Mandolin with pin bridge instead of tailpiece?

Trad Strings
1

Does anyone know of a mandolin that has a pin bridge for the strings instead of the metal tailpiece?

I’ve been thinking about getting a mandolin for a while now, but keep deciding against it because the tailpiece is sooooo uncomfortable. I figured a pin bridge would solve the problem.

Thanks for any leads,
Aldon

2

The tailpiece is uncomfortable on your picking hand? (Resting on it?)

I don’t know of any non-tailpiece mandos, although there may be some out there, however there are armrests that you can buy which cover the tailpiece: http://kingbrown.netfirms.com/accessories.html

As well as the rather expensive integrated TP/Arm rest made by Weber: http://www.soundtoearth.com/prod_armrest.htm

Either of which should solve your problem.

Loren

3

Thanks for the links!

Yeah, the problem is the tailpiece gouging into my forearm. The armrests that cover the tailpiece look like they’d solve the problem nicely.

Thanks again.
Aldon

4

No prob, happy to help!

I’d like to get one of those armrests myself at some point.

Loren

5

The move to a pin bridge requires a much stronger top capable of resisting the twisting pressure. That’ll change the sound to something much more like a guitar.

I’ve never seen a mando with a pin bridge, but I have seen an octave mandolin with one. That made a pelasing sound, but it was much darker than is usual; closer to guitar.

6

Loren-- on the Weber, what’s the dingus attached to the strings just below the bridge? A damper of some sort?

7

Aldon, The Ovation mandolins have a flat bridge- not with the dreadnaughts or pins but with the strings running thru a short hole at string level. They use ball end strings. --I guess the applause mandos are the non-solid top version…I played an applause and it picks a little differently I think because of lack of a tailpiece, maybe a little stiff but maybe it was just the string guage but anyway if you check them out maybe keep that in mind .

mike

8

Yeah man, Weber calls it the “Wood Nymph”, although perhaps they should have named it the “Weber String Dingus” :laughing: It’s an afterlength vibration damper. Looks cool, if perhaps a bit of overkill - I piece of leather woven through the stings back there ought to do the job just as well I imagine. But who knows, perhaps there’s some science behind Weber’s particular method.

Loren

9

I have even used part of a Rubber band on my Banjo, for $18 I think the “Dingus” (that is a funny word) or Wood Nymph is not worth it. Of course there are some snobby people out there who probably insist on having one.

10

Thomas Buchanan http://www.folkmandolin.co.uk/

11

Thanks for the help folks!

I checked out the Ovations online. I’m going to a local music store & check them out.

The mandolin site that rh posted is under construction at the moment, but from how gorgeous the mandolin looks I think it’ll probably cost a pretty penny.

The mandolin I’ve had my eye (and ears) on is from Lark in the Morning. It’s called the Senorita Mandolin. That plus an armrest that covers the tailpiece should work well.

Thanks again!
Aldon

12

I have heard they’re under new management, but I have heard a LOT of bad reports about LOTM’s ethics, quality, and customer service.

I’ll certainly never deal with them again, for instance, after wasting way too much money on an unplayable cittern.

13

Thanks for the heads up. I haven’t been to their store in a while.

What would you recommend in the sub $300 category? I like more punch, sustain, and fatness of tone than I usually hear with the F style mandolins.

Aldon

14

I’ve heard that it’s a different experience shopping in person–for one, you can see and test the quality of the instrument in question, and if you have problems you can drag in back to them. I was shopping by mail, and internationally to boot. However, they have changed hands since then, and I don’t have a recent report.

What would you recommend in the sub $300 category? I like more punch, sustain, and fatness of tone than I usually hear with the F style mandolins.

I’d go with ebay, or the mandolin cafe classifieds. If you join the cafe and lurk or post enough to know the regulars (ie, folks with a reputation to lose) you can find a used instrument you can trust.

Or, I’d suggest David Kilpatrick’s Troubador brand if you’re set on a new instrument. He imports mass-produced east-bloc instruments, probably from similar sources to Lark, but (I’ve heard) he screens out the duds in a way that Lark doesn’t, and he gives each a good setup before they leave his shop.

http://www.troubadour.uk.com/

He’s a member of cittern-L, and I’ve heard no bad reports about the quailty for money. Usual disclaimers: I’ve never met him and never seen one of his instruments.

I’ve certainly seen him go an extra length or two to satisfy a customer.

15

Thanks s1m0n - judging from the description at the website that’s exactly what I was hoping for. The price is excellent too, about $50 less than what the Senorita costs. That gives me room to get the armrest thingy sooner. Another bonus is the slightly smaller scale length (recommended for fiddlers). I was hoping to use the mandolin to help me with reading in the upper positions on the fiddle.

Thanks huge quantities for your help!
Aldon

16

I just bought a Troubadour Blondel guitar for tooling around the
Renaissance fair. It’s really nice (after I replaced the strings). But a
warning: the site’s prices were out of date, and the shipping from UK
to US has gone way up, so make sure to get a quote before finishing
your comparison!

17

Well, I went ahead and bought the Troubador mandolin. The price incuding shipping came to $177US and change.

And now the hardest part…waiting…and waiting…and waiting…

I’ll post again when it finally gets here…

Much thanks again ya’ll for your help and advise!

I love buying new instruments!!! :smiley: :smiley:

18

I got the mandolin in the mail last week. It’s a real looker- awful perdy.

I did have to lower the bridge by about 1/4 of an inch to get the action playable, and the strings were rusty, but all in all it’s just what I was hoping for!

I’ll probably take it over to Gryphon in Palo Alto and have them work some magic on it, and I’ll probably go for lighter gauge strings.

I do have a question though. Are loop-ended strings the norm for mandolins?

Thanks for all the advice ya’ll!

19

Yes the loop end strings are the norm for mandolins. If there was a hole in the back of the tailpiece, like on alot of banjo tailpieces, you could go either way but since there’s usually no hole to thread the string thru the loop ends are the deal. It’s kind of hard to find ball end mando strings…I think it’s Adamas, who distribute the ovations, that has them though. Maybe the guys at the end of Lambert could suggest a way to improvise making the loop enders work for a pin bridge…stick on a ball end from a craft store or something..?? You’d certainly have more choices with using the regular loop end mando strings that way.

mike

20

Yes. Most mandolins don’t take ball-end strings. I had an Ovation Celebrity (the cheaper Ovation) which only took ball-end strings, but i wanted to try a different gauge of string than the ones Ovation sells for their mandolins, so i had to buy sets of electric guitar strings and throw the odd ones away. If you find specific gauges you like, probably it would be best to buy each of them as single strings in bulk.