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Tavy
Apr-24-2016, 3:12am
Greetings all, here's my latest build, I'm actually so pleased with this one that I've already started it's evil twin (more on that at a later date!), and with luck I'll get to build a few of these as they're great fun...

Hollow bodied electric, mahogany body, the unusual feature is a solid spruce top veneered with amboyna: the aim is to get some of the acoustic sound from the spruce but the appearance and functionality of an electric:

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It's powered by a Seymour Duncan cool rails pickup, switch gives you parallel/single/series wiring, plus volume and tone (bass cut/high pass) controls.

Here's the demo, for those short of time, the first minute has effects on, then all effects are off for most of the demo, and the last 3 minutes are a strictly acoustic demo... yes you can play it acoustically, you're just not supposed to ;) Basically it's fine for practising acoustically, but it's quiet, and you loose bass response. Banjo mass slaying is not on the cards unless you plug in...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT_5wQyKEkM

Mandocarver
Apr-24-2016, 3:31am
Gorgeous design - somehow vintage and modern at the same time. I should think you'll have a flood of requests for orders coming in.

Martin Ohrt
Apr-24-2016, 5:09am
What a nice instrument! Sounds and looks great. For using a magnetic PU, it delivers a very "acoustic" sound, doesn't it? I think this might be a great mando for those who need an amplified instrument and don't like the sound of piezos...

Tavy
Apr-24-2016, 5:59am
What a nice instrument! Sounds and looks great. For using a magnetic PU, it delivers a very "acoustic" sound, doesn't it? I think this might be a great mando for those who need an amplified instrument and don't like the sound of piezos...

I'm really pleased with how it turned out - especially parallel wired humbucker mode - you get both the humbucking effect and a very clean and not too electric sound. Frankly if you're playing through an amp it doesn't sound much more "electric" than my acoustics with K&K pickups do. Should be pretty feedback resistant too given that there's a big soundpost under the bridge to stop the body from getting too carried away.

Paul Busman
Apr-24-2016, 6:18am
Love it! It looks and sounds terrific. Keep up the great work.

PH-Mando
Apr-24-2016, 8:20am
Looks and sounds fantastic!

Steve Ostrander
Apr-24-2016, 9:41am
Well done! I can see why you are building #2. I wouldn't change a thing.

Jill McAuley
Apr-24-2016, 3:38pm
Great stuff - what a beauty! Sounds fantastic as well!

Barry Wilson
Apr-24-2016, 4:16pm
I like it. The veneer is sweet

Jake Wildwood
Apr-27-2016, 8:39am
I love it!

I've been thinking of making an Army/Navy mandolin with a thin-veneer bottom laminated under spruce for a while and lam back/sides for traveling about -- my thinking being that I can thin up the spruce a bunch without worry of hairlines. It's nice to see the opposite use of it here -- as a way to let the electric be dressy and functional at the same time.

spufman
Apr-27-2016, 9:45am
That's a really nice design through and through. Congratulations!