# Octaves, Zouks, Citterns, Tenors and Electrics > Four, Five and Eight-String Electrics >  Busy, busy, busy

## thistle3585

The title says it all.  I have four instruments winding their way to new homes this week in time for the holidays.  I also revamped my entire website, settled on a new wiring system and am finishing up some long past due projects.  If all goes as planned then I'll have a break after the first of the year.  

Seems like the market is loosening up a bit which is nice.  I wonder if the elections have anything to do with it as I've been getting a bunch of inquires in the last couple weeks. 

Thought I'd post pictures of the two that just shipped.  The one is purple but is showing up as blue.

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## Mandobart

Thanks for posting the pics and link, Andrew.  An electric mando is my rearview mirror, slowly approaching and closer than it appears...I'll definitely be checking out your instruments!

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## Daniel Nestlerode

PURPLE!  That'd tick off ol' Bill  Monroe fer sure!   :Laughing: 
Love it!

Daniel

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## mrmando

> PURPLE!  That'd tick off ol' Bill  Monroe fer sure!


Not to mention the twin, switchable Almuse humbuckers, upgraded pots and built-in headphone amp! That is one wicked axe! 

Andrew, what's the third knob for? Does it control headphone volume?

I see the 5-stringer also has a third knob. What's going on there?

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## Ben Milne

Nice stuff!  
Hope you give yourself a rest over Xmas and I look forward to seeing what comes of 2011 from you Andrew.

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## thistle3585

Thanks for the comments.  The large switch is a pickup selector and the small toggle is a three way for the bridge pickup.  The third knob is a dual on/off and volume control for the headphone amp.  The MP3 is wired to bypass the amp so you have to adjust the volume at the device.  There were a few issues with running the MP3 through the amp so I just bypassed it.

Also, I am very pleased with the Almuse pickups.  I don't see any reason to go back to guitar pickups.  I've used about six of them, both four and five strings, and am very impressed with the tone.

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## Soundfarmer Pete

> Also, I am very pleased with the Almuse pickups.  I don't see any reason to go back to guitar pickups.  I've used about six of them, both four and five strings, and am very impressed with the tone.


Glad you like `em Andrew - just wondering if you have any reason for fitting them upside down?
Also been busy busy busy........a MandoStrat slightly beaten up before its journey to Oregon and a Tres Cubano bound for Chicago (OK, it`s not a mandolin but it has got 2 strings per course :-)


It`s good to be busy!
CheeryBye

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## thistle3585

> Glad you like `em Andrew - just wondering if you have any reason for fitting them upside down?



Yes, I cut the control cavity before I had the pickups in hand and they didn't fit facing the other direction.  As an aside, a really great feature about these pickups is the pick up ring that is available with them.

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## Jim MacDaniel

Andrew -- love the wood and color on that purple one; very nice work as usual.

Pete -- cool mini-Strat; I had to count the tuners and pickup poles to make sure I wasn't looking at a scaled down pic of the real thing.

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## Mandomod

Got word today from Pete at Almuse that my "Strat" emando (pictured above) shipped today! Can't wait to get it, will post a review once I do. P.S. Nice work Andrew, I love seeing everyones creations posted on here.

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## Soundfarmer Pete

> Got word today from Pete at Almuse that my "Strat" emando (pictured above) shipped today! Can't wait to get it, will post a review once I do .


Oh No!......Doomed.....I`m Doomed........there`s bits of varnish missing.......dings......crazed lacquer (OK that was the freezer spray)....looks like a piece of junk!
Have fun with the whacky wiring Mandomod :-)

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## Soundfarmer Pete

> Oh No!......Doomed.....I`m Doomed........there`s bits of varnish missing.......dings......crazed lacquer (OK that was the freezer spray)....looks like a piece of junk!


That said......Fender make quite a nice mark-up on additional junk factor guitars....nowadays, if I accidentally clonk my bass on anything, instead of thinking "oh no, I`ve damaged it", I just think "that`s an extra tenner on the re-sale value.....roadworn"!
But sometimes............pristine lacks charisma so.............

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## thistle3585

I know what you mean Pete.  The purple one above was a replacement to this one because the lacquer crazed just before shipping it.  I've had nothing but trouble with any Tele style mandolin I've built.  I'm done with them. I have three ash bodies sitting in my shop that are going to go into the fire this winter.

Now I have to rush off to UPS to get a five string on its way.

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## Mandomod

It's called "character", Pete............... :Wink: .............& just so you know, Pete's joking. I ordered the Strat with a "road worn" finish!

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## bobby bill

> I wonder if the elections have anything to do with it as I've been getting a bunch of inquires in the last couple weeks.


I have heard a lot of strange interpretations of what the recent elections meant, but this is the first one I have heard that chalks it up to a clamoring demand for more mandolins.  I like that interpretation, though.

