Re: Conversion: Harmony Master H945 to Octave Mando
Originally Posted by
PT66
First: Good luck. Moving the bridge is a bad idea. It will alter the sound and upset the structure. You could still do a shorter scale but the number of frets clear of the body will be reduced. Tension can be address by adjusting string gauge, not to difficult. The neck will need to be custom made to fit the existing dove tail joint (costly). You could stay with the 25 1/4 scale and try to straighten and reshape the neck. String gauge would start with .011 for the high e, about .018 for the a, a standard guitar D string for the D and medium to heavy gauge A string tuned down to G.
I'm not so sure. The OP said the neck wrapped so it sounds like it might be pretty much history? Straitening guitar necks is iffy at best right?
So assuming the neck is shot you might as well go for a shorter one that fits octave tuning -- in which case the bridge will need to be moved.
One problem with just solving the matter by adjusting string gauges is that then you'll have an octave mandolin that is just as hard to play as a mandocello (same fret spacing).
Believe me after you play on a mandocello for 30 minutes then pick up your octave it seems like a toy. Huge difference.
I've taken old Harmony necks off before and it is not too hard to do. But finding new shorter neck will be problematic.
There are actually guys out there who do custom builds of necks and other parts and you could send the old neck along with the request to make sure that you get the tenon part of the dove tail cut right. Generally a custom neck should not set you back too much $$.
Problem with finding the neck on a smaller guitar is the dovetail most likely would not match up?
Bernie
____
Due to current budgetary restrictions the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off -- sorry about the inconvenience.
Bookmarks