"Wood" a Mandolin be OK?

[nosmo]

I was talking to a friend the other day and told him I was building guitars. He thought that was pretty cool and said if I built a mandolin, he'd buy it for his step father. Awesome - my first commission! Of course I told him if it doesn't work out, he doesn't have to buy it. And I don't expect to make any money anyway. I mean, he's a friend.

OK, the situation starts to get weird now. He doesn't even know if the step father plays, but he said he wanted one once. I figured that takes the pressure off me since I've never built a mandolin. Of course the guy might be in some hot bluegrass band for all I know.

Did a little research, asked a few questions. Turns out he wants an acoustic. So along with never having built a mandolin, I've never built anything acoustic (if you don't count that coffee table my buddy's dog plays with her tail).

So here we are. This is the only forum I ever go to (with the occasional trip to Finely Finished - or in my case Finally Finished ). Do you think anybody would be offended if I continued this thread here? I don't plan to have it look even slightly like a Tele. Well, it will have a neck. But I think it'll be really, really short.

Any info would be greatly appreciated. I've been looking for plans without too much luck, but I have found some great pictures. I've got some measurements so I figure somewhere around 13.938" scale length, give or take a thousandth. I really like the F style, but I think I should keep this one simpler since I'm not going to make any money on it and I don't want to put 8000 hours of labor into it.

As a matter of fact, I may build myself one while I'm at it. I can always use another instrument that I can't play




PS: I don't mind putting 8000 hours in mine so any F style plans are welcome

 

[mefgames]

Check out the Mandolin Cafe

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/forum.php

Also Tom at Moongazer

http://www.moongazermusic.com/

Keep us posted on the progress.

ps I think 13.75 is the std scale

found this, no affiliation

http://www.donsplans.com/viewitem.php?productid=25

 

[nosmo]

Thanks - I was kidding about the scale. But it was a dimension I found for a 1923 Loyd Loar Gibson F5.

I'll check out the links.

 

[guitarbuilder]

I'd love to follow your mandolin thread. It's home depot for crying out load. The LP thread has the highest hit count..... get started. You can always buy a Stewmac pre slotted fretboard for a mandolin...they are pretty nice.

 

[Glen Smith]

Got a plan here:

 

[nosmo]

I'd love to follow your mandolin thread. It's home depot for crying out load. The LP thread has the highest hit count..... get started.

Thanks - Through my bumbling, I hope to make everyone here feel better about their builds.

mef - That mandolin forum is full of....information I actually had donsplans bookmarked. I think I'll get those plans.

 

[nosmo]

Thanks Glen - Dons must be the first hit in a google search for mandolin plans

 

[Rich Rice]

Sounds good to me. You could always make a cigar box mandolin as a warmup..

 

[nosmo]

Sounds good to me. You could always make a cigar box mandolin as a warmup..

But then it would be kind of like competing with you I didn't just fall off the turnip truck. No sir!

 

[guitarbuilder]

http://web.archive.org/web/20081015172010/http://www.watsonbailey.com/plans/

 

[nosmo]

That's a handy link right there GB.

 

[crazydave911]

What you need is plans for an "A" style mandolin, they are pear shaped. The easiest to build are the old Army/Navy "skillet" mandolins (yes, the U.S. military used to issue mandolins). The bodies are simply round................like a skillet. One of the first things I ever built. They are approximately the size of those little 12" picnic barbecue grills (which is what I used for a back...............made a guitar like it too ). I'll try to find you a layout for both, I'm all in, I wanna watch


Well, I guess they aren't exactly round

Some patterns here LINK.


Here's another.............

 

[nosmo]

Good deal Dave. I figured you'd pitch in here. As a matter of fact, I was counting on it.

As far as "pear shaped", that's how most of my builds go

 

[crazydave911]

Good deal Dave. I figured you'd pitch in here. As a matter of fact, I was counting on it.

As far as "pear shaped", that's how most of my builds go

, not pear shaped that I've seen, and I'm glad to help. BTW, that mando bridge,tailpiece and economy tuners that Stew-Mac sells, I highly recommend


Hey, the A style mando plan is only 14.95 at Stew-Mac.............who knew?

And Don's has 'em for 5$

 

[RogerC]

Yep. Good call on the A style, Dave. Go get 'em, nosmo

 

[nosmo]

Holy moly! Those Waverly tuners must be made out of solid silver. No, they'd be cheaper if they were.

 

[crazydave911]

Construction photos AND plans here LINK

It's a long scale, but this guy has free plans! LINK

A little more complicated though

 

[adirondak5]

Holy moly! Those Waverly tuners must be made out of solid silver. No, they'd be cheaper if they were.

I'll bet it cost less to ship a bass to Long Island than to buy those tuners

Sounds cool nosmo , can't wait to see what you come up with

 

[nosmo]

OK, so I have a plan...well not really a plan, but kind of an idea of a plan. Now all I have to do is get home (in about a week ), buy some wood and slap that baby together.

Sooooo...what kind of wood do we all like for acoustic tops? What kind of wood bends pretty easily? What would look good? If Roger says barnwood I'm gonna' ban him from this thread For that matter, how do you bend wood? Oil or stain or.....I guess I don't have a plan yet.

 

[nosmo]

Hey Herb. Uhmmmm... caribbean burst mando?