Mandovation #5

i was lookin at my mandolin, and i noticed the bridge didnt fit as good as it could, i went searching through the house for some chalk. no chalk. i searched for a grease pencil, none to be found. i thought about using lipstick, my ladies not mine, (i wouldnt use mine for that hehe) then thought thats not a good idea either.....
that face powder stuff though, lemme tell ya, works like a charm. #dabbed some on the top with my pinky smoothed a thin layer of it on there, and put the bridge on it and pushed it down a lil and slide it back about a micron.

it left the stuff on the bottom of the bridge where it touched, and i proceded to scrape it off with a razor blade, then put the base back on the top and repeated. i did this till i got a nice tight fit. #i dont know if it is common practice to use a razor blade for this but it worked really good. plenty of controll over how much i took off, miniscule amounts at a time.. i cant tell if it sounds different but it sounds good!

of course my lady came down stairs to see what i was doing, and said "did #you have to use THAT ONE!" #
she doesnt wear lots of make up or anything, but she has it, enough of it (but what do i know about that) and of course id pick the one she cares about! #

so if you aint got any chalk, or a grease pencil, but you have a lady around the house, you're in business!!

[buddyellis]

You always grab the wrong one too? :-D

[Bob Denton]

I recently refit my bridge using the manly man's method...epoxy.

I got the bridge close with sand paper and then put a thck layer of slow cure epoxy on the bridge, covered it with a thin strip of silcone release paper and put the bridge exactly in position. I had 4 strings on the mand and set them up about 1/4 normal tension. Not enough to deform the top or bridge, but enough to make a firm contact with the top and drive out the excess epoxy. When the epoxy is set, cut away and sand off the excess and you ave an airtight perfect fit.

Last night at a gig, I had the mando out for the first time since I set it up and everyone wanted to know what happeend to it, it was so much louder and tonal. I think the extra cure time enhanced the sound even more than when it initially cured.

No whining woman telling me that I used her favorite epoxy either!

Cya!

no speech the next day either..