Mandolin set up

**fASTBACK** · Jan-31-2017, 10:29pm

Don't know if this is the right place to post this but... So, I am new to mandolins and to the site. I have been playing guitar for a couple of years (maybe I should say that I have been trying to play)I am not very good, but what the heck its a nice hobby. Anyway, recently I saw a Rogue mandolin on craigslist for a decent price ($30.00) and thought I would give it a try. Well the Rogue has a terrible setup so I thought that I would make a few changes. I can and do setups to guitars ( I own 17 in all) including the electric pots, caps and pickups, but I don't have the specs for a mandolin. I did make a change to the strings.

While reading a thread on this site I noticed that Rob Meldrum has written a book on setting up the mandolin. Now the thread was from 2011, but I decided to drop a line to Rob and ask about the book. Well Rob got back to me right away (thanks Rob) and provided me with a copy of his book. I never expected that it would be 49 pages. I haven't read it yet. I plan on printing it tomorrow, but looking forward to reding and digging into the setup.

Well this is why I ended out joining the site. I figured that if people here are that friendly I sure wouldn't mind hanging out with you folks. Maybe I can learn something at the same time.

As I said, I bought a Rogue and now I know I have an interest in learning. Also I think it only fair to tell you folks that I am now looking at a Kentucky KM 140 and I think it may be the one that will be on my buy list. Now I know that it is also an entry level mandolin, but it has good reviews an being as I am retired and on a fixed income it would be the way for me to go. I have seen some decent prices on the net and I will buy from a vendor that will also provide the initial setup. I also expect that the instrument will be well inspected before shipment. I expect that I will order with in the next week or two. I just need to save a few more dollars.

Well this first post turn out a lot longer than I intended. I just wanted to thank Rob for the help.

I'm sure you'll be hearing from me again.

Paul

**Mike Snyder** · Jan-31-2017, 11:24pm

Set the Rogue up. I bought one for a grandson and the set-up was not terrible. I did not need to level the frets, which is the job that takes special tools to be done right. Use the Meldrum book.Get the nut slots right; width,depth, angle back to the tuners. Then the hight above the first fret along with the bridge slotted correctly and seated on the arch top. The Rogue is what it is but is not impossible to make playable. I spent some extra time on the nut because it was crudely formed. The bridge was better formed than I expected and only required some fitting to the arch and easing some sharp edges. Completely playable when presented to my boy. I use acetylene torch cleaning round files to clean up nut/bridge slots, and they are certainly not pro grade. I never rush slots and always end up with playable results. You can have a playable instrument while you save for something nicer.
I have two good mandolins. When they need work I take them to a pro. I require perfection on those. Have fun and let us know how it goes.

**Paul Busman** · Feb-01-2017, 9:09am

You're in for a lot of fun with the mandolin. Even though you're considering buying an already set up Kentucky, learn to do a setup yourself. Mandolin setups need tweaking from time to time.

**CES** · Feb-01-2017, 9:22am

Welcome, and enjoy!

**Tobin** · Feb-01-2017, 9:27am

Definitely do the setup on your Rogue. It's a good learning experience. And definitely step up to a better quality entry-level instrument. Kentucky seems to be the most popular brand for this amongst Cafe users. It will need a setup too, whether you do it yourself or get it done by a reputable vendor.

Only been playing guitar a couple of years, but you own 17 of them? Dang, uh, I'd say you have an accumulation problem! Especially being on a "fixed income". That's a term I've never really understood. I know the common lexicon is such that it is synonymous with "retired", but pretty much everyone lives on a fixed income. I can't just magically increase my paycheck each month; I just have to budge around it. I imagine that's the case for the vast majority of people, whether they are still working or living on a pension. Anyway (sorry for the side track), surely if you discover that the mandolin is to your liking, you could pare down your guitar arsenal to buy a pretty nice mandolin?

**Steve Ostrander** · Feb-01-2017, 9:33am

17 guitars? That's serious case of GAS. And now you've contracted MAS. Luckily, there are lots of helpful people like Rob on this site.

**Mike Conner** · Feb-01-2017, 10:48am

Paul: Please take lots of pcitures and post back here on your experiences. I have benefited greatly from the generous sharing of knowledge here at MC.

