Look what I made!

**markishandsome** · Jul-23-2006, 1:21pm

I've been wanting to build a mandolin in the shape of an old Gibson Style O guitar for years now and I finally got it strung up yesterday. I worked from pictures I found online (there's a nice example for sale currently at elderly) and made adjustments where nessicary. I'm calling it the O4, O for style O and 4 in analogy to an A4 or F4, plus it's the fourth instument i've made if you don't cound the cake pan banjo uke I posted the other day

Here's a picture:

**markishandsome** · Jul-23-2006, 1:23pm

One piece wide grain engleman top. Had some wierd knots in it that didn't show up until most of the way thru carving. Sort of a pain. My first sunburst, it's a little subtle and even more subtle in the pictures, but I'm pretty happy with it.

**markishandsome** · Jul-23-2006, 1:25pm

here's the pic

**markishandsome** · Jul-23-2006, 1:28pm

One piece "chiselproof" maple back from the scrap pile at the local house of hardwoods. The figure is pretty subtle too and only pops at certain angles and not well in photo.

**markishandsome** · Jul-23-2006, 1:30pm

Headstock with "coffee pot" inlay. My first attempt at inlay. God bless whoever came up with the old ebony dust and titebond trick...

**markishandsome** · Jul-23-2006, 1:35pm

Obligatory scroll shot. The MOP dot on the button is historically accurate, if a little cheesey. You can also see in this pic that I did the fretboard dots guitar style. I had to move the neck joint o the 14th fret (the guitars were at the 15th, oddly enough) to keep the bridge in the right location.

**markishandsome** · Jul-23-2006, 1:35pm

Scroll from the back

**markishandsome** · Jul-23-2006, 1:40pm

Last picture, butt shot. This was a real learning experience for me. I'd never done a carved instrument before, it's definitely a whole different ballgame. That being said I would encourage anyone thinking about scratch building their dream mando to go ahead and do it. Thanks for looking.

Mark

**JGWoods** · Jul-23-2006, 1:58pm

Hey Mark- pretty cool. Anyone who steps out and builds from scratch is an inspiration to me
It's crude but inspired, and I am inpired to go ahead and make a mando my way.
Good for you, and thanks for the pix.

**keithd** · Jul-23-2006, 3:51pm

And the headstock inlay is priceless; really clever.

Jul-23-2006, 4:02pm

Yes, the headstock inlay has my brain working overtime to come up with one that I can call my own

**Antlurz** · Jul-23-2006, 4:31pm

Y'all need to change the designation to "Maxwell House" or "Folgers" model

Lots of thinking goes into a one-of-a-kind design. Congrats on your new mandolin.

...and the inevitable "How's it sound?" question..

And what bracing system didja use?

Ron

**pickinpox** · Jul-23-2006, 5:21pm

I really love the coffeepot. The flower/steam touch is fabulous. Kudos!

**markishandsome** · Jul-23-2006, 6:28pm

Hey thanks guys. Glad you like the inlay.

Ron, it's X-braced. The braces pass under the bridge feet (at least that was the idea) and point toward the thinnest point of the waist.

It's hard to say how it sounds as the strings have only been on for 24 hours and they're just an old rusty set I had lying around and I'm used to flatwounds and don't have another oval hole around to compare it too, but that being said, it sounds pretty good and more or less what I remember ovhal hole mandos sounding like...

It's about as loud as my eastman F style but has this wierd feature where the sound sort of hits your ears harder when you lay into it. Not louder, but harder. Hard to describe. It's also not very even across the courses. The G course really booms and I can the back resonating more when I play on the D and A. I don't know how or if these quirks will change as I play it in, but it should be interesting. Chords sound especially nice on it. The notes ring out and sustain a bit more than my eastman.

Thanks again

Mark

**Strange1** · Jul-23-2006, 7:57pm

I've never built anything except with tinker toys, but that sure looks good to me. Would look even better LH.

Jack

Jul-23-2006, 8:03pm

Originally Posted by (Strange1 @ July 23 2006, 20:57)

...Would look even better LH...

I love helping out a fellow cafe member

**wichitamando** · Jul-23-2006, 8:37pm

NICE!!!

**Dave Hanson** · Jul-24-2006, 12:29am

Is it just me or is that one ugly mandolin ?

Dave H

**troika** · Jul-24-2006, 1:14am

I bet I could pick a mean Yellow Submarine on it. It could be the "Purple Meanie" Model. Looks like nice fretwork. NeverJABBICover.

**JEStanek** · Jul-24-2006, 8:00am

I love the look of the Style O guitar. You did a great job interpreting it on the mando. I'm impressed by your scratch build effort! That would be cool for Gypsy Jazz or anything. Great job.

Jamie

Jul-24-2006, 9:27am

I don't think it's ugly but the Style 0 is an aquired taste. I have a picture someplace of Elvis playing one.

**mandoman15** · Jul-24-2006, 11:09am

is teh whole body hollow? under the scroll i mean, it seems to me it'd weigh a ton if it was a block

**markishandsome** · Jul-24-2006, 12:13pm

mandoman-
The scroll is about 1/2 block 1/2 hollow. It's a bit heavier than my F5 and doesn't balance the same way right at the scroll, probably because of the slightly smaller body and chunkier neck and paddlehead. Still totally manageable though.

I know the details (frets finish binding etc) are crude like jgwoods said. I almost siad so myself in my first post but didn't want to sell it short before people looked at the pictures and judged for themselves. I'm a hobby builder, not a pro.

I too thought the style o guitar was ridiculous looking the first time i saw it. It's definitely a goofy looking instrument, but I find that goofiness charming. I think the scroll and the right angle of the neck joint are a lot more "mighty" or "masculine" looking than normal f-stlyes. Maybe it is ugly, but I'm glad I tried something different rather than just copying something I knew other mando geeks would agree was beautiful. I sometimes play with a buddy of mine who plays a dirty, junky, warped old bowlback that sounds like a cereal box. But when people come up to us and see it they say "oh that's so beautiful", completely ignoring me and my f5. Go figure.

Jul-24-2006, 12:31pm

I would hope that anyone that wants to criticize this effort has a picture of the last mandolin they built from scratch to post. I'm betting they don't. Congratulations on building something you wanted to build.