Stringing a Mandolin

A lesson on how to restring your mandolin

[@ianbarr5646]

Thank you very much!! This helped a lot. I successfully changed my strings

[@terrialbaier9751]

Thanks. Very Helpful

[@ronniek6323]

Years later...still helpful! ✌️

[@WaldoNevada]

This is the best mandolin stringing video on KZbin. I have watched them all. This will be the video I share and reference from now on. Thank you. The only thing I did differently was using painters tape to hold the bridge in place instead of using a sharpie to mark up the body.

[@wynnwesley33]

Your addition of a cup of coffee was brilliant!!

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

I use Thomastik Infeld Precision Mandolin Strings (they're Flatwound Strings designed like Violin Strings) which have about half as much tension of an Average String set to make playing the Mandolin easier, plus the Flatwound design will save the frets from scratches.

[@michaelbritton4119]

A trick I learned: instead of using a sharpie on the body, which may not come off, just eyeball the bridge first, placing it at the notches on the f-holes. Tune to pitch and let the neck settle back into position, stretch the slack out of the strings, tune to pitch again (now it's in tune) Then use your tuner and fret the 12th on g. If it's sharp, carefully slide the bridge to the butt, if flat then towards the fretboard. Retune and check again. Then do the same on e, being careful to pivot where the g is and not move that side. It's tricky at first, but do it once and you've got it down, and no sharpie Mark's if you ever need to reposition your bridge. Cheers, brother! I've been playing guitar for 30 years and you taught me how to properly restring

[@brownium1]

@Gorgon the Argonian Dragonborn One issue here - even if you change one string at a time, you still need to learn to adjust your bridge as Anony describes - bridges do get knocked out of place from time to time.

[@BillLozon]

Another way to mark the original bridge position is to use small bits of blue painter's tape. Easy to remove and won't harm the surface or leave any residue.

[@RubyNightingaleone]

I had to laugh when you mentioned the coffee. I had a cup of coffee in my hands while I started watching this. I just put brand new tuners on my old mandolin and decided to refresh my memory on putting the strings back on by watching this video. Thanks for making this video.🤣

[@mandolinic]

Some bridges have different compensations for bass and treble strings, so always mark the bass and treble sides of the bridge before removing it. However, for beginners I think it's better to change one string at a time, and bring each string roughly up to tune before removing the next. And always double check that you're putting the right string from pack on the instrument. It's really embarrassing to take a D string from the pack and put it where a G string should be :-( (been there, done that)

[@brownium1]

Excellent point regarding the bridge!

[@michaelmullooly9572]

Thanks so much for this video! Successfully changed strings and am happily playing my mandolin once more thanks to you

[@cheesebus1]

Fantastic. Very clear and helpful. Thank you.

[@amyyoung6857]

If only I'd watched this one first! Thanks, I can finally stop putting off re-stringing for so long because I'm so scared of stuffing it up!

[@stinky_lizard]

Good thing I watched this, I was gonna go about it like a guitarist would and have my bridge just fall off

[@jambutty2218]

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your knowledge and upload. I’m new to mandolin. I’m competent at changing strings on my guitar.

[@GavHensleyRL]

Thank you for this! It was very helpful!

[@wmralder]

Bonus! I have the same Rogue Mandolin, just in a different finish. Thanks for the information.

[@johnvroman245]

wmralder me too!

[@kateb9720]

wmralder mine is exactly like this😄

[@dennisschell5543]

Mine's tobacco sunburst... 😎

[@sarinns]

Same here!

[@oldyin5692]

Thanks very much. Huge help

[@democracydignityhumanrights]

Thank you so much!

[@juniperhowl8514]

super helpful, thanks so much!

[@JoyfulMamaWebsite]

Very helpful! Thanks!

[@BlueWaterMusicalInst]

Glad it was helpful. Enjoy your mandolin!

