Difficulty: Advanced+
Cost: $$$
I’ve been planning on building a double neck mando/uke for a couple of years. I like the aesthetic of the Gibson Double Neck EDS-1275, especially the top neck having double the strings of the bottom one. Different things delayed me starting this project, and I’m glad they did because I was able to refine my techniques and gain the proper tools to do the job right. This was my most involved and labor intensive project yet.
I wanted to have Tune-o-matic style bridges for this instrument, but I couldn’t find any ones with four strings. After seeing a thread on the Mandolin Cafe Forums, I contacted Pete Mallinson of Almuse Mandolins to ask him some questions about some custom bridges he had made. He gave me the confidence to mill my own with a drill press and some needle files. The above picture was a test run that I did. I refined the process for the two bridges I used for the Mandolin/Ukulele. I purchased some blank saddles for the 8 string mandolin side and cut string slots with some speciality files.
I did my normal layout and size check before I started to cut things. Both of the necks have 17 inch scale lengths. I tuned the mandolin neck an octave lower than a regular mando, so it can be considered an “octave mandolin”.
I cut the body out of solid mahogany and beveled some of the edges.
The fretboards are made of bubinga and were bound with plastic binding. Even though the mandolin has more strings, the fretboard is narrower to keep the feel of a mandolin.
i’ve made a bunch of electric ukuleles, but I have never put a truss rod in them. With a short scale and quality wood, I didn’t see the need. I did put a non-adjustable truss rod in the mandolin neck to combat the added tension of the 8 strings. I put a matching one in the ukulele neck for balance. I routed out the pockets and epoxied the rods.
After the body was routed, a made some wooden pickguards and dry fitted everything. I then carefully disassembled everything and put the hardware aside.
The body and necks were tinted with a transparent red nitrocellulose stain and then clear coated with glossy nitrocellulose. The headstock faces were sprayed with opaque black.
“After the paintin’ comes the waitin’.” I stowed the body and necks in a closet for a 2 weeks to let the lacquer cure.
This thing is a real beauty. I really like the look and texture of the black, wooden pickguards. The pickups look like humbuckers, but are really single coil. The three-way switch by the tailpieces is able to select either or both necks.
Under the cavity cover, a couple of 500K potentiometers and a .022uF Orange Drop capacitor to provide a master volume and tone control. I used 4 neck mounting ferrules to attach the necks. They might become my new standard for mounting necks. They look and work very nice.
Talking about the double neck.
Demo time!
I loved that how many cool ukulele I want try play hand Jag-Stang Electric Ukulele this is right hand or left hand
All the ukes here are right handed. The jag stang looks left handed because I flipped the video. 🙂
What is the dimensions of the body it looks pretty cool
How to make the body how did you make the body what are the dimensions what did you use up for the pickups anything will help I teach a woodworking class and that’s something I think would be neat to have the students be involved in so if you can get back to me if you very appreciated I love that guitar you did an awesome job thanks and have a great day please
I’ll try to remember to get you the dimensions today.
The overall body size is 12 inches wide by 13 inches long by about 1.75 inches thick.
The pickups are single coil.
The top neck can be either octave mandolin or 8 string ukulele.
If your using nylon strings rather than steel strings when you go to build an acoustic electric version I’d recommend piezo pickups. Magnetic pickups pickup the vibrations from strings made out of metal & piezo pickups pick up the vibrations of the strings made out of any material from the bridge.
A double neck electric guitalele 12/6 model would be tuned a 4’th higher than a regular double neck.
Is there a way to make a natural wood finish version?
Yes. If you want to keep the wood natural looking, do not stain the wood and put a clear coat on it.
Interesting a double neck 12 over 6 electric guitalele is perfect. RIP jimmy page. Every stain available in different colors can be used when I go to make projects.
You really know how much effort it takes to carve a homemade instrument.
When you made a guitalele, you said that it’s tuned like a guitar with the capo on fret 5. So on the double neck 12 over 6 guitalele, the 12 string neck would be like a 12 string version of a 6 string guitalele.
Those are the same strings that you use on your electric guitar. Make sure to restring with D’Addario NYXL strings.
Would it be interesting to see a double neck guitalele made out of parts from instruments that broke down?
The 8 string ukulele will be next.
I think my next double neck will have two ukulele necks with high and low g strings.
Interesting is the electric guitalele an upcoming instrument?
Does the 8 string electric uke use the top four pairs of strings from a 12 string electric guitar string set?
Does an 8 string electric ukulele use the top four pairs of strings from a 12 string electric guitar string set?
I made my own custom set by buying packs of individual strings.
Who are the strings made by?
Why can’t you just make the top neck an 8 string ukulele just with the top four pairs of strings from a 12 string electric guitar set?
What happens if the mandolin neck is strung with the top four pairs of strings from a 12 string electric guitar strings set?
I’m not sure.
Give it a shot & see what happens.
Try it & see what happens. What do you get from it?
I’m sure I could make it. But I don’t have any plans to make one.
My next double neck will be an acoustic ukulele.
Can you give it a shot?