This blog is really for Mullins, but maybe some of you kids will get a kick out of it...
When Mulls let me barrow his mandolin for learning, it wasn't long after that that the 2nd E string broke (2nd being the 2nd one from the bottom). No big deal, I just bought some new strings and restrung that one string...
That's broke string number 1...
Then, a month or so later, that string broke again
That's number 2....
Then, last Thursday, right before practice, I was tuning it. That string would not go up in pitch for some reason... so, naturally, I kept turning it... it broke...
Chalk up string number 3....
Then last night, I was strumming it and it sounded bad. Sure enough, it was that E string that was pitched too low. ANd again, I would turn it, turn it more, and turn it some more and the pitch NEVER changed (Yes, I was turning the right one) and I said to Larissa "This string it about to pop.) And sure enough, it did....
Mullins, what gives?
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4 comments:
Do you wear a g-string while tuning your e-string? Maybe that would help! J/K...those little e-strings get TIGHT. Are you tying it at all? It looked like it was slipping out of the tuning key, to me. Have they been actually breaking, though? Good luck my friend. Must be frustrating.
YOu know how I told you that one of the new nylon strings I bought broke? The reason I bought new strings is because when Jen gave me the guitar the same string broke....
Geez.
Which string was it that broke on you twice, Di?
Ok first a story. Years ago I was at my friend Brock's house in west TN. I had my guitar and broke the g-string, 3rd from the bottom. Brock was at work and I mentioned to his mother I had broken my g-string and was wondering if she would drive me into town to get a new one. Yeah so many years ago I didn't have a car. She consented and we drove into town. I spotted a music store and told her it would do. When I came out to the car she asked me where I thought I could find a g-string. I told her that I just got a new set and proceeded to watch her turn three shades of red realizing that the g-string I needed was for my guitar and not for me.
1. This might seem silly but are you putting the right string in the right place. I’ve mixed up the three and four strings and wondered why it wouldn’t sound right. It’s a simple mistake.
2. Also you might want to try buying a different gauge of string. A lighter gauge has a brighter sound where a very heavy gauge has a more resonate tone.
3. Replace all the strings at once. The original strings on that mandolin are very old. A new string will not have the same sound because of its age. If it constantly sounds brighter than the rest then you can tune it all day long and it won’t match the rest of the strings though a tuner will tell you it’s correct. You’ve got two strings that are aged completely differently; their tone will never be the same.
4. If it’s just that it’s constantly breaking I might guess that you’re over tuning the string to the next octave. This is also because you’re trying to match tones that can’t blend. As you restring, tune in increments making sure that you are not accidentally passing the correct key. I’ve popped many a string doing this, again it’s a very easy mistake.
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