[@kdm0707]

Thanks so much this was really helpful 🙏🏽

[@600millie]

Excellent and very helpfull thankyou :)

[@Pileits]

The glare from the overhead light is a bother. I recommend covering the work surface with an old towel or rag so the mandolin doesn't get scratched and the glare from that light is not an issure.

[@murr2853]

Thanks so very much that was a for Dummies version that hit the mark with me.

[@secretagent86]

very helpful... about to do my first mandolin restring (done guitar many many times). i suggest a close up on string wraps.

[@HewieSux]

thanks a bunch :)

[@shapecrafterstudios]

I literally have the same mandolin! (Except a lighter color🙄) this was very helpful.

[@shapecrafterstudios]

Tom Kimbro (Thanks, I caught the error.)

[@aldricfarrell8735]

Educational

[@juspickin]

Cheers mate

[@brazilhead]

I like that tip on winding the string around the post before threading it through the hole. I'm thinking it would work well on guitars and banjos too, taking into account whether each string is a wound or unwound in order to prevent slipping as you described. Do you use this technique on other stringed instruments as well?

[@BlueWaterMusicalInst]

I use this technique on all my fretted instruments. Things are a little different on the bowed instruments (violin/fiddle). :)

[@stevebrighttheblackguitar653]

Nice description, thanks for the help. I’m going to do it now. Just have to find the tuning for mandolin now.... it’s not mine! I don’t play one, i do guitars! LOL

[@mikewilliams8713]

There's no point putting the bridge back on the mandolin until all the strings are attached. It just gets in the way. Just slide it into position once all the strings are attached (but slack). Then position them all in their grooves and tighten the strings. Much easier.

[@michaelpthompson]

I was thinking that too, but then I realized his string wrapping technique doesn't leave slack, so it wouldn't work for him.

[@itsybitsy1693]

What is the string size from top to bottom. Thanks this was a great teaching video.

[@haroldputt2279]

what # was the a model you used on your video about changing string?

[@kevinfoster3025]

I found a vintage mandolin in somewhat poor condition and have renovated it but it came without strings and the bridge was fixed to the body, also has a different arrangement for the attaching of strings, only a plate at the base of the body no on top of. It only has 4 attachements for the strings, so do I attach two strings to each peg?

[@michaelbrown-bp9xo]

Whats the measuring tape for? I wasn't sure if there needs to be a specific distance from bridge to the #12 fret or what? I'm building a mandolin from a kit and its my first....I'm usually a guitar player...

[@brownium1]

I intended to show that, but didn't get that far. The distance from the 12th fret the bridge should be about the same as the distance from the nut to the 12th fret. That's a good starting point, but then you have to adjust because in practice, the bridge will need to be just a little bit further than that. Once the strings are on and more or less in tune, you play the sting open, then play it at the 12th fret. If the 12th fret is sharp, you need to move the bridge slightly closer to the tailpiece. If the 12 fret is flat, you need to move the bridge slightly closer to the neck. I'll try to put that video together soon.

[@Dcurucci]

I destring and restring in a staggered high/low pattern to evenly distribute tension. Curious if it makes a difference in wear and tear 🤔

[@brownium1]

I think that is a great way to do it as well. A lot of people do it the way you do. However, I do not think that you need to worry about tension (or lack of tension) causing harm to the instrument. While there are a lot of people who concern themselves with it, everything I've read from instrument manufacturers suggests that this is not a real problem. Consider that when an instrument is manufactured, there are no strings on it, and that causes no problems. :) The best reason for not removing all the strings on the mandolin is simply because you have to deal with the bridge. This is different for instruments in the violin family. Those instruments have a sound post that runs from the front of the instrument to the back, underneath the bridge. The sound post is held in place only by the pressure between the front and back, so removing all the strings at once can reduce the pressure enough that the soundpost falls.

[@oddfellowfloyd]

Can you use guitar strings, with the ball-ends removed, on an octave mandolin? :)

[@temarti17]

how high is the bridge supposed to be?

