Dammann Mandocellos/Cittern

[rvarona]

Hi all, I'm luthier (and part time forum lurker) for a small shop that's been working on developing a series of 5-course Mandocellos/Citterns. We finally have a website up and running at http://www.mandocello.org with information and pictures. Since both the instruments and the webpage are new and in a continual state of development and refinement, I'd gladly welcome feedback and constructive criticism on either front. Input from mandocello/cittern players has been scarce since players around the area are few and far between so I'd be particularly interested in hearing what active participants here have to say. And of course, if you're around the central Virginia area please feel free to stop by and give us a visit. In the meantime, here are a few quick pics:











Thanks for your feedback!

[mrmando]

Here is a thread from last summer where we discussed what turned out to be some of Ray's prototypes.

I think both the prototypes and the production instruments look phenomenal. I did listen to the clip you have posted, which IIRC was a simple rendition of a fiddle tune. It was nice, but personally it wasn't enough for me to decide what I think about the sound ... I think you need a clip of some music that makes a few more demands on the instrument.

I'd recommend checking around the Web to see if any cittern players are performing nearby; then you could go to their gigs and ask them to try out your instruments. The first name I thought of was Robin Bullock, who had a gig up in Franconia tonight and performs around the Mid-Atlantic states frequently. Robin will be teaching at Celtic Week at the Swannanoa Gathering in Asheville, N.C., later this month; it's probably too late to get a vendor booth, but it's going to be a gathering place for people interested in citterns, so if you're up for a road trip, it'd be well worth throwing a few instruments in the back of the truck and heading on down.

The major gathering is at Zoukfest in New Mexico, which has already taken place this year, but you could put it on your list of things to do for 2011. That's much more of a road trip, though.

I have some specific questions for you:

1) Please tell us about the different voicings you can do to emphasize different parts of the instrument's tonal range, and what voicings are good for what purposes.
2) Have you built any instruments aimed at classical/mandolin-orchestra players? Such an instrument would need to be optimized for single-note line playing rather than chording (although chords do appear in many orchestra parts), and would need to be capable of covering a wide dynamic range. (A 5-course instrument called a liuto or liuto cantabile, tuned CGDAE, does have an established role in the classical mandolin world.)
3) What are the pros and cons of the guitar-style pin bridge you're using, compared to a traditional floating bridge?
4) What became of your solidbody electric prototype?
5) What factors went into your pricing? At those price points you're competing with the likes of Stefan Sobell, Fletcher Brock, Stephen Owsley Smith, Paul Doyle, etc. Tough company for a new builder. If you're moving these instruments at your price point, that's wonderful. I see some new builders who start their prices out low to help them sell some instruments and build a reputation, whereas others come in right at market price. I wonder which approach tends to work better in the long run. The photos suggest that the workmanship justifies the pricing, but will you also need more name recognition?

[rvarona]

Hi Martin, I'll look into getting a more representative sound clip and also thanks for the player and gathering tips. Zoukfest will certainly be on the list for next year.

So on to the specific questions:

1) Overall the instrument has followed a more guitar-like development, so by default there is less of the characteristic focused midrange and a more even spread across the spectrum. I generally tend to emphasize the higher end so that the basses are still articulate but no so much that the E-course is purely twangy. Within that general framework I can bring out a punchier sound for more of a 'zouk flavor but since this current series has grown from an accompanying instrument in folk/acoustic circles, the more guitarlike tonal signature has been preferred. I'm working on more traditional citterns in the carved-top, flat-back variety for celtic players and the like, so stay tuned...

2) I haven't yet worked with mando orchestra players, let alone found one in the flesh, but would by thrilled to get their thoughts on the subject.

3) The pin bridge tonally helps add sustain and overtones and at least in my prototypes has proven to be more structurally stable over time for flat-top instruments (a real clincher). The disadvantages are of course the minor hassle of dealing with pins during string changes and reduced freedom in compensation if you're drastically swapping tunings and string gauges, potentially requiring a new saddle or in extreme cases a plug and rerouting of the saddle slot. Since the instrument is braced for the larger mandocello strings instead of the typically lighter cittern string set, I'd build to suit the preferred tuning or steer towards a different build style if the player isn't mandocello-centric.

4) Its still alive and kicking to my knowledge. The biggest obstacle though was in finding a decent off-the-shelf bridge, which is one of the many reasons there hasn't been much on the e-mando front.

5) I'm afraid I can't comment on that, I just build them.

[mrmando]

Thanks, Ray. Offhand I don't know of any mandolin orchestras in Virginia, but there are active groups in Atlanta, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Providence, to name a few.

Of course, an Irish pub or other establishment that hosts live sessions is always a good place to connect with local players.