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A couple of months ago I discovered that in the 30s Martin built a batch of oddball guitars for the Paramount guitar company. They left the backs off, no sound hole, and added a banjo-style resonator back instead. I had to do something similar, just to see how it turned out.

So I made a concert scale camp uke without a soundhole from oak, added a koa and oak resonator back, and strung it as as 8 string taropatch with low/high G for the fourth string. And here it is:









The bridge is only temporary, to help me get the string spacing, and it needs more finish on the neck, but essentially done. Sounds like this:

That is cool - nicely done sir

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Well, I like it a lot. I wonder, if anyone ever built a mandola or mandocello with a wooden top such as yours?

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Neat. I would love to see/hear a sound clip.

Very cool. It looks and sounds great. Nice performance too.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

I'm not sure what I am seeing. I'd call it a banjo mandolin or banjo mandola with a wooden head...but what do I know? Who cares how it is classified? I think it's pretty darned cool.

How do YOU want it to be classified?

Patrick

Very unique! Cool idea, sounds great too!

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http://www.ericschaeferguitars.com

That's awesome!

Oops never mind I see it now. That's very cool what a fantastic sound and a sweet little shimmy too.

Very neat. Loved the video.
Pat

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There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

So Chris, what did they call them back in the '30's?

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Cool! I like it. Nice video - Mike

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guitarsbygiltzow.com

Here's the headstock to answer you



More info at

http://www.vintagemartin.com/Martin30_Paramount_L.html

I think a wood topped banjo, also by Lange's Paramount corporation, was the inspiration, and in the UK Cammeyer made at least one. Info and pics at

http://www.yelvertonguitars.co.uk/banjo-restoration/

From these starting points I rather made it up as I went along!

Thanks for the links. So looks they were calling them resonator guitars. Cool, I really enjoy seeing these oddball vintage instruments - especially when someone brings me one to fix (but haven't got my hands on one of these yet).

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I had a Cammeyer in my workshop a few years back. Sorry, no photos and I didn't record any more info - I was swapping the friction pegs for geared ones. The owner described it as "a cross between a banjo and a musical instrument". Sound was nothing special but he had it tuned down to Irish tenor banjo (octave below a mandolin) - it would probably have sounded better at C G D A tenor banjo tuning.

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"There is hope in honest error .... ". Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
http://www.ianchisholm.co.uk