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## rico mando

if we can get down to the real issue here . if you guys are professionals then there should be a bikini clad vixen holding the mandolin in your pictures . come on now can't we be a bit more professional here. 

on a side note i have had more than one wobbly pop before posting this but i am, sure this has only enabled me to say what really needed to be said

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## Soundfarmer Pete

:Disbelief: 


> if you guys are professionals then there should be a bikini clad vixen holding the mandolin in your pictures . come on now can't we be a bit more professional here.


Hmmmmmm. not only do we have to contend with sharp chisels, knives, evil powertools that can instantly remove fingers and other extremities, your now asking us to risk being bitten and mauled trying to dress up dog-like creatures with bushy tails in swimwear  :Disbelief:  :Disbelief:  :Disbelief:  :Disbelief:

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## Soundfarmer Pete

> I've had nothing but trouble with any Tele style mandolin I've built.  I'm done with them. I have three ash bodies sitting in my shop that are going to go into the fire this winter.


Don`t do it Andrew!
Actually, I found the whole process very enjoyable.....looking at all the guitar sites.....clock restoration sites....working out where the wear and tear would take place........and actually not worrying too much about careful handling.
Hopefully, I`ve done a reasonably convincing job for a first attempt!
CheeryBye

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## thistle3585

> Hmmmmmm. not only do we have to contend with sharp chisels, knives, evil powertools that can instantly remove fingers and other extremities, your now asking us to risk being bitten and mauled trying to dress up dog-like creatures with bushy tails in swimwear


The only thing more dangerous than the tools that Pete mentioned would be my wife after I posted the photo of the bikini clad vixen holding my instrument.  If you want that type of thing then check out DiMarzio's website.

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## jlsmandolin1952

Andrew,
           Great looking Mando's! Keep up the good work, and watch out for those Tele. styles. They'll bite ya everytime!
                                                        John

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## Soundfarmer Pete

Can`t see problems with Teles (not overly fond of archtops though.....even though I used to make violins)!!!!


CheeryBye

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## thistle3585

Pete,
There's bad blood, literally, between me and tele shaped instruments.

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## Soundfarmer Pete

At it again!

A fairly conservative mid `70s Strat style and.........

a slightly less conservative fluorescent pink neck-thru Superstrat........ARGGHH....even with the extractor fan running, I seem to have managed to cover my workshop in a fine coat of pink dust. :Disbelief:

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## TonyEarth

wow!!!! extremely awesome emandos! i'm always impressed by what you make.

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## thistle3585

Here is my latest. My first left handed instrument.  It leaves for Belgium later this week.   Its actually a pretty great achievement because that was the last one on my waiting list.  I  get to go back to building spec instruments.

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## Soundfarmer Pete

Nice one Andrew - and you seem to have a great source of wood!
I did a lefty Thinline for a French customer last month..........really odd!  I like to have a play on the finished instrument to check set-up but couldn`t get my head round it......everything seemed upside down.......

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## thistle3585

That wood came off ebay.  I bought it for next to nothing, and still have a fair amount left so that is the "stock" piece for the next couple instruments.  No upgrade costs, first come first serve.  

I don't think I'm immoral enough to put that dayglo pink on an instrument.  :Smile:

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## Soundfarmer Pete

> I don't think I'm immoral enough to put that dayglo pink on an instrument.


The customer`s always right  :Wink: 
Even the pickups are pink  :Disbelief:

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## Ben Milne

Andrew that wood looks fantastic. Nice work with the colour.
If I hadn't just aMASsed another emando, I would be very tempted to send you an email. (Okay I am still tempted, but must be realistic in such times).
Any thoughts about adding a symetrical 2pt to your standard spec?

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## thistle3585

Funny you should ask.  I've had two emails in the last week about two points.  Although its not a standard model, I have done a few two points in the past so I am tooled up for them including a carved top version.  I think I'll do a couple two points, a carved top single cutaway and two flat tops.  I think I'll have six instruments in this next batch.

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## thistle3585

Well, I'm back at it after having taken a bit of a break to work on my OMs and a couple tenor ukes.  What do you call a grouping of emandos?  A gaggle?  A brood?  

Being a production minded guy here is a few of my two dozen necks in the works.  

And finally, the last of my ash teles is now gone forever.  Thank goodness.   :Smile:

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## Ken Sager

I'd call it a pickle of e-mandos. Nice work like that leaves me in a pickle to figure out how to justify buying another emando!

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## Soundfarmer Pete

Loosely based on the EVH Wolfgang!

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## Soundfarmer Pete

A brace of 5 string explorers in their infancy......the maple top is a customer job, the one with the white scratchplate is an experiment....body is Idigbo, a medium density African wood.....rang like a bell when I tapped the board so had to give it a try!

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## Soundfarmer Pete

This is one I`ve been dying to do ever since (Ok, a little while after) I played a scalloped Strat.....an Yngwe Mandosteen!!!
I don`t know how it will work with an e-mando but suspect it will be a worthwhile experiment - probably a good way to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome.

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