Table of contents :

4 strings “Telecaster” electric mandolin

Modeled on the famous Telecaster guitar from Leo Fender, here is the “Teledolin”.
It is an electric mandolin, 4 strings, taking on a reduced scale, the characteristics of an original Telecaster guitar.

- Body made of solid ash.
- Maple neck and fingerboard.
- Scale is 354 mm.
- 4 strings tuned G3, D4, A4, E5, gauge 40W, 26W, 15, 11
- Custom Pickups from ALMUSE
- Custom hardware made by myself out of brass and nickel plated, in order to respect the general size ratio of the instrument.

Exclusive: An integrated wireless module “WS-20” by Rowin, for wireless connection to the amp.

Here are some sound clips, without any transformation, the instrument just finished:

• Neck Pickup, alone :
• Bridge pickup, alone :
• Both pickups :

Making the body

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Two parts body, solid ash.

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The templates from the plan, the body, the neck and fingerboard.

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Templates for the carved cavities. No plastic pick-guard plate here, so the cavities are limited to a minimum.

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Neck assembly before contouring.

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Tight fit.

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Cavity at the back for the wireless adapter. Drilling the hole connecting the controls cavity.

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Cross drilling by the jack hole, connecting the controls cavity down to the pickup cavity.

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The wireless module in its housing, which will be closed by a thin wooden lid, hold in position using 8 small magnets.

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Inlaying a small steel plate in the thickness of the lid, for holding the magnets. Using my router plane.

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Just a millimeter deep.

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The cover (scraping still glued paper template)

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True oil finish, twenty thin layers.

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Copper shielding of all cavities except the one for the wireless adapter.

Hardware and pickups

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Brass tailpiece blank (thank you Pete Malinson!)

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String ferrules, homemade out of brass.

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The ferrules are inserted in a flat bottom hole, so as to better transfer the strings energy to the body of the instrument.

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Modifying ukulele tuning machines. Milling the ends.

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This leaves just enough room to put the two screws.

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Preparation for nickel plating of the sleeves and the heel plate.

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Homemade Nickel Plating setup, see this article for more information.

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The finished pieces after polishing.

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Installing the neck pickup.

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The pickup cover locked around the microphone using insulation tape.

Making the neck and fingerboard

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Template for the profile, which will be cut on the band saw.

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Sanding curved parts with the sanding cylinder.

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The neck cutout fit to the body.

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Shaping the neck, using a rasp and file.

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The fret slots are cut before cutting the contour.

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Sanding the contour.

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Gluing the fingerboard to the neck using hide glue.

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Adjustment after final sanding and gluing.

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Sanding to 600 grit.

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Tuning machines placement.

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Installation of the tuning machines.

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Installing the frets.

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Filing the fret ends.

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Glass caul for leveling the frets. 1000 grit paper.

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Leveling.

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The frets have still to be crowned and polished. The fingerboard was oil finished before fretting.

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Finished frets. Some additional layers of oil have been added after fretting.

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My personal logo design, inspired by Fender signature. Waterslide decals between True Oil layers.

I hope you enjoyed this instrument, you can also view the making of my other string and wind instruments on this site.
I recall that I do not sell my instruments.

You can send me your comments by responding to this article below or on my facebook page.

Christophe