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Thread: Ideas re: mostly solid body mandolin w/flat top 3/8" above

  1. #1

    Default Ideas re: mostly solid body mandolin w/flat top 3/8" above

    I'm considering a mostly sold body mandolin for travel purposes, but have considered having a solid spruce (fir actually, what I have on hand) top with only about 3/8" of air space between the solid portion and the top. This would allow, in my mind, at least, a top which would take a K&K or similar pickup to respond to the top and therefore have a reasonable tone when plugged in, but maybe slightly more mechanically hearty than conventional construction.
    So, real spruce/fir top that would respond to strings as a "real acoustic" mandolin (probably about .100 thick or so), 3/8" inch of airspace constituting the acoustic chamber, and then 1 or 1 1/2" or so of solid lumber making up the back and the balance of the body.
    Anyone tried this yet?

  2. #2

    Default Re: Ideas re: mostly solid body mandolin w/flat top 3/8" above

    I built a travel guitar for my son to bring on a month-long trip overseas. It's less than 1.5" thick, and plenty beefy for anything you might throw at it, or on it. I put it in the suitcase with clothes, and I wouldn't hesitate to check the bag with the guitar in it to any destination, any number of times.

    If I were designing an acoustic travel mandolin from scratch, I'd look at the Weber Sweet Pea for inspiration. Not sure how thick the sides and back are, but probably ranging from 1/8" to 1/4" thick. If you want to maximize the toughness and acoustic sound, get the air chamber as thick as possible, say 1.5" thick, and then run a 1/2" carbon fiber hollow tube down the neck and all the way to the tailblock. The CF tube will do all the real structural work, and the back and sides can be as thin as you like so you might actually get some tone out of it.

    It's amazing how good a travel instrument sounds when there's nothing around to compare it to! Get the playability and intonation right, and there's no reason why you couldn't enjoy it just as much as any other fine instrument.

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