Mandolin scale length: Is 15" pushing it?

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Clay Schaeffer
Posts: 1674
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:04 pm

Re: Mandolin scale length: Is 15" pushing it?

Post by Clay Schaeffer »

If it doesn't come up to pitch you can always tune it a step lower. The C melody of mandolins <g>
Jason Rodgers
Posts: 1554
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Mandolin scale length: Is 15" pushing it?

Post by Jason Rodgers »

Exactly. I am not opposed to making them short mandolas (C G D A).
-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
Jason Rodgers
Posts: 1554
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Mandolin scale length: Is 15" pushing it?

Post by Jason Rodgers »

Still getting unprecedented time in the shop. Tops and backs for both instruments are ready to go with braces shaped to rough dimensions. Waiting for the rain to stop to glue up. Got some necks roughed out with V joints: headstocks will be ready by tomorrow. I need to do a little more drawing full-scale to work out neck attachment angles. I should also consider fingerboard and bridge materials. Zoom-zoom!
-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
Bill Raymond
Posts: 367
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 5:37 pm
Location: Red Bluff California

Re: Mandolin scale length: Is 15" pushing it?

Post by Bill Raymond »

Does it ever stop raining in Portland??
Jason Rodgers
Posts: 1554
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Mandolin scale length: Is 15" pushing it?

Post by Jason Rodgers »

Hey, it's not Seattle! Yes, it rains a fair bit, but we get some good stretches of dry weather in the summer... not usually until the middle of July, though. The grass turns brown, and that often lasts through the middle of October. Then back to rain.
-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
ken axe
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2013 11:17 am

Re: Mandolin scale length: Is 15" pushing it?

Post by ken axe »

so...?
Jason Rodgers
Posts: 1554
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 4:05 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Mandolin scale length: Is 15" pushing it?

Post by Jason Rodgers »

Alas, these little buggers stalled out. August rolled around, and the humidity jumped up to a point I didn't feel comfortable gluing anything. However, the necks have V-joints cut and ready to glue, the fingerboards and bridges are roughed out, and the tops and back are braced and ready to go.

Thanks for checking!
-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
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