Yesterday I was bumming about the fact that the Flatiron Pancakes have seem to have jumped considerably in price recently: I lowly Cadet sold yesterday for $600. leaving me fairly certain I won't be buying a nice pancake any time soon.
So, when a Flatiron "looking" 1981 Hondo HM-1 Pancake showed up in the Cafe classifieds for cheap, I bit, figuring I need a beater to take camping or whatever. The guy only had REALLY blurry photos to send me, but he swore it was in excellent condition (I specifically asked him to check the top for sinkage), so I figured I'd take my chances. Hopefully the neck angle has changed drastically over time.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a shred of information on the web about this particular mandolin model from Hondo. I know that Hondo made some pretty lame, as well as some fairly decent instruments during the early 80's so there's no telling where this one is going to fall on the scale. With any luck it won't mile high action and the tone of cereal box......
Loren
MAS strikes
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Loren
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Ro3b
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Why not build your own? The StewMac "Campfire" kit looks pretty good for a mando of this type. I'm thinking of putting one together after I've finished my IV kit.
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Loren
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Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free - Location: Loren has left the building.
I seriously considered it, however there were some comments over at the cafe about problems with the neck angle on that kit, which made me a little wary. I was just about to order an IV kit, but realized that by the time I bought the kit, plus the tools and supplies I'd need to finish it the way I wanted to (peghead overlay, top binding, good tuners and bridge, stains and lacquer, etc.), I'd be invested to the tune of around $300-$400. Since I'm at the point where I've decided I'd rather make my own flutes and whistles (for sale) rather than continuing to work for another maker, that money needs to go towards a lathe. The Hondo, which hasn't shown up yetRo3b wrote:Why not build your own? The StewMac "Campfire" kit looks pretty good for a mando of this type. I'm thinking of putting one together after I've finished my IV kit.
cost me a fraction of what making my own "beater" would have cost, so I couldn't pass it up, since the warm weather is on the way, and I don't want to risk my Breedlove out in the wilds.Have you started on your IV kit yet? If so, how's it coming along?
Loren
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Ro3b
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I haven't had time yet to get started on it yet, thanks for asking. My cats are really into the packing material that came with the kit, though -- it's this fascinating foam rubber with lots of holes that are just the right size for their catnip mice. 
I'm planning a tool-buying excursion to Sear's this weekend. Then I'll start making some sawdust.
I'm planning a tool-buying excursion to Sear's this weekend. Then I'll start making some sawdust.
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Loren
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Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free - Location: Loren has left the building.
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Loren
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- Tell us something.: You just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free - Location: Loren has left the building.
Cool Rob, I'm looking forward to hearing how the project progresses!
And, speaking of projects, I suppose I should bring this thread full circle - back to the Hondo Mandolin. To start, here's a photo:
Sorry about the sideways photo, I'm waiting for my hosting site to recognize the rotation change I made, but it hasn't happened yet.
Anyway, I just got the mando a few days ago. As you can see, it looks pretty nice. Unfortunately the woods appear to be all laminate, which doesn't shock me, but I was hoping for at least a solid top.
Right out of the case, the thing sounded deader than a door nail, and with about as much tone, even after a change of stings. Ever worse, the action is sky high, I mean, REALLY, WAY, WAAAAAAAAY High. I think perhaps Dwight Stones owned it previously and was using it for high jump practice. It's really quite unplayable, however, the neck angle doesn't look really bad, and clearly the nut is far too high, and bridge as well.
Still, considering the tone, I didn't feel it was worth the effort to give it a proper set-up, so I immediately put it up for sale on craigslist, hoping to at least get my money back out of it. I was honest with my description in the ad, but after less than 24 hours, I decided I wasn't comfortable selling it to someone the way it was, and I figured I'd at least lower the action.
With this in mind, I took the mando out of the case, to better assess what would be needed, and I tuned up the 4 new strings that I had bothered to put on. Oddly, the instrument sounded better. I realized that this was likely due to getting a tiny bit rehumidified, because I'd put a damp-it in the sound hole overnight. Hmm, interesting. Back in the case for another night, this time with a damp-it inside and an additional humidfier in the case as well.
