Increasing the volume of the instrument while keeping the balance and the articulation across all the strings was very important to us. This arching, particularly the high peak of the arch running down the center of the instrument, yields a vibrant high end frequency response quite suitable for the octave mandolin. They had a very unusual geometry to the arching of the top as well as the graduation. While the Martin archtops are largely overlooked amongst other vintage examples, we recognized some very unique and desirable design qualities. Joe is a master luthier specializing in large jobs like converting the 30’s era Martin archtops to flattops as desired by many modern day players. We were able to get our hands on two original tops which had been removed from these Martin models by our good friend Joe Konkoly, head of the world renowned Elderly Instruments repair shop. The dimensions and flat back of our octave mandolin body yield something quite different than what is found on the market today.Īs a reference we looked at C2 and C4 Martin guitars from the 1930s-these instruments were archtop guitars based on the body frame of a flat top guitar. The scale length and fretting hand stretch is always a consideration with octave mandolins, but equally important for comfortable playing is how the right arm reaches around the body of the instrument. Usually the courses are all unison pairs but the lower two may sometimes be strung. It has a 20 to 23-inch scale length and its construction is similar to other instruments in the mandolin family. The ergonomics and size of the instrument needed to be considered carefully to not only ensure incredible sound, but also be comfortable for a mandolin player-this was often overlooked when it came to guitar bodied octave mandolins. The octave mandolin is a fretted string instrument with four pairs of strings tuned in fifths, G, D, A, E (low to high), an octave below a mandolin. We found inspiration in vintage archtop and tenor guitars.
In creating our octave mandolin, we’ve pulled together a variety of specs and influences to create something with a unique voice and aesthetic.