New builder questions

[Roman Kuznetsov]

Howdy folks,

Hoping for some advice on building A-style mandos.

I usually build flat-top guitars, but I have recently strung up my first Loar-style "A" mando in the white and I am very pleased with the results (I haven't had a chance to compare it to any high end instruments yet, you see ). I am keen to build a few more (dang, this stuff is addictive), but after reading up on various models, I am a bit lost in mando shapes. There's the "old style" A, then there's the smaller modern takes on A-styles with an altered body to place the bridge closer to the centre and there's also the Unicorn mandos that seem to have developed a small cult following and appear to have the smallest bodies, even if compared to, say a modern Collings (and I just happen to have some cracking Doug fir in the workshop that should be enough for at least a couple Uni tops).
By the way, what's the body depth on the Unicorns?

Is there a big effect from these body changes, or is everything pretty much down to the top voicing?
I intend to upgrade my moulds from the bare minimum that I used for my first mando, to a more professional set-up similar to the stuff I use for guitars. Making moulds takes time, money and space, so the big question is - should I set up for, say, Loar-A and the Unicorn, or just roll with one shape and invest the freed-up time into, say, a mandola mould?

The other question relates to the neck woods - maple is traditional, but am I likely to encounter any problems (broken headstock joints?) if using less dense woods? I'm drowning in mahogany and cedrella, which are my go-to choices for guitar necks, but have no spare maple stock in the right size.

Thank you very much.

[MrMoe]

Hello Chavez, I am a newbie on the forum too. There is a wealth of info in the Cafe archive. I think properly selected mahogany is a good choice for mandolin necks.