As posted in the other thread, I recently bought an Eastwood Airline electric mandola, and I'm overall pleased for the price ($300 shipped for a pristine floor-model), but would want to upgrade sometime in the next six months, so figure I might as well get on someone's waitlist.
I'm hoping to spend $1000 or less for a solid-body five string, and I don't need premium electronics, or a loving French-polish finish. I'm just looking for something functional with a gritty/primitive look. Not looking for a compromised "travel mandolin", but for something of full playing-size that's built to be durable for travel and gigs in scuzzy venues, so with a minimum of fragile protrusions.
I'm looking for someone not too expensive, but relatively flexible in accommodating weird requests. And I don't have all the details figured out, but figure I will by the time the luthier gets to me on the waitlist. Thinking of the following features:
- Five string e-mandolin (CGDae), but maybe with the nut and bridge set up so it can be configured as 4 or 5 evenly-placed strings for versatility since I might evolve one way or the other
- Not sure on scale length, the Airline is an 18", but I understand some CGDA mandolas are 16-17". I'll muck with the Airline more, and try capoing it to shorten the scale and see what fits my hand best, or if I want the extra length for alternate tunings
- Full solid body, no hollowing. I don't need a wood that's gorgeous, just durable and not pricey, and if possible something that's strong for its light weight (mesquite?). Though I'd be totally open to a synthetic material, I'm no purist.
- The Airline is more guitar-shaped than I'd like, I'd prefer something more explicitly mando-esque, like a simplified Florentine, or a keyhole shape, or whatnot
- The one weird bit (I can take it or leave it) since the peghead seems one of the more fragile areas, I was considering Steinberger style tuners at the base of the body (protected by body flanges). Not purely headless though since I want some head for hand positioning and less-weird looks, but maybe a minimal head (with no tuners on it) just for balance and to protect the end of the fretboard. That way if the head breaks, I can just glue it (or bolt it back together) since it wouldn't be load-bearing.
- I don't want complicated cosmetics or carving or anything, but I'd like an overall industrial/gritty look, so large and visible screws, a funky pickguard, that sort of thing.
I'm familiar with http://www.emando.com/ and the Builders list, but it's a really long list, so narrowing down a few key makers would be great. Thanks for any suggestions on affordable builders, and any design recommendations for making an e-mando that I can carry around on the street, chuck in an overhead baggage compartment, prop up against a bar without worrying it'll break if it slips, etc. Happy to be back playing mando after many years!
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