The Width of a Mandolin

[Daolmen]

I am planning to handcraft my first mandolin and I am wondering how wide can a mandolin
be.
In other words, how much is the minimum and maximum width?

Thanks

[sunburst]

There is no minimum nor maximum, but there is surely an optimal range. Most mandolins are 10" wide or a little more. When something is the way it is, it is usually because that is what works. Feel free to experiment beyond the normal size range, but if you want a mandolin that sounds "normal", make a "normal" sized mandolin.

[HoGo]

Classical italian mandolins can be a bit less wide. It is best to get at least some simple drawing or actual instrument as a model.

[Jim Garber]

You can make it as wide or as long as you want but if it doesn't fit into a standard case or gig bag then you will also have to make one of those. As others have noted, if this is your first, you might want to make something pretty standard, follow some plans, get yourself a book or even build a kit.

[Seter]

As you can see in my avatar, flat top/back, bowlbacks, and archtops tend to have different widths. Which type are you planning on making?

[Daolmen]

thank you very much for helping

I would like a flat top/back.

With some bass too. I think it's difficult to get some bass with a mandolin
but if you have any advice, I would be interested too

I've forgot to ask wich lenght could the soundbox be

This one, I like a lot :https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=JViMLRLP5Pw

[Jim Garber]

Perhaps you should get a book like this one: the Mandolin Project

[EdHanrahan]

I'm not a builder, but I am pretty good with geometry, instrument & otherwise, so I'll recommend doing what my wife & I did before looking for our current house 30+ years ago...

We bought a 30' tape measure, and then measured every room that we could: our house, our parents' houses, friends' houses, apartments, our offices, garages, etc. In 3 or 4 weeks, we had a REAL good idea of what ANY house-size space should look and feel like. (And drove a few realtors crazy when they'd say "This room is 16' by X", and I could see that it clearly wasn't, especially compared to the 8' ceiling height!) So...

THAT's what you should be doing with mandolins, if you insist on designing your own. And listen for the differences. (Several years back, I found a mini 3' tape measure that fits on my key chain; I use it at least weekly, often in music shops!)

IMHO, the most important question is what the scale length should be. IIRC, most mandolins are 13 7/8", some a bit longer, while cant-top Martin's match most violins at 13" even.

Hope this helps!

[Daolmen]

Yes I'm thinking about buying a book.
At the moment, I will try to draw one using a model and ratios

About ratios :
If my mandolin is 254mm large and if I use the 7/8 ratio, the length will be : 290mm
or 290x(7/8)=253,75mm

[Jim Garber]

Daolmen: What are those ratios? Are you talking about the length of the body? And the width is 7/8 of the length?

Here is another suggestion: Crystal Forest makes very nice flattop mandolins. You can buy the plans here for $19.95USD/€17.25.

Via Google Translate:
Daolmen: Quels sont ces ratios? Parlez-vous de la longueur du corps? Et la largeur est 7/8 de la longueur?

Voici une autre suggestion: Crystal Forest fabrique de très belles mandolines à plat. Vous pouvez acheter les plans [B] [U] [URL = "http://crystalforestmandolins.com/mandoplans.html"] ici [/ URL] [/ U] [/ B] pour 19,95 USD / 17,25 €.

[rcc56]

There is no minimum nor maximum, but there is surely an optimal range. Most mandolins are 10" wide or a little more. When something is the way it is, it is usually because that is what works. Feel free to experiment beyond the normal size range, but if you want a mandolin that sounds "normal", make a "normal" sized mandolin.

10 inches in America. . .

I had the pleasure of seeing a Brazilian choro group a couple of years ago, and the mandolinist's instrument was noticeably larger than what we commonly see here. It was a good instrument. I wish I had measured it.

[Jim Garber]

I have three bandolims from Brazil. They are basically all bent-tops with wider bodies and were derived from Portuguese mandolins. The Del Vecchio bandolim I have is 11-5/8" / 29.5cm across the body at the widest place.

[Daolmen]

What are those ratios?

This is the kind of ratios which are used to draw violins (like 3/4 or 5/7 …)

Are you talking about the length of the body?

Yes it’s about the length / width of the body

And the width is 7/8 of the length?

