Cutaway guitar shaped mandolin

[martinedwards]

Here is the third Mandonaught (and thirteenth instrument) that I've built, completely from scratch, from my own design. This is the only one with a cutaway, so yes, I guess that this is a totally unique instrument!

The top is Sitka Spruce, back, sides, neck & rosette are walnut. Binding and fingerboard are rosewood. Purfling is maple and the nut and adjustable bridge are bone. Fret markers are Mother of Pearl. Finish is Danish Oil.

This looks like a little guitar and sounds bright and zingy like a mandolin should. It's tuned to GDAE.

A pal on a guitar forum said he'd take it off my hands, but Christmas cost him too much so it's on Ebay.

I'm not touting for a sale here, just showing off!!

 

[dedee]

Martin,
If I'd made something as beautiful as that Id want to show it off too. Please don't tell me you knocked this up at the weekend :lol:
Excellent work.

Andy

 

[woodbloke]

Lovely work - Rob

 

[nickson71]

great work

 

[Evergreen]

Very impressive.

It looks quite small - does that increase the challenges of construction or make it easier?

Regards.

 

[JFC]

Very nice indeed .

 

[Shultzy]

How thick are the front and back, and are the sides laminated or steam bent.
Very nice indeed.

 

[PowerTool]

Excellent work,Martin

"Mandonaught" ? - never heard of one;being a big Pogues fan I thought I had heard of most obscure musical instruments (e.g. cittern,hammered dulcimer,mandola,mandolin,bazouki,hurdy gurdy,bodhran etc.)

Might have to go and ask Mr. Google :wink:

Andrew

 

[martinedwards]

right, a dose of answers.....

Mandonaught is my own made up name for a dreadnaught shaped mandolin. Google away, you'll only find mine!!! Technically a guitar shaped mando is a mandolinetta, but I'm not a very technical person!!

here are the first two...

the bottom one was the original and I've kept it, the top one was made as a commission from a semi pro musician in Newcastle

Back & sides are just over 2mm. the sides were steamed using a wallpaper stripper then clamped in a mould till they cooled. solid wood scrounged from a shopfitter's skip.

size wise it has a 13 1/2 " scale so altogether its 26". not any easier or harder than a guitar. the curves are a little tighter, but there's less bracing required, and having a tailpiece and floating bridge is easier to bodge than a pinned bridge system which NEEDS to be accurate!!

and no, not a weekend, there's about 30 hours work there, but if I get the cost of the materials and a few pennies for strings & maybe a fingerboard for my next build I'll be happy...... a hobby that pays for itself? wow!!

thanks for the nice comments folks, It's especially good to get a nod from woodworkers rather than guitarists who just go "woooooo you made an axe, dude!!!"