Electric Mandolin Part 1

I’ve just started building a new solid-body electric mandolin, haven't done one for awhile.  I’ll be documenting the process in a series of YouTube videos. Here’s the first episode: hope you find it interesting.

Cheers Gary

E-Mando now complete and ready for sale

If you’ve been following the blog you would have seen my new electric mandolin being built. It’s now complete and currently available at a price of £800; this includes an Ashbury gig-bag but shipping is extra.

The full spec and contact details can be found on my web-site.

Here’s the obligatory video, followed by some rather smashing photos!

Two Backs

Two quite different mandolins on the go here.....

E-Mando (Electric Mandolin) Design

I’ve just completed Paul’s e-mando and in the New Year it will be making a 10,400 mile journey to its new home in Australia.

Amanda and I have put together a video to demonstrate it. Rather than spending too much time talking in the video,  my rationale behind the E-mando’s design is here in the blog.

Having seen a number of bands playing live, using poorly amplified acoustic mandolins, I wanted to build something that a gigging mandolin player could regularly use amplified, with the minimum amount of fuss. Or, of course, any other player who wants to try a different voice.

Aesthetics:

I wanted the e-mando to look and feel like a mandolin rather than a mini-guitar. So many of the solid body mandolins that you see are scaled down versions of classic solid guitar designs and this look just isn’t for me. This shape is morphed from my Model 2 shape, which helps to keep the family resemblance with my acoustic instruments.

The e mando is finished in Tru-oil and wax which gives a wonderful tactile surface and enhances the natural beauty of the woods.

Ergonomics:

Thinking that the e-mando’s player could be on his/her feet for a couple of hours, ergonomics are an important consideration.

The top edge of the body is chamfered on both sides so that there are not any sharp edges to dig into the left arm.

32mm thick body keeps the weight down to just under 2 kg and comparatively light open gear mandolin tuners help to keep the mandolin balanced.

With the neck sloping backwards and a 20mm high bridge this e-mando feels like a traditional mandolin to play.

The use of an end pin jack-socket means that the lead and jack plug doesn’t interfere with the player.

The fingerboard has a compound radius and this coupled with the wide evo fret wire makes for a very easy to play instrument.

The Tru-oil neck is very smooth and fast.

 Electrics:

I wanted the e-mando to offer great versatility without overly sophisticated (and pricey!) built in electronics or the need to change batteries.

There are two pick-ups; one humbucker and a piezo. The humbucker has volume and tone controls and a toggle switch to allow series/parallel switching: a centre off position allows for the pick-up to be completely turned off. These simple controls offer an amazingly wide tonal variation.

The piezo transducer is mounted in the bridge, under the saddle to give an approximation of an acoustic sound; a second toggle switch allows this pick-up to be turned on or off.  To get the best from this piezo it must be used with an external pre-amp.

The out-put is via a stereo jack-socket and the use of a Y-lead allows the two signals to be treated separately. Alternatively the jack socket is wired so that you can use a standard lead and just use the output from the humbucker.

 Strings:

The tailpiece is designed to take ball-end strings. Having a magnetic pick-up means that nickel wound strings are required and there is a much greater variety of ball-ended nickel strings to choose from, compared to loop-end. I’ve made up a custom set of strings 11 to 36 using electric guitar strings and feel that this range helps to balance the volume from string to string. Buying custom strings is really easy from somewhere like Stringbusters and this set cost around 6 quid to put together.

Well, I hope that the above coupled with the video gives you a good in-sight in to the rationale behind this mandolin’s design.

 As I said, in the video, there is an infinite number of variations in the design of solid, electric mandolins, so if you fancy having custom one built, please feel free to make contact.

As previously mentioned……….

In the last post, I said of Ewart’s mandolin, “I make two fine cuts at the end of the mandolin. Later on, the wood between these two cuts will be chiselled out and this is where the end graft will go and eventually join up with the purflings and bindings.”

I thought that I’d illustrate the above with a few photos for you…..

Also in the previous post, I mentioned Paul’s e-mando; one of the exciting things about this project is that this e-mando is going off 10,400 miles to NSW, Australia! So, here’s a bit more detail about its construction so far.

I always like to route the wiring through inside of the body of my electric instruments; this means I have to make the body from at least two pieces of wood which allows me to create internal channels.

Before the two halves are glued together the internal channels are painted with conductive paint to help with shielding.

Once the body has been joined and taken down to its final thickness, the neck pocket, pick-up and control recesses etc are routed and then the shape cut-out. 

The wide black line that you can see in the pick-up recess is the conductive painted, internal channel.

E-mando completed (and for sale)

I’ve just completed the e-mando and I've been having great fun playing it. We've put together a video to demonstrate it, but not being a musician, I don’t think that I can show its true potential- you’ll have to use your imagination!

Rather than spending too much time talking in the video, I’ll give you my rationale behind this particular mandolin’s design here in the blog.

Having seen a number of bands playing live, using poorly amplified acoustic mandolins, I wanted to build something that a gigging mandolin player could regularly use amplified, with the minimum amount of fuss. Or, of course, any other player who wants to try a different voice.

