Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 51 to 60 of 60

Thread: My New Baby

  1. #51
    Teacher, repair person
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Southeast Tennessee
    Posts
    4,078

    Default Re: My New Baby

    For goodness sake, man, liberate a few bucks from your wallet and buy a couple of sets of strings.

  2. The following members say thank you to rcc56 for this post:


  3. #52
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: My New Baby

    Oh, I got some. Just got to take the time to put them on. Among other things, I'm trying to learn Toto's "Africa" for a wedding Tuesday. It's taking longer than I'd like. They're getting married at 4:20 on 4/20. For some reason this is their song.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  4. #53
    Registered User Louise NM's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    New Mexico
    Posts
    826

    Default Re: My New Baby

    Are the wedding couple millennial? There is some bizarre millennial obsession with "Africa."

    Fingers crossed that there is an incredible tone somewhere inside your new/old Gibson. Even if it had been played plenty, it may have been sitting unloved on the top shelf of someone's closet for the last 40 years. The right strings and pick, along with some time to acclimate to your climate, and it will sing.

  5. #54
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: My New Baby

    OK, here are sound samples of each mandolin. This should give you some idea of why I'm perplexed.

    First, a brief melody using the fretboard from the open G up to the 10th fret on the E string. Then the open G chord, and the bluegrass chop G. Finally, the open D chord and my inversion invention D, 11-0-0-10, patent pending, which is a good test of intonation.

    The A sounds fuller, richer, deeper to me, with longer sustain. The A4 is supposed to better all around, but it sounds thinner, lighter, more trebly. I'll experiment with strings tomorrow and repost if that makes a difference.
    Attached Files Attached Files
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  6. #55
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: My New Baby

    Quote Originally Posted by Louise NM View Post
    Are the wedding couple millennial? There is some bizarre millennial obsession with "Africa."
    That's a riot! Mentions some of the very problems I have with it, like the line about Kilimanjaro. "Rising like Olympus" is actually an insult - Kilimanjaro is twice as tall. Moreover, Kilimanjaro is ranked fourth in terms of prominence - a measure of how it relates to its surroundings - while Olympus is 138th. So ... yeah. And as Porcaro says, and I believed, it's written from the viewpoint of a white guy who's never been to Africa. It just doesn't ring true. That said, the chorus has a killer hook. I figure, whatever we do, as long as we nail that, we're golden.

    Oh, and no, I think they're Gen X, early 30s.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  7. The following members say thank you to journeybear for this post:


  8. #56
    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Richmond, Virginia
    Posts
    7,635

    Default Re: My New Baby

    I'm currently using EXP74cm, which have the 11.5 E string.

    Then too, I like the Heavy Starks.

    How's the bridge fit?

    f-d
    ˇpapá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!

    '20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A

  9. The following members say thank you to fatt-dad for this post:


  10. #57
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Saint Augustine Beach FL
    Posts
    6,634

    Default Re: My New Baby

    JB, so you found a new baby.......




    Play her in good health!
    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

  11. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Charles E. For This Useful Post:


  12. #58
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: My New Baby

    OK, well, turns out my old bridges are not where I thought they were. See, I moved last year, which meant realigning from a five room apartment into two rooms of an apartment. So there's a lot of stuff that is still unpacked, and things that don't get used too often are still that way. I had the important stuff packed just so, in little boxes inside big boxes - some sort of attempt at order among the chaos - but even though I thought I knew just where they were, seems I don't. I considered putting the bridge from the 1935 A-00 on the A-4, but I don't think that'd be an improvement. And anyway, the prong from the pickguard that goes into the hole in the bridge might be in the way. So, not right now. See if the old bridges turn up.

    But I did put on new strings, and they do make a difference. Enough of a one? You decide.

    PS: Oh, I found out about the little mini-bridges in the bridge. What the? I took off the old E strings and heard a little clunk ... and what's this lying there? I thought I broke it. Yeesh! What's the purpose of those? String spacing? Different ones with different offsets for adjusting intonation? Something else to make seriously obsessed collectors drool?
    Attached Files Attached Files
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  13. #59
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Silver Spring, MD
    Posts
    269

    Default Re: My New Baby

    Journey,

    The small moveable string saddles were explained way back in posting #7 in your thread. They are mainly to adjust the intonation.

    Which sets of strings have you tested on the A4? Inquiring minds want to know.

    Again, be careful swapping bridges between instruments, they are not interchangeable. We’ve covered that as well. Every bridge needs to be fitted, you risk damaging the instrument top if the curve isn’t exactly right, not to mention that the sound can be affected.

    Mark
    Mark Lynch

  14. #60
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,346
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: My New Baby

    Aha. Now I get it. Thanks. So I guess you're saying I should switch the A strings bridge-let around, as they are indeed not wound. What was on it weren't wound either, so it seems adjusting that would be in order.

    I don't know for sure what strings were on there. I think GHS, as inside the case there was a string envelope with some writing on it, including gauges. I believe that was from a shop, indicating what they had done regarding set-up or maintenance. I've got it around here, somewhere ... So that's what you heard in the first sound sample. The one I did yesterday was after I'd put on D'Addario J74s, my usual brand. I think it's an improvement, but still not optimal.

    I understand about swapping out bridges willy-nilly. What I'm looking for is the original bridge off my plain A when I had the Fishman bridge installed. I figured that would be appropriate. This might have to wait until I can get it to my luthier. Oh, and when I find the blessed thing.

    By the way, the bridge does seem to be in the proper place for intonation. I haven't done a full-on check yet, but the fretted notes and harmonics line up very well.
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •