Yes, an Armadillo! An acquaintance in the Ukulele Union brought me an Armadillo Mandolin that was in need to rebuilding. Jim actually wanted to convert it into an ‘ukulele, and has a particular fondness for the armadillo and asked if I could inlay an armadillo in the headstock. Why not? As I’ve said before, one of the things I try to do is have unique inlays!
This instrument required a completely new top with new bracing and a fingerboard. I re-used some of the mandolin tuners but did have to ‘thin’ down the headstock and neck as they were seriously over-built and thick. The top also had to be bent like they are in a Neapolitan mandolin. Luckily I’ve done this a few times before, is simply requires you cut a line on the underside exactly where you want the bend to appear.
Unfortunately I forgot to take any before pictures, but here is the completed conversion. You can also watch a YouTube video that Jim Persky made playing his new armadillolele!
Confessions of an Amateur Luthier 