2006 Bussmann Old Wave Tenor Guitar / 4-string Mandola w/Pickup, Unique, Mint!

Unsold See similar items £1,766.16 Buy It Now or Best Offer, 30-Day Returns, eBay Money Back Guarantee
Seller: thd.company.store ✉️ (547) 100%, Location: Snohomish, Washington, US, Ships to: WORLDWIDE, Item: 222557067436 2006 Bussmann Old Wave Tenor Guitar / 4-string Mandola w/Pickup, Unique, Mint!.

Up for sale is my beautiful Old Wave Tenor Guitar or 4-string Mandola (whichever you prefer to think of it as) called the “Solocomp JM ”, built by Bill Bussmann in New Mexico in 2006.  It was made at the request of JazzMando founder Ted Eschliman.  There is a lengthy write-up on it on the JazzMando website.  Just search under “Solocomp JM”.

As the only real differences between a tenor guitar and a mandola are that a tenor guitar is single-strung and a mandola is double-strung, this could be called either. They are both tuned CGDA. Typically, a tenor guitar has a scale length around 23”. This has a scale length of 16 1/8”, more typical of a mandola. For this reason, it won’t work well with standard tenor guitar strings, but is perfect for half a set of standard mandola strings.

As you can see from the photos, the materials and workmanship are truly first-class, and this tenor guitar/mandola is an absolute joy to play due, in part, to its beauty, comfort and surprisingly loud, warm acoustic tone.  Plugged in, it sounds a lot like a good electric jazz guitar.

Though it has a pickup, I consider this, first and foremost, an acoustic instrument. It has a loud, strong and very sweet voice. The pickup works fine, but, though I have checked to make sure it works, I have never found a need to use it.

The hand-carved neck, back and sides are solid highly-flamed Maple with a vintage amber tint to the finish. The fingerboard and bridge are Ebony. The top is solid, hand carved Engelmann Spruce. The binding is artificial tortoise shell. The nut is bone. The tailpiece is a great Allen piece, gold plated. The pickup is a custom-wound Kent Armstrong, and the jack is at the endpin.

The tuning machines are sealed Grover Lock-Tites with gold plating. They all function smoothly, with no significant backlash.

The neck is straight and the frets are level, with only very minor wear.

It is in “Mint” condition. I have gone over the instrument carefully, and cannot find a single scratch, ding, dent or issue of any kind.

Overall length is 28”. The body is 11" at the lower bout, 6 1/2” at the waist, and 8 1/4” at the upper bout. It is 1 3/4” deep at the end block. The scale length is 16 1/8", neck width at the nut is a comfortable 1 1/4”. Action at the 12th fret is an effortless 3/64" on all string. The neck is straight as can be with less than 1/64" relief. There are no high frets, buzzes, dips or twists. The instrument is in perfect playing condition.

To hear a sound clip I recorded of this amazing instrument, please click https://youtu.be/Xfn9sW-YDYQ . I used two microphones set about 18” apart, in front of the instrument. There are no effects. To get the best possible idea of the instrument’s sound and “presence”, I recommend listening with headphones or very good speakers. The recording was done at my desk, and does not do justice to the instrument, but it gives you an idea of the ballpark we are talking about.

It comes with its original hard-shell case, originally built for a wide-body viola, which offers excellent protection and light-weight. 

It will be packed in a strong box, with layers of bubble wrap and other soft material. I have a lot of experience packing stringed instruments, having shipped roughly 1000 instruments over the past 30 years, to dozens of countries around the world.

The instrument comes with a 48-hour approval period. If, within the 48-hour period, you decide that it is not for you, simply return it to me in the same condition as I sent it out, with full insurance, and I will refund your purchase price, minus shipping to you and a 10% restocking fee. Buyer pays return shipping and insurance.

TERMS, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY: Buyer pays selling price plus shipping and insurance. I typically ship with USPS or FedEx, though other arrangements can be made at the buyer's request. No fee is charged for packing or handling. I will gladly ship anywhere in the world, but beware, international shipping charges can be steep, and the buyer is responsible for all duties, taxes, VAT, brokerage and storage fees on their end. Please contact me with any questions.

  • Condition: Used
  • Condition: Mint Condition
  • Brand: Old Wave
  • Type: Tenor Guitar/4-String Mandola
  • Dexterity: Right Handed
  • Model: Solocomp JM
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: United States

PicClick Insights - 2006 Bussmann Old Wave Tenor Guitar / 4-string Mandola w/Pickup, Unique, Mint! PicClick Exclusive

  •  Popularity - 8 watchers, 2.7 new watchers per day, 3 days for sale on eBay. Super high amount watching. 0 sold, 1 available.
  •  Best Price -
  •  Seller - 547+ items sold. 0% negative feedback. Great seller with very good positive feedback and over 50 ratings.

People Also Loved PicClick Exclusive