# Octaves, Zouks, Citterns, Tenors and Electrics > Four, Five and Eight-String Electrics >  Saga solidbody e-mando kit... anyone build one?

## terzinator

While I decide on a "nice" e-mando, I'm going to suggest that my wife get me the Saga kit for Christmas... Not expecting greatness, but it might be something fun to do in the workshop during the holidays, anyway. 

Has anyone built this kit? If so, any suggestions/tips to improve what's there? (Without spending more than it's worth!)

http://www.amazon.com/Saga-RK-2-MT-1...d_sim_sbs_MI_1

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## Ronny

I did ! (look at my avatar and my pictures !).

For the price, it's a good kit. To have a pretty good instrument, you must shield the inner part and change the nut (the plastic original one is far too high, and and the width of the slots is not good at all.
I wrote some advices here (in french) for the non english readers, and for the newbies...

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## terzinator

Cool! Love the orange!

Yeah, I've heard the biggest issues are with the nut and the electronics.

There's a fun vid of a guy playing Dixie Hoedown on one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWKNe...eature=related

Here's your page translated!

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## Mandocarver

I'd recommend you take a look at Moongazer music kitshttp://www.moongazermusic.com
I haven't bought a kit from Tom Morici but I have bought lots of parts and his service and advice have been great.
Good luck
Dean

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## Ronny

I did one too !


(yes, I'm an orange addict !!!)
This kit is a little more expensive, and it's very good too. It worth the price, again... No nut setup necessary. You build the kit, put the strings, and it's ready to play ! The neck is really comfortable and solid (with the Saga kit, I sometimes had to use trussrod with heavy strings).
With an Almuse Agressor in middle position, it's really loud !

@ Terzinator : funny translation !!
"les fils du jack" : "Sons of Jack" or "jack's wires" ???? It depend upon the way "fils" is pronounced !

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## hogtown

where did you get your case because that's the biggest reason i haven't got one yet.
but i love the idea of having a solid body mandolin that is so cool

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## terzinator

That moongazer kit looks REALLY nice. 

Yeah, you appear to have as much of a thing for orange as I do!

Oh, the other funny thing in the translation:
_
"connect the "mandocaster" on an amp, letting his beard grow and replay any Grinderman!"_

can't argue with that!

 :Mandosmiley:

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## Jacob

Another vote for Moongazer.

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## Ronny

@ hogtown : the case is homemade : a plywood box, the shape of the E-mando cut through a piece of polystyrene, and the "zebra skin" (or leopard skin) if glued using titebond glue. Very simple.

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## Jacob

The Access Stage Three case is a perfect fit for a Moongazer Deja Vu 5 string.

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## Chinn

Another vote for the Moongazer. I built my new e-mando using a Moongazer Neck, MG4 Pickup, and other assorted hardware from Moongazer. Top quality stuff and great service.

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## terzinator

I did get one of the Saga kits for Christmas... I'm thinking of giving it a George Harrison Rosewood Tele vibe, making it like the one he used in the "Let it Be" sessions... I have some nice Rosewood stain, and I'll stain the whole thing, including the neck and headstock.



I'll need to make a black pickguard, and I might change the shape of it at the same time, to make it more like a Tele guard.

The journey begins!

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## Jim MacDaniel

> I did one too !


Nicely done - I love Dreamsicles  :Mandosmiley:

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## Chinn

Chris, good luck with your kit and post up the details of your build. 

IIRR, the saga kit is sent already prepared in sanding sealer, so you may need to paint it instead of stain it. I'm not sure the body will readily take the stain.

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## terzinator

yeah, sanding sealer... oops!

Well, I did sand the body a little, with very fine paper, and then put some stain on it. If I were to grade how it took the stain, I'd give it a C+. 

I'd like it darker, but I'll toss another coat on it. Who knows if it'll take stain any more than it already has.

Cut the headstock to a Tele shape, too, and stained the neck. 

I think I'll leave everything satin, rather than glossy... so I have to figure out if I can just leave it bare after the stain, or if I need to put a sealer on it. I'm not looking to win any awards with the look, but I probably should have read your post before staining it!



Trying to decide whether to go with the bridge/tailpiece it came with, or go with one like on the Moongazer units:



If I went with the moongazer bridge, I'd probably have to futz with the placement to make sure the intonation is correct. But I like the look of that better than with the tailpiece. 

Now, Chinn, do you make emandos? The one in your sig looks really nice! (I went to your Blues Mando blog and saw another photo of that same emando, but do you build them?)

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## Soundfarmer Pete

Since you`ve already stained the wood, I`d suggest that to keep things simple, a sealing of oil finish - TruOil, Danish Oil or similar.
You could then go down the "Sound Of Wood" Warwick bass route.....maybe the odd polish with beeswax......
As for positioning the bridge, I would suggest a couple or three turns of the "length" screw into the E string saddle.....measure from nut to 12th fret, move the bridge plate so that there`s  the same distance from the 12th to the E saddle and plonk it there!!!
The main thing is to have plenty of space to pull back the saddles on the thicker strings.
Enjoy!
Pete

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## Chinn

> Now, Chinn, do you make emandos? The one in your sig looks really nice! (I went to your Blues Mando blog and saw another photo of that same emando, but do you build them?)


