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Very Cool @Tallbikeman Have you built an Octave Mandolin? I'd like to have one of those because I can only attempt to play a Mandolin my fingers are too big (or I'm just not nimble enough to really play a Mandolin) but I have noodled around with a Dean Mandocello (another very similar instrument) (I know folks use both terms interchangeably) I think either of those would be cool to own.

Guitar Carl I built the octave mandolin in 2008 It has a carved top and back. I build my mandolin and octave mandolin necks with very wide string spacing. I have meatball fingers and they will always touch the strings next to the one your picking on regular store bought guitars and mando's. This mando has a bend to the neck caused by string tension that I cannot get to straighten out with the tension rod. I'm getting ready to remove the fingerboard and put a small block of wood in the groove where the tension rod lies the wood will be between the neck and the fingerboard about halfway down the neck itself. That way the tension rod will be pushing the small block of wood up into the fingerboard and thus causing the neck to bend straight. The fingerboard wood is purple heart. Purple heart wood is tougher and stronger than maple. I love playing this instrument as you have noted above. Let me know if you want to check out one of my wide neck mandolin's.
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Guitar Carl I built the octave mandolin in 2008 It has a carved top and back. I build my mandolin and octave mandolin necks with very wide string spacing. I have meatball fingers and they will always touch the strings next to the one your picking on regular store bought guitars and mando's. This mando has a bend to the neck caused by string tension that I cannot get to straighten out with the tension rod. I'm getting ready to remove the fingerboard and put a small block of wood in the groove where the tension rod lies the wood will be between the neck and the fingerboard about halfway down the neck itself. That way the tension rod will be pushing the small block of wood up into the fingerboard and thus causing the neck to bend straight. The fingerboard wood is purple heart. Purple heart wood is tougher and stronger than maple. I love playing this instrument as you have noted above. Let me know if you want to check out one of my wide neck mandolin's.
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That is beautiful.
 
One year only 2006 Ibanez - RVX 220 DX that I got for 80 bucks! Brushed aluminum painted plastic guard was barked up but it buffed out into a nice satin black. Good for now. It's got super fat frets and the INSF 4 pup in the bridge so it rocks. I'm thinking I'll keep it.
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GC.
 
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AND... last week a guy came into the store and gave me this Cort Effector. One of the kings of cheese, all those effects work too. Headstock was cracked and repaired in the past, I might swap the neck out but again it's fine for now...
GC
 
Funny, a couple weeks sgo I was talking with my daughter and noted that I didn't have any really unusual shaped guitars. I mean, I have a Japanese copy of a Vox teardrop and violin bodied bass and a violin bodied guitar that were also made in Japan. But no V or Explorer body guitars and now I have one of each.
 
Not exactly guitars...in an attempt to practice my rudimentary techniques without the neighbors thinking i'm disemboweling strays :eek: I decided to go with Pentatonic scales and Open chords a la Dulcimer-strumstick...

PadronReso is a Padron 2000 box, reinforced at sides, top and bottom, Poplar neck and head on a mounted neck block, 19" fret board, open-gear tuners and a the bottom of an Earl Grey tea tin for a resonator. Tenor Ukulele strings set at BEb provide plenty of acoustic resonance-not quite a Dreadnought but not quiet either-and with the reinforced sides I can open the back lid for later adjustments or pickups without even de-tensioning the strings.

The CanDo is a laminated body of Oak slat, tiny 3"X 2" tin box for the soundboard, Concert Uke strings set BEb on friction tuners from a wrecked kid's toy guitar. I was hoping that this 15" fret boarded Micro-Dulci would let me play in peace after Sundown-but danged if it isn't as loud as any regular Concert Uke! I'm currently trimming down a plastic Soap Dish to the same dimensions to create a 'Whisper Mode'-nothing's holding the tin on but friction and string pressure, so changing tin to plastic and back should be a matter of moments.

No complaints from the neighbors yet...:happy:
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My rig is stupid simple, an acoustic Fender. Simple, safe and I can play slide anywhere....since slide is all I can effectively play with arthritis. Never took time to really learn pitch and where to find them my playing is Taught to me, not learned!
 
Our band HIGHWOOD opened our 2023 Summer tour with a show at a new location for our local Moose Lodge. Fun night, and the house was packed! I played my Swender Pearlcaster I built in 2021. And of course, my 1997 Gibson made the scene as well.



 

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