In creating Northfield's octave mandolin, they pulled together a variety of specs and influences to create something with a unique voice and aesthetic. They found inspiration in vintage archtop and tenor guitars. The ergonomics and size of the instrument needed to be considered carefully to not only ensure incredible sound, but also be comfortable for a mandolin player—this was often overlooked when it came to guitar bodied octave mandolins. The scale length and fretting hand stretch is always a consideration with octave mandolins, but equally important for comfortable playing is how the right arm reaches around the body of the instrument. The dimensions and flat back of our octave mandolin body yield something quite different than what is found on the market today.
