Solid bodied mandolins

[David Lewis]

I know they don’t get a lot of love round here but I’m wondering how many here play or at least own one. I’ve been considering for some years writing a small book on the subject it would include a little history, starting with Bigsby, and moving through to the present day, playing tips, and how to set up an amplifier etc. probably some basic chords and scales but there are many great books already covering the music as such. I’d also look at the various permutations - 4, 5 and 8 strings, etc. and a chapter on effects - overdrive, wah, etc etc.

I know I won’t retire on the proceeds but would there be an Interest in such a book? (Or has one been done recently and I’ve missed it?).


Thanks in advance.

[mrmando]

I've had hundreds of 'em. You need to talk about Osmar Macedo and Jim Harvey before you you talk about Bigsby.

I haven't really had the energy or focus to put all my research into a book, but I'll help you develop yours if you like.

[David Lewis]

Wow! Thanks. I’d love that. It is a slow project. So

[jefflester]

I know they don’t get a lot of love round here...

Sure they do, there is a whole section devoted to them. Since you posted this in the General Mandolin section, perhaps you are unaware:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/f...ring-Electrics

There's the Richard Thompson/Niles Hokkanen book, but it is both out of date (35 years) and long out of print:
https://www.antiqbook.com/boox/paw/1010306.shtml

[Martin Ohrt]

I don't know much about history, but I own (and love) an electric baritone mando (5 string octave). Your book project sounds interesting to me, let me know when I can help with anything.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Sure, there's bound to be a market. Be sure to check out Joel Eckhaus's solid-bodies at www.earnestinstruments.com.

Barry Mitterhoff has one of his traditional mandos, and Eddy Veder and Bruce Springsteen have a couple of his ukes, featured a few years ago in Fretboard Journal.

[Bill McCall]

Like most things, solid body electrics could stand more love. I have a 4 and a 5 string. I think they are quite cool, but I'm lusting for a 5 string hollow body, but constrained by $.

You might want to look at electric Rickenbackers, I think they predate Bigsby.

[DHopkins]

I have one made by a local luthier, the late Mac McCormick. I change the pickup to a Fender-type made for me by Seymour-Duncan. Mac specialized in guitars but he did make 3 mandolins. I have two of them.

[darrylicshon]

I have one made buy Luigi Mancuso, better known as Lou Mancuso from new York he mainly made guitars but he did make a few mandolins, I have one of his solid bodies, it might be his only one , if you want photos or anything else let me know

[darylcrisp]

I think they are very cool, and I would think a blast to play. I've been intriqued with them for the last few years.
I would buy your book for sure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWJ6-jH1mbs

[David Lewis]

Thank you all. Thank you all. I will be in touch.

I’ve aleeady started the maintenance chapter. And the using Amps and effects chapter.

[David Lewis]

Thank you for all that. I am aware of the book, and I’d love to see a copy. I felt it was time for an upgrade, given the explosion in effects, and digital technology, plus the hundreds of more mandolins made since then.

[CES]

Mandobird IV! Don't play it a ton, but am really glad I have it when I need it

[seankeegan]

Simon Mayor has an electric mandolin made by Martin Cole. He mentions it in this article, and theres a photo of him playing it in the top right of the article.

http://www.mandolin.org.uk/interviews/simon_mayor.php

[farmerjones]

You know the cool guy in the middle of the mall that sells toy helicopters?
Well this fellow made the Telemando look and sound so cool and so easy I had to get one.

Tony Rothrock plays Cherokee Shuffle

Don't forget to mention, you're on your own when it comes to strings. I think I cannibalized a set or two of D'Addario electric light strings. What will work are many. What is optimum?

[Tom Wright]

Seems to me your subject is really electric mandolins, not only solid-body. Certainly in guitar world there are so many versions it would make sense to consider a book on only solid-body styles, but there are a number of semi-hollow dedicated electric mandolins that were either production models or custom. (Gibson, among others.)

And if there are 5-string styles, there should be 10-strings of course. The groups should be--- 4/8, 5/10, and solid/semi-hollow/hollow. While there are several production models of solid and semi-hollow electric mandolins, I don't think there is a regular model hollow, although Arrow may be. Ryder makes a couple of regular models that are semi hollow, and a line of solids. I have a solid Ryder and a custom solid Almuse.