Thanks Chris.  :Smile:  I've made that emando so far and I'm very pleased with it. Its my first, but not my last. I plan on making more and look forward to improving my process and design. Tom at Moongazer did 75% of the work on the neck, and I did all the rest. Can't say enough good things about the pickup as well.

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## terzinator

Did a quick "between coats" sanding, and it took off most of the stain... meaning, it didn't take the stain. Looks more like Rory Gallagher's Stratocaster than Harrison's Tele!

So, not sure what I'll do. I don't think I'll put another coat of stain on. I might leave it as is, but I'm also tempted to try a spray-on cream color. But not sure how it will stick after the stain. As long as it doesn't feel gummy, cream would look cool, especially with the stock tortoise guard. I'm not a "factory relic'd" fan, but I might sand it down a little afterward to get to bare wood in spots. Who knows. It's just for fun. 

Neck feels great, though. I sanded it eventually with 320 grit, and the fret ends are nicely smoothed down. 

I have to say, it might not be all that, but for $119, it's pretty cool.

Keep us posted on your builds, Chinn! I like what I see! (eMandos are great GAS/MAS relievers! Inexpensive enough for starters, and the designs are so much more varied than their acoustic counterparts!)

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## terzinator

well, I went in a different direction... Sanded off the stain, and went with a putty color... Montana spraypaint. Color is called "Ice Bear." It seems to have a tiny hint of green to it, and it looks really cool on the body.



Just need to add a second coat, and we'll move on to assembly!

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## Tom Sailor

Don't forget sanding between the lacquers with 600 grit... I'll do!
Tom

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## terzinator

painted and built up. Just have to set up nut and saddle and we'll be good to go.

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## Verne Andru

Nice!

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## Chinn

Very nice Chris! I know you'll enjoy that little beaut!

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## Tom Sailor

Hi Chris, looks as you did a really good job with the laquer... the contrast between the silver and the pickguard is great!
beautiful Emando. Wish you lots of good music with it!

Btw you know the giant Jason Anick plays a Saga mandolin as well...?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhSOCm_maV4
You will certainly have fun with her!

Tom

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## timv

Great job Chris! It makes me want to try. Now you just have to work on finding a furry jacket like George's in that picture...

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## terzinator

Thx, all. re: "contrast between silver and pickguard"... yeah, the body color looks kind of silvery in that pic. It's really a greenish putty color. 

Thanks for sharing the vid of Jason Anick.  

My favorite vid of this little solidbody is this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWKNeWR-MSY

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## Mercury

> well, I went in a different direction... Sanded off the stain, and went with a putty color... Montana spraypaint. Color is called "Ice Bear." It seems to have a tiny hint of green to it, and it looks really cool on the body.
> 
> 
> 
> Just need to add a second coat, and we'll move on to assembly!


Hi Chris,

Wondering if you used a clear-coat lacquer after painting the body, to seal it?  Also, did you sand between coats, or is this (or the clear-coating) unnecessary using this product?

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## Ronny

Nicely done, Chris.

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## terzinator

I didn't use a clear-coat afterwards, but probably could have. 

If I were to do it again, I would do a more thorough job sanding between coats, then probably use a finishing compound on it to give it a more professional finish. 

So, the finish isn't glassy smooth by any stretch. Some places are smoother than others, but it looks good for a first effort. My plan is to do one of the Moongazer 5-stringers next, and I'll pay closer attention to the finish. I'll probably do it in the spring when I can paint outside in the garage where it's better ventilated. It's cold here in Minnesota (duh!), so doors are closed and it's pretty easy to stink up the house with paint fumes. 

I started setting it up last night; I have a little bit more work to go on the nut, but it sounds pretty good!

I did fill the pickup cavity with copper tape from Stew-Mac, and I got a sheet of metallic adhesive to put on the pickguard itself. So it's fairly interference-free. (I also splurged on one of the electrosocket jack mounts below and added a switchcraft jack, each of which I think is a big improvement over stock.)

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## Mercury

> I didn't use a clear-coat afterwards, but probably could have. 
> 
> If I were to do it again, I would do a more thorough job sanding between coats, then probably use a finishing compound on it to give it a more professional finish. 
> 
> So, the finish isn't glassy smooth by any stretch. Some places are smoother than others, but it looks good for a first effort.


Still, it looks awesome!  Must build me a kit too someday...

Best regards.

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## terzinator

Finished with filing the nut down, and the darned thing plays pretty good!

Fun as all get out. I only have an acoustic amp at this point, but I plugged it in, added a touch of reverb, and the thing puts out some respectable tone. I might just have to bring it to a gig!

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## Chinn

Nice job Chris. Enjoy it!!!!!

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## terzinator

Went to a jam this afternoon, and I didn't even think of bringing the telemando, dangit. Turned out lots of folks were plugged in, and it would have been perfect. Shoot.

