# 12 string octave mandolin (guitar)



## rcacs (May 4, 2011)

Just watched a vid on youtube, a fellow made a 12 string octave mandolin from a 12 string electric guitar. I have a crusty old 12 string acoustic that I would like to make in to an octave mandolin....

Anyone know what strings I would use, and the tuning?...if I can get this to work out, I would put a pup in the guitar as well.

There is a brief discription of what he did, but no detailed enough for a clutz like me....

Here is the link if anyone is interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8RAXDBv-HA

Cheers

Rick in MB


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Shouldn't be too hard. I would imagine the tuning wound be G D A E ( unison pairs).


If I had a junker 12 string I might give it a shot.


The only problem would be that the nut on a 12 string is cut for octave pairings for the top four pairs of strings. Mandolins have four pairs of unison strings.I suppose you could use octave pairings with the standard mandolin pitches.


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## rcacs (May 4, 2011)

I have actually changed my plans somewhat, and will be using 8 strings (4 paired). I have made a new nut and bridge and will be installing strings today...

I will be tuning it G D A E using a pair of .009, .014, .023 wound and .032 wound strings. As a variant, I will also try tuning it C G C E.

For a bit of a Tenor Guitar sound(ish) I will tune it D G B E.

Hope to have it up and running today sometime...

Cheers!


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Cool idea, I've seen it done successfully. There's an old Harmony archtop, rather beat up, in my cellar waiting for reconditioning. As long as there's room on the headstock for tuners, a modified bridge and nut, and adequate bracing on the top, it should work.

I have a guitar shaped non-cutaway octave mandolin/bouzouki variant made by Josh House (www.houseguitars.com). Mine doesn't appear on his site but you can see others there. The string spacing was taken, by my request, from the middle four courses of my 12 string guitar, a little narrow compared to many such instruments but perfectly comfortable anyway. I use it as a sort of hybrid guitar/octave mandolin for celtoidish/folk/original stuff. I keep it tuned GDAE though many like GDAD. Big throaty sound, lots of sustain, and the 25" scale length is still manageable tuned in fifths.

For strings I just use 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th strings from whatever D'Addario bulk sets I have around. Usually lights for 1st and 3rd, mediums for 2nd and 4th. Sometimes I like D'Addario FlatTops strings on it but I rarely have them in stock.

Peace, Mooh.


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## rcacs (May 4, 2011)

If this all works out nicely, I may even add a pup to it as well.....I will try different tunings to see which I prefer.


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