Mandolin tuning and intonation

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Lenny Carter
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 9:19 pm

Mandolin tuning and intonation

Post by Lenny Carter »

My cousin just gave me her mandolin to restring and clean up for her. I began to restring it and noticed the scale was much different than the two I have and the body is considerably thicker. It`s a 1950`s KAY mahoghony body with spruce top. Do I tune it normally and set the intonation to the twelth fret as normal, or do I have something different here? Thank you anyone for any help I can get.
Michael Lewis
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Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:22 am
Location: Northern California USA
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Re: Mandolin tuning and intonation

Post by Michael Lewis »

How much difference in scale length?

Pay no attention to body thickness, lots of variety out there over the years.

Tunes gdae low to high like a violin, and yes, 12th fret is where the fretted note and the harmonic 'chime' must match.
Wayne Brown
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:46 pm
Location: Huntersville,NC

Re: Mandolin tuning and intonation

Post by Wayne Brown »

You might also consider using light gauge strings. The Kays and Harmonys of that sytle I've seen have no truss rod.
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