Lockdown Mandolin...

[JimC]

Looks like my lockdown project is going to be a Mandolin from scratch. I found a old dinghy centreboard in the garage roof which turns out to be 22mm thick sapele, probably 40 years old, which will provide the neck and a sort of centreblock. There's just one problem, I'm 40ish miles from my workshop and have few tools. I've spent a large percentage of the last week converting this centreboard which has few really flat surfaces, into suitable planks mainly by hand sanding. So so far about a week to do what would have taken me a morning if I had access to my father's thicknesser...

[blinddrew]

Good thing you're not in a hurry I guess...

[impala59]

Are you going solid or acoustic? I don't think I've ever come across a solid mandolin so that appeals to my slightly askew wish list
I have, in one of my dark workshop corners, a slightly broken Mandola, which I have always thought of as a baritone Mandolin. It deserves repairing as it is a nice sounding instrument (the dog did it, honest Dad!) An electric solid is one I may well tackle at some time

[jugglindan]

Sounds very interesting. Looking forward to seeing how it goes...

[JimC]

Are you going solid or acoustic?

Semi. I want an instrument I can play without abuse from downstairs, so not very loud. I think its going to have a sort of half height centre block so there is a reasonable soundboard, but I have't got to worry much about bracing and dovetail neck joints and other things beyond my confidence level. Carbon fibre will have a role to play.

Fender have made a solid mandolin, but bizarrely with only 4 strings which I should have thought kinda misses the point.

[impala59]

Fender have made a solid mandolin, but bizarrely with only 4 strings which I should have thought kinda misses the point.[/QUOTE]

Yes I googled and also found some 8 string Chinese “mandocasters” rather like a child size telecaster. Just goes to show everything is out there, I will follow your build with interest

[JimC]

Here's a 'progress' image. What you are looking at is the centreblock and neck, plus the headstock. The centreblock is going to be roughly half height, so hopefully the soundboard will contribute something.

The body is at the bottom of the picture - sorry about the orientation. Its a sapele/maple/sapele sandwich. I'm planning to make the projecting end of the maple into a tenon to locate the headstock well. No truss rod, but there'll be carbon fibre reinforcement right over the headstock splice and down to the centreblock, so its kinda a through neck setup.

[JimC]

Components are beginning to appear...

[JimC]

Well, it's vaguely beginning to take shape... Piece of trivia. The wooden French curve visible belonged to my grandfather when he was a premium apprentice with the Metropolitan Railway before WW1, and were used laying out the instrument. I won't say designed...

[JohnH]

It's coming along nicely. Nice to see some mandolin love; they're great instruments