Questions Regarding Trinity College Bouzouki and Octave Mando
Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2005 20:48:27 -0900
Subject: Trinity COllege Octave Mandolin
I've got a couple questions regarding the Trinity College Octave Mandolin.
Greetings Bob,
I'm glad to assist you:
I think I've got it narrowed down between the TC Octave and the Fender. If you have any insights on how the two compare, I'd be interested. They basically have the same dimensions. Solid wood bodies. I think the Fender is also made in Korea (but I'm not sure).
I myself am unsure of the Fender...we don't carry them here...
1. How deep is the body on the TC?
The depth of the body is 3 inches...
2. How much is shipping to Alaska? (zip code = 99507)
Shipping to Alaska via Standard would be 35.00...you might opt for Express to get it quicker.
3. How much would it cost to put a pickup in the TC? (Do you guys even do that?)
Yes, we install a variety of pick-up systems...the best one we've found to date is the Schatten...it's the most sensitive. We still recommend a pre-amp in between your sound reinforcement.
We install your pick-up of choice for 150.00...
You guys come highly reccommended. My dad is a good friend of Joey Carmen from Reno. Joey is the one who steered us toward you. :-)
Wow! Joey and I go back a long way...to my earliest days of performing music...Joey and I played many gigs together and went by the name Carmen & Cochran. Even back then, he possessed amazing musicianship! I can't imagine what he sounds like today. I had high hopes of going out to Reno to see him for we were in contact a few years back by e-mail.
If your dad is that close with Joey, I really feel led to help you out further. If you're just starting out on the Octave, consider my "Introduction to the Octave" DVD to be included free...and, be sure to let me know how else I might personally assist. If you call in your order, be sure to let them know that Mickey said that the DVD comes free with your purchase. And, make sure that they only send it with the GHS Octave Strings installed. The strings these come with from the factory sound horrible.
Write me back if you need further assistance...Mickey
Bob F.
Anchorage, AK
Mickey,
Thanks a bunch.
I knew that someone there at FOTW played with Joey years ago. I just couldn't remember who it was! Joey is quite the musician. One of the things I really enjoy is that he's been using a "guitar synthesizer" for the last several years. (Not sure if he had that when you were playing together.) Can make the guitar sound like piano, horns, etc. He was also playing the banjo last time I saw him. He has also become quite a pool player over the last couple years.
This would be my first Octave. I play some mandolin and mostly am thinking of the octave to accompany myself when singing solo. It sounds a lot like a guitar to me and I don't really have to learn new chords! (I don't play guitar.) I have a friend with a Weber, but I don't really think I'll spend that much money. I also like the idea of the shorter scale length on the TC. (I have small hands.)
I'll probably make a decision next week sometime. (I'm hoping to play the Weber again just to check out the reach and such.)
Thanks again!
Bob F.
PS I'll tell Joey "hi". We'll probably see him in May.
Yes, last time he e-mailed me we discussed some of this. When he and I played together, it was strictly acoustic. I can appreciate his branching out...especially when trying to appeal to the large audience he has to reach in Reno. Very impressive stuff...and, with his innate musical sense, I could see him adapting this instrument to a wide array of settings. Can't wait to see him myself...
We had a blast playing back in the early '80s or so...we covered many varieties of styles all around banjo, mandolin and guitar. To this day, I've never seen anyone play "Flight of the Bumblebee" on banjo...he did a phenomenal job arranging this for banjo.
Let me know how else I might assist...Mickey
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2005 04:20:34 EST
Subject: trinity college octave mandolin
what guage of string are used on this octave if not light could light guage be used
on this octave like 10-34
thankyou
Greetings,
We install the GHS Octave Strings on every Trinity College before it ships...for the simple reason that the A strings that come with the Trinity College, from the factory, are unwound (this may change in the future)...hence, we've had to come up with a set that offers far more fatness in tonal range and makes the instrument far easier to tune. These are most definitely the best octave strings I've ever seen, heard or used...my own personal choice...
I'm not in a position to get you the gauges, however, I did list them in our FAQ section somewhere...just not sure where. Please check the following link at:
http://www.folkofthewood.com/page3.htm
Hope this helps...get back with me if you can't find the gauge reference...Maybe tomorrow I can dig up a set for you...Mickey
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 08:56:47 -0700
Greetings Denny,
Glad to assist:
I'm sorry to say I discovered your website only after I had ordered my Trinity College Octave Mandolin. Suffice to say the service I got from your competitor is going to go a long ways toward making your business successful. It's a cinch that your site has replaced his in my favorites! Having a well-known name is no excuse for poor service. OK, enough shameless pandering for your affections. On to the problem. The instrument came probably as it hit the dock off the boat. I'm somewhat familiar with setting up a guitar the way I like it so wasn't too worried about the fact that the bridge and saddle lay in the case underneath the headstock.
Yes, this is how they come straight from the factory...with the bridge in a small plastic bag wrapped with a rubber band...they always come to us ready to be set up...and during the set-up process, we determine the necessary adjustments individually...for each Octave requires different levels of set-up...some require some nut filing whild others need bridge work, and some need filing on both the bridge and nut...
I did the measurements necessary to set the bridge in the starting position on the top of the instrument, got out my electronic tuner and started tuning. The first thing I noticed was that the G course seems terribly loose and rattles when driven much at all.
Yes, this is a common characteristic of Octave Mandolins...there will be some rattling and buzzing on the bass side...these are called transient noises and contribute to the characteristic of the Octave...there are some Octaves, on the high end side, that if set up properly, will not rattle so much...for instance, my Weber Big Sky octave rattles only slightly if at all...on every import I've seen, they all have some rattle and buzzing...especially when driving the bass end...if played with less force, the buzzing is minimal...the buzz and rattle are part of the character of tone offered by the flat style octave...
