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Thread: Bridge upgrade on new Eastman mando?

  1. #26
    Registered User tassiespirit's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bridge upgrade on new Eastman mando?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sue Rieter View Post
    I'm not even playing my Kentucky 200S (first mandolin) much any more (though I might take it on vacation), yet reading this thread, I feel a strange compulsion to upgrade the bridge anyway. Both me and a darned good luthier have fiddled around with the existing bridge, but I keep wondering if it could be better....

    This is entirely separate from MAS, BTW
    You won't know unless you try, and anyway, you not going to make it worse are ya?
    The old Kentucky may get a new lease on life and surprise you, and be great for the holiday mando.
    Allan Midgley
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    A good woman, fine wine and my mandolin, what else do I want............money would be nice.

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  3. #27
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    Default Re: Bridge upgrade on new Eastman mando?

    Thanks all - lots of interesting comments. I'm mostly a fiddle player, but over many years I've played and owned multiple examples of maybe a dozen different types of instruments. Upgrading to a single luthier instrument is something that most aspire to, and I've done it in the past. In the case of violins, you get an instrument that looks wonderful, has more character and history, costs maybe 10 times as much, and if you're lucky sounds 10-15% better, than a carefully chosen workshop instrument with a top class setup. In the classical violin world, history can easily cost you 10 times as much again (going from say $10K to $100K), for an instrument that plays no better and is a lot more fragile. If that's what you want, that's great. For me, though, going the workshop route enables me to afford to play a wider variety of instruments. I can play my boring grey but great sounding Luis & Clarke carbon fiddle outside in the rain if I want - and if I could find a good sounding and affordable carbon mandolin I'd buy one of those too.

    I've listened to every YouTube video I can find on every model of Eastman mandolins, on headphones and on hifi speakers. Some of the the shops are pretty good at recording their demos very consistently on high quality equipment (thanks for that). Within those limitations, I prefer the sound of the Eastman 315 mandolin to the higher price models - for my purposes. To me it sounds more woody and more folky than the 505 upwards - which is what I'm looking for now. I wonder if the matt finish of the 315 have anything to do with that? Max

  4. #28
    Registered User Nick Gellie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bridge upgrade on new Eastman mando?

    Max. I tried out an Eastman 505 Comfort with satin finish. It may have been the mandolin. I sent it back. Instead I got a 505 classic with gloss finish. It has a good woody rounded tone with nice bell-like trebles. It has the wide frets too like the 505 comfort CC. So while the videos point you in one direction, my experience pointed me in the other direction. Good luck with your choice.
    Nic Gellie

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