"......Freeeeeeebiiiirrrrrrddd....." TB On Feb 17, 11:35 pm, erik berry <[email protected]> wrote: > So I have a rare solo gig coming up, and I play lots of Irish fiddle > tunes and some classical, which I need to practice, or cram, in > addition to the material I play with my band that I adapt for solo > work. Today I was working on my books on my F5-style, when I thought > I'd like to hear the Irish music on my 30s kalamazoo oval hole A. But > somehow I'd miscased it and my Michael Kelly A was in the kala's case. > So I tried it on the Irish and the Bach. Now remember, I used to > string this with J74s and 75s and didn't respect the instrument much > at all. now I use the J67s and feel it's opened up and become fun to > play. But today, I was flabbergasted. The MK is probably the best of > my three instruments for playing classical music! It has a shimmer and > some nice reverb. The F has a cool bell-like quality and is the most > comfortable to my hand and the kalamazoo has a great dry, clear, > articulate sound but the MK seems, I don't know, it seems something > more than the other two for this style of music. I was totally > floored. It just goes to show the difference the right set of strings > can make. Now I gotta lug all three of these things to the brewhouse > Tuesday night... > > erik > > On Feb 16, 5:33 am, taurodont <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I do the same thing as Don. Set of J74s with a sixteen swapped in on > > the A string. D.Macrostie suggested it. I think it is an > > improvement. John > > > On Feb 14, 7:56 am, Dasspunk <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Amen brother... > > > > B > > > > On Feb 13, 4:04 pm, mistertaterbug <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Yessir, that's why we take them OFF after tuning. It's a tuner, not a > > > > fashion accessory. > > > > TBoy > > > > > On Feb 11, 10:43 pm, Don Christy <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > You know, those little clip on tuners will rattle and buzz sometimes > > > > > too. > > > > > > On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 9:44 AM, erik berry <[email protected]> > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > Of course, nothing's more aggravating than a piece of corn stuck > > > > > > between your teeth... > > > > > > > On Feb 11, 9:27 am, mistertaterbug <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > Val, > > > > > > > Seriously, that could be something as simple as a bad winding on a > > > > > > > string or some fuzz or dirt in your nut/saddle grooves. Could be > > > > > > > that > > > > > > > the nut/saddle is binding or pinching the string, could be > > > > > > > something > > > > > > > vibrating like a loose tuner button or screw, your truss rod > > > > > > > cover, > > > > > > > something vibrating in your tailpiece or pickguard, maybe a > > > > > > > groove in > > > > > > > your frets or even a loose fret. Might be time for a fret job, > > > > > > > Val. It > > > > > > > might be that the truss rod is vibrating or the nut on the end if > > > > > > > there's no tension on it. I knew a fellow who filled the truss rod > > > > > > > cavity of his guitar with expandable foam once to get rid of the > > > > > > > noise. Eeeek... > > > > > > > > I watched three of Gruhn's repairmen all laying hands at the same > > > > > > > time > > > > > > > on one of my mandolins years ago trying to find the source of a > > > > > > > "buzz". It looked a lot like a game of Twister and no progress was > > > > > > > made. I notice I get noises on #536 when I use steel strings even > > > > > > > now. > > > > > > > I just deal with it because I like the sound of steel now and > > > > > > > then. > > > > > > > > What with all these little aggravations, seems like we'd just > > > > > > > pile all > > > > > > > these mandolins up and start a nice fire... > > > > > > > Tburn > > > > > > > > On Feb 11, 9:12 am, erik berry <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Hey Val--yeah, try out different sets 'cuz I was really > > > > > > > > surprised at > > > > > > > > how that MK opened up...I actually apologized to it one > > > > > > > > afternoon, > > > > > > > > outloud, in public. My bass player thought I was crazy. I > > > > > > > > bought the > > > > > > > > Dean Markelys strictly because I'd never tried them before, so > > > > > > > > try > > > > > > > > other brands out too, if possible. Of course in India your > > > > > > > > options > > > > > > > > might be limited, but there's always juststings.com they have > > > > > > > > 19 > > > > > > > > brands to choose from! > > > > > > > > > Maybe somebody else is understanding it differently, but when I > > > > > > > > think > > > > > > > > "buzzy" I think the string is catching on something, either a > > > > > > > > fret or > > > > > > > > the fingerboard or something else (don't know what, tho). I > > > > > > > > know that > > > > > > > > for myself I press pretty hard so if my action is too low I can > > > > > > > > put a > > > > > > > > pair out of tune and get a buzzy sound just 'cuz the downward > > > > > > > > pressure > > > > > > > > is so much (think violin style vibrato). So without seeing and > > > > > > > > playing > > > > > > > > your instrument, I'm guessing you got an issue with your > > > > > > > > action, the > > > > > > > > string slot on your bridge or the slot on your nut, not your > > > > > > > > strings > > > > > > > > per se. Especially if the problem doesn't happen when you play > > > > > > > > open, > > > > > > > > that suggests to me that it's a setup issue (assuming you are > > > > > > > > fretting > > > > > > > > the note even half-way decently--in my opinion, buzzing can > > > > > > > > only be > > > > > > > > blamed 100% on operator error if the operator is a total > > > > > > > > beginner, in > > > > > > > > which case it's not blame, it's learning curve). > > > > > > > > > One