Mandola plans

[David North]

Hello
Does anyone know where I could purchase plans for a mandola? A teardrop shape, more for celtic music. CGDA tuned. I'm thinking of something like this. https://paulshippey.co.uk/index.php/...tenor-mandola/ or https://www.sobellguitars.com/wp-con...t-2000-web.jpg


Many thanks

[David North]

Also i'm interested about that mandola by Sobell Guitars, what's going on with the construction at the neck joint? It appears the sides are joined to the heel rather than just around the endblock. My guess is that the body is constructed "around" the neck to achieve this effect.

[Tavy]

Also i'm interested about that mandola by Sobell Guitars, what's going on with the construction at the neck joint? It appears the sides are joined to the heel rather than just around the endblock. My guess is that the body is constructed "around" the neck to achieve this effect.

I would imagine that's a "Spanish heal" type construction rather than a dovetail - neck and neck block one piece of wood, and the sides then fixed to the neck. Easy to do and very strong, but then you can't ever change the neck angle should it be required - except possibly by the "back shortening" method.

With regard to your original question - if you can build a mandola, then you can draw up your own plans - figure out the shape and size, work out the body volume and adjust sound holes size accordingly etc. Bracing will be the only real unknown, but if you've spent any time examining existing instruments, you should be able to figure out a reasonable starting point and refine from there. Of course the instrument will not be on a par with a Shippey or Sobell, but that's mostly down to the years and years of experience they have. Build 3 or 4 though and you should be building better than you would get "off the shelf" from the box shifters, in fact you might well be doing that in build 1 or 2 if you're lucky!

Apologies for not answering your question though !

[Tukanu]

"The Mandolin Manual" by John Troughton.