Electric Blue - electric mandolin
Electic blue is an electric mandolin built following a new approach to the electric mandolin, combining the playing feel and sound of a traditional instrument with the advantages of amplification, digital processing and feedback-free performance.
A real electric mandolin
I needed an amplified mandolin to play with my band, where drums and other electric instruments make high stage volumes necessary. I wanted something that could be amplified simply and effectively, without the feedback problems that often come with acoustic mandolins.
Most acoustic mandolins can struggle with feedback, especially when they are highly responsive. On the other hand, many commercially available electric mandolins are designed around solid bodies, single-string pickups and magnetic pickups. These solutions can work very well, but the resulting sound is often quite different from that of an acoustic mandolin, sometimes getting closer to the sound of a small electric guitar.
So I decided to take my own approach and build one.
I wanted to develop an electric mandolin that would remain comfortable and natural to play, while retaining as much as possible of the characteristic sound and response of a mandolin.
Electric Blue was born: an electric mandolin with the sound of a real mandolin.
Built around the needs of the player, its design focuses on playability, response and intonation, while preserving the character of the mandolin in an instrument designed from the beginning for amplification.
Playing experience and perfect intonation
The instrument has been played by several mandolin players during its development. One of the aspects that received the most positive feedback was its playability. The action is low and the access to highest frets is easy, thanks to the neck to body connection at the 14th fret and the scalloped body. The very thin neck profile and the oil finishing make it very comfortable for the left hand.
A compensated nut in conjunction with a compensated saddle provides perfect intonation across the whole fretboard, from first to 24th fet.
Mimicking real acoustic mandolins
An interesting development of the project is the possibility of using Impulse Responses (IRs) to modify the sound of the instrument.
An IR can be generated from the response of a real acoustic mandolin and then loaded into a suitable DSP pedal or processor.
This makes it possible to experiment with different tonal characteristics without changing the physical instrument. For example, different IRs could be developed to reproduce the response of different mandolins, or to obtain a sound specifically suited to a particular musical context.
One of the applications I am particularly interested in is the bluegrass chop.
The short, percussive sound of the chop is very different from the sound required for a sustained melody. A dedicated digital response can therefore be used to shape the amplified signal specifically for this type of playing.
Ordering an Electric Blue mandolin
I build Electric Blue mandolins one at a time. If you are interested in one, please get in touch with me. I am happy to discuss personalisation and custom options. Although the very first Electric Blue is blue, of course, the instrument can be made in different colours and finishes.
