My Johnson MA-450 arrived, I picked it up last night. It's a teardrop shaped celtic octave mandolin, and it's got a great sound.
Cool features:
1) Trinity College makers.
2) Really smooth tuning mechanism. And so civilized looking.
3) Big boomy instrument so the sound can bounce.
4) Round hole instead of those puny little F-holes.
5) Loud!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6) single piece bridge connected with small bone saddle (inset).
Disadvantage: Learning those new fret lengths. They're long. But the distance between strings means that some of the previous one finger-two-strings deal doesn't seem to work so hot.
Also, the saddle has notches (ooo concept) so the strings don't jump during play.
I'm still amazed at the sound. It's a nice brightness for now, but I imagine it'll tone down with aging of the strings.
Does anyone have a supplier on line who stocks octave mandolin strings? The store where I purchased in Pasadena (Vintage Musical Instruments) doesn't seem to be interested in a lot of mandolin business (they're big on string basses... lots of those).
Cool features:
1) Trinity College makers.
2) Really smooth tuning mechanism. And so civilized looking.
3) Big boomy instrument so the sound can bounce.
4) Round hole instead of those puny little F-holes.
5) Loud!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6) single piece bridge connected with small bone saddle (inset).
Disadvantage: Learning those new fret lengths. They're long. But the distance between strings means that some of the previous one finger-two-strings deal doesn't seem to work so hot.
Also, the saddle has notches (ooo concept) so the strings don't jump during play.
I'm still amazed at the sound. It's a nice brightness for now, but I imagine it'll tone down with aging of the strings.
Does anyone have a supplier on line who stocks octave mandolin strings? The store where I purchased in Pasadena (Vintage Musical Instruments) doesn't seem to be interested in a lot of mandolin business (they're big on string basses... lots of those).
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Re: It's here! it's here!
Sun, October 29, 2006 - 6:50 AMI order my octave mando strings from Elderly Music in Lansing, MI. I think their website is www.elderly.com. Also, you can sometimes find strings for octave mando on eBay for a decent price. None of our local big-box chains or privately-owned stores carry 'em, unfortunately ...
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Re: It's here! it's here!
Mon, October 30, 2006 - 2:09 AMHi all!
I am conducting my own little octave mandolin experiment. I wanted one for years, but couldn't justify the price. So I bought the cheapest one I could find, a SurfCity Gypsy King octave mando from Amazon for $99 bucks new. (I see they don't sell them anymore?) Not much to lose. It arrived and actually seems pretty nice. Get this: it came w/ regular mandolin strings on it, not octave mandolin strings. Oy. Good sound when I tune it up way too high. (Waiting on the octave mando strings from Elderly.)
Basically solid. Resonates forever. Loud. Surprisingly good tone, rich, not tinny.
No truss rod. Maple back and sides. Spruce top. Solid, no laminate. FInish seems thick somehow. No guide dots on the fingerboard at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc frets. No mother of pearl, not even paint. (I am goind to spray paint some on!) Fingerboard looks to be rose-wood, but hell, it could be maple for all I know. Closed tuners are ok. Surprisingly playable. Neck is ... very guitar like. 18.5" scale. Wide. Miles of space between the frets. Going back and forth between this and my mandolin is like having my brain rewired. "Did my fingers just change size?"
I may replace the nut and bridge with something nice. I may also use it as a mandola or a 'zouk instead of an octave mandolin.
It got me to thinking... about a Poor Man's Octave Mandolin. Take a beat up old 12-string guitar, add a new nut and bridge (for 8 strings). It makes me laugh, but I wonder: could it work? What would it sound like?
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Re: It's here! it's here!
Mon, October 30, 2006 - 8:06 AMDO NOT TRY TO RE-STRING IT AS A MANDOLA! Check out my response to your other related post, the one with the photo!
Somewhere on the Internet are the steps and blueprints necessary for converting a six-string electric into an octave mandolin. The guy is a genius ... He's got instructions for making cheaper, home-made alternatives to high-dollar folk instruments, like how to make a low D Irish whistle out of a $4 shower curtain rod ... stuff like that. Google "octave mandolin" or even "homemade low D whistle" and you'll probably come across a link to his site fairly quickly. I think he's from Michigan, if that helps narrow your search parameters at all ... -
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Re: It's here! it's here!
Mon, November 6, 2006 - 6:23 PMHi there,
The site you're referring to is Dennis Havela's site.
www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/
The guy is totally brilliant and his site is well worth checking out.
The plans for the octave mandolin can be found here:
www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlen...dolin.htm
Thanks for bringing this one to my attention, Geoff.
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Re: It's here! it's here!
Mon, November 6, 2006 - 8:26 PMI had a buddy along time ago that did the 12string trick... only he did it as a mandocello (CGDA) and it sounded AWSOME!!!!! well worth making a new nut.
Glad to hear the johnson is good too!!!!
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