Can a Mandocello be tuned and played as Octave Mandolin?
October 5, 2020 3:46 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for an octave mandolin but found a mandocello with a guitar-like body that I like more than the octave mandolin. Could I get a mandocello and tune it to an octave mandolin or are the body and strings not meant for that? Thank you.
This post was deleted for the following reason: poster's request -- cortex
If this is possible at all it definitely involves different strings.
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 4:05 PM on October 5, 2020
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 4:05 PM on October 5, 2020
Seconding mandolin conspiracy and I would just like to point out how happy I am that they got the first and best answer.
posted by soundguy99 at 4:09 PM on October 5, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by soundguy99 at 4:09 PM on October 5, 2020 [5 favorites]
Even with new strings, you likely wouldn't get a tone or playability that you would be happy with. Here's someone who was trying to do exactly what you want to do, looks like they decided to back off. I don't know if you have already seen this.
If you are trying to learn this anew, I'd definitely shy away from anything with non-standard tension/scales, as it will make things CONSIDERABLY harder for you than playing on the "correct" instrument.
I hope you can find an octave mandolin you are happy with, both the octave and the mandocello are really lovely instruments.
posted by MysticMCJ at 4:20 PM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
If you are trying to learn this anew, I'd definitely shy away from anything with non-standard tension/scales, as it will make things CONSIDERABLY harder for you than playing on the "correct" instrument.
I hope you can find an octave mandolin you are happy with, both the octave and the mandocello are really lovely instruments.
posted by MysticMCJ at 4:20 PM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
I haven't done this specifically, but I find it hard to believe it isn't possible to satisfactory result. The reason why I say this is because I routinely tune guitar-ish instruments of a wide variety of sizes well out of their recommended tuning.
Doing this involves using a different set of strings selected to string up to approximately the same amount of tension as produced by the mandocello strings. Octave mandolins, and mandocellos for that matter, seem to vary quite a bit in scale length. American/Gibson inspired mandocellos seem to be around 25"-26" scale length, which is about the same as an average guitar. So perhaps you could approximate string gauges by observing the notes produced by each gauge on a guitar string set, and comparing what you would need to produce the notes of octave mandolin in a satisfactory way. A string vendor like stringsbymail.com or juststrings.com sells a wide variety of individual strings in loop or ball end for all kind of applications.
posted by 2N2222 at 7:13 PM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Doing this involves using a different set of strings selected to string up to approximately the same amount of tension as produced by the mandocello strings. Octave mandolins, and mandocellos for that matter, seem to vary quite a bit in scale length. American/Gibson inspired mandocellos seem to be around 25"-26" scale length, which is about the same as an average guitar. So perhaps you could approximate string gauges by observing the notes produced by each gauge on a guitar string set, and comparing what you would need to produce the notes of octave mandolin in a satisfactory way. A string vendor like stringsbymail.com or juststrings.com sells a wide variety of individual strings in loop or ball end for all kind of applications.
posted by 2N2222 at 7:13 PM on October 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
If you're after an instrument with a guitar-style body designed for GDAE/GDAD tuning, "guitar bouzouki" (or sometimes "bouzouki guitar" or "gazuki") is the term to search for. There are quite a few companies that make these now. I have a cheap one with a guitar-width neck which I find a bit too wide for four courses (relative to octave mandola), but they're also available with a more mandola-style neck.
That said, you may well be able to restring the mandocello you're looking at with lighter strings for GDAE - the string tension would be reduced overall, so the question to ask is whether there's enough adjustment range in the truss rod to be able to set it up with comfortable neck relief and action. The strings themselves are no problem to find since they're in the same range of sizes used for acoustic guitar. If you're buying from a shop, ask if their guitar tech could have a look at it for you.
posted by offog at 4:48 AM on October 6, 2020
That said, you may well be able to restring the mandocello you're looking at with lighter strings for GDAE - the string tension would be reduced overall, so the question to ask is whether there's enough adjustment range in the truss rod to be able to set it up with comfortable neck relief and action. The strings themselves are no problem to find since they're in the same range of sizes used for acoustic guitar. If you're buying from a shop, ask if their guitar tech could have a look at it for you.
posted by offog at 4:48 AM on October 6, 2020
If you really like the mandocello that you have found... why not give it a chance as a mandocello? You may like it. Besides, a lot of Irish bozouki and octave mando players use capos and play up the neck, you can always slap on a capo if you are in a session requiring a higher register. Also, consider the size of the neck - do you have long fingers? They help on larger instruments.
posted by zaelic at 12:50 PM on October 7, 2020
posted by zaelic at 12:50 PM on October 7, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 3:55 PM on October 5, 2020 [7 favorites]