Having difficulty removing tailpiece. Does it move up, or down, or lift? Would hate to cause damage, from absolute beginner.
Having difficulty removing tailpiece. Does it move up, or down, or lift? Would hate to cause damage, from absolute beginner.
I cannot say from the details you omitted..
writing about music
is like dancing,
about architecture
If you are trying to remove the cover from a 2-piece traditional (Gibson) style tailpiece, then you want the cover to slide rearward towards the end-pin/strap peg. If tight or stubborn, hold a small scrap of wood or similar material against the pointy front edge of cover and tap the block with something like a small hammer to dislodge it.
Old Hometown, Cabin Fever String Band
If it's a Gibson style stamped tailpiece look at this video. Note: I just Googled the model, follow the video below.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Thanks, my bargain mandolin is now playable.
J Garber (re bargain instruments) cannot have been a beginner at anything. How do you know if you'll 'take' to something (actually playing a mandolin, as opposed to listening to one/them) unless you try learning to play it, with positivity? In which case, would you purchase a $1,000 or $100 mandolin to start off with?
I'm happy it's now playable. Mr. Garber, a dear friend of mine and long time Cafe member has provided sage advice when buying an instrument. It's not how much you spend on an instrument it's whether or not you can actually play them. If you are uncertain about a musical instrument try to find someone you know that has a little knowledge of the subject and purchase from people that will actually set the instrument up so that it's playable.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Interesting discussion in the last two posts, around somewhat different interpretations of "can't play them."
Clearly, a beginner "can't play" the instrument he/she's starting to learn on -- not yet, anyway. Prudence would counsel that the beginner not invest an unreasonable sum, in an instrument that he/she may not "take to," or ever learn to play satisfactorily. While perhaps the term "bargain" is a bit misleading, a modestly-priced, well-set-up mandolin or other instrument would be, in most cases, a wise choice.
But, of course, the other interpretation of "can't play them," is that the instrument's unplayable, basically defective in construction or condition, and therefore being sold at a bargain price. Many beginners, trying to be careful with their money, have purchased instruments so hard to play, that they ended up discouraged, and never mastered the necessary techniques. My old boss Eldon Stutzman used to say of some "bargain" guitars, "Segovia couldn't get any music out of them." I think that type of "bargain instrument" is what the Garber quote is referring to.
Each one of us learned on a mandolin that, at first, we couldn't play. Some of us learned on instruments that, as we look back, we're surprised that we were able to play, enough to learn the basics -- pawn-shop prizes, mail-order gems with no maker's labels, ancient "cheapos" exhumed from someone's attic, "mandolin shaped objects" from eBay. I found a 'teens Gibson A-1 in my grandfather's attic, lucky me! Not everyone gets that kind of good fortune.
So, you're both right, IMHO.
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
Gosh, talk about putting my foot (up to the 'neck') in it. Hopefully, my mandolin falls into the playable category. At the moment, as a beginner, I can't confirm that one way or the other. Time will tell, I trust.
IMHO, you, (Allen Hopkins) are quite right! There are usually at least 2 sides to a 'discussion', every black has its white, is that woke? Hope so. My attic doesn't exist, but my original desire for its beauty, was a bowl-back. Heck, what a mistake that would have been for a beginner regarding playability, and ease of play.
I think you have a future in the Diplomatic Corp.
Sue D, just to bolster your confidence a little, your problem with the tailpiece was not at all unusual for someone starting out. They don't look like they will come apart.
Now, a question for you: Were you just curious, or do you need to change the strings? Changing strings IS a little more complicated and you may want/need more help with that.
Just ask; as you've seen, there's plenty of help to be had here.
-- Don
"Music: A minor auditory irritation occasionally characterized as pleasant."
"It is a lot more fun to make music than it is to argue about it."
2002 Gibson F-9
2016 MK LFSTB
1975 Suzuki taterbug (plus many other noisemakers)
[About how I tune my mandolins]
[Our recent arrival]
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
One of the great mistakes that parents make when they have a child that wants to learn an instrument is to go out and buy the cheapest instrument available in case the child doesn't take to the instrument. In most cases that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because many instruments are sold that just aren't easy to play. The child attempts to learn but the limitations of the instrument make it nearly impossible. As adults we can do the same thing to ourselves. You don't have to spend a ton of money on an instrument to begin with but life is a little easier when you can actually push down a string without making your fingers bleed. There is a member of the Cafe named Rob Meldrum that created an e-book on how to setup an inexpensive mandolin. He chose the Rogue mandolin from Musicians Friend/Guitar Center as the base for his book but the methods used to do the setup will work on any mandolin. Someone will surely pop in and give you his e-mail address. I'd suggest you ask for the e-book just to familiarize yourself with what needs to be done.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
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