Northfield EleOcto EL1 Electric Octave Mandola with Case

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Essentially, this is an invitation and you’re invited to the celebration. This is a way for us to take all the different components of our musical backgrounds—coming from electric blues to classical mandolin (and everything in between), and blend them through the natural evolution of yet another familiar form factor. Knowing what makes up a really good acoustic mandolin or octave mandolin, and what makes a really great vintage electric guitar—fusing those ideas together to make something that feels just right…. This is our EleOcto.

It’s a departure and a loop back to the origins at the same time. Made from solid spruce and red maple, it’s essentially what you’d expect in a mandolin’s make-up. Lightweight (chambered and 6 lbs or under) responsive and “chimey”, 8-strings, and a comfortable scale length, this thing feels and plays like a mandolin family instrument, not a mini electric novelty. And it growls. We’ve made this with the idea of enjoying the world that amplification and pedal effects reside in. Why should electric guitar players, or makers, get to have all the fun!?

Completely addicted to inspiring tones, we’ve settled on two different instrument setups. First, a single pickup version powered by a humbucking ‘Jazz Bass’ magnetic pickup—The Seymour Duncan Apollo II. That’s right, a bass pickup! Bold, warm, with lots of growl, and eight individual pole pieces for very balanced and tough-sounding output. 

The second combines that same JB pickup with our new in-house made piezo. We call it the Kapsule. A special multi-piezo design is centered at the end of the fingerboard extension and set in a chamber, carved between the spruce top and maple body. This piezo has a separate volume control making it possible to blend the different pickup tones. We call it a “depth knob” and think this piezo feature simulates adding body depth, typically associated with a deeper acoustic body. The string tones have a different timbre and sound more acoustic in nature. You get a kind of “chime” from the vibration inherent to the instrument’s design, coupled with the low-end sustain of the JB pickup. Unique and very flavorful. Both pickups are then run to a stereo jack (cable included, but also can be run mono with a standard cable) making it possible to split and send to different amps or the PA (to EQ) and then blend the tones together. This makes the instrument quite versatile for a variety of performance venues.These axes are made for new musical inspiration and expression—pump up the volume.

We’ve done everything we can at Northfield to pay homage to beautifully dated and classic ideas in mandolin making—but we’ve been equally inspired by the musicians and new expressions of the mandolin—that are happening simultaneously to us trying to figure out who we are and what we’ll do next. New collaborations and crossovers, growing audiences and venues, and an incredible amount of new music and new appreciation are possible because you’ve all been driving us to explore every direction, and we’re grateful for the ride. 

We are the axe makers, but you make them swing…..and together, we are Roaring Ahead.