Aesthetics:

I wanted the e-mando to look and feel like a mandolin rather than a mini-guitar. So many of the solid body mandolins that you see are scaled down versions of classic solid guitar designs and this look just isn’t for me.

The instrument is finished in Tru-oil and wax which gives a wonderful tactile surface and enhances the natural beauty of the woods used.

Ergonomics:

Thinking that the e-mando’s player could be on his/her feet for a couple of hours, ergonomics are an important consideration.

The top edge of the body is chamfered on both sides so that there are not any sharp edges to dig into the left arm.

A 32mm thick body keeps the weight down to just under 2 kg and comparatively light open gear mandolin tuners help to keep the mandolin balanced.

With the neck sloping backwards and a 20mm high bridge this e-mando feels like a traditional mandolin to play.

The use of an end pin jack-socket means that the lead and/or jack plug doesn’t interfere with the player.

The fingerboard has a compound radius and this coupled with the wide evo fret wire and a Tru-oil "speed neck" makes for a very easy to play instrument.

Electrics:

I wanted the e-mando to offer great versatility without overly sophisticated (and pricey!) built in electronics or the need to change batteries.

There are two pick-ups; one humbucker and a piezo. The humbucker has volume and tone controls and a toggle switch to allow series/parallel switching: a centre off position allows for the pick-up to be completely turned off. These simple controls offer an amazingly wide tonal variation.

The piezo transducer is mounted in the bridge, under the saddle to give an approximation of an acoustic sound; a second toggle switch allows this pick-up to be turned on or off.  To get the best from this piezo it should be used with an external pre-amp.

The out-put is via a stereo jack-socket and the use of a Y-lead (supplied) allows the two signals to be treated separately. Alternatively the jack socket is wired so that you can use a standard lead and just use the output from the humbucker.

Strings:

I’ve designed a tailpiece to take ball-end strings. Having a magnetic pick-up means that nickel wound strings are required and I think that in the UK there is a much greater variety of ball-ended strings to choose from, compared to loop-end. I’ve made up a custom set of strings 11 to 36 using electric guitar strings and feel that this range helps to balance the volume from string to string. Buying custom strings is really easy from somewhere like Stringbusters and this set cost around 6 quid to put together.

Well, I hope that the above coupled with the video gives you a good in-sight in to the rationale behind this mandolin’s design.

As I said, in the video, this e-mando is currently (June 2013) for sale; the price of £700 includes a stereo y lead and a semi-rigid gig-bag, mainland UK shipping would be an extra £30. Alternatively, if you fancy having a custom one built, I’m your man! Cheers!

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MANDOLIN HAS NOW BEEN SOLD

Waiting Game

I’ve just completed the French polishing of Tony’s Standard Plus; it’s looking really good as you can see below. The walnut is wonderful- don’t you just love pretty wood! Now we wait for it to harden off.

E-mando 

Also the E-mando has had its last coat of Tru-oil and that too must now harden off, although it won’t need as long as the French polish. There are a few choice shots for you below. It should be completed by mid- April and will be on sale on my web-site for 700 GBP including as semi-rigid gig bag and a stereo Y- lead. Got to be the bargain of the year!

Standard V
And last but not least the next Standard (American Black Walnut back, sides and neck) is coming along nicely too!

Have a good Easter!

E mando progress

Well the French polishing of Tony’s mandolin continues and in between polishing sessions I’ve been working on the e-mandolin. Believe me, it has been very much a week of experimentation!

The blade humbucker works very well; using a blade style eliminates any worries about the alignment of pole-pieces. 

I tried a couple of different piezo transducers to see which works best; an Artec and a Headway. I had to make up a rough bridge in order test them and in this situation i.e. without the benefit resonant hollow body, the Artec unit seemed to work best- its higher output balances better with the humbucker and by the time it goes through an external pre-amp the tone is really good too. I also made 3 different saddles; ebony, bone and micarta. Without doubt the ebony worked best by reducing some of the harshness and helping to limit the sustain. 

So next week, I can start sorting out the fiddly bits, prep for finishing and apply the finish- Tru-oil in this case; my favourite solid body finish.

Remember John’s twin-point?

Well he posted a thread on Mandolin Café forum and you can read what he and others have to say about it, whilst I quietly blush! Many thanks for posting this John. The link's below.

A Magic Nava Twinpoint

Mandolin Update

You can see that polishing has started on Tony’s mandolin and the real beauty of the wood is starting to show.

I mentioned the figured maple bindings in a previous post- here’s the effect that I was hoping for.

E-mando

 In between polishing sessions the e-mando has grown some frets!

I’m often surprised that “special” fretting hammers are sold by luthier suppliers, most of them variations on dead-blow hammers and soft face mallets. Well here is mine and I think that I have virtually fretted every instrument for 30 odd years with it. A quite simple ball-pein with its face carefully polished and the edges rounded so that there are not any burrs or such like that could mark the fret. It works so well!

Anyway thought that I’d design and make the tailpiece for the ball-end strings- again this emphasises that when I say my instruments are handmade, I mean it!