There do not seem to be any regular production 10-string electrics, although there are a couple of makers of acoustic 10-strings which have a regular model (Tercio Ribeiro, Thomas Buchanan).

A question worth looking at is how electrics are used, the playing style. Electric guitar calls for different playing, and the styles are multiple---jazz, rock, country, and thrash metal all utilize technique that is not the same as that used for steel-string or nylon-string acoustic guitar. Amps and effects are secondary to the role the player is taking on, and that role calls for certain techniques.

[Jim Garber]

I have an early 1960's Gibson EM-200 (Florentine). it is an 8-string—I don't think Gibson ever made a 4 or 5 string back then. I did own a Roberts Tiny Moore 5-string—not sure that is solid-body. I have a 1930's Gibson EM-150 which sounds great but is a hollow body.

[colorado_al]

My current e-mando has been commandeered by the boy. Not that I'm complaining, he's ripping it up!



I'm going to let him keep it and pickup a sweet Mann 5 string. Played a great one at Carter's a few months ago.

I'll probably have to get a new set of pedals too. He's really not going to let those go either. He's making his own loops using the octave pedal for his bass lines, and then shredding all over them with the Danelectro Fab Tone.

Looking forward to reading your stuff.

[mandroid]

A Modified A50 as an EM150, 4 string conversion to CGDA is a nice sound..

it is a different tone than the 4 string solid body I have,

also in the same CGDA tuning..

[mrmando]

You might want to look at electric Rickenbackers, I think they predate Bigsby.

True enough, Rickenbacher was making Electro mandolins in the 1930s, although the solidbody Ricks didn't come along until 1958.

All of this information is already at Emando.com, although it is scattered across hundreds of individual pages. Having it in book form would make it accessible in a different way to readers who don't want to click through the entire site.

[Mark Gunter]

Hi David, sounds like you're onto another interesting project for sure.

An aside (hollow vs. semi-hollow vs. solid bodies): Converting a hollow body to a solid body looks pretty easy, to hear J. J. Cale talk about it:

[Magnus Geijer]

Technically this is semi-acoustic, but you know. Potato-Schmergel Devastator. I basically play nothing else since I finished this.

[zedmando]

My only mandolin (At least so far) is he one in my avatar---an Epi Mandobird VIII
Found a used one for a great price & couldn't turn i down...

I love it...

As for the book--sure I wouldn't mind checking out a book like that if one was written & not $500 like the one linked above...

[David Lewis]

Seems to me your subject is really electric mandolins, not only solid-body. Certainly in guitar world there are so many versions it would make sense to consider a book on only solid-body styles, but there are a number of semi-hollow dedicated electric mandolins that were either production models or custom. (Gibson, among others.)

And if there are 5-string styles, there should be 10-strings of course. The groups should be--- 4/8, 5/10, and solid/semi-hollow/hollow. While there are several production models of solid and semi-hollow electric mandolins, I don't think there is a regular model hollow, although Arrow may be. Ryder makes a couple of regular models that are semi hollow, and a line of solids. I have a solid Ryder and a custom solid Almuse.

There do not seem to be any regular production 10-string electrics, although there are a couple of makers of acoustic 10-strings which have a regular model (Tercio Ribeiro, Thomas Buchanan).

A question worth looking at is how electrics are used, the playing style. Electric guitar calls for different playing, and the styles are multiple---jazz, rock, country, and thrash metal all utilize technique that is not the same as that used for steel-string or nylon-string acoustic guitar. Amps and effects are secondary to the role the player is taking on, and that role calls for certain techniques.

My two 'rules' about playing solidbody mando - it’s not a little guitar, and it’s not an acoustic mandolin.

There is, of course, a crossover, but ultimately it’s its own instrument.

[David Lewis]

My only mandolin (At least so far) is he one in my avatar---an Epi Mandobird VIII
Found a used one for a great price & couldn't turn i down...

I love it...

As for the book--sure I wouldn't mind checking out a book like that if one was written & not $500 like the one linked above...

I’m hoping to come in a bit under $500.