I shipped some of these out today. It is a big batch (7), & has taken me a while. I'll start with a mandocello. This body is 15.25" wide, w/ a 25.0" scale length. The top plate has quite a bit of figure for Engelmann.
Some mandothingies from most recent batch
I shipped some of these out today. It is a big batch (7), & has taken me a while. I'll start with a mandocello. This body is 15.25" wide, w/ a 25.0" scale length. The top plate has quite a bit of figure for Engelmann.
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
Now, a demo F mandolin that I almost didn't bother to complete. The back/sides/neck are birdseye maple. Very dense, ca 0.78 g/cm3, about like some rosewoods. When I got around to measuring the density, I thought the mandolin would be a dog. Made the back plate very thin, CF neck reinforcement, no truss rod, headstock is hollowed out to reduce mass, etc. Top plate is a piece of "Sullivan Stash" redwood, very low density (ca 0.3 g/cm3), but ringy. I got away with it for now, as it sounds fine.
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
Now, a mandolin more to my liking. This one is a demo "Classical A", w/ redwood top, big leaf maple back/sides/neck, macassar ebony fretboard, bridge, head plates, all trim. Has a 13.09" scale length. That redwood top is also very low density, but not very ringy. Most people would probably have thrown that piece of redwood away. Again, sounds fine.
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
This one is a commission, another classical mandolin, a two-point. Engelmann top plate, bigleaf maple back/sides/neck, African blackwood fretboard, bridge, head plate, all trim. Again, this one has the 13.09" scale length.
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
This one is another commission. Redwood top plate, Claro walnut back/sides/neck. This one has a 13.88" scale length. Ziricote fretboard, bridge, headplates, all trim. I foreshortened the body heel in order to get an extra fret's worth of upper fret access. The 13th fret is at the body crosspiece. 29 frets on the E (1st) string. This will do it for tonight. I have two more to rub out and set up. Maybe tomorrow night or the next.
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
Show off!
FWIW, that is a good thing.
Bill Snyder
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
My you have been busy!Got to love that 'cello!
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
Just stunning Dave. And you can make any wood sing!
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
Beutiful instruments Mr Cohen...wow factor going here!
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
Great work Dave! I'm looking forward to hearing one of them.
Mark Levesque and Judy Handler
International and Classical Music
http://www.judyandmark.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/acousticblend
The New American Mandolin Ensemble on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4L...uROoOXFj6GVSg/
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
Dave, that is a fine batch of mandothingies!
Serious, appreciative expletives. Way beautiful. I'm sure the sound as good as they look.
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
Very nice indeed. I love the idea of hollowed out headstock to get more balance. How did that work out? I often wonder why some builders don't try to figure out how to balance a mando better. For example, in addition to what you did, why not have a weighted tailpiece? Anyhow, nice looking mandostuff there!
Amateurs practice until they can play it right.
Professionals practice until they can't play it wrong.
Collings MTO
Epiphone Mandobird IV
Yamaha Piano
Roland AX-1
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
Mine is the 4th above, the one with 29 frets on the E string. As one expects with Dave, very refined workmanship, superb sound and playability. A phenomenal instrument -- I am very pleased.
Robert A. Margo
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
Really nice Dave. That 'cello is beautiful!
Shaun Garrity
http://www.youtube.com/user/spgokc78
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
Two more commissions. This one is a two-point mandolin, w/ 13.88" scale length, redwood top, Claro walnut back/sides/neck, Macassar ebony trim, etc. Twelfth fret at the crosspiece.
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
This one puts the thingy in mandothingy. It is a multi-scale (aka "fanned fret") mandola/mandolin, CGDAE. The scale length for the low C (5th) string is 16.0" (~406 mm). The scale length for the high E (1st) string is 14.0" (~356 mm). I used my regular 2-point mandola body, but decreased the body depth. This is another one that I got away with. Works well as a mandola, and equally well as a mandolin. Redwood top, curly maple back/sides/neck, W. African ebony trim, etc. No truss rod; only cf composite neck reinforcement, as w/ most of my mandolins
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
That's a really marvellous bunch of instruments. 'Mandobeauties' would be more appropriate.
I'd love to hear the five-course 'thingy' over its full range. It's something I'd like to have a shot at making one day. If I'm right in assuming you reduced your normal mandola body volume slightly to help the upper part of the range, does the C string suffer from that at all?
Re: Some mandothingies from most recent batch
Those I played were great! The, "Thingy" wasn't strung though. . . I think I'da liked it!
f-d
ˇpapá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
'20 A3, '30 L-1, '97 914, 2012 Cohen A5, 2012 Muth A5, '14 OM28A
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