Why not carbon fiber mandolins?

[Shaneh]

Seems like the logical next step for emerald or a x7 manocello

[philjs]

They've done a 'sort-of' mandocello or octave mandolin in an X7 already. I think it would be pretty easy to string it for GDAE/GDAD (or even DAEB/DAEA) with appropriate string gauge choices. Sold my "bouzar" a couple of months ago and I've been thinking about replacing it...

Phil

[ac]

[kramster]

Cool pics ac.. thanks, you done good!

[Shaneh]

Originally Posted by ac

Who knew? Never heard of one before. Emerald should make one with a sound port

[Shaneh]

Do they sound good? I figured because a mandolin is bright naturally it would be a good match

[Explorer]

Originally Posted by philjs

They've done a 'sort-of' mandocello or octave mandolin in an X7 already. I think it would be pretty easy to string it for GDAE/GDAD (or even DAEB/DAEA) with appropriate string gauge choices. Sold my "bouzar" a couple of months ago and I've been thinking about replacing it...

Phil

I've played guitars tuned in full fifths for more than a decade, since I became aware of strings which allowed tuning a string to high B4 at a 25.5" scale length.

http://www.garrygoodman.com/octave4plus.com.htm

(It wasn't a minor effort, since the string path had to be completely free of any burrs or edges which might compromise the string's integrity. The strings do last a long time if you tune gently and aren't playing aggressively.)

My go-to guitar in this tuning is a converted Ovation 12-string, tuned C2 G2 D3 A3 E4 B4 low to high, with the (previous) octaves now tuned to unisons.

My motivation on that initial Ovation mandophone was experimenting without outlaying big money for a custom instrument, but it's still going strong. However, my main instrument is actually a Flatiron mandola I bought new many years ago.

I've been considering getting a fifths-tuned cittern from them, probably tuned C2 G2 D3 A3 E4. This desire started seriously ramping up after seeing these.

Emerald Amicus-based Redwood Burl 10-string Cuatro

Emerald X7-based 23" Scale Tenor Guitar

And, just to get crazy, I've also considered getting a 17" scale length harp mandola based on Emerald's Harp Ukulele.

Emerald Synergy Harp Ukulele

That way, I get the compact instrument chassis on which I already play chord-melody (as well as everything else), but with the harp string add-ons.

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All that, of course, doesn't mean that I think Emerald should make a stock mandolin. Mandolin players are often a stodgy, traditional lot, and the majority over at the mandolin forum (I'm on the fringes) seem to be strongly and vocally concerned with whether a mandolin is in keeping with the frozen tastes of the deceased Bill Monroe. A favorite quote peppering the forum, when judging if something varies from the constantly-applied standards of bluegrass, is, "Is that part of bluegrass? That ain't no part of nothin'!"

Ukulele has the advantage of not having hardcore extracultural revivalists attempting to enforce rules, even just through vocal disapproval, on an instrument to which they have no familial cultural ties. I suspect that's why more than a few companies, including Emerald, build and have a larger market for composite ukuleles.

(And yes, I've also considered getting a composite tenor or baritone ukulele and stringing it for CGDA mandola tuning....)

I think Emerald waited until they thought ukulele would be worth building as a regular model, possibly based on orders. I haven't seen a single Emerald mandolin, meaning it's unlikely that even one person has made the leap....