Setup The Loar

  1. doboing
    doboing
    Are you using your Loar with the original setup or you changed something? My LM 300 VS had the nut is very high and I proceeded to lower it along the bridge, now more malt is soft but not as you prefer.
  2. billkilpatrick
    i raised the bridge on the treble side to get a more convincing tone. i've ordered a new bridge from cumberland acoustics - i was ok with the original but "big joe" and others say tone will improve with the new one ... we'll see. nothing to do with set-up but i've placed an arm rest on mine (LM-600) and ordered a toneguard, in a "rising sun" design, that should be here by the end of the month (hope-hope.)
  3. Michael Thompson
    Michael Thompson
    Mine was set up by the mandolin store before shipping. I am going to order a cumberland bridge once they're in stock and have my local shop double check the set up while they install the new bridge. I've also ordered a tone gard and a couple different strings to experiment with.

    Bill, does your arm rest seem to make a difference in volume or tone? Or is it just to protect your finish?
  4. billkilpatrick
    arm rest raises the arm off the top - more comfortable, makes for less dampening of sound
  5. mandopaul
    mandopaul
    I had mine set up by Big Joe in TN., sent it by mail. Had the mando fit to a Randy Wood style bridge that i had given him. It also needed a fret level and filing, and nut slot work.
  6. doboing
    doboing
    Ok, I finished the setup! wow that work, I made ​​lots of adjustments, close to the trus rod, lowered the nut and the bridge and I changed the strings with D'Addario FT74. The sliding of the fingers on the strings feel really much less than before. Now the instrument is very soft, no buzz, light, easy and comfortable to play... It appears another instrument!
  7. mfeuerst
    mfeuerst
    I'm going slow with changes to my 600, but I did have Robert Fear do the CA bridge upgrade. Hard to quantify the tone/volume improvement, but IMO it's well worth the cost.
  8. nordian
    nordian
    Just got the LM-700 from Robert Fear at Folk Musician. Got the CA bridge upgrade. The set up and action is excellent. I am really pleased.
  9. Mike Arakelian
    Mike Arakelian
    My 220 came with a reasonably good set up, but I tweaked it a couple of times as it was playing slightly sharp as I moved up the fret board. I also played around with the height of the bridge a little bit on both the bass and the treble side. Most of this was simply because I wanted to tinker with it for "experience". After all of this tinkering, I had a really good set up done by Wes Lambe of Chapel Hill. The action has always been good, now the intonation is spot on and the mandolin sounds and plays great. I wish I had Wes fit an A/C bridge when he did the set up, but I'll put those dollars toward my 600vs.
  10. CliffMac
    CliffMac
    My lm520 came with a wicked set up so other than D'Addario EJ73's no plans on changing anything not sold on the tone guard thing yet waiting for a good comparison then I'll decide.
  11. CliffMac
    CliffMac
    Also I'm interested in the Ashton Bailey tail piece does it make a difference? Has anyone done this upgrade yet?
  12. J Mangio
    J Mangio
    Not long ago, I received my 2020 LM 700 from Music Link; factory set up, out of the case, tuned it up, started the test drive, no adjustments needed, very satisfied.
  13. Old School Eddie
    Old School Eddie
    I set the intonation and lowered the bridge on my LM300 but not low enough. I need to raise the nut about 1mm as the strings buzz on the 1st fret if I lower the bridge to far. After that then I can get the desired height that I would like. I sanded the frets on the edges. Nice and smooth now. I did put some rubber grommets on the tail to stop ringing. The things I will be doing in the very near future is to get an arm rest. I tend to keep my wrist on the bridge. Trying to break that habit. Also I may make a deer antler bridge. For a less expensive Mandolin I am very happy with it ! I have been playing it for about a month now. I am new. lol
  14. J Mangio
    J Mangio
    Enjoy your new Mando.
    The Loar Mandos are a good bang for your buck.
    I rest my wrist on the bridge as well, if that form is good enough for Mike Marshall it works for me.
  15. J Mangio
    J Mangio
    After thinking about it...I don't rest my wrist, I sometimes contact it, but always brush up against the bridge
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