Custom emando kit

[TomMorici]

I did not want to hi-jack the mandocaster kit thread.

I hope it is ok to post this here, if not I apologize.

For the past several months I have been working on my offering in the kit category. Should be ready next week and will appear in the classifieds. Website coming soon.

My Idea was to offer many options, after all, the kits I have seen
Besides being composed of cheap pickups, tuners, etc. Do not have options.

Many who build from kits change out at least the pickups and tuners.
My kit is designed to be customizable. With options that will include:

Choice of body wood, (3 choices) neck wood, (2 choices) Fingerboard wood,
Pickups, (1 or 2 EMG or Dimarzio Pro Track), pickguards, tuners, control Knobs, scale length 13.875 or 14.5, and 4,5, or 8 string, etc.

The design echo’s the F5 and will fit in a F5 case.

I think I have covered most of the bases with this design, I have invested countless hours and expense.
As a full time builder, with 39 years of experience, I felt the time was right to offer a quality Kit.
Right or wrong it will be available soon.

Comments welcome.

Tom

[mzuch]

Sounds great! I look forward to seeing/hearing more. What is the price range?

[Ken Olmstead]

Sounds really cool. Look forward to see what you have been up to!!

[Joel Spaulding]

Pictures?!?!
This is very intriguing!
Looking forward to more info.

[Martin Jonas]

Sounds good -- I might well be interested. Looking forward to the fine print...

Martin

[duuuude]

I'd like to see a kit with sort of a slab body that can be cut to most any particular shape. Everybody may not want a mini-Tele, or a mini-LP, give 'em the choice of coming up with their own body shape.

[Ken Olmstead]

I did check out Tom's web site.. Nothing about the new kits but it does have some info on his emando offering.

[mandroid]

ES 335 style E mando would be the top of my list.

Rounded 2 point , or a 2 hump..

But a Sullivan esque F shaped body is what would sell more units perhaps..

[TomMorici]

First, thanks for all the response's. I always welcome feedback.

You will not see the new kit listed on my moriciguitar website,the emando shown on that site is what I consider select custom.I work closely with the customer on those, and the 3 I have built have been for repeat customers that consider them collector instruments. The price reflects this.

The upcoming kit and my "working man" builds will be on a new site.

I will post more info as soon as I am sure I am ready, I expect by the end of next week.

I will think about the slab type (cut your own body shape) idea.

My intent with the kit, is to provide an affordable quality option.
playability and tone are the two most important factors with any instrument.

Thanks Again!

Tom

[John L]

I would prefer 4 or 5 string mandolin, with a little longer scale for the 5 string option. Third choice would be a 4 string with say 17" mandola scale. 8 strings are fairly readily available and not of interest to me. I like the switchable humbuckers (Dimarzio makes one that I know of) that give more than one distinct tone. Two pick-ups seem unnecessary on a short scale instrument, and I would prefer a single switchable pickup.

Any idea what the price point might be?

I like the concept!

[Jim MacDaniel]

Great idea Tom -- and since you asked: I think a kit with a two pick-up body shape modeled after your very nicely designed 10-E emando would be sweet, perhaps with à la carte pick-up choices including humbuckers, single-coils, and something twangy like a Ric toaster style. Also, it might be nice to have a blank headstock option in case we wanted to customize the headstock shape --- and in case I was brave enough to try my hand at a retro laquer color, a maple neck/maple fretboard option would be nice (that would look sweet on a seafoam green body, IMHO).

BTW, similar to John L's suggestion, a 4-string e'dola option would intrigue me as well.

[TomMorici]

John,

The mandola scale neck option, or even an octave scale option,will be available at some point. At present the options will be Numerous and as far as I know no one else has ever tried this concept.

I have included three Dimarzio 4-wire pickups as an option for the same reason you have mentioned. I do agree one pickup will be all most would need in an emando. But others do like the second pickup option. There is a tone difference with two pickups. A"warm" pickup at the neck position and a "bright" pickup at the bridge, expands the tonal range more than you would think.

The base price will be disclosed with the "official" announcement, I prefer to do this with a visual (pic) example to be fair.

Jim,

Thank you for your kind comment on my 10E design.
I will consider a slab body 10E shape in the future, but to start I will only offer one shape. I am flexible but I am opposed to copying others existing body shapes. It never hurts to ask.


The basic kit will have a blank peghead, (do your own thing) and A single coil pickup.

A maple fretboard will now be included in the options, the maple neck Is already on the list. This is why feedback helps, Thanks!
The kits will be unfinished; this is how I will be able to keep prices down. I like seafoam green also. Cool idea!

I will also offer these as completely finished custom order, for those that are not comfortable building there own.

Thanks Again!

Tom

[OzMando]

Sounds like a brilliant concept. Hope it works out well for you

[crazymandolinist]

you ought to add rail style guitar pickups along with the other options. Also, why not sell the necks and bodies seperately? I for one would feel very wasteful using an entire guitar blank for a mando, just too much wood to throw out afterwards. I do liek the idea of making seperate necks also. I say make a four, five, eight strings neck as well as mandocello, octave, dola, and bouzouki necks. Just a thought...

[daveb]

I would love a kit like Jon Mann's SEM-8.... but he won't sell it as a kit.

Dave

[TomMorici]

Im with Jon Mann on this, I will never offer my signature builds as a kit form.

Mojolin kit pic friday night!

Tom

[thistle3585]

Tom called me a couple days ago and we discussed his new kit, among other things and its ounds like a real winner, and very reasonably priced. He's got some great ideas for his new website and I wish I could let the cat out of the bag but I think he will quickly become a valuable resource to budding builders.

[TomMorici]

Update:

I have placed the kit in the classifieds.
I expect it will be a few weeks before the web store
is up. For a current option list please email me at
http://tom@moriciguitar.com or if you just have questions.

Thanks!

Tom

[Jim MacDaniel]

Nice work Tom -- I think this should be a hit, and I'll be adding to the wish list I am giving my wife for my upcoming birthday. (And with all of the options available, I'm sure many of us might be back for more after our first build