Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 26 to 37 of 37

Thread: Heavy tailpiece, Cumberland bridge, deer antler nut and saddle?

  1. #26
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2022
    Location
    Fayettnam, NC (unfortunately)
    Posts
    177

    Default Re: Heavy tailpiece, Cumberland bridge, deer antler nut and saddl

    Also learned today Ken Ratliff has a just completed Econo A with upgraded hardware at his shop for $1750. I know they sound great and have the V shaped neck I like. But I need to play one. Wish I lived closer.

  2. #27
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    S.W. Wisconsin
    Posts
    7,507

    Default Re: Heavy tailpiece, Cumberland bridge, deer antler nut and saddl

    Quote Originally Posted by Snakum View Post
    Also learned today Ken Ratliff has a just completed Econo A with upgraded hardware at his shop for $1750. I know they sound great and have the V shaped neck I like. But I need to play one. Wish I lived closer.
    I think you would be out the shipping (both ways) if you didn't like the neck or the mandolin. Talk to Ken.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

  3. #28
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Fort Lauderdale, FL
    Posts
    3,858

    Default Re: Heavy tailpiece, Cumberland bridge, deer antler nut and saddl

    Quote Originally Posted by Mainer73 View Post
    I highly recommend CA bridges. All 3 of my mandolins have received these due to my luthier's recommendation and positive experience back in the early 2000s. Some will argue that the tone doesn't improve in every instrument. I believe many do, but also they're much easier to adjust than many cheaper bridges and have correctly proportioned saddles and bases, which many do not. As upgrades go, they're relatively inexpensive as well.
    I don’t think that anyone is questioning the quality of CA bridges, or the importance of fitting one properly to a mandolin’s top, only whether the OP would be better served by hotrodding his current MK or putting that money towards an eventual upgrade.
    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
    2005 National RM-1
    2007 Hester A5
    2009 Passernig A5
    2015 Black A2-z
    2010 Black GBOM
    2017 Poe Scout
    2014 Smart F-Style Mandola
    2018 Vessel TM5
    2019 Hogan F5

  4. #29
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
    Location
    Hiram, Maine
    Posts
    250

    Default Re: Heavy tailpiece, Cumberland bridge, deer antler nut and saddl

    Quote Originally Posted by pheffernan View Post
    I don’t think that anyone is questioning the quality of CA bridges, or the importance of fitting one properly to a mandolin’s top, only whether the OP would be better served by hotrodding his current MK or putting that money towards an eventual upgrade.
    I know. I was just positing that that would be the most reasonable item to do out of the three regardless of the final disposition of the mando.

  5. #30
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2022
    Location
    Fayettnam, NC (unfortunately)
    Posts
    177

    Default Re: Heavy tailpiece, Cumberland bridge, deer antler nut and saddl

    After comparing it to all these others I don't think it makes sense to change anything at all on it. It's an excellent little mandolin, as it is. I don't want to screw anything up. I'm really surprised how well these Korean MKs really are when properly set up.

  6. #31
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2022
    Location
    Fayettnam, NC (unfortunately)
    Posts
    177

    Default Re: Heavy tailpiece, Cumberland bridge, deer antler nut and saddl

    So the wife just told me to order a Silverangel from Ken. She's awesome.

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


  8. #32
    Lurkist dhergert's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Blue Zone, California
    Posts
    1,867
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default Re: Heavy tailpiece, Cumberland bridge, deer antler nut and saddl

    Congrats!!! Great direction!
    -- 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]

  9. #33

    Default Re: Heavy tailpiece, Cumberland bridge, deer antler nut and saddl

    Congratulations! That's a good upgrade.
    Girouard Concert A5
    Girouard Custom A4
    Nordwall Cittern
    Barbi Mandola
    Crump OM-1s Octave
    www.singletonstreet.com

  10. #34
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2022
    Location
    Fayettnam, NC (unfortunately)
    Posts
    177

    Default Re: Heavy tailpiece, Cumberland bridge, deer antler nut and saddl

    I spent a couple of hours today looking for a builder in NC using the 4allbuilders site. I like to support my local folks when I can. But seems most are out of business or not taking orders right now. So she bought the Silverangel that Ken just finished. It started as an Econo A but has upgraded tuners and some other stuff. From what I've read here on the Cafe I'll love it.

  11. The following members say thank you to Snakum for this post:


  12. #35

    Default Re: Heavy tailpiece, Cumberland bridge, deer antler nut and saddl

    The CA bridge made a BIG difference on my "upper level but still beginner" mandolin. (New about $700). I'm not sure the other changes are worth the $$ on an inexpensive mando.

    And to repeat what many have said: If you are going to upgrade, it is generally advisable to look for a used instrument. If looks are important, some of them can be quite nice looking and in very good condition but you have to look around. And for 2K, you can probably get one that costs 3K when new.

  13. #36
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2022
    Location
    Fayettnam, NC (unfortunately)
    Posts
    177

    Default Re: Heavy tailpiece, Cumberland bridge, deer antler nut and saddl

    The wife already bought me a new Silverangel from Ken Ratliff. I'm going to have him build me one of his Fantasm two-points in translucent jade green this Summer, as well. I already have a few studio dates lined up on upright and mando (even though I'm still a relative newb on mando) and have had two calls already for fill-in work on bass. Going to be a good year.
    Last edited by Snakum; Jan-22-2023 at 12:01am.

  14. #37
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Nov 2022
    Location
    Fayettnam, NC (unfortunately)
    Posts
    177

    Default Re: Heavy tailpiece, Cumberland bridge, deer antler nut and saddl

    Quote Originally Posted by Snakum View Post
    The wife already bought me a new Silverangel from Ken Ratliff. I'm going to have him build me one of his Fantasm two-points in translucent jade green this Summer, as well. I already have a few studio dates lined up on upright and mando (even though I'm still a relative newb on mando) and have had two calls already for fill-in work on bass. Going to be a good year.
    I should clarify that those studio dates are just for demos for the young guy I'm working with where I added mandolin to the scratch tracks we're using to practice the songs. Didn't want it to sound like I was a session guy with my meager 4 months of mandolin skills.

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
  •