Interesting, if rough, homemade Mandola

[jdchapman]

Fiddle edges and everything. Looks like too much repair work for me, though I'm tempted somehow.



http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-MAND...item58b2ea41f8

[Vernon Hughes]

Looks like an awfully short scale to me for a mandola.

[Jim Garber]

Scale is approx. 15 3/4".

Looks like it was built by an amateur violin maker, maybe using a neck from an existing commercially made mandolin.

[Petrus]

Joins body at the 7th fret? Not a lot of room to maneuver there. I guess it's okay if you're accustomed to only using the first four or five frets.

[jdchapman]

I like those tiny little f holes in the upper bout and the proportionally round fundament. Looks like a hybrid between a mandolute, a guitar and a wappenform. Also my aunt.

That back looks more than my amateur self can manage, though. And the neck--agreed. I wouldn't think it'd be useful for me except for folk chording in first position. And looking cool.

I have an unhealthy attraction to instruments better suited to photography.

And looking cool.

[jdchapman]

And 15 3/4 is a weird scale length. Kind of too tight for a mandolin, but really flabby for a mandola, I'd think. Maybe you could string it with lights and tune it in between?

Thanks for importing the pictures and adding the scale length, Jim. I'm terrible at that stuff.

[bratsche]

Come on, now - MidMissouri/Big Muddy mandolas all have a 15.5" scale and do all right!

This thing is just a little too weird for me, though.

I like those tiny little f holes in the upper bout and the proportionally round fundament. Looks like a hybrid between a mandolute, a guitar and a wappenform. Also my aunt.

ROFL!

bratsche

[Charles E.]

The body profile is very close to a Weymann Mandolute, even the tuners.

[Dobe]

The body profile is very close to a Weymann Mandolute, even the tuners.

Agreed, tricky profile for clamping as I just restored one (Weymann mandolute that is). Definitely would need to do some creative jig work.

[MikeEdgerton]

#2 for a fiddle maker making it. As confusing as this one was when I found it. Well enough built to seem professional, just a little too weird to be commercial.

[Bill Snyder]

I do not think it is violin style. The top and back do not appear to hang over to me. If the top and back are that thick there would be very little acoustic volume. I think it is "binding" applied OVER the sides, top and back.

[jdchapman]

Mike, I am glad you saw that thing before me or else I would have had to hide it at the office alongside this thing (http://antebelluminstruments.blogspo...-mandolin.html) I bought on impulse and had Jake fix up for me. Sounds like a transistor radio, but it plays great.

Not as cool as this "mandola," though.

[bart mcneil]

Did not sell... I was interested but then forgot to bid. But as a project that was high for starting bid methinks.

[jdchapman]

Looks like it did go the next time around, when I was on vacation. If it's one of us, I hope it sounds good. Nice wall hanger for the price even if not.