4-string solidbody electrics

[BradB]

I'm in the market for a decent 4-string solid body electric. I currently have a Mandobird and I haven't been able to get it intonated well. I tried adjusting it myself, and I also had a professional setup done on it, but the intonation is still off.

I am looking for something with good intonation and good quality, but I'd like to keep the price under $800. I use this mostly for practicing quietly. I rarely amplify it and don't perform with it, so electronics is not a high priority.

What are some options to look at?
The Bales electrics look nice for the price. Any feedback on these?
The Bluestars are kind of funky looking, but I've heard they are decent for the price.
How is the Kentucky solidbody electric?
Any others I should be looking at?

[Ken Sager]

If quiet practice is the goal, I'd say your budget is fairly high... All you're looking for is good intonation, so I'd suggest keeping an eye out for a used e-mando you can purchase with a trial period. That or a ukelele tuned in 5ths would work...

To answer one of your questions, Schwabs are good looking instruments, and those I've heard sound great. They can be had used for around your price. Keep an eye out for them. For a little more you could consider Steve Ryder's instruments. His EM-24 starts at $900 new. I'm seriously considering his EM-55, a 5-string with optional synth pickup.

I'm sure others will chime in with good ideas.

Good luck with your quest,
Ken

[mandroid]

Risa soprano Ukes are a solid body. 14.2" scale.
a 5th tuning works for me [ similar; 14" scale on my wooden headed banjo uke]
FCGD, or a bit higher GDAE
I use 3 srings from baritone uke sets and the treble string from soprano uke.
http://www.elderly.com/new_ins....SII.htm

X-light steel may be ok too.

[BradB]

If quiet practice is the goal, I'd say your budget is fairly high... All you're looking for is good intonation, so I'd suggest keeping an eye out for a used e-mando you can purchase with a trial period. That or a ukelele tuned in 5ths would work...

To answer one of your questions, Schwabs are good looking instruments, and those I've heard sound great. They can be had used for around your price. Keep an eye out for them. For a little more you could consider Steve Ryder's instruments. His EM-24 starts at $900 new. I'm seriously considering his EM-55, a 5-string with optional synth pickup.

I'm sure others will chime in with good ideas.

Good luck with your quest,
Ken

Thanks.
The Schwabs do look really nice, but they seem to be more than I want to pay. There is a used one in the classifieds for $1700 including an amp.

Any feedback on the Bales?

[mandocrucian]

I use this mostly for practicing quietly. #I rarely amplify it and don't perform with it, so electronics is not a high priority.

The most logical and cheapest thing to do is make a soundhole plug/mute for your acoustic.

Cut a disc out of an old flip-flip. Leave a 1/4" more, all around, so that it's larger than the oval hole of your Sawchyn, then remove a groove in the middle, around the edges, so it will fit the soundhole, and still have a lip above and below to hold it in place. #I use these things as feedback reducers on my A and F4 if I'm playing with a pickup in a loud situation.

Playing acoustically, it'll have the effect of reducing the volume by at least 50%.

NH

[mrmando]

Browse emando.com and pick one you like.

[delsbrother]

Have you tried moving/replacing the bridge? A lot of them are just in the wrong place. That IMO would be the cheapest solution.

[wichitamando]

Ron Lira at Honest Ron's is building me one in that price range. He has one hanging on the wall in Oklahoma City for $650 or so.

[mikeomando]

It seems like I always say this: Don't count out an eight string or a 5 string, because you can always take off some string to get to a 4 string. In your price range I would go with a Bluestar, but that's just me. I have a 5 string in purple that I keep thinking about selling, but I haven't managed to get it together enough to list in in the classifieds. If you do get an electric for quiet practice, you might consider a headphone amp too. They are a lot of fun and don't disturb the neighbors.

[BradB]

Thanks for all the info everyone. I tried plugging the soundhole, but the volume is still higher than I want. The semi-hollow bodies also have too much volume. (I actually really enjoyed playing the Godin I tried, but it still had too much volume.)

I am in no hurry, so I'll just keep looking around. In the meantime I'll play around with the Mandobird some more -- try moving the bridge and try some different strings.

[arbarnhart]

If I were you, I would call the shop that did the set up and set up an appointment with the luthier/technician just to look into the intonation. He/she should be able to show you why it can't be done if it can't or maybe with a little more careful attention will get it right. And if it can't be done, there should be some remedy available; it would just be a matter of whether or not it could be justified.

[Mastersound]

Hi Bradb

Can you measure from the nut to the 12th fret, then from the 12th fret to one of the bridge saddles and let us know the results? The 12th fret to saddle distance should be just a little bit longer than the nut to 12th fret distance. If there's not enough room to adjust the intonation using the saddle screws you can move the entire bridge forward or back (perhaps a job for your guitar shop). It's not rocket science, and shouldn't cost much to do.

Now the other thing that can play havoc with intonation is action height. If you're one of those players who likes a high action and dead old worn out strings then forget playing an emando. You need a low action, around 0.020" at the first fret and 0.040" at the 12th fret on the E string, or as you make your chord shapes the mando will sound like crud. Also check that you're not pushing or pulling the strings to one side or the other as you fret notes or make your chord shapes. You need to be making direct pressure perpendicular to the fretboard or you'll be effectively altering the intonation. The less distance the string moves to be fretted the better.

Don't give up just yet! The biggest difference between the Mandobirds or other cheapies like mine and the more expensive instruments is the pickups. Fit and finish and timber selection is largely cosmetic with these funny little guitars.

[Perry]

Schwab is more then you want to pay but well worth the money IMO. My four string plays beautifully up and down the neck. I too play it mostly acoustically for practice sake (though I do on ocassion play it out). It's a high quality neck and a joy to play. The scale length on the Lampert models is also similar to an acoustic scale length thus making it the perfect way to get your acoustic chops up to speed silently.

It has a nice resonance to it even unplugged. Schwab is now making a mando with a chamber in it.

http://www.sojournerrecords.net/puma.html

I played Michael Lampert's and it has a nice unplugged tone; louder then a solid body but still perfect for clandestine practicing

[Max Girouard]

I just picked up a used fender 5 string fm-60E from ebay. They ususaly go for around $350.00 - 400.00. I haven't actualy recieved it yet so I can't comment on the quality but it is in your price range.

[WJF]

I'm "on line" for a Schwab myself and can't wait. I'm not really buying it for stealth practice ... its an ancillary benefit that I hadn't really considered until now. I'll have to offer the notion of silent practice up to my wife as a futher rationalization that this latest purchase really was a good idea!

[Jim MacDaniel]

I have been thinking about getting an Eastwood "Mandocaster" for practicing through headphones, and for "rocking out" on occassion as well. For only $300, it seems like a great value, as you get a good looking, mandolin-scaled, twin pickup, Tele-clone, with an adjustable truss rod. Here is a thread with a couple of reviews from MC board members who seem pretty happy with their purchases.

(BTW, this is an 8-string model, but I figured that I could still string it up as a 4-stringer if ever I wanted to play around with bending strings, etc.)

[BradB]

Thanks for the responses. I ended up buying a used Ryder EM-24. Nice instrument and it came in a very nice case.

Looks like a baby telecaster:
http://sjryder.com/em2.htm