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Thread: Mandocaster

  1. #1
    Will Meadows
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    Hey guys, I want to make a fender style mandocaster, and i was wondering if anybody knows where to find template drawings. I want to make the body and the neck the same shape as a mandocaster.

  2. #2

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    You could take a picture and project it onto the wall, tracing it at the smaller scale.

  3. #3
    Will Meadows
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    I've tried messing around in a paint program trying to trace around the body of a picture from the net. Haven't had much luck because every picture i can find, has a slight camera angle to it. My body shapes keep on looking kind of lop-sided and weird.

  4. #4
    Martin Stillion mrmando's Avatar
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    So where are you located?
    Emando.com: More than you wanted to know about electric mandolins.

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  5. #5

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    Are there a couple different body styles? Or was it just different pickguards? I had some discussions with Steve Tourtellette when he was looking for some instruments to take dimensions. I thought he got someone off the cafe to trace theirs but i can't recall. We swapped emails for awhile about bridges and neck plates but I haven't heard from him in awhile I think he built about 2 or 3 Mandocasters. Elderly always has straight on shots of instruments, so you can photoshop one of their photos.

  6. #6
    Registered User jefflester's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by (thistle3585 @ May 14 2008, 18:12)
    Are there a couple different body styles?
    I believe the only different ones were the "slab" body when first introduced, which then gave way to the countoured body for the rest of the run. The cutouts and body shape the same. Slab means the sides were straight front to back (like a Telecaster), countoured means there is some rounding all the way around and additional rounding on the backside where the instrument would be against the body ("gut" :-). Countoured is like a Stratocaster.

  7. #7
    Will Meadows
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    Quote Originally Posted by (mrmando @ May 14 2008, 20:46)
    So where are you located?
    I'm from Toronto.

  8. #8
    Formerly Know As B-MAN Bret Roberts's Avatar
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    Dont know a thing about building, but, I did find this on the web and I thought it might help.

    http://www.guitarplansunlimited.com/Mandocaster.htm



    Good luck!
    "I'm not a loser. The fact that I didn't put a gun in my mouth years ago - that little fact makes me a winner, baby. (Al Bundy)"

  9. #9
    Will Meadows
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    Quote Originally Posted by (B-MAN @ May 15 2008, 17:11)
    Dont know a thing about building, but, I did find this on the web and I thought it might help.

    http://www.guitarplansunlimited.com/Mandocaster.htm



    Good luck!
    Thanks man. That was just what I was looking for.

  10. #10
    Formerly Know As B-MAN Bret Roberts's Avatar
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    Happy that I could help, just remember me when you become a famous builder.
    "I'm not a loser. The fact that I didn't put a gun in my mouth years ago - that little fact makes me a winner, baby. (Al Bundy)"

  11. #11

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    Here are a few pictures of a 1967 mandocaster: I will have to make several posts, since i can't seem to attach more than one image per post.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	1967mandocaster.jpg 
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ID:	31991  
    K4 mandcello
    Purple “Hannah Montana” octave mandolin
    F2 mandolin

  12. #12

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    backside
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	1967mandocasterback.jpg 
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ID:	31992  
    K4 mandcello
    Purple “Hannah Montana” octave mandolin
    F2 mandolin

  13. #13

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    peghead
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	1967mandocasterpeghead.jpg 
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ID:	31993  
    K4 mandcello
    Purple “Hannah Montana” octave mandolin
    F2 mandolin

  14. #14

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    peghead front
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	1967mandocaster_tuners.jpg 
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ID:	31994  
    K4 mandcello
    Purple “Hannah Montana” octave mandolin
    F2 mandolin

  15. #15

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    pickguard
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	1967mandocasterpickguard.jpg 
Views:	165 
Size:	95.6 KB 
ID:	31995  
    K4 mandcello
    Purple “Hannah Montana” octave mandolin
    F2 mandolin

  16. #16

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    tailpiece
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	1967mandocastertailpiece.jpg 
Views:	164 
Size:	49.4 KB 
ID:	31996  
    K4 mandcello
    Purple “Hannah Montana” octave mandolin
    F2 mandolin

  17. #17

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    body
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	19677mandocasterbody.jpg 
Views:	179 
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ID:	31997  
    K4 mandcello
    Purple “Hannah Montana” octave mandolin
    F2 mandolin

  18. #18

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    By the way, Seymour Duncan did make an OEM pickup for the Mandocaster for awhile. They are listed in their Antiquity line, but I don't know if it is stock or custom. If you can reproduce the instrument, then that will help reproduce the tone.

  19. #19
    Registered User jefflester's Avatar
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    Interesting top burst on that one, like it's faded. The red shows under the pickguard, but not elsewhere.

  20. #20
    Luthierus Amateurius crazymandolinist's Avatar
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    Emando anatomy 1O1 people.
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  21. #21
    Registered User Jim MacDaniel's Avatar
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    Any other ideas for pickups for a mandocaster clone? This SB-4 owner added a blade pickup designed for a Strat before selling it on eBay. Also, the below pictured Tourtellotte has a stacked pick-up and a push-pull switch which is kind of cool and would add versatility, but I guess either option might not yield the same sound as an Mandocaster -- but I'm not quite sure if that is bad thing.



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  22. #22
    Registered User Jim MacDaniel's Avatar
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    I had problem posting my Tourtellotte pic, so here is a link to Martin's emando.com page on him instead.



    "The problem with quotes on the internet, is everybody has one, and most of them are wrong."
    ~ Mark Twain


    Mandolin shirts, hats, case stickers, & more at my Zazzle storefront

  23. #23
    Registered User dandhr61's Avatar
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    I am building one now, I used adobe illistrater to copy the insterment and grew the image until the nut on screen was the same size is the real thing (same scale is an FM-52 I think). Then prined the life size image, Then I cut the body out and traced it and will cut the pick guard neck ect. for a template. just a thought. Also would Stratocaster electronics be a good choice? the pickup cound be strattled between the strings(one extra on each side of the pick up). looks are not important once a cover is placed over top.

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