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Thread: Backwards Conversion

  1. #1
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Backwards Conversion

    I've never seen this question asked before - I just googled it and got only the reverse of what I'm about to ask.

    I don't know if this thread belongs here or over in CBOM, but here goes anyway. I'm contemplating a mandocello to guitar conversion - the exact opposite of what is usually discussed here. Here is why:

    I have an Eastman MDC 805 mandocello. It sounds great and is fun to play, BUT I have a much better custom built F4 style archtop 10 string mandocello that gets all my attention now. I was going to sell my Eastman 'cello to finance the purchase of a nice archtop guitar. A friend who was interested in my Eastman 'cello is interested no longer, so I thought "for the cost of a few $$ and hours time I could make a new nut, fit and slot a new bridge and have an Eastman archtop guitar."

    So here is the question for the cafe - if you could string up a guitar with up to 8 strings, how would you string it? B to E or E to A with one empty slot? Standard tuning with double courses on the B and E? Or other ideas I haven't thought of? Thanks!
    Last edited by Mandobart; Oct-16-2016 at 11:47pm.

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    Default Re: Backwards Conversion

    A friend of mine has a baritone guitar tuned down a 5th with double courses on the d & g strings.
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  3. #3
    Confused... or?
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    Default Re: Backwards Conversion

    As a fan of 12-string guitars, I'd be tempted to go for standard tuning with doubled/octaved courses on the D & G. That would be something like Martin's Roger McGuinn 7-string (octave G-string) and/or Taylors's baritone 8-string of several years ago.

    (Whoops! Typing while pops1 posted!)
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  4. #4
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Backwards Conversion

    So you want an 8 string guitar? I would think that the high A string would be the hardest to find if you went in that direction like this guy (on an electric).



    I guess the more standard tuning would be F#, B, E, A, D, G, B, E.

    Good luck!
    Jim

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  5. #5

    Default Re: Backwards Conversion

    Just swap out the nut, re-slot the bridge, and you're good to go. Should make a great guitar.

  6. #6
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Backwards Conversion

    Quote Originally Posted by Marty Jacobson View Post
    Just swap out the nut, re-slot the bridge, and you're good to go. Should make a great guitar.
    Having had one in my possession for awhile I think of these more as a guitar anyway. In fact, they are more of a guitar than a mandocello to begin with. The neck is too wide for at least my comfort as a MC.
    Jim

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  7. #7

    Default Re: Backwards Conversion

    Why people don't talk about converting mandocello to guitar. I believe the answer is quite simple: mandocello is more expensive than guitar. So lots of folks (including myself) convert guitar to mandocello. It won't really sound like a real mandocello but something to play with to see if one really likes it or not before shedding large amount of money to buy a real one.

  8. #8
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Backwards Conversion

    So I completed the conversion from Eastman mandocello to 6 string archtop guitar. I used a Stewmac bridge and a new bone nut. Mounted one of these pickups and wired it up to the tip on the TRS jack, rewired the piezo's I had installed earlier to the ring. I put on a set of La Bella medium jazz flats strings. Plugged in to my Carvin AG300 or the house PA it sounds good across all the strings thru either the mag pu, piezo's or a blend of both.

    Acoustically, the D, G, B and high E sound good. Even, good sustain, mellow, good punch and volume. The low E and A strings, however, sound dull and tubby with very little sustain. When strung as a 'cello or octave mando with phosphor-bronze d'addario strings the acoustic sound was even across the board, lots of sustain.

    There are several possible causes. I have carved and fit a few nuts before, as well as archtop bridges on fiddles, mandolins, octave mandos and more with no issues so I don't think its the bridge or nut fit. The easiest first thing to swap out are strings. What are some of the favorite jazz archtop strings out there for tone and volume? Thanks!

  9. #9
    Registered User Mike Conner's Avatar
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    Default Re: Backwards Conversion

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandobart View Post
    ... I put on a set of La Bella medium jazz flats strings. Plugged in to my Carvin AG300 or the house PA it sounds good across all the strings thru either the mag pu, piezo's or a blend of both.

    .... When strung as a 'cello or octave mando with phosphor-bronze d'addario strings the acoustic sound was even across the board, lots of sustain.
    !
    Bart,
    I think you have your answer in quoted post. My experience with flats on archtops is the tubby sounding bass strings you describe. Phosphor-bronze strings give us the zing we expect to hear acoustically. Jazz guys like the "thump" that the flats provide, especially since they are often just focused on the magnetic pickup sound. I'm using Elixir Nanoweb Heavy Electric strings, which are 012 to 052 in gage so basically light acoustic strings. These bring back some of the bass tone lost with flats. Not as satisfying acoustically, but work well with both the magnetic and piezo pickups on the guitars. Tried some White Bronze strings but did'nt improve over the nickel Elixirs, and they didn't survive as long with my death sweat that kills strings quickly.
    //mike

  10. #10
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Backwards Conversion

    Just replaced the strings with a set of Newtones. Big improvement in acoustic sound. Not quite as "jazzy" sounding as the flat wounds when plugged in, but still good.

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