notary Sojac Paul Kotapish's Avatar
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    Quote Originally Posted by Philphool View Post
    You can make a é by holding down the alt key while you type 130 on the keypad with 'numlock' activated. Like in Dué.
    If you are on a Mac, just holding down the key will bring up a little menu with all the diacritical options:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    e: èéêēėę

    Ditto for other letters. No alt+ codes to remember.
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  27. #20

    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    If you got it directly from Joe Cleary Campanella, I would contact him with your concerns. Even if you didn’t, you might consider contacting him
    John D

  28. #21
    Registered User verbs4us's Avatar
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    Mando bar, thanks for the tip. I just confirmed from Curt Mangan that, except for the E, their tension is indeed lower. Here is the comparison for lights:

    J73 Mangan
    (pounds)

    E 19.2 19.96
    A 16.8 16.63
    D 20.1 19.82
    G 22.6 20.54

  29. #22
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    There's a story about Johnny Smith being asked why he didn't play barre chords, and his reply was, "I don't play them because I don't like them." As far as the mandolin goes, the 3 course chords sound better too me than 4 course.

    As for the weak E strings, you might try different picks...maybe thinner, thinner and more blunt, or more pointy types. Another thing is how the pick makes contact with the strings. Flatter/more parallel to the strings might sound better to you.

  30. #23
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    If the setup is low, it could be a high fret that is touching, not enough to buzz, but enough to dampen the volume. Truss rod, setup should be checked.
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  31. #24
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    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    I have found that sometimes the nut or the bridge slots are “pinching” the string so it can’t get full vibration.
    I would take a good look at the slot widths.

  32. #25

    Default Re: Campanella two-point (How to make an accent on due?)

    People tend to forget, it wasn't long ago that these instruments were boards lying in a stack. It takes a while for them to acclimate and get used to being strung up. Play the snot out of it. If you really think there are issues, contact Joe. He's the best resource for his own mandolins.
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