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Thread: Baritone Acoustic Guitar to Mandocello conversion?

  1. #1
    Registered User foldedpath's Avatar
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    Default Baritone Acoustic Guitar to Mandocello conversion?

    Greetings CBOM clan. I have a very nice, custom luthier-made baritone acoustic guitar. Walnut back and sides, German spruce top, jumbo body with a 27" scale.

    I haven't been playing it enough over the last few years to justify keeping it. But before I sell it... I'm wondering if it's a candidate for a Mandocello conversion?

    The sticking point is that I ordered it with a 1 7/8" nut width, as I'm a big fan of wider neck widths for fingerstyle playing on acoustic guitars. So the neck is pretty hefty. I don't know if the string spacing would be too wide for four courses? What's a standard nut width for mandocello anyway?

    At the same time, I don't know if it's wide enough, or if I'm adventurous enough, to think about a 5 course Cittern (10-string mando thingie). Not sure the top bracing could take the pull, for one thing. As an upscale instrument, the bracing and top thickness is in that "just enough" category.

    So what say ye all? If you had a spare, large body acoustic guitar with a 27" scale and a wide neck, would you think about a CBOM conversion? Or leave it as is, and find it a nice home with a baritone guitar enthusiast?

  2. #2
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Baritone Acoustic Guitar to Mandocello conversion?

    I can see doing a conversion on an old US arch-top or on The Loar like Bernie has successfully done. I've franken-fiddled out an old viola and done some other adaptations, but I wouldn't do it on a custom luthier-made baritone acoustic guitar, because it is a custom build and for your concern about what if it can't handle the load?

  3. #3
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Baritone Acoustic Guitar to Mandocello conversion?

    I would also be concerned about the 27" scale. Gibsons mandocelli are 24" tho some people consider that too short. I suppose you could string it with much lighter strings.

    Would it be possible to contact the luthier and ask him or her opinion? That person would be the best to do the conversion also and prob could thin down the neck if necessary or even beef up the bracing to take the heavier strings.
    Jim

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    Default Re: Baritone Acoustic Guitar to Mandocello conversion?

    I've owned two baritone acoustics and played them sparingly. It still would ,most likely, be quite a bit more than I would play a 27" mandocello.

  5. #5
    Registered User foldedpath's Avatar
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    Default Re: Baritone Acoustic Guitar to Mandocello conversion?

    Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

    Yeah, I'll leave it in its original configuration and find someone who wants a nice baritone acoustic guitar. I don't want to blow up the soundboard by pushing it into something it wasn't designed for.

    I had a brief spasm of inspiration, where I thought I might try it as a sort of Latmandola with single course strings, which wouldn't need alteration other than different string gauges and new nut and saddle for the gauges:

    This would involve adding a partial capo on the upper strings tuned in 5ths, and the bottom one or two strings un-capo'd as deep drones. The partial capo would reduce the scale length for melody playing, and there would still be some deep bass drones on the bottom. But it's really a baritone guitar, and if I ever want a Latmandola, I'll try to get one built that way from one of the Scandinavian luthiers. Probably works better as an archtop anyway, to keep the bass drone strings from overpowering the melody strings.

  6. #6
    Certified! Bernie Daniel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Baritone Acoustic Guitar to Mandocello conversion?

    Because it is a custom instrument I would not modify it.

    But there have been some here who have a great deal of professional experinece in luthiery who claim that a mandocello should have a 27" scale just like a cello? There have been some 27" scale mandocellos made and there is a video of one such conversion of a baritone guitar to a mandocello in the "mandocello videos" string.

    The wide neck would be pretty good for making a 5-course cittern -- I think the spacing would be OK.

    If you know what you are doing as a player (I don't) I think a person could make some great music on a long scale mandocello.
    Bernie
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    Due to current budgetary restrictions the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off -- sorry about the inconvenience.

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