Video - mike marshall on mandocello

[Bernie Daniel]

Opps I guess I overloaded the system
#
Here are a couple more pics one at a time.

[Bernie Daniel]

Here's the bridge - I'll stop now but it was pretty easy to do. It is a lot louder than my 1936 Gibson K1 but that neck is not designed for that configuation.

[danb]

Thanks Phil, great clip

[Bernie Daniel]

For more great mandocello -- if you can find a copy of the VHS cassette "The Sound of the American Mandolin" by Tony Willimanson there is a great piece on there of Tony playing "Grandfathers Clock" on a Gibson Loar signed K5. #What a great sound.

[Domhnall]

I need to get me one of them mando-cellos.

[Steve Baker]

#

OK here is one way to get one. #This was an 1970's Arianna dreadnought that had been hanging in my basement for years so this summer I converted it to an Arianna K5. >>

Hey, interesting project.Got more details as to how you did it?
Thanks.

Steve

[aries753]

I have a beater (guitar) that I am seriously thinking of playing with. A quick trip to the music store for mandocello sized guitar strings and I will have a quick listen. I think I'll only use 4 strings instead of 8. With only 4 strings that's still close to 150 pounds of tension. A set of guitar mediums look to be about 180 pounds. I could double one of the strings and maybe not crush the top or fold the neck .

[Keith Erickson]

Thank you for sharing Phil....that's a great clip.

Let me ask this...
...are the mando-cello and mandola tuned the same? ...or are they an octave different?

I though he said the mando-cello was tuned C-G-D-A?

Thanks,

[aries753]

My understanding is that the 'cello is an octave lower than the 'dola.
Look here for more info. http://www.mandolincafe.com/archives/howtotell.html

[Brad Weiss]

My understanding is that the 'cello is an octave lower than the 'dola.

Bingo

[groveland]

CGDA. BTW, a long-scale cittern covers that, plus has the E (CGDAE). Very versatile, in that it gives you mandocello and OM options: I can play those mandocello parts, but the sound is quite different, as are the string gauges.

Regarding guitar to mandocello conversion - The long-scale cittern is essentially a guitar scale, so if I was to do a conversion, I'd consider a 10-stringer instead. The guitar neck width is probably perfect, and you can use Graham MacDonald's string tension calculator to pick gauges. Something to think about for that next project.

[entau]

soareasy guitars makes an affordable mandocello out of plywood - and they claim to have cello strings on it -
I am tempted to pick one up -
guess I would take the drive down before I spent the 800 or so on it

http://www.soaresyguitars.com/

I have no financial interest in soaresyguitars

I only paid 500 (used) for my freshwater mandocello -
a flot top and the C string can not handle the gage of the standard set - I think I have a an 062 on there now.
not the same as a gibson or weber or monteleon - but I like it
but I have been thinking about the eastman.

they are around here and there -

every once in a while you see an old gibson K4 or K5 turn up for sale, but they tend to move quick.

[groveland]

Yes, the Eastman. There is a good store in my neighborhood, and they carry Eastman - they have a half-dozen archtop Eastman guitars in stock. So I inquired about the mandocello. Hard to get, they say. Hanging around on the cafe with all these mando-family-admirers, sometimes it's easy to forget how small the market for those things really is.

[foldedpath]

Wouldn't a 12-string guitar be a good candidate for mandocello, or maybe better a 10-string cittern conversion? The neck and soundboard are designed for higher tension, so you could probably use slightly heavier gauge strings. All the tuners you need are there... just skip two for the cittern, and cut a new nut and saddle.

Or would a 12-string neck be too wide, with just 5 double courses instead of 6? I like wide nut widths on a standard guitar, but maybe with the big stretches used in 5ths tuning, it's better to have a narrower neck? Has anyone here tried doing this with a 12-string guitar?

[delsbrother]

There's an Eastman on eBay right now, sub-$2K. There's usually a few Ovation m'cellos up there around $1K as well. I've got one of those and it's very cool. Somehow I don't sound like Mike, though.

[entau]

I have a short scale cittern - and sad to say - when talking to the buildr ( I got it used) he said it really isn't designed for the low C -

with super heavy strings and a modified bridge - it is sort of there but .....

so I think scale is important when doing any kind of conversion.

[groveland]

There's an Eastman on eBay right now, sub-$2K. There's usually a few Ovation m'cellos up there around $1K as well. I've got one of those and it's very cool. Somehow I don't sound like Mike, though.

Hi delsbrother - Frankly, I can order one new for >$100 less... What's with that buy-it-now price?

[delsbrother]

I guess you BIN if you Want-it-now as opposed to ordering? Dunno. NFI. As I said, I already have mine. Though that SCGC one in the classifieds is nice too.

[PhilGE]

A big "you're welcome" to everyone. I came across the video while doing a bit of research on mandocellos. I keep having this fantasy (yes, only a dream) that someone will deliver large sums of money or instruments to me with, uh, no strings attached...


Meanwhile, with medical bills coming in for family members, I'll continue to dream along. Helping our daughter with Down Syndrome is the first priority. New instruments are indeed a fantasy.

I fell in love with a Weber Tamarack at Elderly a few years ago. Wow, that was a great instrument. I came close to buying one through the classifieds a while back, but the seller didn't want to ship it - the buyer had to be willing to pick it up somewhere in So. California. I wonder if he ever got it sold. Also, I knew Mid-Missouri built some 'cellos for a reasonable price and had heard nice things about them. Big Muddy might build some... okay, time to get the kids to bed!

[delsbrother]

Actually I think it had been mentioned before... But thanks for reminding us!

[takwas]

Took my breath away. I put down my mandolin and found my mandola, that has some bad frets, but I needed to have some bass feeling to soothe my passion tonite. This, almost a novice, needs help. Can someone give me a short primer on mandola, octave, m-cello, and similar critters regarding tuning. Sorry, I just got but bit tonite.

[entau]

a mandola is a 5th below a mandolin

C G D A ( the g d a are the same as a mandolin )

and octave mandolin is an octave below a mandolin

G D A E

though often not wound - the open E string on the octave mandolin is the same note as the 2nd fret of the D string on a mandolin.- the 12 fret of the D string on an octave mandolin would be the same note as the open D string of a mandola.

a mandocello is a 5th below an octave mandolin ( or an octave below a mandola)

C G D A

a cittern is generally a mandocello and an octave mandolin combined CGDAE - but - there is no real tradition or formal tuning for a cittern - i believe it may be more popular for folks to use GDAEA or GDADA on the cittern.

the mandolin, mandola, and mandocello - follow the range and tuning of the classical bowd string family
violin, viola and cello.

[takwas]

Thanks entau! I will sleep better tonite. Somehow I know that video will creep back on my screen in the AM.

[groveland]

We covered tunings 13 posts ago! For a brief moment I thought I was losing my mind...

[Keith Erickson]

This might sound silly but would anyone know where I could fine the tab or the sheet music for the mandolin on Cello Suite? .... (yes I know it's in bass clef)

Probably Tab would be better