E-mando body style preferences.

**Kid Charlemagne** · Jun-24-2007, 6:03am

This is something that's been bugging me for a while. I've seen a fair number of solid-body emandos that are essentially solid wood versions of the F- or A-style mandolins. I don't get it.

I love the look of a nice F- or A-style acoustic. But there's something about that design, when transferred to solid, that just gets lost for me. Maybe it's the lack of F-holes, I don't know. But a solid-body mandolin shaped like an F-style is about the farthest thing from my list of "must have" instruments.

On the other hand, I absolutely love the electric guitar-shaped solids. Schwab, Ryder, Jon Mann, Bacorn, etc. Where the acoustic-style solids lose it for me, the guitar-style solids are just beautiful.

But then again, I really like the way a guitar shape on an acoustic mandolin looks, as well. So maybe I'm just weird.

**Jim Garber** · Jun-24-2007, 7:15am

Check out Earnest Instruments electrics. Not std guitar-shaped.

He does have a few more trad shaped ones.

Jim

**John Rosett** · Jun-24-2007, 8:13am

The more I look at that boomerang, the more I like it.

**12 fret** · Jun-24-2007, 8:38am

The Earnest intruments always reminded me of some of Guild's less popular efforts. Compare above to the Asbory(?) bass or the Gumby solidbody.

**artdeco** · Jun-24-2007, 12:45pm

I'm in favor of them being somewhat mando-like.

**mrmando** · Jun-24-2007, 3:58pm

Hi Mike ... good to see you're still at it. I was actually admiring that very mando on your site the other day.

**mandroid** · Jun-24-2007, 4:14pm

Statistically neutral, I guess.
One off e-mando was made in an A shape,
Arch carved top in a slab of Alder.
finding a case for it was real easy,
and cheap, as a result.

Have another electric conversion, now, also, it's an A-50.
different pickup choice, than if I got another EM-150, long since traded off.
both are now 4 string CGDA.

actually theres 2 of each those above, and
Fender 8 string FM61se, a semi hollow telecaster look,
and the 5 string is in a Stratocaster style.

**artdeco** · Jun-24-2007, 4:35pm

Hey Martin,
Been travelling out of the country a lot - really slows down the building. I do have a 5 string very simlar to that one (different wood)under construction that I was thinking of sending to you for a look.

**mrmando** · Jun-24-2007, 5:41pm

Pant, pant, pant. Drool, drool.

PM or e-mail if you need my address.

**mrmando** · Jun-24-2007, 5:42pm

Like I always say, check out Dick Levens for some wild body shapes.

**Trip** · Jun-24-2007, 11:09pm

I like both......trad and non........just as long as the shape is pleasing to my eye........
there are some ugly electrics out there!
I am almost always in favor of stain vs painted tho

**Christian McKee** · Jun-27-2007, 10:36am

I'm a bit of a proud freak, as I think most of us here are to one degree or another. We like *electric* mandolins, for pete's sake. That said, my favorite emando bodies are ones that emulate the classic electric guitar shapes, so maybe I'm a traditionalist in denial. My two instruments are a Ryder (general contour of a Gibson) and a flying V, just to give you an idea. There are some classic mandolin designs that I do like as 'lectrified instruments, the best example is the dual point style, but I've always thought that straight A and F designs aren't quite the way to go for plugger-inners.

Christian

**Lee** · Jun-27-2007, 4:52pm

Me too likes the little-guitar solid body, but wish they'd be more common with an "arched" top and a rear belly scoop.

**Ken Sager** · Jun-27-2007, 5:18pm

I love the shape of this:

EDIT: It's a Ryder EM-55.

**Kid Charlemagne** · Jul-01-2007, 9:58am

Originally Posted by (Ken Sager @ June 27 2007, 18:18)

EDIT: It's a Ryder EM-55.

Ryder's branched out quite a bit with his selection. I like that one a lot, although I think I prefer a more guitar-type tailpiece.

Something about that mandolin-like tailpiece just doesn't do it for me on an electric.

**Ken Sager** · Jul-02-2007, 9:21am

Originally Posted by (Kid Charlemagne @ July 01 2007, 08:58)

Originally Posted by (Ken Sager @ June 27 2007, 18:18)

EDIT: It's a Ryder EM-55.

Ryder's branched out quite a bit with his selection. #I like that one a lot, although I think I prefer a more guitar-type tailpiece.

Something about that mandolin-like tailpiece just doesn't do it for me on an electric.

