# Instruments and Equipment > Videos, Pictures & Sound Files >  Mandolins in progress

## Darryl Wolfe

I started to put this on "mandolin backs"...but why not just show some thing in progress

----------

LM_in_KY, 

Rush Burkhardt, 

zedmando

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Another shot

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Red spruce tops

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

No. 1 along with "Lloyd". Lloyd is the one with a neck!!

----------

You making mandos now Daryl?

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Certainly trying to. Let's not say "making" until some are done. I have done two dobros and about 6 "Fender" electrics from scratch though

dgw

----------


## Mike Handley

Not a mando, but a lap steel, 25" Dobro scale. Shouldn't every instrument have a scroll?

----------

LM_in_KY

----------


## Mike Handley

Full view:

----------

Maysey

----------


## mandopete

Now that looks truly bizzare (and I mean that in a good way).

----------


## Mike Handley

Ummm .. Thanks?!

Keep your instruments in your cases. This is what happens when cousins marry.

----------


## Magnus Geijer

My #1, first stringing up tonight, and no imploding tops or anything. I'd say I have about four million work hours left on this thing, but I just couldn't help stringing it up when I realized it was possible.

/Magnus

----------

atbuckner21, 

Mark Gunter

----------


## J. Wiens

My latest two F-5 s prior to fench polishing..Western bigleaf maple on the left and Michigan Red on the right......Jamie

----------

IlDave

----------


## J. Wiens

The bigleaf one getting french polished.......Jamie

----------

lflngpicker, 

Perry Babasin

----------


## mandoluthier1

Magnus,
Aaaaaaaaaand...........?

----------


## Michael Lewis

Good looking stuff guys!

That red maple has a sort of wiggly figure that I like (Darryl and Jamie). I have a bunch of big leaf that has similar figure and I can make 1 piece backs with much of it. I got it for making archtop guitars mostly, but there is enough short stuff to make a dozen mandos, it will be fun going through this wood.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Jamie...really nice looking work..keep it up

----------


## Bret

Very nice work gentleman.....you've got me thinking about trying to build.

----------

Very nice stuf..

----------


## Russ(String-Alley)

I play steel and Must have a mando styled steel like that, Awsome Idea!!!! when, how much, that is the freaking coolest!!!! nice work!!
Russ

----------


## Mike Handley

Russ,

I've been itching to build a mando for a couple of years, but I know I need to build my woodworking skills. I've carved a couple of top plates out of scrap pine for practice, and I've done re-frets, refinishes, and some major repairs on cheap instruments. I play Dobro, too and I go the idea of making a lap steel because it seemed like one of the easiest stringed instruments to make. I bought Tele hardware and pickups and planned to just build it up on a 2 X 6 slab. As I was making a full scale drawing, I got to thinking that I wanted to give a little shape to the body, like the old Oahu models. Then, I ran across my plexiglass mando template, and set it on top of the drawing. I was just going to use the shape without a scroll, but one thing has led to another, and I figured that I'll just go ahead and give it everything I've got.

The headstock inlay is actually 1/16" maple. (I'm cheap) I actually found that flamed maple for the body at Home Depot. (I'm really cheap) I'm going to use more 1/16" mahogany, maple and cherry to do a vine inlay on the fretboard. (Did I mention I'm cheap?) I figure I'll be done by the end of August, making this a three month project, working evenings and weekends. I'm having a ball and it's coming out better than I expected.

This is instrument #1. When I'm done, I'll have to decide what I'm going to do next. CAUTION: Building is addictive!  I've got about $200 in material and supplies. (We won't count that drill press!) I didn't plan on making this to sell, and I haven't kept track of the hours. Even at minimum wage, I'll bet I couldn't make and sell another to get much of a profit. You can buy a new Gold Tone lap steel for less than $400 - but ... it doesn't have a scroll!

Thanks for the encouragement. Someday I'll make a REAL instrument.

----------


## Russ(String-Alley)

REAL NICE! good to hear man, I have a few steels and one pedal steel, ( Roy Smeck, no-name oldie supro?, a morrell 8, and a Sho-Bud) But that one would be awsome to play out with. The Finish is real nice too. 
Keep on building!!
Russ

----------


## oldwave maker

Sharons guitar shaped octave, Rays 2 point with mesquite burl martin bowlback style peghead, on a bed of fresh creamy delicious engelmann tops, in the 103 degree shade the ol black walnut

----------


## Kent Barnes

Here's my first attempt at building: #Harlan #1 waiting on my lacquer order to arrive so it can shine!

----------

lflngpicker, 

Mando-Mauler

----------


## MandoMonster

First attempt? very very nice.

----------


## mandopete

I'm with you MandoMonster, this stuff kills me. I can't even nail two boards together. I am absolutely floored by the talent out there when it comes to building an instrument as difficult as a floretine style mandolin. This is just another factor that makes being a mando-head great!

----------


## tope

Lordy Lordy, fine herd folks.

Gary

----------


## mcmando

kyswede,

Very nice #1 there! I like!

----------


## resonant68

Nice work indeed,fellows.
Here is my current project.Still working out the details.I plan on building two like this and two with rounded points.

----------


## Brier

#3 in the white and # 2 to keep company.

Peter

----------


## Magnus Geijer

John,

I honestly don't know what to compare the tone to. It's loud and mellow to the point of missing som clarity in the treble. I attribute some of this to my desperately bodged quickjob of a bridge though, so the jury is still out, somewhat. Need to take it apart and get back to working on it or I'll never finish it now, so bridge adjustment/replacement will have to wait until the rest is finished.

McMando: Thanks! 

/Magnus

----------


## mandomick

Thanks Guys, Always great to see new instruments in different stages of being.

Kyswede, excellent looking #1 and real cool sound holes. I love Fs but it's nice to see something different.

Jamie and Oldwavemaker what can I say? Only in North America.

----------


## mandoluthier1

Just finished, heading to NYC

----------


## J. Wiens

Wild stuff!! Looks great..........Jamie

----------


## oldwave maker

Red or yellow? the 'ripe' with biteaways on the upper bout, larger seeds, f style peghead, in the white has a bit nasal chop, irritatingly screaming up the e string, not as sweet as the 'sweet', not as juicy as the 'juicy', but hey, its early in the melon season here, and these hot nights make for ideal growing conditions!

----------


## oldwave maker

the 'ripe' peghead detail, mammoth tusk nut (thanks leon)

----------


## oldwave maker

the 'ripe' bridge detail, inspired by Red's experiments, rainbow gardens roller rink salvaged rock maple topped with fossil walrus tusk (thanks Kurt), drilling the holes brought out a bit fatter tone to the low end

----------


## Brier

Bill, 

Pleaseeeeees bring it to Wintergrass!!!

Peter.

----------


## mandoryan

Here are two of my latest. The one on the right was just strung up two days ago and is still in the white. It has a Western Red Cedar top and rock maple back and sides. The one beside it is a Stew-Mac kit that I finished a while back. It's opening up quite nicely and is turning into a loud cannon. The cedar one has a very cool tone so far. Bright and loud but very thunky lows. Can't wait to get a finish on her.

----------


## John Jesseph

Just got done leveling the linings and boring the truss rod pocket. Will lay out the dovetail after lunch, cut it today or tomorrow.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Here is the back of 007 in the white.

----------


## levin4now

old wave,

aren't mammoth's hard to come by these days?

(Is that really mammoth tusk for a nut?)

levin4now

----------


## johnwalser

Not being a builder myself, I still thought you might like to see my Schwab under construction (October ETA). Ready for gloss coats to be applied.
Picture of Front

----------


## johnwalser

And back

----------


## Sellars

> Just finished, heading to NYC


I really like the pickguard on this one! very classy!

----------


## resonant68

Here is my work in progress at this point.Been working kinda slow.Trying to get in as much summer fun as I can before it's gone.Anyway,I call it my "S" style.At this pace I should be done next year!

----------


## J. Wiens

Very Slick Resonant! Love the sensual peaks and curves. That peghead is similar to one I drew up a few years ago but never used. Keep us posted............Jamie

----------


## oldwave maker

Starting the building cycle once again, this weeks wood bending: 2 octaves, 2 f5s, a C#, a mandola, 10 a's, all maple except for 1 mesquite rim.

----------


## ira

that 's' style looks great. what a unique design. i have a builder right now making what he calls his p2 design mandolin, originally designed for his citerns, so i love something a little different. he is working on it now, and i will post as he sends me pictures.

----------


## Magnus Geijer

Getting very close now. Tru-Oil has been a miracle to work with for me.



/Magnus

----------


## ethanopia

wow magnus cool sound holes 
I like alternate sound hole shapes.
I'm a big fan od DAquisto etc so good work let us know how she sounds...

-e

----------


## J. Wiens

Looks great Magnus!.....Jamie

----------


## Mteresko

Jamie, how about some pictures of your current work in progress?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Looks like an ad for Quik-Grip clamps.All this to glue on an ebony overlay on the back of the peghead.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Three of the six A-models and two F's I have in progress

[img]ftp://ftp.f5journal.com/pic_day/a_5.JPG[/img]

----------


## cloyd

darryl, for some reason your pictures never come up on my computer. I wonder what I'm doing wrong?

----------


## ira

hey folks- really interesting stuff. i am not a builder, but am lucky enough to be working with a luthier (doug dieter) who posts up pics for me as he goes along in the building process. it has been extremely cool watching my instrument in the making (though the waiting is killing me).
thought folks might have interest. i am getting the first of what he calls the p2 design mandolin, modeled after his p2 cittern. 

enjoy
www.kennaquhair.com/sn174/

----------


## ira

sorry- in case it wasn't clear, the link i gave is where you can find pics.

----------


## Greenmando

> darryl, for some reason your pictures never come up on my computer. I wonder what I'm doing wrong?


His pictures usually lights my firewall up, I think he hosts his own pics. Or something, I don't know why I get the same problem.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

All, #See if this link works on your browser. #If not it is a firewall issue in your internet security. #You should see a directory full of all the pictures I have posted

ftp.f5journal.com/pic_day

or

My Webpage

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Modified GA-inspired F in progress; a bit more aerodynamic and obnoxiously retro than Monteleone's classic original.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

And a concept for a custom celtic mandolin... still in the works, and this is a few revisions back. But I think it gets the idea across... Cheers!

----------


## jasona

nice stuff!

----------


## Keith Newell

Maybe another future lil Golden Delicious? Not sure what color yet.
 Keith Newell

----------


## ira

go for the gold . the last one was goooooooooorgeous.

----------


## Yonkle

Final Product  JD

----------


## Yonkle

STARTING Scroll and F Holes...  JD

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Five of the six A's and one of two F's

----------


## Scotti Adams

..Daryl..thats some mighty fine lookin wood..have you got any pics of a completed F5 of yours?

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

I hate to admit that I haven't gotten there yet. I'm close, but having trouble with the neck. That's why I backed off and did this..and am now going to fit all of the necks, including the troublesome F5. Will post some pics of the body and overlay (well maybe I won't post the overlay..Gibson may think I sawed it off of a Loar)

Here's the body (2 years ago...I move real fast)

----------


## Scotti Adams

..looks real good ...so far....:0).....cant wait to see the final product...thanks!

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Two more

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

another

----------


## mandoluthier1

The Scottish.
European Maple and Spruce.
Cocobolo bindings.
For Sale.

----------


## mandoluthier1

The Scottish.
Back plate.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Looks fab..keep up the good work

----------


## neal

John, that's some scroll! I like it.

----------


## WJF

*Wow!!!!*

John was kind enough to send me the Scottish to check out and I am blown away by it. Volume, punch, tone city, the thing pretty much plays itself and looks like a museum quality work of art. I was really impressed by one of his previous efforts but this one leaves it in the dust!

I'll say it here so I can be among the first to climb firmly on the bandwagon. You may not have heard a lot about John at this point in time but if he keeps turning out instruments like this, that will change *very* soon! Hey kids -- keep your eyes (and ears) on this guy!!!!

WJF

Disclaimer ... I have no financial interest in John or his mandolins besides being on the waiting list for one ... can't wait

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's a new look I'm trying. This instrument will be amber-honey-blonde with all black highlights ,tailpiece cover ,tuner buttons ,etc.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Wow ,that came out big! I think Scott's increased the allowable size. Here's another angle. I inked in the loops and dot on my name. I have to engrave and ink that yet.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

My now defunct peghead overlay/inlay

----------


## f5loar

Defunct? I would think you fall into the "grandfather" clause in legal terms since you did this years ago before
the new copy laws were made public to you. You can always have two peghead overlays. One for the privacy of your
own pleasure, pop it out and put on your second one for
public appearances with the "Wolfe" logo at the top. Make
it so it's as easy as changing a pickguard.

----------


## Magnus Geijer

Doing my best to get in over my head here.
#2 (poplar with mahogany blocks)
#3 and #4 (curly maple)

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Looks like my shop..just a little dust and spider webs missing

----------


## ira

http://www.kennaquhair.com/sn174/sn174_page3.htm
check it out. 
the binding is on the body and it looks maaaaaaaaaavelous.
thinking of leaving it natural as it looks so nice.

----------


## John Bertotti

Mandoluthier1 The Scottish looks great! How do you keep the maple so white? Is this one of your deflection tuned models? If so the review states much about your process. Innovative and incredible, I wonder whats next on your R&D journey. John

----------


## Mikey2

Jim Hilburn

Your new inlay is such nicer and more artistic than the so called gibson "flowerpot" that any buyer/customer would opt for it, in my opinion. Don't look back and regret not ever doing the old flowerpot, which to me, was nothing special to begin with. Your mandos show real craftsmanship.
Mike in OR

----------


## johnhgayjr

I don't have pictures but I do have a mandolin in progress. 

Sim Daley (www.simdaley.com) is building his Standard model for me. Its similar to the F5G as far as binding, inlays, etc... 

Sim invited me up to check it out while its "in the white" before he finishes it. I went up to his shop in Nashville (actually Goodlettsville) from Memphis and gave it a test drive Saturday morning.

Its a fantastic mandolin. Great chop, awesome low end (which is what I was really after), great tone and volume.

Sim couldn't be easier to work with and has made sure that the mandolin winds up being just what I want.

Also had a great time jamming with Sim and his wife Missy later that day at a festival in Ridge Top, TN. 

It was really a great Saturday - I'll try to post pics as soon as I get it.

John Gay
Memphis

----------


## ira

getting toward the home stretch-check it out!

http://www.kennaquhair.com/sn174/sn174_page3.htm

----------


## bobz

Thought you would like to see my method of cutting the mandolin neck dovetail. This photo shows the modified cutters for my three cutter moulding block used on my saw bench.

----------


## bobz

Here is the neck jig. The jig is used both ends to cut both neck shoulders. This is not my invention, it can be attributed Don Macrostie, as he demonstrates it on his Making a mandolin video set.

----------


## bobz

Here are a couple of test pieces. I`ve made the body routing jig and the neck in the foreground is the right size but has a little too much taper. I can rectify this by reducing the layers of masking tape on the jig. The curve of the neck shoulders are spot on. I had to creep up on the profile in three grinding sessions making tests after each grinding.

----------


## Chris Baird

bobz, Where did you get the cutters and how much $?

----------


## bobz

Hi Chris,
  The cutters came with the moulding block set, ( they were originally straight rebating cutters ), but I`ve reground them myself. I purchased this cutter block about 15 years ago when I was building furniture but never used it because I had a two cutter block with many more profiles, so I kept using that instead. I now have a use for this block after all these years, and the three knife block is better for cutting across the endgrain of a mando neck.
   Incidently, we can`t buy a block like this in the UK anymore because of EU ruling that does`nt allow moulding blocks to be mounted on saw benches, deeming it an unsafe practice. Sawbenches sold in this country now have too short an arbor to mount a block.

Bob Deacon

----------


## ira



----------


## ira

sorry, forgot to write- probable rosette for my mando- rosewood with maple and sunray inlays made of recycled ivory keys.

----------


## ira

can't seem to get pic posted- you can check out rosette at:
http://www.kennaquhair.com/sn174/sn174_page3.htm

----------


## oldwave maker

heres what happened to those bent sides in the sept 5 pic:
sweet 16!

----------


## Albert Whiting

my mandolin "The Scot" # 7 . it will be finished this week.

----------


## Albert Whiting

the front

----------


## Albert Whiting

peghead inlay

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

a little progress over the weekend...no I didn't use my planer on them

----------


## Jim Hilburn

My hat's off to Bill B. and Daryl. I have enough trouble trying to do these one at a time.
 I'm on the verge of finishing the binding on my latest ,and here's a couple of shots.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

One more miter to go!

----------


## ira

final rosette design

----------


## bobz

Jim Hillburn

I must say I`m impressed with your work Jim, very tidy neat construction. It looks like you`ve applied some finish on the mando back prior to doing the binding.

I`m building my very first mandolins, ( I`m building two F5s ). I glued the S rib to the neck block seperately because there was too much light showing through when cramped in the outside mould. I used a strip of cork floor tile which really pressed the rib to the neck block with no light showing through. Looking forward to the best part, the plate carving.

----------


## bobz

And here is one of the completed rib assemblies.

----------


## oldwave maker

Bob- I cut thin wedges from leftover spruce to wedge the sidewood against the block during glueup.
Jim- this severe MBS is what happens when a luthier is left at home with no adult supervision!
this week: home alone necking.....

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

A nice $51 mando neck off ebay put to good use

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

a little more

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Bill ,I hope those fingerboards aren't glued on yet.
Bob thanks for the encouragement. It looks as though your going to do well in the mando world.
 There's nothing but bare wood with a little construction grunge on the mando.

----------


## doanepoole

Wow...that is one of the most beautiful back and sides I have ever seen on an insturment!

----------


## dixiecreek

it absolutely amazes me that you guys actually MAKE mandolins... wow... :D

----------


## bobz

Arrrrggggghhhhh. I`ve made a mistake when machine planing one of my two curly maple mando backs. I surfaced the bottoms and then jointed the gluing edges. I then ran them through my thicknesser to bring them down a shade over 5/8" because I can`t run them through my planer after joining, ( too wide for my thicknesser ). I thicknessed one side of a set the wrong way round. They`re now not book matched. Nothing I can do about it now I`m afraid. Please tell me it`s not too bad.

I wonder if you guys can help me with some info ?
What is a popular fingerboard radius for a mandolin ?
Any tips about finishing inside the body scroll. I normally spray my instruments with an airbrush and compressor, but it will be mid winter here in the UK by the time I`m ready to finish my two mando`s so I`ll most probably use brushing lacquer. Any info, tips, tricks etc would be most appreciated.

----------


## Magnus Geijer

I wouldn't worry about the non-bookmatch thing at all. Looks like you've got some very nice looking wood there in its own right. Seems to me the most commonly mentioned radius for mandolins is about 12", but you might want to get some second opinions on that.

/Magnus

----------


## bobz

Thankyou Magnus

It`s not that bad after all. I squared up the ends on a miter saw and the grain of the maple is almost vertical. The only thing is the curly figuring will be at a slight tilt on the finished instrument instead of a slight herring bone pattern. I can live with that.  

Well I have a 12" radius sanding block, so I`ve got that base covered. I have the adjustable radius block on back order from Luthiers Mercantile. With this tool it`s possible to easily sand a compound radius because it`s 13 1/2" long so it will cover the complete mando fingerboard.
Hope that arrives when I have need of it.

----------


## oldwave maker

Still home alone, still no adult supervision! 3 on left have board hideglued on, 6 on right have them pinned with g string cutoffs in #60 drillhole. 12"radius except flat for blackie, in the background the alligator juniper body and birdseye neck of a lektrik geetar Im donating to the silver city blues festival

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Great lookin' stuff buss

----------


## Mikey2

OldWaveMaker

Your style and use of amber stains is what prompted me to buy two other mandos but I have to admit I love your use of flamed/curly, fancy woods! Your "whiskey before mando" has always been a favorite!!!!!

----------


## Steve Stahl

I will try to post a picture of three red spruce tops that are in various stages of the carving process. This first picture is of a top with the steps carved with a Wagner Safe-T-planer. The red spruce billets came from Spruce (Bruce Harvie).

----------


## Steve Stahl

The next step is to start the recurve and general shaping with finger planes.

----------


## Steve Stahl

And the final shaping is done with scrapers and micro-mesh.

----------


## Kent Barnes

Steve, What are the numbers on the stair-stepped top? Is that in inches (.20-.65) ?? I did a similar process with my first mando, but didn't take as many "steps". I like the way you did it!

----------


## Steve Stahl

That's right KayBee, the numbers are hundredths of an inch. I also did fewer steps on my first attempt (0.10" intervals), although I would do each step removing 0.05" increments. I found it was much easier to control the Wagner Safe-T-planer than I thought it would be, so I did the next two using 0.05" steps.

----------


## ira

nut is set up and bridge set up, intonation is next, and the custom case is on it's way.........
....
i am getting miiiiiiiiiiiiiiighty excited!!!!!
mantra: i am patient, i am patient, i am patient

http://www.kennaquhair.com/sn174/sn174_page4.htm

----------


## Keith Newell

Mighty fine looking mando there Ira, you have to let us know how it sounds when you get it (like I thought you wouldnt hehe).
 Keith

----------


## ira

keith, i generally am a tad shy about sharing my feelings, and certainly am loathe to sprinkle the board with my joy in playing, and about my soon-to-be new instrument. but if you insist.............. 

ira

----------


## bobz

Here`s a picture of one of my first mandolin tops.

----------


## bobz

And one of the tops completed. I`ve started carving one of the backs and my fingers are sore using the small Ibex plane for the recurve.

----------


## bobz

I thought you guys might be interested in my home made carving plane design. The large one in the background is for carving archtop guitars. It`s ideal for the rough carving stage as it removes thick heavy shavings. I then switch to the Ibex Sloane plane for refining. You don`t have to spend mega bucks to get into luthiery, there`s lots of tools you can make yourself.

----------


## bobz

And a top view.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I started into the buffing process this morning ,and it's not even noon ,and I'm spent. My carpel tunnels have collapsed ,and my elbow ran out of grease.
 So I thought I'd take some photo's of the progress ,and I might as well share them. 
 This is my take on the black top. But I went blonde everywhere else instead of sunburst. I found that when I take photo's of sunbursts ,I'm always trying to get the reflections out of the shot ,but I found on a blackie ,the reflection is the star of the show. In this pic ,you can see my wifes upright bass in the top.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

After 2 weeks of having this one look like a bowling ball ,it's pretty exciting to see it with the shine.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

And here's what the back looks like. When I get it strung up next week ,I'll post some more.

----------


## Chris Baird

Very nice Jim. What do you use to make the top black?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

A Sharpie....
 No ,I used Valspar tinting colors in lamp black. Its a pigment ,not a dye ,meaning it's a solid color. The difference is bigger particles held in suspension ,while stain is smaller particles in solution..I think.
 It mixes into lacquer ,and sprays on nicely. Then there are several clear coats on top.

----------


## Michael Lewis

That's very attractive, Jim. Nice job.

----------


## Sellars

Wow, what an instrument! I love the black top (and the way you photographed the reflection btw), and I really like the binding, the black and white really stand beautiful against the color of the wood!

----------


## levin4now

Jim,

That is truly an exceptional looking mandolin. I am not one to usually really like blacktops but this has singlehandedly changed my heart. What a beauty. I actually just love the wood (and the color of) the back. i suppose it has a happy and anxious owner waiting for it?

levin4now

----------


## ira

i love the contrast of the blonde with the black and white binding- stunning work!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I installed the machines today ,so I have to add this pic.
 Levin ,this one is destined for Cairo ,the one in Egypt.

----------


## zeke

Gads that's beautiful, Jim. One of the ones I'm finishing is going to be a blacktop as well, reenforced inspiration by you (once again&#33. I love the black edge on the top of the headstock to match the points, very cool and tasteful in the extreme. Did you use a maple headblock to accomodate the blond open scroll?

----------


## fmspinc

Beautiful !!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Hi ,Zeke.
 I think your mostly only able to see the maple top in the scroll in these pictures ,but I did use basswood for the blockset so you didn't see mahogany down in there. Tomorrow ,I'm going to be trying to match the color down in all the scrolls. There's polishing compound and lacquer overspray in there now ,so I will go in there with kerosene and get all that out I can and then make some tinted lacquer with retarder to make it more hand-paintable and see if I can make it look alright.

----------


## oldwave maker

Another blackie, off to florida after polishing compound removal, the top was sealed with a thin coat of shellac, then 1 thin coat mowhawk black lacquer in the can, just enough to blackout, binding scraped, 5 clear, sandback w/220, 2 thin clear to fill the 220 scratches, rubout a couple of weeks later.

----------


## mandoryan

Here are some pics of my latest. Almost done. Just have to put the frets in and make the nut. Drill the tuning peg holes, final sand, and finish. So close I can taste it. This may be my Christmas present to myself.  :Wink:

----------


## ira

i love the shape of the headstock.

----------


## mandoryan

Thanks Ira. I wanted to do something different than a snakehead but incorporate some esthetics that a snakehead has. The curl on the top of the peghead, for instance. I like bigger pegheads though.

Also, I saw that you got your mando. Must be all smiles around your house  It looks great! Enjoy.

----------


## Kent Barnes

Harlan #2 is underway. #Here are a few pictures.



Wish me luck!!

----------


## MTaylor

Here is a nice pair......

----------


## MTaylor

Here is the front view....

----------


## oldwave maker

Thanks to mr hilburn for the blackie rubout tips!

----------


## oldwave maker

And thanks to mr harvie for providing the raw material for the next whiskey before breakfast!

----------


## Randolph

Good Heavens! Who would have ever thought so little whiskey could go so far? I'm glad to see the color continues, and I have no doubt the incredible tone and playability will follow.

----------


## Michael Lewis

Very cool Bill.

----------


## oldwave maker

Last ovalhole back for the year, super lightweight quilt also from Bruce Spruce

----------


## PhilGE

Whew! Bill, that quilt back is breathtaking!

Best,
Phil

----------


## Jim Hilburn

It's also a great example of the positive-negative aspect of bookmatched wood. you can see that what's light on one half is dark on the other.
 That blacktop photo AND the mandolin should both be in an art museum.

----------


## Spruce

I remember that tree...

----------

Bill...beautiful work. I have only had the good fortune of playing one of your mandolins(David Long's) but really was impressed with it. Old world tone to die for.

----------


## oldwave maker

Seasons greeting to all mandonuts, gotta love those hollidaze colors!

----------


## Eugene

That's some fine, flamey rind!

----------


## RI Jim

Finally crawled out of the cellar long enough to post some pictures here.... I didn't take these and i think they might be enitrely way too big, but here goes:

----------


## RI Jim

A HUGE thanks to John Garrity, Spruce, Daryl, Jim Hilburn,and Michael Lewis. When the humidity got too high , you all came through with tips and info to keep the mind moving !

----------


## RI Jim

I might be biased, but this design makes the traditonal Gibson look dated.

----------


## RI Jim

Finally, that sexy scroll !

----------


## resonant68

Here is a shot of the "S" model Silhouette with stain and sealer coat.I'm waiting for the humidity to get right before I spray it with lacquer.Can't wait!

----------


## resonant68

And the back

----------


## Dedian

While not from scratch, I've been overly enjoying building this Stew-Mac A kit. For the most part all the pices just seemed to go together without much fuss, and its definately a good way to ease into building, without knowing much woodworking skills (as I still don't have!)

Here's a pic of its first stringing up. Without much first hand experience with "real" mandos, I have to say that it just sounds better than what I'm used to.

Edit: oops, forgot to add: My building process is on my website, at http://www.obfus.com/gallery/mandolin

----------


## ira

resonant- love that s style. truly unique!

----------


## Mikey2

Dedian
You did great! Looks really nice, kit or no kit!!!!! I like the light color.

----------


## mandoryan

Here are some pics of my a style that I just strung up. I haven't decided on the color that I want to do yet. I really would like to recreate that whiskey before mando color if I can. Mr. Bussman seems to get that beautiful amber tint to his mandos. Anyhow, here goes...

----------


## mandoryan

Another pic of the back...

----------


## mandoryan

Better pic of the top

----------


## oldwave maker

Mandoryan- I use stew-mac vintage amber (and maybe a microdrop of medium brown or red mahogany )colortone in alcohol airbrushed directly on the wood, then a yellow or amber shellac 1.5 lb cut sealer coat, then nitro with more of the colortone (3-6 drops per 16 oz nitro)mixed in, helps to experiment on scrap or maple pickguards, good luck, nice looking mando!

----------


## mandoryan

Thanks Bill for the advice and the compliment! I really appreciate it.

----------


## Kent Barnes

Harlan #2 is well under way. #Here are a couple of pictures of the progress so far.



The second goes so much faster than the first. #I just have to remember to take my time and not get rushed and sloppy!

----------


## Bob DeVellis

This whole thread is really remarkable. I'm totally blown away by the creativity and artistry of the people putting together mandolins, from those with the courage, skill, and patience to build their first kit to the pros who keep pushing the boundaries of mandolin aesthetics. My hat's off to all of you.

