Contact pickups and cheap mandolins

[bob_mc]

I play in a band with multiple electric guitars, bass and keys and use a solid top Rover (25S). I use the JJB Prestige pickups into a Fire Eye preamp and then into PA.

The Rover is overbuilt to a fault and is not a pleasant sounding instrument by itself. But, between the thick finish and thickness of the top it does resist feedback better than my old carved top Epiphone. It has also proven to be virtually indestructible and impervious to drunks, poor handling, and being knocked over.

Last night the keyboard player was not at rehearsal so the 'mix' was different; I could swear that I the signal from the PA was out of tune with what I could hear directly from the mandolin. Checked and rechecked my tuning with no improvement.

Is it possible that direct mounted pickups on a thick/steamed top captures false/distorted notes?

[Tavy]

Last night the keyboard player was not at rehearsal so the 'mix' was different; I could swear that I the signal from the PA was out of tune with what I could hear directly from the mandolin. Checked and rechecked my tuning with no improvement.

Is it possible that direct mounted pickups on a thick/steamed top captures false/distorted notes?

I would doubt it, but it might filter some frequencies more than others. Do you have a plug in tuner you can use to compare to the "acoustic" tuner? Or failing that you could probably feed the signal from the mandolin into an online tuner app with a bit of jiggery-pokery?

[bob_mc]

Tavy,

I do use a plug in tuner; it's in the effects loop of the Fire-Eye.