I always thought string should wrap down as that helps with break angle over the nut.
You have to pull the windings up toward the hole while tightening, and before tight. That should do it. I gotta use my fingernails. Hope this helps.
Yep. My first thought was "fingernails".
The wraps in the photo ARE going down from the initial wrap but would normally slide UP TO the inital wrap. That both looks neat AND leaves no slack for later loosening when the string slides up on its own.
Some may not be aware: More modern designs have a concave surface, as in ) (, which causes the wraps to snug up pretty much automatically.
- Ed
"Then one day we weren't as young as before
Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
But by all those roads, my friend, we've travelled down
I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you."
- Ian Tyson
You have to guide it when tightening.
Kentucky KM-805..........2 Hora M1086 Portuguese II(1 in car)
Hora M1088 Mandola.....
Richmond RMA-110..... .Noname Bearclaw
Pochette Franz Janisch...5 Pocket............Alfredo Privitera pocket
Puglisi Pocket 1908........Puglisi 1912.......Puglisi 1917
3 Mandolinetto ..............C.Garozzo
1 Mandriola...................Cannelo G. Mandriola...Böhm Waldzither 1921
Johs Møller 1945............Luigi Embergher Studio 1933
Marma Seashell back......Luigi Embergher 5bis 1909
I use my fingernail to get the winds contacting each other. And as already mentioned it's better to have the string coming off the bottom of the post when tuned up for the greatest break angle across the nut.
Z
Member since 2003!
Yes, it bothers me. (Heavily opinionated tirade to follow.)
The tuners that were used on Loar-signed mandolins had straight string posts rather than the far superior capstan-shaped posts of other tuners. In popular opinion, since it was that way on the Loars then it must be better, so since Waverly tuners are made to resemble the old Loar tuners at first glance, they replicated the straight posts.
I complain about it realizing that there is nothing else I can do about it.
In the grand scheme of things it doesn't really matter. If the mandolin can be tuned that is the important thing. A few extra string wraps on the post help keep the string from slipping, and even with the windings spaced poorly and randomly on the posts the tuners do their job of tuning the strings.
John Hamlett
www.hamlettinstruments.com
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Make a difference? If there is a bit of slop, sure the decreased lever arm of a low last turn could make tuning a bi easier, especially if there are no bushings and wear in the wood. My antiques, no bushings, actually can get hard to turn if the post is pulled off vertical, so I put in metal shims where needed.
When I really go over the edge, I might lathe turn the ‘modern’ shape into the old post and even get better ratio that way. Not there yet.
Your picture is more or less how mine look. As others mentioned, you can nudge the wraps down as you are tightening the wound strings so the wraps don’t overlap and potentially contact the wraps on an adjoining post. The plain strings seem to take care of themselves.
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