Mandocello build series

Gbluee said:

Gibson style Mandocello Full build

over a year ago I started my florentine style Mandocello based on prints that I've presonnaly made. so to be accurate I've started this build when I started gathering information about this instrument, size, dimentions, scale length, pro and cons etc… so in reality, I've been working on this baby for over 4 years.

well last week I've finally did the final setup and call it a wrap. I've just finished the editing on the full build and i'm happy to share with you all here…

let me know your thoughts!

Click to expand...

Great video, Tommy. I watched the whole thing from start to finish. I was very impressed by some of your techniques, and templates you used during the build. Back in the day I worked with a guy in Oklahoma, and we built resiphonic guitars (they were known as DoBros), and we built all the jigs for all the parts. My question is: What was the purpose of putting the f-hole sound board on the back of the mandocello that sat on the little blocks.? And what was the small tool (it looked like a mini router) used to rout out the grove for the binding.? I also built an F5-style mandolin patterened after an old Gibson mandolin…I think I told you that some time back. When I did the mother of pearl inlay on the peghead and neck of the guitars, I cut it out just like you did with a coping saw, but used a Dremel tool to cut the pattern to inset it in the neck….!! Anyway I enjoyed watching the video, and following the build.

Gbluee said:

Gibson style Mandocello Full build

over a year ago I started my florentine style Mandocello based on prints that I've presonnaly made. so to be accurate I've started this build when I started gathering information about this instrument, size, dimentions, scale length, pro and cons etc… so in reality, I've been working on this baby for over 4 years.

well last week I've finally did the final setup and call it a wrap. I've just finished the editing on the full build and i'm happy to share with you all here…

let me know your thoughts!

Click to expand...

Hi Tomy,

I thought I would post a picture of my F5-syle Gibson mandolin I built back in the day….around 1983-4. The back and sides are Curly Birdseye Maple, the top is an 80 year old piece of Sitka Spruce I got from Martin Guitar Co., and the neck is Mahogany. In the neck I laminated a piece of Cherry wood just to spruce it up a little. It has a Walnut overlay on the peghead, and Gibson tuners. I can't remember where I ordered the binding and all the parts from. I think the tailpiece is a Gibson, but not sure….Too many years ago… I built the neck and body, did all the scroll work, then I sent the mandolin to a good friend of mine who worked in the mandolin dept. at Gibson. He put on the overlay on the peghead ( I had already did the mop inlay), and sprayed the sunburst finish, and then sprayed on lacquer. Put the parts on the mandolin, and once dried, put it in a new case. By the way, my friend's name was Charley Derrington, who also repaired Bill Monroe's 1923 Lloyd Loar after vandals broke into his home and busted the mandolin up with a fire poker…He put it back together splinter by splinter and piece by piece….!!

Didn't mean to ramble…just a little background history…...Here's a couple of pictures of the mandolin…






I had a picture of the label you could read under the f-hole, but can't find it…..Anyway, that's the mandolin….!