New mandolin maker!

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May-12-2008, 5:45pm
Brewerpaul

Ha ha! Gotcha!
Well, it's partly true. #I wanted a simple, tough travel mandolin but didn't want to pay the price for a Martin Backpacker, etc so I decided to make one. #Andy Jerman supplied me with a factory seconds neck and I cobbled together the rest:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...aul/Mandos.jpg

It's pretty quiet, which is what I wanted, and I'll simply wrap it in my clothes in the suitcase when I travel.

PS-- it's the one on the left http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/...ns/biggrin.gif My Fullerton is shown just for size comparison
May-12-2008, 8:44pm
Gutbucket

Pretty cool. Reminds me of a fish, kinda.
May-12-2008, 9:56pm
Brewerpaul

I was thinking of something like this :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit_violin
May-12-2008, 9:57pm
mandroid

Now thats a paddle head ! , ping pong style.. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/...cons/laugh.gif
May-12-2008, 10:08pm
F5GRun

Hey Brewerpaul...great idea!!!!! but your missing 4 strings http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/...ticons/wow.gif
May-13-2008, 5:23am
Brewerpaul

Quote:

Originally Posted by (F5GRun @ May 12 2008, 23:08)

Hey Brewerpaul...great idea!!!!! but your missing 4 strings http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/...ticons/wow.gif

No I'm not... they're still in their little envelopes!
May-13-2008, 6:11am
Brandon Flynn

For a minute I thought you made the fullerton!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/...ns/biggrin.gif
May-13-2008, 1:04pm
mrmando

It looks like a mandobass after gastric bypass surgery.
May-13-2008, 3:34pm
Brewerpaul

Quote:

Originally Posted by (mrmando @ May 13 2008, 14:04)

It looks like a mandobass after gastric bypass surgery.

Ha ha! I'll tell my wife that-- she had gastric bypass 2 years ago! (and did great)
May-13-2008, 3:53pm
Gutbucket

What kind of wood did you use for the body? It almost looks like Purpleheart.
May-13-2008, 5:59pm
Brewerpaul

Quote:

Originally Posted by (Gutbucket @ May 13 2008, 16:53)

What kind of wood did you use for the body? It almost looks like Purpleheart.

This was a very simple build. You can't see it but the body is bandsawn from a 1" maple plank, hollowed out with a sabre saw leaving 1/4"thick walls. The front, back, and head facing are indeed purpleheart: 1/8" stock sold for intarsia inlay work. I shimmed the bolt on neck with scraps of the purpleheart until it sat in the socket to the right depth. It's held in place with brass flathead screws and epoxy (hope I never need to adjust it!). The nut and bridge were improvised from Cocobolo scrap. The scallop shell tailpiece is from Stew Mac.
Looking at the picture makes me think I should narrow the peghead for better proportion, but I'm not in any hurry for that job. At least it plays for now.
May-13-2008, 7:54pm
JEStanek

Nice work!

Jamie
May-13-2008, 8:03pm
Chris Travers

Cool!
May-13-2008, 8:50pm
thistle3585

No, leave the headstock. I like it as is. Great job. That neck was destined for the patio fire pit, but I'm glad it found a better use.

andrew
May-25-2008, 8:25am
Brewerpaul

Update:
The Busmandolin made the trip to Mexico and back in perfect condition. I never would have hauled one of my good instruments down there (even with A/C, the humidity was very high), but it was really great to have a mando to play on vacation. I didn't even use a case for it: just nestled it in amongst our clothing.
May-25-2008, 9:16am
Gutbucket

Wonder what security thought when it was x-rayed. "Hey Carlos, this dude is trying to sneak in a fish!"http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/...ons/tounge.gif
May-25-2008, 9:55am
Jim Garber

1 Attachment(s)

Quote:

Originally Posted by (Gutbucket @ May 12 2008, 21:44)

Pretty cool. Reminds me of a fish, kinda.

Like this one?
May-25-2008, 9:56am
Jim Garber

1 Attachment(s)

Quote:

Originally Posted by (Brewerpaul @ May 12 2008, 22:56)

I was thinking of something like this :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit_violin

Here's a few more, courtesy of a large museum in New York.
May-25-2008, 10:21am
Gutbucket

Quote:

Originally Posted by (jgarber @ May 25 2008, 10:55)

Quote:

Originally Posted by (Gutbucket @ May 12 2008, 21:44)

Pretty cool. Reminds me of a fish, kinda.

Like this one?

Now ya gotta love that! Geesh, I can even smell it.
May-25-2008, 3:59pm
Jim Garber

Quote:

Originally Posted by (Gutbucket @ May 25 2008, 11:21)

Quote:

Originally Posted by (jgarber @ May 25 2008, 10:55)

Quote:

Originally Posted by (Gutbucket @ May 12 2008, 21:44)

Pretty cool. Reminds me of a fish, kinda.

Like this one?

Now ya gotta love that! Geesh, I can even smell it.

That is a Portuguese machete, precursor to the ukulele.
May-25-2008, 4:04pm
Gutbucket

I just read something on a uke website that the instrument came to the islands from Portuguese fisherman. Is it still being played there?