Mando bass

[mdelabano]

I just posted pictures of the mandobass I just finished building on Mandolincafe. Look for Mandobass and mandolin family instruments.
Martin

[Jim Garber]

Martin... where did you post these photos? It would help if you linked to them.

[JEStanek]

Here's the link to Martin's instruments.

Jamie

PS Follow his link to the UK You Tube where you can see and hear them or be lazy and click this.

[Martin Jonas]

Is there a mandobass, too? I only see a mandola and a mandocello (which look very nice).

Martin

[BillBanks]

I have a mandobass and would love to join a mandolin orchestra but can't find one. I also have mandocello, mandolin and harpguitar so if I had enough hands I could just be my own mandolin orhestra. I'm in Kansas City if there's anybody out there that has MO or is interested in starting one. bsbanks@comcast.net
P.S.
Rebecca Pringle also plays mandolin and fiddle would like to join too.

[violmando]

Hate to tell, you, Bill, but most groups don't use harp guitar...no parts for them, but I suppose you could write your own. Is it a vintage harp guitar? Love to know more about your mandobass, too. Ebay has one of those Vega bass things listed, but the fool thinks it's a one-of a kind and wants $14K for buy it now...not worth that at all with the problems it's got!! Yvonne

[BillBanks]

This mandobass is in perfect condition though it's had a couple of repairs over the years. I got it on Ebay several years ago from a music store in Australia. It cost me $800 to have it shipped to the US. They got it from Russian that had been playing it for years in a folk band in the Ukraine so this mandobass has travelled all the way around the world and back again. I paid $4000 for it & was thrilled to get it at that price. I've seen others for less but not in as good condition.
I don't have any volume problems with it, not as loud as an upright bass but when performing if I need volume I use a guitar soundhole pickup that works perfectly.

The harp guitar is also in mint condition. I like looking at it more than playing it. It takes 3 days just to tune it.

The only instrument I'm missing for my one man MO is an old Gibson mandolla. That would give me the entire set. Thier running about $3000 though and I'm out of money.

[Jim Garber]

I'm in Kansas City if there's anybody out there that has MO or is interested in starting one. bsbanks@comcast.net
P.S.
Rebecca Pringle also plays mandolin and fiddle would like to join too.

Check out this CMSA groups page for groups in the area or contact some nearby ones to see how they recommend starting your own.

[mrmando]

Bill, you might want to get in touch with Jeff Dearinger of the Uptown Mandolin Quartet.

[Martin Veit]

The correct name for these Instruments seems to be "Mandolone".
There are two types of it.
The shorter ones with a scale length about 90 - 95 cm
and the body is in form of an mandolin.
Because the short ones were not so loud in the bigger orchestras,
they build later on the larger mandolones with bodys like big guitars
and a scale lenght about 120cm

Depending on the classical instruments: Violin, Viola, Cello and Contrabass they namend
the mandolin family : mandolin, mandola, mandolon-cello and mandolone.

In German you can get this information from an old textbook (Franz Jahnel: Die Gitarre und ihr Bau)
which is still THE ONE for all of the trainees in Luthier craftmanship.

I found three pieces on youtube with mandolin orchestras using "mandolones"

The Madeira Mandolin Orchestra - in a persian market
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Y4uBV_3MQ

The Dutch mandolin chamber orchestra HET consort - mazurka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zj7_xs5J9U

Mandolinenverein TUMA - Potpourri Popolare
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_UgurgUBc4


... and last but not least the photos from my Mandolon(e)

[mrmando]

Paul Sparks defined the mandolone somewhat differently.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandolone

I don't know about instruments produced in Germany, but the correct term for the American instruments (Gibson, Vega, et al.) is mandobass.

[Martin Veit]

Martin,

i think, that that the definition from Mr. Sparks is correct,
although he did this in 1995 !
But, you can find instruments for eg. from Calace from the early 1900,
where they called this instruments "Mandolone".

So i guess, the "old" name, in my opinion, may be a little bitte more
the international correct name.

But be it as it is. They are very interessting instruments at all.

[mrmando]

Sparks' point is that what he calls a mandolone and what most people in the U.S. would call a mandobass are two different instruments.

I do not know if mandobasses as such were ever really used in continental mandolin orchestras. They don't seem to have been made outside of the UK and U.S.

How do you tune your mandolone?

[Martin Veit]

Martin,

i think, that Spark is wrong.
There are two kinds of mandolone and i believe that the
Mando-basses from Gibson are only the U.S. Form of mando-basses or mandolones.
Its the same evolution from european kinds of mandolins like the bowlback mandolins
to A- and F-shaped american Forms.

The liuto cantabile is nearly the same kind of instrument,
only with five pairs of strings.


See this Calace Mandolon as a reconstruction of a late 18th Century mandolon
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...is-is-a-beast!

For me, there seems to be a clear line.

...ooh and b.t.w. - my one is tuned E - A - D - G like a normal double-bass.

[Bill Snyder]

Mandobasses only have four strings.

[Martin Veit]

Guys,

right now, you can get one at ebay.de

http://www.ebay.de/itm/390994007660?...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

If someone over the pool would like to bid on it,
it would be my pleasure to help with the shipping

Greetz

Martin

[mrmando]

Dirt cheap at 127 euro, but I can hardly imagine what shipping would be. The most cost-effective way to get it to the States might be to put a sail and a rudder on it.

[allenhopkins]

…if you are into early Gibsons like I am, a collection really isn't complete with out one....and a harp guitar...and a style O....and a K-4...and...

And this?

[Barry Wilson]

Gold tone just emailed me about the new M bass. it sure sounds great in the video clip. Mostly mahogany.

[mandroid]

Dobro-bass had my imagination thinking of a Big Tri-cone, National Style. but with 3 full sized Guitar cones ..

http://www.nationalguitars.com/instr...vstricone.html

It has not been done in a Bass Has It?

[MikeEdgerton]

Gold tone just emailed me about the new M bass. it sure sounds great in the video clip. Mostly mahogany.

Check out the Kala U-Bass.

[mrmando]

Dobro-bass had my imagination thinking of a Big Tri-cone, National Style. but with 3 full sized Guitar cones .. It has not been done in a Bass Has It?

Ron Hyde built something twice as good: the hexacone reso-bass!
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/at...0&d=1404819464

[mandroid]

More Bose-ish Array than 3x15" speaker cones .. but interesting nonetheless..

[JH Murray]

I saw a frankenbass today- the body of a cello, with a bass guitar neck, with what looked like kala ubass strings on it. It plays down in the double bass range. Only $1000. Right next to it was a mandobass, for only $5k. Tres bizarre!

[mrmando]

And where was this?