Finally pulled the trigger on an Erlewine Chiquita to mando-fy

Will post some pics after I replace the tuners. Switching out his stock 16/1 Grovers for some 18/1 Grover Rotogrips--which are locking. Eventually going to switch out the pickup for something more single coil like, or maybe something hi-fi like a Lace Alumitone.

Tuning wise, I spent some time--in vain--trying to get a string up E5. .008 didn't get close. .007 got there but it broke within minutes of playing. Could order some .006s from this specialty guy but he is dubious about the stability at 19" scale.

So what I ended up doing was an upside down New Standard Tuning--or Broken Fifths Tuning. Instead of putting the minor third at top, I left the lowest string at E2--guitar E--then tuned GDAEB. This has worked out great and opened up a lot of chord voicing choices .

Only down side is that intonating TOM style bridges is a PITA. What a stupid place to put a screw.

YIKES!!! 19" scale length has got to be a bear to find the right strings. Please post pics when you get a chance.

Len B.
Clearwater, FL

It isn't too bad with this tuning. I've been going with D'Addario NYXL strings. Mark Erlewine very handily prints his recommended gauges on the back of the headstock for standard guitar tuning so that gives one a good place to start. With E2,G2,D3,A3,E4,B4 three of the strings are tuned to pitches in the guitar's set, two are only a whole tone off so it only took a little time with the D'Addario String Finder Ap Thingy(tm) to come up with some alternatives. I went ahead and order a gauge above and a gauge below the recommended gauge so I can tweak the set after I replace the tuners. The B4 I am using a .009 and it doesn't feel too cheese slicerish.

Ok, some pics.

Attachment 158838
Attachment 158839

Current Strings, low to high

E2 (.058)
G2 (.044)
D3 (.036)
A3 (.022)
E4 (.013)
B4 (.009)

I did something similar with a couple Epiphone Les Paul PeeWees.

I went for what I call "double extended range tenor" tuning.

That is (low to high):

Eb - Bb - F - C - G - D

With a capo on the second fret I get:

F - C - G - D - A - E

in the proper mandolin register.

I've kinda grown to like the Eb tuning though. I think it's cool that my silly PeeWee tuned in 5th's is a semi-tone lower than standard tuned guitars and a few tones higher than my electric mandolin.

That about the scale length, of a Tacoma Papoose ?

Chiquita and PeeWee are 19" and Papoose is 19.1"

so A is 6th & first string... tuning.. that;s how a friend tunes his papoose acoustic.

A D G C# F# A?

I've got an octave mandolin with a 19" scale length. GDAE plays easily. If it had a fifth course I suppose B would not be a problem. :)

Daniel