can this be done?

[Km1000seth]

Ive had an idea that came from playin on stage one night and that is, I like to play around the center of the neck, and sometimes higher. And it bugs me all the time that when I'm playing in B Bb or farther up the neck, The sharp edge of the back of the mandolin is always right in the palm of my hand and it make for an uncomfortable situation. This is prob'ly gonna be hard to explain, But the neck is wedged from the fretboard to the button. is it possible to make a rim that in the front of it where it meets the neck would be angled to match the contour of the neck joint? Ill doctor up a picture of my mandolin to illistrate this.

# # # # # # #Seth

[sunburst]

If I read you right it would be possible.
It would also be expensive to get most good luthiers to modify their usual shape for a custom instrument like that.

[Km1000seth]

Ok heres a bad pic that might get my point across, also, its would be me that would build it.

[sunburst]

That's sort of what I thought you meant.
A similar neck joint is fairly common in mandolins of types other than Gibson types, like Celtic etc. Also, that's similar to the neck joint in a Bass (or viol).
I say why not?

If you want your "cutaway" (careful with that word) to follow the taper of the neck heel, the bend will be a little more complicated because of the "twist" involved, but I've seen it done on guitars.

[John Flynn]

FWIW, Rigels are "smooth as a baby's butt" in that area!

[Km1000seth]

would i have to use a neck joint other than a dovetail, such as a tennon joint?

[sunburst]

You could use a dovetail, but you might have to stay wider at the "button"

[Michael Lewis]

About 15 years ago I made an A model very similar to that for John Reischman. The sides sweep into the neck and button. I think it's a very slick design, very clean lines visually, but not traditional.