View Full Version : mandola construction
thehoffer
Apr-18-2004, 11:05am
Is there a magic number to use to enlarge mandolin blueprints to use for mandola construction? Is the number related to scale length i.e. the ratio of body size between mandolin and mandola bodies is equal to the ratio of scale length difference? Or perhaps an easier question is, does anyone know of available plans for mandola or mandocello? Thanks for the help.
I have found no mandola plans based on the F style. I am doing one pased on 15%, neck width and thickness will be based on comfort not 15%. the soundholes are probably more like 12-13%, same size peghead I believe. There's not much info out there, you gotta fly by the seat of your pants.
13.875 scale which is normal for the F5 comes out to around 16" at 15%.
Most quick print places can enlarge your blueprints.
grsnovi
Apr-18-2004, 7:28pm
The 1920 H2 that I just got has a 15.75" scale.
The body is 2" deep at the rim and 11" wide. A metal rule inserted at the sound hole reads 2.5" to the inside of the back.
The neck is 1.375" at the nut and 1.75" at the 12th fret.
Oh, and the sound is awesome!
ethanopia
Apr-19-2004, 10:14am
I'd be interested to hear about top thickness too and how it relates to mandolins? anyone have any ideas...
Siminoff told me that the plate thickness should be maybe a hair thicker but basicaly the same as a mandolin.
french guy
Apr-20-2004, 3:35am
I've always made only mandos for instance but
I'm also planning to do a another stringed instrument mando family , and , as I've no drawing about that, I plan to use violon family and use the different measurements of violon , alto , cello etc , for having the ratio of dimensions.
grsnovi
Apr-20-2004, 11:07am
I don't think its a case of simple ratios...
For example, look at the ratio of a violin body to the body of a double bass.
Now look at the width of the finger boards on the two instruments - while the bass is certainly wider, in no way do you arrive at a constant ratio.
The same would be true for the top thickness. Using the same two violin family instruments, it is unlikely that a double bass which increased the carved top thickness to equal the ratio of the body size difference would sound any different from a tree with strings on it... as its unlikely that anything would be left to carve.
french guy
Apr-21-2004, 1:11am
grsnovi,
you are surely right , It's just an idea , for the moment I've not measuring anything and not see if there's big aberration in what I've suggest.
You should have a look at Lawrence Smart's (http://smart-instruments.com/gal95.html) Modern mandolin article. There are many useful measurements of mandolin family instruments in the text.