----------


## Keith Newell

hmmm, I cant attach an image

----------


## Keith Newell

Well, its almost done. Just a few coats of varnish to seal in stain, nothing polished out yet. Top is one piece Sitka from Bruce Harvie at Orcas Island Tonewoods. The sides, neck and back (one piece also) is Big leaf maple from John Griffon at Old Standard Woods. The wierd spot on the back is a reflection or something because its not in the finish.
 Keith Newell
http://home.comcast.net/~mandolinkgn...ome.html-.html

----------


## Keith Newell

Side.

----------


## Keith Newell

Top.

----------


## Keith Newell

Neck joint profile.

----------


## Mike Handley

How about an 'F-Paul?'

----------


## Jim Hilburn

What can I say? It's the initials of the guy who's getting it. Hope I don't hear from a barrister.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Jim, just a gentle suggestion (if you didn't know or even care) Stew-mac fingerboard blanks (it looks like one) do not have the fingerboard extension cut in the right place with respect to the frets.

There's nothing wrong about it, just if you want it to look like the way Gibson did it, they are way off. 

I fretted and bound 2 of them before I noticed it. I'll certainly use them, but not on the "clone" of my Loar

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Great work..I love the triple binding on the face

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Thanks ,Darryl ,but I make my own ,and I'm actually trying to keep the whole thing shorter than an actual Loar-style.
 I did get in trouble with an order from a classical player. He said he played things up to the 24th fret. I never thought anyone ever played up there.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Thanks Jim, I figured you had a good answer..'just needed to go there "in case"

I really like the look of that piece of spruce..should be a Hoss

----------


## chris

What I found wrong with the Stew mac F5 kit is the neck. The neck is a 1/2" longer than a Loar. So it looks like the added length ends up between the the nut and the tip of the headstock. Major Bummer

----------


## Jim Hilburn

How do you clamp those pesky point protectors on ,anyway? Well ,here's one way.

----------


## bobz

And here`s another way of glueing those point protectors. #

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I like it. You could use those clamps even with the plates on. I've been doing the flaired point thing ,even though I guess the Loars never had it. Thats why I wait till it's binding time

----------


## Magnus Geijer

Doesn't get any easier than doing it like this.

----------


## Magnus Geijer

Of course, you end up with rims that aren't exactly Loar specs.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

> What I found wrong with the Stew mac F5 kit is the neck. The neck is a 1/2" longer than a Loar. So it looks like the added length ends up between the the nut and the tip of the headstock. Major Bummer


[QUOTE]

Yep..and then I turned around and bought one without the peghead cut...ended up throwing both away

----------


## sunburst

Re corner protectors:
Did you notice the picture David Mclaughlin posted of the "dovetail" of the corner protector into the binding? It's in the Loar picture of the day thread. Ever since he pointed that detail out to me about 12 or 13 years ago, I quit trying to clamp them. I put the binding on first, cut the "dovetail", cut the protector to fit, and when I push the protector into its place, it's clamped! For the duration!

----------


## boboshoes

Here's my next one. Claro walnut f5. Coming up will be a Brazilian Rosewood. All will be natural.

----------


## Magnus Geijer

My first two-piece back beginning to look like what it's supposed to.

----------


## oldwave maker

Fresh experiment with super lightweight mottled redwood top from Spruce, adirondack tonebars, texas mesquite sides/1pc back, mahogany neck, red henry bridge, bison femur nut, arizona ironwood peghead veneer/fretboard/fingerrest- lively and loud, not used to the redwood tone yet.

----------


## oldwave maker

peghead detail of the redwood mesquite experiment-arizona ironwood burl peghead veneer, flowerpot made from catlinite (pipestone) from the az mine. I'm not suing anyone who uses this flowerpot design, tho I might sue myself.....

----------


## mandolooter

oldwave maker...I love your fresh and sometimes humorous approach to building and hope to one day own a custom oval-holed A from ya when finances permit. I love the Flower pot, I'd say from 20' it wouldn't look like the Gibson's either. Nice job once again!!!!
Jeff

----------


## mandoryan

Very cool Bill! How is the sound with the mesquite back? I'm curious how that wood combination would affect the tone. Very tasteful and neat as always.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's #29 ready to go to the spray booth.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Very nice Jim...I think you're ready to give the big boys a run from what I see.

----------


## mandoryan

Very nice Jim. What number is that one? You're definetely doing top notch work!

----------


## Kent Barnes

I finally got some quality "sawdust" time today. #Here's the back of Harlan #2. #This piece of maple is nicer that I first thought!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

After the warm reception I got for my blacktop, I've decided to attempt some other color statements that you don't see everyday. I decided to make a blonde with sky blue binding. Let me know how you like it.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

I'll bite.  It's 3M blue masking/striping tape right?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

busted!

----------


## Kevin K

Jim,
Will this one be a black top as well???

----------


## Jim Hilburn

No ,back to sunburst's for a while.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Jim, I've never bothered masking the binding. I guess that stuff works well/saves time? (or you wouldn't go to the trouble)

----------


## Kevin K

> No ,back to sunburst's for a while.


[/QUOTE]

Shucks, hoping to see another black one soon.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

In '81 ,I sat in Nuggets shop and watched him go from an i.t.w. mandolin to the first coats of lacquer (back when he did lacquer) in about 8 hours. He taped off everything.
 Now since I shot the above photo ,I got up this morning and the tape around the scroll had contracted and was on the wood ,so I just took it off the scroll.I try different things ,but it's easy to tape off the sides ,and not too hard to do the face on the big sweeping stretches. In the tight turns you have to stretch the tape to the contour, but it still has wrinkles and will get more bleed than the rest.
 Now,I sprayed the color this morning ,and I still have to scrape up to the inside line on the whole thing even after taping.But thats mostly just to get a real sharp line and theres a lot less work than having to scrape stain off the whole thing. I'm always quoting Bob Bennedetto ,but he said he tapes what is easier than scraping and leaves the rest.

----------


## Gavin Baird

Jim,
   I tried the auto body plastic tape with the same problems you describe. As I mentioned on an earlier post, I now use regular masking tape. You have to get the best quality. That is the one with the best adhesive and the thinest material. I then apply the tape to a vinyl drafting board cover and using a sharp scalpel blade, cut the tape into 1/16" wide strips for going around the scroll. To build up the width I overlap the next course. On the body I cut the tape to the desired width and apply using my magnifying glasses. To insure a fine line apply a very thin coating of lacquer to the edge you want defined. Once this is done the colour finish can be applied. When going to clear coating a very thin coat of lacquer is sprayed around the tape perimeter. Remove the tape touch up where necessary and continue clear coating. I believe the secret to good masking is a fresh cut edge on the tape and the correct width for doing curves..Since I use only wood bindings[Holly] this is the only way I have found that works well...G

----------


## resonant68

Finally got some lacquer on my mando!
My spray equipment is very low tech. I've got a little orange peel going on.But I can sand it back as I apply coats and the final polishing out will be fine.Hope to get some better equipment one day!

----------


## resonant68

You can see the orange peel good in this pic.
The same happened on my last two mandos,but polished out fine.

----------


## Chris Baird

Don't be afraid to experiment with you spray setup, even a cheap gun can usually produce a fair coat.

----------


## sunburst

RE taping bindings:
I only know one person who can mask bindings with tape faster than scraping them. 
I was taught finish work by Kim Breedlove who told me: "don't bother trying to mask the bindings. I've tried that, and scraping them is much faster after you learn how".

When I finally got to quit working in the finish room at the company I used to work for, (after 6 years straight of finishing every instrument that came through ) ), I was replaced by Mark Dalton. He had been running an auto body shop and had worked there since he was in his early teens when it was his dad's shop. I showed him how to stain an instrument and clean the bindings, but he thought he could mask them faster and easier,....and he was right. He had so much experience with tape and so little with a scraper that it worked better for him. 
I still scrape mine. After 6 years of doing it almost daily you can get pretty fast and accurate!

----------


## Lee

Here's the rear of a 2-pt oval hole built by Pavel Sucek. The lacquer has just finished drying.

----------


## Lee

And a frontal shot of the same

----------

Well....i'm not very objective but, i love the organic vibe Mr. Sucek has presented with your mandolin. i can't wait to see the report on how this little Two point sounds. Congrats.

----------


## Lee

Thanks! Maybe we'll get some more photos once he's buffed out the lacquer. Somebody should be posting photos of his new 2-pt f-hole mando too.

----------


## Dru Lee Parsec

I just started mine. Here's the fretboard. I decided to use progressivly smaller abalone dots as i went up higher on the fretboard. I like the proportions better that way. Some of the fret dots I've seen look pretty crowded onthe higher frets.

----------


## Km1000seth

Hey,

I noticed Jim and Sunburst both got to learn a bit from some well know luthiers, Ive been thinking bout going to school for lutherie but apprenticeship seems to be the better deal.
Does any body know some real good luthiers around North East Texas I could talk to?

        Seth

----------


## pathazzard

> After 2 weeks of having this one look like a bowling ball ,it's pretty exciting to see it with the shine.


Jim I saw your pix of that black topped beauty you did in '02'. Have you posted any pictures of the way you do that double black binding that shows on the top and sides? You and Jamie Weins do the best binding I've seen yet! -Pat Harrell

----------


## daikon

> Thanks! Maybe we'll get some more photos once he's buffed out the lacquer. #Somebody should be posting photos of his new 2-pt f-hole mando too.


Here are some pics of my Pavel Sucek f-hole 2-point in progress.

Delivery is scheduled for next week. Can't wait.

----------


## daikon

Sucek two-point f-hole back

----------


## Chris Baird

Here is an Arches A drying in the sun. This is a new varnish recipe, I hope it dries.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Chris, thats a beautiful mandolin. Nice flame and I love the recurve in the back.

----------


## Yonkle

a month ago , a week ago Today....almost there! 3-15

----------


## Magnus Geijer

Geijer #2 getting closer. Man, this stuff is addictive.

----------


## Keith Newell

Ready to bind the top. This is a custom one for somebody that wanted a curl without the button on the end of the scroll.
 Keith
http://newellmandolins.com

----------


## Keith Newell

The holes are to lighten it a bit. I use the thinned hide glue and gauze around the f holes, thats what the shinny stuff is.
 Keith

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's my next one in the process of getting inlay.

----------


## oldwave maker

mo' ovalholes: rosewood, mahogany, quilted maple, mesquite, the rosewood and mahogany have nearly identical (4 pages of a bookmatch!) engelmann tops braced and voiced the same, as per customer request.

----------


## MANNDOLINS

This is the latest addition to the MANN clan. curly redwood tops, quilted mahogany backs and sides. one piece neck/neck block.

----------


## ShaneJ

oldwave, those look nice. Living in Texas, and in Abilene in particular (got to be the mesquite capital of the world), I've wondered if mesquite would sound any good as an instrument. How does it sound compared to the other woods you have there? It's certainly pretty wood.

----------


## PCypert

Hello fellow Abilener. What are you talking about mesquite in Abilene?  

Paul

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Hi, all you Abilene guys. I was born there, but moved out west when I was 8.
 Here's what it looks like as the binding is going on.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I like to do frets at the same time as the binding because it's something to do as the glue is drying.
 I've bought a lot of the Stew-Mac specialty tools for fretting, but if you are interested in getting into using a press, be aware.. Stew-Mac sells this same press for $100. I got mine at Harborfreight for $20.

----------


## bobz

Like you Jim, I was able to purchase a press machine from a company here in the UK. It cost £18, a lot cheaper than StewMac. I have`nt used it yet. What radius do you apply to your fingerboards ? I was thinking of a 10" radius for mine.

----------


## bobz

Here`s a handy little tool I made to cut a binding line in the body scroll. The cutter is made from an old jigsaw blade which happened to be just the right thickness for the reverse binding I`m doing on one of my mandos. To mark for .090" binding, I add a .020" and .030" feeler gauge between the cutter and the body of the tool.

----------


## bobz

Here it is being used.

----------


## bobz

Here`s how I`m getting on with binding. I`m having to use a diffrent glue to what you use over there in the states. It`s called Bostik All Purpose, and it does the job but it`s really messy to work with. The sqeeze out does`nt wipe away with a tissue like Weld On, although I can wipe some off with a rag. It sticks and builds up on my fingers and I`m biting off glue from my fingers at the end of a glue up.

----------


## bobz

The other mando I`m making is getting a reverse binding.

Jim, What is that blue tubular thing on your workbench ?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Nice work, bob.
The blue tube is the main cross piece of the Terrco duplicator. I remove the extensions that hold the router and guide when not in use so I have more bench space.

----------


## boboshoes

Here's my latest claro walnut,red spruce,with curly maple and ebony binding and one coat of shellac

----------


## boboshoes

Here's ashot of the side

----------


## chris

Nice!!  Show us more.

----------


## dj9124

Looks great boboshoes! Love the looks of that walnut.
Dave

----------


## Km1000seth

Hey Jim,

That harborfreight Press, was the 20 bucks w/wo the heads? 


       Seth

----------


## Km1000seth

I LOVE the Walnut Boboshoes! I wanna see the top though :Wink:

----------


## boboshoes

Plain Jane top just like I like em. I did inlay some wolf trcks down the fretboard though.

----------


## boboshoes

Here's a shot of the front and back of the peghead. Pretty bad pictures but you get the idea.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Boboshoes, Thats cool!!

----------


## Km1000seth

dude, that headstock design is awsome!

----------


## Km1000seth

okay, everybodys been postin thier work, and I been feelin left out(thats my own problem), but...yesterday after three hours of work, the FIRST work that Ive done to it. VOILA

----------


## Dru Lee Parsec

OK, heres' a couple of shots of ONE of my current projects.

After making 2 of the Siminoff forms and hating them (I just can't seem to get that internal/infernal interior clamp to hold. It keeps falling out) I threw them away and made a standard outside form.


Here's the body that came from that form. No, it's not left handed, I just set the body down backwards when I took the photo  



Here's a shot of the back of the neck (not yet carved) with the "ears" glued on.



I love working on this mandolin, but right now I have 6 Tennessee music boxes, a mountain dulcimer and 2 guitars in various stages of production. And I just got a commision for another dulcimer! I'm going to be a busy boy this summer. Aw what the heck, it beats watching TV.

----------


## John Zimm

I like the looks of that form you made. Do you use clamps then to hold the rim to the mold? That looks like a fun project. I have to get back into it one of these days.

-John.

----------


## Dru Lee Parsec

Exactly! I clamped them from the outside. That's why there are those weird notches on the upper right corner. Those notches are there so the outside clamps will fit solidly.

----------


## bobz

Your mould is similar to mine Dru Lee Parsec. I made mine that way so I could use bar clamps to glue the top on while the sides are clamped in the mould. I made a caul from MDF with cork glued on the underside.

----------


## oldwave maker

More of Spruce's mottled redwood and quilted maple, another light and lively

----------


## Dru Lee Parsec

bobz:

That outside clamping caul is a great idea. Bob Benedetto does something similar when he builds archtop guitars.

I need to modify my form a bit. Now that I have the point protectors glued on it no longer fits in the mold!

----------


## labraid

Hi all!
Here's Brian Dean's number 15 in progress. 


Avagudwun,
-Brian

----------


## bobz

Dru Lee Parsec
I had to modify my mould as well because I glued the point protectors on first also. Yes, I`m copying the construction methods Bob Benedetto uses in his excellent videos. I used homemade spool clamps to glue the backs on. I have a jazz arch top guitar that will be finished the same time as my mandos.

----------


## oldwave maker

raw 'dola, 16" scale snakehead, still tweaking compensation

----------


## oldwave maker

raw 'dolaback- in the immortal words of fiddler Les Riggs 'nice wood'

----------


## oldwave maker

Arizona ironwood (olneya tesota) fretboard and peghead veneer, wet with mineral spirits, my favorite parts wood

----------


## Don Grieser

Now that is some psychodelic wood!

----------


## ira

what an intense color- i love it! bill, you are a true artist!

----------


## John Zimm

All those pictures are beautiful Bill. Thanks for giving us something nice to look at while we should be working. 

-John.

----------


## phynie

hey bill, where do you get that wood? I would love to make a pickguard out of that if I could get my hands on a blank.

----------


## oldwave maker

Woodworkers source on palo verde in tucson has a bin full of it, $8/lb, yer lookin at almost $3 worth in that mando alone! with polishin, in the right light, it has a 3 dimensional copper/bronze matrix in the brown.
BTW, Im just the woodbutcher on these projects, the true artist is whoever figgered out how to make a universe with a planet with stable enough temperatures for H2O to be liquid and olneya tesota to evolve and thrive, oops, we're gettin into that old time religion here, or is it metabiophysics?

----------


## phynie

Thanks!

----------


## Tim Saxton

Bill,

You make some of the finest mandolins!

Good job. Keep up the Great Work!!

Tim Saxton

----------


## Keith Newell

I love Ironwood. I used to live in Mesa AZ and learned to love it....kinda...it will dull amazingly sharp tools and saws. Here is a pic of an ironwood overlay on one of my custom headstocks.
 Keith Newell
http://www.newellmandolins.com

----------


## Magnus Geijer

#2, 3 and 4 in various stages of (in)completion. First time binding a body. Sure was easier to do the fret board!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I tried to find some wood with some figure, but I had to settle for this.
#30, about 3 weeks away. Thats varnish, by the way.

----------


## Flowerpot

"Had to settle" for that... great googly-moogly, I hope that's some heavy sarcasm! What a gorgeous back, and great sunburst, looks good enough to eat.

----------


## zeke

I absolutely hate the thought of posting after you, Jim. My camera lens withers at the very thought. Yup, lookin' good, as always.

----------


## Scotti Adams

..yummy..Jim....I would love to play one of yours someday....

----------


## mandoJeremy

PERFECT!!!

----------


## Brookside

Jim, your pics make me want to sell all my tools and buy one of yours. Your sunbursts are always stunning.

----------


## Chris Baird

Jim, very nice work; what are you using for varnish(if I may be so bold to ask)?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Chris, you know that's like asking a lady her age! I'm using a combination of shellac and oil varnish.
 The first shot was when the afternoon sun was coming in my finish room window, and I couldn't resist taking the pic. This one isin a little more natureal light, and gives a better perspective of how it really looks, but as always, the red is a little too strong.

----------


## mandoJeremy

Still PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jim, you are definitely one of THE guys to watch.

----------


## amowry

I just found this forum. I guess I'm behind the times. Everyone's work here looks beautiful. I won't waste space here, but I've got lots of construction photos on my website.

----------


## Brookside

I love your site Andrew. I saw it a couple of weeks ago when someone started a thread here about you. The closeups and the many photographs documenting the building process are something you don't see much of on builders sites. Bravo!

I hope you will stick around and become a regular contributor to this forum, if you have the time. There are a lot of amateur builders here who could use your input from time to time.

----------


## mandoJeremy

Andrew, your work does look quite impressive. I would love to play one.

----------


## amowry

Thanks! I'm only doing it part-time so far, and just starting to get a few out there being played. So, I can't claim to actually know what I'm doing yet, but I'd certainly be happy to give any input that I can. Lots of other luthiers have been tremendously helpful to me, so I'd be delighted to pass it on. That was my main reason for posting construction photos on my site-- Lynn Dudenbostel's similar photos have been a huge help to me.

----------


## John Jesseph

Finally got back out to the shop and worked on the mando. Cut the f holes last night and fit the tonebars this morning. I will give them one more look tonight and make final adjustments and glue them in.

----------


## zeke

Okay, gotta see if my re-sizing still works. Anyway here's the last couple of day's work....

----------


## zeke

And here they are after a bit of binding scaping (I mask, but it never seems to stay on the scroll binding!)

----------


## zeke

And here's their headstocks.....

----------


## labraid

Gidday all, here's instrument number seventeen, an octave flat top, still very much in the works of course. A custom order with a challenging inlay. Man the medieval music was sure'a'playin' the day I cut that one. Still some cleanup to do on the inlay, but thought I'd post while I had a sec... Have ye's a good one,
Brian

----------


## oldwave maker

abalone/herringbone/abalone rosette on Ray's raised fretboard F3 copy, now I know where monteleone got that slantaway upper trebleside point idea.......topwood allegedly from Given's old girlfriend!

----------


## Keith Newell

Here is a custom ordered mandolin. She wants a dragon like what her favorite books in Sci-fi are about so here it is in the white. She wanted black-face and dark all around but now is having second thoughts because how cool the face looks. I sugest dark reddish brown to black...what do you think??
 Keith Newell
http://www.newellmandolins.com

----------


## Keith Newell

another

----------


## Keith Newell

another also

----------


## Keith Newell

even another.

GO back to previous page #12 to see first shots of this mandolin.

----------


## Keith Newell

Its got a pretty thin neck due to her small hands. I'm still trying to get the hang of getting as good a digital pics as some of out fine mandolincafe members.
 Keith

----------


## Dfyngravity

actually i just had a mandolin made that has a dark reddish borwn to black birst. i love it. it was kinda modeled after the adam steffey model gibson has out. by the way, nice looking mando....it looks like it will killer(literally)

----------


## Keith Newell

Nooo! I need to get paid! 
 Keith

----------


## zeke

Very cool lookin' ax there, Kieth. Is that faux tortise binding? Very nice. I like the overall design.

----------


## Km1000seth

WOW!

----------


## John Zimm

Wow, that is beautiful work. I wish I had a fraction of the talent you guys have. Good work.

-John.

----------


## resonant68

There are some fine mandos on here.....great work everybody!

I finally got around to finishing my S model.
Strung 'er up today!!!

----------


## Keith Newell

Well, here is the stain and a base of shellac.
 Keith Newell

----------


## Keith Newell

The top...

 Keith

----------


## resonant68

Very Nice!!
I gotta do a one piece back one day.
That's a good looking mando,Keith.Love the scroll,too.

----------


## Km1000seth

uhhhhh..(OPEN MOUTH&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;STARING IN LUST&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;WOW&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;DROOL)

----------


## oldwave maker

Another hunk of that orcas island tonewood, thanks Bruce!

----------


## boboshoes

It's getting closer every day! Can't wait to get it done. Went ahead and put on claro walnut pickgaurd and armrest to protect the french polish.

----------


## boboshoes

The back is finished. I'm looovin french polishing. My elbow isn't though

----------


## mandoJeremy

Looks great there boboshoes! Nice looking detail work on the scroll and all. Great back also!

----------


## Tim Saxton

Here are some shots of an Agape F-5 Mandolin built by builder Brian Woods of Stanwood, Wa.

The top is red spruce and the back is quilted maple.

Enjoy.

Any questions shoot an email off to me.

Tim Saxton

----------


## Tim Saxton

Here is a very wishfull owner counting the days down till it is really playable.

----------


## Tim Saxton

Test fit of parts

----------


## Tim Saxton

last shot is of the top glued on.

Thanks

Tim

----------


## Patrick Gunning

Hey Tim, that's great your getting a new mando! I got a Collings guitar for graduation (three weeks and still drooling) Still want the Weber? Just kidding around but seriously you had a great instrument before. Gotta love that Sam Bush workshop quote.

- Patrick (from Maltby jams and such)

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I'm so happy with my latest peghead, I thought I'd just post a picture of it. I just level sanded it this morning, and it hasn't recieved any type of filler.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

If you've seen my other mandolins, you've seen the inlay I've been using at the 12th fret. The guy who's getting this one liked it so much he wanted one at every position.
 Looking at this photo makes me think it needs one at the 3rd fret too.

----------


## mandoJeremy

Excellent as usual Jim. #You MUST be a perfectionist to the highest degree. I agree with one at the 3rd fret also.

----------


## Scotti Adams

Jim..if you dont mind my asking..where do you get your abalone from...Ive always thought since you have started posting your pics that you have the most colorful abalone I have ever seen...absolutley stunning work too!!

----------


## Kent Barnes

No Filler??  My gosh, how do you get such a tight fit on the inlay?? What size bit do you use? That is amazing!!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Well, Kent, I just meant on the binding.There's just a little filler in inlay. Only a couple of tubes.
 Scottie, I've found a beach in New Zealand where I free-dive to about 50 ft. and find these shells, as long as I can fend off the great whites.
 Well, the actual real truth is, its the rare Abalam abalone. Yes, it's the composite sheets of Paua. You can see the seams in it on the sheet, but if you lay out your pieces right,you don't cross them, but for the flowery stuff, you can't see it anyway. It saws twice as easy as real shell, and of course you get total thickness consistency.
 I saw a Gibson fern at Arlington, and I'm pretty sure
 this is what they're using. If not, then they have a very good source.
 I've mostly gotten my real shell from Stew-Mac, but you don't get much good stuff these days.I've never gotten on the "A" list for the good abalone.

----------


## Keith Newell

First time working with Quilted maple. Finish starts going on tomorrow.
 Keith Newell

----------


## ShaneJ

Sweet! That's gonna be beautiful when you're done, Kieth!

----------


## oldwave maker

stain and sealer coat of shellac on kens golden blonde octave, fuzzys whiskey octave, georges loary a, micks curly redwood dola, curing in the anti-gravity booth!

----------


## Keith Newell

I'll take two of each please.
Keith

----------


## Fuzzyway

Delicious looking all. I can hardly wait.

Fuzzy

----------


## rose#1

mandokng that is some nice quilt here is some quilt I am working on out of my own wood stash

----------


## rose#1

scroll shots

----------


## rose#1

scroll shot

----------


## mandoJeremy

Excellent!! And I do love the tone they produce!

----------


## dj9124

Hey Darby, is that another custom one? The dots on the fingerboard are unusual. Sure love the figure on the back, beautiful!
Dave

----------


## rose#1

This one will be traveling to the Ibma's and shown there.

                      D

----------


## dj9124

Whats the topwood on that one Darby?
Dave

----------


## rose#1

the top wood is resalvaged white ceder.

----------


## oldwave maker

Frankly, I get bored making the same fruit and fish shaped mandotoys all the time, so heres what I do for cosmic, er, comic relief

----------


## rose#1

IBMA Rose ...

----------


## rose#1

more

----------


## rose#1

again

----------


## rose#1

hope the scroll work is acceptable.


                      D

----------


## oldwave maker

This is waaay more fun than the accordion cafe! backs of those ireland-bound F5s, final coat of lacquer applied, 2 drops stew-mac vintage amber, 2 drops fqms honey amber colortone per quart.

----------


## dj9124

Darby, nice job, can't wait to see the final finish. Bill those are beautiful, exactly what I would want my mandolin to look like!
Dave

----------


## MandyLynn

> backs of those ireland-bound F5s


okay, you know it's bad when I read "ireland-bound" and think, gee, I never heard of that type of binding--ya think he meant ivoroid??  

I need to get out more.

----------


## rose#1

finally got the binding scraped what a pain

----------


## rose#1

scroll work...

----------


## Albert Whiting

oldwave those mandoloins are absolutely beautiful! man that is an incredible color! could you please post some pics of the front.

----------


## dj9124

Darby, your scroll work is really nice! Is that a matt finish?

----------


## rose#1

that is just the stain no clear has been put on it yet I hope to do that tonight.

                      D

----------


## oldwave maker

Engelmann fronts on those f's, showed up to consign one at a shop once several years ago, owner complained that it didnt have enough dayglo lemon yellow in the center of the burst like a certain major manufacturer!

----------


## oldwave maker

backs of the f hole a's from this litter, colors mostly from colortone red/yellow/blue/green/black combos, applied directly to the bare wood

----------


## amowry

Bill- Do you spray that stain or wipe it, or both? That is absolutely stunning coloring.

----------


## oldwave maker

Andrew- I use an ingersol-rand 200g touch up gravity feed sprayer from lowe's, hit the whole thing with the lightest color ala benedetto, then work outward with the darker, maybe a light dusting of the darker in the center over the lighter, lightly rub a clean paper towel over the center, removing dust, hard to tell exactly what youve got till you get the finish coats on, and then its too late! what really makes the color come alive is the sealer- been using the premixed blonde shellac from shellac.net cut in half to 1.5#, couple of light coats,
 Also good as a refreshing summer drink: 6oz shellac (their 3# cut is dissolved in some kinda food safe everclear, 4tbsp frozen grape juice, 1 tray ice cubes, put everything in the blender on liquify, serve quickly......must be where the term shellaced comes from......

----------


## amowry

Well, I knew shellac was food safe, but I think you may need to distance yourself from your work a little more :)

Seriously, thanks for info. I can't stop looking at those photos. I may have to break down and get spraying equipment some day.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

With all the scroll talk lately, I thought I'd go ahead and post this shot now that I have some finish on it.

----------


## mandoJeremy

As usual Jim that is how a scroll is supposed to look!!!!

----------


## rose#1

that is amazing lets see how stupid I look....

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Stupid? That's not the word I would use,Darby. I think your getting downright amazing. Great color and wood choice.

----------


## rose#1

Mr. Hilburn, a compliment like that coming from a master builder as yourself means a lot I hope to get to meet some of the true artist of mandolin building as yourself at the IBMA's

                         D

----------


## mandoJeremy

Darby, that is very nice work! Again, that is how a scroll is supposed to look in my opinion!

