Mandola, Octave Mandolin, Bouzouki: On Using a Capo

Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2004 17:59:47 GMT

Mickey,
I'm playing a Johnson MA-550 octave mando that I bought on EBay a few months ago - I was happy to know that the previous (and original) owner bought it new from you guys a year or two back.
I know that you guys set up the mando when you sold it, but I'm concerned about the seemingly low action. It's great that it's easy to play, but I get a buzz all over the neck when I play hard. Accepting that some buzz is part of the octave sound, do you think raising the action would help eliminate buzz that results from hard playing and give me more volume? How do I raise the action with a fixed bridge? I see you've mentioned a truss rod accessible through the peghead, but I'm not sure how to go about adjusting that. What about elevating the nut?
Thanks a lot - your website and advice have been great resources for me.
Andy Hatch

Greetings Andy,

Raising the action will minimize some of the buzzing and, yes, it will increase volume to a degree...however, the character of the octave is to have some string rattle noise...also called transient noise...this rattle adds the character to the overall tone making it unmistakably an octave (this is also true for bouzoukis)...

Raising an action on an Octave can be quite difficult due to the bridge being stationary...and finding another one that's higher can also be difficult...if your neck is relatively straight, the truss rod adjustment wouldn't be recommended...

Elevating the nut will only make it difficult to play in open positions....for, when fretting, the bridge would still be the main influence on the buzzing...

My ultimate suggestion would be to take it to a qualified repair technician...there are too many variables to consider when adjusting the action or adjusting a truss rod...one detail, or adjustment, out of sync can cause other problems...

Mickey

Subject: Johnson Octave Mando
Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2004 22:22:28 -0500

Hello,
Although I did not buy my Johnson octave mando from you, perhaps you could give me the benefit of your experience.
After about a year the top of my instrument is slowly giving way under the bridge. Is this a common problem? Can it be fixed without taking the top off? Does your company do this kind of repair?
Thank you for any guidance you can give.
Dave Chase

Greetings Dave,
This can happen to any Octave Mandolin....and fortunately, there is a good potential fix:

One of the quickest fixes on this type of cave-in, would be to install a Bridge Doctor...we've repaired many guitars with this problem...only, we haven't repaired an Octave to date...I'm sure it can be done. You might want to call us about our Bridge Doctor option...one of our luthiers can give you a rundown on how they're installed and how they improve the tone and how they prevent top problems...
If your Octave was purchased less than a year ago, you should return it to Music Link Corp for repair...since it does have a 1-year warranty...
Wishing you the best in your research efforts, Mickey