For my recent gig with Root Mean Square at Lambertville ECD I changed the strings on my main (and currently only) mandolin, my Trinity College TC 250 (Martin M400 set, 80/20 Bronze wound: .034w, .024w, .014, .010). The TC mando is a unique design, I've yet to see anything else quite like it. It's a flat-top with x-braced spruce top, maple back and sides, a quite shallow body and a very thin neck. However unusual the design may be, it's bright, loud, clear sound makes it very easy to play and especially hear, even in larger groups. It's also fitted with frets that are larger than average for a mando, almost guitar sized frets which I find allow me to play very quickly and clearly with minimal effort, something I really appreciate. I've become accustomed to playing flat-top mandolins over the past few years, ever since I first played a Tacoma mando. I played my Tacomas for a few years, but gave them up eventually for a few reasons- first, both of my Tacomas (I had 2, of course) developed unsightly problems with the finish literally pulling away from the wood in places- something I was later to find out was common to most Tacoma instruments made in the same period as my mandos. Second, over time the E strings would wear into the rosewood bridge, resulting in false notes and a somewhat sitar-like sound. Unfortunately an aftermarket replacement bridge was not available, so rather than try to rework the original bridge back into shape I decided to sell off both Tacomas and try something else. That something else turned out to be the TC 250 I'm still playing. I now also own a TC mandola (my profile pic shows the TC mandola in use) and an octave mandolin, but I'll write more about them another time.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Trinity College TC 250 Mandolin
For my recent gig with Root Mean Square at Lambertville ECD I changed the strings on my main (and currently only) mandolin, my Trinity College TC 250 (Martin M400 set, 80/20 Bronze wound: .034w, .024w, .014, .010). The TC mando is a unique design, I've yet to see anything else quite like it. It's a flat-top with x-braced spruce top, maple back and sides, a quite shallow body and a very thin neck. However unusual the design may be, it's bright, loud, clear sound makes it very easy to play and especially hear, even in larger groups. It's also fitted with frets that are larger than average for a mando, almost guitar sized frets which I find allow me to play very quickly and clearly with minimal effort, something I really appreciate. I've become accustomed to playing flat-top mandolins over the past few years, ever since I first played a Tacoma mando. I played my Tacomas for a few years, but gave them up eventually for a few reasons- first, both of my Tacomas (I had 2, of course) developed unsightly problems with the finish literally pulling away from the wood in places- something I was later to find out was common to most Tacoma instruments made in the same period as my mandos. Second, over time the E strings would wear into the rosewood bridge, resulting in false notes and a somewhat sitar-like sound. Unfortunately an aftermarket replacement bridge was not available, so rather than try to rework the original bridge back into shape I decided to sell off both Tacomas and try something else. That something else turned out to be the TC 250 I'm still playing. I now also own a TC mandola (my profile pic shows the TC mandola in use) and an octave mandolin, but I'll write more about them another time.
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