Mendel mandocello
Joe Mendel mandocello, 2015. $2,500.
Based in Chesterfield, Missouri, Joe Mendel is a widely respected luthier with 40 years of experience. Joe is known for guitars, banjos, and octave mandolins, but has also produced a handful of fantastic mandocellos, including this one.
     The body of this flattop Mendel mandocello is 14.3125" wide, just about the same as a Gibson mandocello—but at 4.25" the sides are an inch deeper. It projects well, with a clear, sweet tone. Tremendous low end and responds well. Currently strung with flatwounds. The neck isn't excessively deep, but it's wide, and will definitely feel more familiar to a guitarist than to a mandolinist.
     Serial number 015072. Adirondack spruce top with H bracing pattern and figured maple binding. Figured maple back and sides, laminated figured maple neck with adjustable truss rod, radiused ebony fretboard with side markers, 25" scale length. 1.3125" bone nut, ebony headplate with inlaid Mendel logo. Allen AR-2 tailpiece, Grover nickel mandolin tuning machines. Strap buttons at the heel and tailblock.
     String spacing at the bridge is 2 inches. The ebony compensated one-piece floating bridge carries some intrigue, as it has several holes drilled into it, which may reflect the experiments in bridge design conducted by mandolinist Red Henry. The mandocello comes with a Superior hardshell dreadnought guitar case.
     $2,500, which is an excellent value for a handmade mandocello of this quality. See more photos, call 425/772-0231, or for more information. 48-hour approval offered.