Mandobass

Overview

The mandobass is the bass member of the mandolin family, designed to provide a low foundation for mandolin orchestras. It is much larger than other instruments in the family and is usually played upright on a peg, like a small double bass. Most mandobasses have four single strings tuned in fourths, the same intervals used on most modern bass instruments.

Origin & History

The mandolin family was extended into a full orchestra-style ensemble in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, both in Italy and in the United States. Builders such as Gibson developed a complete set of mandolin-family instruments — mandolin, mandola, mandocello, and mandobass — to allow ensemble performance across a wide pitch range. The mandobass was the largest of these, and Gibson’s “J” model from the early twentieth century is one of the better-known examples.

How It’s Played

The mandobass is played upright, with the body resting on a fixed peg or strap and the neck angled forward. The strings are plucked with the fingers, much like a double bass. Some players use a soft pick for greater volume in larger ensembles. The instrument’s tuning matches the standard double bass and modern bass guitar, making it familiar to bass players from other backgrounds.

Cultural Significance

The mandobass had its main heyday during the early-twentieth-century mandolin orchestra movement, when amateur ensembles flourished in many cities. As popular musical tastes shifted, mandolin orchestras declined and the mandobass became rare. It survives today in specialist ensembles and historical-instrument projects, and a small number of luthiers continue to build new examples.

Related Instruments

• Mandolin – the smallest member of the family
• Mandola – the alto member
• Mandocello – the tenor/cello-range member
• Double bass – the orchestral bass parallel
• Bass guitar – the modern fretted bass parallel

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the mandobass tuned like a bass guitar?
Yes. Most mandobasses are tuned in fourths to E-A-D-G, the same as a standard double bass and bass guitar.

Is the mandobass still played today?
It is rare but not extinct, surviving mainly in mandolin orchestras and historical-instrument projects.

Image credit: see Wikimedia Commons category “Mandobass” for available photographs.