Mandolin Accessory Questions

Subject: mandolin armrest report

Mickey,

Hello again. I just wanted to give you a brief report
of my mandolin armrest experience.

Overall, I'd say I'm happy w/ this product. The
armrest I ordered off the Internet is manufactured by
SirenString Works. It cost about $35. The armrest came
with an instruction book and a small wrench for making
adjustments. Installation was easy. The armrest clamps
over the mandolin and is tightened using the wrench
provided. It's important not to over tighten. As the
manufacturer claims, no part of the armrest comes
directly in contact w/ the mandolin.

I immediately noticed two benefits of using the
armrest. The first obvious one is that it's nice to
have a smooth surface to rest my forearm on as opposed
to the edge of the mandolin. I no longer get the red
indentations that result from my arm digging into the
side of the instrument. The second benefit is that the
armrest improves the tone of the instrument. The
mandolin simply projects better. This is particularly
evident when playing "chop" chords.

I'd recommend this product to anyone who wants to
improve the tone and playability of their mandolin. Of
course, this is a subjective statement and some people
might not notice the benefits I mentioned above.

I hope this little report has been helpful. I'd like
to hear about your experience if you end up getting a
mandolin armrest. Take care.

Manish

Subject: Mandolin Armrests

Hi Mickey,

I've recently seen mandolin armrests being sold on the
Internet through various dealers. One manufacturer,
Siren String Works, claims that its mandolin armrest
will "protect the finish on the top of mandolin from
the damage that can result from continued exposure to
skin." The manufacturer goes on to state:

"A welcome side effect is that with the arm no longer
in contact with the top, the top is free to vibrate
unobstructed. In addition, holding the mandolin
between your body and forearm is much more
comfortable. Instead of sharp edges digging into the
forearm, the arm rests on a rounded and polished ebony
surface."

What is your opinion on the use of a mandolin armrest?
What is the validity of this manufacturer's claims?

Sorry about the long-winded question. Thanks for your
help!

Manish

Greetings Manish,

I personally have not tried a mandolin armrest. However, I have thought about how the design of one would be contributory to freeing up the mando for more response. It works on a violin with a shoulder rest. A properly designed shoulder rest will free up a violin so that it vibrate more freely. I also believe a mando armrest would protect the finish. I'm not sure why they're not commonly seen and used.

If you try one out, we would appreciate your report for our website...and, if it works for you, I'd be willing to try one also...

At your disposal, Mickey

Subject: Wall Hangers

Hello Mickey!

I got my mandolin today, well I was actually greeted at the door by my wife
.holding a nice sized box. :)

I am not sure how old it is but 'she' sure looks brand new, just the
faintest signs of use.

And the sound is wonderful, better than the fender I found locally and I
would say neck and neck with the tone and sound of the Tacoma.

Question: I actually bought a wall hook to keep it on. I did this so that
it would be out and easily accessible and more accessibility means more use,
and I have two dogs, so I know a floor stand would put it in harms way. Is
a wall hook a good way to store my 250s?

I ordered a book and cd from ya'll and I 'll be getting the video soon
probably.

Thanks again,
Steve

Greetings Steve,

Nice to hear that you've received your KM-250S...

Sure, a wall hanger is fine...I've stored mandolins myself safely on the wall. Just be aware, you'll want to make sure that you're mounting it on a stud not the drywall. I'm sure you're already aware of this...but, since I'm posting this question for others to read, we'll want to make sure no unnecessary mishaps occur for anyone else.

We, of course, carry the wall hangers that are specifically designed to support instruments on the wall...both in black and in natural oak.

Mickey

Sorry, me again... You sell an ebony/nickel mando bridge and a rosewood/nickel. What difference in
tone would you say there is between these 2? I'll be buying one or the other.

Also, do you have any kind fretboard oil or conditioner, or what would you recommend?

