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Thread: Round mandolins

  1. #1

    Default Round mandolins

    Does anyone have any pics or information on mandolins with completely circular body shapes? The only ones I've seen are the Tieri resonator mandos, which are pretty cool, but I'm ideally looking for something with a carved top, but, you know, round. Not a bowl back, not oval or pear-shaped. Just round. It seems such an obvious design someone must have done it.

  2. #2
    Oval holes are cool David Lewis's Avatar
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    Default

    Do you mean the army navy mandolin?


    http://www.rosewoodvintageguitars.co...y-mandolin.htm

    This is just an example, I'm not selling these, nor do I necessarily recommend you buy one... I just typed army navy mandolin into google and this was one of the first sites.
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  3. #3

    Default Re: Round mandolins

    Thanks, but not round enough. I'm not looking to buy one at all, I'd just like to see or learn of some examples.

  4. #4
    Oval holes are cool David Lewis's Avatar
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    Do google army navy mandolin and have a look...
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  5. #5

    Default Re: Round mandolins

    I thought about making one with a circular pocket that a perfectly round soundboard fits into. Thought it would be fun to play with different sound ports, bracing, and graduations. I also thought it would be cool to be able to ship out an instrument with swappable soundboards, one transverse braced oval hole and one parallel tone bar braced. But there are just too many other variables that need to work together for that to be a feasible idea.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Round mandolins

    That certainly would be cool. How would you get the soundboard to stay in the pocket and not rattle around - or is that one of the variables?

    It seems like being perfectly round could simplify the construction.

  7. #7
    Registered User SincereCorgi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Round mandolins

    There's a regular at the local jams who plays a perfectly round 'mandolin'... thing. I don't know what to call it, but it's strung like a mandolin, and surprisingly similar to what Marty is talking about. It's got something like a banjo resonator for a back, and then the top sits in it like a swappable wooden cylinder with a flat top, only permanently. If I recall, the sound escapes through slot gaps cut in the sides of the cylinder. I don't know the country of origin, but it's got Vietnamese quantities of inlay. A guy at a jam basically sold it to him out of a truck... he called it 'Italian' and had an equally strange mandolinetto for sale with it. I passed on it, myself- quite loud, but too twangy and metallic.

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  9. #8
    Registered User Ken's Avatar
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    Default Re: Round mandolins

    Try a Cafe search and a google search on Iucci mandolin. Sorry I can't post links, busy running.
    Peace

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  11. #9

    Default Re: Round mandolins

    So, yes, here are the round mandolins I've found so far:

    Exhibit A. Two Tieri mandolins and a mandola:

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    Exhibit B. Copy of an Iucci by Paul Hostetter:

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    Exhibit C. The DeWick mandolin banjo:

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    Exhibit D. The Gibson Army Navy Special:

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    This is not really as circular as I would like.

    But, appealing as they are, these are all resonator mandos or flat tops. What I'm looking for is an archtop that's completely circular. I'm quite happy if there aren't any, I'm just fishing to see if anyone here knows whether they exist.
    Last edited by OldSausage; Aug-15-2013 at 8:48am.

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  13. #10
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Round mandolins

    I posted this pic in the Antique photo thread. I know it is not carved top or even available. It looks sort of homemade with friction pegs.

    The other thing is it will be hard to get a case for a perfectly round mandolin. BTW David why do you want one?
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    Jim

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  14. #11
    Destroyer of Mandolins
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    Default Re: Round mandolins

    I doubt that an arched top would be practical, if even possible, on a circular body. The bridge would need to be located in the dead center of the circle (which you can see from the photos doesn't happen) or the arching would be asymmetrical (which would negate the 'simplicity of design' concept).
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  15. #12

    Default Re: Round mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by Tim2723 View Post
    I doubt that an arched top would be practical, if even possible, on a circular body. The bridge would need to be located in the dead center of the circle (which you can see from the photos doesn't happen) or the arching would be asymmetrical (which would negate the 'simplicity of design' concept).
    I'm not such a stickler that the arching couldn't be asymmetrical. But looking at the bridge position on some A5's, I feel it would be possible to position the bridge and the arch dead center. These two mandolin styles both work:

    Standard A5:
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    Jacobson Nautilus:
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  16. #13

    Default Re: Round mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    I posted this pic in the Antique photo thread. I know it is not carved top or even available. It looks sort of homemade with friction pegs.

    The other thing is it will be hard to get a case for a perfectly round mandolin. BTW David why do you want one?
    That is a very cool photo, thanks, Jim.

