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Picture: Comparing the size of
a mandolin and a mandocello
The Mandolin family of instruments mirrored the violin family from the 18th century on but with frets for precision and plucked rather than bowed, hence there was:
The Scale Length is the distance from the nut (or zero fret) to the bridge - the full length of the open string between points where it passes over a structure.
The Tuning is given as Low to High (Thickest, deepest sounding to Thinnest, highest sounding)
Instrument | Tuning | Scale Length |
---|---|---|
Mandolin | GDAE | 330mm - 380mm |
Mandola | CGDA | 400mm - 480mm |
Tenor/Octave Mandola | GDAE | 480mm - 600mm |
Mando Cello | CGDA | 600mm - 680mm |
Mando Bass | EADG | 1050mm - 1090mm |
Mandolin family instruments are made in two basic types - the bowl back or Neapolitan mandolin ('taterbug') and the flatback style originated by Orville Gibson.
Flatback mandolins and mandolas are by far the most popular style now and are made by many manufacturers around the world. The plainest have a flat soundboard and fretboard but the more expensive have a radiused (slightly curved) fretboard and a carved (again slightly curved) soundboard. The larger instruments (mandocello, mandobass) went out of favour but some luthiers will hand make them to order and a few mainstream manufacurers now make them again. Ovation, Weber, Ratliff and Moon all do Mandocellos. Very few make Mandobasses as there is only a small market so to get one, it's either vintage or a good luthier.