Is there such a thing as a fretless mandolin

[stringalong]

A banjo friend just bought a fretless banjo. I absolutely love the sound. I've heard fretless banjos before. They are a super nice Old Time sound. His actually has lines or inlays or something for where the normal frets would be. Does anyone have one, or know if these are viable/exist, or what? I thought I might buy a cheap mandolin, then have a good luthier build a new neck for it.

[objectsession]

Yes, they exist, but I think they are rare* (compared to fretless banjos). Check out this thread for a really nice example.

Note that that is a custom build, and you can read about some of the specific considerations in that thread.

* Sometimes people like to call violins fretless mandolins, too, but I don't think that's what you mean.

[MikeEdgerton]

Some past threads on the subject can be found here.

[stringalong]

Cool, thanks you two -- I'll definitely check both links.

[stringalong]

Hi again -- I checked the links. I also found a YouTube group, with a song and a band. Couldn't tell much about the sound of their fretless mandolin.

I called my favorite local luthier to asks if there's some other small instument, with only four strings instead of the double courses, that could be tuned like a regular small mando. A tenor guitar is great for tuning like an octave mando, but that's not what I want. I asked him to call back with any info, including perhaps a very small banjo. Any idea, folks at Mandolin Cafe?

[Petrus]

I've strung a uke up with violin strings in GDAE, works okay. It is a bit of a trial to cram the ball ends into the anchor holes depending on how the uke is constructed.

I like the idea of a fretless mando. A cheap way to do it, short of ordering a custom build, might be to pull the frets out of a preexisting one and fill in the gaps with inlay or filler. You could make the gaps contrasting to show as finger guides or not.

[MikeEdgerton]

By a Fender mandocaster.

[stringalong]

I totally like your idea of having the frets pulled out of a regular mandolin, then filled in with a contrasting color.

Thanks for this great idea! Would anyone like to recommend to me if a cheaper priced mando would work okay? I don't want to purchase a fine mandolin for this. I already have a great Flatiron, which is my life instrument.

I'd hesitate to string a uke with violin strings. I checked around about ukes with steel strings, here at the Forum and elsewhere, too. The consensus all around is that the metal strings would warp or cave in the top, not to mention possibly warping the neck. How long have you had your uke string with the violin strings? Are the metal wrapped nylon strings for violin, such as the guitar silk n steel ones?

[stringalong]

Everything i can find about a Fender mandocaster says they are electronic. Are there any acoustic Fender mandocasters? If anyone knows of a link (that won't bust my computer again, like two bad sites did this week!) please do send it!

[Petrus]

I tried violin strings on a tough plastic uke (Bugs Gear), worked adequately for the purpose.

A good inexpensive mando to experiment on would be something like a Kentucky 150, etc.

[DavidKOS]

Radim has an electric fretless mandolin that he used s few years ago for jazz and swing playing.

[aphillips]

Hey hey - a little googling and I found this...

[DHopkins]

Yeah. We call 'em fiddles.

[darrylicshon]

If you want to use a ukulele then Aquila makes strings for them with Fifths Tuning

[stringalong]

Adam, thanks so much for posting this beautiful Bach on the fretless mandolin. Actually, I'm presently learning a Bach Bourée in Em from the Hal Leonard book "J. S. Bach" for mandolin. It's got a play along CD, but I haven't listened to that yet because I know the Bourée by ear. I used to play this Bourée on the piano, but I don't remember if the keyboard original is in Em or another key. Em is the perfect key for mandolin for this piece. I've been looking for the sound of a fretless played with a pick. Check this one out! It's exactly the sound I was hoping for -- kind of like the fretless banjo (but of course it doesn't sound like a banjo...just the sort of rough, old time, sliding sound). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzDHC0_G3_I

[stringalong]

Adam, I'm assuming that Santa Barbara is the one in California? Did you ever hear of the 2nd Sunday of the month Tucker's Grove Old Time Jam? I founded it in about 1974. I found out from Chris Jensen of Jensen's music about a year ago that it's still going, but has moved somewhere --maybe Santa Maria.

[stringalong]

Thanks, Daryl, are the strings you talk about for ukelele steel? I understand the ukes can't handle the tension of steel strings.

[objectsession]

Thanks, Daryl, are the strings you talk about for ukelele steel? I understand the ukes can't handle the tension of steel strings.

No. These (or something similar) are the strings mentioned.

[Petrus]

Mine's a $40 uke; if the steel strings damage it, I'll just get another one. But it really is built very sturdily with tough ABS plastic; you could probably use it to fend off an attacker in a fight. (Well, not as good in that regard as a steel resonantor uke.)

[aphillips]

Hey Stringsalong! The Old Time Fiddlers Festival is still going strong! It is actually this Sunday at the old Stowe House in Goleta now. Lots of fun and great jams and performances! Goleta is just the next town north of Santa Barbara.

[Bertram Henze]

Hey hey - a little googling and I found this...

That sounds exactly like violin pizzicato to me. Everything I like about mandolins is lost

[DavidKOS]

That sounds exactly like violin pizzicato to me. Everything I like about mandolins is lost

I had the same reaction to Radim's fretless mandolin, although it was well very played, there was a sparkle missing that made it less mandolin-like in nature.

[Petrus]

Playing thumb-style doesn't compliment (complement?) the tune. I play thumb style occasionally when I need to be quiet. It limits control and dynamics quite a lot.

[stringalong]

aphillips, hey that's great about the Old Time Fiddlers Festival. Hve fun! Are you performing? And, is the Tucker's Grove Old Time jam still around now? As I said, it was still happening, maybe in Santa Maria, a couple of years ago. Have you ever jammed there?

[stringalong]

I hear a lot of different folks' impressions of the sound of the fretless mandolin Bach recording. I really love it, and subscribed to the player's YouTube. He wrote me that he'll record something soon with a pick. Did anyone see/hear this link? The mandolin player is doing "Cumberland Gap," I think. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzDHC0_G3_I

What do you think of the sound of this one? I love that, too. I have found out about a used mandolin for $99. If it's still there I will look at it tomorrow and buy it if it seems relatively okay. If I get it, I will take it to a very good local luthier who will removed the frets and substitute inlaid pseudo frets (flat, not raised) made of maple wood. I hope that mando is still available. Someone would have had to have bought it yesterday or today.....or it's still there!