    I'm just mulling over the possibility. I may even try to build one myself "one day" . I guess I've also been looking at my Jacobson and thinking "what if this was even rounder?". I'm rather a 'what-if' kind of fellow. I feel like it would be a cool thing.

  17. #14

    Default Re: Round mandolins

    Continuing my collection, benjamin35 just posted these pics of his Lyon and Healey Camp mando. Arched back, flat top though:

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  18. #15
    Must. Keep. Practicing. Ben Cooper's Avatar
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    Default Re: Round mandolins

    Well, Old Sausage, its still a really cool search! I will be interested to see what people find and also if anyone can give me more info on my "camp".
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  19. #16

    Default Re: Round mandolins

    Hmm... so are you thinking about this as a visual thing, or a tone production thing?
    I did design these to be pretty close to a circle, thinking that it just made sense to have the crown of the arch be where the bridge sits. In a couple weeks we should be able to see if that is indeed the optimal position for this design, though..
    Click image for larger version. 

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  20. #17
    Registered User Tom Haywood's Avatar
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    Default Re: Round mandolins

    I'm curious whether you could get much projection out of an instrument with a carved round top. The sound waves would focus in one spot, which might be above the back, behind it or on it depending on the arch of the circle. Where that focal point lies will affect the further projection of those waves. I wonder, too, how that would affect the tone complexity. Just need to see one, I guess.
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  21. #18

    Default Re: Round mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by Marty Jacobson View Post
    Hmm... so are you thinking about this as a visual thing, or a tone production thing?
    I did design these to be pretty close to a circle, thinking that it just made sense to have the crown of the arch be where the bridge sits. In a couple weeks we should be able to see if that is indeed the optimal position for this design, though..

    I was thinking primarily visually, because really I have nothing to base how it would sound on except my imagination. My imagination would be willing to bet good money that it works just as well there, if not better.

  22. #19

    Default Re: Round mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by Tommando View Post
    I'm curious whether you could get much projection out of an instrument with a carved round top. The sound waves would focus in one spot, which might be above the back, behind it or on it depending on the arch of the circle. Where that focal point lies will affect the further projection of those waves. I wonder, too, how that would affect the tone complexity. Just need to see one, I guess.
    Yes, judging by how hard it seems to be to predict how the traditional shape would sound, it seems like the only way to know would be to try it. It could be better, could be worse, could be just different. Most likely just different, I would imagine.

    I guess there's no rule that says the top has to be carved with a perfectly centered arch, or the back for that matter, if it makes a difference, they could be offset from each other.

  23. #20
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    Default Re: Round mandolins

    I have posted photos of two round bodied mandos--both are loud with great sustain. I turned down the tops and backs on a lathe. I intuited that the arch of the top could easily handle the downward forces of the bridge. It seems to have worked as I have been playing them for four years. I do get the odd look at the occasional jam, however.

  24. #21
    Registered User Bill Snyder's Avatar
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    Default Re: Round mandolins

    The first mandolin I ever built is pretty round but it is a flat top. It is 9 1/2 years old now.
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    Bill Snyder

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  26. #22
    Registered User Bill Snyder's Avatar
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    Default Re: Round mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by Marty Jacobson View Post
    I thought about making one with a circular pocket that a perfectly round soundboard fits into. Thought it would be fun to play with different sound ports, bracing, and graduations. I also thought it would be cool to be able to ship out an instrument with swappable soundboards, one transverse braced oval hole and one parallel tone bar braced. But there are just too many other variables that need to work together for that to be a feasible idea.
    Like this?
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    The above are Rigels. They are not removable, but the a-styles certainly do appear to be circular.
    Bill Snyder

  27. #23

    Default Re: Round mandolins

    Yep! I didn't realize Pete's A style soundboards were circular, either.
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    He can string them up without gluing in the soundboard, though, and that's where I got the idea for the modular soundboard.

  28. #24
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Round mandolins

    This roundish one has a carved spruce (?) top and a flat maple back. It is now set up and actually plays quite nicely but with much more emphasis on the treble than the bass. I would think it has something to do with the top carving and bracing.
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  29. #25

    Default Re: Round mandolins

    Quote Originally Posted by pelone View Post
    I have posted photos of two round bodied mandos--both are loud with great sustain. I turned down the tops and backs on a lathe. I intuited that the arch of the top could easily handle the downward forces of the bridge. It seems to have worked as I have been playing them for four years. I do get the odd look at the occasional jam, however.
    Thanks - I found the thread about them: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...s-in-the-Round

    Here are the pics - very nice:

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