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Mandolin tuning and intonation
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 2:33 pm
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.
Re: Mandolin tuning and intonation
Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 2:03 am
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.
Re: Mandolin tuning and intonation
Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2012 6:06 pm
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.