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Detail from The Ash Mandrake 16 String. Copyright Martin Tiger Country

OK LET'S DO IT : THE ARGUMENT

Mastering a simple acoustic guitar is a far from simple task, and the challenge is more than enough for one lifetime.

Andy Mckee - Guitar - Drifting  

I'm not a historian, but if you asked one about the use of technology to produce art, they might point you in the direction of Stone Henge an Egyptian pyramid or maybe the sci-fi film Alian Versus Predator. More recently, the futurists had a go. Check out Luigi Russolo's myspace page.

As musicians; some of us, either through dissatisfaction, or a thirst for exploration; end up pushing boundaries to make our sounds. With an unlimited budget, one could build a machine to do all the work

Animusic

But to be satisfied with such a challenge you would probably be an engineer; exclusively.

A musician would; surely, after building or comissioning something truly amazing; hunger for the challenge of emotionally connecting with people through their creation.

Pat Methany connecting through his Picasso Guitar

Another solution may be to take something somebody else has designed and learn to use it extremely well.

Rob Martino demonstrating on a Chapman Stick

Sometimes, having a thirst for exploration and a very limited budget may mean that you need to compromise, but working within restrictions may mean that you are forced to solve design problems rather than embarking on a remaking of the universe to avoid them. If you're going to play your creation, it will need to be grounded in practical reality.

The moment you change a tool that helps you express yourself musically, particularly if it's the only tool you have at the time, you're faced with the burden of having to re-learn how to play it. So you need to be brave enough to face possible failure (as well as being brave enough to face people who say you're mad for doing it). Actually, if it is the only one you have, that can be a blessing - you can't avoid the effort of re-learning by doing the safe things you were doing before on another version of your old instrument.

Once you begin, it can be surprising how many people will help because they believe in what you're doing.

This page deals with The Ash Mandrake Double necked 16 string guitar. It consists of a custom built 6 string electric and a customised 10 string guitarThe 10 string is a cross between a partially fretless barritone and a twelve string and was customised by Andy Manners. The 6 string was custom built by Andy Manners, and the two guitars were joined by Ash mandrake.

THE 10 STRING

The Ashmandrake 10 string outranges a normal guitar by one octave!
The ratio of the intervals between the strings is standard,
but they range from a bass A ( 7 frets below a bass E on a normal guitar)
to a high A (5 frets above the high E on a normal guitar!).

The strings are:

4 Bass (flat wound nickel) plus three pairs of strings in octaves (3 bronze wound, and three nickel), and they are arranged in 7 string courses.

Tuning

The Bass End (4 strings)

Note Octave String Type A 7 frets below the bass E on a normal guitar Nickle flat wound A same as an A on a normal guitar Nickle flat wound D One octave below the D on a normal guitar Nickle flat wound G One octave below the G on a normal guitar Nickle flat wound

The High End (6 strings aranged in 3 pairs)

Note Octave String Type C 1 fret above a high B on a normal guitar Bronze wound C 11 frets below a high B on a normal guitar Bronze wound E One octave below the high E on a normal guitar Bronze wound E Same as the high E on a normal guitar Nickle A 7 frets below the high E on a normal guitar Nickle A 5 frets above the high E on a normal guitar Nickle

The bass strings feed through hot Seymore Duncan, Bass Lines pickups (wired as humbuckers), and the original piezo under the bridge; The 12 string end feeds through the piezo.

Copyright The Mandrake Project 2006

Ash developed the concept in three stages, Andy Manners (An excellent guitar luthier who is housed at Vintage and Rare Guitars in Bath) starting the technical work in June 2004. Andy contributed to technical and visual aspects of the design. Says Ash, “Andy has a wealth of experience as a guitarist and luthier, but his approach is also really important. He’s happy to say ‘Let’s try it and see’, and that’s just what you need when you’re pushing boundaries.

There were three cases in which there were technical considerations for string gage choice.

The problems and associated questions are as follows:

1 – Finding a string that will not snap when brought to a high A five frets above a high E. Which gage is best?
2 - The high C in the third string course is close to the bass pickup, but it is not desirable for its sound to be registered by this pick up. Does it help if it is bronze wound instead of nickel?
3 – The low A string could place excess strain on the neck. Which gage is best.

