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Thread: Round vs. pear shape

  1. #1
    Pittsburgh Bill
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    Default Round vs. pear shape

    I notice many of the mandolin family instruments made in Britain, Ireland, and Scotland are roundish while US instruments (A style) are more pear shaped. Any advantage tone wise for one or the other?
    Personally, I find the pear shape more pleasing to the eye. Of course this may be attributed to what I am used to seeing.
    Big Muddy EM8 solid body (Mike Dulak's final EM8 build)
    Kentucky KM-950
    Weber Gallatin A Mandola "D hole"
    Rogue 100A (current campfire tool & emergency canoe paddle)

  2. #2

    Default Re: Round vs. pear shape

    Hmmm, I think of Celtic style instruments as being more "onion shaped" which I would describe as being less round than American instruments. I like all shapes as long as the thing works together as a whole.

  3. #3
    Registered User Old Man In's Avatar
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    Default Re: Round vs. pear shape

    Ah! That would explain the British expression, "It's all gone pear shaped!"

  4. #4
    Mandolin user MontanaMatt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Round vs. pear shape

    I thought this was a thread about aging male mandolin players!
    2007 Weber Custom Elite "old wood"
    2017 Ratliff R5 Custom #1148
    Several nice old Fiddles
    2007 Martin 000-15S 12 fret Auditorium-slot head
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    Too many microphones

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  5. #5
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    Default Re: Round vs. pear shape

    Curiosity: do these shape differences provide a different tone such as flat top vs. arch top? Or are the tonal differences impacted more by other factors?
    Big Muddy EM8 solid body (Mike Dulak's final EM8 build)
    Kentucky KM-950
    Weber Gallatin A Mandola "D hole"
    Rogue 100A (current campfire tool & emergency canoe paddle)

  6. #6

    Default Re: Round vs. pear shape

    Shape doesn't make a difference unless there are "multiple discrete bouts" involved. Mostly it's things like arching, graduations, body size and scale length that dominate tone, and then things like tonewood and strings come into the mix, and from there it's a lot of little stuff. Shape of the body is pretty far down the list, as long as it's round-ish and close to the usual size and depth.

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