Archtop octave mandolin. 5" scale length, and a fairly shallow body depth.
Archtop octave mandolin They look a lot like a small Martin archtop guitars from the 1930s in that they combine a typical flattop guitar's flat back with the fully carved spruce top of an archtop guitar. The first was a custom order which was shipped in January. An added advantage to this guitar-l SOLD (NEW) An instrument hasn't dropped jaws around our shop quite like this in a while! Mandolin players and guitar players alike have found themselves transfixed by the archtop octave mando from Northfield. Since 2008 I’ve been building stringed instruments in my 400-sqft shop, located in the foothills of the Washington Cascade mountains just east of Renton, Washington. Vendor: Northfield Mandolins Type: Instruments Price: 5300. From the beautiful sunburst finish to the figured maple, to the perfect way that it feels in your hands and b Purchased new in 2022, excellent condition, minor blemishes as seen in the photos, kept indoors, includes HSC. Our Archtop Octave Mandolins are inspired by the L5 Archtop guitar style body of the early 1920’s. Used – Excellent. I think Tim realized the potential of the archtop body coupled to the octave mandolin. May 20, 2020 · However, combining an archtop guitar–style body with a scale length that facilitates octave tuning (GDAE), an octave below a standard mandolin) is a relatively new development. I believe it was originally a Harmony archtop guitar that was converted into an Octave Mandolin. We love this highly-playable Northfield octave mandolin! This carved-top octave mandolin looks a lot like a small Martin archtop guitar from the 1930s in that it combines a typical flattop guitar's flat back with the fully carved spruce top of an archtop guitar. 2A. . From the beautiful sunburst finish to the figured maple, to the perfect way Northfield proudly presents their Archtop Octave Mandolin Ken Smith Stringed Instruments Archtop Octave Mandolin Completed November 2024. features include:-22. Engelman spruce top. (USED) Mandolin players and guitar players alike have found themselves transfixed by the archtop octave mando from Northfield. It’s in the key of D, has a typical jazz AABA 32-bar structure, and uses diatonic chords in the key of D. Bayard sandcast bronze tailpiece ride . It plays and sounds wonderful. Supplied with case. Hand carved archtop octave mandolin. Comes with Ebony fingerboard, headplate, bridge and tailpiece. Northfield NFO-AT2 Archtop Mandolin - Dark I am the original owner of this octave mandolin. 4G unison, and the pitch is one octave lower than the mandolin. The headplate is Brazilian Rosewood and the Fingerboard and Bridge Woo Family owned since 1972, Elderly Instruments is a music store specializing in new, used & vintage guitars, banjos, mandolins, ukuleles and more. My goal is to build traditionally styled Archtop instruments from the mandolin and guitar family for the accomplished musician. 1 5/16 nut width 20. 22. Sarah Jarosz is a gifted multi-instrumentalist (mandolin, octave mandolin, guitar, banjo), an expressive and distinctive vocalist, and an accomplished songwriter. Northfield Mandolins has seriously upped the ante with their carved-top, archtop guitar-style octave mandolin. The design was mostly made by scaling up the A style mandolins I make based on Roger Siminoff's excellent book by 140%. Top is Sitka Spruce Top Bracing is Sitka Spruce Back and Sides are Honduras Mahogany Neck is Mahogany joined to body at the 14th Fret Neck has a two-way truss rod. I know Gibson made a very few Loar era mandocello's which may have also played into the creation of the Nugget. Warsh in recent years. From the Bayard Guitars workshop is a freshly-fabricated, hand-carved Archtop Octave Mandolin. 5" scale length, and a fairly shallow body depth. 1 5/16 nut width . The mahogany and spruce yields a warmth perfect for accompanying a voice and backing up other instruments. Octuru Bomandrin, which will be focused on by actively using popular mandlists such as Tim O'Brien, Sierra Hull and Sarah Jarosz, Joe K. 3D. Octave mandolin builders are more rare, and there is no entrenched design standard like there is for mandolins and jazz guitars. The mahogany and spruce model yields a warmth perfect for accompanying a voice and backing up other instruments. A customer has asked me about converting a vintage archtop guitar to an octave mandolin. Northfield found inspiration in vintage archtop and tenor guitars. In the old days, Tim O'BRIEN, in recent years, octhab mandolin has attracted