[@miseryandwhisky]

Obviously this is an old video. But on the off chance that you still see comments: I just got a mandolin a few days ago. On restringing it, the two E strings keep snapping. Both of them snapped at the loop, and both when I got the tuning to D#. Am I just tuning up too quickly, possibly? I also play guitar, but obviously no string on a guitar is pitched as high as the top E on a mando. Any advice you can give would be gratefully received. Cheers.

[@brownium1]

The things I would check for - 1) make sure you aren't going an octave too high? 2) make sure you aren't using the A string and trying to tune it to E, 3) if the loop itself is breaking - make sure there is nothing wrong with the catch (a burr or nick that is cutting into the string) 4) try a different brand of strings. I'd be very interested to hear the outcome once you work it out.

[@miseryandwhisky]

Stephen Brown I think I’ve figured it out (although not before snapping another string!!). I’m not sure how to explain in writing, so on my day off tomorrow I’ll make a little video and post you a link, which will hopefully explain it.

[@n8tuwstevenewland933]

Yes you don't do anything without the coffee.

[@christophertsiliacos8958]

👏 👍 Excellent tutorial! 😊 Just like on my violin, I snapped an E string on my mandolin. 😢 Hopefully, It will never happen again. 👌 😉

[@Vivalno]

What app do you use to tune the instrument? Thanks.

[@jeramiahmcdonald4336]

mandolin tuner app

[@jmo8a_veda]

@6:43 what is that parts name to clasp the string?

[@arielreilly5397]

I recently got a used mandolin and the bridge was out of place when I got it. How can i figure out where it should be?

[@brownium1]

Meant to include that in the video, but forgot... The twelfth fret should be half way from the nut (top of the neck) to the bridge. Measure the distance nut to 12th fret. Set the bridge that same distance from the 12th fret. Once you have your strings on, you may need to make some adjustments. To do so, touch one of the G strings right over the 12th fret - don't press, just touch, then pluck that string. Now, press the string down at the 12th fret and pluck again. You should get the same note in both cases. If the fretted note is sharp compared to the "touched" note, move your bridge a little closer to the tail piece. If your fretted note is flat, move the bridge closer to the neck. Once you get those notes sounding the same, do it again with an E string.

[@kairinase]

I saw a video from Fender that recommends using masking tape to hold the bridge; maybe it would work in tandem with the marking method?

[@TheBellmare]

I'd be livid if marks were made on my mandolins, and bridge is supposed to be moveable when strung.

[@kairinase]

@@TheBellmare Well, people made more than just marks to decorate their instruments... Would a few marks hurt it? Unless you have a vintage instrument by Stradivarius, then we're talking! I don't own any mandolins yet, cause they're rare in my region of SE Asia, but I've seen a few expensive ones online and in the store, so I would be livid myself if I found even a scratch on it.

[@TheBellmare]

@@kairinase Decorating an instrument is one thing--sloppily making marks where they should never be is another (the bridge is moveable when strung deliberately, in order to adjust the action and centering of the strings on the neck, as well as make tuning with other instruments faster and easier when not exactly 440hz). When you do get a mandolin, or lute, or violin, dear Muhammed, string the center strings first, then the outer ones, so they are strung centered from the start!

[@kairinase]

@@TheBellmare Thanks for the tips.

[@jimrafferty7006]

I made the mistake of taking all the strings off and the bridge of course came off. I saw that you had a tape measure and thought you would be using it to measure the location of the bridge. You never touched the tape measure. What is it used for?

[@brownium1]

Ya, Jim - I intended to show that, but didn't get that far. The distance from the 12th fret the bridge should be about the same as the distance from the nut to the 12th fret. That's a good starting point, but then you have to adjust because in practice, the bridge will need to be just a little bit further than that. Once the strings are on and more or less in tune, you play the sting open, then play it at the 12th fret. If the 12th fret is sharp, you need to move the bridge slightly closer to the tailpiece. If the 12 fret is flat, you need to move the bridge slightly closer to the neck. I'll try to put that video together soon.