----------


## mandoryan

Yeah, I think both of you are doing a super job. Darby, your work is very good IMO! Great looking mandos both of you! Mr Bussman's mandos are incredible as well. That coloring is spectacular on those. They look vintage already.

----------


## Kent Barnes

Harlan #2 is getting real close! #Here's a couple of the latest pictures:

----------


## Kent Barnes

and a few more....

----------


## rose#1

new rose in progress

----------


## rose#1

back scroll

----------


## rose#1

last

----------


## Chris Baird

Rose#1, That scroll looks good I like the more sharpely defined ridge. I'd use a backing board on the tuner drill out next time though.

----------


## rose#1

thanks for the advice! I usually just epoxy the break out and then sand it smooth I black laq. the peg head and scrape the binding and inlay to make the pehead jet black I love any new ideas though.

             D

----------


## krishna

You guys are doing excelent! Mike, I can't believe that steel! what a great idea!  Kerry

----------


## Keith Newell

Here's a top with character. Wide spacing base side and narrow spacing treble..and a little wowwie here and there...one piece Sitka top from Bruce Harvie. Im kinda curious how it will sound.
 Keith Newell
http://www.newellmandolins.com

----------


## Keith Newell

A little better shot. The spot in the middle is a pencil mark for some referance.

----------


## Mando Andy G

I recently got the opportunity to play a rose mando and the #tone was awesome! The best mando I have ever played. The workmanship is excellent! Gotta have one.

----------


## rose#1

pic not so good

----------


## rose#1

more

----------


## rose#1

last

----------


## dj9124

The last 3 pics that Darby posted is my mando, he said it should be done in about a week and a half, can't wait!
Dave

----------


## Jim Hilburn

You know, I'm starting to like this varnish thing.

----------


## amowry

Looks beautiful Jim- what kind of varnish?

----------


## grandmainger

> You know, I'm starting to like this varnish thing.


Man! I know what you mean. The colour is simply stunning!

----------


## mandoJeremy

Jim, Jim, Jim....you had just had to post that picture and make me envious didn't you? I am still thinking about a Hilburn! Beautiful job. You are the man!

----------


## rose#1

gettin there

----------


## rose#1

last

----------


## Kent Barnes

Harlan #2 getting closer. #It's stained, and I'm in the process of scraping the binding.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, Darby, and Kent, beautiful mandolins as always! My keyboard stays wet with drool!

----------


## Chris Baird

Kent, #That looks great. #I'm in the same boat. Scrapin' the bindin'. #This is my first sunburst and I've found I don't like the scrapin', not one bit. #It makes me go crosseyed.

----------


## Chris Baird

Again after the first coat of varnish.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

That's really sharp Chris...nice sunburst

----------


## rose#1

Lonesome River bands Jeff Parkers new Rose...

----------


## rose#1

another,,,

----------


## rose#1

more..

----------


## rose#1

last

----------


## mandoJeremy

VERY, VERY NICE Darby. I absolutely love that color and the scrollwork!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice Darby!! Cool color and an awesome scroll!!!

----------


## doanepoole

That's a great lookin mando, Darby. Glad to see the pros are noticing your fine work!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Darby and Chris. Very nice stuff.

This one is called "Reflections of the days work."

----------


## amowry

Ooh! Is that the varnish?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

In Michael Dresner's book on wood finishes, he says "you could spray on varnish, but I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would."
 This photo shows why I would.

----------


## Chris Baird

Oh man Jim, I can't beat that but I'm gonna try. Here is the next mando in my "burst" batch.

----------


## Chris Baird

..

----------


## Chris Baird

..

----------


## mandoJeremy

Jim, you are KILLING me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Well, that back on Chris' is killing me.

----------


## mandoJeremy

That is quite nice and purty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

----------


## Chris Baird

One may have to wax philosophical but this is my latest mandolin. #Or at least some anti-mandomatter created with my #7 jointing plane. It makes great wallpaper(computer) for all you chip pushers out there.

----------


## Kent Barnes

It's almost done! #I couldn't wait to post pictures, so here it is so far.

----------


## Stanley Cox

What a difference a couple of days make. Is the neck more
of a vee than #1? I want to see pics of it hanging from 
the chandelier.
Thanks for the tour.
Stanley

----------


## Kent Barnes

Thanks Stanley. #Yes, the neck is more of a 'V' than the first, but not too sharp. #My first neck was rather thick, so I wanted it different on this one.

----------


## John Zimm

> One may have to wax philosophical but this is my latest mandolin. #Or at least some anti-mandomatter created with my #7 jointing plane. #It makes great wallpaper(computer) for all you chip pushers out there.


You could make a fine t-shirt from this. Happiness is a large pile of wood shavings. 

-John.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Looks like I'll finally have an instrument done in time for the next big event...Winfield.

----------


## Jim Roberts

That's a beauty, Jim. #Can't wait to see and play it next week! #Enjoy the drive across the fruited (dry) plains.

Jim

----------


## mandoJeremy

Jim, you just keep making me lust!

----------


## ellisppi

My first mandolin in years and not very far along yet either. It will be Ellis #70

----------

Ellis mandolins being made again? YES.. YES.. YES !.. Good to see you back in the business Tom !

----------


## mandoJeremy

Yes it is Tom. #You know it is funny that when we play the Ryman every Sunday Ricky Skaggs' daughter Molly plays with us and I always kid her about why her dad didn't send one of his Loars for me to play on the show and today I was going to ask her, after she answered that one is tuned normal and the other for "Get Up John" tuning and he has them both with him in OK, why he didn't send an Ellis for me. #Also, on one of the shows Buck spoke great of your mandos also Tom. #Good luck to you dude!

----------


## Scotti Adams

very fine mandos indeed....

----------


## zeke

Trying something new here.......

----------


## zeke

And the back.....

----------


## zeke

now the head.....

----------


## zeke

And now my redwood "A".....

----------


## zeke

And it's back....

----------


## zeke

Now the fingerboard detail....

----------


## zeke

Last but not least it's head....

----------


## Michael Lewis

You're getting pretty elegant there Zeke. Nice touch on the fingerboard end.

----------


## ellisppi

The peghead pretty much done

----------


## zeke

Now that's clean, Tom!

----------


## rose#1

rose varnish fern

----------


## oldwave maker

Some of the heads in Santa's workshop: Alans, ?, Bruces GOM, Rays F3, Georges, on a slab of Spruce's 1992 maple I got by paying close attention to fiddlemakers obituaries!

----------


## Mando Medic

Nice peghead Zeke. Bill, I knew something smelled funny. Kenc

----------


## rose#1

with all this talk about varnish I thought Iwould try one

----------


## mandoJeremy

Nice looking work Darby as usual! Hey...Varnish and a nice SCROLL!!!!!WhoooHooo!

----------


## rose#1

another

----------


## rose#1

another

----------


## rose#1

last one this buyer is in for a surprise he thinks h is getting Laq but I changed my mind free of charge.

----------


## mandoryan

Great looking mando there Darby and I like that GOM headstock there Bill. Is that a Monte Radio Flyer copy mando that it's attached to?

----------


## Jonathan James

What a lucky buyer. Orders lacquer and get varnish! Most luthiers are charging $500-1000 more at least for varnish due to the labor time.

----------


## zeke

Are you spraying your varnish there, Darby? I did on my last 3 and I'm liking it.

----------


## Scotti Adams

Heres a couple of my #40 in the white..

----------


## Scotti Adams

...and the top...a final sanding and then its ready for the stain and varnish...

----------


## grandmainger

Aahhh Nice!
That top wood is lovely!

----------


## Scotti Adams

yep..I think so..you can thank Bruce Harvie..aka.. Spruce for that....I bought it from him....I believe its about a 10 year old piece of Englemann Spruce...

----------


## grandmainger

> yep..I think so..you can thank Bruce Harvie..aka.. Spruce for that....I bought it from him....I believe its about a 10 year old piece of Englemann Spruce...


What stain/finish will you put on that?

----------


## Scotti Adams

..Im hoping to be close to this color...with a Steffey sized..or so .....burst and varnish..

----------


## Scotti Adams

..or something close to this

----------


## grandmainger

Fairly heavy sunburst then. Make sure the gorgeous grain is visible though!

----------


## Scotti Adams

..I will leave that to the discretion of Ben. Im not one to worry about being able to see the wood grain...I know its there....its what comes from that top is what Im concerned about...tone and volume.

----------


## Flowerpot

Scotti, is that one you are building, or a BRW you've commissioned? Looks real nice...

----------


## mandoJeremy

It's a BRW varnished model. While am thinking about it, that Ellis headstock is PERFECT and it does involve a scroll which is also perfect!

----------


## Scotti Adams

Mark..I wish I could build like that...maybe one day when I get the kids raised and have more free time to myself. As Jeremy said..its my BRW varnished model in the white. Hopefully it will be in my grubby lil' hands by mid October.

----------


## mandoJeremy

I love the type of sunburst you chose for it Scotti. I have always liked those smaller dark sunbursts.

----------


## Scotti Adams

..yes..Im partial to them too..

----------


## Flowerpot

Looks to be a good one in the making. Mid-October, that would be pretty quick for curing varnish if those pics are recent. Whenever it is, I'm sure we will want a full report!

----------


## Scotti Adams

..Ben uses a UV box to help speed up the curing process.

----------


## Kent Barnes

Harlan #3 is underway. #So far I have just been using wood and stuff left over from the Harlan #1 and #2.
I have come to the conclusion that the desire to build (at least in my case) is not for the joy of making sawdust, but rather to try to build my next mandolin better than the previous. #I know I am my own worst critic, so my goal is the perfect mandolin, at least in my own eyes. #While #1 and #2 turned out pretty well, I look at them and see what can be improved, thus my continuing efforts. #I see pictures of the scrolls made by Mr. Hilburn, Sunburst, and others, and I know that mine can be better. #Once again, my home life will suffer as I spend countless hours out in my garage.......

----------


## mandoJeremy

Finally! Someone else has that same scroll obsession as I do and recognizes perfection in Jim Hilburn's mandos!

----------


## mandoJeremy

Also, I think you are doing a great job there KayBee!

----------


## Scotti Adams

more of #40...whatchya think of that scroll Jeremy?

----------


## Scotti Adams

..the sides..

----------


## mandoJeremy

I think that is very, very nice Scotti. That looks like it is going to be one killer mando! I am excited for you.

----------


## Scotti Adams

hell..Im excited that your excited....I dayam near wet myself every time I look at it. Its been stained now. The binding is being scraped today..I hope to get some pics of it after the stain job. Ironically this thing is going to look like a Steffey model....not intentional..just kinda ended up lookin that way....the Gil TP should look chic on there.

----------


## Izaac Walton

Here's a picture of BRW #42 (I think that's the #). It will also have a staining much like Scotti's, but with a lacquer finish. This work has already been finished and it is drying right now. Ready for the final touches. This will have the "2-point" fingerboard extension as shown. Also will have the new "foliage" inlay on headstock. I'll post pictures of this when it arrives. Supposed to be shipped this Wednesday, 9/29, from Ohio to Indiana. I guess there's a chance I may get it on Friday! Getting the Depends ready!

----------


## amowry

I don't think I've posted anything here before, but here's some quick shots of work in progress, a custom one that will have a blonde finish. Sorry about the poor lighting and that ugly green foam.

----------


## amowry

One more...

----------


## mandoJeremy

There is a great looking scroll. Great job Andrew!

----------


## amowry

Thanks Jeremy. I still have a long way to go, but it's fun to see some improvement with each one.

----------


## John Zimm

Wow, that scroll is superb. I really envy your talents. Great work. It is a pleasure to come here and see what you all are building. Thanks for sharing everybody. 

-John.

----------


## espresso

Hi everybody, sorry to interrupt such a beautiful parade of exqusit work and elegant ideas. My work is, hm, a bit rough at the moment, but I watch and learn from you fine builders.
20 years ago I made two arch top guitars, partly inspired by Mr Siminoff's first book on making a mandolin. Now I celebrate his second book on the subject by making an octave mandola (46 cm scale, about 18 in.) The instrument will be used in a mandolin orchestra here in Sweden. Just give me a year to complete the work ;-).
Anyone out there who knows where to find a plan of an H5/H4 mandola? Yes, I know the difference in size and tuning, but I'm looking for my next project. The pic shows rim for present OM project and a steel ruler 12". Background is my old interpretation of Gibson's Style O, slightly larger and extremely #penetrant in a jazz band.
Thanks,
Mikael in Sweden

----------


## rose#1

i m thinking about a BCS  (bear claw sitka)

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Very cool work expresso

----------


## Kent Barnes

I've decided to do Harlan #3 as a side-bound. #Everyone recognize this "job"??

----------


## mandoJeremy

Looks like Charlie's job of restoring Mon's Loar!

----------


## Stanley Cox

Kay Bee,
Which is easier, carving maple backs or scrapeing binding?
Stanley

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's a new one.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Jim, I really like your "Fern" interpretation. The binding work is impeccable too. Have a good day.

----------


## ShaneJ

Jim, your ferns are my favorite. I like the MOP ring around the abalone in the middle. The angle of your logo split between flat and the angle of the left side of the peghead just seems right too. Great work!

----------


## oldwave maker

We'll be home for Christmas........

----------


## Jim Hilburn

How do you get them to stand up like that?

----------


## Dfyngravity

haha yea that looks pretty cool. i think they are hanging but the photo is upside down?

----------


## mandoJeremy

I think you are right there gravity man....and if there is anyone that knows how to hang upside down it would be a guy named Dfyngravity!

----------


## Flowerpot

I've heard of inflating a balloon inside the body to keep out overspray... does this new technique use helium?

----------


## Chris Baird

Are those UV bulbs I see in that anti-gravity booth?

----------


## oldwave maker

While Oblivione, NM is famous for its intense gravitational abberations and song vortexes so strong even bass players can channel televangelist parody tunes, that photo was actually flipped 180 degrees. This one was not, its Alan's engelmann/birdseye/ironwood lefty, ready to finish sand and get golden.
Chris- those bulbs are full spectrum, seem to help a little bit in the winter, tho my neighbors think I'm producing something besides sinsehumor!

----------


## Chris Baird

Bill, #I've got one coming along alot like yours although operations around here have been held up on account of a new baby girl. #But, oh what a fine diversion.

----------


## Chris Baird

Birdseye is in fashion.

----------


## Magnus Geijer

Oooh, that's pretty, Chris. And congratulations!

/Magnus

----------


## ab4usa

WOW Bill, I would be really envious of the owner except it's going to be me! Now I reallkly can't wait. Thanks for posting this.

----------


## rose#1

Chris it is a killer looking A... here is the last Rose to go out.

----------


## rose#1

again

----------


## Brian Ray

Darby, that one is purty with a capital T*! Nice job...


_* actual size of T may vary_

----------


## rose#1

and the start of Wayfaringstrangers fir top

----------


## oldwave maker

Last Christmas sub-litter basking in the shade of the crumbling adobe walls of historic Fort Stinkindesert, in Oldwave Hollow, ready for final sanding. GOM-o-rama.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Well, I don't have 6-8 going at once like some people, (BB)but I'm doing 2 at once anyway.
 I got through one of the tough parts... dovetails. The F has the last of my LMI trussrods and the A has the first of the smaller,lighter ones made by Larry, the bro-in-law.

----------


## ShaneJ

Jim, that's a noticably smaller truss rod slot. Have you compared weights from each?

----------


## wtaylor

> NM is famous for its intense gravitational abberations ...


It appears obvious, that without informing anyone, Bill has moved from New Mexico to Australia ...

----------


## Stanley Cox

OK, Folks gather round,After much thinking, and looking at several building sites, I decided I would build a kit mando
from Stew-Mac. I noticied that a lot of you builders used your name to put on the peg head, and others used exotic names. So it seems that in order to build you have to have a name. More thinking (now I have a headache)  #I finally came up with a name and slogan. Are you ready?
The name of my mandolin is "STORM" and my slogan I have been using already is "Pick up a Storm". Here are some pics
of my meager attempt.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Here is the back, nearly graduated.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Top back, sides and neck waiting for next step.

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

this is the 500th post, congrats everyone whos posted. ive got all these pages saved offline cause of my stinky dial-up and puor over them tons, i think this is the most interesting post on the site @ the moment for me...

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Cool...I almost forgot that I started it

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I haven't made an A in over 2 years. So finally, I have something a little different to show.
 The lady who ordered this one is on a budget, and I'm supposed to keep it simple, but that's hard for me. I had made the horse inlay for another project , but never used it ,so I told her I'd go ahead and drop it in.
 This makes me wonder why I slave over scrolls, points, and F-style headstocks. What a joy to make such an easy (well, easier anyway) instrument.

----------


## Michael Lewis

"It's hard to keep it silmpe" I know just what you mean. Very nice design, clean and flowing. What does the whole instrument look like?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Well, here's the back. Not bad except for the knot that appeared. But I think I'll go ahead with it.

----------


## Flowerpot

You mean knot bad. Knot bad at all.

----------


## WireBoy

Jim, that is a superb headstock. #just one simple flowing curve at the end and it pulls in the the feel of the arch of the scroll and smartness of a lappoint. #pure genius !

----------


## rose#1

this one I am trying to do for myself

----------


## rose#1

another

----------


## Mando Andy G

Darby it looks nice. What type of wood is the top made out of?

----------


## rose#1

very old fir.... my fav...

----------


## dryseptember

Ok im in here is an f4 that i have been making. it is my first try at a mandolin and i basicly used siminoffs book with his F4 plans. this is just before putting the back on.

----------


## Chris Baird

Wow, you took a picture right in the middle of gluing up!

----------


## dryseptember

yea i put the glue on and realized i hadn't taken a picture. really the whole process has been a series of steps hopeing i havn't forgotten anything. the glueing of the back was successful but stressful.

----------


## Keith Newell

Wow, I got to hand it to you. Taking a picture when glueing up takes some serious faith. When Im glueing I usually announce to my wife in advance that anything short of a fire dont bug me because im Glueing up! Nice bracing and I hope it turns out fantastic.
 Keith

----------


## ShaneJ

Stanley,

Somehow I missed your pictures last week. It's looking good!

How 'bout this for your mandolin's name: "A-Grinnin'"

It would go like this: Stanley: "I'm a-pickin'"
            Mandolin: "And I'm a-grinnin'"

----------


## Stanley Cox

Hey Shane,
Thanks a lot for the kind words. I have a lot of gall
posting with Hilburns, Roses and all the other great 
builders at the cafe. Keep looking for yours to show up.
Dont worry about worm holes just keep on carving.   
Stanley

----------


## levin4now

Beautiful job everyone, it's been a long time since I visited this thread, adn what a treat to come back to! 12 more pages of love.

----------


## rose#1

decent wood....

----------


## rose#1

another

----------


## Kevin K

Jim Hilburn.... How's that A model coming along? Let's see some more pictures please.

----------


## ShaneJ

Nice, Darby! Did you put something on the wood to enhance the figure? What's the grey stuff?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Since you asked, here's what the mando couch looks like as of this morning. Working the binding on 2 instruments was much more efficient than doing one at a time.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Flip side.

----------


## Kevin K

Thanks Jim. I can smell the wood from here.

Very nice.

----------


## rose#1

just some water based stain to show the figure,

----------


## kyblue

Looking good, Darby.

And glad to see it's nearing completion...

 

Paula

----------


## Kent Barnes

Here's Harlan #3 so far. #I finally got some time to work on it. #Once again I used the stair-step method to shape the outside contour (see my newest "tool" in the "Pictures of tools you have made" thread in the builders section).

----------


## Keith Newell

In bondage.

----------


## rose#1

freshly scraped.......

----------


## rose#1

before the varnish....

----------


## rose#1

dont know what those white spots are?

----------


## rose#1

these pics arent that great

----------


## rose#1

last

----------


## rose#1

better I hope

----------


## Chris Baird

Wow, nice. You are really getting the scroll down. Beautiful work.

----------


## Scotti Adams

Darby..what kind of treatment are you doing on the neck?...it appears you left it bare...looks real,real good by the way.

----------


## rose#1

Thanks Chris... The neck is bare I will rub some tung oil or lemon oil on it after the body is complete the sand with 1000 grit it will be like butter after...

----------


## amowry

Nice trussrod cover. I like!

----------


## rose#1

This is a revamp of the Fmodels I was making in the past I call it the Rose   F-olution. the tone bars are different from the old Loar design the varnish is my own creation the truss rod cover, the Name Rose, the fingerboard inlay all new . Now I hope it sounds good.....

----------


## Brian Ray

That looks great Darby! Love the new look...

----------


## kyblue

I think I like the rose inlay better, but maybe it's a girl thing...

Paula

----------


## Kent Barnes

After seeing all the scroll perfection in this thread, I decided I need to put more care and effort into Harlan #3. #Here's a picture of the top scroll.



Whatcha' think?

----------


## dj9124

Looks outstanding Kaybee!
Dave

----------


## oldwave maker

an aussie bloke encountered on my recent travels makes these lovely litters of loarcopies- had to hold the camera out to avoid covering it in saliva, and Im not the droolin type!

----------


## Chris Baird

What do you think? Is that about $200k worth of mandolin in that photo?

----------


## Stanley Cox

Harlan #3 scroll,
Good form and good definition. Great ridge line.
I guess I am going to start being meticulus in my work.
You builders keep raising the bar.
Good work Kay Bee.

Stanley

----------


## Jim Hilburn

So, Bill, I take it that you didn't go to Warrnambool. Is that at Old Standard?

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Excellent kaybee

Awesome picture Bill. That's a bit hard to comprehend isn't it

----------


## Stanley Cox

Well I have progressed to cutting out the F holes,fitting
and shaping the tone bars, and glueing on the top. Just
as everyone says this part is more stressful. 
Storm # 1 to date. f holes

----------


## Stanley Cox

Storm # 1 tone bars

----------


## Stanley Cox

And glueing up. See the Dr. Pepper can? Was ready to spread the glue,took a deep swig of Dr. Pepper and got stung by a bee! Kay Bee I see you laughing, s jennings too.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

I hope you're not done with those tone bars

----------


## Stanley Cox

Darryl,
I will try to get the clamps off.  
Stanley

----------


## rose#1

some people wanted to see some updated pics...

----------


## rose#1

still french polishing and tryin to get those pin holes around the binding

----------


## ShaneJ

Stanley, that's looking good. Watch out drinking that diet stuff -- it's got a bite!  

I've not progressed much lately. I took my son hunting this weekend - not far from Dublin (home of Dr. Pepper) in Comanche County, BTW.

----------


## wayfaringstranger

That's looking really good, Darby. 

Got any pictures of that other mando that's on your bench right now?

----------


## rose#1

Reflections II

----------


## Scotti Adams

Wow Darby...cant wait....really lookin good...

----------


## rose#1

see if this is better

----------


## ShaneJ

Here's my first scroll. Give me a critique...be honest, I can take it.

----------


## ShaneJ

Another view....

----------


## mandoJeremy

That is as close to perfect as you can get Shane. Very well done.

----------


## ShaneJ

Thanks Jeremy. #I noticed a couple areas in the photo where the declining curves don't "decline" smoothly (between the arrows). #Maybe I can take a little more off of the high spots to smooth that out. #I didn't notice it until I looked at the photo of that angle.

----------


## Chris Baird

Looks good. But the true test will be post binding.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

SJennings..that looks exceptionally good as is. #I can however offer some tips if (and only if) you want to replicate the original F5's. #The outside edge thickness (where the binding will be) remains #3/16" until you get to the top of the scroll (due North). #The ridge line starts at the end of the saw cut for the scroll button, and has no height there. #It continues downhill uniformly away from the scroll button height #The ridge disappears at the imaginary line where you would "cut the scroll off to make an A-model"...the ridge is not located in the center of the area, it's slightly outside and gently runs out toward the perimiter binding prior to where it disappears. The inside piece of binding stays 3/16" high for quite a distance as it goes away from the 15th cross piece and the rise somewhat abruptly to "climb to the scroll button mitre"...have fun

----------


## Stanley Cox

Shane,
That is some good work. I also like good clean symetrical
scrolls. It adds to the overall look of the "F" style mandolin. Keep up the good work.

F5Journal,Do you have some reference pics of the edge rising
and such? I think I understand. Thinking and understanding is that what they call an oxymoron?

Stanley

----------


## ShaneJ

Darryl, thank you for the details! I've never had the pleasure to see a Loar in person (or any other high quality mandolin, for that matter) -- just pictures. I know that some I've seen have appeared "off", but I didn't really know why. I was thinking this one was a little off too. Mostly, it's that the ridge does go too far. I can fix that. Also, for the 3/16" outside edge thickness...is "due north" pointing to the peghead or to my head if I'm playing the mandolin? 

Stanley, thanks for the kind words!

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

No 1

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

No. 2

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

No. 3

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

No. 4

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

No. 5

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

No. 6

----------


## ShaneJ

Thank you, Darryl! From #1, it looks like "due north" points to the peghead.

Another question that occurs to me....how tall is the scroll button?

----------


## Stanley Cox

Thanks for the pics Darryl.
Do you know when or who started building with the rise further to the "west"? Are these pics of a Loar?
Stanley

----------


## oldwave maker

Alans figured birdseye lefty fresh off the buffer

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Those are all Loar pics. I believe the button is 7/16" high, but don't take me to the bank on that one. The button is higher on the back plate than the front. You can see that clearly in pic 1

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Here's my first scroll. Not too bad, but not perfect. Too bad the picture is 3 yrs old and I haven't made anymore progress

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Back. The dark spot is still wet

----------


## ShaneJ

Wow, Darryl! #You need to finish that! Maybe in a few years, somebody will start an internet archive of your work!

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Here's another pic with the neck "almost" done

----------


## ronlane3

Darryl,

I really like that natural look for the back of the neck. If you need someone to break it in, just PM me and send it this way for a few years.

----------


## ShaneJ

OK, Darryl....how's this? #I couldn't move the tail end of the ridge as far to the side as I needed it, but I think it's closer to looking right than before.

You can see the worm hole that I filled and plan to cut out by going with an oval hole instead of f-holes on this top. I also figured that if I messed up the scroll, I could make it an A oval.

----------


## ShaneJ

...and the edge thickness adjustment.  BTW, I like the neck on yours. That's how I plan to finish mine.

----------


## mandoJeremy

Darryl, that looks great and that is one nice scroll. You do need to finish it. You are one of those guys like Charlie that should be able to get a very Loar tone out of a mando. I am impressed.

----------


## rmoss

Great job on your scroll that is very impresive to be the first mando you have built. It is hard to tell from the pics but if you want your scroll as close to loar specs as possible you might want to lower the height of the button a little and let the top of the crest follow. Personally I think it looks great the way it is. Great job!!

Randy

----------


## rose#1

Johns fir top #25

----------


## rose#1

scroll...

----------


## Stanley Cox

Shane, Darryl, and Darby,
Good scroll work guys,and I like the way the tops look overall. I have a lot to look forward to.
All the builders here at the cafe have been an inspiration.
Stanley

----------


## rose#1

#24 varnished, just wanting to come alive....

----------


## rose#1

Im itching

----------


## rose#1

cant rush though....

----------


## John Bertotti

Well this isn't a carved top instrument but it is m first. Here's a link. I started this in the builders section for ongoing advise. It will eventually be a five course Mandola with a 20 7/8 inch scale about.
Based off of one of Luthiers OM kits and modified a bit. Thanks again Don, going slower than anticipated mainly because I decided to use hide glue. John
Mandola

----------


## Scotti Adams

..lookin just too dang good Darby...

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Jennings..nice adjustment...great work

----------


## wayfaringstranger

My band was playing a gig in Frederick, MD last night, and Darby brought Rose #24 (which he had strung up only a few minutes before the show) over to let me try it out. I was very impressed, so thought I'd add a couple of comments to go along with the pretty pictures posted above.

(Full disclosure (in the interest of anti-hype): Rose #25 , which is pictured above in the white, is my mando). No other interest, financial or otherwise.

Looks: So, yes, it really does look as good in person as it does in the pictures. He still had some more polishing and setup work left to do, but it was still quite purty. 

Sound: I've played three of Darby's mandos now, and this is my favorite of the three. Hopefully the fourth (mine, that is) will be even better :-) I *really* liked this mando's tone, and found it hard to put down: played two 45 minute sets with it, and then stayed for a beer and kept playing it, putting it back into the case, and then pulling it out again to play it just one more time. Tone is kind of a subjective thing, so I won't really try to describe it except to say that it sounded good, had great bass response, and was quite loud. 

How loud? The bartender was blasting AC/DC after the show. When I stepped across the bar into the men's room, I could hear Darby chopping on the unamplified mando *over* the sound system. With his back turned. And two walls in between. Yikes.

So, yeah: real good mando. I'm psyched to get mine. If you get a chance to play one of his fir tops, enjoy it. It'll likely change the way you think about red spruce being a prerequisite for bluegrass tone.

john

----------


## Chris Baird

The elves have been busy around here.

----------


## ShaneJ

Who let the Oldtime/Celtic elves in the shop?  