Scott

Hello Scott,

The ebony is far more dense than Rosewood...ebony will most definitely transcribe the vibration from the strings to the soundboard more efficiently than rosewood. Even so, this is almost inaudible to perceive by the average listener. Another plus for ebony is that it will wear better than rosewood (a softer wood).

I highly recommend Martin Guitar polish for all types of woods including fingerboards. This is the least abrasive instrument polish available. It will certainly clean a fingerboard of dirt and grime while conditioning the wood. We do have both Martin Guitar Polish and the ebony bridges in stock ready to ship.

Let me know if you have any further questions or if I can assist you with anything else...
Mickey Cochran

Hey Mickey,
Just received the hard shell case, thanks! I sent the soft bag to you today via priority mail.

A few quick questions, I'm thinking of options to amplify the octave -- I recently sat in with a local band and had trouble being heard over the louder instruments. Have you ever had a pick-up built into an acoustic instrument? Or, am I better off using my surface mounted Barcus-Berry (which is a bit of a hassle to rig up every time)? Also, what brand of octave strings can you recommend, and where might I find them? And finally, tell me again the name of the mando technique book that you wrote for Mel Bay, and can might I find it?

So, it seems that I've officially graduated from mando to octave mando. Now, I just have to make time again for my first love -- the fiddle!! Hope to see you someday in beautiful New Mexico. Again, many thanks for making it happen.

All the best,
Tavo

Hello Tavo,

Thanks so much for returning the gig bag...hope it held you over.

We install permanent pick-ups called "The Shadow)...these sound wonderful and powerful and capture the instrument's true tonal characteristics. It certainly is far more convenient to just plug in at the end pin whenever necessary. Additionally, this pick-up will not affect it's acoustic properties whenever not plugged in...The Shadow pick-ups sell for 95.00 or so...we discount them to 65.00 to those who have purchased an Octave...installation cost is 30.00. You should be able to install one yourself if you wish which will save you having to send it in...

I recommend the GHS Octave Mando Strings...these are the ones we re-string every Octave with before it ships. We truly despise the factory strings (we call them wires) that come with all of our Octaves (both Johnson and Trinity College). We carry them on our online store for 11.95...or you may buy them direct whenever you may need a set.

Let me know if you have any further questions or if I can assist you with anything else...
Mickey Cochran
Folk of the Wood

Subject: Proper strings for vintage mandolin

Mickey,

I recently bought a '25 Gibson A-Jr from you, and I'm still liking it *A
LOT*! Everyone who sees it marvels at its condition, and whey they hear it,
they marvel at its tone. Anyway, now I need some advice concerning it.

When I had the luthier here do a pre-purchase evaluation on it, he
recommended that I not use strings heavier than .038 on the bass side. A
few days ago, a fellow picker who plays a '15 A-1 recommended I try Gibson's
Monel strings, because he likes their tone on the old Gibson oval-hole
mandolins. However, that set runs .011-.041. Can you and/or your luthier
give me any guidance? I want to get the maximum volume and best tone from
the instrument, but I don't want to destroy it in the process. Anything you
can offer me is appreciated. Thanks! Don Smith

Hello Don,

Nice to hear from you...

The type of strings you decide to use, of course, would be pre-determined by the tone you're hoping to achieve.

Please email the following taste preference:

Are you looking for any of the following:
1. A fatter tone..rounder
2. A crisper tone...
3. A brighter tone...
4. A softer tone...
5. More Volume...

Upon answering the above, I'm sure I can refer you to the right set of strings for you!