This morning, better still, however, still with an odd deadness. Looking closer at the stamped cheapie tailpiece, I realized that the tailpiece was actually bent down so much it was applying pressure to the mando's top! Once I bent the tailpiece a little bit away from the top, the tone and sustain improved a bit more (go figure) and the "odd" deadness in the tone dissapeared.
So, at this point, while the sound isn't great, it's no longer terrible, and I'm now thinking that the Hondo may be a keeper (as a beater) after all - assuming I can get the action to a reasonable level. Unfortunately the nut is a really cheesy peice of light weight plastic, and the bridge is rosewood, but I can't afford to replace them, so I'll have a go at sanding them down and see what happens.
Loren
And, speaking of projects, I suppose I should bring this thread full circle - back to the Hondo Mandolin. To start, here's a photo:
Sorry about the sideways photo, I'm waiting for my hosting site to recognize the rotation change I made, but it hasn't happened yet.
Anyway, I just got the mando a few days ago. As you can see, it looks pretty nice. Unfortunately the woods appear to be all laminate, which doesn't shock me, but I was hoping for at least a solid top.
Right out of the case, the thing sounded deader than a door nail, and with about as much tone, even after a change of stings. Ever worse, the action is sky high, I mean, REALLY, WAY, WAAAAAAAAY High. I think perhaps Dwight Stones owned it previously and was using it for high jump practice. It's really quite unplayable, however, the neck angle doesn't look really bad, and clearly the nut is far too high, and bridge as well.
Still, considering the tone, I didn't feel it was worth the effort to give it a proper set-up, so I immediately put it up for sale on craigslist, hoping to at least get my money back out of it. I was honest with my description in the ad, but after less than 24 hours, I decided I wasn't comfortable selling it to someone the way it was, and I figured I'd at least lower the action.
With this in mind, I took the mando out of the case, to better assess what would be needed, and I tuned up the 4 new strings that I had bothered to put on. Oddly, the instrument sounded better. I realized that this was likely due to getting a tiny bit rehumidified, because I'd put a damp-it in the sound hole overnight. Hmm, interesting. Back in the case for another night, this time with a damp-it inside and an additional humidfier in the case as well.
This morning, better still, however, still with an odd deadness. Looking closer at the stamped cheapie tailpiece, I realized that the tailpiece was actually bent down so much it was applying pressure to the mando's top! Once I bent the tailpiece a little bit away from the top, the tone and sustain improved a bit more (go figure) and the "odd" deadness in the tone dissapeared.
So, at this point, while the sound isn't great, it's no longer terrible, and I'm now thinking that the Hondo may be a keeper (as a beater) after all - assuming I can get the action to a reasonable level. Unfortunately the nut is a really cheesy peice of light weight plastic, and the bridge is rosewood, but I can't afford to replace them, so I'll have a go at sanding them down and see what happens.
Loren
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Ro3b
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I wonder how modifying that bridge along the lines discussed here would help the sound. There's also a page on Frets.com about drilling holes upwards through the base of the bridge to lighten it and increase volume.
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Loren
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- Tell us something.: You just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free - Location: Loren has left the building.
Good idea, the rosewood bridge is a pretty lame chunk 'O wood. It's probably worth reducing some of the mass on the feet, and drilling holes in it, although in the long run, if the mando continues to show progress, then a completely different bridge, along with a bone nut, are in order. I've always wanted to see how one of those maple bridges sound, so perhaps I'll give that a try down the road.
In the meantime, I'll have to work with what I've got (light weight plastic nut and the crappy Rosewood bridge), because I'm too broke to start spending money on upgrades for this thing.
Loren
In the meantime, I'll have to work with what I've got (light weight plastic nut and the crappy Rosewood bridge), because I'm too broke to start spending money on upgrades for this thing.
Loren