cocohonk
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Not really sure how it happened. Saw one on a craigslist type website, there was a very, very cheap mandolin for sale, and I couldn't help myself. It's a Starsun (from what I gather on the internet, it's a laminate wood and made in china) bit dirty and dusty, but all the parts work for the most part, and for 18$ it might be fun to tinker with it. (Plus I love F-holes).
Now, I don't really have any aspirations to learn how to play a mandolin (at least, not while I'm still learning how to play the ukulele), so I'm interested to know if it's possible to convert it into a ukulele of sorts.
The funny thing is that the previous owner had already stringed the mandolin in a way that resembles a low-G ukulele (unless, given my lack of mandolin knowledge, that's how a mandolin is stringed anyway). I already tried tuning it to gCEA, and it works for the most part! And the strings don't feel too tense or loose or anything (the strings I got were just no brand generic steel strings, so maybe that's why?) Of course, I have no way to actually bar the chords with the neck, but for little ditties, it works amazingly well.
But, man, are those double steel strings a nightmare on my uke pampered finger tips. So, I took out the second string of every pair and tried it as a four stringed steel string instrument - which actually leaves a little more room on the tiny neck for my fingers to maneuver. Now I'm thinking to just try it out with some ukulele strings because I'm not so great with a pick, and hey, I'm curious. Questions:
1. Would this actually work? Or will the notes be all screwed up because the strings are all wrong?
2. Will burning the ukulele string end (and let's say I make a more complicated knot when making the loop) help it hold in the loop configuration at the bottom? Or will this just be in vain? I'm curious.
3. I'm not sure which size ukulele strings I should try. Comparing the neck next to my concert ukulele, the mandolin scale neck is actually a bit shorter, but then obviously, the entire instrument is longer and larger. And I'll probably need extra length to get the whole loop thing done in a way it'll (or might) hold. Any particular string brand that would be better for this kind of a project?
4. I'm guessing I should probably get a new nut/bridge so the strings fit better.
Anyway, this should be a weird project for the holidays.
Now, I don't really have any aspirations to learn how to play a mandolin (at least, not while I'm still learning how to play the ukulele), so I'm interested to know if it's possible to convert it into a ukulele of sorts.
The funny thing is that the previous owner had already stringed the mandolin in a way that resembles a low-G ukulele (unless, given my lack of mandolin knowledge, that's how a mandolin is stringed anyway). I already tried tuning it to gCEA, and it works for the most part! And the strings don't feel too tense or loose or anything (the strings I got were just no brand generic steel strings, so maybe that's why?) Of course, I have no way to actually bar the chords with the neck, but for little ditties, it works amazingly well.
But, man, are those double steel strings a nightmare on my uke pampered finger tips. So, I took out the second string of every pair and tried it as a four stringed steel string instrument - which actually leaves a little more room on the tiny neck for my fingers to maneuver. Now I'm thinking to just try it out with some ukulele strings because I'm not so great with a pick, and hey, I'm curious. Questions:
1. Would this actually work? Or will the notes be all screwed up because the strings are all wrong?
2. Will burning the ukulele string end (and let's say I make a more complicated knot when making the loop) help it hold in the loop configuration at the bottom? Or will this just be in vain? I'm curious.
3. I'm not sure which size ukulele strings I should try. Comparing the neck next to my concert ukulele, the mandolin scale neck is actually a bit shorter, but then obviously, the entire instrument is longer and larger. And I'll probably need extra length to get the whole loop thing done in a way it'll (or might) hold. Any particular string brand that would be better for this kind of a project?
4. I'm guessing I should probably get a new nut/bridge so the strings fit better.
Anyway, this should be a weird project for the holidays.