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Thread: Building a solid body mandolin

  1. #1
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    Default Building a solid body mandolin

    I'm wanting to build an electric mandolin but can't find many resources for information. Can anyone head me off on things to do? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks
    A.J. Hancock
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  2. #2

    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    AJ, looks like we've got the same idea, but on opposite ends of the state.....

    Here are some of my references so far.

    www.emando.com
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5bsPaXjgFE
    www.moongazermusic.com
    http://www.mandozine.com/resources/a...electmando.php
    Chinn A-style
    Chinn BluesBird Emando #1
    Aria M-300BG 2 Point
    Kay Model 68

  3. #3

    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Siminoff's book on how to build an electric guitar should do the trick. Change the scale length and the number of strings involved, and you're pretty much set.

    /Magnus

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Thanks guys!

    Chinn, I'd love to see your mando as you get it done!
    A.J. Hancock
    ___________________________
    Diamondback Cigar Box Guitars
    guitarbuilder195@gmail.com

  5. #5

    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    You need to read Melvin Hiscocks book on how to build an electric guitar. It will walk you through the whole process from design to finish. Just use a different scale length. It's got to be the best tool on my work bench.

    I don't recommend the youtube video that Chinn posted as a good example on how to build one, but that is just my opinion.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Magnus Geijer View Post
    Change the scale length and the number of strings involved, and you're pretty much set.
    Why is it a lot of solid body mandolin designs are 4-strings? I've never understood this. One of the most noticeable mandolin characteristics is the double-strung sound, to me at least.

  7. #7

    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Audio Artillery View Post
    Why is it a lot of solid body mandolin designs are 4-strings? I've never understood this. One of the most noticeable mandolin characteristics is the double-strung sound, to me at least.
    There are a lot of reasons but many cited by players are that they don't like the sound of paired strings through a magnetic pickup, they want to sound like an electric guitar without learning to play one and its easier to bend single course strings. There are other reasons but these are the most common.

  8. #8

    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Thistle, I absolutely love your work. Your site has really been an inspiration for me as well as a good source of basics.

    I've 'customized' a few solid body electric guitars. I also used to make a very high end custom duck call and like another Cafe member, I previously designed model aircraft using CAD. So with those skills, I'm hoping to reach a little more deeply into my mando hobby......

    This is my drawing so far. I've definitely had a lot of influences from many makers. I need to get some of the components in hand to do proper CAD workups of them (bridge, pickups, neck, etc) so that I can size everything out properly...
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

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    Chinn A-style
    Chinn BluesBird Emando #1
    Aria M-300BG 2 Point
    Kay Model 68

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Looks great Chinn!

    Thanks for all the input guys! I'm gonna get to work on the body tomorrow. I'll post pictures as I get goin
    A.J. Hancock
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  10. #10
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Thanks for starting this thread. I'm in the preliminary stages of design an electric mandola or OM now.

  11. #11
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    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    No problem, Mandobart! I'm doing a solidbody bouzouki for a friend, that's what got me started on electric mandos. I'll try to post pictures, it's getting pretty far along
    A.J. Hancock
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  12. #12

    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Click image for larger version. 

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    I finished this one... uh... Last fall? It's been my main mando since.

    /Magnus

  13. #13
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    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    That looks awesome! Does it have a rod in the neck or a reinforcement?

    how'd you do the top? Is that burl wood?
    A.J. Hancock
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  14. #14

    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Thanks!

    It has a carbon fiber rod, which is what I put in all my mandos. This is, as you can see in other threads on this board, something which there is some discussion about, but I have never felt the need for adjustment in a mandolin neck, and so I stay with the carbon fiber rods. The top is just 1/4" of maple burl, from ebay. The base of the body is swamp... ash or alder. I forget. Bought the wood 20 years ago.

    Anyway. Ash/alder body with a slapped-on maple burl top. Mahogany neck with the usual dove tail, ebony fret board and a curly maple peg head overlay. I used a home made blend of the LMII alcohol soluble stain to bring out the figure, and then just let the top sooooaaaak up polyurethane until it could be made smoothed. I hated working with the burl, but I do love the looks of it. I'll be happy to assist with what I can when questions pop up.