Those look sweet! I'll bet those oval holes will sound sweet too. Are the plates arched or flat? Hard to tell in that photo.

----------


## oldwave maker

"hello, my name is Chris Baird and I am a mandobuildaholic"....all kidding aside, nice to see those ovals, if you have any extra elves after the hollidaze season, I'll trade you straight across for wood nymphs! not much left to rub out in santas southwest workshop:

----------


## Chris Baird

Hey Bill, I've seen enough fine work from your nymphs that I'd be willing to trade two of my elves for one of yours.   Those oval holers are an induced arch "flat top".

----------


## Scotti Adams

Alright Darby..lets see it..

----------


## Chris Baird

That Bruce Harvie, he sent me some wood what got scratched up by a bear! #Well I did the best I could with it. #  j/k thanks Bruce.

----------


## ShaneJ

Man, that's pretty, Chris!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Jeremy, How am I doing so far?

----------


## mandoJeremy

Do I even have to answer that Jim? You know I think your mandos scream perfection, especially those scrolls!! I would even go so far to say that yours look better than some of the "high-dollar" builders but I wouldn't want to start anything up. I am convinced that the guys to watch right now are Jim, Darby, and Adrian (HoGo) because they are all doing great work. I am very impressed also by the young builders...Darby is 32, Adrian is 26, and then you have Ben Wilcox who is what?..23. Correct me on that Scotti because I am not sure. It simply amazes me! Dang you guys are awesome! Jim, keep up the excellent work.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Let's not forget Jamie

Very tasteful inlay Jim

----------


## mandoJeremy

I haven't seen a lot of his work Darryl even though I would like to. Let's not forget about you either if you would hurry and finish that F-5!!

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

speaking of tops that have been scratched by a bear, have you seen this on...
ebay

Must have been a Grizzly

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Young? Well, that leaves me out.

----------


## mandoJeremy

Well, you're just full of mandolin building wisdom. And you're still one of my favorite builders.

----------


## ShaneJ

Jim, that looks great! I agree with Jeremy on the "perfecto-meter" deal. You've got it pegged out.

----------


## rose#1

Jm excellent...#25

----------


## kyblue

Looking good, Darby (for brown.)

Can't wait to see mine here one of these days...

PJB

----------


## mandoJeremy

That does look great Darby and that is becoming a very standard thing from you....greatness and perfection.

----------


## rose#1

scroll #25

----------


## mandoJeremy

That passes the Jeremy Scroll Test very well!

----------


## J. Wiens

Well I better get in on the Jeremy test I guess. Here's my F-5 #17 getting french polished....

----------


## J. Wiens

The scroll....

----------


## J. Wiens

My new "firepot" .....No flames please !

----------


## Ted Eschliman

Bill, you got any more closeups of that blue one?
(Yum...)

----------


## J. Wiens

And finally the happy client taking delivery last weekend. It's loaded with lots of goodies... Varnish, mitered bindings, Waverly tuners, Price tradition tailpiece and a Steve Smith bridge complete with patent stamp.......Jamie

----------


## mandoJeremy

Jamie, that is a perfect ten also! You guys are so great.

----------


## berkeleymando

Jamie, your mandolins are really beautiful. Hats off to Mr. Wiens for his artistry!

----------


## ShaneJ

Jamie, that firepot is smokin'!!

----------


## jasona

I do not have MAS. I do NOT have MAS. I DO NOT HAVE MAS!

----------


## Stanley Cox

Scrolls and firepots, what canI say?

Good work all.

Stanley

----------


## oldwave maker

Ted- shots of that blue one, just waiting for the Baggs saddle before sending off to Bruce of Princess Xena and the Old Men Boys!

----------


## oldwave maker

The back is oregon curly Don Musser got from a retired gunstock sawyer, cut a quarter century ago or more

----------


## oldwave maker

The top is x braced colorado engelmann cut on Grand Mesa in '94, whammy bar not an option on this type tailpiece

----------


## Jonathan James

Beautiful work Jamie!

----------


## Ted Eschliman

> Ted- shots of that blue one


Oh, my!...
Anybody around here know C.P.R.???

----------


## PaulD

Bill... that is one incredible looking instrument. I've played a couple OldWaves up here in SLC... I really liked the way they played and sounded. What size is that one... octave mando? I would love to hear it if you know anyone up this way that has one. 

I am very impressed with the quality of work displayed in this thread... I hope I can produce something worthy of posting when I can get going on it. 

Paul Doubek

----------


## amowry

I just finished up my first blonde F5. Thanks to the folks here and on mimf.com who gave me good finishing advice. The customer and I decided to go with blonde about halfway through--I would have done a few things differently had it been planned all along, but I'm satisfied with the results. The finish is spirit varnish.

----------


## amowry

Another.

----------


## Jonathan James

Absolutely stunning!

----------


## amowry

Last one, I promise.

----------


## mandoJeremy

That is beautiful Andrew. Nice work.

----------


## PaulD

That is beautiful... I actually like the natural finish better than the sunburst. Can you elaborate briefly on what you would have done differently if you had been building for the blond finish? Obviously a long post on the subject would be a Builders forum question. 

pd

----------


## amowry

Thanks folks. #Paul- I'm a fan of blondes with tortoise binding so I might have suggested that if we had planned it from the beginning. #The other thing is that I would have tried to match the maple a little more closely, because the sides and neck are slightly darker than the back, and they have some "worm track" markings. #These things would have been evened out under a sunburst but are a little more apparent this way. #I think that's about it-- it's always fun to think about what to do differently next time.

----------


## PaulD

I can see the color difference now that you mention it. It's not enough that it would bother me, but I can see your point about staining it vs. leaving it natural. I also like the idea of the tortoise binding, but it's still a wonderful looking instrument! 


> it's always fun to think about what to do differently next time


 If you don't think about what to do differently next time, how would you expect to improve?  I appreciate the feedback... I'm trying to absorb what I can until I get the opportunity to start my 1st mando.

pd

----------


## Stanley Cox

Andrew,
That is very fine work. Is that just a hint of center line on the back? Great appearance with w/b/w binding.
Stanley

----------


## kyblue

Very nice blonde!

----------


## LeonEvans

This will be one of my first posts here. Thanks to Mandolin Cafe, I've got a new mandolin in the works. No, I'm not building it, Steve Holst is. This is a project that I've dreamed about for several years. Custom body shape, sound holes, pick gaurd, tail piece, bridge, etc. You can see the in progress pictures here:

Holst Mandolin Construction Tour

Steve is using my mando for his tour. He's got eight pages up so far with a lot to go.

Leon

----------


## tjg

Leon,

Nice looking mandos and nice soundbites. I've never heard of Holst before...looks like some beautiful guitars and mandos. Congrats!

----------


## Kent Barnes

Harlan #3 is coming along. #The top is almost done.

----------


## ShaneJ

Can't wait to see the rest, Kent. Do you have something between the top (of the top) and the clamps?

----------


## Kent Barnes

Yes, I used little pieces of folded posterboard to protect the top from the clamps. #I learned my lesson the hard way on a previous mandolin.
 #

----------


## addcourt

Leon: Thanks for calling our attention to the Holst website. Some real food for thought there. Congratulations on your mandolin--must have been a treat to develop.

----------


## LeonEvans

Hi Mike,

It was a real treat working with Steve on the design. When I'd ask questions about what he uses like glues or finish, his response was always, "What do you want me to use?" Having a builder that will listen to some very unusual ideas was wonderful. 

The process started with a few emails to see if Steve would consider the job. Then I did the first rough sketch and sent it to him and he did a drawing to scale. Then we worked on materials. We decided to go for a vintage vibe on a new design so we went with hide glue and varnish/french polish. The mando will have a dark red burst accented with maple bindings. Steve will do a unique dual wood peg head overlay in Maple with an ebony insert. Our joke is that this mando will be red on red on red. Red burst, red maple and red spruce. 

Watching it come together is the culmination of a dream for me. Steve is great to work with and encourages input at every step of the process. He does a complete build process CD with pictures of every step as part of the commission. That way you have the photos along with the instrument.

Merry Christmas everyone

Leon

----------


## Mark Seale

> Harlan #3 is coming along. #The top is almost done.


Kent - 

I've never seen the inside of the scroll carved out. Does it materially affect the volume of the cavity? 

Mark

----------


## Kent Barnes

Progress from the past few days.

----------


## rose#1

no one has posted for a while #26

----------


## Scotti Adams

Hey Darby..do you do 3 piece necks?

----------


## rose#1

if that is what some one would like.

----------


## kyblue

#26 is mine...

 

Thanks for the other photos you emailed me, Darby. #Can't wait to see the finished product! #I'm sure it will be as beautiful as your other work that I've seen, and best of all it will be mine.

The anticipation is wicked...

pjb

----------


## levin4now

Andrew Mowry,

Beautiful work on that blonde. Stunning.

----------


## Kent Barnes

Harlan #3 will be sidebound. #Here's the peghead.

----------


## Kent Barnes

I got to "ride" my Dremel for a couple of hours tonight. # This one is done in Abalone.

----------


## Scotti Adams

lookin mighty fine Kent...

----------


## Stanley Cox

Aint never seen a "seat" on a Dremel!!! 

Looks Good

Stanley

----------


## kyblue

Kent, 

That abalone looks good.

Paula

----------


## oldwave maker

freshly bent- some 2005 rims: mesquite and maple oval a's, pair o'F5's, h-dola, ziedler inspired archtop guitar shaped dola, GOM, rigel inspired archtop geetar(dont ask!)

----------


## fatt-dad

That's what I'd call a grouping!

f-d

----------


## rose#1

a couple more of kyblue's...here is the surprise.

----------


## rose#1

closer

----------


## Gavin Baird

Thought I may as well get into the "Fray". Attached photos are of and F4 with all wood binding...
  Top:

----------


## Gavin Baird

And of course the back

----------


## Gavin Baird

And the headstock...g

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

lets see the whole back, i really really like that.

----------


## Gavin Baird

The full Back...

----------


## Gavin Baird

and full top[

----------


## kyblue

Darby,

Wow! #I love it!!! #

Paula

----------


## jasona

That abalone is madly colored Gavin. Very nice!

Nice blue pickguard too Darby.

----------


## ShaneJ

Gavin, is that abalam or abalone? Where'd you get it? It is beautiful.

----------


## Gavin Baird

Pau Abalone...g

----------


## Stanley Cox

WOW!!!
Oldwaves group
Darbys blue
Harlans side binding
Gavins Abalone & back.

I guess I had better get busy.

Gavin, How did you do the 3pc. neck at the back button? Looks really good.

Stanley

----------


## Gavin Baird

Stanley,
     What you are seeing is the end of the neck. Th finish part is an Ebony part that has yet to be installed....G

----------


## rose#1

some color on it...

----------


## rose#1

that pic turned out dark

----------


## jacobw

If I had money...this thread would be really dangerous. Time to open up another bank account :-) Great work from all the builders. Thanks for taking the time to show us some fine looking instruments, and thanks for keeping the craft alive!

----------


## Chris Baird

Here is the Jan. batch, half way grown up.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's a new one.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Hope to have this one ready for the Denver Midwinter Festival.

----------


## kyblue

Darby,

Thanks for the update! Looking great...

I'm counting the days now.

Paula

----------


## Chris Baird

Here is another shot of a tasmanian blackwood flat top right before gluing together.

----------


## berkeleymando

Chris, as always I am very impressed by your beautiful creations. That flat top looks nice.

----------


## ShaneJ

Jim, Chris, Darby....you guys are doing some awesome work!

----------


## barricwiley

Darby that mandolin is just flat out stunning!
Richard

----------


## rose#1

Chris do you have a jig to cut the dove tail that is a clean joint.

----------


## rose#1

some pics in day light

----------


## rose#1

another

----------


## rose#1

little extra details are the key

----------


## rose#1

last I am done

----------


## mandoJeremy

Mr. Jim Hilburn, you still just simply amaze me with your stunning work. Flawless!!!!

----------


## kyblue

Darby,

Love the photos. #Can't wait to see it in person (and hear it!) #It's definitely going to stand out in the crowd. # 

Hope it's been fun working on something slightly different.

THANKS!!!

Paula

----------


## Scotti Adams

..sent my deposit to Darby this morning...

----------


## LeonEvans

Here's a shot of the top of me new mandolin that Stve Holst is building. He's just finished the sound holes and has glued in the tone bars. This gives you an idea of the body shape we came up with.

Leon

----------


## LeonEvans

Here's a shot of the back after rough carving.

Leon

----------


## LeonEvans

One last one with the ribs and blocks glued up and still in the mold.

Leon

----------


## french guy

Hello all
Here is some pics of how I cut the V notch in the body
It work well

----------


## french guy

One more during the process I cut with the saw at 15°
each side and straight in the middle and with an angle 
between 0 and 15° between the side and the middle

----------


## french guy

The result

----------


## french guy

Final notch

----------


## french guy

Now in the neck

----------


## french guy

After some manual adjustemnt , without any glue
Body and neck stay togheter .

----------


## Ken

French guy, great technique, also nice seeing someone else using that full mortise for the neck joint. A simple and strong joint. I've been using it since my 2nd mandolin made in 1980 and have never had a problem.
Ken.

----------


## oldwave maker

Been playing with the stanley #7 and fresh hide glue over the weekend- engelmann from Musser, meself and Smart, euro from ILS in Tulsa, red spruce from Bruce, John Arnold and Old Standard, redwood and ukranian spruce from Bruce, and that 1880's telegraph pole cedar from Peter White:

----------


## Onesound

Hey Bill,
Are one of those slabs gonna be my top?  
Cheers,
 Brian

----------


## mandopete

> Hello all
> Here is some pics of how I cut the V notch in the body
> It work well


Is it just my imagination or do those sound holes go all the way through the body or is that some sort of optical illusion?

----------


## ShaneJ

There's no back on it yet.

----------


## french guy

> Is it just my imagination or do those sound holes go all the way through the body or is that some sort of optical illusion?


Hey Mandopete , I confirm
There's no back yet

----------


## oldwave maker

Those slabs were all 2 piece bookmatched with centerjoint, heres your 1 pc, Brian, proof that you cant judge a book by lookin at the cover- Thanks, Spruce!

----------


## Onesound

Wow!

----------


## mandoman15

These are some pictures of my first attempt at building a mandolin. it should end up being a blacktop mandolin with blonde sides... i spent about 2 hours today hand planing it down i'm still no there yet... to get to .13" i'm going to have to build a jig to ensure the proper thickness... the design is my own, it's a 2 point version of the gibson F3 it's a stretch i know but i always wanted a mandolin in this shape...the picture on the top is the template and the lower is the actual piece... I'd love to hear some expierenced luthiers comments on building for the first time...

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

i think you forgot the pictures

----------


## rose#1

Orrin Starr's Rose starting to come together.

----------


## Chris Baird

Hey there, looking good Darby. And yes I have a jig or twenty around.

----------


## Chris Baird

One day I'm gonna catch up with Mr. Bussman (the founder of mandobuildalholics). #Here are some of the elusive unmaple mandolins(mostly).

----------


## rose#1

Chris is that Zebra wood on that center one I was thinking of a fingerboard and peg veneer of zebra it is a cool looking wood.oh and this one hs to dry and she is complete....

----------


## rose#1

head

----------


## kyblue

Darby,

Can't wait to get my hands on #26. Thanks for the photos. Beautiful!!! 

Looking forward to meeting you and #26, and to the Lonesome River Band show next Saturday. Are you bringing your family? Would love to meet them, too.

Paula

----------


## Kent Barnes

Harlan #3. #Abalone Fern, with abalone dots in a 12" radius fingerboard. #It's starting to look like a mandolin (just dry-fit at this point).

----------


## ShaneJ

Awesome, Kent! How 'bout a close-up of the peghead?

----------


## ShaneJ

Here's the "left-handed" top I accidentally made....cut the appendages off to make an A top with it. #I thought this looked cool. #The recurve is actually pretty evenly graduated, but the light bulb doesn't hit it all evenly in this photo.

----------


## ShaneJ

Here's the parts that weren't a mando.... # 

I have to brag on my homemade palm plane. With the radiused sole and a good "scary sharp" sharpening, it really made hogging out the inside of the plate go quickly. I thought about chucking a rasp bit in the drill press and drawing off graduations, etc. By the time I could have gotten all that set up, I had the top carved out to "nearly there". Then I went to the finger plane, scraper, then sand paper. The mess was easier to clean up too. I enjoy making those little curly things while listening to good mando music much better than making dust while listening to a power tool anyway.

----------


## mtnrose

Chris, the unmaple back on the top left has me drooling. What kind of wood is that?

Becky (is it March yet?)

----------


## Chris Baird

Cocobolo. Don't hesitate to come visit in winter. Fine weather and no crowds. 
Spring is crazy around here, 9k base population with sometimes over 70k tourists.

----------


## Keith Newell

Chris those are some great instruments in progress. I am inspired by such consistant quality.
 Keith Newell

----------


## WireBoy

Sjennings,
 i love the light bulb 'xray' technique. very clever.

----------


## oldwave maker

Darby- love that blue, too bad wsm didnt play one that color, we's all be making the blues.......
Chris- you'll be passing me soon enough- if you build it, they will come!
Jim- I'll be a front row geezer watching the one lucky guy strut in denver-lets pick, my booth or yours....
Rays elevated fretboard F3, Musser engelmann, Harvie quilt, taiwan tony peghead inlay:

----------


## mandoryan

Very cool Bill! That is one snazzy lookin' three point.

----------


## PaulD

Wow, between Chris and Bill... I'm awestruck! I might have to make a trip south to get shop tours when I finish school and can start building. Down through Moab, Flagstaff, over to New Mexico, back up through the mountains into Colorado... sounds like a great road trip with the kids! 

SJennings... I agree whole-heartedly about the different between handplanes and machines. Machines are great if you're trying to produce a quantity, but a good plane can definately make fast, quiet work without the setup time of a machine... I find the sound and feel to be meditative. I can definately do a short run rabbeting stock faster with a "scary sharp" Stanely #78 than a table saw, jointer, or router, and there are times that setting a Stanely #45 up for a profile is faster than adjusting my workhorse plunge router. Nice work on the little plane, and the "left handed" top! 

Paul Doubek

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I do like when I get to this stage. Seeing what the final product will look like.
 Unlike the last 2 varnish jobs, which had an oil varnish, this one is straight spirit varnish. Learn as you earn.

----------


## Flowerpot

Jim, very nice looking back. Are you French polishing, brushing, spraying...?

----------


## ShaneJ

Jim, you're my idol, man. That is sweet!

----------


## LeonEvans

Steve has been busy on my new mandolin. Here he has the body together, the riser block on, the binding ledge cut, the dovetail joint cut and the neck started.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Jim, If you keep building like that we will let you back in Texas.  
Stanley

----------


## ShaneJ

Stanley, I think all it takes to get into the Texas mandolin community is the ability to tell the difference between a ukelele, a banjo, a mandolin, and a short scale guitar.  

We know a bunch about fiddles, steel guitars, flattops, electric guitars, etc. though, huh?

----------


## mandoJeremy

First of all, KayBee that is one great scroll! #Looks like you have learned early my man (or dude). #Second, Jim you are the man but I do have to post pictures soon of my Hogan (HOGO) ((Adrian)) and I am quite impressed by all of you guys. #For the record, if you don't think a 26 year old Slovakian guy can build a mando then you should go read all of the points that Adrian points out wrong with Siminoff's plans in the builders sections. #This guy has it and it is that simple. #I have laid down my Bush model since I received my Hogan and for good reason. #Simply amazing!

----------


## ShaneJ

Let's see the pics, Jeremy! Got any mp3's yet? I'd love to see and hear more of your new one.

----------


## ZZCHOP

Hey guys, Just wanted to sneak a pic of the hubbys latest mando in the white before he caught me! zzchops wife

----------


## mandoJeremy

I am actually going to be recording with it next weekend and later during the first week of March. I can post the pics now but you will have to wait for the sound bytes! It did get to play it's first show in the U.S. at the Ryman and it sounded great. Just ask the sound guys! Trust me, it sounds even better than it looks! Just go look at Hogo's topics that he started and there are sound clips on those.

----------


## Keith Newell

Here's a couple of A styles I will have done in time for Wintergrass. Both are identical except the tops, one is Sitka one piece top and the other a 2 piece Red spruce. Since they are not an ordered instrument I can do my own thing on colors....yay!  
This is a good comparison on tonal characteristics during the whole build process which I learned a few interesting things.
 Keith Newell
http://www.newellmandolins.com

----------


## Keith Newell

The previous picture shows a center seam on the red spruce thats noticable. I planed down to where the discoloration was and thought I went past it but after glueing I saw a bit was there. The flash seeams to show way more then is really there.
 The backs are one piece Western big leaf maple cut on the quarter.
 Keith

----------


## Keith Newell

A look at the variable oval shaped fret markers.
   Keith

----------


## Rob Powell

Although I am certainly unworthy, here's a pic of Acoustic Alchemy's Awen #1 (flat top, induced arch) and beside it on the bench is Slat #1 (carved arch top oval hole)...

----------


## Rob Powell

oops no pic

----------


## Rob Powell

One more...

This is my 7 dollar Target glue pot which amazingly holds exactly 145 degrees and in it is my home made hide glue from Frets.com (Knox unflavored gelatin.) Thanks Frank!
The shot glass cost almost as much as the crock!

----------


## Hans

Here's a pix of the heel button & scroll area on the latest 3 point. The button is really old timey.

----------


## ShaneJ

Very classy, Hans. Nice photography too.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Here's an A-model refin I'm finishing up..it's fixing to receive the left-handed bridge you see there along with one of my repro guards. #The 30's tuners in the middle of the pic came off the banjo-mando neck in the background. #The spacing is slightly off, but they work fine as long as you use the little 20's style bushings. #Installing them with the worm below the cluster gear makes them turn backwards, but maybe since it's getting set up lefty...we have a custom set of left handed tuners for an old Gibson #

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

looking better

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

back

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

head

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Have you ever wanted to really mess up a mandolin...here's your chance to see it....no questions allowed..reason will be revealed in the future

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

more

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

more

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

hmmmm...

----------


## f5joe

I know the answer.

----------


## mandoJeremy

I know it also!

----------


## Flowerpot

I have a good guess!

----------


## Tim333

I think I got it. #But don't you need a Gibson?

----------


## El Rey del Mando

What a gas !!!!!!!

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

i think i got it

----------


## Tim Saxton

Ok i'm clueless.

Tim

----------


## El Rey del Mando

Tim, How can you be clueless with a screen name like bigmons23 ? Yeah man !

  John

----------


## Magnus Geijer

Ooh! I think I know! And although I could wax on and on about it, I'll keep quiet.

----------


## Kevin K

What a distressed MK? Interesting.

----------


## Tim Saxton

Yeah thats all i can come up with also. A distressed MK. Very Distressed.

Tim

----------


## duuuude

Gonna end up lookin like Yank's 'fore long.

----------


## Landgrass

Or like Big Mon's in the picture on that binder in the last pic. Wonder if he'll gouge out the "MK" in the headstock!

----------


## Darryl Wolfe



----------


## Kent Barnes

Harlan #3 backside.

----------


## Dru Lee Parsec

> Ok i'm clueless.


I'm with you Tim. I have no idea what he's doing to that MK. Chopping off the big headstock curl and grinding down the scroll!? I'm lost.

I'll just have to sit back and watch

----------


## Tim Saxton

Maybe it's a real sick way of ending scroll envy.

Tim

----------


## El Rey del Mando

Hey Darryl,Did you think that you would have fooled this many people when you posted this ? Looks like we have a few Rip Van Winkles on board.

    John

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

There is a story to this, but I cannot reveal it until a certain date has passed

----------


## Scotti Adams

can you say....Cliff Hanger!!!

----------


## mandoman15

Is he doing this maybe? a few hours on adobe thats all...

----------


## mandoman15

this was transformed from a picture of a real michael kelly. I just cut it up like f5 journal did and added a little imagination

----------


## mandoman15

here's the pic, this actually came from a michael kelly picture i took and photoshopped..

----------


## oldwave maker

Sneak peek of the OW Earl 'The Pearl' Monroe distraught master model prototype- had second thoughts on the double scrollectomy, so reattached the peghead scroll with a rusty horshoe nail. We'll be offering it complete with genuine fireplace poker autographed by Miss Lada Hassle of Truth or Consequences, N.M.

----------


## Magnus Geijer

Geijer #2, which way become known for being the slowest build process in the history of stringed instrument. At least it's getting close now.

----------


## mandomick

> Sneak peek of the OW Earl 'The Pearl' Monroe distraught master model prototype- had second thoughts on the double scrollectomy, so reattached the peghead scroll with a rusty horshoe nail. We'll be offering it complete with genuine fireplace poker autographed by Miss Lada Hassle of Truth or Consequences, N.M.


Hey Bill, hows about a close-up of whats covering up the name on that peg head.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Just a start here..no where near done...but nice and ugly/messed up at this point..god I hate polyurethane. It's all gonna have to come off the top to get this to look right

----------


## Don Grieser

Get your pocket knife out and scrape off that finish.

----------


## Keith Newell

Here are a few shots of a couple A styles nearing completion.
Red Spruce top.
Keith Newell
http://www.newellmandolins.com

----------


## Keith Newell

Big leaf maple one piece back.
 Keith

----------


## Keith Newell

Sitka one piece top. Needing level sanding before final coats.
  Keith

----------


## Keith Newell

Another one piece Western big leaf maple back.
  Keith

----------


## Kent Barnes

It's been a good weekend in the Harlan "workshop". #The back is done. #After going back and re-reading some posts from Darryl Wolfe, I re-carved the scroll. #The 'incline' now starts at about the 12 o'clock position and widens at it approaches the button. #



Here' the complete back



and a close-up of the scroll

----------


## ShaneJ

Kent, that is looking awesome! Great job. Another scroll detail that I've notice on the ones that look right is the "slot" being constant width like yours is. Sometimes you'll see one that has a width that varies or tapers as it goes around. Those just don't seem to look right. Yours looks great, IMO.

----------


## mandoJeremy

Kent, that is great and I am still wondering why you purchased an Eastman? Your mandos look wonderful and I am sure they sound better.

----------


## Kent Barnes

It was just something I wanted to try. #I've heard so many good things about them, the price is reasonable, and I had some money burning a hole in my pocket!

This will be Harlan #3-- and I've got 3 kids, so their inheritance is now almost complete # 

Maybe now I can get serious about mando building, and possibly put some up for sale!

----------


## J.A.P.

Here's a one piece back I'm working on. Anyboby else do all their staining by hand?--------jap.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

kayBee...you've got it..good "fix"

----------


## ShaneJ

J.A.P., that sure looks nice. What kind of stain and finish are you using, if you don't mind me asking?

----------


## oldwave maker

Old and new style fresh nekkid mandos

----------


## J.A.P.

Mr. Jennings,

    I use transtint stains mixed with water. Approximately 25 parts water to 1 part stain. By the way I have built a fly rod or two in my day and tied a couple thousand flies. Interesting hobby. Your listed interests in your profile match mine pretty closely. jap

----------


## JD Cowles

holy #### bill that f2 is outta this world...

----------


## ShaneJ

Thanks for the info, James. Glad to know there's another crazy flyfishing nut in the world! 

BTW, as for the other mutual interests....I certainly am happy to share flyfishing, building mandolins, and my Lord, but I hope an interest in my beautiful wife isn't one of them too.  

Have a great day!
Shane

----------


## J.A.P.

Mr. Jennings,

  I'm sure your wife is quite stunning, but my lovely wife will do just fine. Thanks for the good laugh.

         jap

----------


## Chris Baird

Here is the Feb. batch, just hangin' out.

----------


## Austin Clark

I couldn't miss the RPM! 
I have a garage full of those dang plastic things....(speaking of side interests)
Oh yeah, the new batch looks great!!!  
-austin

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

those a5's look mighty tasty....

....you know my birthday is today....    

nice work
baron

----------


## grandmainger

> Here is the Feb. batch, just hangin' out.


Argghhh! Chris! Where's mine? Is it the one I can see in the far right corner? Please say it is! Pretty please!

 

Germain

----------


## oldwave maker

Scrollectomy detail on the new distraught earl monroe prototype- yes, thats an old fence staple for the replacement strap hanger, and amazingly enough, the blood didnt soak thru the bandages too much! laughing can be beneficial for your lymphatic system.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Bill...what in the H_ll..what's the rest of the story

----------


## mandough

Bill,
Ya Dang fixed it til' it broke, didn't ya! #I used to do the same think with old clocks.
Now, can you get it back to looking like new? #That's the real challenge!

----------


## Chris Baird

Say Bill, that is kinda scary. A fine mandolin for halloween. 
Germain, not yet, your mando will be done this time next month.

----------


## grandmainger

> Germain, not yet, your mando will be done this time next month.


Arh! Didn't think it was! Looks great though  Mmm, I can't wait to be able to contribute a photo to this thread!