attention as popular mandlists such as Sierra Hull, Sarah Jarosz, and Joe K. An incredibly rich sounding and rare carved top octave mandolin from the folks at Weber. It is hard to imagine an octave mandolin getting any better than this! Italian spruce top, mahogany back/sides/neck, multi-ply tortoise binding, nitrocellulose lacquer finish, radiused ebony fretboard with descending pearl position markers, ebony adjustable bridge, Gotoh tuners, Nugget tailpiece, Black Phenolic pick guard, 22" scale length, 1 Beautiful Northfield archtop octave mandolin, available in spruce top with maple back and sides, made with one eye on the classic designs of the 30's. Good intonation. This Northfield Octave Mandolin Archtop has the mahogany/spruce combination which gives it a sweetness and warmth, and tonal balance across the strings. This Northfield Octave Mandolin Archtop has the maple/spruce combination which gives it clarity and cutting power in it’s lower register. The Soundboard is a Sitka spruce carved top with Old Andaman Islands Padouk flat back and sides. It will ship in it And the innovative short-scale archtop octave mandolins are also wonderful! The builder, Qin Jidou, was the original builder of Northfield mandolins until 2017, and the resemblance between them (sonically and aesthetically) is quite clear. 25-21 in. This one has an amber finish, figured maple, and feels perfect in the hand and balances in your grip impeccably designed, it satisfies completely. Just finished and off the bench earlier this month, #251, a moderately long scale bouzouki/octave mandolin made by yours truly, James Curtis/Island. An added advantage to this guitar-l Bayard Guitars Archtop Octave Mandolin #312Sitka Spruce topFigured Honduras Mahogany back and sides, one piece neckCocobolo Rosewood fingerboard, headplate, bridge, tailpiece, pickguard, binding. The neck wood is a one-piece, Bosnian Maple from old violin stock. May 10, 2022 · Available here: https://acousticmusicworks. Joe uses it to introduce some movable chord shapes and talk about different rhythmic approaches to comping with the octave Classifieds for mandolin, mandola, mandocello, Banjo, guitar, bouzouki, cittern, octaves and violin and fiddle and resonator instruments. There may be some instruments that pre-date the Nugget, but it seems that's where the modern concept originated. An added advantage to this guitar-l ARCHTOP OCTAVE MANDOLIN of Quint Mandolin, produced by some manufacturers, later produced by North Field Mandolin, and later independent LUTHIER Qin Ji Duo. I realized one day that this mold I had sitting around was very similar in shape to the 17″ archtop guitar body mold I made from Robert Benedetto’s book and plans Quint Mandolin is made by Chinese Master Luthier Qin Ji Duo, who studied instrument making at several manufacturers and was involved in production from the launch of North Field Mandolin before becoming independent. Ethan uses Northfield’s medium-gauge, octave mandolin strings on the instrument. The tuning is the same as the mandolin, 1E. Beautiful Northfield archtop octave mandolin, made with a special Italian spruce top and a figured maple back and sides, made with one eye on the classic designs of the 30's. Available in 2 colour choices, dark cherryburst or honey. This resulted in a 14" body width, 19. multiscale fingerboard Satin finish Gotoh mini tunersCrossrock fibergl This is my second archtop-guitar-bodied octave mandolin, so it is still mildly experimental. Fitted with Bayard sandcast bronze tailpiece ride and Gotoh We love this highly-playable Northfield octave mandolin! This carved-top, maple back and sides octave mandolin looks a lot like a small Martin archtop guitar from the 1930s in that it combines a typical flattop guitar's flat back with the fully carved spruce top of an archtop guitar. Gloss varnish finish, satin neck . Supplied with Airloom fibreglass case. F5 Artist Series Archtop Octave Model M A5 and A4 Special Artists Overview Mike Marshall Drew Emmitt Emory Lester Adam Steffey Sarah Jarosz Roger Tallroth This is my first time making an archtop-guitar-bodied octave mandolin, so it is mildly experimental. As the newcomer to the mandolin family gathers momentum, the whole mandolin community continues to approach music and songwriting differently and more openly. 2009, carved spruce top with dark toner, carved mahogany back, mahogany sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, diamond fretboard inlays, ivoroid-bound top and fingerboard, ebony pickguard with ivoroid binding, Weber tailpiece, K&K arch top bridge pickup installed, 23 1/2" scale length, 1 7/8' nut width The very first time we strummed chords on our newly designed Archtop Octave mandolin, back in 2015, we heard the potential. 