Anyone had this done to your mandolin? I emailed Collings repair thinking they might be skeptical, but they were not.

http://www.siminoff.net/pages/...rts13-dedamping.html

El Jefe,you're not going to let some scientist shake,rattle,and roll your Amberlin R U ? The flames on the back might get all twisted and knotted and you'll then have to send it to a flame de-tangler

Save the $125 and fire up one of those tractors in the yard and strap Amberlin on with some bungees....that'll do it!

El Jefe, what about the company that has (Toneright) they offer a gizo mo for mando, guitars, even double bass? What have you heard about them? Thanks Phil

I don't think that I would do it unless I had a dud (mandolin with socks inside). Mine sounds good right now. I'm patient and I have time to wait...I think.

There is a ride at Six Flags that shook my guts severely for 2 minutes. My voice hasn't sounded good since then.

My friend from work is bringing me one of his rattlesnake rattles for mojo.

Mandolins like to be played.

CC: sent you a pm earlier.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: El Jefe,

I'd just as soon send my instrument to some company to break in than I'd send my girlfriend for someone to break in. Crude analogy I know, but sheesh, if you gotta get hooked up to a machine like that, you may as well just play CDs.

The 'Tonerite' has been being talked about tons over on the Cafe. It all sounds good. It's funny you know.... The Cafe people who have tried it (for $200 last month on special from their factory) are swearing by it. I went tothe Tonerite site and they say they started off making these things for cellos and violas and violins, then they made a guitar one, and have just started making the mando ones. So what I think is funny is that many on the 'Acoustic guitar' thread on this site would NEVER think to attatch something like this to thier instruments, but the mandolin community (at least on the Cafe) seem WAY more open to the idea. If I can have an instrument in played in condition, with NO wear, you can be sure thats the route I'm going to take....Kerry K.... Just as an addendum to this last comment of mine, on the Cafe ,Art Stearn who is one of John Monteleone's greatest patrons (If I understand him properly, he has owned about 15 of these babies!) has sent 3 of his axes off to Siminoff to get the Dedamping done and he is very suprized by the results. Please go over to Mandolincafe and do a search. The Dedamping that Siminoff does is right long the same lines that the Tonerite machine does.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kerry Krishna,

I spoke with Hans at Tonerite, nice guy, who build up a model for guitars. I have used it on 3 guitars to date. There was noted change in sustain lenght and tone. Some of the Martin models that had little to no play time had a dramatic change. I did have a homemade setup back in the late 70s and early 80's that used a loud speaker/horn . I would find the frequency that shook the guitar the most and let it play for 8 hours a day. That worked with good results. I have not tryed the Siminoff method. Phil ps Hans pasted the 100.00 off deal to me as well. I got this device because I can't play'em all. I have to rotate the herd; I hate having a guitar that doesnt get played! It like have a pet/dog cat, bird etc... and not caring for it properly like no food no shelter or WORSE NO PLAY TIME>>

This message has been edited. Last edited by: philcagle,

I 'snagged' one when they had their $200 sale on a few weeks ago (only now they're $150)
My MF5 #366 was, I thought about as 'played in' as it could get. After the initial 72 hours it was already noticably louder, and a certain clarity was starting to emerge. After three weeks on the mandolin whenever I'm not playing or transporting it, it has really opened up (for want of a better description). It's in a perpetually 'warmed-up' state now, too. I'm sold on it, and wouldn't part with it.

Currently I have an Eastman varnish 815 oval on its second full day. While a Bourgeois 260 is getting the guitar treatment. I pulled the mando at lunch today just to see what had happened; Excellant results but it's a new mando so any playing at all would perk it up. I couldn't resist at the 150.00 price point. More info to follow upon completion. Phil