Let me know if you have any further questions or if I can assist you with anything else...
Mickey Cochran

Mickey,

So you're an avid Norman fan, too? Wow -- small world! Norman is my
all-time favorite singer, songwriter, musician ... you get the picture.
I'm fortunate enough to be able to say that I once spent a couple of hours
in my den with Norman talking about music while Nancy was upstairs in my
daughter's bedroom playing dolls with her (I'm not kidding -- she's a nice
lady!) I'd guess that 50% of my decent guitar repertoire is Norman tunes.
Anyway, I believe you about Black Diamond, because that tune of his called
"Church Street Blues" contains the line "Wish I had some guitar strings,
old Black Diamond brand". Anyway, I just found Black Diamond's Web site
where I can order them from the factory, and they only offer one set of
mandolin strings:

734-1/2L String Material Gauge, In/mm
E-1st (2) Steel .0095/0.229
A-2nd (2) Steel .012/0.305
D-3rd (2) Silver Plated Wound .022/0.559
G-4th (2) Silver Plated Wound .035/0.889

They're not nickel wound, but would they do the job? Please let me know
what you think, because I value your opinion highly. Thanks for all the
help and info so far. Donald Smith

Mickey,

I don't really know how to characterize the tone I want, probably because
I'm not musically sophisticated enough to understand the differences among
fat/round, crisp and bright. I guess you'd call what I'm looking for
"woody", which doesn't necessarily mean the same thing to you that it does
to me. The best way I can think to describe it is to think of Norman Blake
on mandolin; that's what I'd like to have. However, if you don't have a
specific recommendation, I'm perfectly willing to experiment with different
strings myself to find the right sound. I mean, if I get something I don't
like, I'll play them for a month, then change to something else. I'm
really far more concerned about having something on the instrument that's
safe in the sense that it won't exert excess pressure on the neck.
Sooooooooooo ... my #1 concern is knowing about string *GAUGE*.
Anything you can recommend for tone/volume is a bonus.

In addition, can you clear up something for me? I've read that the A-Jr
has no truss rod in the neck. However, I was told by the luthier here in
Raleigh that it has a truss rod, it's just not adjustable (like my '71
Martin with the square bar in it). I *do* find it hard to believe there's
no bar in the instrument at all. Can you clear this up for me?

Thanks for everything!

Hey Don...

I understand what you're looking for in tonal quality...I'm an avid
Blake fan...you do have the right mandolin to recreate some of his
mando solo pieces. He does have a rounder tone with less brightness
than average...a good set of medium gauge nickel wound should give
you this tone...maybe you can find some old Black Diamond strings
(Blake Style)...

As far as A-Jrs go, as is true of any mandolin new or old, I'd
recommend nothing heavier than a medium gauge. I wouldn't dare use
heavy gauge on my new '99 Summit F-Style or my Rigel...it would add
undue stress to both the neck and the arched top...additionally,
heavy gauge can be truly difficult to play no matter how low your
action. As far as a truss rod, I tend to believe that they did use
some kind of rod reinforcement as claims your luthier (I've heard
this about older Gibsons myself). The nice thing about these old
Gibsons is that the neck is nice and fat! Certainly fatter than
anything being put out today.

Let me know if you have any further questions or if I can assist you
with anything else...
Mickey Cochran

Subject: Mando Tuning to Guitar Electronic Tuner and Straps?

Mickey,
I want to get a shoulder strap for the Kentucky 350 I just purchased. I can't
find any on your web site....any recommendations?
Also, I received the electronic tuner today...the directions apply to guitar
and I'm uncertain how to translate this to the mando. Do I just treat the 6E
as the unfretted e string, the 5A as the unfretted A, 4D as the D and 3G as
the G? Thanks, Jim

Hello Jim,

We have some really nice leather Mando Straps (15.00) that will fit your 350 well...although, you might also consider a strap button...these are very easy to install and only cost 1.50...shipping would be 4.00 2-day priority...we also install strap buttons on mandolins for 6.00 total...sorry we didn't discuss this before your purchase.

On your new electronic tuner:
1. You only need to put it in the Auto Mode
2. After this, play the G string first on your mando...the note will come up on your tuner...Tune your G string up until you see the note show up on your tuner. Adjust accordingly until the needle comes up in the center.
3. Follow this procedure until you've done all 4 sets of strings...
4. The 5A would be the unfretted A...the 4D would be D and the 3G would be G...

Let me know if you have any further questions or if I can assist you with anything else...
Mickey Cochran