After doing everything I could to try to get more bottom out of my mandolin (new tailpiece, custom-sanding the bridge to meet the top, etc.), a friend suggested I take the big thumbwheels out of the bridge and replace them with these Loar-style old-school thumbwheels and posts. His thinking was that the big thumbwheels add too much mass to the bridge and interfere with sound transmission. He was right! Installing these thumbwheels made a noticeable difference in overall volume, while adding significantly more bottom end. Note that the bridge components may have to be drilled to a larger diameter in order to accommodate these posts. Also, it's advisable to de-tension the strings prior to adjusting bridge height. You can't just crank these under tension like the big thumbwheels, but how often do you have to mess with bridge height after the instrument has been set up? Great upgrade. It's like getting a better mandolin for $3.90.
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