Setup's equal.. More expensive play easier as less expensive ?

[Don Grieser]

So is it setup alone that makes Phoenix mandolins play so easily?

[mandolohreyian]

I'm new to mandolin and got myself an Ibanez M510DVS to get started. I lowered the bridge but is there more set up I should do? Can I do it myself or should I take it somewhere? I know I'm just learning chords but I do feel like I have to press down very hard to get good resonance when I strum.

[Zach Wilson]

Hello Mandolohreyian, welcome to the site and to the amazing world if mandolins!

Did you play any other instruments before you started mandolin?

Mandolins do ring and sustain but like guitars.

[tiltman]

There is a free download on Mandolin Setup here on the café from Rob Meldrum. PM him and he will send you a copy. Yes set up is extremely important with double courses and short strings.

mailto:rob.meldrum@gmail.com

[mandolohreyian]

Hey Zach, I haven't played other instruments before.

[Mark Gunter]

I have to point out that “playability” or “ease of playing” involves more than “set-up factors”.

Neck profile, depth and width of neck, fretboard radius or lack thereof, and fret height & width are other big factors. For easiest playing you need to find, or have made, a mandolin that feels right to you and then have it set up to suit your preferences in action. Makes no difference what you paid for the mandolin. If you’re not happy with the feel of it, the action, and the tone, you won’t find it easy to play.

[JEStanek]

I'm new to mandolin and got myself an Ibanez M510DVS to get started. I lowered the bridge but is there more set up I should do? Can I do it myself or should I take it somewhere? I know I'm just learning chords but I do feel like I have to press down very hard to get good resonance when I strum.

Rob Meldrum's book is a wonderful resource, if you have some experience and some notion of what you're doing and what a good setup feels like. Truthfully as Mark and others may have stated, ease of play has other factors than set up (nut and bridge slots, tuner maintenance, neck relief, action height) like neck angle, neck profile, some technique comes into play as well.

My advice, based on my experience as a novice player and not terribly proficient with tools guy) is if you're brand new to mandolins, and haven't worked with or on stringed instruements, PAY for a good set up first to see what it should feel like then tinker as you feel ambitious. In general, I don't remove all my strings at once when I change them b/c I don't want to stress of placement and angle of my bridge.

Welcome to the cafe, mandolohreyian, we have a bounty of good unsolicited advice to offer. Much of it is very good!

Jamie