Mandocello Videos

[clobflute]

Hathway offers the lighter unison course strung GDAE irish bouzouki tuned mandocello is the same scale, same body dimensions as his thicker guage CGDA mandocellos.

For some reason, some folk artists in the UK prefer the bouzouki tuning on his mandocellos (guess that blurs the line!) Side by side, there is no difference between the two variants, and his bouzouki tuned mandocello body is designed to take the thicker guage mandocello strings with the nut and bridge adjustments which he offers. For that reason, I guess it is not a true irish bouzouki, but then again, the irish don't seem to know what a true bouzouki is. Its all greek to them

I found the vibrancy and clarity of the mandocello CGDA mandolin far more penetrating and rounded compared to the GDAE bouzouki like lower (deeper) tuning which sounded more lithe and energetic (like the Hathway video). That model is a MC3 - you can tell by the headstock design. The strings of the CGDA courses are however very very thick! Its like playing on bass guitar strings :/

This makes the bouzouki strung GDAE on a mandocello quite attractive actually...

We're blurring the lines here. Long-scale, small and shallow-bodied bouzoukis won't cut it as Mandocellos, no matter what you do to the bridge and the nut. Guitar-bodied zouks and OM's are better candidates - specially the Arch-tops. Eastman started blurring the lines when they made their guitar-bodied Mandocellos and shipped them with lighter strings than the Gibson K family use. I personally think that using Octave string pairs on a Mandocello takes away from the rumbling low sounds that one expects from these monsters. Not that I'm a purist, but if it's tuned GDAE or GDAD let's stick with OM or Bouzouki nomenclature.

I have a Rozawood OM-5 (guitar-bodied OM with a 25" scale length - so more zouk than OM even - and I tune it GDAD and play it like a zouk). The maker - Roman Zajicec - has designed it as 'swappable' between an OM and a MC (recut the nut and saddle). It certainly has the size and robustness (yes, it will take .074 C strings) for the job. I have a Russel MC with an induced arch on top, it is a big body and DEEP and really puts out the MC growl - it's a 26" Scale so the stretches are tough, but I wouldn't dream of stringing it as an OM or Zouk - I don't think light strings would drive the top.

[Eddie Sheehy]

Save yourself a lot of confusion. The sound you like, and therefore want, is an Irish Bouzouki. Getting a Mandocello and adjusting it to sound like an Irish Bouzouki is redundant when you can just get an Irish Bouzouki (you can actually call it anything you want then since names are meaningless). If it's the headstock cap-hanger you like then a Foley, Manson, or Abnett has the same appendage - all Irish Zouks even though two of the builders are English.
Fylde also has a full range of Zouks, OM's, Citterns (10-string), I'm not sure if they make an MC but you could always change out the nut and saddle, put on MC strings, and see if the top holds out... The main difference in the Irish Zouk/OM and the Mandocello are Top Thickness, Body size (width and depth) and string gauges. Heavier gauge Mandocello strings required to "drive" the thicker more robust top.

The terminology has developed over the years and about now this is what I understand - though I have seen contradictions:
Mandolin: Scale Length about 14" or less, GDAE
Mandola: Scale Length 15" - 19", CGDA (a fifth below a mandolin)
Octave Mandolin: Scale Length 20" - 23", GDAE (an octave below a mandolin, a fifth below a Mandola)
Irish Bouzouki: Scale Length 24" - 26", GDAD (bass strings can be in octaves), same tuning as OM with a dropped D.
Mandocello: Scale Length 23" - 26", CGDA (hawser-like bass strings), a fifth below an OM, an Octave below a Mandola.
Cittern: - any 10-string variation of the above. Can run from a Mandocello to OM, or an OM to Baritone Mandola (GDAEB) or dropped tuning variations thereof.

[Mike Anderson]

If it's the headstock cap-hanger you like then a Foley, Manson, or Abnett has the same appendage - all Irish Zouks even though two of the builders are English.

Eddie, can you tell me something about Manson? Don't know the builder. And yeah, I do like those cap-hangers myself.

[clobflute]

Save yourself a lot of confusion. The sound you like, and therefore want, is an Irish Bouzouki. Getting a Mandocello and adjusting it to sound like an Irish Bouzouki is redundant when you can just get an Irish Bouzouki

Yes i think so - Jethro Tull have the bouzouki version of the Hathway, not the GDAE strung mandocello (i think he uses GDGD tuning sometimes).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpco...e_gdata_player.

Here's Rivière playing on a true Irish bouzouki. I can't tell the sound difference between this and a GDAE strung mandocello. But it seems that the GDAE strung version lends itself to chord playing whereas the thicker guage mandocello CGDA might be more apt for classical non-chord playing?




I notice in some of the mandocello videos, the player can struggle holding down the bass C string without buzzing. I like challenging instruments...

[Eddie Sheehy]

Eddie, can you tell me something about Manson? Don't know the builder. And yeah, I do like those cap-hangers myself.

Andy Manson, although probably better known for his multi-neck creations for Led Zepplin...

