Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Need more sound

#1

I have a Kentucky 606 mandolin and I am not happy with the sound quality it just is not loud enough. I have light strings on it. Do I need a harder pick or heavier strings? Thank you

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#2

I think mediums will be a little louder and have a little more punch. I tried some lights on my Northfield and I didn’t like them at all, they played a little easier but the sound wasn’t nearly as good. A good pick helps too.

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#3

I would suggest both

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#4

You can also try a Tone-Gard if you’re still not getting enough volume.

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#5

Hi Jill! Welcome to the board. It’s definitely worth trying heavier strings. If you can afford it, I’d try out a Bluechip pick, too. I overheard Ben say at camp once that he uses a 1.3mm pick on his mando. That’s probably twice as thick as I’m used to for guitar, so apparently thick is good.

I also like Michael Mark’s suggestion of the Tone Gard. The back of a mandolin is a critical part of its overall sound, so it’s important to let it vibrate freely. You can see how much difference it will make simply by playing your mando and making sure its back isn’t touching your body.

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#6

I agree– I wouldn’t recommend using a pick thinner than a millimeter or .04 inches. I normally play with either a 1.3 or 1.4 mm pick (50 and 55 in BlueChip thickness). The Dunlop Primetone large triangle is essentially a BlueChip CT55 on a budget, and they are good stand-ins for whatever I don’t need to use my BlueChips for (e.g. lending a pick or playing somewhere where you could easily lose a pick).

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#7

I’d recommend both of those. I use medium strings and BlueChip TP60 pick and I think the thickness of the strings plus the thicker pick really helps the volume (I also have a tonegard). But any thicker pick will help out a lot even if it’s not a BlueChip.

I know David Benedict uses this one and recommends the X-stiff: https://store.banjobenclark.com/collections/picks/products/golden-gate-triangular-multi-color-clown-barf-flat-pick

Although the BlueChip is still my favorite these are nice too: https://store.banjobenclark.com/collections/picks/products/chris-thile-signature-tortoise-shell-flat-pick-by-d-addario

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#8

I use medium gauge strings on my mandolin and I use a 1.3 pick, plus I’m heavy handed.

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#9

A couple random thoughts…

Though I won’t argue with the previous posts,Volume can also be altered by string attack w/pick, where that attack takes place on the string, and by how cleanly you fret the instrument.

Experimenting with technique is far less expensive than experimenting with accessories, strings, etc.

My mando is fairly quiet when I play it (Med gauge strings & blue chip pick)…I’ve handed it to better pickers and heard it wake up & cut through the rowdiest jams. It’ll blow your hair back in the right hands…

Keep in mind, any change in playing technique or accessories can have an effect on tone. If I had to choose between tone & volume, I’d sacrifice some volume first.

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