Does the Solid-Bodied Single-Stringed E-O-Mando Make More Sense?

[Ed Goist]

Recently I've been playing my solid-bodied, 4-string e-mando and my (acoustic) octave mandolin a lot, and last night something suddenly dawned on me...

The octave mandolin tonal range seems to be a more useful, natural, and appropriate choice (than mandolin) for a single-stringed, solid-bodied instrument. Comments?

[rico mando]

sounds like you need a baritone 5 string mandolin . but my 5 string mandolin is very useful ,natural and appropriate IMO

[mrmando]

You could get an electric tenor and tune it GDAE, then decide for yourself whether it makes sense.

[delsbrother]

Or, get any old electric guitar, capo as needed, retune, and have at it. They also make shorter scale electric guitars for kids. People have been retuning those in fifths for ages - with and without the 6th string. Very inexpensive ways to figure out if you dig the sound/scale length.

[Ed Goist]

Thanks for the replies.
The more I think about this, the more I've come to realize that the solid-bodied, single-stringed, octave e-mando is just a different tonal approach or palate, and not something that could (or should) supersede the regular scale solid-bodied, single-stringed e-mando.
That said, here are a couple of really nice examples of the seductive, lower-register, solid-bodied tone I'm talking about.



(the Mann demo ends & the playing begins at about 4:15)

[mandroid]

single string conversion of an acoustic 8 string, has merit.
Mr Gimble's playing with the Texas Playboys, and Bob Wills, is evidence of that.