The neck was a bit swoopy but a quick twist on the truss rod fixed that but didn't help the buzzy G course.
Yes, we've found that many imported celtic Octaves/Zooks/Dolas seem to need some truss rod adjustment...so you were on the right track...once properly adjusted, it's usually not required for years after...
Setting that problem aside for a few minutes I went on to begin to adjust the intonation. Now we do have a problem. Seems no matter where I set the saddle successive notes up the neck grow sharper ending nearly half a tone sharp at the twelfth fret. I&Mac226;ve moved the saddle nearly an inch either way with no change. I've studied the pictures on your website along with the videos of your playing this particular instrument and can't get a hint to the proper location of the saddle. Any suggestions?
We have a complete slide show on installing and intonating a mandolin bridge...which may be of assistance to you for your TC Octave:
http://www.folkofthewood.com/8ppmandobridge/sld001.htm
Judging by your background, this may be too elementay for you and may not address the problem you're having...
One of the first things I would do is replace all of the strings with GHS Octave Strings...we do this on every Octave that arrives in our shop...otherwise, the factory wire sounds horrible...and, the unwound A strings just do not cut it...and, this may also be part of the problem you're having...with wound A strings, it just seems to note truer...and definitely sounds 100 times better!
Hope something here helps you out...Mickey
I'm considering stringing it up with a higher tension set of strings if they are available. It could use a little more volume in the setting where it will be played anyway. Maybe even with octave strings ala the bouzoukis. I'm not much of a stickler for tradition in sacrifice of a good sound. Any help would be appreciated.
Sincerely, Denny Minshall
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2000 10:12:01 -0600
What is the difference between the T.C. octave mandolin and the T.C.
octave mandolin Celtic master? Are they the same instrument?
Yes, they're one and the same...the reason I call it a Celtic Master is because they perform so well within a Celtic Music context...
Also I once spoke with a local instrument dealer who claimed he gave up this line
because they didn't keep their intonation up the neck. Any comments about
this claim?
I wholeheartedly disagree...I've sold over a hundred of these easily, and everyone played perfectly in tune...of course, we put them through our set-up shop to ensure this...We intonate each bouzouki individually and check for an aligned neck...we also make sure that the action is perfect before shipping...a high action can also throw off the intonation due to the distance required to fret the string (which adds tension in turn making the note slightly sharper).
I'm an intermediate level or better mando picker. I play out
and jam often. This past weekend,I had my first opportunity to actually
play an octave mando built by a local luteier named Bernie Lehman
[Rochester,N.Y.]. It was fun,great action[I could play leads no
problem]but I didn't think it projected that well, although this is hard
to tell when your the one playing. Mr. Lehman wants $1600 and 6 to 15
months to build one. I guess what I'm getting at is that maybe I should
be looking for something in between these two instruments. Any comments
or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks for your time and attention...
The nice thing about the Trinity College is that it's a tremendous value at a hell of a discount...it's all solid wood construction and is a workhorse of a mandolin! It does have decent projection due to its thinner body style. Mickey
Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 23:54:37 -0600
I plan on purchasing a Trinity College Bouzouki very soon (early
September.) I have found that your site offers the best price on
Bouzouki, hardshell case and shipping. I note, however, that your web
page lists this price as "Current Sale Price." How long do you intend to
keep this instrument at this price? At least until the end of September
I hope. If so, I look forward to doing business with you soon.
I hesitate to ask this, given your statement on your home page: "Yes,
we're folk of the wood! If we had our choice, we'd prefer to listen to
the gurgling brook, while sitting on a rock in a deep black forest,
playing an acoustic instrument...the one and only way to "harmonize" with
nature!", but I am often in situations were I need some form of
amplification. I have heard from a number of people that the McIntyre
pickups are absolutely incredible. No electronic coloration at all -
pure acoustic tone. Do you carry these particular items?
To set your minds at ease, I spend a considerable amount of time in the
Sierras beside gurgling, as well as somewhat more boisterous streams.
Hello...
Our current sale price should be in effect well into September.
The McIntyre pickup is tremendous and will work well with the Bouzouki. We also install piezo/transducers here and have found a few others that do work well! As much as I like playing acoustically, I've also encountered many situations where sound reinforcement was a necessity...and the objective in this case would be to amplify your acoustic instrument as close as is possible to its original natural sound...taking advantage of the instrument's innate, unique acoustic properties.
Let me know if you have any further questions or if I can assist you with anything else...
Mickey Cochran
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 22:56:26 -0600
Greetings Folks,
I am interested in the Trinity College line of octave Mandolins and Bouzoukis. I live in Kitchener Ontario Canada, can you ship here? and at what cost. What kind of pick up would you consider using for these Instruments. Have you found these instruments to be consistent in quality and sound (or as close as one can expect). Are there any taxes to be paid if exported out of the US?
Thanks David
Hello David...
We ship to Trinity Colleges to Canada all the time...cost would be 25.00 for Federal Express Air on either a bouzouki or octave mandolin. If there are any duties, I believe the PO requires it at delivery...we certainly do not charge any taxes or duties ourselves.
I'd recommend the Shadow Transducer or if you're looking for something permanently installed, any piezo type pick-up with a quarter-inch jack.
I've never seen a better value than Trinity College...they are well-constructed and offer tremendous projection. They stay in tune and are essentially workhorse instruments. Solidly made with no fragility. We do carry other bouzoukis and octaves but none that offer as good a value.
Let me know if you have any further questions or if I can assist you with anything else...
Mickey Cochran
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