News

September 09 Yes, I know it has been a while, but things sometimes don't get updated as quickly as they should. The Mandolin Project is being released / re-released / published in the US through Independent Publishing Group from 1 October and available through just about every book store anywhere as well as on-line stores such as Amazon.

It has been printed in 'perfect bound' form using 'lay flat' binding with the plans included in an envlope in the back. I still have a few of the ring bound versions left if people really want those. The retail price of the new print run is now US$25 so all the original print run will be $25 (plus postage) as well

I will be away for the month of October, so direct sales will start again in November

The first chapter of The Mandolin Project - a history of mandolin construction is available here as a pdf download

The second chapter, starting to build a mandolin, is here as a pdf download as well. The rest of it you have to buy 8-)

August 08 A chapter on building mandolins from the 1908 book Violins and Other Stringed Instruments, edited by Paul N Hasluck - click here

 

 

The Bouzouki Book - a workshop guide to building Irish bouzoukis and citterns - is still available.

It is a comprehensive manual on the theory and construction of this family of instruments

More information here

Welcome

The McDonald Strings Website has information about the bouzoukis and mandolins I build, the books I have written about building them as well as a calculator for working out string tensions (rather useful for these instruments and others) and lots of other information on old time Australian dance music and a collection of old string packages.

 

The menu at the top will get you around the site.

 

An F style mandolin

An oval hole 2 point mandolin