If you are playing bluegrass music, for example, you may you are better at playing, you want to play more. Ideally, you want your break Cedar Mountain Mandolin. Your email address will not be published. A subreddit for the wonderful world of mandolin. That looks a tad high but some kind of measurement would be handy. Things That Can Effect Playability. It's about 2.5mm from fret to string at fret 12, it's a little tough to play, but it's playable! Wear in Nut or Saddle slots When I got it back from being refurbed it had quite heavy strings on it, which was pulling the neck out of kilter. When you purchase a new mandolin, it should already be set up for you. Professional setup is included as part of the price of the mandolin. Having the action too low means ill lose out on tone. play, the better musician you become. Copyright © Fret Not Guitar Repair Inc. The more you the instrument becomes too hard to play. For a bowl back, that's not too bad. I measure the height of the strings at the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the G string. 4/64th at the 12th fret under the G string (a little lower on the E). Too much relief and the action can be high… Play an instrument that is easy to play. Press J to jump to the feed. Proper Setup One of the most important variable that affects the sound quality and playability of a mandolin is how well it has been "set up." document.write(curr_year); 9.8k members in the mandolin community. My mando's strings are about the same. want your action set a little higher for the chop. Strings deepen the slots in the nut and bridge with time. When setting the action with an adjustable bridge it is far easier to start by placing the bridge too high, lowering it as necessary After a mandolin is strung to pitch there is considerable string tension bearing down on the bridge, this makes it very difficult to adjust the wheels upward. just an addendum, many have found the relationship b/w action and volume tenuous. User account menu • Is the action too high? If the strings buzz, raise the bridge. If the mandolin feels too stiff to play, lower the bridge. How an instrument is set up is a combination of a number of factors, which are detailed below. You may get more volume with that height, but you will lose on speed and ease of fingering. The Loose seams and sagging tops may also change the action on a mandolin.