----------


## Austin Clark

Well, I finally got a digital camera and thought I would try to post some progress pics. #I hope it works!
We have two in the white and a picture from my shop because I thought the lighting was nice, and another pair. #One just finished and one being varnished (with the funky scroll) (That's for you Jeremy!)  # 
Ok, hope this works....
-Austin

----------


## Austin Clark

more...

----------


## Austin Clark

and finally....

----------


## amowry

Cool scroll idea Austin. I like!

----------


## Rob Powell

I detect tortoise shell bindings....will she be a blonde?

----------


## WireBoy

I like the spooky dimly lit shop photo.

----------


## Austin Clark

> I detect tortoise shell bindings....will she be a blonde?


Good call, Rob. Honestly, she was gonna be, but the red spruce on the other one was so pretty that she got to be the blonde and the tortiseshell got to be really dark with these deep mysterious glints to the edge. (kinda like the room!)
It was a tough choice and I fretted about it for a few days, but I will post more pics when done. It worked out well. (the tortiseshell has great quilting!)

-a

----------


## Steve Hinde

Hinde A model #1 in the white. Red Spruce top, 1pc Red Maple back and sides.

----------


## Steve Hinde

Headstock shot. No bushing in until the finish is done.

----------


## Steve Hinde

Back shot.

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

thats really nice, that flame is gonna be great. well done, especially for your first.

baron

----------


## resonant68

Ain't this Great!!!!!!!
I've rebuilt engines.....rebuilt houses....rebuilt my Harley...But never "Built" anything......
Check this out...

----------


## rose#1

orrin sttars

----------


## dstretch

Here is my first attempt at this oh so addicting hobby. It is a stewmac kit and I have no power tools other than a dremel. It is very rewarding doing it all by hand but I can't wait to get a band saw and spindle sander.

----------


## dstretch

neck setting

----------


## dstretch

gluing top

----------


## dstretch

binding on the back scroll. Will finish the top next weekend. Hope to have neck on within the next 2 weeks.

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

very nice, keep us posted

----------


## oldwave maker

springtime in the chihuahuan desert- not sure what kinda blossom this will be: redwoods, cedar, ukraine and engelmann spruces

----------


## Hans

Some 3 pointers hangin' around the shop.

----------


## Scotti Adams

Man Darby you snuck one by me....nice...I like the color..

----------


## Steve Hinde

Hinde #1 and #2 F models in the white. Getting ready for the colors on the Fs and the A. Will be practicing all weekend on scrap. Then on to the varnish.

----------


## LeonEvans

Steve finished the binding on the back and did a mock up with the neck today. Still a ways to go but we're getting there.

Leon

----------


## Michael Lewis

Wow Leon, that is some piece of art work. Very intriguing design.

----------


## LeonEvans

Hi Michael,

This design is something I've been thinking about for several years. It's really just an A-5 snakehead with a hook scroll.  Otherwise known as the "Pointless F-5". Stephen Holst was good enough to bring it to life for me and suggest some very nice touches like the sound holes and the peg head veneers. 

Being a banjo picker I asked him to do a banjo style backstrap and a carved heel as well. He's also doing a D'Aquisto Centura style bridge with both bone and ebony saddles and his ebony tail piece. He's also going to design a custom ebony finger rest for it.

Maple bindings with b/w purfling on top and sides on front, back and fretboard. Steve used his normal F-5 body mold and just left the points off. Red Spruce, Red Maple and a old fashioned Red burst with varnish and french polish round it out.

The back is a single piece of slab cut red maple with some nice figure.

Can't wait to get it.

Leon

----------


## dstretch

Ok I am getting close. Got my peghead bound today and as soon as I get my binding glue jig from stew-mac I will bind the finger board and glue er up.

----------


## dstretch

peghead binded or is it bound. I cut the binding channel by hand. Just a chisel and razor knife.

----------


## dstretch

This is the plan for my inlay.

----------


## dstretch

Did everyone stop building mandolins? Or at least stop making progress? I wanna see some new stuff.

----------


## amowry

Well, this isn't very exciting, but here's an inlay I just did.

----------


## dstretch

WOW! I hope that my pegheads start looing that good. Your binding looks so clean and perfect. I guess I need alot of practice, so I think I'll start another one.

----------


## levin4now

mowry, that's an awesome peghead. i am not a builder, so I ask: Did you cut that script and flower yourself or order it? It's sweet.

----------


## amowry

Thanks guys, I cut the pearl-- it's one of the things that I really I enjoy, so I'd rather not hire it out. It's a bit of a Zen thing.

dstretch- your binding looks good to me, especially because you cut the channel all by hand. That's not an easy thing to do. Do keep building, though-- you'll be amazed how fast things can improve, and that's where the real satisfaction is!

----------


## oldwave maker

old wood experiment- the top is adirondack x braced western red cedar from an 1880's wyoming telegraph pole, ziricote fretboard with turquoise and silver dots, mesquite burl peghead veneer

----------


## oldwave maker

mahogany neck with graphite trussrod, the back and sides are mesquite that was drowned when an irrigation dam was built on the Rio Sonora near Hermosillo mexico in the early 1950's. the last decade of drought lowered the reservoir levels, exposing the tree skeletons to wood scavengers. Boards were allegedly smuggled across the border at night by a border patrol agent with a gambling problem who needed cash. Makes for a rasty lil instrument with sustain longer than this story!

----------


## Don Grieser

Where'd you find all that green grass in the deserts of New Mexico? Over the septic tank?

----------


## oldwave maker

Ah, green grass. We were in the midst of the worst drought in tree ring history when Chidek'ee showed up last month to do a rainmaking ceremony with the sacred pipe. When the skies cleared a week later jeep cherokees were washing down the stream and oldwave spring flowed for the first time since '89. Bring your truck innertube and ski poles, you can float from here to the largest platanus wrightii in the world. Moisture came too late to save a 20' circumference grandmother

----------


## mandopete

Man, I want some of whatever is in that pipe Bill's been smokin'

----------


## Chris Baird

Move out to the desert, you'll go crazy too.

----------


## ShaneJ

My humble first attempt getting closer. I'll get the back glued on tomorrow after the kerf glue dries.

----------


## ShaneJ

I can prove I carved it myself...

----------


## WireBoy

ouch !!!! a scar of pride I'm sure when it heals. #Who else has a dinger like that? #I'm sure some of you long time luthiers have a wound or two.

----------


## Kent Barnes

It's been a good couple of weeks.....
Harlan #3

----------


## Kent Barnes

... and a couple more.....

----------


## mandoJeremy

Very, very nice Kent. I think that I will be definitely watching you.

----------


## Kent Barnes

thanks mJ. #Unfortunately, I have been informed by 'the boss' that my mando building will be taking a short hiatus until she gets her crown moulding, light fixtures, and recessed lights in the house. 

Bummer.....

----------


## ShaneJ

Kent, that looks awesome. I like the binding. Perfect scroll too. What did you use for the cross piece? Ivoroid, or something else? It looks good. I really like the abalone dots instead of MOP too. How 'bout a closer shot of the peghead?

BTW, my boss just remodeled a bathroom herself! Painted, refinished the cabinets, new hardware & light fixture. All I had to do was replace the light switches and outlets. I LOVE "Trading Spaces" - it has inspired her to tackle stuff that used to just be another entry on the Honey Do list.

----------


## Scotti Adams

Kent..it sure looks good...you should feel good to be able to build something as nice as that..

----------


## Kent Barnes

SJennings - yes, it's an ivoroid crosspiece. #I thought about trying something different, like a dark wood, but with the rest of the binding being ivoroid I didn't want to deviate too far.
My wife has installed bath faucets and hung the light in the breakfast nook, so she's not afraid to try, but sawing/nailing/etc is my job! #I won't let her touch my saw!!

----------


## ShaneJ

Good point! I've bought her her own screwdriver, pliers, hammer, drill, bits, tape measure, etc. so I'll know where mine are when I need them. I'd hate to have to buy a 2nd set of a bunch of big power tools! Lord knows, I'm gonna keep my planes and gouges hidden!

----------


## Stanley Cox

Shane, Who said you were all thumbs?  Looking good.
Kent, #3 is looking better all the time. Is it going to be a blond, or a brunett with a tinge of red?

Allright you guys have done it, shop set up or not here comes a "Storm"  

Stanley

----------


## LeonEvans

Well Steve Holst has been busy adding some touches to my new mandolin. Both are from my love of old banjos. I had him do a backstrap and a heel carving. Here's the backstrap.

Leon

----------


## LeonEvans

And here's the preliminary work on the heel carving. Steve will match this on the other side. He tells me that this still needs some clean up and tweaking. 

Leon

----------


## LeonEvans

Here's the mando mocked up prior to his doing the carving. The neck is fitted and the fretboard is pinned for placement.

Leon

----------


## oldwave maker

Sunny, calm and 70 degrees yeaterday as I hosed the build coats on these old and new styles, woke up this morning to fresh snow on the plum blossoms. Dont like New Mexistan weather? just wait 12 hours!

----------


## JD Cowles

geez bill, my wallet nearly leaped out of my overalls when i saw that three pointer...steady, steady...

we've been havin the same weather here in CO too. 65 sat and snow every day since...

jd

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Yes Bill..your weather is on the front page on MSNBC.com

nice 3pt and color too

----------


## mandomick

> Here's the mando mocked up prior to his doing the carving. #The neck is fitted and the fretboard is pinned for placement.
> 
> Leon


Leon that is one very cool and totally unique mandolin; just enough off the traditional scale to keep it interesting. Hats off to you and the builder!

----------


## LeonEvans

Hi Mick,

This is a dream of mine that is finally coming to life. I've thought about the design for several years and finally found a builder to help me. Steve Holst has been incredible to work with. He's contributed to every aspect of the design and made this all possible. He's a terrific artist in wood and just an all around great guy. I hope he's having as much fun building this as I am having it built. The heel carving is the last wood work and then it's assembly and finish. I'll post more as we get into these last stages.

Leon

----------


## LeonEvans

Steve has almost finished the wood work on my C-5. All that's left is to put in the frets and the side dots. Here's a shot of the almost finished instrument in the white.

Leon

----------


## LeonEvans

and here's a shot of the hook and heel carving. Now it's just stain, varnish and french polish. A few more weeks and I'll have my dream come true.

Leon

----------


## levin4now

Very fine work there. The heel carving is wonderful but the overall work is stellar! Congratulations.

----------


## Dedian

The first few baby steps on a Siminoff kit, completing the rimset...

----------


## Keith Newell

Here's a custom job F style. New inlay for me, still has the "N" That I use on my headstocks but also uses the Sun I put on my tailpieces. White MoP sun and black MoP "N".
 Keith

----------


## Keith Newell

Might as well add the scroll, binding isn't scraped yet on sides to finish size, waiting to bind the back later this week. This is going to be another blonde F.
 The scroll is my take on it, not meant to be a perfect reproduction of the classics.
 Keith

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice scroll Keith! That is an awesome job on the inlay. Very clean!!

----------


## JimW

Skip, I know you build mandolins also. The only example of your work I've seen was Josh Pinkman's mandolin, the one he actually prefers I believe. You need to get in on the party and show off some of your mandolins. I'd love to see them and hear them if you have some sound clips.

Jim Watts

----------


## Skip Kelley

Thanks Jim! I have always admired your work!! There are so many awesome builder here on the cafe! I will post some pics soon of two F models I have been working on. I have been in X-ray school for the past two years and graduate in May. I hope then I can devote more time to building mandolins. I don't have any sound clpis. If I knew of a way to do that I would like to. I am playing my #9 mandolin. I built it as my personal mandolin. Here is a pic of the back which I think is the best side.

----------


## mandoJeremy

That is so beautiful Skip. I bet it sounds great!

----------


## ShaneJ

Wow, Skip! That is beautiful. I love the finish/color. I really prefer to see the wood grain through the finish like that instead of covering it up with a dark brown sunburst (they should call it a "nightburst"). Sweet!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Thanks Jeremy. I do like the sound of this mandolin. Everyone that plays and hears this mandolin, says it has a played in sound like it's at least 20 years old. I think it is louder than the mandolin Josh Pinkham bought from me. I will find out for sure when I go to Merlefest and compare the two. It's going to be tough considering how much playing he has done on that mandolin!

----------


## JimW

Hey Skip, that is a beautiful mandolin. I also love the color/sunburst. We need to see more of your work. If you're at #9 or #10 now, you should have formed some opinions as to your favorite wood to work with, the sound you're after with your mandolins, the finishes you offer and prefer, etc. I'd love to hear your thoughts on building. I think we just need a builder profile of you.  

Also, I'm not a builder, I think you must be thinking of Jim Hilburn, but I am a connoisseur of fine mandolins, like yours. My Elliott #58 has been the cure for my MAS so far, but you know how things in remission sometimes come back with a vengeance. 

Jim Watts

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

here are some phottos of the stewmac campfire mando im building...

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

plates:

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

i cant wait... (dry fit, dont worry)

----------


## mandoman15

hahahaha dry fit ..thats a good one!...i dont get it...

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

dry fit, no glue

----------


## pelone

Questions for Kent Barnes (Feb 8th posting) and Keith Newell or any builders with an opinion. Have you ever thought about not putting on a binding for the top? I know that this is not "classic". However, it often seems to me that a spruce top that shows off the end grain might be a nice organic and honest feature. In your experience, have you seen any F-5's finished off in this manner? Is the purpose of the binding to protect against the vageries and bumps and grinds of use or does it add to inherent strength. Does it hide a poor glue joint? I am on my fourth mando but first F-5 and perhaps am a bit intimidated on the binding. Please advise.

----------


## Keith Newell

I never considered "not" using binding on the top. The Spruce is fragile and the binding does serve the purpose of protection. I often wondered if you didn't bind a top and dinged it on a sharp corner of a table or something would it start to split there in the future? I think most would agree that binding the scroll is one of their least favorite things in the build process. And just when you feel like your "in the groove" (&lt;--pun) you then do the back and it's opposite and what worked good on the top now feels awkward as heck  
 Keith

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, Sorry about the confusion about you building. Anyway I am working on #11 & #12. The spruce I have enjoyed using so far is Engleman and German. The maple is usually eastern. I have also used European with good success. The finish I always use is an oil varnish. I tune the top,back and tone bars on each mandolin. The tone bars are the hardest. Sometimes the notes will not register on my tuner so I just go with my ear. I tune the whole sound chamber by opening the F holes when the body is complete. I try to get a vintage sound out of my mandolins. And by that I mean that they sound a lot older than they actually are. I know I have alot to learn about building.

----------


## dstretch

well #1 is moving along here are some pics

----------


## dstretch

more

----------


## dstretch

another

----------


## dstretch

front

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice job Danny! How does it sound?

----------


## batman

I have played #7 and #9 of Skips and I think as nice as they look, the sound and playability is just tremendous.I'm still kicking my butt for not buying #7 that night we were picking on my back porch. Don

----------


## Skip Kelley

Thanks Don!! Hows the F4 coming along? Lets see some pics!!

----------


## oldwave maker

Finally clean the bats outta the rafters and these puppies land!

----------


## Yellowmandolin

What ever happened to that mutilated MK that Darryl was cutting up?

----------


## dstretch

[QUOTE]Nice job Danny! How does it sound?

It sounds really good, my only comparison is my old alabama "A" style. But I took it to Kenny Amundson (he is a violin maker) and he said it sounded really nice.

----------


## LeonEvans

Steve Holst has finished the construction on my C5 and is now to the staining phase. He started with clear shellac and then two coats of button lac for an antique yellow center. Next is the reddish brown stain in this picture. He'll add a darker brown stain on the edges to finish the sunburst. This should be a nice red burst when it's done. Next week will be scraping the bindings and begining the varnish process.

Leon

----------


## Scotti Adams

...looks real nice....I will be looking forward to seeing the final product...

----------


## LeonEvans

Just got these from Steve. He's got the final stain on and started scraping the bindings. Here's the front.

Leon

----------


## LeonEvans

And here's the back

Leon

----------


## mandoJeremy

That looks good. I like the color.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Varnish drying in the sun.

----------


## Ellie

Here's a little campfire style drag around mando waiting for me to find some momentum.

----------


## mandoJeremy

Oh Jim, you always get me with those beautiful mandos. You had me at G chord!

----------


## danb

Is that a 3-pointer in your rafters there Bill?

----------


## oldwave maker

Dan- indeed, its ray aldens lontime coming raised board quilted F3 with peghead and pickguard inlays by taiwan tony

----------


## Kent Barnes

Everyone in the Barnes' household decided they liked the darker color better. #Here is #3, stained, sealed, and scraped.

----------


## Scotti Adams

lookin mighty fine Kent..what kind of finish have you got planned for it?

----------


## Kent Barnes

I'm still spraying lacquer. I haven't ventured into the varnish world yet......

----------


## mandoJeremy

Kent, that sure does look great. #I REALLY like the darker color also. #Can't wait to see it finished and would love to hear how it sounds.

----------


## onlyagibsonisgoodenuff

Hey! LeonEvans, I think somebody forgot your points. Maybe Bill Bussman took one of 'em for his three point. All pretty cool items.

----------


## ShaneJ

If I can ever get a mandolin to look as good as Jim's or Kent's I'll be a happy camper. Those are beautiful, guys!

----------


## LeonEvans

Fred Frank,

They forgot all the curly ques on the peg head and the button in the scroll too.  

It took a while to find a builder that would do a custom body shape, but Steve has done it. He's doing the varnish now.

Leon

----------


## Stanley Cox

Hey Kent, Looking great. How about a pic of the side bound peg head? 
Stanley

----------


## themightychewbacca

heres something alittle different my solidbidy mando body 8-string, 4-piece spruce body, flat top, emg89 pickup
http://www.freewebs.com/selmac/themeanie.htm
the pickup is not as close to the edge as it looks

----------


## Jim Hilburn

The carbon paper residue looks pretty funky, but I'm happy with the joint.

----------


## Scotti Adams

I wouldnt think you could get much better than that...

----------


## mandoJeremy

and that will turn into one of the most desired Hilburn mandos...quite impressive!

----------


## ShaneJ

Like the beer commercial says, "No slop."

----------


## Hans

Here's some progress on the 3 pt mandola project. The regular F-5 form is shown for size comparison.

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

that looks like its gonna be tasty, nice work.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Hans, no wonder your so prolific. I went back and looked and it was last Saturday that you posted the question about mandola specs and 5 days later you have it half built.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I keep trying to think of something to post that you don't see repeatedly. So I thought of this.
 Took about 45 minutes to cut, but there's going to be about another hour of filing to do. That's when it's in the most danger of getting broken. That and fitting it into the cavity.

----------


## Arnt

Hi everybody, this is my first post on this site. #I figured this would be a good place to start, so I'm attaching a picture of a headstock I just did.

----------


## Arnt

Ooops, my picture is HUGE! it was supposed to be a lot smaller, I don't know what happened.  Sorry...

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

not a problem, the bigger the better. wow, that some nice binding work youve got going there, how long have you been building? looks nice, lets see some more

----------


## Hans

Now Jim, you know it's not quite half done (by a long shot)!  

It doesn't take much to whack out a form, some blocks, and glue some ribs on. This is going to be a long term project. I've got a lot to think about, and the ribs on the form gives me something to contemplate in my spare (?) time.
BTW, I just got the H-5 and F-4 plansets from Siminoff...very nice.

----------


## ShaneJ

By the looks of Arnt's bench, I'd say he's been building a while - not to mention the beautiful work on the binding and inlay. Those square bench dogs aren't so square anymore. 

Welcome, Arnt! Hack newbies like me love to see a real luthier's work. (and his tools)

----------


## ShaneJ

BTW....I'm building a bench right now. Should I go with square dog holes or round? If I drill round holes, I figure I'll need to cut a flat face on the dogs so they'll hold stuff without twisting. I think round would be easier to make, but are the square holes worth a little extra effort?

----------


## Arnt

Thanks for the welcome!

I'm not a "real luthier" by any means, I'm just a hobby builder. #I've played the guitar for 30 years, so the first instrument I built was an acoustic parlor guitar back in 2000. #The first A5 was done in 2003. #

I live in Norway, so that bench you see in the background is an old standard Scandinavian woodworking bench that I bought used, they are easy to find over here. #I did make new tail and side vises for it (I used the plans for the Shaker bench in "The Workbench book" by Scott Landis as a staring point for the tail vise). #The square dog holes were there already. #This bench is very heavy and quite low, so it's great for handplane use and cabinet making, but not that well suited for general instrument building. #It is useful for holding jigs and fixtures (like my neck carving cradle), but I wouldn't make one just for that! #As for round versus square dog holes I can't help you much, but the ones with round holes that I have seen have dogs with one square side, I think Lee Valley sell some nice ones.

----------


## sprucetop1

Jim.....thanks for the pic. of your headstock name in pearl. I'm really struggling with this task at the moment and keep breaking the pearl. Any tips.....especially for the filing stage. What files do you use and how do you hold the work?......thanks...John

----------


## Jim Hilburn

One thing is you have to be very aware of when your getting to a thin spot. Holding the piece down tight is another thing. Nothing likes to break them like when the saw lifts it off your board because it's in a bind and then gets slammed on the downstroke. On my name, I cut all the upper part first and there's not really any real thin, weak spots so I can really go to town. It's when I come back across the bottom when you start making the little thin sections between the letters and such.
 The only special file I have other than the standard needles is one flat needle file that I broke off about half the length (by accident), then I ground off the cutting edge on one side and made a knike shape of the whole thing so it goes from normal thickness on one side down to a knife edge on the other. This on will get up in the nooks better than anything else. Otherwise, I use a tapered round and half-round mostly.
 If you do break it, you can super glue it back enough to get it in place. You'll see a couple of mine out there with a visible break in the name.

----------


## Chris Baird

I use hide glue to glue my inlay work to a piece of leftover sidestock. I then cut one side of the inlay out, melt the inlay off and reglue to a new piece of leftover side stock and do the other side. That way the inlay is always well supported, I've had FAR fewer breaks that way.

----------


## Austin Clark

What a great, simple idea! 
-a

----------


## Chris Baird

Here are a couple shots of an octave just prior to finishing.

----------


## Chris Baird

I like it, feels good to make big mandos.

----------


## berkeleymando

The octave looks great Chris! What is its scale length?

----------


## Chris Baird

20.788"

----------


## PaulD

That OM does look very nice, Chris. I really like your proportions... the mando proportions, that is.  I also like the simplicity of your pads for the bench! Great work.

Paul Doubek

----------


## Dedian

Got the tone bars installed and tuned - went with Siminoff's suggestion in his book, treble A#, bass Ab... but took the treble down too quick so when it was in tune on A#, the bass bar was 40 cents sharp - I decided to split the difference and make treble 20 cents flat A#, and bass 20 cents sharp Ab - if anyone knows if that's a horrible idea please let me know  For recording the tones, I used a SM57 right into my laptop, and used G-Tune's "virtual strobe" thing.. a bit finicky but it worked out.

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

that octave looks AWESOME! ive seen nothing but greatness come out of your shop chris. keep up the good work.

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

does the fretboard on that octave get smaller as it aproaches the body?
any more pictures of that octave?

----------


## Chris Baird

The neck is normal, it is narrowest at the nut and widens as it goes toward the bridge. A couple more pics. It has Honduran rosewood back and sides with macassar ebony binding, fingerboard, and headstock veneer.

----------


## Chris Baird

...

----------


## ShaneJ

Chris, I noticed that ebony yesterday. It's purty!

----------


## french guy

Hello from Burgundy
Here , flowers and mandolins are blooming .
Love the springtime .

----------


## french guy

Body

----------


## french guy

And back

----------


## Ken

Very, very nice Jean, a wonderful spring bloom.
Ken.

----------


## John Zimm

Tres bien Jean. J'espere que je peut trouver les mots en francais pour dire que votre mandolin est magnifique.

----------


## LeonEvans

Here's my Holst C5 with two coats of varnish. 

Leon

----------


## mandoryan

Very nice job there french guy. I really like that wood combo with the pickguard!

----------


## dstretch

Well it may not be as purddy as the others in this post but it is my first and I think its special.

----------


## dstretch

I am about to start shellacing this weekend. Here is the back

----------


## dstretch

And this is my first inlay attempt. Not exactly what I wanted with the name but I think I like this too.

----------


## Lane Pryce

Hey Danny,great job for your first.Did you go from scratch or start with a kit? Lp

----------


## dstretch

Lane. #I bought the stew-mac kit. #I really is coming together nice. #After I build my son a les paul style, I plan to start another one. #I am really going into withdrawls not being able to cut or glue and stuff. #I guess this is a bad addiction. #Anyways here is after a couple coats of shellac. #I will be flat sanding tomorrow.

----------


## dan@kins

Danny,

I love the color you choose for the top and that stain job looks great! Thanks for putting up your pics.

----------


## LeonEvans

Just got these from Steve Holst. Here's the front waiting for one more coat of varnish.

Leon

----------


## LeonEvans

And here's the back.

Leon

----------


## oldwave maker

Finally got around to carving up a piece of that Ukrainian spruce I got from Bruce a couple of years ago- softer than red, harder than engelmann, a brash sounding toy in the white, certainly a varnish candidate if the spring winds ever stop......

----------


## Rob Powell

Leon,

Outstanding looking instrument...very nice design...

----------


## Rob Powell

Danny,

Fine job...keep it coming! I'm working on the very early stages of my own...

----------


## rose#1

#28 #I really like this color

----------


## rose#1

side....

----------


## testore

Here's my latest.. The pic of the top is before rubbing it out, the back pic is finished.

----------


## testore

The back,finished

----------


## testore

One more

----------


## Lane Pryce

Top shelf Gary,hows she sing and dance?  Lp

----------


## testore

Lane,
It's coming along real nice. Have it cross tuned now working on "My last days on earth" and now I don't want to sell it. I need two around for that reason,but since I need to make a living it is for sale.
Gary

----------


## Kent Barnes

Harlan #3 is almost done!!

----------


## otterly2k

Here's me and my new OM in the white... it's reduced from a really big file, so you lose a little detail... but the top is sitka, back/sides=mahogany, with b/w/b purfling and maple binding (which you can't really see in this shot). The inlay is an otter made from piano ivory and etched. This is my first instrument... a flattop (ok, really induced arch) made at Don K's (Luthier) OM building workshop. He's doing a mando building one next month too... a really good teacher, with a fine design for simple, nice-sounding instruments.

----------


## otterly2k

a lower res-shot, but you can see the binding...

----------


## Stanley Cox

KayBee, I like this one too. I think this color will look good on a "STORM" so dont forget the formula. Will it be strung up by Sunday? Looks great.
Stanley

----------


## Kent Barnes

It's finished now! And I think it sounds great. 
I'll post pictures soon.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Kent, That mando looks awesome!! You did a great job!

----------


## Steve Cantrell

Nice job, otterly2k.

----------


## neal

Karen! That's beautifuly done.

----------


## Lane Pryce

Kent great looking mandolin,love the figure in the wood. It really reminds me of Skip's mandolin with all that figure.Very professional looking. Lp

----------


## Gail Hester

Karen, way to go, it looks great. What's next?

----------


## otterly2k

Thanks! I'm really proud of it, and still a bit amazed. Don't know what's next... I may buy one of those low cost kits from International Violins (see the builders page...it's on sale this month) and try carving a top...but before I do that, I need to complete some details on this one and finish it...I'm thinking a satin finish to really bring out the look of the wood itself.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice job Karen! That is one cool looking flat-top! How does it sound?

----------


## otterly2k

Skip-
It sounds like a cross between the boomy-ness and sustain of a guitar and the stringy-ness of a lap dulcimer. Kind of like a giant Mid-Mo. The sound is very open and full. And the scale (at 20.3ish") is short enough that it is an easier reach than my 22.5" Trillium for melodic work and has lower action (though I'm not finished tweaking the fine points yet, and I think it needs heavier strings than it has currently). I haven't yet played the two side by side to compare sound.
KE

----------


## Scotti Adams

..lookin good Darby...that color reminds me of my Ol Gilly....

----------


## oldwave maker

Fresh laundry with stain and sealer coats, planning to scrape bindings when sober enough to cough up the shellac lumps....
sign in front of downed military target drone way in the background reads 'speed no longer checked by radar'

----------


## ShaneJ

Nice, Bill! Looks pretty green out there, for your neck of the woods.  

Is the top on the 3rd from the left redwood? Looks like it to me - very cool!  :Cool:

----------


## oldwave maker

Green indeed! in the midst of the worst decade long drought in 7 centuries, we get a splash of february rain, wildflowers go crazy, globemallows make nice backdrop for the rasty salvaged redwood shingle Spruce sent me:

----------


## oldwave maker

Nice enough considering it started its mandotop career like this!

----------


## oldwave maker

The back has a bit of figure also:

----------


## mandoryan

Very nice Bill! Nice floral display and mandolin modeling....

----------


## ShaneJ

Wow, Bill! That is nice! Looks like you took your sunburst colors straight from the globemallows too - makes a nice photo.

----------


## Onesound

Sorry gang, I usually don't like to gloat, but that Redwood beauty that Bill has put on display is gonna be mine.   Eat your hearts out.

