Mandolin-banjo John Farris for an instrument with 8 strings. The Farris banjolin was offered in soprano, alto, tenor, and bass models. However, he "converted it to a four-string instrument," maintaining the mandolin and violin scale length and tuning (GDAE). Banjo hybrids normally take their names from the Banjo- prefix, and then the second half of the other instrument's name, such as banjocello, banjo guitar, and banjolele which implies the banjolin is a sort of mandolin/banjo hybrid. In the advertisement, Farris did not mention where the name came from, but did say that it was "fingered like the violin." Banjolins should not
Octave mandolin also varies widely, from as few as 17 to as many as 24 frets: 18 or 19 frets is typical. From the mid-20th century on, a number of makers have produced octave mandolins with guitar-shaped (e.g., the "hourglass" or "figure-8") bodies. These instruments are typically constructed essentially like acoustic guitars, with similar woods and internal bracing. the neck, however, is much narrower, and supports the mandolin string layout, rather than the traditional 6-strings of the guitar. As with the mandolin and mandola, the octave mandolin has four courses of two strings each. The two strings in each course are tuned