Hi all,
This is my mandocello, which I made by converting a very cheap guitar.
Hi all,
This is my mandocello, which I made by converting a very cheap guitar.
Beautiful. Got a soundclip?
Yes. looks great. Would love to hear a clip too.
Pretty and pretty awesome. You do lovely work that is for sure.
Can you discuss what lead you to those three holes? Or was it perhaps from a pick-up installed on the guitar?
Also it looks like you did not slim the guitar neck down? So you have a 1 11/16" nut?
Wondering also if you did an special reinforcement of the neck?
Looking forward to a sound clip also!
Bernie
____
Due to current budgetary restrictions the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off -- sorry about the inconvenience.
Looks great! What type of guitar did it start life as? Has a kinda Applause looking headstock.
Last edited by mandolooter; May-01-2010 at 10:43pm. Reason: duh
Look up (to see whats comin down)
OP: Love, love, love your avatar picture!
This started off as a Melody Model No: F01 E2. It has a laminated top and molded plastic back and sides. All sound holes were original, so no idea about the 3 little ones. The neck is bolted on and, like the body, has white plastic binding. The nut is 1 3/4", with the string spacing being determined by trial and error. Tail piece and tuning machines are standard mandolin units. The bridge is the original unit. I intend at some point to veneer over the headstock, hiding the two holes left by the centre tuning posts. There is no additional reinforcement of the neck, though I have adjusted the truss rod. Strings are D'Addario J-78s.
I would describe my woodworking skills as pretty basic, so anyone with a cheap archtop guitar handy should be able to produce a Mandocello on the cheap.
I'm happy with the sound and will eventually post a clip.
"Always carry a large flagon of whisky, in case of snake bite and, furthermore, always carry a small snake."
Kevin
As promised, here's a clip of me playing my Mandocello. Apologies for the quality of the playing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8OCZJR_LOI
"Always carry a large flagon of whisky, in case of snake bite and, furthermore, always carry a small snake."
Kevin
Bernie
____
Due to current budgetary restrictions the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off -- sorry about the inconvenience.
Thank you Bernie. Wish I did read notation, that was mandolin tab I was reading.
"Always carry a large flagon of whisky, in case of snake bite and, furthermore, always carry a small snake."
Kevin
Very Nice! I wish my "cheap guitar" (a '63 Kay) could look that good!
In Frets.com, Frank Ford details a similar conversion. As I recall, he used matching plugs that blended well with the headstock veneer and really didn't need a new overlay. Of course his aim was, at least partially, to preserve the original Martin logo!
- Ed
"Then one day we weren't as young as before
Our mistakes weren't quite so easy to undo
But by all those roads, my friend, we've travelled down
I'm a better man for just the knowin' of you."
- Ian Tyson
Well done to you! Your mandocello sounds the business!
Cheers,
Jill
2018 Girouard Concert oval A
2015 JP "Whitechapel" tenor banjo
2018 Frank Tate tenor guitar
1969 Martin 00-18
my Youtube channel
Nice job, Kevin. The mandocello sounds great.
Awesome job!
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