A few weeks back, I posted a couple of pictures in the What’s on Your Bench thread, of the latest mandolin to leave my bench, a prototype nylon-strung, four string piccolo (sopranino) mandolin. For those who might not have seen these smallest and highest voiced members of the mandolin family, they are tuned a fourth above the mandolin (cgda) and have a scale length of about 10.3 inches. They are exceedingly rare but fun little instruments that have a legitimate place in the mandolin family.
I’ve built a number of piccolo mandolins at this point and each of them but this latest one has had double courses of steel strings, per usual. Here, I’d like to show some photos and videos comparing this new nylon strung piccolo mandolin to the more typical steel-strung piccolo mandolin that I built some time ago.
I have four videos read to post here but I have to figure out how to do it. They are MP4 Files. They'll have to go on a later post, once I can overcome my technical issue (lack of technical prowess).
Both of these instruments have backs and ribs of local (Southwestern N.J.) Cherry. Both have tops of Adirondack Spruce, and both have hard Red Maple Necks. Bridges differ considerably, as do tailpieces.
Tops and backs have an induced radius of about 15’. Bracing of the two instruments is also quite different. Both have a transverse brace in the locale of the bridge, with two small braces running from the transverse brace to the linings either side of the neck block. But the nylon strung piccolo has modified Torres bracing with braces that taper to a knife-type edge, and small flat braces arranged as a fan south of the transverse brace. This, plus the very low string tension, allows for a very thin top.
Why go to this trouble? I am looking for different voices in the mandolin family; voices we can use to enrich the music we play. I’m also interested in developing mandolin family instruments with very light string tension that sound good. This would enable players with various hand conditions to continue playing despite their limited ability to fret high tension strings.
I believe the prototype shown here is successful, but you be the judge for your own purposes. I think it has a voice that will work in a number of genres. I’m currently building another like this one, plus a larger member of the mandolin family, of a similar design. I’ll keep you posted.
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