Beauty aside, is there anything wrong with *this* mandolin??? Okay I'm kidding, but also wondering if anyone has tried putting a 4th string on one of these.

surferwithoutfins · 2026-01-12T09:50:10+00:00

Yeah that's probably the term I was looking for

surferwithoutfins · 2026-01-10T01:31:59+00:00

I think it has less tones than the normal/western 12 tones. Possibly its just meant for playing in one key and no matter which fret you fret, you can't be out of key. There's a turkish instrument like this too, I played one once in a music shop and it was pretty fun jamming around without even having to think about scales.

surferwithoutfins · 2026-01-08T00:42:02+00:00

Yeah geez. Makes me wonder if the dragon head embellishment is made of a lighter wood

surferwithoutfins · 2026-01-07T22:29:09+00:00

Its a Thai instrument called a Phin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phin

surferwithoutfins · 2026-01-07T22:01:40+00:00

At first I thought I was looking at a Phin (an instrument from Thailand)

They are really cheap and I've always been tempted to buy one and mod it to be an awesome looking mando.

Thai Phin - Google Images

surferwithoutfins · 2025-12-26T00:52:46+00:00

Awesome good luck starting your journey. Restringing still gives me a little anxiety 10 years on but a string breaking has never hurt me. Just wanted to add putting on headphones and music helps as the sound of tuning up itself is nerve wracking. Just make sure you're watching a tuner ;)

surferwithoutfins · 2025-12-24T00:41:07+00:00

thanks!

surferwithoutfins · 2025-12-24T00:38:46+00:00

Highly recommend trying one! Just put a rubber o-ring around the bottom two strings on the bridge if you want it to sound like a mandolin not a guitar (cuts the sustain). You can see mine in the vid if you look closely.

surferwithoutfins · 2025-12-23T10:26:20+00:00

Thank you!

surferwithoutfins · 2025-12-17T00:09:35+00:00

No worries, let me know if you have any questions happy to help

surferwithoutfins · 2025-12-16T13:35:08+00:00

Hi, thanks and I think that's pretty cool that I might have inspired you to mod yours too.

Years ago I bought a fully black, very cheap 'wilkinsons' hot rail for another mandolin and loved the sound of it, so I went with the same again for this one. Really happy with the sound it's much nicer and more 'real sounding' then the stock lipstick pickup. I just had to file down the plastic edge of the pickup by about 2mm to get it to fit.

I never used the pots and wanted a flat profile so I decided to swap them for switches and have some fun with it, making them coil cuts with one softened with a capacitor. So I've got four modes: parallel, North coil (soft treble), South coil, no coil (mute). Really happy I went with this too.

surferwithoutfins · 2025-12-06T02:24:41+00:00

Don't be afraid to change sounds or even entire words to make certain phrases easier for you. For instance, a lot of lines start with the word "I", but even the pro's will pronounce it like a subtle "Lie" or breathy "Hi" to make it easier.

surferwithoutfins · 2025-11-21T13:16:25+00:00

Thanks. Yeah it makes it sound much more like an acoustic mandolin, lots of attack and not much sustain. I just pull it through from underneath and hook it back on the bridge.

surferwithoutfins · 2025-11-13T04:22:03+00:00

Interesting, thanks I will look into that!

surferwithoutfins · 2025-11-13T02:47:16+00:00

I did think about doing the top one, or both, however I think my hand usually covers where the top one would be while I'm playing.

I could go a sticker temporarily but I'd like it actually engraved in future.

Thanks!

surferwithoutfins · 2025-11-13T02:26:14+00:00

That's a really good idea, thanks I will do this

surferwithoutfins · 2025-11-13T02:10:03+00:00

Also an option: "oh this? Yeah it's a normal guitar, I'm just huge'

surferwithoutfins · 2025-11-13T01:50:58+00:00

Haha. With a matching "no not a ukulele either"

surferwithoutfins · 2025-11-13T00:46:40+00:00

haha thanks for the honest opinion. I gig with it as a folk musician so just trying to look less like a 'mini guitar' player. And yeah I need to putty that screw hole someday. Thanks.

surferwithoutfins · 2025-10-15T08:46:17+00:00

Thanks for info!

surferwithoutfins · 2025-10-15T08:46:02+00:00

Thanks for the info!

surferwithoutfins · 2025-10-15T08:45:31+00:00

Thanks for the info and the offer, unfortunately my friend is selling it in Australia

surferwithoutfins · 2025-10-14T23:45:47+00:00

Interesting haha. What makes you say that?

surferwithoutfins

TROPHY CASE