Man, Bill, my baby sure looks super! Can't wait to hear her sing.
Cheers,
 Brian

----------


## oldwave maker

Another fun project- Micks mesquite/ironwood/redwood, a welcome change from the rice-a-roni of cremonasized curly maple/redspruce, never seen the purple flowers here before either

----------


## oldwave maker

Rice-a-roni or not, I dont mind a bit of stain on a $5 back...

----------


## Chris Baird

Hey Bill, feel like making some money. I'll pay you 10 bucks for one of those backs.

----------


## El Rey del Mando

Here is my second attempt at this.If I ever get a grip on this art,it will be too late.

----------


## El Rey del Mando

Another,

----------


## El Rey del Mando

Last one.

----------


## LeonEvans

Steve Holst has sent me some detail shots of my C5 after its final coat of varnish. It's now curing before final fittings and delivery. Here's the peghead.

Leon

----------


## LeonEvans

And here's one side of the heel carving.

Leon

----------


## LeonEvans

It's a little hard to see the detail, but the carving is a hummingbird with vine and flower. Maple bindings with black/white top and side purfling.

Leon

----------


## LeonEvans

One last one. This is a banjo style backstrap in ebony. These are common on older banjos.

Leon

----------


## dstretch

Well # 1 is almost done. Here are a few pics still need to do some more buffing.

----------


## dstretch

here is a view down the neck

----------


## dstretch

and the top

----------


## oldwave maker

Rich's ziedler inspired, Linn's H style, mandola tops.
Happy to sell you a maple board Chris, but you'll have to paint the squiggles on yerself!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

my second so far
Stephanie

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

a view from the rear of my second.
Stephanie

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

my first-born.
Stephanie

----------


## Keith Newell

Here are a couple teasers of the blonde that will be done very soon. A level sanding in process now then another coat.
 Keith Newell
http://www.newellmandolins.com

----------


## Keith Newell

Cool looking side grain.
 Keith

----------


## dstretch

Stephanie, looks good, keep rolling.

Hey Keith that is one hot looking blonde. What is the binding material?

Danny

----------


## kyblue

I really like these blondes with the tortoise binding.

Looks great!

----------


## ShaneJ

It takes a good builder put out a blonde. No dark sunburst to hide any flaws. That one looks great, Kieth!

I've never been a big fan of the heavy, dark-edged sunbursts, but my #1 is going to have to be darker around the binding channel than I'd originally hoped.  

Now I know why that finish was invented. I could never understand why anyone would want to hide all that beautiful wood grain.

----------


## ShaneJ

Not very exciting, but here's my little fretboard binding jig. I didn't think ahead much. I bent the binding, and then I screwed a couple of scraps to a wider scrap, using the fretboard with loose binding to mark the lines to screw to.

After I glued the binding on and slid it in the jig, I realized that I didn't want to have to use my hands to keep pressing on the little curved areas at the end of the fretboard, so I cut a little curved block with one hand (I know - a little dangerous). Then I was able to clamp it on. 

Works fine. Just wish I'd have thought it through. I was in a hurry to get it glued before a board meeting though, and I had already taken the time to plane and sand a radius onto the board. I know what to do next time though.

----------


## ShaneJ

Oops! Here's the pic...

----------


## mandoJeremy

dstretch, I absolutely love that color. Very nice job. Stephanie, that is also a great job. Keep up the good work guys (and girls).

----------


## M. Montgomery

Here is a peghead inlay I finished last night. A3 inlay on steroids.

----------


## M. Montgomery

2 point mandola with a 16.5" scale

----------


## M. Montgomery

Size comparison, mandola, mandolin, piccola

----------


## berkeleymando

> Size comparison, mandola, mandolin, piccola


ooooh ... tell us about your piccolo design! What scale length are you using on it?

----------


## M. Montgomery

The piccolo or piccola (tuned an octive higher than a mandola) has a scale length of 11.67. Everything is scaled down 1.189 except for the neck width and sound holes. #I will use a mandolin width neck on it.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

so...is a piccola smaller or larger than a mandolin?
Stephanie

----------


## Hans

Here's a little progress on the 3 pt mandola with size relationship to the mandolin. Thanks to Spruce for the one piece Sitka top!

----------


## berkeleymando

Hans, that mandola is really fascinating. What scale length does it have? I love your three pointers, I hope to see more of them! Thanks!

----------


## WireBoy

Hans,
 #let's have a closer look at that mandola headstock. #looks like a dual flowerpot and handel buttons.

----------


## dstretch

Number 1 is finally done. And it sure sounds good. Can't wait for it to open up.

----------


## dstretch

full view

----------


## dstretch

last one. Didn't get a good back pic. Will take one outside when the sun is shining.

----------


## OdnamNool

> so...is a piccola smaller or larger than a mandolin?
> Stephanie


Hi Amanda Lynn...

I believe the answer to your question is, "smaller."

----------


## Hans

Eric, the inlay is the same "torch and wire" that I used on the mandolin. Here's a pix of the mandola P/H. Chris, the scale length is 16" with a 12 fret neck. I won't have the mandola done, but I will have the 3 pt mandolin at Grass Valley in June.

----------


## PaulD

Hans, 

I love the inlay... great job. What is the nut made of? Another thing that really caught my eye is the "scalloped" finger rest on the mando... that's a great way to tie it all together. This thread is a treasure trove of design ideas. 

Paul Doubek

----------


## mandopete

Hans,

In the words of Dan Beimborn..."that's off the scale!". Truly incredible.

----------


## danb

Gorgeous 3-pointers Hans

----------


## Hans

Paul, Pete & Dan, 'preciate the kind words. The nut is bone. I hope to get out to Slug City some day!

----------


## mandopete

> I hope to get out to Slug City some day!


...you do know what the difference between a slug and a snail is, don't you?

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

The Piccola....It is smaller than a mandolin.
I tried to Goggle 'piccola' and only came up with Italian restuarants. Can someone please tell me more about that instrument, and maybe post a pic of one? I would love to see a pic of one next to a mandolin. I cannot find any information about them. Are there any drawings available for this instrument? I dont know why, but for some reason I've become interested in it.
Thank you.
Stephanie

----------


## newbreedbrian

this should give you an idea: 

piccolo

----------


## M. Montgomery

The piccola or piccolo is smaller than a mandolin. At the top of the page is a mandola top, a mandoin back, and a piccola top. The one I am building has a 11.67" scale. I do not like calling it a piccolo because tuning it an octive higher than a mandolin would put too much force on the top. I plan to tune it an octive above a mandola which is a fourth about a mandolin so I came up with the name piccola.

----------


## berkeleymando

> The piccola or piccolo is smaller than a mandolin. At the top of the page is a mandola top, a mandoin back, and a piccola top. The one I am building has a 11.67" scale. I do not like calling it a piccolo because tuning it an octive higher than a mandolin would put too much force on the top. I plan to tune it an octive above a mandola which is a fourth about a mandolin so I came up with the name piccola.


In the previous (lengthy) threads on piccolo mandolins, it was discussed how although there are not many contemporary piccolo mandolins, they generally are tuned c-g-d-a ("C" tuning), what would be the equivalent of capoing your mando at the fifth fret, or in slightly lower Bflat tuning for playing with horn players as Grisman does with his. I don't think any piccolo would be tuned a full octave above standard mandolin tuning.
The other name for piccolo mandolin, that one finds in the European bowlback tradition of mandolins, is "quartino". One of our classical playing friends can chime in on that subject.

----------


## LeonEvans

This will probably be the last shot during the build process of my C5 by Steve Holst. He got it strug up today and did some tweaking. Steve still has to do the final wet sanding and buff out so the final assembly should be next Wednesday. I'll post a new thread when I get the mandolin and have some fresh pictures.

Leon

----------


## oldwave maker

dons and bobs ovalholers, same topwood and bracing, dons birdseye back makes more tonal balance across the strings, dons softer red maple back gives a bit more of the old gibson mid honk, just the opposite of what I would have expected!

----------


## oldwave maker

dons birdseye back splashed with cheap vodka to bring out the figger

----------


## kyblue

Bill,

Awesome! I want one, and I've never even played one...

Love the look of birdseye.

Paula

----------


## oldwave maker

14.5" wide guitar shaped octave and prototype 15.5" wide mandocello tops/rims basking in the shade

----------


## ShaneJ

I got the shell cut for my flower pot. Still need to cut the pearl for the name. Havn't routed the peghead yet. Maybe later this week. If not, next week. I've gotta get my nerve up for that one! (Taking my son turkey hunting this weekend, so no progress on the mando then.)

----------


## Don

Oh Boy !Oh Boy ! Beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!!!
Don.

----------


## jmkatcher

I really like the deco maker font!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

SJennings, that is a very nice job! And the font for the name is nice too. Very good job.
Stephanie

----------


## Stanley Cox

Very nice Shane, is the name going to be abalone too?
Stanley

----------


## ShaneJ

Stanley, the name will be pearl. The pot's base and top are pearl, as are the curvy vine things. The flourescent light and camera flash kinda drown out the colors a little.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Shane, that's a challenging font to cut for your name if your doing it by hand. Good luck.

----------


## ShaneJ

Thanks, Jim. On some thread, someone (I think Chris Baird, maybe) said that he glues the pearl onto a thin piece of wood and cuts one side, boils it loose and glues it onto a fresh piec and cuts the other side & boils the finished product loose again. Seems like that would make breaking thin pieces less likely. I think I'll try that. At least I'll have a lot of straight lines to cut and few curves. Of course, straight can be hard, but it'll file if necessary! My pearl is very hard and a little thicker than the abalone. I was surprised that I didn't break the thin pieces I already cut. I did break the abalone stem to the middle flower. It won't show though. 

Besides, I like challenging. I'm not in production to make a living, so time doesn't really matter to me. If I was doing this for a living, I'd be starving to death!

----------


## ShaneJ

If I can't get it, I'll change fonts. I'm not routing the peghead until I get the pearl cut!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Shane, That is an awesome looking inlay! Nice job!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

You may try the Dudenbostel method and use Duco as your glue and release it with acetone. This is how I transfer my inlays to the peghead, but you have to give it plenty of time to break down the glue. If you try to pry it up too hard you'll break it.
 Unfortunately, getting the pearl cut AND filed is only half the battle. I probably break as many pieces in the transfer and fitting to the rout as I do to cutting. The straight line nature of your font is going to be a big part of the challenge. Look at the underline on a Gilchrist sometime. I thought for sure it was accomplished with engraving, but Mike Compton said he saw him cut it out that way.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Skip, I've always wanted to say thanks to you for the way you congradulate and support everyone's work on the Cafe. That kind of support goes a long way with builders, as you know. So I'll say it here. Thanks.

----------


## ShaneJ

Me too, Skip. I don't think I've ever seen you post a negative comment anywhere. Wish I could say the same about me.

----------


## ShaneJ

Yep, that's a long, skinny, almost straight line on the Gilchrest, Jim. I'll bet he's broken one or two! 

I have another logo font or two that I worked up and like that are closer to the more traditional script. I asked my wife which one she liked, and she really liked the script a little better. I wanted to try to come up with something that was different without looking out of place though. Don't know if this is it, but we'll find out.

----------


## Chris Baird

Hey thats a nice flower pot! Mind if I steal it?

----------


## kyblue

Shane,

That's awesome. Good luck with cutting the name. The flowerpot is something special.

----------


## ShaneJ

Chris, I was admiring your work on your website yesterday. In fact, I have the arched A top as my wallpaper today. I love the color. I'll trade you that one for the trademark flowerpot!  

Seriously, if you or anyone else here wants to use it, knock yourself out. I'll send you the CAD file drawing of it if you like. You guys are a fabulous resource for helping rookies like me, and I appreciate it a lot.

Of course, if by some stroke of luck my logo entry in the Eastman contest wins (and if they want the flowerpot with it), then you'll have to bootleg it and hide from their lawyers!

----------


## LeonEvans

I couldn't resist. Here's the latest shot of my C5 by Stephen Holst. He finished buffing it out today. All that's left is the truss rod cover and the finger rest. The bridge is a modified D'Aquisto design with an ebony ramp instead of the normal thumb wheels.

Leon

----------


## pelone

Just got back on to this thread from the Builders section. Question for Amanda Lyn who posted on April 19th. I am impressed with your scroll treatment----it knocks me out when a nice interpretation/variation of a theme is brought off so well. How has the tone of the mando developed with your unique "hollow" scroll? How about another photo? I am intrigued about your inspired design and look forward to seeing more. 

Geniuses stand on the shoulders of giants!!!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Pelone,
Are you referring the the view from the back? The body scroll? I think that most people use a hollow body scroll. I am using a combination of the Macrostie plans and the Siminoff plans. They both show making that mahogany head block that way, which results in a hollow scroll.
I hope that answers the question. It isnt my design; it is the way most build that section, I think. I'mnew to this; this in only my second.
Stephanie

----------


## Skip Kelley

Shane & Jim, Thanks for the kind words! I always try my best to be positive. I've known too many buliders that critize everyones mandolins but their own. I don't understand that way of thinking. I admire everyones work here on the Cafe and think their hard work should be recognized. Thanks for your encouragement!!

----------


## AlanN

Skip is a very nice guy and a heckuva of a builder and picker. Always fun to jam with him, as he has an open mind and ear, even with the Dawg stuff!

----------


## batman

Alan, I'll second that. From Opus 38 to Lochwood, Old Skip can hold his own. Don

----------


## Skip Kelley

Thanks guys! Alan and Don you are both awesome pickers! I always have fun when we get together. We don't do it enough!

----------


## oldwave maker

Shane- hope you dont mind if I steal it too.....
Stain, shellac sealer, and colored lacquer tops, ready for build coats. yes, that is an LP goldtop, practice for the C# with painted-on paf's and bigsby!

----------


## Stanley Cox

Well Shane, if Chris and Bill can use it I have an idea for a "vase" with lightening bolts for my "STORM" logo, so consider it stolen.
My thanks go out to all the builders at the cafe too. 
Stanley

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, I love that gold top! It's cool looking!

----------


## ShaneJ

Bill, you're not gonna put nickel hardware on that gold top are you?  

That's pretty cool looking.

----------


## jasona

> Well Shane, if Chris and Bill can use it I have an idea for a "vase" with lightening bolts for my "STORM" logo, so consider it stolen.
> My thanks go out to all the builders at the cafe too. 
> Stanley


Before you do that...the combination of abalone (for puffy clouds) and pearl (for lightening) should be considered...

Very nice take on the flowerpot, and super mandolins Bill!

----------


## Stanley Cox

jasona, That is a great idea. I was thinking of Zeus having a container to hold the lightning bolts before he hurled them at the lesser gods.
I will steal your idea too.  
Stanley

----------


## pelone

Amanda Lyn---No about the view from the back. I was referring to the first photo of the top with what appeared to be a modified scroll. After looking at it a bit more it may be that you just had note finished carving out the scroll. The picture appeared to show a nice, clean flow.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

I wont be bandsawing that area until this weekend. I leave it solid till after the back is glued on.
Stephanie

----------


## pelone

Amano Lynn---OK.  My error I thought that you were going to complete the top with the uncut scroll that appears to be a pretty nice, clean look. How did the scroll get started in the first place. It must have been a pretty gigantic leap of faith for someone to take that diversion from the accepted model of what a mandolin should look like.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Pelone, Nope, I think it is a fairly standard design, the classic F-5. Or, at least that is what I always try for. Here is a closer look prior to gluing the top to the rim. I usually bandsaw the inside of the scroll after both top and back plates are in place. I will post another pic, maybe, after that much is accomplished. Or, maybe someone else can sooner.
Stephanie

----------


## Graham McDonald

Folks,

The back of my new Tasmanian tiger myrtle F5

----------


## Graham McDonald

The front

----------


## Graham McDonald

The back and the sides. It really is an amazing looking piece of wood

----------


## Bill Snyder

That one definitely looks like it will be able to growl. That tiger myrtle is beautiful. Your design is somewhat unique as well. Is this a design you have built before?

----------


## WireBoy

very interseting design with that bolt on neck and fingerboard resting on the top. cool 'fingerboard scoop' on the top too.

----------


## csstanley

Graham, that is a nice looking piece of instrument there.

Nice work.

----------


## grandmainger

> 14.5" wide guitar shaped octave #and prototype 15.5" wide mandocello tops/rims basking in the shade





Bill, what's happening with these? Especially the one on the right. It love the shave of it, and the size as well.. Really nice!

Germain

----------


## PaulD

> It really is an amazing looking piece of wood


Graham, That's an understatement! The figure in that thing is fantastic! As others have stated, your design is interesting too. That's one beautiful mando! 

pd

----------


## Graham McDonald

The tiger myrtle is pretty unusual and quite rare, like one tree in.....lots. Peter Coombe is a big myrtle fan and thinks the tiger figure might be the result of a fungus attack in the wood or something like that.

This the third F style I have made. Mike Compton and Steve Gilchrist played the previous one when they were here at Easter and Mike's comment was "It works" and Steve says I should build more of them. 

The design will outrage the Loar purists, and it not so much original as pulling together elements of other F5 variations

Thanks for the kind words

----------


## grandmainger

> The design will outrage the Loar purists, and it not so much original as pulling together elements of other F5 variations


That would be a good thing then

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I was going to wait till this one was done but I just can't stand it.

----------


## Chris Baird

I can't stand it either, it's just too good. BTW, thanks for the cd, sounds good, I gave it some air time yesterday.

----------


## mandopete

Jim, I'm only going to ask one more time - PLEASE STOP!

If you keep this up I'm gonna have to get a 2nd mortgage.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

beautiful stain and finish, Jim. Is that varnish/french polish? The black and white binding is neat,too. Im used to seeing w/b/w.
Nice job.
Stephanie

----------


## Bill Snyder

Mr Bussmann,
If I may ask, how do you color your Gold top?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, That mandolin looks awesome! What number is it? The burst reminds me of a sunset at the beach!! It is incredible!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Steph, as you can see in this shot, it's got tortoise binding. Skip, this is #34. And it's a lacquer finish. This was shot after the first coats went on. I did the final coats today, but haven't taken any more photos.

----------


## mandoJeremy

You just always seem to amaze me Jim. I am still going to own one of your mandos some day.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

I love the stain, and the binding matching the color quite well. Jim,when you get around to it, can you take a pic of the headstock? I love headstock art.
Thanks,Stephanie

----------


## oldwave maker

Jim- that looks good enough to eat! save me a bite for cmsa.....
Curious- bought a can of lp goldtop from reranch, sealed bare wood with thin shellac, shot a thin coat of white laquer, then the gold, then 4 clear, cutback with 320 3m goldpaper, finally 2 thin clear coats to fill the 320 canyons, now awaiting cure. probably too much finish since the color comes from heavy metal, but it'll look so cool with painted on paf's and bigsby, which might help hide the halfa** final barewood sanding. its gotta be perfect to start cuz you're looking into a lavalamp under glass, so to speak.
anyway, heres a sure sign of the onset of neckophilia:

----------


## mandopete

Dear Jim Hillburn...

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, It just doesn't get any better than that one!!!

----------


## Daniel Nestlerode

> Jim, I'm only going to ask one more time - PLEASE STOP!
> 
> If you keep this up I'm gonna have to get a 2nd mortgage.


An equity line would be a better idea.   

best,
  Daniel

----------


## mandopete

I'm gonna start a new hobby...I'll buy one lotto ticket each week and call it the *<span style='color:red'>Hillburn Lotto*</span>.

----------


## Chris Baird

I only charge half of what the local tanning salon charges; but, you gotta be skinny enough to fit through the bars.

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

its prolly just cause im weird like that, but this is the 1111th post on this thread. i admit, i am easily amused by numbers.

baron

----------


## Bill Snyder

Front and back of kit from International Violin Company. Color is blonde shellac with a touch of raw sienna added (although the photo is not very true to the color).

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

i like that alot

----------


## barricwiley

Great job Curious.
Did you spray or brush, or, what? (puttin' on the finish)
Richard

----------


## mario515

Bill that kit's lookin nice. How'd ya trim your headstock up?(the veneer did not split?) I been toying with the idea of shaping mine up scince it is the only thing I'm not too keen on. I been waiting to see some pics of these IV kits and I think yours are the first, very encouraging for me looks great.

----------


## Bill Snyder

I have sprayed this one. I bought one of the Preval sprayers(Yonkle mentioned using one in another thread) for about $5 that you put your own finish in. In the past I have applied shellac by hand. I am not sure that I don't think applying by hand may be easier.

----------


## batman

Here's my # 1 on right(stewmac kit) and #2 on left (wood by "Spuce") #Don Batten

----------


## batman

one of the backs. I'm really alot older than I look. Don

----------


## gdae85

How old are you boy?

----------


## crosspikr

#3 - in progress. I really hate to post with all of the other great work here!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

crosspick, nice looking and very creative. What kind of wood is that top? Is is spruce? It looks really nice.
Steph

----------


## crosspikr

red spruce top, maple b/s/n
btw has anyone ever set iviroid binding on fire by accident? it incinerates quickly!

----------


## mandoman15

yeah are you the builder batman, or is that a friend???

----------


## batman

thats just my youngest son holding the mandos. If you really care what I look like go to comptons site and see the photos at my farm. Don

----------


## Will Kimble

I hesitate to attach this image so near Jim Hilburn's dynamite tortoise-bound F, but here it goes... A 19" scale octave mandolin and a Jethro Burns tribute oval hole, got'em both strung in the white today. 

Will Kimble

----------


## Scotti Adams

Will..great looking pieces..If I had your talent I wouldnt hesitate one iota in posting my pics....some day Im gonna have to pay you a visit...we live too close not to....

----------


## otterly2k

Will- I especially like that OM! Stunning... I bet it just booms!
KE

----------


## Keith Newell

Here are a couple backs that should have a nice pattern when the stain hits them.
 Keith

----------


## Keith Newell

And this one...sorry about the bad picture quality.
 #Keith

----------


## ShaneJ

Kieth and Will, those look awesome. I hope I can get one to look that good someday. I'm certainly not there yet, by any stretch.

I did get my inlay done yesterday. Mr. Hilburn, your comments about the difficulty of cutting my font proved true (I didn't doubt it). I was able to get it done though. I broke 2 "N"s before I got it. I decided not to glue the pearl to anything and just cut it. If I kept the saw blade waxed well with bee's wax and didn't try to cut fast and hard, it went well. The underline is made from a piece of brass rod. I put it on the belt sander to thin it a bit. My picture isn't very good - too much flash. Maybe it'll cover up some of the many flaws though! 

I havn't done any real clean up or final sanding, so hopefully it'll clean up a little better.

----------


## jmkatcher

The font really looks great though. Excellent work!

----------


## Stanley Cox

Looking Good,I think you need a Mule Deer inlay and/or Rio Grande Turkey!!!
Excellant work for an ol farm boy.  I have got to get to work, I feel a STORM coming.
Stanley

----------


## rose#1

next one 1 peice slab curly maple

----------


## rose#1

next

----------


## levin4now

Darby,

I'm not a builder, so I ask this in ignorance - I have seen the magnificent mandos you build so bear with me! #

Q. #Why does the finish look so "rough" at this point? #At what stage are you at with it? #Is the grain "raised" at this point or what? #(Basically, how do you get from 'here' to the finished product which will most likely be as smooth as a baby's bottom?)

Thanks,

Alan

----------


## rose#1

levin, it only has a thin coat of shellac on it right now as a sealer I will scuff sand it an th en start the build coat process after about 6 coats I will level the entire mando with the final grit of paper being 800 then it will get french polished or 2 thin flash coats of laq depending on the finish type thus giving you the baby bottom effect....

----------


## SternART

My collaboration with Lawrence Smart is getting close. I designed a mandolin/mandola pair and they should be done in time for the Mandolin Symposium. Here is one of my design sketches.

----------


## SternART

And Lawrence sent me these photos today. Koa vaneer on the peghead and the pickguard will also be koa.

----------


## SternART

And a detail......I can't wait!

----------


## jasona

Looking great Arthur!

----------


## JEStanek

Aurthur,
How cool is it to see your sketch "in the wood!" Those are some cool looking mandos. Futur-ama-mando-la.

Jamie

----------


## man doh

the freehand fret markers are great. gives some unique character.

----------


## Jeff A

Very cool Arthur. Can't wait to see them. The koa is a great touch.

----------


## SternART

Lawrence is an incredible luthier, I'm lucky to have him as a friend. We both enjoy working together. I tried to create a design where all the elements worked together, all the curves & shapes. The F5 is a beautiful design....one that has stood the test of time, it is a classic...partly because of the way the vocabulary of shapes work in harmony.....like the way a Ferarri looks good from any angle.....I tried to design a forward looking 2 point....that would look good from every view...I've always been inspired by John Monteleone's willingness to update the F5, he paved the way, and there are numerous luthiers experimenting with the fundamental design of the instrument today. Like Monteleone's Radio Flyers, this mandola and mandolin have more contemporary sound holes and floating wood tailpieces.....the tailpieces are courtesy of luthier Neil Dean. I'm a designer and I love mandolins, but this collaboration is like 90% Lawrence Smart & maybe 10% for my inspiration. Lawrence wrote me that with first stringing the mandolin sounded "more than very good" I'm going to try & go up to Idaho to bring them home.

----------


## mtnrose

Those are way too cool Art. I love how everything just fits together perfectly. You and Lawrence make a great team!

----------


## Scotti Adams

,,those are 2 very sexy axes Art..my hat off to you and Mr. Smart...

----------


## oldwave maker

honest to goodness, Charlie, I swear I wernt drinkin when I bound these........

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Mr. Jennings,
Your headstock is stunningly beautiful.
 I recall your drawing some weeks back, and was wondering
how it would turn out.
You did a terrific job!

----------


## ShaneJ

Thanks, Stephanie. There are at least a dozen things wrong with it that I hope to do better on next time. I tell you what, the headstock was the hardest part of the whole deal for me. I havn't stained and finished yet, but I don't see that being harder than the inlay and binding on the headstock. 

I'm in awe of Mr. Bussman and all the other real builders here that can cut the shape perfectly and get the binding on so well. I hope practice will improve mine.

----------


## ellisppi

I had to go back to work for a few months but the new mandolin is finally ready for finish

----------


## danb

Art: reminds me a little of Tim O'Brien's Corrado bouzouki:

----------


## danb

Great binding work Tom, that scroll is fantastic

----------


## Chris Baird

Nice Tom, I'm going to file that photo away in my "how to carve" a scroll folder. Nice vintage touch with the bright white inside line.

----------


## danb

You know what's funny, I think the Loar stuff was the other way around. I'm pretty sure the inner line on those was yellowed, the outer was bright white. On a few photos I have where there is wear over the scroll through the varnish on the binding (that they seemed to not bother scraping most of the time!) you can see the inner binding stays a sort of yellow and the outer goes snow white!

----------


## ellisppi

and the back

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Tom, how about a sample of the peghead inlay. Somehow, I imagine that's going to be equally nice.
 I also vote yours as the most perfect scroll of all times.

----------


## sunburst

Tom, I don't think it's possible to bind a scroll any better than that.

----------


## Jonathan James

Agreed. That is one of the most technically perfect scrolls I've ever seen! Great work. Can't wait to see pics of the finished product.

----------


## ellisppi

Jim, here's a peghead shot. Thanks for all the compliments

----------


## Lane Pryce

Wow that is top shelf for sure. Lp

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Tom, very nice workmanship. I love that binding, and your mitres are clean and crisp. Perfect!

----------


## Joe F

Absolutely gorgeous! #But how do you avoid covering up the lower part of the peghead inlay with the truss rod cover?

----------


## amowry

Looks beautiful, Tom. I played Ricky Skaggs' Ellis at Greg Boyd's, and I loved it!

----------


## Scotti Adams

Yes..Tom..she is a Beaut....cant wait to see the final product..

----------


## ellisppi

here it is with stain and a sealer coat of shellac

----------


## ellisppi

and the top

----------


## ShaneJ

Truly a work of art, Mr. Ellis.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I was asked to do an inlay with wire instead of just shell, and that meant I had to go back to the drawing board to design something and I'm not the greatest at originality, so I borrowed from an old design but did re-arrange things.
 Anyway, it's pure gold wire... OK, it's actually some bead wire I got at Hobby Lobby for $2.33, but it LOOKS kinda like gold.

----------


## Chris Baird

That is very tasteful.

----------


## sunburst

Real nice, Jim.
I think I've seen something similar on old violin tailpieces. Where did you get that?

If you know a jeweler, or have a Grobet or Rio Grande catalog, you can get gold wire. It's not real expensive. I've used it for inlays and side dots. Finish seems to stick fine, and it won't tarnish.

----------


## Keith Newell

I used to build black powder rifles and when I made the stocks sometimes I would hammer in brass wire for a filigree (spelling?) and then file and sand it smooth. It looked great and if you lightly sanded it just before your first seal coat it was a nice bright color like gold and stayed that way.
 Keith

----------


## kyblue

Very nice, Jim.