5 days ago · This is my second archtop-guitar-bodied octave mandolin, so it is still mildly experimental. 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 China's personal luthier Qin JI Duo manufactured by Quint Mandolin's first Archtop Octave Mandolin. A full body model, a florentine cutaway and a sharp cutaway. Octave Mandolins I build three styles of Octaves, all of them archtop guitar bodied with a 20. The New England Conservatory of Music grad has carved out a solid niche where contemporary folk, Americana, and roots music intersect. We love this highly-playable Northfield octave mandolin! This carved-top, maple back and sides octave mandolin looks a lot like a small Martin archtop guitar from the 1930s in that it combines a typical flattop guitar's flat back with the fully carved spruce top of an archtop guitar. Apr 24, 2025 · $5,495. 22 3/4" Scale length1 5/8" Nut width (NEW) An instrument hasn't dropped jaws around our shop quite like this in a while! Mandolin players and guitar players alike have found themselves transfixed by the archtop octave mando from Northfield. Ethan’s Archtop Octave Mandolin is built with an Italian Alpine spruce top and figured maple back and sides. Nov 10, 2016 · Weber offers the entire range of mandolin-family instruments, from the diminutive sopranino to the XL-sized mandocello, and at this year’s NAMM show, our curiosity was piqued by Weber’s new Cutaway octave mandolin with a body shape reminiscent of an archtop guitar. The Northfield Archtop Octave Mandolin is available in two distinct material combinations. This guitar-bodied octave has a deep, woody tone, and a slightly warmer and drier voice than it's maple-bodied counterpart. We found inspiration in vintage archtop and tenor guitars"Nortfield's archtop octave mandolins are just as pleasing to the eye as they are to the ears. 78″ scale length and produces a very powerful, resonant tone. This is the sweetest, most unique sounding octave mandolin I’ve ever heard!This Northfield Octave Mandolin Archtop has the mahogany/spruce combination which gives it a sweetness and warm From The Bayard Guitars Workshop comes the remarkable Archtop Octave Mandolin #291. Our Wavelength Octave is a welcoming invitation to the world of possibilities that the octave mandolin lays at your fingertips. (OK, the back is slightly arched by t Jul 17, 2024 · As with all archtop Northfields, the top is hand carved, braced with a pair of tone bars, and has two traditional f-holes. Sugar Maple back and sides. Based on a 30's archtop guitar, these octave mandolins are among the most unique instruments in Northfield's lineup. This uniquely-small body, with complex arching, tone bars, and flat back was something altogether different, from its origin story found in those 000-sized Archtops, made in Nazareth in the 1930s. With a voice that falls somewhere between a guitar and a standard mandolin, they've proven popular with folks seeking a new sound without the need to learn We love this highly-playable Northfield Octave Mandolin! This carved-top beauty looks a lot like a small Martin archtop guitar from the 1930s in that it combines a typical flattop guitar's flat back with the fully carved spruce top of an archtop guitar. And the innovative short-scale archtop octave mandolins are also wonderful! The builder, Qin Jidou, was the original builder of Northfield mandolins until 2017, and the resemblance between them (sonically and aesthetically) is quite clear. com/collections/northfield-mandolins/products/northfield-nfo-at2-archtop-octave-mandolin-special-italian-spruce-ma Mar 4, 2025 · This is the second A style archtop octave mandolin I've made. Gotoh mini tuners . The body shape is from the mold I made for a Gibson L-0 soundbox several years ago. (OK, the back is slightly arched by the braces, just as on flattop The Northfield Archtop Octave Mandolin is available in two distinct material combinations. I realized one day that this mold I had sitting around was very similar in shape to the 17″ archtop guitar body mold I made from Robert Benedetto’s book and plans “Verona” comes from the great jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, who recorded it on his album Gone, Just Like a Train, but it is well-suited to the octave mandolin. (OK, the back is slightly arched by the braces, just as o The last time we seriously considered the project we turned our focus towards the octave mandolin and got swept out to sea for quite a while. Crossrock light flight case, fiberglass cream color Northfield NFO-AT1 Archtop Octave Mandolin, Italian Spruce, Mahogany - USED 2024. Popularized by artists such as Sierra Hull, Sarah Jarosz, and Tim O’Brien, these instruments have a fuller sound than a standard mandolin, making them great for These archtop/flatback octave mandolins from Northfield have quickly become favorites here at Gryphon. This instrument is Archtop Octave Mandolin Maple Short Scale Cutaway. An archtop octave mandolin based on the good old archtop guitar. 