Robin, I am using phosphor bronze strings and they really suit my particular mandolin. They tell me when they start to go, and it is awful. Finding the right strings that suit your mandolin, and keeping them up to date can really help with tone.
If that don't work then talking to a skilled and knowledgeable luthier could reveal what other issues might be around. Check that your fret wires are not worn. I had that happen and the tone became very distressing. The set up could be a bit off. I honestly did not notice any tone issues with your videos. I look at your playing and see all the things I can't do well, yet, that you can. I am able to get a very good tone from my mandolin when I play slow enough but at speed it deterioriates. The tune gets really muddy as I still have issues controling the pick when playing double stops, or very fast, to get the playing clear and clean. I am currently playing out anyway, faster, more double stops and really loud, free, not worrying much here at the house how it sounds but more attention to what is going wrong that I can work on, to eventually get a better sound going when playing more complex things and playing faster. Thats about all I can think of to say, but hope you find the answers so you feel happier about things. I hear you about having to travel to purchase a mandolin, to have the choice and such. Its so personal. Over the last two years, I have been working on double stops, slides, chord structure, memorizing tunes, position and habit issues to change, finger patterns, especially reaches like from A to C# on the G then to the E on the D string and to do that quickly. Its coming along, all of it. Lots and lots of work though and still, feeling like things are not exactly in place yet. You know there should be some really good mandolin type lutiers in Portugal. best linda On Jan 20, 12:29 am, Ed Goist <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Robin: > Could it be your strings? > Since string quality degrades slowly, we often don't notice it until it gets > really bad (kinda' like the frog that never jumps out of a pot slowly heated > to a boil [?]). > On more than one occasion I've been shocked by the improvement in my > mandolin's tone brought about simply by installing new, high-quality > strings. > Just a thought. > -Ed > > On Wed, Jan 19, 2011 at 3:52 AM, Robin Gravina <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > Hi to all, on the old communications channel > > > I'm getting tone paranoia: it strikes me from seeing a lot of everyone's > > great videos how poor my tone is: I hear most people with great ringing > > sound, clear note separation and that kind of floating sound you get from > > the combination of those things. To me, lately, I sound like I just chucked > > a load of spanners down the stairs and into a tin box. > > > It's pretty hard for me to try out other mandolins, as I have to fly to > > England for the nearest shop, but I am really starting to wonder if it's me, > > or my tool. > > > Cheers > > Robin > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "Taterbugmando" group. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > [email protected]<taterbugmando%[email protected]> > > . > > For more options, visit this group at > >http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en. > > -- > Ed Goist > Development Officer, > WYSU-FM 330-941-3364 > *********************** > “Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life are not > only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of > mankind.” - Henry David Thoreau > ************************ > > 329.png > < 1KViewDownload -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en.
