My new self built mandolin

[carbonpiou]

Some photographs of the mandolin which I have just finished. I am not at all professional and I produced this instrument for me only. If you wish to see the building process, I invite you to go in " builders and repair" (to built its own mandolin)

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[PH-Mando]

I like it. Very nice design. Please post an audio sample!

[Londy]

Looks really cool man! I like it. But changing strings looks like it could be challenging. We need an audio clip please.

[Frankdolin]

I think it,s beautiful!!! Want to hear it....

[carbonpiou]

I finished this mandoline only 5 days ago (2015 27 november). An audio clip is of course envisaged, but a little time should be left me. You can hear the very first notes played on the instrument at the end of the clip of construction.
/www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd6bmhZQRxM&feature=youtu.be

[PH-Mando]

After watching your construction video, I think you are too modest. You are no amateur - you are an artist!

[Denny Gies]

You should be very proud; nice work.

[JEStanek]

Very nice!

Jamie

[Bertram Henze]

What I always say: the difference between a pro and an amatuer is not the skill, it's the purpose.
The video revealed to me that the peghead is not made of porcelain, as I initially thought ;)
Two truss rods! :disbelief:
And played upside-down! :disbelief::disbelief:

Is there anything standard or normal about this instrument? Is that the future? Jules Verne, is that you? Jules? :confused:

[Nathan Kellstadt]

Fantastic.

[jetsedgwick]

Very cool. Good job.

[billhay4]

Fascinating design and very nicely executed.
I look forward to hearing it.
Bill

[pelone]

Awesome-------I love folks who create new forms and shapes that when finished----"it's a mando." Delicious.

[carbonpiou]

You are so full with praises for me which I am really very constrained, friends mandolinists. You know, this project one is dreamed since I am child (68 y.o. now) thus I do not have too much merit to have carried it out… and is successful.
The tuning of the mandoline seems now stabilized and my fingers took again a normal pace after hours and hours of sandpapering.
I will thus be able to make a fast recording to make you hear the sound. I promise this to you before the end of this week. After all your compliments, I owe you this well!

[carbonpiou]

In France, we say " why give to the following day what one can do the very same day "
I thus made a video so that you hear the sound of my mandoline. To save time, I used the recording of accompaniment already used for another clip.
I hope much that you will be as enthusiastic with the voice as you were for the dress of my mandoline! !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dhDVnKdAY4&feature=youtu.be

[Bertram Henze]

What a strong tone, especially in the lower registers. Tres bien!


In France, we say " why give to the following day what one can do the very same day "

And there I thought that was a German saying: "was du heute kannst besorgen das verschiebe nicht auf morgen"... :))

[Mark Wilson]

Bravo. I like it!!!

[Jim Garber]

Very nice, Jean-Luc. Interesting design especially the soundboard. Did you use any special internal bracing for the top? Is the top suspended from the hardwood rim? France has a long history of interesting different designs for mandolins, notably the Gelas with the double sound boards.

I have embedded your video for convenience. Sound of the mandolin starting around 9:45.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd6bmhZQRxM

[kurth83]

Amazing, looks great. And it plays, not bad for a "first" mandolin. :-)

[Jess L.]

I thus made a video so that you hear the sound of my mandoline. To save time, I used the recording of accompaniment already used for another clip.
I hope much that you will be as enthusiastic with the voice as you were for the dress of my mandoline! !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dhDVnKdAY4&feature=youtu.be

Beautiful! :mandosmiley: I love it. :)

What is the name of the music you're playing? It's a nice melody and I'd like to learn to play it. I can learn the melody part by ear, but I'd like to find sheetmusic to give me an idea of what the chords are (my ear isn't really good at discerning chords beyond the basics). Anyway, you play it nicely, and the mandolin itself is fantastic too! :)

[billhay4]

Very nice! We await egalite and fraternite.
Let me add some more detailed comments after looking at your videos a couple of times. I would urge you to find a different method of attaching the neck to the body. The way you have done it is irreversible, I think, and this is not a good idea with musical instruments.
How much does this instrument weigh? It looks as if it might be heavy to me. I might suggest the sides (both inside and outside) could be thinner. What thickness did you use?
Joining the neck to the body at the 10th fret makes an instrument that is hard to play in the upper registers (even upside down :-) ). I'd lengthen the scale a bit.
Still, a fascinating design with some very nice techniques of construction and very nice design elements. Great job!
Bill

[Jim Garber]

Very nice, Jean-Luc. Interesting design especially the soundboard. Did you use any special internal bracing for the top? Is the top suspended from the hardwood rim? France has a long history of interesting different designs for mandolins, notably the Gelas with the double sound boards.

