10 string mandocello

[mandolinjon@aol.com]

I am in the process of building a 10-string mandocello on a modified OM style guitar body. I will tune it CGDAE. The neck is going to be similar to the size of a standard guitar but the bridge will be adjustable like that of a normal mandolin. Also, the top and the back have a unique X bracing design. Finally, in addition to the standard sound hole it will have a sound port on the side. Pretty radical. Has anyone ever heard of a builder doing anything of this nature? Any predictions or concerns for an aspiring new builder?

[Eugene]

There were mando-cellos built on archtop guitar bodies by Gibson and others, and C-G-d-a-e' is standard tuning of the Italian liuto/liuto cantabile/liuto moderno typically built on Neapolitan-type soundboxes beginning in the late 1800s. Sorry, I'm not a luthier so can't offer much regarding the practicality of making such a thing work.

[Graham McDonald]

I've built a few of these on guitar bodies. They are always a bit of a compromise between getting the grunt on the bottom C strings and the clarity and 'ping' out of the top string. The last one I did worked pretty well, and the owner likes it

cheers

graham

[Red Henry]

Nice instrument, Graham, and nice bridge too.

Red Henry

[Graham McDonald]

All credit to yourself, Sir

[Greg Stec]

Eugene
RE:There were mando-cellos built on archtop guitar bodies by Gibson and others

Here's I play with the Baltimore MO.
It belongs to the BMO.
It's a Loar-sign K-5 from 1924.
Greg

[Greg Stec]

Graham,
Nice instrument! Got a short on YouTube yet so we all can enjoy it?
Greg

[Eugene]

Very nice! Thanks, Greg. ...And Graham.

[Graham McDonald]

Its probably close to heresy, but I wonder what the K5 would sound like strung with octave strings.

Just a gorgeous instrument, Mandocello envy strikes. I suppose I could build a copy...

I don't have anything a like a utube. I will ask the owner.

In any case, if mandolinjon who wants to build one of these beasts wants any other info, I would be pleased to assist

cheers

graham

[Ken Sager]

A fellow named Dave Miller in my neck of the woods builds lovely modified OM bodied guitars (wider lower bout) and recently did a mandocello for someone in California. I had the good fortune of playing it before he shipped it and it had terrific low end. A ten string m-cello would be a handful, though wouldn't it?

Were a ten string mine I'd want to set it up with octave pairs for the C and G strings just to make it easier on the left hand.

As Graham has shown 10 strings on an OM is doable, done, and done successfully.

Best,
Ken

[Red Henry]

I've tried stringing an MC with octaves on the D, G, and C strings. It added some texture, but I've gone back to standard strings now.

Red

[Ralph Dammann]

I've tried stringing an MC with octaves on the D, G, and C strings. It added some texture, but I've gone back to standard strings now.

Red

We make 5 course mandocellos in teardrop shape and also guitar shape. We have an OM and a Jumbo on our website now. As you would guess the Jumbo is extremely powerful with a big sounding C string. The OM is more reserved and elegant sounding. We have strung them in octaves for each pair except the e string which is a unison because we can,t get a sting to go up to that octave without breaking. Our guitar shaped instruments definatly sound more like a guitar than our teardrop shape and our octave tuned teardrop sound most distinctive and mandocello like. I really like the sound of a mandocello and so after playing every shape and size mando we make I go with the octave tuned standard model. There are always guitarist around but mandocello players are rare and I really like the distinctive sound of the mandocello and don't want it to sound like a guitar.