thing I've done in the past when I've gotten a weird buzz I > > > > > > > > can't > > > > > > > > explain and I can't get it to the shop right away is to put a > > > > > > > > piece of > > > > > > > > paper or thin cardboard in the nut or bridge slot. I've used > > > > > > > > notebook > > > > > > > > paper, the board they make cereal boxes out of and a paper > > > > > > > > match, > > > > > > > > depending on how high I'm trying to go. I first try this at the > > > > > > > > nut > > > > > > > > and then at the bridge. It's sort of a pain, because you need to > > > > > > > > completely loosen the string or strings, put your card in, then > > > > > > > > retighten and check it out. If it doesn't help then you gotta > > > > > > > > do it > > > > > > > > again with a thicker piece of something (too thick will make the > > > > > > > > string noticeably higher than the rest of your strings in which > > > > > > > > case > > > > > > > > you have to decide which is the lesser of two evils). This > > > > > > > > should > > > > > > > > raise the string enough that it's not buzzing on the frets. > > > > > > > > > It looks funny and you're gonna have to explain yourself to > > > > > > > > everyone > > > > > > > > who sees your instrument, but in my experience, it works! Once > > > > > > > > four > > > > > > > > years ago I had a match in for two weeks and when it finally > > > > > > > > broke > > > > > > > > there was no more buzz. How come? I don't know and I don't > > > > > > > > care. So I > > > > > > > > hope this works for you, Val. > > > > > > > > > Anyone else think of something different? > > > > > > > > > erik > > > > > > > > > On Feb 11, 1:09 am, Val Mindel <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Thanks so much, Erik. I'll try all these solutions (assuming > > > > > > > > > I can > > > > > > > > > find the Markely strings) and report what I find. It is the > > > > > > > > > balance > > > > > > > > > between tension and sound, I think. I really need to find the > > > > > > > > > optimal > > > > > > > > > string choice for this mandolin. It has the potential to be > > > > > > > > > very > > > > > > sweet > > > > > > > > > yet with a good projection. > > > > > > > > > As to my other problem: Do you (or anyone) have any clue > > > > > > > > > about why > > > > > > > > > getting the pairs in tune on a particular kind of string > > > > > > > > > should be so > > > > > > > > > difficult? This is a new problem ... that slightly buzzy > > > > > > > > > sound. > > > > > > > > > Everything is "in tune" according to tuners and my ear (which > > > > > > > > > doesn't > > > > > > > > > always agree with the tuner) and the pairs sound clear when I > > > > > > > > > play > > > > > > > > > them, suggesting that they are in synch, but when I finger > > > > > > > > > them I get > > > > > > > > > that slightly toothy buzzy sound that suggests they are not > > > > > > > > > in tune. > > > > > > > > > Aargh! > > > > > > > > > > On Feb 10, 1:38 pm, erik berry <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > I use three mandolins with three different guages, so I'll > > > > > > > > > > share > > > > > > what > > > > > > > > > > I do. On my F I use the J75s (or J74s, depending on what I > > > > > > > > > > can find > > > > > > > > > > when I need strings). On my '30s Kalamazoo A oval hole I > > > > > > > > > > use the > > > > > > GHS > > > > > > > > > > silk and Steels, which are "spongy" feeling, but coupled > > > > > > > > > > with the > > > > > > oval > > > > > > > > > > soundhole I think sounds good, even though it does feel odd > > > > > > > > > > to my > > > > > > > > > > fingers. > > > > > > > > > > > The third mando is a Michael Kelly A which is my on-stage > > > > > > > > > > backup. > > > > > > J75s > > > > > > > > > > and J74s are too much for it. It feels "right" becasue I'm > > > > > > > > > > used to > > > > > > > > > > those guages, but it doesn't sound right to my ears so I've > > > > > > > > > > played > > > > > > > > > > around. Currently there is a set of J67s. These are nickel > > > > > > > > > > wound > > > > > > > > > > 11-14-25-39. I like 'em okay, but what I liked better on it > > > > > > > > > > was a > > > > > > set > > > > > > > > > > of Dean Markley Lights, also nickel wound guage > > > > > > > > > > 11-14-24-37. This > > > > > > set > > > > > > > > > > is hard to find though 'cuz you gotta find someone who > > > > > > > > > > stocks Dean > > > > > > > > > > Markely strings. Ironically, in Duluth, MN, the closest > > > > > > > > > > music store > > > > > > to > > > > > > > > > > me, they're easy to find. On the road is another story. I > > > > > > > > > > used to > > > > > > use > > > > > > > > > > the J62s, but, again to my ears, the combination of light > > > > > > > > > > guage and > > > > > > > > > > bronze equals weak sound (probably because I have a beefier > > > > > > mandolin > > > > > > > > > > set up with heavy bronze strings). I have the MK for a > > > > > > > > > > backup > > > > > > because > > > > > > > > > > I needed a backup and the price was only $300. I used to > > > > > > > > > > disrespect > > > > > > it > > > > > > > > > > a lot (for about 18 months) but after changing the guage to > > > > > > > > > > the > > > > > > nickel > > > > > > > > > > and a little lighter, I was surprised at what a fun little > > > > > > instrument > > > > > > > > > > it is. Sometimes I play it for encores, just for fun and so > > > > > > > > > > people > > > > > > can > > > > > > > > > > see me use "that other mandolin you got up on stage, > > > > > > > > > > there..." > > > > > > > > > > > Hope this helps, > > > > > > > > > > erik > > > > > > > > > > > PS: back in high school, on the advice of Stevie Ray Vaughn > > > > > > > > > > via > > > > > > Guitar > > > > > > > > > > Player magazine, I used to by the > > ... > > read more »
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