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Hi gang, here's my Mandonaught, completed today.

The top is half a AA sitka classical top from SM

Back & sides are walnut salvaged from a shopfitters bin... (honest!!!)

the neck is (I think) Iroko form the same shopfitter.

Bone nut & bridge from inlaidartist on Ebay,

Rosewood fingerboard, Rosewood binding, Maple purfling, tuners, Tailpiece & truss rod all from SM

rosette is a strip of mahogany I lifted off the floor......

the sides & binding were bent using a steam wallpaper stripper which worked really well!!!!

Good bits are the walnut and the binding, I'm REALLY pleased with this.

Bad bits?

Well the 12th fret inlay is off centre, and the Truss rod cover isn't the straightest.

Sound is really mellow already (bear in mind the strings went on about 6 hours ago!!) It's more like a guitar with a 10th fret capo than a mando. it's not as trebley and theres FAAAAR more sustain than any mando I've ever played.

All you guitarists, it's like strumming at the 12th fret rather than 1cm from the bridge if that makes sense.....

I'm REALLY pleased with this one.

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Pretty darn cool - looks great to me

Martin,
I love it! Nice one.
What is the scale length?
I can relate to the smaller scale as I have made a few resently. At 20.16" I'm calling my small instruments a "Mandolele".
I bet that one is fun to play!

Wade

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

Schweet!!!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

[QUOTE=Wade S.] Martin,
What is the scale length?
[/QUOTE]
14"

as for playing it, well, I have a BIT, but I really aught to let the Danish Oil dry!!!!

Last coat went on at 8.45am, & I had it strung up & tuned by 11!!!!

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Cool! It looks just like a Dreadolin!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Martin:

That is just too cool!

-Mark

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Pullman, WA

The more I know, the more I know I don't know.

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Cool ! Reminds me of Wade's Mandolele! Very nice design idea.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I love it. nice work.

very interesting indeed!

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I like it! I have never attempted a Mando build, love to play them. I bet this one puts out some sound.

Great job

Mike
White Oak, Texas

It also resembles a tres cubano (a double course three note cuban instrument) Good work!

[QUOTE=Billy T] Cool! It looks just like a Dreadolin! [/QUOTE]

I'd bet a bowl of CCF you'd sing a romance to Loretta Lynn with it!

Joking aside, Martin, what a great looking instrument!

Do you have any equipment to record it and share a sound file? I really like the shape!

Scrounging paid off nicely for you, it's also one of my hobbies!

Good work bud, keep on postin' them great pics!

Serge

[quote]I'd bet a bowl of CCF you'd sing a romance to Loretta Lynn with it! [/quote]

Never happened! Didn't do it! There were no witnesses!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Aw folks you're all too kind!!!

ESPECIALLY chuffed as y'all are proper luthiers and I'm really new at this stuff (since December '05) and while I take adulation from the metal heads over at the JAm Session forum with a pinch of salt (so nice to see well spelled posts too.....) good comments from folks who actually know what they're talking about are really, really nice.

So THANKS!!!!
[Quote=Serge Poirier
] Do you have any equipment to record it and share a sound file? I really like the shape![/QUOTE]

yup, once I bring it home from work I'll get a soundclick file up.

so long as you promise to comment on the SOUND and not the playing!! I only started mando about 2 months ago.....martinedwards38892.1414699074

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Billy, Ya charmer ya! Serge Poirier38892.14375

Hey Thanks Martin, BTW, i play mandolin and i love Dreadnaughts so your instrument is really interesting to me, i really look forward to hear it's sound!

BTW, my brother's name is Martin too!

Ahh, I am delighted you had the courage to show your stuff over here, Martin!!!

These guys REALLY know what they are talking about!!

What's your next build?

Well I've started looking at the idea of a walnut/sitka Dread with a one piece mahogany neck.

but the school holidays loom........

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ok, here's a recording of the wee beastie.

my new luthier soundclick site!!

please forgive the awful playing (2 months experience) and the crummy mic (came free with a speech to text program)

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WOW Martin, for a guy who's been playing for 2 months only....

Your mandonaught sounds really loud and clear, very bright, i just loved it, i'm now a fan of mandonaughts! Do you have any mandonaught plans for sale dude?

plan?

that's a four letter word!!!!

you gotta be joking!!!!

closet I got to plans are my photobucket account where you're free to go have a rummage!!!

here

there are some other "in progress" pics there, but all there is in documentation for the mandonaught is there.

thanks for the kind words about my playing BTW

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Martin, i was not joking at all, i really love the sound and the shape of your mandonaught, just clever work you made there pal, thanks for the photobucket, very inspiring! I now have to come up with an instrument of my own creation!

Serge

Very interesting box! The heel looks quite short to me, what are you using for the neck/body joint and attachment?

Alan D.