Just curious

[Peter Hackman]

There are mandolins and violins, mandolas and violas,
mandocellos and (violon)cellos. Has there ever been such a thing as a mandolone, i.e., a bass mandolin tuned like
a double bass?

(Incidentally, "mandocello" is a misnomer, because it would
literally
mean "little mandola", i.e., mandolin! "Viol*on*cello"
means "little big viola!")

[Atlanta Mando Mike]

there are, they have a smilar body design but no double strings

[Jim Garber]

Here (http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/Mandolin/MandoStyles/MandoStyleViews/mandobass.jpg) is the Gibson version, probably from the teens.

Also, I believe in Europe they call the 'cello voice, mandoloncello.

Jim

[Arto]

That´s true, mandocello (in US) is often called mandoloncello in Europe.

The Liuteria Calace catalog (thanks Eugene!) lists the following:
"MANDOLON (4 double strings) one type with round bottom Euro 4700"
There´s no further description, unlike on all their other mandolin family instruments. The price is their highest; Calace Classico A mandolin lists 2070 E and Classico A mandoloncello 4400 E. (The catalog is some years old, so the prices may have risen.)

I think I´ve sometime seen a mandolon on a Japanese web page. The man was playing the instrument in normal sitting position - the thing looked huge!

Hälsningar från Finland, Peter!
Arto