This mandocello is the first one I have built to have in stock. I built a custom one last fall, and thought it would be fun to make one to have on hand when I had time. It is based on a plan from Hovington Instruments in Canada, which is based on or drawn from a 1920s Gibson according to what I understand. The scale length is 25-3/8″ and the nut width is 1-3/4″. The back, sides, and neck are walnut, the top is Sitka spruce and the fretboard and bridge are zebrawood. There is a two way truss rod in the neck, the strings are D’Addario EJ80, and the tuners are Gotoh. This mandocello is discounted a bit because of a mistake I made which meant I had to put a patch on one side, up near the neck. There is a block throughout the area behind the repair, so it is not structural, but it is cosmetically regrettable. I have no mandocello skills, so this video is not what it could be, but it may give some idea of the sound.
Bob Smakula kindly let me make a video of him playing this mandocello when he was visiting here. He is an infinitely better player than I am, and makes it sound good.
