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I'm calling these the 'PRIMITIVE' mandolin. WHAT IS THE “primitive” MODEL?Īs all of us have fallen into the money downsizing, I am introducing a much less expensive version of all of our mandolin and mandolas. It is great for those coming over from guitar and for those who have larger fingers. He always wanted to play mandolin but found the necks too small for him to finger, so we made this Big Muddy mandolin’s neck wider. It was developed because of our car mechanic who is 6’4″ tall and has fingers like Polish sausages. Our wide neck model is 1-1/4″ at the nut. The “standard width” of a mandolin is 1-1/8″ at the nut. No, our Big Muddy mandolin/mandola necks don’t bow out of shape. It is the same material that one of the oldest American guitar companies uses in their guitar necks. They are plenty strong for the shortness of a mandolin neck. We use a hollow, square steel truss rod in our necks. Is there a truss rod in the Big Muddy mandolin/mandola necks? Most of the time its a money loser for us losers! But do we care.? I guess not. We generally ship USPS with a flat rate (see checkout prices). Do you know who holds the major league record for sliding into second base head first? Yes, we make all of our models available as left-handed mandolins at NO EXTRA CHARGE. Medium gauge strings are okay to use but we do not recommend them as they will stress the top a bit too much. You can use any string that you feel good about. We use GHS medium light strings (11-16-24-38). What gauge strings do you put on Big Muddy mandolins/mandolas? Smells great and can be used on every part of the mandolin with the exception of the hardware. Its totally organic with orange oil and essential waxes. It is available at most hardware stores in their cleaning section. It is easily repaired if any damage occurs.Ī great cleaning and conditioner for the finish is called Howard’s Feed and Wax. It is sparsely used as to not inhibit the natural resonance of the wood. It is a shellac/alcohol-based finish that is applied by French polishing. We use a product called Behlen’s Padding finish. A room with a dehumidifier is a good thing or take the puppy on a trip to Arizona! What kind of finish do you use on the Big Muddy mandolins/mandolas? If the “action" is feeling stiff (harder to press down on the strings) your Big Muddy mandolin/mandola is taking on moisture and swelling up. If you have a hardshell case it will be much more beneficial. Not to worry, you can play it anytime but when not playing, the case is where it belongs. It may take some weeks for it to regain enough moisture to cure symptoms. The cure? Put it in its case with the moisture producing items mentioned above. If the “action: (how high the strings are from the fretboard) is low and you are beginning to hear the strings “buzz” on the fretboard then your Big Muddy mandolin/mandola is getting dry. Monitoring the condition of your instrument is pretty easy. If you use these sources you MUST be extra vigilant in caring for your mando. Wood and electric heat sources can spell the death of thin woods.
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Poking small holes in the lid of the film canister is a must do thing to allow slow seepage of moisture into the case. One can use something as simple as a piece of celery or apple slice or an old plastic film canister with a wet sponge inside of it to do the trick. Anything that has moisture in it will emit the moisture in the instruments case. Commercial products are available but natural or homemade products will also be serviceable. When it is cold and dry, as in winter or in desert conditions, keeping the instrument in its case with some sort of moisture producing item is imperative. Knowing this, one must be vigilant to care for their instrument. Hot, humid weather will cause them to swell. Dry, cold weather will cause woods to shrink and crack. These woods are susceptible to changes in humidity or the lack of humidity. How do I care for my Big Muddy mandolin/mandola?Īny real musical instrument is built with thin, solid woods.
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