----------


## WireBoy

wow! Mr Hilburn needs to establish a photo gallery. his craftsmanship should be displayed for all to marvel and aspire to.

----------


## amowry

Here's one of my recent F5s.

This is the mandolin that Josh Pinkham is playing in his new sound clip on the mp3 page here on the cafe.

It's Engellman spruce and red maple, spirit varnish finish.

----------


## amowry

One more... 

There are more photos at my website (link below), so I'll resist the urge to post more here.

Check out Josh's sound clip-- it is always a pleasure to hear someone with his talent playing one of my instruments. That's where the real satisfaction in this business is for me!

----------


## kyblue

Another classy looking headstock, Andrew!

----------


## Scotti Adams

..yes indeed..very sexy..

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Nice wire inlay, Jim.
I used to do that with Sterling Silver on flintlock rifles. I made these little chisels out of worn hacksaw blades and curved then to various radiuses. Lots of fun. I've always wondered if wire inlay could be used on mandolins and there you have done it.

----------


## Keith Newell

Here are a couple that will be done next week. I can't wait because one is going to be my player since I sold mine a couple weeks ago. I been playing my Tenor banjo at sessions so Im going through mando withdrawls!!
 #Keith
http://www.newellmandolins.com

----------


## mandoJeremy

Keep the quilted one Keith.

----------


## mandoJeremy

It looks like the clouds in the sky. Simply beautiful.

----------


## Keith Newell

I made a slight change to the back on the burgandy one and made a carved pattern. The Tobacco/amber burst one has my normal back.
 Keith

----------


## Keith Newell

Tops.
All wood on these two are from our cafes own Spruce (Bruce)

----------


## Keith Newell

Interesting thing on these two pictures I just posted. The tops are almost identical in thickness and where its thicknessed. Also identical in wood used for bracing and the shape and size of the tone bars. Also the two tops are from the same blank that I resawed, but the two have a very different sound when thumping the top. Part of this I attribute to the type of back/side wood. The Quilted maple has a much lower tone and the wood is softer but tougher (make sence?). The flamed piece is very hard and yet has slightly more volume in the cavity due to the curve of the back yet it has a much higher pitch.
  Keith

----------


## mandoJeremy

They still look great! Both of them.

----------


## Tim Saxton

Keith,

I love them. I can't wait for mine that you are building!!! Very nice!!! How about some headstock shots?

Tim Saxton

----------


## Chris Baird

Here is the peghead veneer for my first F-style, its an F4. My customer went all out and sprung for Waverly's so I figured I'd need to make a headstock worthy of $500 tuners. Kinda traditional, kinda Arches.

----------


## phynie

Beautiful chris!!!

----------


## mandoJeremy

That definitely is beautiful Chris! That is one of my favorite headstocks now.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

And I know how hard it is to keep your cavities tight when using lighter woods. That's why I use ebony!
 Great job, Chris.

----------


## kyblue

Chris,

Wow! That's awesome!

Paula

----------


## SternART

Boy....hard to follow Chris Bairds' peghead, which if I'm not mistaken is headed for here in The Bay Area!

Here are a few updated photos of my dola/mando matched pair that Lawrence Smart is just completing.

----------


## SternART

One more

----------


## Jim Hilburn

From the been there, done that department, here's the new peghead again but with the binding installed. I've also worked on the engraving of the pearl pieces, but that's an art I'm still struggling with.

----------


## kyblue

Jim,

Wow. #That definitely keeps getting better and better.

On second thought, I'm not sure it even gets a lot better than that.

Paula

----------


## WireBoy

Jim,
 looks like you done won that struggle! #the last 3 peg ehad pics ( Mowry Arches and Hilburn) are 3 of the prettiest peghead i've seen!

----------


## berkeleymando

This is the first view of the piccolo mandolin that Brian Dean is creating for me.

----------


## berkeleymando

One more, of the body.

----------


## Chris Baird

I finally carved a scroll! Now I feel all growed up.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

terrific job, Chris. Great scroll!.

----------


## mandomick

A damn fine scroll at that! Nice job.

----------


## Steve Davis

I can't wait to see the finished F4. Beautiful wood, headstock and scroll so far. I wonder when I'll be all growed up.

----------


## WireBoy

Chris - Fantastic scroll!

----------


## Gibson A5

My first build (#001)in progress. Fir top, Walnut everything else (except for the oak strip in the neck and the fret board and head plate (not shown)). #It's been a struggle so far with my limited tools, but it's starting to look like a mandolin,I think? My number 002 may be a kit! I'll post more pictures as I go. #My biggest struggle so far has been cutting the dovetail for the neck with out using jigs. Next time I'll make some.
Bill

----------


## ebaker

That looks really nice Gibson A5! I played a Davis F5 last weekend with a western red cedar top, one piece walnut back and walnut sides. It was a great mando!

Have fun!

----------


## Gibson A5

EBaker, Thanks for the kind words, This one was to have a cedar top also untill it was pointed out to me on the board here that I screwed up the location I needed to cut out for the binding where the body scroll ends. #I had shapped it like it was finnished with too big a drop off where the bevel would meet. #So being out of cedar, I used fir and carved another. Oh well, live and learn.
Bill

----------


## berkeleymando

Here's another shot of the spruce/maple/cherry piccolo mandolin (C tuning, 11.25" scale) that Brian Dean is building for me. Thanks, Brian!

----------


## oldwave maker

Scrape-o-rama: more telegraph pole cedar in an ovalhole a, maple/engelmann f4 and f5, redwood/mesquite f5, m/e ovaldolas, ziedler inspired 17 scale minigeetardola:

----------


## berkeleymando

Here's a more current photo of the piccolo that Brian Dean is building for me! Brian has been great throughout the whole process. This is with the first coat of varish. It will also get a cherry pickguard.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

So Spruce sent me this funky old board that looked like it had been sitting around in the elements for 20 years and said he thought it might have some decent quilt in it.

----------


## Eric F.

Jim, I guess it did!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I'm going to try to explain a little about what you see here.
 This board wasn't wide enough for a 1 piece, which would be ideal, so I did the classic bookmatch. However, the quilt only shows up well on the flatsawn surface. But that changes slightly with the curvature of the grain itself and even more with the arching of the instrument.
 Now, add to that mix the positive-negative thing you get when you bookmatch - an out of phase effect. now with the quilt, your looking at physical humps in the wood. Even though it's been bisected and leveled, the stain and finish reveal the 3-D info thats there. So, when your looking at the left side of this mandolin, your seeing the convex part of the grain and on the right, the concave. If you look carfully enough, you'll see the same features on both sides, only one's an inny and the others an outy. You get the same thing in curly, but it's usually not this dramatic.

----------


## Mike Crocker

Jim...Good explanation. Thanks.

That left side appears to be dripping liquid wood! I've got some nice maple instruments but nothing that comes close to that. I wonder what's in my own woodpile?

Peace, Mooh.

----------


## Hans

Just a lttle teaser for F-4 lovers...

----------


## ellisppi

Here is #70 that I posted pics of on pg 47 a few weeks ago, still in progress since it's not polished yet. Everyone who's played it has been very complimentary.

----------


## PaulD

Chris... that is a very nice scroll. I like the radius from the crest to the flat; do you use gouges or planes or something else to get that contour? Some scrolls are flatter in that area, which looks good too but I like that radius.

I've been away in the Northwest (rain, low 70's... sure beats our Utah heat wave) and it was great to catch up on this thread: always inspiring.

Paul Doubek

----------


## Chris Baird

Boy there are some nice mandolins coming into the world. I think in 80 years there be saying "Now I've heard of Brentrup, Hilburn, and Ellis, but who is this Loar, never heard of him."
 #
Paul, I suppose that radius comes from my index finger.

----------


## labraid

...a new two-pointer model with her first coat of oil varnish...

----------


## kyblue

Very nice, OldTymer!

----------


## berkeleymando

Brian (OldTymer)! Your two pointer is sweet. I want one.

Hey everybody, the piccolo that Brian is building is nearing completion. I can't wait to play it!

----------


## mandoman15

Hans got any follow up pics on the F4 it really loks nice, how bout some back shots?

----------


## Hans

mandoman15

I've got it in finishing right now, I'll put up some pix as soon as I can.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

This F-5 is for a customer who wanted alot of peghead inlay. Terrible, terrible pic. I have a friend in NOrth Carolina with a much better camera and we are going to do a photo shoot when this instrument is finished. I should not even post this pic because you cant even see the engraving I had done. But anyway, it looks so good in person that I could not resist.

----------


## mandoman15

wow... looking good!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

this pic is a little better.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

another

----------


## Mario Proulx

Here's a walnut AM-5 freshly finished, but not completed:

----------


## Mario Proulx

Red spruce top for the same walnut AM-5. all bindings are holly, from an old board the owner's uncle gave me:

----------


## Mario Proulx

The 1 piece walnut neck. All of the walnut is from a block that was labeled as a "gunstock" blank. Methinks this is a way better use for the wood &lt;g&gt;:

----------


## Onesound

That walnut looks so awesome that it should be on the front, rather than out of sight on the back!

----------


## mandoman15

that walnut's amazing, looks sorta like cocabola, did you stain it to get it dark like that, or is that just the finish, really nice job?

----------


## labraid

My second "real" scroll...... I know ya'all have seen em a million times before, but I'm proud of it so..... Bindings coming today. Cherry and blackwood. ...am having a real love affair with cherry lately, such a great wood.

----------


## PaulD

Mario; That walnut body and neck are wonderful! I agree that you found a better use for the wood than its label suggested!  Nice 'burst on the front too... is it really as black around the perimeter as it looks in the pic? 

OldTymer; You should be proud of that scroll... it looks flawless to my eye. It's got a nice, even curve that blends perfectly into the top. Great work!
pd

----------


## Mario Proulx

Paul, yeah, it's nearly full black at the edges, though the wood still shows through, a bit, in direct sunlight.

John, I did nothing to the walnut; it's nearly that dark in the raw. This would have been a nice one to leave the finish off the neck.... :Cool:

----------


## Chris Baird

Mario, looks good. I'm making a mandolin out of a rifle stock too. I asked if there was any wood available used to make canons (for obvious reasons); I was informed canons aren't made of wood. Well, I had to disagree.

----------


## otterly2k

My new OM just came back with its new beautiful satin coat of finish...here are a couple of shots...

----------


## otterly2k

here's a side shot

----------


## Eric F.

Nice! Is that the one you built with a new finish added, or is it another new one?

----------


## kyblue

Very nice, Karen. So, how does it compare to your other OM's?

----------


## Lane Pryce

Here is my Skip Kelley A in the buff:

----------


## Lane Pryce

Peghead

----------


## Lane Pryce

Skip's photo in the back

----------


## Lane Pryce

front

----------


## Lane Pryce

The back.It will have gold hardware,radiused board with large fretwire,amber varnish and tortoise binding. Lp

----------


## otterly2k

thanks kyblue- this is the same one I posted before in the white. the other OM I have is a Trillium with a longer scale. Each has its strengths. This one is a perfect scale for me (20.4") allowing me a lot of flexibility on the fingerboard for melodic and harmonic lines...I haven't had a lot of time to play it yet with the finish on, but I don't think I really lost much tone to the shorter scale. Doesn't quite have the sustain or clarity up the neck that the Trillium has. But the Trillium is long for my reach. I'd say the Tril's tone is more covered and a bit more complex...hard to say tho' as this one will develop a bit over time. This one is definitely better sounding to my ears than the lower end OM/zouks, even the solid ones.

----------


## labraid

Bindings, check.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Karen, I love that sound hole inlay.
Does this OM have a radiused fretboard? From here it looks like a 12 inch radius.
Either way, very nice instrument. You going to build another?

----------


## mandoJeremy

Brian, your scroll and overall lines of that mando look very great. I am impressed! I would love to hear how they sound.

----------


## mandoJeremy

and yes I still have some kind of scroll fetish going on and I can't explain it!

----------


## diamond ace

Jeremy. I think it's more than a fetish with you man. Your obsesed! Not that that's a bad thing. Your obsessed with anything mandolin.

----------


## mandoJeremy

This is VERY true. #I am expecting to just turn into a giant mandolin one day! #I did think of getting f-holes tatooed on my stomach or back. #I am very sick and I need some mando therapy.

----------


## mandoJeremy

.....or maybe just some therapy of any kind!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

> #I did think of getting f-holes tatooed on my stomach or back. #


it would be cool to get them tatooed on both side of your navel...Then maybe a series of frets up your neck, culminating with you last name on your forehead.
Just kidding, but I know what you mean

----------


## otterly2k

Great image, Stephanie! LOL
Re: the OM... the fretboard is slightly radiused...did it kind of freehand, so can't give a precise number. It's enough to not feel concave to me as the flat ones do (just cuz I'm used to radius).

That spalted maple rosette was Don K's. It's gorgeous and I'm really happy with the look of wood on wood on wood.

I would LOVE to build more...I don't really have a good workspace is the problem. I'm working on re-arranging things in my house so that I can...then probably will try the IV kit.

----------


## otterly2k

hey... if the name is on the forehead, I guess that puts the flowerpot square on the nose, right?

----------


## french guy

The #007 is now started .
European spruce top , carbon fiber rod for the neck , sycamore maple for the side and the one piece back .

----------


## french guy

Other view

----------


## french guy

I tested a new technique for drawing the cutting of the fretboard, with a ribbon stuck and a permanent marker ,
it work well .

----------


## Dfyngravity

is it the angle or is that neck wider than standard french guy? looks great though!!!

----------


## french guy

Dfyngravity , probably the angle of picture , because 
all mesurements are standard .

----------


## mandoman15

French Guy....you missing some sound holes? going for traditional f's? I think some s holes would be pretty sweet on that one. :Smile:

----------


## french guy

mandoman15 , the soudholes will be make soon and will be this form

----------


## Gail Hester

Heres my latest. The F5 has Red Spruce and a one-piece Red Maple back. The H5 style mandola has a one-piece top made from a huge old chunk of Sitka and the back is one-piece Western Big Leaf Maple. Here are the fronts.

----------


## Gail Hester

...and the backs.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Wow, Gail! Really great workmanship, and I love that wood.
Is a one-piece back harder to work with? or more expensive?
Very nice!

----------

Kennyz55

----------


## Gail Hester

Thanks Stephanie. One piece plates are not harder to work other than there is no built in center line so you have to establish one early on and keep track of it. So far I have not been charged more for one piece backs but Im sure it depends on your supplier and the availability.

----------


## mandoman15

here's something in progress.... i've been experimenting with alternative bridges, heres number three, it's cherry with oblique compensation, i strategcally drilled the holes to remove mass while retaining strength. it's very light (lighter than my loar style bridge) and looks pretty cool. I found that this brdge amped up the upper register in all areas, the hjighs are brighter louder and have more sustain, unfortunately my lows seem to have gone down the toilet, the lows are dull and volume-less, and have no sustain, they just go thunk, and i dont mean the good kind....what would attribute to this, the bridge was made to my best ability to be symmetrical, and it was fitted perfectly to the body. anyway, just an ongoing experiment....anyone else have anything in the bridge deparment in an ongoing state??? 



you maynoitice that i have broken an e string, and chipped the slot out, this occured after i ran my diagnostic test..

----------


## mandoman15

i have since chucked this bridge in favor of teh traditional one, but i will continue to experiment, i'm thinking, ebony topped maple in a similar design, but perhaps a little more delicate

----------


## ellisppi

Her are 3 mandos that I plan on having at IBMA, finished hopefully. Hope the photo isn't too arty

----------


## mandoman15

french guy, those soundholes are gonna be killer, nice!

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Over 100,000 views on this thread.  Loar picture of the day is not far behind either

----------


## labraid

mandoman15, neat idea on the bridge. Your picture just inspired an interesting idea: a tunable, adjustable bridge. I'll be back with that thought.

Here's the new F peghead design. Going to do it on an upcoming A as well...

----------


## John Zimm

Nice peghead design OldTymer. To my inexpert eye it looks modern, old-fashion, with a hint of the standard f5 peghead, all in one. I wish I had your talent.

-John.

----------


## tortispik

Tom Ellis,great looking trio,glad to see your producing mandos again.Had the good fortune to play an older one of yours and thought it was fantastic sounding and looking.

----------


## mandoJeremy

Brian, I LOVE that headstock! That is probably one of the most unique ideas I have encountered on headstocks. Very, very nice!

----------


## Lane Pryce

Oh yeah!!Very nice indeed!!!Sophisticated and elegant.I'll bet we'll be seeing a bunch of those in the future. Lp

----------


## mandoman15

OldeTymer whats did you mean about the tunable adjustable bridge? i think there is a typo in your post and it's really confusing, btw i'd be happy to supply inspiration anytime, i gotta couple of design ideas for various mando related "things" if you're ever in need of a challenge:D

----------


## labraid

Buckley, LP, Jeremy, thanks for the nice compliments, I appreciate it very much. It was a design inspired by many a late night's tweaking. 

Mandoman, typo indeed. I fixed it, and am emailing you.

----------


## oldwave maker

some of the fresh mandola litter, a 17" scale Z and a 16" scale H, 2 very different voices:

----------


## Chip Booth

OldTymer, that is fantastic. That is one of the few non F style headstocks that really works for me. Can't wait to see some pics of the whole thing.

Chip

----------


## labraid

Bill, love that Z style. The longer scale makes for a richer tone doesn't it... I made an 18" scale mandola I fell in love with.. Oval hole.

Chip, many thanks.  

Here's a new mandolin for a player in an Old Music ensemble. We're going for a period look.. "Period", as in: based on another musical instrument of Medieval European origin. Any takers on what that might be?

----------


## Stanley Cox

After many moons of centrlines,neckangles,dovetails this is pretty close. Many thanks to Sunburst, Jim Hilburn, F5journal and others who helped me set this neck.
Stanley #

----------


## Stanley Cox

There should be a pic. somewhere.
Stanley

----------


## Stanley Cox

On the beam ala Don MacRostie for glueing on the back.
Stanley

----------


## Stanley Cox

My label courtesy of KayBee. Thanks 
Stanley

----------


## Stanley Cox

Back glued on. Time to think of the binding channels.
Stanley

----------


## ShaneJ

Stanley, I was wondering if your new shop was air-conditioned.  My garage isn't, so I've been on hold 'til fall - and VERY busy anyway.

Boy, it must really be hard building a piccolo! 

Seriously....looks like you're making excellent progress. So it the inlay going to be a lightning bolt, tornado, or big cloud?

----------


## tortispik

Bill Bussman,really like the Z,John Zeidler was a true talent and you've captured his style with your talent,can't wait to see it finished.

----------


## Jim M.

Whoa, that Z looks great! Make it turquoise blue and I'll buy it.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Hey Shane, Where you been?
No a/c in the shop. I usually open the roll up doors early in the morning and try to stay until lunch. I get under a shade tree in the afternoon. It is not a piccolo just really small pictures. ( you know I am computer challenged).
Would like to use all three Storms, big cloud,lightening bolts, & tornado.
Been working on the binding groove last couple of days.
How is the Jennings?
Stanley

----------


## ShaneJ

Ah....the retired life! Cool mornings in the shop. I use my cool weekday mornings to slave away at the office and Saturday mornings to mow the grass.  

Before long, it'll cool off and the grass will die. THEN, I'll get busy putting a new top on #1. I WON'T use Titebond II this time.  

You may be working on #57 before I get finished with my #1.

----------


## chinamando

I highly respect all of you who build your own instruments; not only are you creating pieces of art that's personal to you, but it also creates music, not just visual. The hours you put into it amazes me, and they all look awesome!

----------


## oldwave maker

how to tell if a mando is being custom built for a jazz guitarist:

----------


## phynie

someone's gotta use em!

----------


## Kevin K

That's why I can't find those notes on mine. No dots.

----------


## ShaneJ

Aren't you supposed to have your eyes closed and/or your head thrown back when you're playing up there anyway?

----------


## labraid



----------


## mandoman15

that dove tail looks to be a great fit, new f in progress?  i got your email about teh bridge, and thats an absolutle spiffing idea, instead of filling teh holes, why not build it with small holes and then tune them by making them bigger... sort of the opposite of your procedure, but it might do the same thing, i wouldn't however use the metal posts because i'm personally not a fan of metal on bridges, thats why is would use the brekke thanks again

----------


## Stanley Cox

Hey OldTymer,
Great picture of the dovetail and all. What is the binding material. More pictures please.
Stanley

----------


## mandoman15

yeah that binding's nice, i like how its blaack/brown on body and brown black onthe fretboard

----------


## oldwave maker

Guitar shaped octave 14.5" wide back, looks like a 1 pc but there are 1/4" wings on the lower bout, $3.30/bd.ft. in northern wisconsin a decade ago, wish I'd been driving an empty semi.....

----------


## Ted Eschliman

Yum! (But if that were my TV set, I'd be adjusting the Verical Hold...)

----------


## JEStanek

Ted,
That's some seious flame inside of some notty pine.
Jamie
PS I love my Jazz Mando Strings.

----------


## Brier

#4

----------


## mandoman15

looking good brier, f4 or 5. btw the quilt on the table is amazing, make a back out of it..

----------


## Brier

John,
It will be an F-5 with hard rock maple. I love the look of quilt in the big leaf but it's a bit soft for the sound I'm trying to shoot for. 
Peter.

----------


## labraid

So she's for a double bass player-builder-afficionado:

----------


## Brier

Brian,
Wow that's wonderful, send pic's when you put a finish on it,please!

----------


## Guitar Jeremy

Brian, what kind of wood are you using for the binding? Gorgeous instrument.

----------


## labraid

Hi, that's a homemade wood binding, cherry and blackwood. I'm leaving it stained... I'd been asking myself, the whole sunburst idea, isn't it to sort of imitate age? Strange that the bindings never "age" with the rest right? So leaving it as is. 
This is with one coat of oil varnish, the amber shellac starts in a day or two and it'll deepen to a more amber-yellow..

(Avalon Blues, gotta love John Hurt!)

----------


## ronlane3

Brian, that is awesome looking. Can't wait to see it finished.

----------


## mandoman15

love to get a look at the front! looking good

----------


## labraid

Ask... and receive.

----------


## mandoman15

wow! that looks amazing! your best yet? looks it to me!

----------


## ShaneJ

Gorgeous!

----------


## mandoJeremy

That is very, very beautiful Brian! Your craftsmanship looks like it is second to none! There again, I just love that headstock design.

----------


## mandoJeremy

Oh, and the scroll looks perfect also! That's a big thumbs up from me!

----------


## jasona



----------


## mandoman15

brian, is it just me or does the binding overhang the side, sort of like a violin...it may just be the pics though

----------


## labraid

The bindings are flush, but keep an eye out for violin-style edges on a future mandolin, I'm planning one very soon!

----------


## mandoman15

> The bindings are flush, but keep an eye out for violin-style edges on a future mandolin, I'm planning one very soon!


sounds good!

----------


## MANDOLINMYSTER

Very nice, very very nice, so many great builders and ideas
out there. #

----------


## Steve Davis

Beautiful wood, beautiful workmanship, beautiful instrument. I may have to take a trip to Canada and see for myself.....

----------


## violin2233

Brian.. That is a mandolin players dream right there! That tonewood must have cost a fortune. Do you make Violins as well?

----------


## Ted Eschliman

In the oven at Rigel, new custom finish for a Q-95: *Tarte à la Citrouille* _(Pumpkin Tart...)._ Picture a vintage ivoroid pickguard and oval hole binding...

----------


## mandoman15

man...that neck looks a little shaky on teh rigel... i recomend using a truss rod...:p

----------


## Mandoborg

Slowly getting back to work after moving, building a new shop, and having our first baby ! Busy year ! )

Gluing up the long side :

----------


## Mandoborg

The Shorter side :

----------


## Mandoborg

Not sure why i'm posting this one other than the fact that i think it's a cool picture. Maybe when i check back here in a few days i'll think to myself 'Now why the heck did i post that silly picture ' # 


Jim Combra

----------


## labraid

Orange shellac, French polish, check. Stringing her up in, say, ten days?

----------


## Mario Proulx

Here's the walnut AM-5 I shared a few weeks back. All done, now! Sweet little guy with a nice voice. Not all that different from maple, in fact.

----------


## Mario Proulx

Le red spruce top on Le Walnut mando....

Yes, those are the reflections of gold and yellow trees in the water behind the mandolin. Fall is upon us up here....'tis my favorite season....

----------


## Keith Newell

Getting ready to ship this one off in a couple days.
 Keith

----------


## Keith Newell

Red spruce top.

----------


## Keith Newell

Red maple back, sides and neck.
Keith

----------


## Stanley Cox

Brian, M., Keith,
Great looking work.
Stanley

----------


## Kent Barnes

Harlan #4 now under construction.
Here's the completed rim


Here's the top being glued


And here's the back

----------


## Stanley Cox

Looking good, Is this going to be the Varnished model?
Missed you in Grapevine, I guess you knew I had a bunch of questions.  
Stanley

----------


## FlawLaw

The first pictures of my Ithaca Strings mandolin. #Here is the top.

----------


## FlawLaw

The Back.

----------


## FlawLaw

The top and neck

----------


## Lane Pryce

> Orange shellac, French polish, check. Stringing her up in, say, ten days?


Brian I have been looking at these pics and I think its OK for you to quit your day job! Lp

----------


## ShaneJ

Y'all don't quit on us yet! This thread needs a new picture or two. I know I'm not the only one that enjoys seeing how it's done.

----------


## Brier

Glad to post more pic's I like it too. # 4, 5,and six.
Peter.

----------


## Keith Newell

Here is an experiment. I got a little thinner on the Red Spruce top than I wanted so tried this bracing pattern. I haven't thinned them quite as much as I want but pretty close. The bridge posts on the adjustable bridge will be right over where the two "X" bracings meet. Right now it rings real nice but think I have just a little way to go on thinning certain spots.
 Keith
http://www.newellmandolins.com

----------


## ShaneJ

That's interesting, Kieth. I hope you'll let us know how it sounds. Nice looking scroll on the other one, BTW!

Peter, you've been busy!

----------


## Antlurz

*A little off the normal path*

Quite some time ago, I got it into my head that a mandolin with an aeromatic cedar soundboard might be neat, and after thinking about it for many months, decided the only way to find out would be to do it.

So here I am, most of the way through the project. Everytime I think about stringing it up, I break out in a cold sweat, because of the cedar wood. It's a combination you can't describe adequately. It's very brittle, and yet, very soft. It cuts like butter, and will plug the teeth on a Dremel almost instantly. Yes, that's a big knot back on the tail end. In fact, it has a small hole that goes all the way through the board that didn't appear till I was almost done carving, so I left it a bit thicker than my instinct wanted to back there, and I ran the tone bars farther back then normal as well. The tone I got out of it when tapping on it is fairly encouraging. I used an F5 profile with the points and scroll cut off and the nose stretched about 1 1/2 inches. The soundboard and backboard are from a full 1 inch thick stock and the ribs are about 3/16" wider than standard F5.

The back, ribs, and neck are from a black walnut log my Grandfather pulled out of the river the better part of a hundred years ago. The neck has a C/F insert instead of a truss rod.

The fretboard is Pau Ferro and the string length is 20.379" The fretboard grain is almost as funky as the grain in the soundboard.

I used tortoise with B/W backup for binding, and there is a bit of relief carving on the backboard that didn't show up too well in this picture. If it ends up being any good, I'll take bettter pictures.

The bridge is ebony with walnut foot pads and the saddle is locally raised Black Angus, as is the nut.

Anyhow, I half expect the soundboard to collapse when I string it up, but the grain, as twisting as it is, is in the structurally perfect position. The higher arch should lend to positive compressive aspects of the profile, negating the shear tendencies of the cedar's inter growth ring brittleness, but on the minus side, the pressure from the increased string angle may cancel that. (It likes to break along the growth rings)I may end up tearing it down and building another soundboard for it if this one can't take it, but at least, by then, I will have it out of my system.  

Ron

----------


## Lane Pryce

Way cool.I sure would like to hear a sound clip when you are done.With that cedar top you will not have to worry about moths or carpet beetles in your case!!   Lp

----------


## Antlurz

What was surprising and not at all obvious until I had sprayed on some lacquer was the low grade flame along the edges of the walnut back. There is some disturbance from a couple of very small twigs evident on the treble side of the back but the flame surprised me. All low key, but kind of interesting. The disturbance in the middle of the backboard isn't even visable except for in this picture.

I hope this critter has a little bit of musical adeptness built in. Would be a shame for it to end up as a wall hanger.

Ron

----------


## tree

I kind of like the sound holes . . . and the allusion in the fingerboard extension to the fleur-de-lis thingy on the peghead. #I'm crossing my fingers for you when you string it up; I'd like to hear a sound clip.

----------


## Lane Pryce

Ron did you go with tone bars or X bracing for the top? Lp

----------


## Antlurz

> _Ron did you go with tone bars or X bracing for the top? Lp_


I just went with conventionally placed tone bars, but extended them towards the rear a bit farther as well.

