Frankenstein Mando-Cello

[Greg Steil]

Dear Hive mind, one of my on again off again projects is converting an old Harmony arch-top to a Mando-Cello. Problem one...a soft Maple fingerboard that was stained Black, and now I have it sanded down to re-fret, there are still splotches of stain. What would you suggest to re-stain a nice dark Black? Problem two....Tail piece? I'd like to keep the "trapeze" style. I have the original. Any ideas for modifying it? Many years ago, I inlayed a steel bar in the neck, and sorta bolixed up the job, so cosmetics will involve Black laquer for sure. Thanks in advance for any ideas!....onward through the fog!

[Clay Schaeffer]

Mohawk makes a black ultra penetrating stain that can be used to directly dye wood and also mixed with lacquer (and other finishing materials) to make black lacquer. I believe it costs about $22 -25 a quart (which can dye a lot of material).
With the tail piece you may want to use the two outside holes and drill a couple of new ones for the middle strings. Is your mando cello 4 strings or eight? I have made some guitar bridges that could be strung with six strings or 4 pairs.
Sounds like a fun project!

[Mark Swanson]

I just worked on one of those Harmony guitars that had the soft maple fingerboard. I cursed it loudly a few times, that fingerboard was crap. If it was my guitar, I thought it would improve a whole bunch in tone and structure if I made a new fingerboard for it.