Good luck with your setup. It's not that hard to do if you take your time and think it through.
//mike

**Br1ck** · Feb-02-2017, 1:51am

I just completed what I believe is the last go around setting up my $199.00 MK. It was pretty good, but I was going to re scoop the Florida next string change, so I took another look at the frets. I have been really conservative with the frets. Today I yanked two frets out because the sweet spot was still just over the transition of the scooped Florida. I got the neck flat as I could, and with a straight edge, determined the upper frets beyond the 12th were still too high. Aggressively took them down, scooped the Florida where the two frets weretaken out, and reset the intonation. It now plays cleanly up the fretboard. I've learned a lot through the process.

What strikes me the most is how the tone has improved the better I got the action. I think the high frequency of the notes can mask the fact that there might be slight fret contact with the strings. Or at least my 66 year old ears can't hear it. Once things are right, all the notes gain clarity.

**fASTBACK** · Feb-03-2017, 8:42am

Hey thanks for all of the great feedback. First a quick comment on fixed income. Most of us don't have a good understanding of the term "fixed income" until we get there. One difference is the fact that I can't change job, get a promotion or ask for a raise. I have been at the same rate for the last 13 years. Oh, I did retire at age 54, I was one of the lucky ones. I'm 68 now.

Yes, I have a few guitars, but no Gibson or Martins. I do have a few Fender, but neither is American made. I have bought through Craigslist at what I feel are decent prices. All without exception have received a set up (by me) to improve the action etc. This included leveling the frets. I have made a few of my own tools for doing this process. I have a small hobby machine shop as well as a woodworking shop. Oh, and I have sold a couple along the way to help with the purchase of new ones. I most recently sold a amp to have some funds to put toward a mandolin. I am waiting to save enough for my mandolin right now I am thinking that a Kentucky model will be good for me. I think it will either be a KM 140 or 150. I like the idea of a solid wood mandolin so the KM 150 may be the best choice.

To answer the question about setting up the Rogue, yes, I plan on doing a set up as soon as I get a chance. Now that I have Rob's book I have all the information I need to make it right. One of the reasons I want to up grade is I just do not like the plywood top. All I can say is time will tell. I will keep it with the hope that my son will also be interested. He does play guitar.

Out of the list of guitars I only have 3 that are acoustic. Of these, I bought one in 1995 when I thought I would give playing a try, but never had the time to really get into it so it just sat in a closet in the case. This guitar is a Yamaha the FG 461S, I bought it brand new, now that I think of it.

I'll try and take pictures as I move along.

Again thanks for all of the input and support.

Paul

**fASTBACK** · Feb-05-2017, 7:14pm

Well today I set aside some time to set up the Rogue. I checked all the measurements before I started at both the bridge and the nut. The bridge was so high at the 12th fret it would give you a nose bleed. The highest at this point was .079 and the lowest was .065, way to high. Using Rob's book I started with the bridge and fitted it to the top's radius. I was able to get the numbers down about .010. I then worked on the saddle it was already set at it lowest setting, but was bottomed out at the base so I needed to remove approximately .030. I also did some filing of the saddle seats in order to lower the saddle even more. This part the journey went well. I then moved to the nut and had to do some filing (I have machinist files that fit the slots well. I dropped the G strings to .013, they started out .031. Sometime ago I made a dial indicator jig for setting the action on my guitars. This is what I use to check the action and nut on the Rogue. OK, so the D strings were right on at .013, but I did have to lower the A and E strings the E about .020 and the A around .015. Once this was done I used some powdered graphite to lube the string slots. OK, now great everything is done now its time to tune er up. Everything was going great then the nut just broke off at the G string. I could not believe it. So I did not want to wast a lot of time so I went to Guitar Center (about 2 miles away) Guess what, they don't have any could not even find any on the net. Well that leaves me with a couple of choices make a new one out of bone or maybe just use an old guitar nut and re-purpose it. I guess I could also go to Pet co and get a dog bone and cut one, but that stinks. So guitar nut it is, but not today I want to watch the Pats win the bowel.

More to come, Paul

**Rob Meldrum** · Feb-07-2017, 3:29pm

You've made a good start with the Rogue. Search on Ebay - I have gotten ten or so bone nuts in one purchase for very little money. I think it worked out to one or two dollars per nut. You have the right tools to make a new nut and have a few left over for future projects.

The problem with the Rogue nuts (same issue with other inexpensive mandolins) is that they are made from plastic and it doesn't take much to break them.

Don't give up now!

**Br1ck** · Feb-09-2017, 8:57pm

I try to keep some nut blanks around for such occasions.

Do yourself a favor and stretch your budget for a KM 150. They do come up used here in the classifieds because we tend to upgrade.