Electric Viking Mandolin

Hi,
I got tipped that this community would perhaps have some interest in this instrument.

This is a custom made mandolin made by Harald Hougaard of Norway. It is a normal scale mandolin tuned as an octave mandolin. I have researched how to do this for a couple of years and found that a combination of nylon and steel strings will make me able to tune it down an octave without loosing too much tension in the strings.

It has a viking-thematics to it with correct ornaments and a viking inspired dragons head as headstock. The top and sides are carved in the Jelling-style (approx.880-985).

It has a small sound-compartment with a mic installed and also a piezo in the bridge. I can choose to mix them or just use one of them. The YouTube-clip below is the sound plugged straight into an AER Compact 60 acoustic amplifier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2TYSEe18CM

Attachment 171004

That’s really beautiful, even through my phone’s speakers. Looking forward to headphones.

Wonderful instrument, beautifully played!

Somewhere I have seen this mandolin before. Beautiful instrument and sounds great too.

Can you share the details on the strings? I just bought one of the Northfield carved octaves. Would be fun to try to set up a regular one as an octave some time. Is that at 14” scale?

A really interesting mandolin- thanks for posting.
Cheers Gary

Nice!
Bill

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boge Quinn

Wonderful instrument, beautifully played!

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Boge beat me to it. That is one gorgeous instrument. With no sound hole, how does it sound unplugged?
The sound reminds me of a lute.

I once set up a mandola as an octave. Thomastik sells string sets made for this particular conversion. Works great. Cost about $70 a set.

Super cool concept, gorgeous execution. I sent a mandolin to Norway...
Attachment 171025

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Espen Wensaas

This is a custom made mandolin made by Harald Hougaard of Norway.

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Harald Hougaard made a mandolin version of the hardingfele (hardanger fiddle) complete with decorative accents and sympathetic strings and "winged" f-holes. Very nice. I would have loved to play one.

Espen: can you post additional photos of your mandolin. please?

Wowee for both the instrument and musician!

Espen,

Love this.

...Rog Lyngaas, aka Ragnar Lyngaas, aka icedoghans

Re Jim, he appears to have a lot of interesting versions:

the mandola damore:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U90aCO1qCSM

and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnZR7AoZEQ8

and
the guitara damore:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APVqHQNwJgQ

and
the banjo damore:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pzpEz9QXZo