I recently took a poor guitar of mine and tuned it as a Mandola, by moving some strings around and tuning it GDAE. Someone told me that by doing this, it would warp the neck... is that possible?
Not necessarily - depends on string gauge. But note that mandola tuning is CGDA - what you have would be octave mandolin tuning. I'm assuming you are an octave down from fiddle or mandolin.
I recently saw an octave mandolin advertised on eBay that was made from a 3/4 size guitar by adding two additional guitar tuners the top edge of the headstock and two additional peg hole on each edge of the saddle thus increases the number of strings .
I assumed the maker added slots for the strings in the plastic string saddle and re-cut the nut as well.
Just think of the stress on a twelve string guitar. Those necks hold their shape without warping.
I plan to make one as soon as I come across an inexpensive 3/4 or 1/2 size guitar.
Obviously you need the extra tuners, etc. Most guitar necks would be a bit wide for a mandola. If you could squeeze in the extra four strings instead of two a cittern might be a better bet, hoping you have an adjustable truss rod, and that the body construction also can take the stress, and watching the string gauge choices carefully.
Is it an octave mandolin, or (irish-tuned?) mandola? I've heard it called a mandola in that tuning before, but I'm not quite sure myself. There is a bit of space where the other 2 strings were on it... instead of having 8 strings in 4 sets, I just have 4 strings, in the first 4 pegs of the guitar.
an octave mandolin is in the same register as the guitar. The low "G" is the 3rd fret of a standard tuned guitar. The high "e" is the same pitch on both instruments.
what you want to do is run the strings down the middle 4 slots, not all to one side or the other
you could do this with a cheap 12 string guitar and you would be set for the double strings and everything.
But trying to play only the middle 8 on a 12-string is weird ! I have a friend who did that and it's not a satisfying instrument in many ways. I suppose that you could take a sander to it and thin down the neck, but otherwise I reckon it's the worst of all worlds - the guitar is too heavily built, for the extra string tension, and just doesn't resonate the same way even a merely reasonable 'zouk or mandola does.
In the time or effort you've spent looking for this hypothetical instrument to be re-jigged, you could have been saving up your money and bought a Paul Hathaway instrument, for example. Or an Ozark/Trinity College/Johnston, or whatever, if your sights are lower.
The size of the guitar will make a difference which is why I am looking for a 1/2 or 3/4 size guitar to convert.
I play a 5 string mandolin at amplified sessions all the time. It set up with (2) G strings and (1) D, A and E strings leaving empty spaces between those strings. It works great!
I converted a 12 string guitar to being an 8 string guitar tuned GDAE. If you are placing the heaviest strings in octave pairs at the top tuning knobs, it presents problems. You may shorten the life of the guitar, and it will be impossible to capo. But the upside for the short term is really deep base. I have scaled back on string gauges, the heaviest being 24 or 32 on the deep "G" string in the octave pair.
The difficulty with a converted 12 string is the neck is wide. I think a converted 6 string to an 8 string with a thinner neck might be a better option (add a couple of tunning knobs).
You might want to try looking at a Tenor Guitar, also tuned GDAE as played by Seth Lakeman. Gibson used to make them and I believe there is a bit of a revival in them at the minute
Guitar as a Mandola
Guitar as a Mandola
I recently took a poor guitar of mine and tuned it as a Mandola, by moving some strings around and tuning it GDAE. Someone told me that by doing this, it would warp the neck... is that possible?
# Posted on June 16th 2009 by fifemaster
Re: Guitar as a Mandola
Not necessarily - depends on string gauge. But note that mandola tuning is CGDA - what you have would be octave mandolin tuning. I'm assuming you are an octave down from fiddle or mandolin.
# Posted on June 16th 2009 by will morgan
Re: Guitar as a Mandola
I recently saw an octave mandolin advertised on eBay that was made from a 3/4 size guitar by adding two additional guitar tuners the top edge of the headstock and two additional peg hole on each edge of the saddle thus increases the number of strings .
I assumed the maker added slots for the strings in the plastic string saddle and re-cut the nut as well.
Just think of the stress on a twelve string guitar. Those necks hold their shape without warping.
I plan to make one as soon as I come across an inexpensive 3/4 or 1/2 size guitar.
# Posted on June 16th 2009 by Cape Cod Struggler
Re: Guitar as a Mandola
Obviously you need the extra tuners, etc. Most guitar necks would be a bit wide for a mandola. If you could squeeze in the extra four strings instead of two a cittern might be a better bet, hoping you have an adjustable truss rod, and that the body construction also can take the stress, and watching the string gauge choices carefully.
# Posted on June 16th 2009 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Guitar as a Mandola
Is it an octave mandolin, or (irish-tuned?) mandola? I've heard it called a mandola in that tuning before, but I'm not quite sure myself. There is a bit of space where the other 2 strings were on it... instead of having 8 strings in 4 sets, I just have 4 strings, in the first 4 pegs of the guitar.
# Posted on June 16th 2009 by fifemaster
Re: Guitar as a Mandola
an octave mandolin is in the same register as the guitar. The low "G" is the 3rd fret of a standard tuned guitar. The high "e" is the same pitch on both instruments.
what you want to do is run the strings down the middle 4 slots, not all to one side or the other
you could do this with a cheap 12 string guitar and you would be set for the double strings and everything.
# Posted on June 16th 2009 by Nate Ryan
Re: Guitar as a Mandola
But trying to play only the middle 8 on a 12-string is weird ! I have a friend who did that and it's not a satisfying instrument in many ways. I suppose that you could take a sander to it and thin down the neck, but otherwise I reckon it's the worst of all worlds - the guitar is too heavily built, for the extra string tension, and just doesn't resonate the same way even a merely reasonable 'zouk or mandola does.
In the time or effort you've spent looking for this hypothetical instrument to be re-jigged, you could have been saving up your money and bought a Paul Hathaway instrument, for example. Or an Ozark/Trinity College/Johnston, or whatever, if your sights are lower.
# Posted on June 16th 2009 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Guitar as a Mandola
The size of the guitar will make a difference which is why I am looking for a 1/2 or 3/4 size guitar to convert.
I play a 5 string mandolin at amplified sessions all the time. It set up with (2) G strings and (1) D, A and E strings leaving empty spaces between those strings. It works great!
# Posted on June 16th 2009 by Cape Cod Struggler
Re: Guitar as a Mandola
I converted a 12 string guitar to being an 8 string guitar tuned GDAE. If you are placing the heaviest strings in octave pairs at the top tuning knobs, it presents problems. You may shorten the life of the guitar, and it will be impossible to capo. But the upside for the short term is really deep base. I have scaled back on string gauges, the heaviest being 24 or 32 on the deep "G" string in the octave pair.
The difficulty with a converted 12 string is the neck is wide. I think a converted 6 string to an 8 string with a thinner neck might be a better option (add a couple of tunning knobs).
# Posted on June 17th 2009 by Micheál
Re: Guitar as a Mandola
I meant 42 as the heaviest string. There are 8 string guitars for sale on eBay occasionally, and they are usually inexpensive.
# Posted on June 23rd 2009 by Micheál
Re: Guitar as a Mandola
You might want to try looking at a Tenor Guitar, also tuned GDAE as played by Seth Lakeman. Gibson used to make them and I believe there is a bit of a revival in them at the minute
# Posted on August 17th 2009 by clavey