That’s what I am searching

https://www.amazon.fr/Alulu-Mandolin.../dp/B00TLBC3RM
The width of this A style seems to be 3/4 of the length

10 inches in America. . .

With a ¾ ratio, if the width is 10 inches (254mm)
The dimension will be : 338,67 mm x (3/4) = 254mm (10 inches)

This ¾ ratio seems to be used for A style mandolins
Do you agree with me ?

[treidm]

It's just a naming convention for the scale length. The numbers don't actually equate to anything.
Used with arm length measurements, to determine size needed for children

The size of them is described by a "conventional" fraction that has no mathematical significance. For example, a 7/8 violin has a scale of about 317 mm, a 3/4-size instrument a scale of 307 mm, a half-size one 287 mm, and a quarter-size one 267 mm. 1/8, 1/10, 1/16 and 1/32 and even 1/64 violins also exist, becoming progressively smaller, but again in no proportional relationship. (A full-size instrument is described as 4/4.) "wiki"

Chamber volume / size does not does not follow mathematically

[Jim Garber]

Stringed instrument sizing is truly odd. Violas are much less standardized than violins. AFAIK there is no such thing as a standard viola. Upright basses are even stranger since the most popular "standard" size is a 3/4.

Daolmen: I know this is to be your first mandolin but have you built other instruments. If so, them I do understand why you are taking this approach. Otherwise, I would stick to a common plan or there will be way too many variables to work out a decent instrument. First instruments are usually an experiment.

[Daolmen]

Daolmen: I know this is to be your first mandolin but have you built other instruments. .

Yes a violin that I have drawn, but not finished yet.

Here is a photo from a mandolin that is supposed to be a Martin one
I find a 0.72 ratio.
The 3/4 ratio is 0.75 which is near considering it's only a photographie

[pops1]

Martin A's have a 13" scale, others have a 13 7/8" scale and others a 14" scale. My A body is 9 3/4" with a 13 7/8" scale.

[EdHanrahan]

Hopefully this won't confuse more than it helps, but:

Just because the Martin is named an "A" style doesn't mean that it has any relation to Gibson's As, or anyone elses'. If you look carefully at other "A-ish" mandolins, you'll see that there are various body outlines in use that only approximate the shape of Gibsons' As. Given that the pictured Martin is a canted-top flatback, I'd go so far as to say that a Gibson A is closer in architecture to a Gibson F than it is to a Martin A.

[Jim Garber]

Yes a violin that I have drawn, but not finished yet.

Here is a photo from a mandolin that is supposed to be a Martin one
I find a 0.72 ratio.
The 3/4 ratio is 0.75 which is near considering it's only a photographie

Did you mean you have drawn plans for a violin or have you actually started to build one? I am a bit confused about your concern for the ratios—we might call it proportions—of these instruments, before actually building one. It also sounds like you are not concerned with the scale length of these mandolins just the ration of length to width of the bodies?

[Daolmen]

Did you mean you have drawn plans for a violin or have you actually started to build one?

Yes I have drawn a plan for a violin and I have started one using this plan

It also sounds like you are not concerned with the scale length of these mandolins just the ration of length to width of the bodies?

I need to know the dimension of the body before ordering the wood

—we might call it proportions—

I agree too

[Jim Garber]

Unless you are wanting to build a radically different kind of mandolin it should not affect the size of the wood you order.

This thread just started and might address some of your concerns: https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/s...tter-mandolins

[Daolmen]

I now hesitate between a mandolin and an octave mandolin because of the lack of bass with the mandolin
I would have the same question:

How wide can an octave mandolin be?

[Bill McCall]

It could be as big as you want, even 17” lower bout. Probably would be pretty bassy too, but not compared to a real bass. Might be good to sort out desires first and find or draw a full sized plan in both elevation and plan (top) view. Then make a parts list and a plan for making the parts. Then figured out assembly steps.

Or just wing it.

[Jim Garber]

This one, I like a lot :https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...&v=JViMLRLP5Pw

Bruno Torres (the maker above) also makes mandolas (the European name for octave mandolins). Maybe you could copy his design if it works for you with the tone you want.

This is another video of the mandolin you linked to above