Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
I bought a Fylde Touchstone about 2 years back.
No problems at all. Superb sound. Loud as you like. Tunes beautifully and stays there.
Maybe you got a Friday afternooner.
(Maybe you're not holding your tongue right when you tune it. I always have my tongue protruding slightly on the left side of my mouth, and biting medium to hard, while tuning.)
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
Very pleased with my Touchstone Mandola.
What is the actual problem; breakage, intonation or it just won't hold in tune?
(I do the tongue thing as well and find screwing my eyes tightly closed also helps when tuning).
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
Len there is a funny ring out of the high Es and they can't be tuned to the same pitch or the pitch of the other stings.
I adjusted the bridge to move the high Es closer to the fret board and that solved it, but then the other stings were not in tune with each (even after I re-tuned them) I think it needs a new bridge but I ain't gonna go down that road at this stage with an instrument that should be perfect.
Petty cause It looks and sounds so good apart from that!
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
I have a Fylde mandolin. It's not a Touchstone. It's the other one, the little one, and I've had it for about six years. I have had some string problems which may be relevant.
I haven't had any particular problems with tuning the high E strings, though I did have to adjust the bridge when I got the mandolin first. (You always do, don't you?) After I changed the strings for the first time, however, It just didn't sound the same any more. The As and Es were tinny and the volume had gone.
On the suggestion of a tutor at a workshop, I put flat top strings on it and those sound good, though they're very quiet, but you can't buy them any more so this solution was temporary.
I therefore did some checking recently and discovered that Fylde's own strings are comparitively heavy. My memory is that the high E is an 11. I have concluded that the small Fylde mandolin needs that weight of string - and the clapped out flat-tops on mine at the moment are indeed, coincidentally, 11s. The various string weight calculators agree with this and it is probably the heavier string which is banishing the tinny sound rather than the flat top.
It seems to me, however, that the E strings in Fylde's own set would be much too heavy for the Touchstone which has a longer neck. They would be very likely to break. What do you put on yours Showaddy?
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
A lot of mandolin tuning problems result from the improper set up of the nut. String action aside, if the nut slots are too tight and binding the strings, this can wreak havoc with tuning (and tone). I would have your mandolin looked at by a competent luthier; it's money well spent.
If you haven't ever been there, mandolincafe.com has a message board frequented by very accomplished and generous luthiers.
Also frets.com, a website by Frank Ford, Palo Alto luthier and co-proprietor of Gryphon Stringed Instruments, has a wealth of articles on stringed instrument care and maintenence that are really well written and illustrated. It also has lots of cool articles and archives full of photos of great mandolins.
Good luck - I'm sure your Fylde can be put right with just a little tweaking by someone who knows how.
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
I've owned a Fylde mandolin for about 7-8 years and never noticed any problems. However, a friend of mine who is a piano tunner as well as being an excellent mandolist recently told me the first fret plays sharp. He thinks the fret is not properly located. I can't tell the difference. (I guess that's why I don't tune pianos.) Anyone else have this experience?
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
I've got a Touchstone this past spring and haven't had a problem one. Setup was just fine when it arrived and it stays in tune as you move up the neck. Sorry I'm no help...
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
Hi Kess,
I would contact Roger at Fylde, he will for sure sort it out for you. I have had a few Fyldes over the years, with no problems but Roger is a GREAT guy to deal with, E-mail him and he may be able to sort it out for you !
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
I have a Fylde Octavius which came from the (much missed) Music Room in Oxford. When I bought it it played beautifully but like LowProfile's, once I changed the strings it never sounded the same again. I've tried heavier strings (Martin & D'Addario) but they seem to make the action very heavy. Does anyone have any more info about the strings Fylde use ? I'd love to get this mando back into regular use.
Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
Just bought a £600 Fylde mandolin and it won't tune up, that is the High Es. For £600 that is pretty bad -- got to send it back!!
Anyone know any good mandolin makers in Northern Ireland particularly Belfast?
Joe Foleys seem to lack volume!
Shalom K
# Posted on October 28th 2005 by Kess
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
I bought a Fylde Touchstone about 2 years back.
No problems at all. Superb sound. Loud as you like. Tunes beautifully and stays there.
Maybe you got a Friday afternooner.
(Maybe you're not holding your tongue right when you tune it. I always have my tongue protruding slightly on the left side of my mouth, and biting medium to hard, while tuning.)
