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Thread: 1930's Radiotone Tail piece and Stringing?

  1. #1

    Question 1930's Radiotone Tail piece and Stringing?

    Hi all

    Posted on the builders and repairs page around Christmas time about a mandolin I'd picked up for free and needed some love to be played (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...plete-overhaul)
    I've cleaned the base instrument and wood up, was going to take the mandolin down to a tech to be strung for the first time, but money and time hasn't allowed me to. I wanted to give it a go myself.

    The tail piece is pictured below. This is my first mandolin, but from comments on the last post I made it's not a common design,and there's no obvious pattern to stringing it in my eyes. If anyone has any tips for setting the position of the bridge also, I'd love to hear
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Any kind people out there who can help, or point me in the direction of another web page with information?

    Thanks

    Stuart

  2. #2
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: 1930's Radiotone Tail piece and Stringing?

    My logical Guess: use the top hooks for 8 strings, if the set up is for just 4 strings, use the Lower 4..

    12th fret is the half way point, the Octave of the vibrating string (physics)
    so The 0 ->12 is = to the 12th to bridge.
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  3. #3
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: 1930's Radiotone Tail piece and Stringing?

    Looks to me like you have sort of a "hybrid" tailpiece, which could accommodate either eight or twelve strings, depending on what instrument it was attached to. Since you have an eight-string, I'd use the two hooks closest to the top for each course (pair) of strings. as Mandroid suggests. You could also use one "high" and one "low" hook for each course, if you prefer to have the strings a bit closer together below the bridge. Your call.

    You can start by positioning the bridge so that the distance from the nut to the 12th (octave) fret, is the same as the distance from the 12th fret to the bridge. Then you can "fine tune" it a bit by sounding a harmonic (the little chiming note you get when you just touch the string, not pressing it down to the fret) at the 12th fret, and comparing it to the fretted note. Since strings are stretched a bit "sharp" when pressed down to the fretboard, the bridge may have to be tweaked a bit to get the fretted notes in tune.
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  4. #4
    Mandolin Dreams Unlimited MysTiK PiKn's Avatar
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    Default Re: 1930's Radiotone Tail piece and Stringing?

    Yup, what Allen said. If it plays flat or sharp, you just increase/decrease the distance to the 12th from bridge - slightly. It's pretty touch. You can also tweak the bridge, or saddle if any, by adjusting where the string contacts and ramps over the saddle, if any. Basic physics - at tension, a shorter string is a higher note /or vice versa - longer is lower note. Get the outer strings right, and the rest will be close enough - or - you ramp the saddle. Think before you file, or sand.
    Note you may have to "fit" the bridge feet to the top, before all of the above. You need "fit" before anything else.

    Also wait a few days to see if the "fit" holds, or if the dreaded 'top collapse/sag' happens. Top sag likely would require back removal to fix. The chances of collapse or sag is directly related to quality of solid wood and/or top bracing and/or tone bars which might serve a secondary function as a "brace" - usually tone bars are designed to improve/modify "tone". But they do help reinforce top.

    Clear as mud? yes, everything matters to a greater or lesser extent. go slow and observe. The next time will be easier. Don't lose patience, walk away, think and observe, repeat. You will learn a lot of stuff this way. Three guesses how I know this. It's really not that bad; and in the end, you do the best you can.

    I usually refer people to: (tons of info)
    www.frets.com
    or
    http://www.lutherie.net/luthlinks.html

    = The Loar, LM700VS c.2013 = "The Brat"
    = G. Puglisi, "Roma" c.1907 = "Patentato" - rare archBack, canted top, oval
    = Harmony, Monterrey c.1969 = collapsed ply - parts, testing, training, firewood.


    "The intellect is a boring load of crawp. Aye. Next wee chune".

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