Mandolin Players

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28 Comments

Comment by Dale Hinckley on August 24, 2009 at 1:37pm

Edward, thanks for tactfully setting me straight on the nomenclature. I checked around and could find no good reason or origin for the difference, but there it is. Weird that the US uses different terms - but then again you can tune your mandola/octave mando any way you want. Maybe the names should correspond to the tunings and not to the instrument itself. Happy picking!
Dale

Comment by Antonio Cotichini on August 24, 2009 at 11:54am

Jasper, visit here:http://www.mandolin.org.uk/makers/index.php
Happy hunting!
Antonio

Comment by Edward Sparks on August 10, 2009 at 3:03pm

Hi Pat,
Thanks for the pics...beautiful! I read recently that a mandola is the same as a mandolin only tuned an octave lower...that is everywhere except in the USA where a mandola is tuned like a viola...that's why there has been confusion on my part about the whole thing! So, I guess here is the States we call it an "octave mandolin." That is what I am about to start building...Mine will look lot more like a small guitar though. I will post pics here as I get on with it. Thanks again for your message and the pictures!
Edward
http://mysite.verizon.net/emsparks/index.htm

Comment by Pat Collins on August 10, 2009 at 8:58am

Hi Edward
I've only just realised that I never replied to your message of 21st June - sorry about that. I attach 2 photos, one of my mandola and one of the mandola beside my guitar for comparison purposes. Hope this is of some use - once again, apologies for not replying to your original message.

Best Wishes

Pat

Comment by Edward Sparks on August 10, 2009 at 6:57am

Hay Dale,
I have a book on building Citterns and Bouzoukis (The Bouzouki Book by Graham McDonald) and he says that in Europe they call the octave mandolin a "mandola," although I agree with you that I have always thought of the mandola as the mando version of the viola...curious!!! Edward

Comment by Jasper Squire on June 22, 2009 at 3:49am

I'm thinking of buying a custom build, hand carved A-style mando for celtic, classical and anything imbetween - can anybody recommend some good UK based luthiers?

Comment by Dale Hinckley on June 21, 2009 at 12:33pm

The mandolin is tuned like a violin; mandola corresponds to viola: CGDA (tuned in fifths a fifth lower than violin/mandolin); octave mandolin is an octave lower than mandolin. I think that's why the octave mandolin is pretty popular: all the music is in the right key instead of having to transpose and work out the new fingering for mandola.

Comment by Edward Sparks on June 21, 2009 at 10:10am

Hi Pat,
Woulds love to see pics of your mandola...especailly since I want to build one. I know there is an extra string reach, but I am thinking of using a shorter scale, like Gibson's 24 3/4" scale as opposed to the regualr 25" scale on most acoustic guitars...I can order a pre-cut fingerboard in that scale. I built an 8 string gutiar that looks alot like an octave mando and I tried stringing it like an octave mando and it didn't work. Thanks for the info, and really, I would like to see pics of yours! Edward

Comment by Pat Collins on June 21, 2009 at 9:06am

Edward

Yes, the mandola is tuned an octave lower than the mandolin - same strings eadg. What I like about it is that it gives very nice acoustic sound when you play chords. It's not as tinny as the mandolin. The frets are further apart, which means it takes a little while to get used to longer stretches for notes.
My wife gave me my mandola for my 50th birthday and it is hand-made. Best of luck building the mandola!

Best Wishes

Pat

Comment by Pat Collins on June 21, 2009 at 9:01am

Mary

The Session is a great site. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Bst Wishes

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