    Thanks,

    Magnus

  15. #15

    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Magnus, that is gorgeous! I love the styling of your mandolins.

    The construction you describe is very similar to what I had planned.

    For the carbon rod, do you use a solid carbon rod or a square carbon tube? In my model aircraft days I used liberal amounts of carbon fiber in the design, so I'm very used to working with it.
    Chinn A-style
    Chinn BluesBird Emando #1
    Aria M-300BG 2 Point
    Kay Model 68

  16. #16
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Looks great Magnus! Are those some other builds of yours in your avatar pic? Beautiful work!

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    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Magnus, How thick was the body blank you used?
    A.J. Hancock
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  18. #18
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    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Hey DJ, my friend just did an electric from saga, I believe, and he told me it was really just a matter of assembly, and color, with a "telie" body style. He informed me it took somewhere around 1o min. to assemble. He did a burst finish, and it looks great. This part I am guessing, I think it was about $120
    Mike Marrs

  19. #19

    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Thank you! And yes, that's my #1-5 in the avatar.

    I used solid bars rather than the square tube. Sandwiched two of LMIIs GR2. I have used other sizes before, but never tried the square tubes. I can detect no change in relief on any of the necks, and #1 has been strung up for eight years now.

    The body is 2" total, and the top is 1/4", so the ash/alder is 1 3/4". You could probably get away with something just over half of that, as long as you have enough depth for the electronics cavity to contain the pots.

    /Magnus

  20. #20
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    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Ok, I'm gonna try and post some progress shots. The neck is Redheart and the body will be Basswood with Quilted Maple top and I'm still debating on the back wood.Click image for larger version. 

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    A.J. Hancock
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    guitarbuilder195@gmail.com

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  22. #21

    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Really nice start Jack. I'm thinking you'll finish a bit before me.. LOL.
    Chinn A-style
    Chinn BluesBird Emando #1
    Aria M-300BG 2 Point
    Kay Model 68

  23. #22

    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    So Jack, how has your project come along?
    Chinn A-style
    Chinn BluesBird Emando #1
    Aria M-300BG 2 Point
    Kay Model 68

  24. #23
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    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Call me AJ, Chinn

    It was coming along pretty good, I got stopped by a shop move and haven't taken it back up. I'd like to finish it where I started it if that makes sense.

    I got started the other day on an acoustic mandolin though. I'll try to post pictures a bit later but it'll have curly maple back and sides and neck, with a special red spruce top I've been saving. Let me know what you think!
    A.J. Hancock
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    Diamondback Cigar Box Guitars
    guitarbuilder195@gmail.com

  25. #24

    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Hey Guys, this is my first post, I am currently adding to my custom guitar line a few mandolins. It started with finding a rock blue grass band called hayseed Dixie. I'm sure you're all familiar with that Reno cat. Anyway, my business partner wanted a Flying V mando ( The Vandolean). And then came the SG Mando, I'm going to addd an Explorer, a Strat and tele. If anything it's a cool conversation piece, but then there's the palyability.....Everything is either used or rescued from an old table etc. All the way down to the p/ups. The last bass I built was a frettless, the p/up was an Aquarium magnet when i found it. I stumbled on som really old wire and it makes the world of a difference to new copper. Anyway, I'll throw up a couple pics, they're still in the works. have a great day@
    Bob Batterton
    Cottonwood guitars

  26. #25
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    Default Re: Building a solid body mandolin

    Quote Originally Posted by Magnus Geijer View Post
    Click image for larger version. 

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    I finished this one... uh... Last fall? It's been my main mando since.

    /Magnus
    Magnus; congratulations on a beautiful instrument. Just magnificent!
    I'm curious; is there a tonal benefit to using a floating bridge/saddle on a solid bodied electric mandolin? It seems that many (most?) builders go with either a hard-tail wrap-around bridge or a string-through design on their semi-hollow or solid-bodied e-mandos.
    c.1965 Harmony Monterey H410 Mandolin
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