25 scale . I realized one day that this mold I had sitting around was very similar in shape to the 17″ archtop guitar body mold I made from Robert Benedetto’s book and Mar 23, 2025 · The Northfield archtop octave mandolin is perhaps the most intriguing instrument in their line, extending into the "family" of mandolin instruments. Mar 22, 2025 · This was a custom job done by Mark Heiss at in Boulder, CO. The exact appearance of this item may vary. Ebony fingerboard, headplate, bridge and tailpiece. Each Octave Mandolin has a 14″ lower bout, 21. Arrange the old good arch top guitar and made art-top octave Mandolin. May 25, 2025 · $5,495. I will also include the Northfield Henderson strap seen in photos. The plan is to build an archtop guitar and a guitar-shaped octave mandolin (GOM) side by side. That’s the kind of opportunity we live for at Northfield. 75" scale length-36mm nut width (just over 1-3/8ths inches)-38" length overall-14" wide-5" max depth (including bridge)-C An archtop octave mandolin based on the good old archtop guitar. Sounds really nice. There are a lot of mandolin luthiers out there and a good many archtop guitar builders. Northfield NF-AT01 archtop octave mandolin with mahogany back and sides. 00 We love this highly-playable Northfield octave mandolin! This carved-top, maple back and sides octave mandolin looks a lot like a small Martin archtop guitar from the 1930s in that it combines a typical flattop guitar's flat back with the fully carved spruce top of an archtop guitar. Honduras Mahogans neck . $4,809. Shop today! "In creating our octave mandolin, we’ve pulled together a variety of specs and influences to create something with a unique voice and aesthetic. Machined Italian spruce top, mahogany sides, mahogany flat back, mahogany neck, premium ebony Radius fingerboard, Goto pegs, and ultra-thin nitrocellulose lacquer finish. Mandolins Instrument Overview How Northfield Works Big Mon Limited Big Mon F5S Limited S Series The EleOcto The Rival The Wavelength The Quickstep The Calhoun The Flat Top Octave 4th Gen. 25" scale length. One is a ‘39 Harmony made ‘Armstrong’ tenor guitar(15-1/2” wide body), the other is an orphaned ‘41 Epiphone Blackstone body(16-3/8” wide). Working on the mandola has brought us right into the middle of the zone we like to live in—the intersection of vintage and modern, classic and “new-age”, tradition and projection. Jul 11, 2023 · The "July 9th Batch" expands Northfield's existing lineup with a mandola, a short scale teardrop octave and a far-reaching electric octave (all made in Marshall); and, stepping into a new field, a six-string archtop guitar (constructed at the company's Qingdao, China workshop) based on its popular guitar-bodied octave. In creating the Northfield Octave mandolin, they’ve pulled together a variety of specs and influences to create something with a unique voice and aesthetic. Introducing this latest fifths-tuned-big-box-beauty: the OM-150! The OM-150 is an electric Octave Mandolin that borrows all of the same materials and specs from the TG-150, but doubles up on the strings and adds an extra pickup at the bridge. Constructed with Sugar Maple back and sides and Engelmann Spruce top and a Honduras Mahogany neck. The Northfield Archtop Octave mandolin’s maple and spruce combo offers an attack and crispness that can carve out a sonic space within an ensemble, making it possible to be heard even when played in the lower registers. WALSH actively use. The body shape of this instrument is also very comfortable to play unlike some other octave mandolins out there, which can tend to feel a little awkward at times. I don't have very many occasions to play this and it should be played! Very little play time, so it is in excellent condition. It sings, and welcomes you to sing along. I have two possible candidates in my shop, but I have not yet done such a conversion. dkciolbpebophqfecmjsvhsetwmaywqhdodqsrkuqwfksitt