Unusual Octave ukulele

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rbeetsme

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Here is a unique instrument. This is a Sea and Sky travel guitar company instrument, original commissioned as an octave mandolin, but re-strung as an octave ukulele. Uke is an octave lower, with 3 phospher bronze and 1 steel string, nice low guitar like tone. Sea and Sky builds high end travel guitars, Spruce front, mahogany body, built to order, costs $750.00 new. This one has some dings but easy player, looks nice. Interesting shape, big sound. Thinning the herd. Asking 375.00 delivered to lower 48 states. Rick (rbeetsme@hotmail.com)

Octavefront.jpg


Octaveback.jpg


Octaveface.jpg
 
This is very interesting.
I once wondered whether there was an instrument like this.. well here it is.
Would love to hear how it sounds though.
 
I'm interested! But I'd like to heard a sample and know more. What's the scale length? Full guitar scale? Woods (is it laminate or solid)? Ballpark to ship it to Canada?
 
Sea and Sky travel octave mandolin. Sitka Spruce top, mahogany body, solid wood, high build quality. http://www.seatoskyinstruments.com/TRAVELINST/MANDOFAM/index.htm overal length: 33", fretboard length: 14.5", nut width: 1.25", widest body width: 7.5". When I bought this at auction, it was listed as a tenor guitar, it came with only 2 strings so I contacted the builder. He told me it was built as an octave mandolin and he calculated the correct gauge strings to tune it as an octave ukulele. Strings are D'Addario phospher bronze wound 2-4, 1st string is steel. I'll try to send a sound file, sounds very guitar like, nice deep tone. Might be nice for bass players.
 
I was thinking of it as a nice accompaniment instrument. I like the sound, but not sure about going back to steel strings. Can it be strung with nylon strings?

And any idea of the cost to ship to Canada?
 
I asked the builder about nylon strings and he told me no, it was not designed for nylon strings. I'm sure nylon strings would not damage it, but perhaps it wouldn't be loud enough, can't say, I never tried them.
 
A four string octave mandolin would be essentially a tenor guitar. Wow.

Wow. That thing is GREAT. Any sound samples / videos handy?
 
I can't figure out how to post a sound byte but can email a wave file.
 
This can be re-tuned to mandolin, I only need to replace 2 strings and re-tune it to return it as it was originally built.
 
Last edited:
The Octave uke is still available. It is still tuned for uke.
 
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