A new mandocello

[Nevin Fahs]

http://redheadmandolins.com/2012/05/...mian-behemoth/

[Tavy]

Nice, and very interesting!

[Brian Sharpe]

Love the scroll (appeals to the bassist in me....)

[Nevin Fahs]

Thank you both. John, I was looking at your Waldzither page, very nice. I don't know how you got the nerve to cut a fret slot so close to the edge of that old fretboard for the fret nut, but I like the idea a lot for a zero fret set up. Am I missing something?

[Tavy]

Thank you both. John, I was looking at your Waldzither page, very nice. I don't know how you got the nerve to cut a fret slot so close to the edge of that old fretboard for the fret nut, but I like the idea a lot for a zero fret set up. Am I missing something?

The zero fret slot was already cut - although I did impregnate the end of the fingerboard with CA to stop it splitting any more than it had already. The "minus one fret" or fretwire nut, has no tang - I cut it off with the dremel and superglued the flat base of the fretwire to the end of the board - just as you would a nut really.

Cheers, John.

[Nevin Fahs]

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks, John!

[Eddie Sheehy]

That's a beauty, Nev.

[Bernie Daniel]

What a great creation. I hope you can post a video of it being played in the near future.

[Mandobart]

Yes I'd love to hear this one!

[Nevin Fahs]

It's going to be a couple weeks on the sound/video. I'm sending it out to somehone who can produce that better than I can. I'll update.

[Nevin Fahs]

Joe Brent's review of the Bohemian Redhead...

http://joebrent.tumblr.com/post/2635...ahs-mandocello

[Jim Garber]

Nevin... very interesting. One question: why such a large pickguard and wouldn't it dull the top from vibrating some? Just curious because if its purpose is to protect the top from a player's pick that is a large area some of which may never be in that danger.

[Nevin Fahs]

Nevin... very interesting. One question: why such a large pickguard and wouldn't it dull the top from vibrating some? Just curious because if its purpose is to protect the top from a player's pick that is a large area some of which may never be in that danger.

these are the two cellos that were my inspiration. If the pickguard has any dampening effect, I'm kinda scared about how loud it might be without it!

[Nevin Fahs]

Jim, Seriously, besides the obvious visual tribute to the Larson Bros. and Stahl cellos, it seems most of what I call folded top designs, including most bowlbacks, have an oversized pickguard, some of them covering the entire upper part of the top on the mandolins. I suspected when I first considered doing this, that the practical reason for folding the top was to reduce the need for structural bracing on the part of the top behind the bridge, and I believe that is an important part of the acoustic design. The two old bowlbacks I've taken apart since (for repairs, not on a whim!) confirmed that; only a flat reininforcement of the center glue joint. If that's the theory, then extra rigidity around and near the soundhole probably helps transmission of sound. I'm no acoustic scientist, or I wouldn't have to try things out to find if they work. Sometimes they don't. This design, on this instrument and on two subsequent ones, has exceeded all my expectations as far as tone, volume and clarity, particularly in the lower register. I hope to have some studio quality recordings up in the next few days.

[Jim Garber]

Seriously, besides the obvious visual tribute to the Larson Bros. and Stahl cellos, it seems most of what I call folded top designs, including most bowlbacks, have an oversized pickguard, some of them covering the entire upper part of the top on the mandolins.

We in the bowlback world call this cant construction and you are correct in noting that it does add structural strength to the top. In addition, most of the tops I have examined have some induced arching across the horizontal in addition to the cant. In my observations, most bowlbacks do not have oversized pickguards and I am not sure why those Larson instruments do. I can't imagine what purpose they would serve. In fact here are a few other Larson built mandocellos these with small pickguards. I can only assume that whoever ordered them liked the look of the pickguard.

It is good that the pickguard doesn't seem to muffle the sound.

[Nevin Fahs]

You're right, Jim that a pickguard as big as this is unusual, and I didn't mean to step on your expertise on bowlbacks. I trusted my source when she said that both of these instruments had exceptonal response, and I guess whatever visual aesthetic appealed to the original customers appealed to me as well. And yes, the induced arch came as a surprise to me when I first saw it, because it seems geometrically impossible or at least counter intuitive. Interestingly, It is also the thing that failed on the two that I worked on.

[Nevin Fahs]

The pixkguards don't "seem" to affect the sound od Da Daanen's bouzoukis either.

[Jim Garber]

I guess my point is that a pickguard that covers that much of the top might be more sensible for a mandolin esp for a player who has wide stroke. However for a mandocello I can;t quite imagine that a player would have to protect that much top real estate from wild picking unless they had the arms of a overly large primate. :-)

I think the bouzouki pickguard is part of the tradition of ornamentation on those instruments.

[JeffD]

But that big pick guard looks so cool!!

[Nevin Fahs]

But that big pick guard looks so cool!!

I agree, and THAT is the purpose. It has nothing to do with pick scratches. There's a Yin/Yang thing going on with the top, for the astute observer.

[mrmando]

However for a mandocello I can;t quite imagine that a player would have to protect that much top real estate from wild picking unless they had the arms of a overly large primate. :-)

And who else would play a mandocello?