fender mini strat to octave?

[chris scott]

I have a fender mini strat laying around and thought maybe could be converted to a five string octave mandolin. I believe that it is a 20 and 3/4 inch scale. any thought would be welcomed, thank Chris

[Charlieshafer]

Yeah, why not? I have a couple of cheap non-USA telecasters which I converted to electric mandocellos using drop D tuning string sets for electric guitars. All you need to think about are the gauges of the strings necessary to get the proper string tension for tuning. Martin at E-mando can help you with this. All I know is it's a ton of fun to be able to junk up the sound with all sorts of effects, crank away, and be a generally noisy person.

[mandocrucian]

What is the "big deal" about this? You're not doing anything to the instrument with the possible exception of removing one of the bridge saddles and headstock tuners to keep them from rattling around.

I never heard any guitarist say "I'm converting my guitar to a DADGAD-geeto or a Dobreeto (open G) simply because they retuned one of their instruments!

It's NOT even a "conversion". .....turning a 6-string into a 4-course 8-string....ok that's doing a conversion. Or if you shortened the scale length of a guitar or 3/4 size guitar by installing a new nut somewhere up on the neck (instead of using a capo all the time) and redoing the position markers, that involves altering the neck.

But simply retuning? I don't think so.

String gauges for particular open notes in your new tuning? Using a regular electric guitar with string gauges you prefer as a reference; determine what those notes would be if you put a capo at the shorter scale length. If the capoed note corresponds with a an open short scale pitch - use the same gauge string.

A 20" scale would put a capo on a regular strat at the 4th fret.
E A D G B E >>> up four frets = G# C# F# B D# G#

G#(vG) - C# (^D) - F# - B (vvA) - D#(^E) - G# (^a)

The strings which need to go down a bit pitchwise (red)...go with a slightly heavier gauge,
the ones which would need to go higher (blue), decrease the string gauge slightly.

As an example/starting point.
E46 - A36 - D26 - G17 - B13 - E10 (Guitar set .010-.046, as an example)
G48 - D34 - xxx - A20 - E 15 - a09 (adjusted for GDAEa tuning, 20" scale)
Then adjust to your preference if you think a string is too heavy or to light, for your touch and the relative action across the strings. You probably have to tweak some of the gauges a few times to get something optimal - for you.

Currently, I have my 17" scale electric (GDAEa) strung up 48 -36 - 22w - 14 - 10, though the low G might be increased to a 50. This is relatively heavy for this scale length, but I think you get better tone from that kind of action, even though it makes the bending harder.

Niles H.

[Bertram Henze]

You can always do what I did.

[buchrob]

Mini-strat is probably closer to 22 3/4 in scale length which is just a few inches short of the standard Fender guitar scale.

Tried something today with a strat clone: cut a new plastic nut, put an e-mando bridge on it and gave it a whirl with a capo and about half the strings on to mimic a scale length of some 20-odd inches.

Guess what? it doesn't sound like a mandolin at all, more like the poor man's 12-string guitar. The solid body flat instruments don't have the same resonance as a carved spruce or plywood top instrument, even with the double courses of strings.

And unless you are willing to really shave the width of the neck, your fingering style is going to need MAJOR readjustment, even though the relative rectangular shape of the frets has been maintained. No more fretting 2 courses with one finger.

[buchrob]

Take a look while it's still up:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STOCK-RED-SO...item232ede470c

some guidelines on string tension as well. These folks have put a number of conversions on eBay.