[Eddie Sheehy]

Irish Zouks tend to be flat-top, no break angle (neck to body), low bridges - this combination gives little downward pressure on the top. Octave pairs on the lower course - give that classic jangly sound. Lends itself to chordal backup and counterpoint with the dropped D high pair.
OM's and Mandocellos have higher bridges and a break angle, more downward pressure on the top - specially in a mandocello's case, unison strings - and for an MC steel hawsers for the C course to drive the thicker top.

MC's more suited to Bass-Clef note playing. OM's are a nice mid-range instrument used for melody, harmony, and vocal backup.

Of course, as you have seen, these can all be mixed and matched and hybridized...

[clobflute]

'thanks Eddie.

I notice Hathway offers spruce or redwood cedar mandocello tops. The cedar seemed warmer to my ears. When I asked, he mentioned the lower frequency response of the mandocello string with cedar just sounded better sometimes, so both options are available.

I think the purist CGDA mandocello is calling

[Eddie Sheehy]

Joe Foley uses Cedar tops on a lot of his zouks. His personal zouk has a Cedar top.

[nkforster]

Sorry folks for posting my own video, but I was feeling a bit left out....!


http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YN16lL5lDE4

Does anyone know how to embed the video? I couldn't.

Nigel
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/inst...itar-bouzouki/

[zoukboy]

...Irish bouzouki GDAE tuning.

No such thing. Irish bouzoukis are tuned GDAD or ADAD (sometimes). If you have one you could put it in Octave Mandolin tuning GDAE, but why would you? ;-)

[clobflute]

No such thing. Irish bouzoukis are tuned GDAD or ADAD (sometimes). If you have one you could put it in Octave Mandolin tuning GDAE, but why would you? ;-)

Hi,

You might not be aware of it - here it is:

www.paulhathway.com/mandocello

[zoukboy]

Hi,

You might not be aware of it - here it is:

www.paulhathway.com/mandocello

I am well aware of it, but with all due respect to Mr. Hathaway, listing it as such does not make it an Irish bouzouki tuning.

[clobflute]

Errr..okk..here's what he says on his website:

"Additions to the range of instruments I make that are listed in this website are mandolins with a larger body size than my standard mandolin, and a tenor mandola with a longer string length of 460mm, instead of the more usual 410mm. I am also making a cittern with a shorter string length and a smaller body than the conventional cittern. Another addition are tenor guitars with spruce or mahogany tops. I also make an 8 string version of the tenor guitar that can be tuned like a bouzouki. I have also introduced an appalachian dulcimer with two fingerboards, and a baglama, sometimes called an octave saz"

I've played with his GDAE strung mandocello which he describes as like bouzouki tuning in person, and he's explained it as being strung like a bouzouki.

But its okay...I want a mandocello :D

[Dobe]

O.K I got one, this was one of the better conversions I've done; from a Mardeira, (Guilds Sigma if you will) Ply w/ solid top jumbo. Nice thing about this one is I narrowed the neck width as well. Plays much nicer.

[Bernie Daniel]

Very nice Dobe that is a awesome box and thanks for bringing the topic back to mandocello VIDEOS!!

[Eddie Sheehy]

No such thing. Irish bouzoukis are tuned GDAD or ADAD (sometimes). If you have one you could put it in Octave Mandolin tuning GDAE, but why would you? ;-)

Joe Foley - Irish Bouzouki Luthier - tunes his personal zouk ADAE...

[Eddie Sheehy]

Dobe, what gauge strings do you use on that monster?

[zoukboy]

Joe Foley - Irish Bouzouki Luthier - tunes his personal zouk ADAE...

Yeah, and Gerry McKee from Nomos tunes GDAE. But Eddie, you and I both know that the vast majority use GDAD. An exception like Joe or Gerry doesn't change that, neither does what one luthier writes on his website. :-)

[Marcus CA]

Here is a little bit of bluegrass mandocello that I did a couple of years ago:

[Dobe]

Dobe, what gauge strings do you use on that monster?

I think I mentioned it in the vid but the D'Adarrios basically, like a 74 on the bottom ?
Really is a monster isn't she ?!

[Eddie Sheehy]

I skipped the talkin' part and got straight to the music...

[Bernie Daniel]

Here is a little bit of bluegrass mandocello that I did a couple of years ago:

That was great! Bill Monroe would have loved the bluesy feeling!

[NotMelloCello]

Here is a little bit of bluegrass mandocello that I did a couple of years ago:

I hope you've changed the strings since that video was made.

[Eddie Sheehy]

Here is a little bit of bluegrass mandocello that I did a couple of years ago:

Cool pickin', Marcus...

[clobflute]

Wow - you make it look so easy to play.

The action of the mandocello has to be much higher than a mandolin I guess - and then the heavier guage strings to drive the bass ...to stop the wolf notes, it must take a good year to learn just to fret like this?

Way cool

I found this one of Mike on his gorgeous mandocello accompanied by Chris:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BULzFcyp1a0