9-string mandola anomoly..

[catmandu2]

Check out my thread in CBOM for info on my newly acquired Dean (NOT Brian) 20-inch scale 9-string mandola. #Has anyone seen one of these? #Sounds a little better than my TC 275..
http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....y603468 (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=16;t=48412;st=0;&#entry603468)

[Martin Jonas]

Are you sure it's not a waldzither? Your description in the other thread is three double courses plus three singles. That sounds odd to me. A waldzither would be four double courses plus one single bass string.

Mind you, I've never heard of any pacrim company making one of these -- they are very rare even in their native Germany these days. They make great mandola conversions, though.

Martin

[catmandu2]

Yeah, it could well be. i don't know anything about it other than it says "Dean" on the headstock. Luthier called it a mandola.

[jefflester]

It's just their attempt at some sort of guitar/mando hybrid like the failed Gibson M6. It's more a guitar than a mandola. It's tuned like a guitar and called a "Mondo Mando."

Dean website - "Mondo Mando" (http://www.deanguitars.com/mondo_mando_madolin.htm)

http://www.deanguitars.com/images/mondo_mando_mandolin.jpg

[catmandu2]

There it is. #Although mine's a wee bit different: trad orange-burst, clamshell-style tailpiece, and larger shoulders like the old MIJ Kentucky mandolins, and I must say much better looking than in the photo--it looks like a real instrument. #Mine is not tuned as a guitar, although I can see where that would be the intent. #i think the scale is around 20", and it sounds way more mandola at the top and OM at the bottom, and even a bit of m'cello at the very bottom--(doesn't sound like a guitar at all).

Thanks for posting that pic.

[jefflester]

Well, mine is not tuned as a guitar,
How do you have it tuned?

[catmandu2]

DFCGDA, CGCGDA, and EbGCGDA
I'm also finding it very cool to finger pick, which, although I am a fingerstyle player primarily, never wanted to do on my four-course instruments.

[delsbrother]

Are you keeping the courses arranged as they came (1-1-1-2-2-2)? Or like a 5 course mandola (1-2-2-2-2)?

[catmandu2]

So far, just as it came: 1-1-1-2-2-2

Although, I could see doubling the 4th course in the future, and I'd probably remove one of the other bass strings.

This thing actually plays in tune with correct intonation, and holds its tune. #Although not a complex instrument, it does sound great with its extra resonance in this dark tuning. #And fun.

[aries753]

With 9 strings how wide is it at the nut?

I might as well ask all the other details as well since I have looked at the Dean site before and don't remember.
20" scale, how deep is the body? how wide? does it have a trus rod?

Thanks http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[catmandu2]

Nut width 1-11/16"; body depth 2-1/4"; width 12-1/2"; adjustable truss rod.

[Martin Jonas]

So far, just as it came: 1-1-1-2-2-2

Although, I could see doubling the 4th course in the future, and I'd probably remove one of the other bass strings.
Well, that would make it pretty close to a waldzither, which I think would also work just fine with the nut width. Just fit a new nut and saddle. The dimensions should work just fine for either GDAEA or traditional waldzither tuning GDGBD.

For what it's worth, I've just managed to get hold of a waldzither tutor published in the 1920s. Interesting instrument!

Martin

[catmandu2]

Yes, it has lots of possibilities. Who would have thought there would be a pac-rim waldzither on the market http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif -- although I'm sure the Dean folks didn't intend for it.

[aries753]

Thanks for the information, I thought the body would have been deeper. At 2 1/4" I don't think it's a lot deeper than my Mid-Mo mandola. The 'dola is at home and I'm at work so I can't measure it right now:( .

Do you think it would sound OK tuned as an OM?

[trevor]

The price list shows a Mondo Mando F9 but I can't find it in the catalogue. Could this be an F version?

[catmandu2]

I haven't seen anything that appears to be an "F" style.

Kevin, it is about the same depth as a mandolin/'dola. Wider body, though. To me, it's range is very OM-ish, but the neck would be very wide for only four courses.

[PseudoCelt]

Could this be an F version?
I've seen and played an F-style 9-string OM that may be the F9 in the price list. It was tuned gGG DD aa ee. IIRC, it had a flattish top and sounded OK. It looked identical to the 9-stringer pictured below. The photo was originally posted by Martin in#this thread (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=7;t=48559;hl=10+and+string) , who stated that it was strung in a 2-2-1-2-2 configuration.