Sorry, I should have watched the video from the beginning to see the sort of fan bracing -- more like a classical guitar than a mandolin. I was looking for the sound recordings.

[Jim Garber]

What is the name of the music you're playing? It's a nice melody and I'd like to learn to play it. I can learn the melody part by ear, but I'd like to find sheetmusic to give me an idea of what the chords are (my ear isn't really good at discerning chords beyond the basics). Anyway, you play it nicely, and the mandolin itself is fantastic too! :)

Mozart's Turkish March (Rondo Alla Turca) ... you can prob find notes for it on imslp.org or here (http://www.mutopiaproject.org/ftp/MozartWA/KV331/KV331_3_RondoAllaTurca/KV331_3_RondoAllaTurca-a4.pdf).

[carbonpiou]

I expected the first opinions on the sound with a little anguish, because I know that the people who come on the Mandolincafe site have much experiment of the mandoline. Now I am reassured more.
It is necessary now that I answer the questions that you pose.
In answer to JL277z, the played title is " Tarentella" This is a folk dance of the south of Italy. This music is played much by the mandolin players of western Europe (very players of folklore, but who are not fixed too much on the bluegrass, we had already spoken about it in this forum)
You wish that I give you the consents, not concern. Can one send messages deprived on the site?

Now and in answer to Bill, I am quite conscious that my irreversible method of fixing of the handle is not worthy of a violin maker. But, once again, I built this mandoline for me and me only. Therefore, I did this " in my heart and conscience"
The weight of my mandoline: 1560 grams, lends to play, with upperworks and strings.
For the place of fixing of the neck, as I wished a tuning fork of 355mm absolutely (I have large hands and long fingers) it was necessary that the position of the bridge enters the acoustic logic of the sounding board. This explains my choice. As I do not play chords in my repertoire, the access to the bottom of the neck does not pose a problem.

For the thicknesses, this is a little theoretical because of sandpaperings for the completion.
The sounding board is 2mm in the center and 1.7mm on the edges. The fish-plates intérierieures are 2mm, the external fish-plates and the bottom are 2.4mm. But as all was done only with the hands, this is perhaps not very exact!

Afflicted if the translated words are not well… I hope that all that will be understood nevertheless!

To render comprehensible certain choices, as the late addition under the handle that I call rest inch, I built this mandoline according to my own morphology, in my way of playing and my repertoire (folk music and classical music)

Good day with all!

[Jess L.]

... " Tarentella" This is a folk dance of the south of Italy. ...

Thanks! :)


imslp.org

Thanks for the link, that site is a goldmine of sheetmusic! Now I have enough dots to keep me busy for quite a while. :grin:

[Bill Snyder]

Amazing, looks great. And it plays, not bad for a "first" mandolin. :-)

He never said it was his first. He has built at least two out of carbon fiber. Both have a thread or two about them as well.
He is quite the industrious gentleman.

[carbonpiou]

This is exact, Bill ! I already built not bad of carbon instruments. But this is really the very first mandoline which I built out with wood.
Oh, not! I am not a professional ! I do not lay out for workshop that of a cellar sinks of 3m X 2m, of the balcony of my apartment and the kitchen table that my nice wife wants to leave well at my disposal for delicate work….

[carbonpiou]

I forgot to tell you, in my previous comment, which I nevertheless lay out of two very sophisticated tools and which help me much to do what I make: the desire and obstinacy.
Long life with the amateurs…. and with the mandolin players of the whole world !
Thank you "mandolincafé" to allow us to communicate!