Tavy
Jul-10-2016, 12:37pm
A while back I posted pictures of my first 8 string electric mandolin prototype (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?123591-New-8-string-electric-(prototype)), now it's time for the second of 3 planned prototypes (the 3rd being an electric bouzouki). I'm calling this the "vegan" model because no animal products were used anywhere - no hide glue, shellac, or shell - the aim being to make it "customs proof", at least as far as one can.
147941147942147943147944147945
It's hollow-body construction with burr-walnut over solid spruce top to try and keep some of the mandolin-like sound. This is somewhat more solid and less hollow that the first prototype though, making it more pure-electric: unlike the first one, you wouldn't want to practice acoustically on this one.
To keep things "vegan", the dot markers are brass, coated with a dab of EnduroVar to stop them from tarnishing, I think they match the EVO gold fretwire rather nicely:
147946
I was almost terminally undecided on what style of bridge to use on this one, in the end I used a pin-bridge to hold the strings - seems to work rather well - the bridge plate inside is brass which provides the string earthing - top plate is just to protect the top, and screws on so it can be replaced with something more "bling" if required ;)
Some final views:
147947147948147949
And of course the inevitable demo - played via my amp this time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPrWo5m-OtM
147941147942147943147944147945
It's hollow-body construction with burr-walnut over solid spruce top to try and keep some of the mandolin-like sound. This is somewhat more solid and less hollow that the first prototype though, making it more pure-electric: unlike the first one, you wouldn't want to practice acoustically on this one.
To keep things "vegan", the dot markers are brass, coated with a dab of EnduroVar to stop them from tarnishing, I think they match the EVO gold fretwire rather nicely:
147946
I was almost terminally undecided on what style of bridge to use on this one, in the end I used a pin-bridge to hold the strings - seems to work rather well - the bridge plate inside is brass which provides the string earthing - top plate is just to protect the top, and screws on so it can be replaced with something more "bling" if required ;)
Some final views:
147947147948147949
And of course the inevitable demo - played via my amp this time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPrWo5m-OtM