Just snagged a 70's Pignose 7-100 off ebay to play this thing through. (One of those little portable ones.) I love using these as a pre-amp into a bigger amp. Super fun tone.

Should have it by the end of the week.

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## Paul Busman

I just ordered one from Amazon: $125 including tax, free shipping (I'm an Amazon Prime member).  I built the Saga Les Paul kit a number of years ago and was pretty pleased with the results.
Somewhere on You Tube I saw one of these mandolins that the builder had painted black and it looked sharp as all getout so I think I'll go with that.  Maybe black metalflake if I can find some auto paint that color.

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## Barry Wilson

Pignose are awesome little amps. I went to a rock jam and used a rockman running stereo into a couple piggy's. the looks I got setting those up was funny. never forget Bob, holy crap those little things are loud, battery power? haha

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## Chinn

Paul, make sure to put up a thread and show some pics of the build!

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## MikeEdgerton

That Saga looks good in that color. Nice job.

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## mandolinstew

yes I built one and it came out very nice.I didn't like the supplied bridge and tailpiece so I got a Tele style($30 Allparts)and had to cut the bottom of the neck to lower it to the body.put it all together with Fender strings,plugged it in and no sound.I looked at wiring diagrams but I can't find one that shows the positive and negative from the pickup or the ground to the bridge.does anybody know the correct wiring?

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## Soundfarmer Pete

You could try a process of elimination......
If you have a multimeter, set it in the 20k range, test the two output wires of the pickup to see if you have a reading that`s not 1!
If not, forget the rest of the wiring - bypass the pots and wire the pickup direct to the socket (+ and - don`t matter)  see if you get some sound....
If not, then the pickup is dodgy, if yes..........
http://www.almuse.co.uk/Tech_Book.pdf may help!

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## terzinator

> yes I built one and it came out very nice.I didn't like the supplied bridge and tailpiece so I got a Tele style($30 Allparts)and had to cut the bottom of the neck to lower it to the body


Would love to see this! Post a pic!

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## mandolinstew

thanks for the diagram,pots jack and pickup are all wired correctly.wired pickup direct to jack and nothing.took pickup apart and can see that it is not assembled correctly and will never work.am ordering new pots, knobs and Almuse pickup.after reading about them I think that would be the best thing to do even if the supplied pickup did work (or buzzzzzzz)will post photo when finished.

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## Soundfarmer Pete

Are the Saga pickups standard Telecaster neck type?

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## mandolinstew

yep,the Saga pickup is Tele style neck w/six poles

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## Soundfarmer Pete

Hmmm....might be worth developing a replacement then.......4 poles!
Any chance of a measurement of the string spacing over the pickup please? - 1st to 4th is easiest (in metric then divide by 3). My guess would be around 10mm.
Cheers
Pete.

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## Jacob

The spacing on my vintage Kentucky solid body that the kit appears to emulate is 11mm.

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## mandolinstew

I added new bridge and Almuse pickup that sounds fabulous.

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## Mo Soar

Just finished this - meet Hank!



Pretty much what everyone else says. Fun, inexpensive, a couple problems here and there. Biggest problems - bridge is in the wrong place, it'll take completely resetting the bridge to fix. Two of the tuners were drilled off center and weren't usable. Pickup isn't grounded, there are shielding issues - I happen to be married to a pickup maker/electronic engineer, so I suspect I can talk my way into a custom rewind and better components.

Based the headstock on an old Tele we have, but smoothed it out a little.

Played it through the spouse's 1962 Fender Princeton and it sounds pretty good, with a new pickup, it could sound great! Inaugural tune? Cold Cold Heart!

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## Ed Goist

Mo; that's a great looking e-mando - Congratulations!
I'm sorry you have to deal with so many issues with it.
Hoping everything gets squared away as painlessly as possible.

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## Mo Soar

Thanks, Ed! You know, for $115 for the entire kit, that isn't really that many issues. I'm certainly not unhappy with it, it just needs a bit more work. 

The paint came from ReRanch, btw, "ReRanch Custom Gorilla Vanilla" - a nice warm white/cream, kinda what Fender Olympic White fades to after about 30 years. "Fender Vintage Cream" was just too yellow. The spouse has a complicated and "don't try this at home"  method of getting paint out of a spray can and into his sprayer with the high-quality nozzle (involving a Mason jar, a nail, a wooden jig, a hammer and eye protection). He used a white primer, the ReRanch paint and 3 coats of clear and then buffed and polished it.

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## Mo Soar

Oh, and the "vintage" finish on the headstock and neck is Mohawk tinted lacquer (he thinks the color was Ranch Oak) and it took about 4 coats to get the right color.

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## Rodney Riley

> The spouse has a complicated and "don't try this at home"  method of getting paint out of a spray can and into his sprayer with the high-quality nozzle (involving a Mason jar, a nail, a wooden jig, a hammer and eye protection).


 Whoa Ho Ho!!!! Would I ever love to see a video of THAT!!!!!!!!  :Laughing:   :Laughing: 



OK  OK OK, strictly for tha mando content ya know... has to be in there somewhere  :Smile:

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