Oh boy this is a beast!

[Beanzy]

I made the mistake of going on the Calace site again.
There was a monster lurking.
Initially you may not get the scale, until you see the fitting for the spike on the base;





To have a main maker producing the mandolone again must mean our orchestras are in good health.

[Rob Zamites]

That is a BEAST.

[Jim Garber]

Interesting the scale is either 66cm (25.9") or 76.6 (30.1575"). Fairly short for a mandobass. Gibsons were I believe 42" (like a 3/4 size upright).

I wonder if it comes with a case...

[Beanzy]

I'd imagine the double courses of the mandolone have something to do with that Jim.
Gibson's mandobass on the other hand wouldn't have had the advantages (more punch in a tighter package) and disadvantages (potential string clash) of the double courses.
For a player with fat enough fingers to fret those hawsers but normal size hands the mandolone may be a great option.

I think a visit to the local undertaker may be needed for a case for these.

[Jim Garber]

Those scales are more in line with a mandocello. I would also think the super fat strings would rattle like crazy, esp the lower courses. That tuning is a bit odd too: B G D A. I wonder if that is high to low. I would think it would be G D A E (high to low) like a bass. Why is the top string a B and not a C then in mandocello tuning?

[Beanzy]

The potential for rattle should be mitigated a bit by the thick strings and the shorter scale though rather they had the set up challenge than me.
Calace list their other instruments low to high so I think that would mean we are looking at 6th & 5ths B2, G2, D3, A4
I suppose it gives you the naturals to work from rather than having open stringed accidentals if they went in 5ths from B.

Perhaps we're looking at something like a remake of the pair in this Brescian club.


I went for a rummage on the Dogal site and they've got mandolone strings. They list the tuning as Do Sol Re La so CGDA maybe this is Calace pushing a new boundary? maybe they have historical info which defines things?

[Jim Garber]

Eoin, so you are saying it is tuned in fifths, not fourths (sort of). The 4th to the 3rd course is, what -- an augmented fifth?

I have a few pics of mandolones -- no bowlbacks and all built in the Gelas style.



Here are the specs for this one:

The Mandolone or Mando-bass is all solid, and has a "double Table" which is a truly unique feature. measurements: total length 150cm or 59.05inch. Scale 100cm or 39.37inch.Width of the body: 51cm - 20.08inch Depth of body: 13.5cm to 14.5cm or 5.31inch to 5.71 inch String height at 12th E1: 5mm 0.019" G1: 4mm or 0.015"

They said it was designed to be tuned like a double-bass.

[Maunus]

Wow, that is a monster...

[Beanzy]

I tend to think of the four string instruments as mando-basses and the eight string as mandolone. Not sure if that really holds true, but it helps me keep things clear in the murky, quirky, experimental world of the low-register mandolins.
I get the impression that the purpose of the mandolone was getting some more beef on the bone down there rather than trying to really go lower in range.

I'd love to know more from the Calace family perspective.
I can only imagine what treasures could lie in their old plan cabinets.
If nothing has popped up here by next week I may see if an e-mail gives any results.

I think the long scale one would need a really wide neck to avoid serious string chattering on such a scale. Even my mandoloncello needed a re-set up and larger C course to over come this.

[Rob Zamites]

All I can say is that I'd love to hear that thumping out phat bass lines in a session!