.....'dola

[James Sanford]

Here is a picture of my first mandola finished in 1981. #It was my third instrument. #I started playing mandola before mandolin and played this one for years. #I love the mando tone, but really like those lower resonances. Although now I am playing more mandolin than mandola. #There are songs and situations where this is just the right instrument.

Ken, I almost fell out of the chair when I saw your mandola. #I am building an om and you will accuse me of stealing your design but I promise I have never seen your instrument before. Guess great minds run in the same track #

[R. Kane]

A 2007 vintage Old Wave. This is the 8-string I take to the pub on many Sunday nights and sing over. This is the 8-string that allowed me to sell my Sob*** mando and octave mando. Bill's a genius.

[mandroid]

15.75"/40cm scale, on and GHS octave strings seem fine to me.
a black walnut H5-ish with snake head, camera shy.

[Nathan Sanders]

I do not have a mandola at this time, but just yesterday I got to play a 1924 Gibson a-style, oval hole mandola, black top in really nice condition. The shop where I played it had just bought it, cleaned it up, and put mandolin strings on it since they did not have any mandola strings in stock. And it was tuned up a whole step from mandola tuning. Still though it had that vintage sound, that really booming low end, and nice clear highs. It plays real easy too. Wow! Being a 1924 model, I do not even need to mention what era that was at Gibson. Dude!

[Hans]

Here ya go Shayne!

[PseudoCelt]

My mandola is a flattop, made by Paul Hathway, approx. 16.5" scale. I play it mostly in open tunings.

[Dale Ludewig]

Not the best background, but here's an Emory Lester model mandola. The front is black.

[John Rosett]

I was looking through an old copy of Mandolin World News, and there was an ad for Givens mandolins that mentioned his mandolas. Anybody ever seen a Givens mandola?

[mythicfish]

Dale,

Cut that out! I've still got a kid in college.

Curt

[uncle ken]

I started a new topic in the mandola section regarding reading alto clef for mandola. If anyone out there switches back and forth between mandolin and mandola I would appreciate any comments. Thanks.

[Ken]

Ken, I almost fell out of the chair when I saw your mandola. I am building an om and you will accuse me of stealing your design but I promise I have never seen your instrument before. Guess great minds run in the same track

Gentleman Jim; and I think my outline was heavily influenced by the Gibson Les Paul. So it just keeps rolling along. Overall I like the asymmetry of the F model but wanted to simplify it both visually and in construction. Good looking OM, Make sure you post some pictures when it's finished.
Ken

[B. T. Walker]

What Curt said, Dale! I need a 'dola match for my mando Emory Lester.

[french guy]

One I've build last year
http://perso.orange.fr/jl-mando/phot.../us_%2310.html

[Eric Selinger]

Here's my Gypsy and its long-lost mirror image. (Butch & Sundance? Buffy & Faith?) Mine's on the left, in any case.

[Wesley]

So far I've been unable to post photos here at the office. But if you're interested here's a link to to a series of pictures at the archive from Greg Boyds website where I bought this. It's a Smart mandola with a one piece back. It's an unusual color - I'd have to compare to a tiger eye gemstone. And yes - it sounds as good as it looks.

http://gregboyd.com/instrument_detai...rument_key=139

[oldwave maker]

They told me this was probly some fast-strummin allstate insurance agent makin up chords in the hallway while uncle earl was trying to record waterloo in the studio.....

[oldwave maker]

From the dusty vault in the basement of the oldwave museum- 17" scale zeidler inspired gmd, and 16" scale 10 stringer

[Lee]

My "Cover Girl"
Same as shown on Ted's flatwound mandola strings envelope cover.

[Lee]

Can't resist.

[Lee]

And the headstock

[bluesmandolinman]

1911 H2 black
1915 H2 red
1920 H1 brown

3 dolas at the same time looks like bad case of MAS

NO - no this is not my sofa

[James Sanford]

ok guys, I have a dumb question.

What, if any, are standard scale lengths for:

A. Octave mandolin

B. Mandola

There seems to be a lot of different scale lengths noted in this thread.

I am building what I call an OM but it will have a 20" scale. Does this length scale make it a mandola? Or am I building a b**stard. My intention was to tune it as an octave mandolin.

[Lee]

I believe the old Gibson mandolas were a 15-7/8" scale. Some people build to 16", but 17" seems to be most common.

[oldwave maker]

My 21.5 scale octave is a 16" scale CGDA dola when capoed at the 5th fret, so it must be right...
20" seems a tad short for a good octave g string sine wave......
coming and going: 16" scale 2 point dola born 10/15/99, 16" scale copy of 'the mandohack' heading to kansas when the case gets here, supposedly this week, according to cedar creek!

[WoodyMcKenzie]

Here is the only mandola I have made. 16 inch scale, Steinberger gearless tuners, X braced, my first attempt at inlay. I hope to make a matched pair mandolin/mandola from lacewood this winter. Let me know if you have used lacewood. I'd like to know how you like it.