Itīs hard to know what to call it - I wanted to make something with the scale of a tenor mandola that plays like a 4 string banjo and that sounds like nothing else.

• One piece high quality alpine spruce soundboard
• Internal bracing of 150 year seasoned spruce
• Back and sides 100 year (at least) seasoned mahogany
• Neck of sycamore (english maple) from Sherwood forest
• Ornate carved headstock with non-slip friction tuning pegs for ease of tuning 
• Ornate carved rosette
• Ebony bindings, fingerboard and bridge
• Zero fret for low action and balance of tone
• Angled fingerboard above soundboard to increase responsiveness
• Unusual hand made tailpiece - engraved brass.
• French polish finish

This is a very playable instrument with a scale length of 430mm and 4 strings, a very low action, good response and wide range of tonal variation possible. Its sound is bold yet subtle.

I have it strung and tuned as a tenor mandola, though it is possible to vary the string guages and tunings quite widely on this sort of instrument.