[@jimrafferty7006]

Thank you for your help. This was my first time restringing the mandolin and you've given me the information I needed. Being a guitar player, I realize I will have to make minor adjustments for the intonation. Thanks again.

[@dohndunmire5603]

So where is the exact placement of the bridge supposed to be? I got my mandolin second hand and the strings were a bit loose with the bridge moving around.

[@stevebrighttheblackguitar653]

Dohn Dunmire The bridge should line up with the points in the F holes on each side. Use a paper ruler or straight edge from the points on the F holes as a basic guide. Point to point!

[@idiotninja]

You took a sharpie to it???

[@patrickcash2144]

It a Rogue ,

[@mdmsr2000]

got one just like that. hardly played it and broke a string.

[@tooties545]

What was the tape measure for?

[@BlueWaterMusicalInst]

I meant to show how to set the location of the bridge if you lost track. But I forgot. :|

[@Titaniumjake1472]

Rag ! thats a sock man i hope not a.used one or at least a clean used one haha thanks though very helpful for my mandolin :)

[@Rottentone]

More slippery*

[@minibikesandgocarts7832]

Is it a rouge

[@USCG.Brennan]

It's a Rogue....

[@thecuddlyviking6940]

Mini bikes And go carts what's wrong with rogue?

[@MsCellobass]

Mmmm I don’t thinks so. Wouldn’t it be better if you took the strings out one set at a time and replace each set rather than taking all of them out? That puts more stress on the mandolin.

[@TheBellmare]

Step number one--place instrument on a pad or piece of leather.

[@danielcondrich3262]

My tail peice won't come off

[@BlueWaterMusicalInst]

There are a lot of variations on how mandolins are made, so I don't want to say how yours works without seeing it. Some slide up or down, some just pull off. You will have to determine how yours works. If you do a search on the web for the mandolin model you have, you may find some specifics. It isn't unusual for them to get sticky.

[@democracydignityhumanrights]

Try and look and see if it's fitting into a grove, if it is slide it down, also try folding open like a book

[@TimFitz33]

@@BlueWaterMusicalInst My Rouge mandolin just arrived. The tail piece cover was not in place. I've tried everything to reinstall it and it won't stay In place. Looks great , but not so without the cover.

[@kylesedgwick2746]

please don't mark on your instrument. just use painters tape.

[@steelegrinder]

Those are called side cutters not pliers

[@lysergicthoughts]

2:15 take my time for doing some coffee...

[@josephkessler2493]

its safe to say if you have a rogue mandolin you cannot play the mandolin

[@BlueWaterMusicalInst]

That's hilarious!

[@brooksfarris8012]

and not very thoughtful...

[@JoeyJustJoking.]

Don't judge the book by its cover

[@jaygold4467]

Wrong information. Two wraps on wound strings. Four wraps on unwound strings. Another wrong KZbin video.

[@BlueWaterMusicalInst]

Many years of doing this the way I demonstrated, I'm confident that it works very well. If you have another way of doing it, I'm okay with that.

[@mikelheron20]

Jay Gold It ain't wrong if it works. There's no one way to do these things.

[@chriscravens8318]

Are you serious? Mark your top? Move your bridge? Take off all strings at the same time? Really? Who taught you this? Literally NOONE I know takes ALL the strings off at the same time. Why move your bridge when you don't have to? I have now seen it all..

[@bb38313]

he would never touch my insturment. I been doing this over 50 yrs he is all wrong

[@BlueWaterMusicalInst]

Thanks for enlightening us all.

[@sweetpea7583]

I've been doing this well over 50 yrs. The only thing different I would do is leave the bridge put; and change one string at a time. The wrapping around the tuner shaft as he describes works well for me on mando, banjo, guitar and bass guitar.

[@Heather-oj7ps]

Let's see you do it Negative Ned, if you know so much. Everyone has a their own way of doing things.