1Q22 challenge - DartmoorHedgehog's solid-body mandolin

Roland

DartmoorHedgehog said:

Roland said:

Looking good. I like instruments that look as though they are made to be played.

Thanks (I think!).

The shape makes it look comfortable, whereas many mandolin shaped things have lots of hard edges, and even scrolls.

DartmoorHedgehog said:

... I just need to make a bridge and nut (and possibly some knobs if I've got time, otherwise I've got a few off an old PA that I could throw on for now), ...

Are you thinking of making wooden knobs for it?

DartmoorHedgehog

@Roland thanks - it has ended up quite "organic" and roundy. I based the body shape roughly on an F5 type mandolin, but got rid of the points and made the scroll into a simple horn, so it's sort of a mongrel of F-type and A-type mando shapes.

If I make knobs then yes, they'll be wood - possibly some of the beech or grenadilla left over from the fretboard blank (although there might not be much of that left by the time I've made the bridge).  Making a nice round shape may be a challenge though... I haven't got a hole saw or lathe, so it'll have to be roughly cut and filed to shape then possibly finished off on a drill.  Last time I made knobs for a project I cheated and cut some sections off a piece of dowel (actually I think it may have been broom handle), then used beer bottle lids for the tops. I haven't got anything suitable size for the knobs on this mando though, so I'd have to start from scratch this time.

downbytheriver

It’s going to be really tough to pick a favourite at the end of this - you aren’t helping!

DartmoorHedgehog

downbytheriver said:

It’s going to be really tough to pick a favourite at the end of this - you aren’t helping!

Well I'm very flattered if you think my efforts may be even in the running for your vote! Better hope it works then... 

DartmoorHedgehog

Eek, this is going to be a bit down to the wire on the deadline...

Managed to get a few hours to work on it yesterday and made a bridge and nut out of the left-over grenadilla (it's the hardest wood I've got so should work well), and a couple of knobs out of a sandwich of grenadilla and beech.  The height adjustment bolts on the bridge have been left long until I check exactly how high it needs to be, then I'll chop them off to a suitable length.

Didn't get any done today, so I've booked Tuesday off work to get the last bits finished. I just need to file string slots in the bridge and nut, sort out the magnetic control cavity cover and string it up.  Should be able to do that easily in a day - although I do need to do some work on my car during the day as well...  So hopefully I'll have a finished entry for the challenge just in time.

DartmoorHedgehog

Phew, finished it

And it plays really nicely with excellent intonation - much nicer to play than my 100-year-old banjolin, so it'll get some use.  I'll probably fit some strap buttons sometime, but I haven't got any suitable ones now so I'm declaring it done.

A few "finished" pics:

Roland

Those knobs really set off the rest of the wood.

DartmoorHedgehog

Roland said:

Those knobs really set off the rest of the wood.

Thanks - they look like they should taste nice as well... probably best not to try

Flip

Since my own crafting is limited to kits I really admire people who can make an instrument from the original wood. It looks superb.

Andyjr1515

Splendid! 

LastMantra

Wow wasn't expecting it to turn out so good! Excellent job sir.

DartmoorHedgehog

Thanks folks. I was lucky with my pieces of beech - didn't have to fight any nasty cracks like @roland did with his local wood (and making it with the maple through-neck meant it's got a good stable spine so the fancy wood is really just cosmetic).

I've made a couple of similar things before with the same sort of construction and unconventional methods (a 5-string guitar and a violin) but this was the first time I'd tried to put a fancy top and back on, and the first time I've used any "raw" local wood that needed drying out before use.  I'm really pleased with how it's worked out.

normula1

Looks great

DartmoorHedgehog

Found some gold strap buttons

BigMonka

That looks amazing, my favourite bit is your logo though, that’s quality!

DartmoorHedgehog

Thanks @BigMonka ;

DartmoorHedgehog

Quick demo just to prove it works   I'm really not much of a mando player at all, but just a bit of strumming and single-note stuff, straight into DAW with no EQ or post-processing, volume and tone full up.  Plays really well - now I just need to get better at it...
https://soundcloud.com/user-89654242/mandolin-test?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

impmann

That sounds pretty cool to me. :-)

Funkfingers

DartmoorHedgehog said:

a bit of strumming and single-note stuff.

Sampled and looped, that could form the basis of a tFB recording challenge. 

DartmoorHedgehog

Funkfingers said:

DartmoorHedgehog said:

a bit of strumming and single-note stuff.

Sampled and looped, that could form the basis of a tFB recording challenge. 

The chord bit was just random improvisation using the very few mando chords I know - so do what you like with that!  The melody bit is the intro from a friend's band's song ("20th Century Pirate" by JollyRoger).