The Mandolin Family of Instruments
The Family mirrored the violin family from the 18th century on but with frets for precision and
plucked rather than bowed, hence there was:
- Mandolin (Violin)
- Mandola (Viola)
- Mandocello (Violincello)
- Mandobass (Double Bass)
Picture: Comparing the size of
a mandolin and a mandocello
Scale Lengths and Tunings
Instrument |
Tuning |
Scale Length |
|---|---|---|
Mandolin |
GDAE |
350mm - 370mm |
Tenor Mandola |
CGDA |
430mm - 530mm |
Octave Mandola |
GDAE |
530mm - 580mm |
Mando Cello |
CGDA |
580mm - 640mm |
Mando Bass |
EADG |
1050mm - 1080mm |
The scale length is the distance from the nut to the bridge i.e the length of the open string.
The octave mandola appears to be a recent invention to fill the same niche
as the tenor banjo.
Most instruments in the family have 4 courses as can be seen here on this
Gibson mandolin, 
but there are instruments with 3 or 5 or even 6 courses. The courses (where there are 4) are tuned GDAE respectively.
Since the folk revival, similar instruments have been made, but not necessarily given the same names!
There is a continuous debate about the names of some members of this family, their characteristics and origins.
The main characteristic of the family however is that they all have paired strings (called courses) tuned in unison or octaves.
Mandolin Types
Mandolin family instruments are made in two basic types - the bowl back or Neapolitan mandolin ('taterbug') and the flatback style originated by Orville Gibson.
Flatback mandolins and mandolas are by far the most popular style now and are made by many manufacturers around the world. The plainest have a flat soundboard and fretboard but the more expensive have a radiused (slightly curved) fretboard and a carved (again slightly curved) soundboard. The larger instruments (mandocello, mandobass) are no longer manufactured but some luthiers will hand make them to order.