Mandolin scale length: Is 15" pushing it?

[Clay Schaeffer]

If it doesn't come up to pitch you can always tune it a step lower. The C melody of mandolins <g>

[Jason Rodgers]

Exactly. I am not opposed to making them short mandolas (C G D A).

[Jason Rodgers]

Still getting unprecedented time in the shop. Tops and backs for both instruments are ready to go with braces shaped to rough dimensions. Waiting for the rain to stop to glue up. Got some necks roughed out with V joints: headstocks will be ready by tomorrow. I need to do a little more drawing full-scale to work out neck attachment angles. I should also consider fingerboard and bridge materials. Zoom-zoom!

[Bill Raymond]

Does it ever stop raining in Portland??

[Jason Rodgers]

Hey, it's not Seattle! Yes, it rains a fair bit, but we get some good stretches of dry weather in the summer... not usually until the middle of July, though. The grass turns brown, and that often lasts through the middle of October. Then back to rain.

[ken axe]

so...?

[Jason Rodgers]

Alas, these little buggers stalled out. August rolled around, and the humidity jumped up to a point I didn't feel comfortable gluing anything. However, the necks have V-joints cut and ready to glue, the fingerboards and bridges are roughed out, and the tops and back are braced and ready to go.

Thanks for checking!