I’m picking up a Trinity College Octave Mando next month.
I’m having it professionally set up and adjusted but I know there are some other ‘tweaks’ to be done and I’m curious what all other people have done and found to be particularly effective.
My objectives are a smooth playing, traditional sounding instrument that can project well or be played a little harder to produce higher volumes.
I play outdoors at faires and in noisy session areas so being able to carry is important.
So far what’s being done is the nut, saddle, bridge, and truss will be adjusted, we’ll do any sanding work that needs done to the fingerboard if its needed but the guy doesn’t figure it will be.
A couple direct questions, then feel free to offer up any random info or tips you might have.
Do I need to replace the nut with a bone nut? I believe it’s plastic now.
What’s the best tailpiece to slap on one of these (bang for buck, not just most expensive.) I’ve been looking at one of these. (http://www.allenguitar.com/tpcs_sale.htm) The unplated bronze near the top of the page. I’ve had one guy tell me they’re just the bee’s knees but I’ve no experience with the mando family outside of playing all my friends instruments so I’m not sure if its worth the money/time.
Any info/tips are appreciated, thanks for your time and may all your instruments play in tune and make you sound better than you are!
This might be obvious, but for most people the fisrt thing they do is have it set up for the lower strings to be tuned in unison as opposed to octaves, which is how they come on th TC’s. Have you got that covered in the nut and saddle job?
I have a mate who has a TC zouk and an OM which is badged differently, but which is SO obviously the same thing rebranded.
These things are good value, but volume is not the TC OM’s natural area of strength compared to a lot I’ve seen. Ian removed most of the finish from his (the OM, not the zouk) and then polished what was left as well as he could. It looks a little patchy, but no more than it would on an older instrument which had been played hard to a state of advanced mojo!
The thing is, I think it did make it louder, and a bit sweeter. TC’s can be a little thin-sounding. This seemed to make some difference.
A bit drastic, and I’d be inclined not to bother if it were me.
FWIW-- I traded one of my whistles (plus some more cash) for a TC OM, and I really love it. It’s totally stock and plays just the way I like it. I haven’t done a thing to it. For the money, I think these are a terrific value.
The best “tweaks” you can do with the TC stuff is replace the nut with a good quality, professionally fitted bone nut, and replace the tailpiece with an Allen tailpiece. These are cast bronze and don’t rest on the surface of the instrument top. I did both of these things with a TC zouk once had had tremendous results. You can also replace the bridge, but the nut and tailpiece seem to make the most difference. Shouldn’t cost too much more than $100. Mandolincafe.com has a good amount of material on fitting the Allen tailpieces on TC stuff.
Unfortunately, I picked up those tips a bit later on. It’s pretty easy to do everything, at least the tailpiece part, if you get the chance why not give it a whirl. Oh, the best part about the Allen (I think I used the TR-3) is that you can use ball-end strings, so you’re not limited to what strings you use.
I’ve seen in a few places people talking about Allen tailpieces and they talk about specific models that appear to be “mandolin” tail pieces. I don’t currently own a mando or the octave yet so I don’t have examples to look at.
Can i buy a regular mando tailpiece and slap it on my OM?
The Allen TR-3 is a mando tailpiece. To use it with a flattop OM such as the TC however, you’ll need to change the angle of the top part where the strings go to the piece that screws to the heel. These are made for arch-top mandos so the stings would not have the proper “break” over the bridge.
I’m not getting either of those OMs. I’m actualy getting a Gypsy’s Music OM.
Walt (the luthier) has just started marketing his OMs and I got a lucky deal, he’ll be putting these out at the bottom end for ~700 bucks with a case and shipping. This is just a little more than you’ll get a TC for new.
I don’t have the thing in hand yet but I’m beyond excited.
For the “bottom end” he doesn’t cut any corners on actual functional design, the bracing and contruction is all the same, you just lose out on some of the pretty stuff his shop can do (their pick guards are awesome looking).
At the low end price point you get an A style, solid wood. I believe the choices are sitka spruce top, maple or mahogany sides/bottom, ebony fingerboard. He uses an interesting tailpiece that is a hand machined brass peice that runs the strings over a secondary ebony/bone bridge, from what I’ve read about his mandolins this gives it a great projection and more complex sound. The normal bridge is also ebony and bone with the bone having the ‘crooked teeth’ offset that you see on nicer mandos, the nut is bone as well.
He’s an experienced luthier who’s been making well reviewed mandolins for a while so I’m expecting great things from this OM as well, his instruments hvae been compared to the Mid Mo/Big Muddy instruments and I think given the quality and price point that’s a fair comparison… I’m sure it’ll sound as good or better than the MidMos.
Unfortunately, I picked up those tips a bit later on. It’s pretty easy to do everything, at least the tailpiece part, if you get the chance why not give it a whirl. Oh, the best part about the Allen (I think I used the TR-3) is that you can use ball-end strings, so you’re not limited to what strings you use.