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Thread: Work on ld mandolin-banjo

  1. #1
    Registered User Niavlys's Avatar
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    Default Work on ld mandolin-banjo

    Hi,

    I just got an old mandolin-banjo that I've been showing in that thread: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...mandolin-banjo in the hope that I might get some informations about it. My question here isn't exactly about repair, since the instrument is relatively playable, it's more about global improvement.

    I have two issues:
    – The length of the frets exceed the width of the neck, making sliding down or up the neck a quite harmful thing to do. Plus, they seem to be "square" on the top, not rounded, making every little slide rather unpleasant to the finger. What would be a simple, efficient and safe way to deal with this?

    – The tone seems kind of muffled, more and more as I go up the neck, on all strings except on the string A that is not doubled because the other A was broken when I got it. The tone is remarkably better on this single A. Is this a coincidence, or should I remove every "second string?" in order to get a more direct and clear tone out of this instrument?

    Thanks in advance,
    Niavlys

  2. #2

    Default Re: Work on ld mandolin-banjo

    The Problems with your instrument are pretty typical of instruments of that age. I would highly recommend that you go to frets.com and read about setting up your banjo. Your fretboard has shrunk, and yes, your frets can be filed to meet the edge of your fretboard. Your frets can be "rounded". The angle of your pot (skin head) needs adjusting a bit, again a common problem with old banjos caused by a bent dowel stick. It is also likely that your neck may be bent a bit and that can be straightened. I have also found that on some old instruments that the instrument has never been properly set up and the nut can be way too high. You don't have a problem. you have lots of problems. But they are all fixable. You can either do it yourself or have a luthier do it for $. But if you do it yourself make sure you don't just start hacking away at it without reading about setting up your mando. Your strings, though old, are not the problem. They simply tell you that you have problems with the set up of your instrument.

    I just took a look at the photo... What a beauty.... Lucky guy! Anyway no matter what you decide to do, read frets.com on setting up your instrument. that will tell you whether you have big problems or small and whether you should do them yourself or have a luthier do it.
    Last edited by bart mcneil; Sep-29-2014 at 6:33am.

  3. #3
    Registered User Niavlys's Avatar
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    Default Re: Work on ld mandolin-banjo

    I'm realizing I was very tired, almost sleeping, when I wrote this post, hence the weird title, possibly weird English, and unclear informations...

    Thanks for sending me to frets.com, I didn't know this site and it looks like a great source of informations.

    If I understand correctly what a dowel stick is, then my instrument doesn't have one.

    I will try to file the frets, that's maybe the biggest playability issue right now.

    I don't think the nut is too high, actually the G strings were buzzing a lot when I first tried it (picking the empty string). I tightened the head because it was very visibly deformed by the bridge, and this way I managed to get rid of the buzzing almost completely. But the strings are still very close to the zero-fret (almost touching it) while they are 3-4mm away from the fingerboard at the other end of it. So if I straighten the neck, I guess I will have to lift the nut a little bit, right? How to straighten the neck anyway?

    About the A string (single) souding much better than the others (doubled), here is a demo recording, to make myself clear. I'm playing an Irish tune, then small major scales on different strings, followed by another tune. It should be clear where the A string is...


    I'm wanting to cut one of the strings, just to see if all of a sudden its twin sister will be sounding better, as is the A string...

  4. #4

    Default Re: Work on ld mandolin-banjo

    My apologies I think I was confusing your instrument with another instrument with similar problems but built quite differently.

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    Registered User Bill Snyder's Avatar
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    Default Re: Work on ld mandolin-banjo

    The strings should be touching the zero fret. If they are not touching it then it is not doing what it is intended to do.
    Bill Snyder

  6. #6
    Registered User Niavlys's Avatar
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    Default Re: Work on ld mandolin-banjo

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Snyder View Post
    The strings should be touching the zero fret. If they are not touching it then it is not doing what it is intended to do.
    Sorry, I must have been sleeping again, of course they are touching the zero-fret, what I meant was that they are almost touching the first fret: (especially the G strings)

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    Last edited by Niavlys; Oct-01-2014 at 5:24am.

  7. #7
    Registered User Niavlys's Avatar
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    Default Re: Work on ld mandolin-banjo

    I think I would be worth replacing the bridge, too.

  8. #8
    Registered User Bill Snyder's Avatar
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    Default Re: Work on ld mandolin-banjo

    You would not adjust the nut height because if you raise the nut enough to get the action higher at the first fret you will undoubtedly raise the string above the zero fret as well. You will need to replace the zero fret in order to raise the action at the first fret.
    Bill Snyder

  9. #9
    Registered User Niavlys's Avatar
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    Default Re: Work on ld mandolin-banjo

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Snyder View Post
    You will need to replace the zero fret in order to raise the action at the first fret.
    Hmm, you're right.
    I may visit my luthier next Saturday, I'm gonna ask about this. I prefer to do the work myself as much as possible, but he will probably have some good advices (and the frets, strings, etc.).

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