Busman-dolin...

[brewerpaul]

I was looking for a mandolin I could take traveling: small, light,tough,and not loud enough to disturb others. The closest was a Martin Backpacker but I couldn't justify the cost for as often as I'd use it, so I decided to make my own. I'm having an electric mandolin made for me by Andrew Jerman (www.crossroadswood.com)and he agreed to supply me with a factory seconds bolt-on neck since I didn't want to get involved in neck making, fretting, etc. Here's what I came up with, shown with my Fullerton Gloucester F-style for comparison:



The body was bandsawn out of a 3/4" piece of maple with the center cut out with a sabre saw, leaving 1/4" walls. The top and back are 1/8" Purpleheart, with handmade Cocobolo nut and bridge.
This is no great example of lutherie, but it does what I want it to do and really does not play badly: a bit twangy and pretty quiet.

[Tim2723]

Paul, that's very clever and, well...really neat! Congrats!

How is it to hold? Such a skinny body would give me fits trying to tremolo. Do you find that the four-string configuration picks significantly differently from a standard eight? Some of the four and five string electric players on M.Cafe note very different playing techniques. How is it for you? It looks like it would drive like a ukulele.

Very nice job!

[brewerpaul]

Paul, that's very clever and, well...really neat! Congrats!

How is it to hold? Such a skinny body would give me fits trying to tremolo. Do you find that the four-string configuration picks significantly differently from a standard eight? Some of the four and five string electric players on M.Cafe note very different playing techniques. How is it for you? It looks like it would drive like a ukulele.

Very nice job!

Tremolo is not easy, but I think that's due more to the 4 strings vs 8. With 4 strings I seem to play this more like a guitar than a mandolin (although I'm not really sure what I mean by that-- it's just sort of a different feeling). I don't play a Uke, but I usually think of that instrument mainly plunking away at chords, but I've been mostly playing trad tunes on this travel mando.

[buddhu]

Cool.

Looks like a fun bit of kit there, Paul!

[emmline]

Paul, you are a credit to some creative muse somewhere.

[brewerpaul]

The Busmandolin made the trip to Mexico and back in perfect condition. I never would have hauled one of my good instruments down there, but it was really great to have a mando to play on vacation. I didn't even use a case for it: just nestled it in amongst our clothing.

[anniemcu]

Way cool!

[hyldemoer]

I didn't even use a case for it: just nestled it in amongst our clothing.

Isn't that what many owners of violins have resorted to for flying in and out of England, their violins nestled amongst clothing in a checked hard shell pullman suitcase?

I bought a "Sweet Pea" mandolin for keeping tunes in my fingers while I travel. It only came with a flimsy gig bag. A pillow case would afford it just as much protection.
I imagine there might be new hard shell luggage in my future.

[lordofthestrings]

Very neat Paul!

I made a similar tear down travel 4 string mando. It was a "solid" shaft of a body that would connect to a stainless steel cooking bowl to use as a resonator. Not as portable (because of the bowl) so I wound up making triangular shaped body for it (like a mini balalika). Never got a great tone from the triangle body. Glad yours is workign out!!

[brewerpaul]

Very neat Paul!

I made a similar tear down travel 4 string mando. It was a "solid" shaft of a body that would connect to a stainless steel cooking bowl to use as a resonator. Not as portable (because of the bowl) so I wound up making triangular shaped body for it (like a mini balalika). Never got a great tone from the triangle body. Glad yours is workign out!!

Mine doesn't have a great tone either, but for occasional travelling, it'll do. It sounds a bit tinny, maybe like a Japanese Koto, for some odd reason.
Not bad, as long as you don't expect it to actually sound like a mandolin.

[KBR]

Paul,
I like it....rather like a pouchette but for plucking. Please check you PM. Kevin