The answers are as follows:

1 – The highest string on the neck. This was to be tuned up to an A above the high G on a twelve string. I initially tried a 7, but found these snapped when being brought up to pitch , or after minimal use at pitch. I also had difficulty with 8s, finding that they snapped if brought up to pitch in the normal way. I later discovered that an 8 will stay at an A for periods of extended use, if brought up to pitch slowly over a period of about 30 mins. I.e. bring it up to a G slowly, and then take it slightly higher at five minute intervals until you reach an A.

2 – The high C on the third string course from the high end: A decision needed to be made as to whether this would be bronze wound or nickel. I eventually managed to find a bronze wound 18 which could be brought to pitch. In practice, there is a trade off between the increased amplitude gained from bringing an 18 up to a C and the increased resolution achieved between the piezo pick up and the bass pick ups. A 17 gage nickel brought to a C does come through the bass pickups slightly more than a bronze wound 18, but the difference is not enormous, it seemed hardly worth the trouble trying to find a bronze wound 18.

3 – In practice, a 90 gage flat wound can be taken to the pitch of A, 7 frets below a normal low E, without placing excess stress on the neck. Andy Manners says “Always check with a good luthier. There could be differences between the necks of individual guitars regarding their ability to take the strain.

THE 6 STRING

It is an electric guitar incorporating an old re-wound pair of demazio pick ups set up as humbuckers very close to the neck. It has the option of a half way cut off.

The neck came from an electric 12 string, and the body is made from some kind of hard wood, similar to mahogony. It has excellent sustain. It was designed to be thin, so that it could be connected to the top of the 10 string.

Before the two guitars were joined, Ash Mandrake used the 6 string with his band "The UK Mandrake Project". Check out the video of the song "Eyes of Brown" opposite.

THE BINDING

Copyright Martin Tiger Country

I had a stock of reclaimed leather and a sewing machine. All that needed to be purchased was thread to make the leather into a suit that fitted the two guitars and held them together. I didn't have a clear idea about how this would work at this stage, so after cutting the suit, the pieces lay around for a couple of months while I dreamed on the project.

The first attempt failed. It's really difficult to make a prototypical suit for two guitars without a pattern, using a material which gets destroyed in the process (sewing leather damages it). I ended up re-cutting sewn parts and incorporating the sewn pieces in the sides of the suit for the 10 string (see the photograph below). Then the unjoined pieces sat around for another couple of months, while I gradually gave in to the idea of using a technique which I had envisioned as simply being used for aesthetics as a functional means for binding the parts together.

I ended up punching holes in the leather and binding the whole piece together like a corset, using about 30 black bootlaces. All in all, the joining part of the project took about eight months, and with all the remaking and trial and error, about 500 hours of solid work.

PLAYING TECHNIQUES

My techniques has already gone in it's own direction due to my use of acrylic nails for the past year and a half.

Photography by Martin Tiger Country

I've never been able to use a plectrum without it slipping out of my fingers, so I struggled with my weak nails for two decades. One day they discintegrated after practicing for six hours; so I tried acrylic. I found they improve consistenct between fingers and over time, precision of timing and clarity of note. They are particularly good for popping and for struck harmonics on an acoustic guitar. You can hear this in the recording of "Mother" by my band The Mandrake Project (UK) above.

Watch this space for further details about how I'm going to bring the instrument to stage, incorporate loop machines in the act, and developments in playing techniques.

More videos and recordings to come.

Acknowledgements: Two Photographers:

Johney Heart of Cosmos Magic Images. Website: http://www.myspace.com/cosmosmagicimages
Martin of Tiger Country Website: http://www.myspace.com/martytspace

Thanks to the management of Moles Night Club, Bath for the use of The Porter Cellar Bar as a location for the Johnny Heart photo-shoot.

Thanks to JR for the use of Invention TV for the Martin Tiger Country photoshoot

Information and applications found at the following links were used to build the visual aspect of this profile:

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