Amplified Mandocello or Cittern

[Bernie Daniel]

Hello all.

I have a quick question here and it of course reveals my ignorance about pick ups and electric guitars.

I had a very interesting possibility materialize last Thursday. Struck up a conversation with a local picker who in the course of talking arch tops said he was going to move some of his because he does not play jazz any more.

Of course, hearing arch top I ask what he was selling -- since I never have any interest in buying more of them anyway

Well one guitar he mentioned was an L-5! Yikes!

But it turns out not to be a Gibson L-5 but rather an Oscar Schmidt OE40 L-5. Anyone?

I did find a lot of stuff on line about them -- they were made by Washburn and are supposedly well made, good sounding imitations of the Gibson -- except they are a bit larger -- 17" lower bout (versus 16").

Here is a video that is probably similar to what he has based on his description -- still waiting for him email back to pics.

If he holds to the price range he quoted me and the guitar is not a basket case then it almost seems like one of those no-brainers I'm probably buying it.

Then I'll make a mandocello or more likely a cittern (5-course C to E) out of it.

Now the question if I just left the guitar pick ups on it what kind of sound pickup do you think I'd get with 4 or 5 courses sitting above where 6 strings used to be?

[Marty Jacobson]

Should work fine as an emandocello. If you experience string to string balance problems, you can adjust the pole pieces on the pickups up and down to compensate. On the off chance that you can't adjust them enough that way, you might need to experiment with blade style pickups or Alumitones to try to get better string to string balance. I really don't think it'll be much of an issue, though. Could be a fun instrument to play... Duane Eddie licks on the mandocello would sound awesome.

[NotMelloCello]

Super deal - go for it!

[Charlieshafer]

You can easily do it with just changing string gauges. I use drop c# or drop d tuning stings that a few companies make for electric guitars, and just double up on the e string. I found that trying to double all the courses didn't work well on electrics, as the super fat strings with the pickups adjusted closely would just make too much noise and distortion. Single coursing worked far better. I have a couple of telecasters set up this way, and one Gretsch knock-off, and they are fun.

Marty is right on point when he says Duane Eddy licks would be fun. Surf, rock-a-billy, and even the bass lines on Chet Atkins thumb-picking sound amazing. Make sure to add copious amounts of reverb. Don't bother with distortion pedals, or any looping stuff. Pull out your Echoplex, your Nudie suit, and go for deep twang.

[Bernie Daniel]

You can easily do it with just changing string gauges. I use drop c# or drop d tuning stings that a few companies make for electric guitars, and just double up on the e string. I found that trying to double all the courses didn't work well on electrics, as the super fat strings with the pickups adjusted closely would just make too much noise and distortion. Single coursing worked far better. I have a couple of telecasters set up this way, and one Gretsch knock-off, and they are fun.

Marty is right on point when he says Duane Eddy licks would be fun. Surf, rock-a-billy, and even the bass lines on Chet Atkins thumb-picking sound amazing. Make sure to add copious amounts of reverb. Don't bother with distortion pedals, or any looping stuff. Pull out your Echoplex, your Nudie suit, and go for deep twang.

Great idea to do in any case because you could get and idea of how it would sound that way?

I guess maybe a new nut would be in order to make the two E's into a real course?

I play "Walk don't run" and "Pipeline" and "Ghost riders in the sky" on mandocello it's great fun. Someone who could actually play mandocello could really pick up a storm on that kind of music!

[Charlieshafer]

That's the great thing about the echoplex, or other reverb. You only need to play half as many notes to make it sound like you're on fire! I didn't sweat the nut. You could, of course, but the poles of the pickups wouldn't match up, and I was way too lazy to do anything like that. I think you'll find just changing the strings out so you can tune it like a normal cello is enough. I have to admit, as cool as it is for certain things, it'll end up being your least-played instrument. It's a great, fun novelty thing. More of a "let's get the guys together, have a beer and make strange noises doing things from the 60's" sort of thing. Or Spaghetti Westerns. One time we got lost in an endless loop of soundtracks for unmade Clint Eastwood movies. All we needed was a script. And a star. And a camera. And money. But we got hours of deep twang down.

[Barry Wilson]

at worst you can pick up a bass pick up and toss it in... or maybe an old mandobird pick up