Mando guitar? Ever seen this?

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: Eve Goldberg
Date: 09 Apr 09 - 11:32 AM

Wow, cool looking instrument Mick! I look forward to seeing it once it's restored.

Grit does indeed have a mandolin that he made in a guitar shape. He used to make mandolins and mandolas in a more traditional shape. I remember him saying that he was never fully satisfied with the sound, so he stopped making them. And I think I remember him saying he felt the guitar shape that he made his own mandolin in gives a better sound. I think he may have made them for a few other people, but I don't think there's very many out there.

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: Harmonium Hero
Date: 09 Apr 09 - 07:13 AM

I have one of those 'Neapolitan School of Music' ones, with the lady playing the stringed instrument on the back. There are quite a few of them about in UK. Some don't have the transfer on the back. Mine has the name 'Neapolitan Patent Mandolin Company' on the label. Hoyer used to make an archtop guitar-shaped mandolin, and I've seen other makes.
John Kelly.

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: nickp
Date: 09 Apr 09 - 05:22 AM

And following on from Big Mick's advert link above, the same source shows a number of the mandolinettos and one of my other odd ones near the bottom - mandolinettos

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: nickp
Date: 09 Apr 09 - 04:11 AM

Mine is definitely tuned as mandolin. It is fractionally short scale - but then I have a number of similar era mandolins with slightly shorter scales.

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 08:34 PM

.

Dobro, or maybe is was National, made a steel instrument like a small dobro, set up with 8 steel strings to be played like a mandolin.

I saw one at a bluegrass jam in Sacramento once. Sounded sweeter than I thought it would, and real loud.

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: Big Mick
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 05:46 PM

Hey Bill, it sure was good to see you at Rick's concert. You blew away my mando playing buddy. Tommy loves your playing. I told him we just need to take a ramble out to see you and do a little picking', a little grinnin', a little fishin', mebbe a snoot or two....

The only thing missing is the bridge, but I can clearly see where it was. The scale is about 13 1/4". That would put it in the mando range, eh?

Mick

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: Willie-O
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 05:10 PM

Hi Mick, good fun. It's a bit hard to tell from the photo, specially with the bridge missing, but if the scale length (nut to bridge, once you put a bridge on) is about 14", its a standard mandolin. If it's around 17.5" it's more a mandola and suitable for C-G-D-A (I would just use medium gauge mandolin strings, rather than branded mandola strings, which might be a bit heavy for such an antique.)

I think with the guitar body it will have a nice mellow sustainy sound, like the Martin mandolins do. Defininitely not a bluegrass chop.

Bill

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: Big Mick
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 04:01 PM

According to this ad (you might have to squint to read it) it is played, hence tuned, exactly the same as a mandolin. So it seems that GDAE is the tuning.

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: DADGBE
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 03:55 PM

Well, spaw, they're not as common as that. After all, if turds weren't tapered, everyone's assholes would slam shut after every BM.

Judging for the pictures, I'd guess that this 'Mandolinetto, er, Mandolin-o-roni or what ever it's called would be tuned in Mandola style.

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: Big Mick
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 02:35 PM

Mandolinetto, it is. I googled that name, and found the Sears ad. Same headstock, same shape, same pickguard design. The tailpiece is slightly different, but this is the instrument. It sold for $3.45 in their catalogue, and $6.++ for the rosewood model. Pretty neat.

Mick

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: Big Mick
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 02:29 PM

I was just onstage with Glen in Toronto. That man is such a wonderful songwriter, great voice, and he played one of his signature guitars. It was a pleasure to see him again, and an honor sit beside him on stage.

I think I am going to enjoy this restoration.

Mick

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: catspaw49
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 01:33 PM

See Mick.....There ya' were thinkin' how strange the thing was and it turns out they're as common as tapered turds.............

Spaw

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: Ernest
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 01:13 PM

Scroll down these collection of pics from the Mudgathering in Kiel and see Gulliver play Doug Chadwicks guitar-shaped mandolin!

Best
Ernest

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: JedMarum
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 12:20 PM

Grit Laskin built a beauty too ... I don;t know if it's a regular item for him, but I saw one at his shop when I visited a few years ago with Paul and Rick.

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: catspaw49
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 12:16 PM

Ya' know Mick, that's certainly different, yet not so very different from the Mandola that Rick's buddy Glen Reid.

I dunno' what you call the body shape on any of Glen's instruments.......a sort of double cutaway........call it the Glen Reid shape I guess.............

Spaw

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 11:50 AM

There is a current range of Crafter mandolins with plastic bowl backs - sort of "Mandation" - that are guitar shaped and they don't sound too bad.

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: Wesley S
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 11:48 AM

You don't see a lot of them around but several folks have made guitar shaped mandolins. I would not expect it to be a loud instrument - more on the sweet side as far as tone goes. Well suited for folk styles - I just wouldn't want it to go up against a banjo.

Have fun with it and let us know how the restoration works out. And don't forget the builders forum section at the Mandolin Cafe. They might be a good source of information.

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: nickp
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 11:48 AM

I have one. They are described as "mandolinetto" in the Sears Roebuck catalogue circa 1910. I don't know who the maker would be but they were not expensive - although they did various quality levels.

The neck angle was too bad for me to play so I had a luthier friend make a wedge shaped fingerboard. Not sure it was worth the expense - mine is a fairly basic model - but it looks fun on the wall.

Nick

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: s&r
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 11:41 AM

Like the pyjamas

Stu

Subject: RE: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: John P
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 11:40 AM

Very cool! I saw one years ago, but I didn't get a chance to play it and don't know who made it. I've also seen resonator guitar-mandolins, with both wood and steel bodies at Dusty Strings here in Seattle.

Have fun working on it!

Subject: Mando guitar? Ever seen this?
From: Big Mick
Date: 08 Apr 09 - 11:31 AM

A friend of mine sent me this instrument. He got it at an auction and sent it to me to see if I could restore it. It is in pretty bad shape, but all the components are there, including the bracing, which has come loose and is rattling around the soundbox. A quick Google check came up with this. Clearly this is the same type of instrument but the headstock shape is different, and it appears to be a flat top instead of the arch top.

Ever seen one? Played one? Any ideas who made them besides Howe-Orme? I think I will enjoy restoring it, but would like input and observations from all of you.

All the best,

Mick