# Posted on October 28th 2005 by showaddydadito
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
Thats strange Ive played two now and the E strings are impossible to tune!
Just broke a string today in the music shop trying to tune it.
£669 in the music shop
£480 of MMI ...mmm which one will I get?
Not much good though if they don't play in tune.
# Posted on October 28th 2005 by Kess
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
Very pleased with my Touchstone Mandola.
What is the actual problem; breakage, intonation or it just won't hold in tune?
(I do the tongue thing as well and find screwing my eyes tightly closed also helps when tuning).
# Posted on October 28th 2005 by len
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
Len there is a funny ring out of the high Es and they can't be tuned to the same pitch or the pitch of the other stings.
I adjusted the bridge to move the high Es closer to the fret board and that solved it, but then the other stings were not in tune with each (even after I re-tuned them) I think it needs a new bridge but I ain't gonna go down that road at this stage with an instrument that should be perfect.
Petty cause It looks and sounds so good apart from that!
# Posted on October 28th 2005 by Kess
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
I have a Fylde mandolin. It's not a Touchstone. It's the other one, the little one, and I've had it for about six years. I have had some string problems which may be relevant.
I haven't had any particular problems with tuning the high E strings, though I did have to adjust the bridge when I got the mandolin first. (You always do, don't you?) After I changed the strings for the first time, however, It just didn't sound the same any more. The As and Es were tinny and the volume had gone.
On the suggestion of a tutor at a workshop, I put flat top strings on it and those sound good, though they're very quiet, but you can't buy them any more so this solution was temporary.
I therefore did some checking recently and discovered that Fylde's own strings are comparitively heavy. My memory is that the high E is an 11. I have concluded that the small Fylde mandolin needs that weight of string - and the clapped out flat-tops on mine at the moment are indeed, coincidentally, 11s. The various string weight calculators agree with this and it is probably the heavier string which is banishing the tinny sound rather than the flat top.
It seems to me, however, that the E strings in Fylde's own set would be much too heavy for the Touchstone which has a longer neck. They would be very likely to break. What do you put on yours Showaddy?
# Posted on October 28th 2005 by LowProfile
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
A lot of mandolin tuning problems result from the improper set up of the nut. String action aside, if the nut slots are too tight and binding the strings, this can wreak havoc with tuning (and tone). I would have your mandolin looked at by a competent luthier; it's money well spent.
If you haven't ever been there, mandolincafe.com has a message board frequented by very accomplished and generous luthiers.
Also frets.com, a website by Frank Ford, Palo Alto luthier and co-proprietor of Gryphon Stringed Instruments, has a wealth of articles on stringed instrument care and maintenence that are really well written and illustrated. It also has lots of cool articles and archives full of photos of great mandolins.
Good luck - I'm sure your Fylde can be put right with just a little tweaking by someone who knows how.
# Posted on October 28th 2005 by Keith Dubinsky
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
how about a hathway M-1 or M-2 they do them in 2 different woods they sound and play great for the £500 bracket mandolin and the tuners are good
# Posted on October 28th 2005 by Ripthecalico
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
I've owned a Fylde mandolin for about 7-8 years and never noticed any problems. However, a friend of mine who is a piano tunner as well as being an excellent mandolist recently told me the first fret plays sharp. He thinks the fret is not properly located. I can't tell the difference. (I guess that's why I don't tune pianos.) Anyone else have this experience?
# Posted on October 28th 2005 by jmcdaniel
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
I've got a Touchstone this past spring and haven't had a problem one. Setup was just fine when it arrived and it stays in tune as you move up the neck. Sorry I'm no help...
Schy
# Posted on October 28th 2005 by Schy
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
Hi Kess,
I would contact Roger at Fylde, he will for sure sort it out for you. I have had a few Fyldes over the years, with no problems but Roger is a GREAT guy to deal with, E-mail him and he may be able to sort it out for you !
KS
# Posted on October 29th 2005 by KS
Re: Anyone got a Fylde Mandolin? Problems with the E strings?
I have a Fylde Octavius which came from the (much missed) Music Room in Oxford. When I bought it it played beautifully but like LowProfile's, once I changed the strings it never sounded the same again. I've tried heavier strings (Martin & D'Addario) but they seem to make the action very heavy. Does anyone have any more info about the strings Fylde use ? I'd love to get this mando back into regular use.
# Posted on June 29th 2009 by David Broom