Koa 4 string

[thistle3585]

Here is my most recent project. Its in transit to its new home. I had hoped to have more time with it to take better photos but simply forgot, so I apologize for the poor quality pictures.

Specs: Semi-hollow 4 string with koa top and Honduran mahogany body and ebony fretboard. The mahogany came from a friend of mine who is a boat builder. The body is a koa/maple veneer/mahogany sandwich. 14.5" scale with a Bartolini humbucker and Bartolini single coil pickup. Tone and volume for both pickups with a mixing pot. Here's the kicker. It has a mono and stereo jack, so if you really wanted to you could run it into three separate amps. The blending pot blends the two pickups on the stereo jack only, so you could turn it off and have two mono outputs. One for each pickup. Its somewhat reminiscent of BB Kings setup on his ES-335.

This one reminded me why I got into building. It was a lot of fun to build, and the owner allowed me the oppurtunity to take my time and be creative with the design.

[thistle3585]

Headstock. Inlay is maple. I don't like the TR cover and will probably work on a new design.

[keith_rowan]

that's a really sharp mando..
i'm gonna be lookin to add an instrument soon.. been thinkin of a 5 string 'lectric.. i'll be checking your stock! all your work that I've seen is fantastic

[mandolirius]

Very nice-looking! I like the width and string spacing. Lots of different sound options, too.

[Christian McKee]

I *love* the aesthetic, and I'm always happy to see a mandolin with interesting electronics! Wonderful.

Christian

[Brewerpaul]

Oh yeah! Now I'm even more excited about my expected Jerman

[wichitamando]

Beautiful! Great work.

[mandolooter]

WOW! WAY NICE! Would love to hear a sound clip showing off the electronics.

[kwick1]

Well,i am the owner of the "koa bolt". She now has a Roland gk-3 midi pickup too. She plays great, and is even prettier in person.Andrew did a great job.

I havent had a chance to play around with the pickups config and my effects yet. But the plan is with this set up i can run a clean chanel and a dirty chanel and blend them together on the fly from the instrument.

[kwick1]

I would like to add... My opinion may be a litle bias since I own it... But this Electric Mandolin is wicked pretty...with a good photo this should earn Andrew a spot on the Mandolin Café Electric Mandolin "Eye Candy" page...

[Ted Eschliman]

That really is a gorgeous instrument! Kevin, I'm curious about the placement of the GK-3. I'm having one installed on my EM-5 (Jonathan Mann) this weekend, and we've had to move some of the knobs around to get optimum placement of the MIDI pickup. Is yours placed on the top opposite the knobs? (I ruled that out because of where the instrument rests under my forearm.) Love to see how your set-up turns out.

[kwick1]

Yep, I have my GK-3 placed high on the bass side, between the bridge pickup and the bridge, so it overhangs on the top bass side of the emando. Right now it is mounted with double-stick tape as I am reluectant to permanantly mount it with screws. It does get in the way of my forearm too. But, I do have room to move it down without the knobs being in the way. I assumed the ideal allingment of a guitar midi pickup on an emando would be that the high strings match the high sting guitar poles on the GK-3. That is just an assumtion...Does it matter? Roland directions for GK-3 mounting on a bass guitar show it mounted in the middle, so it overhangs even on each side of a 4 string bass...so I guess in theory that same logic would apply to a 4 string mandolin? It would make sense that the individual GK pickup poles dont care what string they are below, they will pickup whatever vibration is above a given pole, the logic comes from the midi intrface controling it? So, it is just a matter of astetic preference which 4 poles of the GK are below a given string? So one could overhang on the top side, the bottom side (if knobs arent in the way), or right in the middle?

[MandoBen]

Andrew, that is absolutely gorgeous! Can't wait to get mine.

[mandroid]

Kwick1

FWIW I have favored RMC divided bridge piece piezos , for my pitch to MIDI synth conversions.
theres wee holes directy down under the bridge piece, and either an edge cavity for the 13 pin output circuity. Or i have their 8 pin jack, and all the controls in the box off on a stand,
instrument it self is clear of external modifications and 'do dads'.

[crazymandolinist]

That sir, is a beautiful mando.