I agree about the tailpiece, but the rest of it sure looks great. I'd imagine Steve would have other options for tailpieces. I'm sorely tempted by this little beast with his synth system onboard.

But there seems to be few mandolins that don't tempt me...

**Patrick Killeen** · Jul-03-2007, 4:29am

I like my instruments to be as compact as possible (that might be because I'm a harmonica player, so I'm used to carrying my instruments in my pocket).

If my Risa Mandsolid sounded as good as my 8 string (below) it would be my dream mando.

Patrick

**mandelect** · Jul-03-2007, 9:47am

Love unusual shaped emandos - Earnest Little Red (as pictured above), Novax & J.J.Mixson's new emandolas. Though I do like more traditional guitar shapes, I think it's a shame that they sometimes get dismissed as mini guitars. Hence, I'd like a more traditional (simple A model) mando shaped electric someday.

Received my new Steve Ryder, synth access EM-54 about 5 days ago - beautifully finished. I agree about the standard tailpiece; Steve may have a stop tailpiece available in the future. I asked for black resin infill on the Weber t-piece, 'cause I thought it looked aesthetically more pleasing with the black hardware. Don't think Weber will do them anymore though.

**mandroid** · Jul-03-2007, 12:04pm

FWIW, Allen tailpieces , some models, do offer an advantage over the Weber,
in that they allow either loop or ball end strings to be used interchangeably.

less fancy yet, I have a No Knot for a 5 string banjo,
stop between the pins in the 4 gaps. 4 ball end strings.

on my solid body, for the performance of the pickups there is a string guide screwed down,
close to the bridge, and equal spacing to the notches.

**mrmando** · Jul-03-2007, 1:02pm

Cool, now we know who has the Alister Atkin travel-mando. Tell us what you think of it, Patrick. Has he made any others?

John Mixson just sent me two of his e-mandolas for review. I haven't had time to open the box yet, but hope to get 'em out and put 'em through some paces on July 4.

**Patrick Killeen** · Jul-04-2007, 3:35am

Originally Posted by (mrmando @ July 03 2007, 19:02)

Cool, now we know who has the Alister Atkin travel-mando. Tell us what you think of it, Patrick. Has he made any others?

Alister hasn't made any more like it, no one else has been foolish enough to commission one.

#It's a very nice solid body electric 8-string, I really like it and wouldn't swap it for any other. #

The original idea was for an instrument that was good enough for stage use and small and quiet enough to play during my long commute to work, which was over two hours each way at the time. #It's definitely a good stage instrument (reliable, stays in tune, sounds great, plays like a dream, looks good). But in the end I never played it whilst commuting, it's quite heavy and acoustically loud enough to annoy other passengers, and most of all I'm too much of a coward to do so (oh, and I only spend 15 mins on the trains these days anyway).

Patrick

**mandroid** · Jul-04-2007, 10:48am

a 4 string version of Patrick's electric could be even shorter.

an acoustic, 8 string Leo has served well on multimonth
bicycle tour.
it being slim, and 20" long, packed quite nicely.
A carbon composite version, weatherproof, would really be ideal.

imagine: adding a small busker's amp to model, electronically, the instruments you left at home.

**Patrick Killeen** · Jul-05-2007, 3:24am

Originally Posted by (mandroid @ July 04 2007, 16:48)

a 4 string version #of Patrick's #electric could be even shorter.

Do you mean something like this? #

So as not to hijack this thread completely, count this as another vote from me for minimalist body shapes.

By the way does this still cound as a solid bodied mandolin with that big hole in the middle?

Patrick

**Kid Charlemagne** · Jul-05-2007, 7:13pm

Originally Posted by (mandelect @ July 03 2007, 10:47)

Love unusual shaped emandos - Earnest Little Red (as pictured above), Novax & J.J.Mixson's new emandolas. Though I do like more traditional guitar shapes, I think it's a shame that they sometimes get dismissed as mini guitars. Hence, I'd like a more traditional (simple A model) mando shaped electric someday.

Received my new Steve Ryder, synth access EM-54 about 5 days ago - beautifully finished. I agree about the standard tailpiece; Steve may have a stop tailpiece available in the future. I asked for black resin infill on the Weber t-piece, 'cause I thought it looked aesthetically more pleasing with the black hardware. Don't think Weber will do them anymore though.

Gorgeous, standard tailpiece or no. That infilled black definitely fits, and the style of the instrument overall is exactly what I love in a mandolin, electric or not. Simple, elegant, clean lines.

And I had no idea Steve was doing synth mandolins now. How does that work for you?