Solid-body Electric Mandolin

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32-20-Blues

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Anyone have any advice on an electric mandolin - Fender and Gibson used to do 4 string versions with single coils, but no longer. Anyone know any makers??
 
Saga makes one in a kit form that looks like a Tele i hear great things about it, at $129 it seems like you could have fun building the little kit it comes in.
 
Blue Star Mandoblasters are a step up from the mandobirds

Elderly Instruments sells them
mandoblasters

I play a solidbody 5 string Schwab, but they are in a different price range (around $1500)
 
mandocaster said:
Blue Star Mandoblasters are a step up from the mandobirds

Elderly Instruments sells them
mandoblasters

I play a solidbody 5 string Schwab, but they are in a different price range (around $1500)


Yeah, but Kevin's a good guy.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Thanks for all the help guys, really appreciated, I just think it would be an interesting alternative to a new electric guitar. Plus, it'll really suit some of the stuff I'm working on at the moment. Thanks again!
 
32-20-Blues said:
Thanks for all the help guys, really appreciated, I just think it would be an interesting alternative to a new electric guitar. Plus, it'll really suit some of the stuff I'm working on at the moment. Thanks again!


Yeah, I saw a group from Georgia a few years back (Aquarium Rescue Squad?) who had this guy who really tore it up on lead mandolin. It was single strung with what looked like a humbucker, and he played it through a Marshall of some kind. Pretty cool.
 
I put together one of the Saga tele kits and one of their A styles.
The tele is extremely easy to build paint it and bolt it together. Of course were talking a cheap bass wood body and electronics but the action is quite good.
I just can't deal with a 4 string mando. The A style is really quite nice sounding just needs the tuners, bridge and TP upgraded.

I would for sure stay away from the Epi Mandobird, they have so major neck length/nut issues from what I've heard.

I do most of my picking on an Eastman 614 or a MK Dragonfly.
 
32-20-Blues said:
Thanks for all the help guys, really appreciated, I just think it would be an interesting alternative to a new electric guitar. Plus, it'll really suit some of the stuff I'm working on at the moment. Thanks again!

Just remember that a mandolin is strung like a violin, it will be backwards from a guitar scale, actually its a backwards bass guitar scale. Once you get past that its a really fun instrument. :D
 
60's guy said:
I'd stay away from the Fender mandolins, personally.

You're the third or fourth person who has told me that. What did you find was the problem with them?
 
32-20-Blues said:
You're the third or fourth person who has told me that. What did you find was the problem with them?
The best answer to that is to simply say that if you were to lay your hands on a mandolin that sold for $1000 or more...the difference would be obvious. I think that purchasing a mandolin requires a bit more of an investment dollar wise as compared to guitars. There are many guitars that range between $500 - $1000 that are worthwhile.

I think the cost aspect is a bit different concerning mandos. Why? I'm not sure. It's just what I've observed.

Don't get me wrong here. I'm not being uppity. I'm trying to be being realistic.

As it is with any stringed instrument, quality feel, playability, and tone comes at a price.

To answer your question directly.....I've never been impressed with any acoustic made by Fender. I happened to be in a store a few months ago and saw a couple of Fender mandos. I picked 'em, plucked 'em, and put 'em down quickly.

They felt bad, played bad, and sounded horrible.

Fender makes great Strats and Teles..............period!

To put it into perspective for you:

Pay a visit to http://www.lmii.com

Check out the prices for mandolin wood tops, backs, side, fingerboards and every componant.

Purchasing quality raw materials to build on your own instrument far exceeds the cost of what you can buy a Fender mando for at your local GC or wherever.
 
60's guy said:
The best answer to that is to simply say that if you were to lay your hands on a mandolin that sold for $1000 or more...the difference would be obvious. I think that purchasing a mandolin requires a bit more of an investment dollar wise as compared to guitars. There are many guitars that range between $500 - $1000 that are worthwhile.

I think the cost aspect is a bit different concerning mandos. Why? I'm not sure. It's just what I've observed.

Don't get me wrong here. I'm not being uppity. I'm trying to be being realistic.

As it is with any stringed instrument, quality feel, playability, and tone comes at a price.

To answer your question directly.....I've never been impressed with any acoustic made by Fender. I happened to be in a store a few months ago and saw a couple of Fender mandos. I picked 'em, plucked 'em, and put 'em down quickly.

They felt bad, played bad, and sounded horrible.

Fender makes great Strats and Teles..............period!

To put it into perspective for you:

Pay a visit to http://www.lmii.com

Check out the prices for mandolin wood tops, backs, side, fingerboards and every componant.

Purchasing quality raw materials to build on your own instrument far exceeds the cost of what you can buy a Fender mando for at your local GC or wherever.



Except, of course, he is looking for SOLID BODY electric mandolins.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Light said:
Except, of course, he is looking for SOLID BODY electric mandolins.

:confused:

When did 30-20-Blues state that he was strictly looking at SOLID BODY mandolins?
 
I stand corrected!

Solid body was within the thread title.

My apology, Light. :(
 
Hey, it's cool, i'll consider anything... I had looked at the fender earlier before I decided on solid body. I take the point that they make shoddy acoustics - their resonators are the worst I have seen. They take a Korean laminated box and slap a cheap cone into it, no soundwell or anything. So basically you get a poor quality guitar with a giant metal bridge. Not cool.
 
32-20-Blues said:
Hey, it's cool, i'll consider anything... I had looked at the fender earlier before I decided on solid body...
My apology to you also for my not reading "solid body" in the thread title.

Another place you should consider doing a bit of reading at is....

http://www.mandolincafe.com

Check out the forum section....

http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi

There's a builder section at the top of the page which will link you to the many builders of custom mandolins. Be advised!!!!! Pricey stuff for sure.

I hope that you eventually find an instrument that you will enjoy for years to come. :)
 
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