Patrick

[trevor]

Thanks for that.
Looks like Ozark on the headstock, therefore likely from the Ozark/Fender/etc/etc/put your name here if you order enough, factory (not necessarily a criticism I've had some myself..)

[delsbrother]

If you do a search of these boards for Mondo Mando you'll see the F model - it's got a tree of life inlay on the fingerboard (which nicely sidesteps that nasty dot on the 9th fret issue, LOL) and f holes. I think it's been discontinued by Dean, and frankly I'm surprised the A model is still around considering the failure of the M6 and the funkiness of the Goldtone. Scale might have something to do with making this one more successful.

I believe the A model also came in trans black and trans blue finish (for Ozzy and Ted, respectively). http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Martin Jonas]

I've seen and played an F-style 9-string OM that may be the F9 in the price list. It was tuned gGG DD aa ee. IIRC, it had a flattish top and sounded OK. It looked identical to the 9-stringer pictured below. The photo was originally posted by Martin in this thread (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=7;t=48559;hl=10+and+string) , who stated that it was strung in a 2-2-1-2-2 configuration.
That photo was from an Ebay auction and in some of the other photos it was very plain that the middle string was the single one. In fact, even in this photo you can figure this out if you look closely at the strings. Definitely weird.

Martin

[catmandu2]

Do you think it would sound OK tuned as an OM?
I've spent the past two evenings playing the dickens with the "Mondo." It's a lot of fun--not a bad sound. Suprisingly, it stays in tune quite well and has good intonation up the neck. A few dead spots...mids are stronger than highs and lows.

With respect to the question, it sounds somewhere between my mandola and OM, as would be expected I suppose due to its size and scale. Because of its shallow body, not as OM-ish, and has more "body" than a 'dola due to its wide bout and 20-inch scale. But in a pinch--if one needs cheap--it could be tuned and used as an OM. I don't know how much they retail for, but well worth a couple of hundred bucks.

[Paul Hostetter]

Nothing new under the sun...

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/WarrenAllen/tunings/pics/Knutsen_family-01.jpg

[catmandu2]

So, this is getting kind of weird.

I'm deciding what instrument I want to take to my next little performance, and I was of course playing this new dola--fiddle tunes mostly, some O'Carolan stuff. #I thought I wanted to use my OM, then I tried it and it didin't sound as good as this Dean-dola. #I know I don't want to use my four course dola because I know it sounds thinner than either of the others. #Now, those are both TCs and I understand their limitations. #But in just the few days I've had it I've developed a bit of a dependency for the dean-dola's capacity to add drones, chords and extra harmonies. #In this respect, its guitar-like capacities render this thing really, really favorably over my cheap four-course instruments. #Although it sounds like a CBOM, its harmonic capacities are more, well...guitar like -- since I'm a longer guitarist than CBOM-ist. #It's fun to approach the 5ths tuning from a wider intervallic or harmonic choice. #I'm beginning to really appreciate its uniqueness, and developing a precontemplative conception of reacquiring another case of MAS. #Anyone want to trade a five or six course fretted instrument for a TC dola, OM and a few guitars/banjos/whatever?

I've settled on the CGCGDA.

[delsbrother]

LOL, catmandu's going to inspire a TEKNO-like run on the Mondo Mando. I can tell you I've been looking at these for quite awhile, but was always chicken to buy one sight-unseen (plus there had been reports of top sinkage and overall Pac-rim-job quality issues). But now that someone else has taken the plunge and had success...

I'm holding out for a trans-blue one. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Do you have the ability to post a soundclip?

[catmandu2]

Negative. #But I can tell you it sounds better than my TC 275, with lots more range to boot.

How much do these retail for?

[delsbrother]

catmandu, what kind of strings are you using on this? Did you just retune the stock ones (which were designed for guitar tuning?)?

Have you checked out DanB's Sobell mandola vids (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVxRucBlEiE) - his is roughly the same scale (capoed 5th for a low drone). Deans are obviously no match in quality or tone, but they're also about $6K cheaper. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[catmandu2]

Very cool dels- #I got my converted mondo back from tjhe luthier today and will capo-up and try this. #Similar tone, yes (albeit 6K cheaper--ha ha, where Dan's trebles sing, mine bark http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif ).

Appears my luthier threw on a set of mandola strings--probably some random guitar string for the single bottom.

If you haven't tried it yet dels- (converting the mondo), I would recommend that you do; if it turns out like mine I don't think you'd be disappointed.