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Thread: 17" Scale, has anyone heard of one?

  1. #1
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    Default 17" Scale, has anyone heard of one?

    Does anyone make a mandola scale length tenor guitar? I have a GDAE mandola with a 427mm scale which works so it would seem possible, especially in CGDA.
    - Jeremy

    Wot no catchphrase?

  2. #2
    Registered User WillFly's Avatar
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    Default Re: 17" Scale, has anyone heard of one?

    As it happens, I had a 5-string mandolin/tenor sold electric instrument made for me - as an experiment - by my luthier buddy Ian about 5 years ago. It was one of our mutual "buy 2, get 1 free" deals - i.e. I'd commissioned two instruments from him, so I got a 3rd one for just the cost of the materials. The body is offcuts glued together, with a bar pickup. And the scale length is just 17". The problem with such an instrument is the potential imbalance of the instrument tonally, given the variation in string gauges required for the CGDAE tuning. We both considered it as an experiment with a reasonably successful outcome. Here it is in action:


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  4. #3
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    Default Re: 17" Scale, has anyone heard of one?

    Thanks Will, it sounds pretty good to me. I have been thinking about a 5 string although an electric hadn't really occurred to me, I will have to play with my Mandostrat a bit more and see if I can come to love it.
    - Jeremy

    Wot no catchphrase?

  5. #4
    Registered User WillFly's Avatar
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    Default Re: 17" Scale, has anyone heard of one?

    Thanks Jeremy. I'm actually using mainly the top 4 strings on this little beast - the lowest string of all (obviously with the thickest gauge) can sound slightly muddy compared with the others, so it's a little bit of a mixed bag.

  6. #5
    Registered User Steve Baker's Avatar
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    Default Re: 17" Scale, has anyone heard of one?

    Fylde makes what he calls a "tenor mandola" that comes in very close to that scale length. I've had a couple and regret selling them on. I tuned mine at CGDG and played a lot of Irish and Scottish tunes on it. FWIW
    Steve

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    Registered User John Rosett's Avatar
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    Default Re: 17" Scale, has anyone heard of one?

    A local luthier here in Missoula(Ryan Rukavina) is making some nice single-strung electric mandolas. He hand-winds his pickups too. Mine is 16", but all the others he's made are 17". He just sold one on the MC classifieds for $585. Here's a picture of mine. I love it!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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    "it's not in bad taste, if it's funny" - john waters

  9. #7
    Registered User fox's Avatar
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    Default Re: 17" Scale, has anyone heard of one?

    Plenty to of good quality tenor ukuleles out there, easy enough to tune in 5ths with the right strings.

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    Registered User Seonachan's Avatar
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    Default Re: 17" Scale, has anyone heard of one?

    Here's a thread on a 17" dreadnought-shaped tenor guitar, custom-made for Eddy Davis by Joel Eckhaus (of Earnest Instruments).

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  13. #9
    fishing with my mando darrylicshon's Avatar
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    Default Re: 17" Scale, has anyone heard of one?

    I've seen a few around but haven't played any yet
    Ibanez 70's 524, 521, 3 511's,2 512's,513,1 514,3 80s 513's, 522
    J Bovier F5-T custom shop
    Kiso Suzuki V900,
    The Loar lm600 Cherryburst
    morgan monroe mms-5wc,ovation
    Michael Kelly Octave Mandolin
    Emandos Northfield octave tele 4, Northfield custom jem octave mandolin 5 octave strat 8
    2 Flying v 8, octave 5, Exploryer octave 8 20"
    Fender mandostrat 4,3 Epip mandobird 2,4/8, Kentucky. KM300E Eastwood mandocaster
    Gold Tone F6,Badaax doubleneck 8/6

  14. #10
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    Default Re: 17" Scale, has anyone heard of one?

    I had this 4 string single course 'dola made by Colin Kendall a couple of years ago. It's a bit like a short scale tenor guitar, tuned CGDA with an 18" scale length. It also has a Headway pickup system.Click image for larger version. 

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  16. #11
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    Default Re: 17" Scale, has anyone heard of one?

    That looks cute, my music teacher has just got a 5 course mandolin of his.
    - Jeremy

    Wot no catchphrase?

  17. #12
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    Default Re: 17" Scale, has anyone heard of one?

    I'm really pleased with it; Colin is a lovely guy and he builds some great mando family instruments. The only 5 string I own is my Stewmac electric with the A string-bender... didn't get on with 5 on such a short scale instrument; I ended up taking one string off. Wouldn't mind a 5 string electric tenor though...

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