Sound Advice

By Randy Torno.

As a Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar instructor, I am often asked by students how to make their instrument sound and play better. About half of my students are learning by Internet Videoconference, and most live in areas where there is no qualified repair person or instructor available so they are looking for things they can do by themselves to improve their instruments. Most beginners are using instruments of limited quality, and their sound will never equal that of high-end models, but just about any instrument can be made to sound and play a little better with a few adjustments. Here are a few non-invasive methods you can try.

BANJO

Next time you change strings try a different size and composition of string. There are so many strings available today that this should be the first place to start trying to improve your sound. Most people simply use the same strings that came with the instrument although these are not always of the highest quality, especially on imported instruments. In general, strings with more steel in them will be brighter and those with more brass will sound more mellow. Strings with a higher gauge will be louder but will feel a bit stiffer and harder to play than lighter strings. There are also strings available with exotic coatings to make them last longer, and these are also worth a try.
Those of you playing bluegrass can try simply changing the kind of thumb and fingerpicks you are using. The style and thickness of picks you use will influence the sound you are getting out of your banjo. All picks are not made the same, and with the low cost involved, it is worth experimenting to see if they improve your sound. Thumb picks and fingerpicks are now available in various man-made materials and sizes and can make quite a difference to the sound of a lower level instrument.
The bridge on a banjo is held on by string pressure alone, and is very easy to change. If your banjo is buzzing when you fret it, try replacing the bridge with a slightly taller one. If it’s very hard to fret try sanding the feet of the bridge a little at a time by placing sandpaper on a flat surface and running the bridge feet over it. Bridges are made from many different types of wood and each will give your banjo a different tone. To replace the bridge, first loosen tension by tuning the strings down, flip the bridge on its side, slip it out and replace with the new one. Make sure that the bridge is facing the right way by examining the slots ... the thickest slot is for the 4th string. Measure from the nut to the 12th fret.... measure the same distance from the 12th fret to the head and that is where the bridge goes. To check for accuracy, a harmonic played at the 12th fret (lightly touch the string at the 12th without pushing it down) should sound the same as the fretted 12th. If it doesn’t, simply slide the bridge a little until it does.
Since strings vibrating on a drumhead generate the sound of the banjo, the tension on that head will affect the sound greatly. Most banjo heads on imported instruments are too loose when they are shipped and if your banjo sounds tubby this could be the reason. Today’s banjo heads are made from space age plastics and are almost impossible to break simply from tightening too much. However it is possible to warp the pot assembly from to much pressure (especially on the aluminum pots used in many beginner models) so be careful here. Most manufacturers supply a wrench to tighten the head. If yours didn’t you can purchase a hex wrench at a hardware store of the correct size. Remove the resonator, if your banjo has one, by removing the four screws or round nuts that are holding it on. Tighten each clamp very slightly (1/4 of a turn or less) starting at the neck and working your way around. The feet of the bridge should make a slight indentation on the underside of the head when it is at the proper tension. Over tightening will choke off the sound from the head as well as potentially doing damage to the instrument.

 
MANDOLIN

Because the mandolin is a solid wood instrument there are fewer adjustments that can be made without luthier skills. Strings are the obvious first thing to try. There are many compositions and gauges of string available and each one will impart a different tone to the instrument. If you are looking for more volume try a thicker string or a string with more steel. If your mando sounds thin try using a string with more brass and a little thicker than you are now using. String gauge will strongly influence the playability of your instrument and usually it is a compromise between ease of playing and the best sound. Change strings one at a time, removing one...replacing it and bringing it up to pitch before changing the next one. This will ensure that the bridge stays put. Always wind strings inward around the tuning posts or you will be putting too much unwanted pressure on the nut.
The pick is what transfers the energy from your hand to the string and will have an effect on the sound. Pick size, weight, shape and material are all personal preferences but with picks being relatively inexpensive it is worth trying out a wide variety of them to see which sounds best to you. Picks are made of many different materials including plastics, bone and even fossilized walrus tusks. Various exotic man made materials are also being used including Tortis, an artificial tortoise shell and the Wegen picks made in Europe. Variations in sound caused by the pick will usually be greater in more expensive instruments, but the right pick can certainly help your tone regardless of level.
The other adjustment you can easily try yourself is the height of the bridge. Most modern mandolins use some variation of the Gibson, adjustable two-part bridge, with two little thumbscrews to adjust the height. In general, a higher bridge will give more volume without buzzing but will be harder to fret. It is so easy to adjust the bridge height that it is worth trying to see how it affects the sound. To adjust the bridge first measure the opening between the two halves of the bridge so you can get back there if you don’t like the new bridge height. Loosen all the strings but not to the point where the bridge will move, just lower the tension. Using needle nose pliers, CAREFULLY turn the adjustment knob a slight amount (1/4 turn or less) in the same direction on both posts. Tune up and check out the results. Repeat this until you have the bridge at the height that sounds and plays best.

GUITAR

            Like the mandolin, there are relatively few adjustments to make to an acoustic guitar unless a luthier performs them. The discussion of strings and picks above, however, also applies to guitar. Personal preference plays a large part in the choice of either one and it is often a trade-off between playability and sound.
            Unlike the mandolin, most modern acoustic guitars have fixed bridges with no allowance for height adjustment. The strings however rest on a thin piece of plastic, bone or other material, which fits into a slot on the bridge itself. This “saddle” can be adjusted or changed without altering the guitar itself and will affect both the sound and height of the strings. Replacement saddles can be ordered from music supply houses such as Stewart-Macdonald. Lower level acoustic guitars use a  plastic saddle, which can usually be replaced with material that has better sonic quality. Simply unstring the guitar or loosen the strings until the bridge pins can be removed. Place a rubber band on the neck near the nut so the strings won’t unwind from the tuning pegs. With the strings removed, the bridge saddle can often be lifted out of its slot. The new saddle may need a bit of sanding to fit snugly in the slot or to adjust its height. If the bridge is already too low, causing the strings to buzz, try removing the saddle and creating a shim that will fit in the slot, then replacing the saddle. I often make a temporary shim by cutting a thin slice of business card and placing it in the slot under the saddle to see what effect the new height has. A guitar with action that is too high can sometimes be fixed by sanding the bottom of the saddle, then replacing it in the slot (don’t sand too much though!).

The sound of almost any instrument can be improved but if you have any doubts about your ability to perform any of the changes above, have them done by a qualified luthier.

Randy@musiclessonsource.com
http://musiclessonsource.com