2 Attachment(s)
New Nava electric mandolin
Hi Guys,
Here’s my latest 8 string electric mandolin.
Attachment 160110
Attachment 160111
These days I rarely build anything on spec, but there were a few new things that I wanted to try out. Mainly, a shorter fretboard-- 19 frets instead of my usual 22 and using only temperate hardwoods (avoiding CITIES issues) and using no animal products to make the import/export of an instrument easier.
You’ll find lots more photos on my website and here’s the obligatory video.
https://youtu.be/eOQTgtYmSyk
Cheers Gary
Re: New Nava electric mandolin
Excellent video, Gary. You have incorporated many good ideas here and especially the use of non-endangered materials. The pick-up configuration gives many very useable sounds and the piezo adds another dimension to the tonal palette.
Can you tell us the source of your fingerboard material. please?
Re: New Nava electric mandolin
Quote:
Originally Posted by
John Kelly
Excellent video, Gary. You have incorporated many good ideas here and especially the use of non-endangered materials. The pick-up configuration gives many very useable sounds and the piezo adds another dimension to the tonal palette.
Can you tell us the source of your fingerboard material. please?
Hi John,
Glad that you like the e mando and video. The Rocklite fretboards are available from Tonetech in Manchester.
Cheers Gary
Re: New Nava electric mandolin
Gary could you tell me what are the make of pickups you using. Enjoyed the video great idea about sustainable woods
Re: New Nava electric mandolin
https://tonetechluthiersupplies.co.u...ngerboard.html
Direct link to the fretboards.
Lovely stuff Gary. I'll have to stop in when we play Folk on the Pier in Cromer next year!
Daniel
Re: New Nava electric mandolin
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Milkwood
Gary could you tell me what are the make of pickups you using. Enjoyed the video great idea about sustainable woods
The pick-ups are Artec- they seem to work well on the emando.
Cheers Gary.
- - - Updated - - -
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Daniel Nestlerode
You'll be welcome, Daniel.
Cheers Gary
Re: New Nava electric mandolin
As usual Gary a beautiful piece of work. I really like the idea of 19 frets. Having built a four string emando with two pickups but they are a tad crowded. Using less frets seems the way to go. I mean how often do you actually play that far up the neck.
I have a couple of nice 4" x 4" pieces of Fiddle back Sycamore for making some necks and various other choices for bodies. However after reading the post on the Bigsby and now your post. I am definitely going with a shorter neck.
I have some rod piezo pickups and some disc ones, however I am undecided on which to use. I was thinking of a chambered body with either a rod under the bridge or discs either side in the chambers. Sorry to hijack your thread but it seemed a good time to ask. Cheers Dave
Re: New Nava electric mandolin
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sonic
As usual Gary a beautiful piece of work. I really like the idea of 19 frets. Having built a four string emando with two pickups but they are a tad crowded. Using less frets seems the way to go. I mean how often do you actually play that far up the neck.
I have a couple of nice 4" x 4" pieces of Fiddle back Sycamore for making some necks and various other choices for bodies. However after reading the post on the Bigsby and now your post. I am definitely going with a shorter neck.
I have some rod piezo pickups and some disc ones, however I am undecided on which to use. I was thinking of a chambered body with either a rod under the bridge or discs either side in the chambers. Sorry to hijack your thread but it seemed a good time to ask. Cheers Dave
Hello Dave,
Glad you like the emando- I must admit that after Spruce’s post about T K Smith mandolins I got to thinking about the shorter fretboard hence this instrument. Maybe one day all electric mandolins will be made this way!:grin:
My emando has a small chamber under the bridge to try to encourage a bit more of natural sound from the under saddle transducer and I think that it works quiet well. I’ve never tried piezo disc within the body so can’t offer my experience. My gut reaction is, would the body vibrate enough (compared to an acoustic mandolin) to give a decent approximation of an acoustic tone? Anyone else care to comment?
Cheers Gary
