Electric solid body OM

[Miles B]

I play an acoustic/electric 8 string hollow body Octave mandolin so I’m looking for a different sound and a different feel. I thought a solid body electric might provide that. I want a good sound and I think 8 strings would give a fuller sound than 4 strings but I don’t want it to sound too much like my current octave mandolin. I haven’t been around solid bodies so I’m not sure what to expect. Any advice you have would be welcome. Thank you. Miles B

[neilca]

I can never get my pictures to print upright ugh!. That being said, I built this octave from a Mitchell mini guitar. The sustainment is ridiculous. I am not much of a musician but someone could probably do a lot of things through an amp. It has a 22 inch scale length, two single pickups and a humbucker at the bridge. Fun for me to make noises with it.

[allenhopkins]

Buzzy Levine at Lark Street Music in NJ works with a luthier named Don Ramos who builds Ramolectro electric mandolin family instruments –– mandocello, octave mandolin, mandola. Here's a link to his inventory page. I think he has a Ramolectro OM in stock, though not sure how often the page's updated.

Fairly expensive, but might be worth contacting Lark Street and discussing. Note: I believe they're closed Saturdays, since Levine observes the Jewish Sabbath.

[rudy44]

I have a "Converting a Mini-Strat to Electric Octave Mandolin" article featured on the EMando.com website:

http://emando.com/builders_active/mi...structions.htm

[thistle3585]

I'd start with deciding on a scale. I've built primarily 21.5" scale OM's although there have been a few 23" scale instruments along the way too. Most of my customers want single course not double. Put a magnetic pickup on your acoustic and see how it will sound. A solid body is going to have a bit more sustain and less degradation of the note then an acoustic.

[Huck]

I can never get my pictures to print upright ugh!

Hi neilca,

I had the same problem - here's your fix: https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/e...urned-sideways

I save mine in MS Paint.



Best of luck; it helped me.
Huck

[neilca]

Thank you Huck. I will use MS paint as well.

Test


BOOM it works!