Ron

----------


## oldwave maker

Too fresh, too white, too pointed, one appointed with "you go!" peghead inlay, based on a true story from the annals of the mandolincafe

----------


## pickinNgrinnin

Great stuff as usual Bill! You Go indeed. I like a Mandolin builder with a sense of humor

----------


## mandomick

> Too fresh, too white, too pointed, one appointed with "you go!" peghead inlay, based on a true story from the annals of the mandolincafe


And, the coolest looking soundholes in the biz!

----------


## amowry

Here's one I finished this week. The customer sent me some horse-chestnuts to use as a guide for the color. I really like those James tailpieces!

----------


## Jim Roberts

Absolutely bee-you-tee-ful!

----------


## mandoryan

Very, very nice Andrew! That's one handsome mandolin there!

Very nice work from Bill too. I really enjoy your spirit and sense of humor as well. Many a laughs have come from your posts! When good enough costs less than a Mexican liver transplant.......  hilarious

----------


## Jim Roberts

Bill Bussman makes a really cool lookin' two-pointer...now if he'd just send me a bushel of those New Mexico Joe Parker green chilies!

----------


## Lane Pryce

Andrew I'm having serious palpitations look'n at that F5.Man that thing is sumpin to behold and I'll bet it sounds equally as nice. Lp

----------


## ShaneJ

Bill, that is freakin' awesome! You go! Two snaps!

----------


## Chris Baird

Great lookin' stuff Andrew and Bill! Here is a box of soon-to-bes.

----------


## Darren Kern

Here's a pic of my IV kit top/sides and the tone bars I just fitted to the inside of the top. #Now I just need to glue/clamp them in, and carve them to their final shape. #Probably not a big deal to you guys, but I'm very happy and proud to accomplish this big step on my first mandolin #

----------


## Antlurz

Darren....

When you start shaving them to their final size/shape, and tapping on them or the soundboard on the other side they are glued to, it will be a real treat for you when the tapping goes from a dull thud to a musical ring. It's one of the most satisfying parts, when you can hear it starting to make music as you cut and shape and sand.

Ron

----------


## amowry

Thanks for the positive encouragement, folks! Here's another I just finished-- it's an octave with 22" scale length, based on an L5 but scaled down to 14" at the lower bout. It has an internal Acoustic Feather pickup. The customer liked the look of the old trapeze tailpieces, so I shortened one and modified it to take eight strings in either loop or ball end. I'm really excited about it-- this is my first instrument that is going to be hard to let go!

----------


## Keith Newell

I'm really liking that octave! Nice work Andrew.
 Keith

----------


## amowry

Thanks Keith! By the way, I'm hoping to visit you some time-- my wife and I have been living in Bend since last spring.

----------


## van

Andrew, That octave is beautiful, looks vintage, Nice job!

----------


## mandoJeremy

That is definitely a great looking instrument Andrew! Nice work.

----------


## Antlurz

Beautiful collection of wood, lines, and color. I'll bet she sings!!!!

Ron

----------


## Lane Pryce

The peghead is very distinctive in shape and inlay.They work very well together. Lp

----------


## PaulD

Awesome... I love Andrew's Octave, those Oldwave F holes on the "You Go" mando, and I can't wait to see finished pics of Chris' F-4. I wish I had a mando budget... I would love one of each! 

pd

----------


## judith

Hey Chris - nice to see your batch of flat-tops 'cause it means you're getting closer to building my Octave. If I lived nearby, i'd be looking over your shoulder at every opportunity.  Judith

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Andrew, that is truly cool and fabulous

----------


## amowry

Thanks!

----------


## Gail Hester

Here's some interesting figure on an F5 I'm finishing up, #French polish on a one-piece red maple back.

----------


## mandoJeremy

Very nice Gail. #I am always impressed by every one of your mandolins and you definitely must strive for perfection in your building and repairs!

----------


## Gail Hester

Thanks Jeremy, I really appreciate it. This ones almost done and Ill post a couple more pictures in a week or so.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Gail, nice color, and I love that shine. Does that whiskey in the background help with that? Only kidding. I like the idea of using squeeze bottles for the shellac and linseed, too. They work great.
After this F is finished, what are you building next?
Nice looking instrument, and I can't wait to see those finished photos.

----------


## Gail Hester

Stephanie, thats walnut oil but whiskeys not a bad idea, probably take longer to get things done. I use everclear for FP but here in Washington I have to get a license to buy it. Next on the agenda is another H5 mandola and an F4 mandolin.

----------


## JEStanek

Gail,
What do you use the walnut oil for? Stain? Thanks,

----------


## Gail Hester

Jamie, I use walnut oil in the french polish process.

----------


## oldwave maker

santas workshop, moving along.....

----------


## kyblue

Now that's my kind of Santa!

----------


## otterly2k

Hey, I'm Jewish, but would consider converting if those wound up in my stocking!

nifty photo trick, Bill...:laugh:

----------


## labraid

Howdy ya'all, long time no see!

----------


## Bill Snyder

Brian, what is on the inside of that instrument?

----------


## otterly2k

Hey, Brian, gorgeous rosette! 
show 'em the bowl!
(I was wondering about the inside lining too...)

----------


## labraid

Thar it is.
The fabric is authentic hippie VW bus curtain fabric--tie died burgundy. I thought J Mark could maybe use the relax vibes being a lawyer and all..

----------


## berkeleymando

Hey Brian, great to see that bowl back coming to fruition. A sweet fruit indeed. It reminds me of a mango, or some type of exotic nut.

----------


## Chris Burt

Brian, is that a carved-top bowl back?

----------


## Onesound

Hey Bill,

How do you get them to stand up on the screw hooks like that? Antigravity?

cheers,
 Brian

----------


## Jim Hilburn

And you thought bending a scroll was hard.

----------


## WireBoy

ooooh, Hilburn making a cutaway.... this ought to be reeeaaaly good!!!

----------


## mandopete

Is that gonna be a mandolin or guitar?

<span style='color:blue'>Report this post to a moderator</span> - Jim Hillburn is responsible for causing my case of M.A.S. to come out of remission!

----------


## ShaneJ

Jim, that is cool. Looks way too big to be a mando. Been watching the Benedetto video? I really have AGAS (archtop guitar aquisition syndrome) lately. Keep the pics coming.

----------


## ShaneJ

On second look, I noticed the square and ruler. Maybe it is mando-sized. What's cookin'?

----------


## PaulD

> Hey Bill,
> 
> How do you get them to stand up on the screw hooks like that? Antigravity?


Helium?

pd

----------


## oldwave maker

Varnishees for hollidaze in, yes, of all places, the antigravitational pod! after plunging them deep into the big mandovarnish vat, they are sent up here to avoid drips and sags in the finish. An added bonus, at this altitude, bugs cant impale themselves in the finish. I end up having to add plastic mosquitoes to get that authentic amber look......

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I always thought that would be one of the best uses for the space shuttle. A zero gravity spray booth and the take-off and re-entry would shake them good so they would sound 80 years old.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Side dots. They may need a little trimming.

----------


## mandoman15

i can't help but reply, whenever you scan the mesage board, and see mandolins in progress and see that the last entry was Jim Hilburn's you just can't help but check it out...

----------


## french guy

My number 8 in progress

----------


## french guy

back/inside

----------


## berkeleymando

French Guy, I love your unusual scroll and all the rest of your beautiful F style.

----------


## Keith Newell

Here is a nice peice of bear claw Red Spruce that the finish is going on later today. 
 Keith

----------


## JeffS

Love those dots, helps you find the frets in the dark 

Lovely mandolin Frenchguy. I like the scroll.

----------


## Antlurz

Hey Jim....

Was my thread the other day about a cutaway headstock block design what put the bug in ya to build this cutaway?  

That profile ought to look really nice!

Ron

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jean & Keith, I can hardly wait to see the finished mandolins! You guys have done a great job!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

No.

----------


## Bill James

[QUOTE]Hey Bill,
How do you get them to stand up on the screw hooks like that? Antigravity? 
Helium?



Ha! I just figured it out! A little ###### in the mandovarnish vat...clever boy that Bussman!

----------


## french guy

Rrrrrrrhhh , my pictures are sad compare to others mandocafe-users , try again

----------


## french guy

and again

----------


## JEStanek

Jean, Looks great. Nice design!
Jamie

----------


## FlawLaw

Here are some pictures of my Ithaca Strings mandolin that Eric Aceto is doing for me.

----------


## FlawLaw

Front

----------


## PaulD

> How do you get them to stand up on the screw hooks like that? Antigravity?
>    Helium?
> Ha! I just figured it out! A little ###### in the mandovarnish vat...clever boy that Bussman!


Shhhh! That's supposed to be a secret! 

Jean; you might not be happy with your pics (although I don't see a problem), but I look forward to seeing your design and workmanship. This is one of my favorite ongoing threads... it's great to see the work of the "masters" going together! 

Paul Doubek

----------


## berkeleymando

Jean (french Guy) I think your designs are great: there's a unique originality in your interpretation of the F style.

----------


## otterly2k

Jean-- I agree... I like your flair.

----------


## french guy

Thanks you all for your nice comments about the design
But I must say it's not my own , I just modestly repeat the John Monteleone's design .

----------


## van

This is my # 11. I do some crazy things sometimes because I am into experimentation at this stage of my Luthier infancy. This is made of solid Pine.

----------


## van

Spool Clamps

----------


## van

I don't expect this to work but I had to try it just to see. That is a Poplar dowel tapered to a fine point with a Cedar reed attached to the end. I was thinking that in theory the vibrations would fan that reed and as a result move more air and produce more volume, who knows?
Yes, those ribs are jigsawed out of a solid plank, final sanding will bring the width to about 1/4".

----------


## Bill Snyder

Van, I hope that I am wrong, but I would think that the ribs will most likely split where they turn to end grain.

----------


## van

Yes they tend to break sometimes but once the top and back have been glued to them, they are very sound.

----------


## Steve Davis

Very creative Van. I look forward to the final product and your subjective comments on the results. The modern "Virzi" is interesting too.

----------


## van

Thanks Steve, I am in the process of finishing with shellac so it will not be too long now. The Virzi thing, to my surprise does vibrate and makes a tone when tapping on the top so I can hardly wait to see what it sounds like strung up. It is going to be a single course, Only 4 mandolin strings so buying one pack of strings will be like getting one set free. The body is 12" at the belly and the scale length is 17.5.

----------


## amowry

Here's an A5 I finished today. It's always a bit like Christmas morning stringing these things up-- I can hardly sleep the night before.

----------


## man doh

and the back? The front looks awesome. I was looking the other day on your site for an A-5.

----------


## amowry

Thanks Daryl, and since you asked...

----------


## Yellowmandolin

Nice!!

----------


## jasona

Very nice work Andrew!

----------


## van

That's some nice clean work Andrew.

----------


## Lane Pryce

Andy I am very impressed with your skillfull work. You should be very proud. Has this one an owner? Lp

----------


## van

This is my #11, I wanted to see what a mandolin made entirely out of construction grade Yellow Pine would sound like so I built one. To my surprise it sounds great. This is a regular size mandolin body with a 17.5 inch scale with only four strings and it has that authentic bluegrass sound. I put a modified Virizi thing inside and it works but it is quite subtle. On the next one I will try a new Virizi modification that I am sure will work better.

----------


## van

Side view.

----------


## van

The Back.

----------


## Chris Burt

Van, If building #11 was as much fun as it looks, you must have had a ball.

----------


## van

Yes Chris, It was a blast!

----------


## amowry

Thanks folks. Yes, Lane, this one is sold and on its way to British Columbia.

----------


## jessboo

andrew, that's agreat looking A love the color.

Van, that thing is so ugly it's down right cool. i bet it turns a lot of heads and would be a blast to play!!!!!!!

----------


## van

Thanks Jess, It is a lot of fun to play, I call it my Cartoon mandolin. If Ronald Macdonald played bluegrass, I bet he would love this.

----------


## Patrick Gunning

Van, a question, how did you get the strings to be at pitch w/o breaking due to the additional tension of the 17.5" scale? Really light ones?

----------


## van

To the best of my memories I used Erni Ball medium gauge and as far as being tuned up to pitch, to the best of my knowledge each scale length has its own and I tune my instruments by ear. I haven't checked it against a standard mandolin but my assumption is that it falls a step or two down below standard. I don't really know what to tell you other than I just tune it up to where it sounds right.

----------


## van

This is going to be an F-5 Octave. 21" scale 14.5" across the belly. The sides will be carved from a pine sandwich with cedar for the bread. The top is yellow pine carved from a 1.5" thick board, check out that dome. This will take me a while to finish. I haven't started the neck yet but it will be made of Douglas Fir, ###### couldn't make a stiffer piece of wood than Douglas Fir.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I'm doing another tortoise F and I want to glue in the white binding that makes the inner white highlight line first, but need a way to press it tightly into the slot.
 I use a tie-wrap with the locking end cut off as if it were the outside binding. It's made of nylon and the binding cement doesn't stick to it and it's nearly the same size as the tortoise binding.

----------


## amowry

Nice, Jim. Are the bottom purfling lines (the ones you can see in the photo) preglued to the tortoise? Do you glue it up yourself?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I made a jig to glue those sideline bindings together back in the 90's and it actually was featured in the trade secrets section of one of the old Stew-mac catalogs.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's what it looks like after the tortoise is installed.

----------


## Antlurz

Van...

In the second picture, is that inlay on the front of the bridge? Or just some stray light?

Ron

----------


## Jonathan James

Absolutely fabulous work, as usual Jim!

----------


## mandopete

> Here's what it looks like after the tortoise is installed.


Did someone say - scroll?

----------


## van

Ron, that is pearl paint on the bridge.

----------


## Kid Charlemagne

> Scrape-o-rama: more telegraph pole cedar in an ovalhole a, maple/engelmann f4 and f5, redwood/mesquite f5, m/e ovaldolas, ziedler inspired 17 scale minigeetardola:


Bill, what is the 7th one back from the front? It looks like the side of an ES-335-inspired mandolin or mandola.

I suspect that the upcoming owner has first dibs on any pics, but would it be possible to get a photo of that one? It makes my MAS flare up.

----------


## Keith Newell

This ones headed to Northern Washington in a week or so.
Keith

----------


## oldwave maker

Fruits of latest rim building syndome:
Teds 335 style solocomp on an h2 and gom, a c# on a couple of f's, and the biteaway cheesehead on a pile of a's

----------


## Ted Eschliman

I'm all verklempt!!!
I can't wait, and the Old Wave 'Dola "in residence" is really making me all the more giddy, Bill. (Look for a gushing review on it, soon...)

----------


## LiftedUp

WOW! So many AMAZING works in this thread. I never realized that a single thread could be so inspiring, intimidating, and awe-striking all in one!

----------


## LiftedUp

That's it. I couldn't take it anymore. Y'all have lured another one in. My copy of "The Ultimate Bluegrass Mandolin Construction Manual" will be arriving next week. This board is soooo dangerous for me.

----------


## oldwave maker

I'm the wrong psychiatric profile for making these scrolly thangs, but I'll be "kimbling" (is that a verb, Will?) around wintergrass with this varnishy toy in tow, those are cottonwoods reflected in that curly stuff:

----------


## mandoJeremy

Very beautiful Bill. What a great craftsman you are!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I spent a pretty penny on this stuff, but it's about as good as quilt gets. I just glued it up and thought I'd share.
 Look carefully and notice the positive-negative effect you get when you bookmatch quilt. You get the same effect on any wood, but it shows up more dramatically in wood this figured. I wet it with some solvent to bring out the figure.

----------


## oldwave maker

Jim-that noise you heard in the alley last night was just me going thru your dumpster looking for pickguard cutoffs  
this #came off a chunk Spruce sent me last year, had a penciled date of 3/81, got 3 sets off it....
and a few pickguard cutoffs!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I just got a back from Bruce in Bakersfield. Luckily it fit in the bottom of my suitcase.

----------


## Ted Eschliman

Quoting recent correspondence from Bill Bussmann as he prepares the top for my new *Solocomp JM*, Alto Guitar/Jazz Mandola: _"I seem to keep lowering the arch and flattening out the curve inside the recurve, visualizing just those 4 strings driving this Engelmann."_
The imagination runs wild...

----------


## bjc

Ted you sure have some fine toys....

----------


## Ted Eschliman

Tsk, tsk, Brian. "Toys?"

Understand, this is in the interest of research and development...
SCIENCE!

It is my burden to bear, and I take on this heavy sacrifice for you.

----------


## JEStanek

Ted, If this is "research" it can only be validated if peer reviewed. #Please FW the mandola to my research center for a comprehensive validation package. #I'll drop my fee for you _this time_. 

Jamie
Mandolin Validation Specialists, Inc.

PS. That JazzMando headband sure was nice as I dug out 18 inches of snow. Thanks.

----------


## ronlane3

Jamie, Can I please get my certification as one of your associates? That sounds like a good part-time gig. We should contact Lyn D. and Steve G. to send them to use before final destination shipment is made.

----------


## ShaneJ

Ted, that top looks very silky.....I smell some silky-smooth ii V7 I grooves coming soon!

----------


## Yonkle

#5 Virzi

----------


## oldwave maker

Another of Spruce's super special siding shingles, ground into the top for Mike's quiltback 10 string:

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

> #5 Virzi


Yonkle,
How do you glue the top to the rim with the interior portion of the mould in place?
Please give us a report of how that mando sounds.

----------


## Gibson A5

Mando #3 in progress. Purple Heart back, sides, and neck. I think the purple heart has dulled every tool I used on it. It's like Iron to work with! One piece purple heart back and three piece Fir top! Does that even everything out?

----------


## Gibson A5

Another

----------


## Gibson A5

and another.

Bill Pruitt

----------


## MML

Gibson A5, #Wow! thats some wild wood selection. I don't think I have ever seen a purpleheart back, neck and sided mandolin. It looks cool. Keep us up to date on your progress.

----------


## John Hill

I remember seeing some purpleheart at a local wood specialty shop & thought it would at least make a cool fretboard or headstock. Good job of trying it out & make sure to let us know how it sounds.

John

----------


## Antlurz

What gets me about the Purpleheart is that you have bent the ribs out of what _appears_ to be very thick pieces. Must have been a real chore!

Ron

----------


## Gibson A5

Ron, the rim is the standard thickness with a little to the high side. I like to cut the binding a little lower then the sides and work the sides to them so the thickness of the binding is constant when everything is sanded down. I cut some strips of the purple heart rim pieces before I started just to make sure I could bend it before wasting time making the back and neck. I bent the "W" bend and the "S" bend (hot pipe an propane)and it bent a lot easer than the walnut I had bent before. Then I made the back and soundboard. When I went back to make the long rim piece it kept cracking at the first bend. After three tries and cutting a strip from the other side of the board I was using, I got one to bend without cracking. It was amazing, the first two pieces bent like butter and the long one wouldn't bend at all, go figure. I carved the back a little thinner than normal because it's such hard wood. I'll keep everyone informed on how it works out. It may make a good "Wall Hanger", or at least fire wood!
Bill Pruitt

----------


## otterly2k

I have a new OM from Brian Dean with purpleheart binding (and pickguard). (pics down in the CBOM section). When he was working on it, I asked him how it was to work with the purpleheart, and he said that it was easier to bend than he'd thought it would be, despite the fact that it is really hard, dense wood.

Will look forward to reports on how yours sounds, Bill... I'd considered it when custom ordering the OM, but opted for curly cherry instead, and saved the purpleheart for decorative trim. It would probably make a great fingerboard too.
KE

----------


## Antlurz

Looking good so far. It'll be interesting to see how it comes out. I really doubt it will be "just a wall hanger".

Ron

----------


## otterly2k

tell ya what, Bill... if you decide it's a wall hanger, you let me know and I'll send you a nice piece of flat art for your wall and relieve you of the purpleheart mando sculpture...: :Wink: :

----------


## Gibson A5

You folks are so good to me, I love this place!
Bill

----------


## Ted Eschliman

Another sneak peak at the Bussmann "Solocomp JM" Alto Guitar/Jazz Mandola in the oven at Old Wave "Mad Scientist" Headquarters in New Mexico:

----------


## amowry

Is that an engelmann top, Ted? Looks like some nice silk.

----------


## lbracale

Hey kyswede:

That is a very cool looking mando! Wow, I would love to have one of those. VERY NICE!

----------


## oldwave maker

Ted's is Musser engelmann with adirondack x bracing. Dons been milling a couple of silky logs he billeted in the late 90's. Not a lot of mad science in old wave holler, tho my wife has arranged to donate my body to science fiction when she's used it all up.
Someone at wintergrass asked if I was a full time luthier, had to tell them I never work between 11pm and 7am!

----------


## tree

No mad science, eh? #Well how did you manage to turn the gravity off in your lab, then?

----------


## amowry

Bill, it's really depressing to see 14 instruments in the same stage at once. Maybe you could start cropping your photos and save me some sanity?

----------


## sledge

Andrew said, "Bill, it's really depressing to see 14 instruments in the same stage at once."

Hah, that's just the ones that haven't been to the spray booth yet.

sledge

----------


## oldwave maker

Oops, did crop the other C#, F5, 10 string dola, and 3 GOM's..... there's something to be said for having no adult supervision monday morn thru fri night. Thanks to Spruce and Chuck in the land of the wintergrass, and ups, some of next decades quilt-o-ramas are now seasoning:

----------


## testore

Bill,
forgive me but you're insane.  
Gary

----------


## markishandsome

> next decades quilt-o-ramas are now seasoning


Speechless

----------


## oldwave maker

Insane? but I thought everybody was using x bracing on their Packer tribute swiss cheesehead biteaway mandolins.....

----------


## Keith Newell

Nice shot of raw wood. I ordered a bunch of wood from Spruce a week or two ago and when it gets here I will be pretty happy if its near as good as that.
 Keith

----------


## Keith Newell

Here a 3 Celtic styles that should have some finish on them by this weekend. 
  Keith 
http://www.newellmandolins.com

----------


## Keith Newell

Amazing how dirty, dusty cluttered and disorganized the shop can get when you get down to a project of more than one at a time.
 Keith

----------


## amowry

Those are really pretty. I'd like to see some closeups some time.

----------


## Greenmando

> Nice work, bob.
> The blue tube is the main cross piece of the Terrco duplicator. I remove the extensions that hold the router and guide when not in use so I have more bench space.


Hi Jim

Could you tell me which model of Terrco duplicator you have?

thanks,
Tom

----------


## Fliss

Keith

Those Celtic style mandolins look lovely. #

Fliss

----------


## Jim Hilburn

If the question is did I get the 12" or 24" well I got the 24" thinking bigger was better, but if I had it to do again, I'd get the smaller one.
 It takes up less space, is perfect for mandolins, and I suspect it would be stiffer and more accurate. The main tube on mine is nearly 5' long and that allows one end to get ahead of the other more easily than the smaller version. That's only a problem if you try to do something like the neck, but really doesn't effect carving the plates.
 But if you have any thoughts of doing a guitar, you would want this larger unit.

----------


## Gail Hester

Here's a picture of the F4 I'm working on with its Virzi (herzi tone seducer).

----------


## Gail Hester

...and from the bottom.

----------


## JEStanek

Can't wait for a report on how that one sounds, Gail.
Jamie

----------


## Antlurz

Is the two legged support also glued/touching the enter section of the virzi?

It seems that positioning it in the center, as opposed to out on the end opposite the other support would be self defeating. I'd think it would be a LOT more responsive if it was mounted on both ends instead, so the center was free to move...

Ron

----------


## Gail Hester

I'm trusting that the folks who invented this thing did the math.

----------


## oldwave maker

Gail- looks like a dandy bolo tie! Was hoping you'd be the first to do the happy face virzi, I guess its up to me now....
Nat, Tim, and Eric's gom bodies, interesting how men like theirs shaped like women, and women like theirs shaped like lemons:

----------


## JEStanek

Bill, The grain on Tim's (the middle one) is awesome. Fir?

Jamie

----------


## arbarnhart

Building a small flat top using the teardrop plan from DonsPlans.com (very much like a Weber Sweet Pea). One simplification in this design is that the neck block is part of the neck. Anyway, here is glue up of the neck to the body:

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I've been waiting to see this piece of wood with a coat of finish on it.

----------


## Gail Hester

Bill, you didn't look close enough. I can't take credit for your idea though. 

Jim, that's wonderful and I love the binding.

----------


## amowry

Yikes-- I think it would give me the willies knowing that that face was inside my mando!

----------


## arbarnhart

Carving braces and dry fitting.

----------


## Brad H

Waiting to buff these out... it's like watching lacquer dry. Not the greatests pics, it's hard to get them all to smile at once!!!

----------


## Brad H

Fronts

----------


## Brad H

Can't wait to see this one finished, I put a little extra in it!

----------


## Brad H

Inlay

----------


## Brad H

Oh yeah, check out my website! www.hillmandolins.com

----------


## ronlane3

Brad, Those all look great, but that one is very nice looking.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Brad, Those are good looking mandos. I do like the "extra" brown one too. Good work.
Stanley

----------


## Gavin Baird

These are the latest group for 2006...Gavin  http://www.sheba.ca/salesinstruments.html

----------


## PaulD

Those are wonderful, Gavin. I really like the A4s and F4... and than vine inlay is great! What's the difference between the Ostroushko and the other A4s besides the fretboard? 

Brad; that peghead overlay & the bound f-holes look very sharp too! That's a lovely bunch o' mandos! 

pd

----------


## Gavin Baird

Paul
   The only difference between the Peter Ostroushko Edition and my standard A4 is the Neck and F/B. The neck is a full 1/8" deeper than a normal F style, is a very sharp "V" section . The finger board is a full 1.250" at the nut and is flat. Other than that they are the same...Gavin

----------


## zeke

Great suff, Jim Bill and Brad. Lov those bound F holes (will have to do that one day, its so dang classy).

Gail, what a hoot! Bill and I had been chatting about that very idea at Wintergrass (BTW, its too bad we didn't get a chance to chat more there, and also to see your "Cliffie". Someday I want to collect all the pix I can of his mandos for a tribute website).

Maybe next week I can throw some stuff up of the latest crop here at Rancho Arachnid.

----------


## kyblue

Love that sunflower inlay, Gavin. (Traditional is soooooo dull, I love to see people doing different things!)

Paula

----------


## Gavin Baird

Paula,
    Thanks for the confirmation. The "Sun Flower" is the concept of Jim Roberts of the Cafe and the artist is my wife.....Gavin

----------


## arbarnhart

Fret board on:

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

I finally made a little jig for placement of the pickguard bracket

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Being used

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

If it fits mine, it will fit yours

----------


## arbarnhart

Tweaked my tobacco burst until I was happy with it:

----------


## arbarnhart

Here is a second one that is "auto-corrected". Reality is somewhere between the two pictures.

BTW, it is a redwood top, so I can't get much lighter.

----------


## Antlurz

Getting close...

Have you decided how you are going to finish it yet?

Ron

----------


## arbarnhart

Yeah, I'm gonna get shellaced!   

Amber BullsEye (I checked the date and bought a fresh can). I am going to mix the 3# premix half and half with alcohol and dissolve a little sandarac resin in it (roughly following Frank Ford's directions).

----------


## arbarnhart

Well, I am still posting to "In Progress" because the nut and bridge aren't really done. The temproary bridge is just a scrap of maple and I don't like the job I did filing and securing the nut (it is only a spacer since I have a zero fret). I played it a while tonight. It sounds pretty good in a guitarish sort of way. It sounds best played hard - it really rings on open chords. Running scales it sounds correct (I cut the fret slots by hand with a shop made jig). First tuning took a while and it required a second tuning shortly afterward, but has kept it since then. I think a "real" bridge will improve the sound some - the trebles are a little muted by the grooved maple bridge. It's going to be a nice travel mando.

----------


## Mandoborg

There was a thread a while back discussing what people thought was the hardest part of building a mandolin, I was surprised nobody mentioned waiting for the finish to cure !!   

Jim Combra

----------


## Mandoborg

Pics are out of sequence, strung up in the raw.Some nice input/advice from Ludewig,Mowry,and Hamlett on this one.Thanks to ya !!
Jim Combra

----------


## amowry

Looks great, Jim! I love the purfling.

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

and the endpin   

sorta reminds me of something that might have gone on "Earl the Pearl Monroe" that bill busman made a while back  

i love the shape, really very smooth

baron

----------


## Ken

Very nice Jim! Really like the overall design, sound holes and bridge are very nice details.
Ken

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, Cool looking mandolin! What kind of top is that? Keep us posted. Great job!!

----------


## Mandoborg

Thanks for the kind words !!! I draw a lot of inspiration from this site. I can't take credit for the design, it's based on a Monteleone Baby Grand , F-holes and all. I consider him my generations Loar, and my F style is also based on his Grand Artist. The bridge is made out of some very, very old birds-eye. You can't tell by the terrible pictures , but the saddle is maple as well,with a 3/16 ebony cap. 
 # The top is a beautiful piece of cedar i got from our own Spruce, and it was a CHUNK of wood that i beleive was a telephone pole or a fence post if i remember correctly. I LOVE the idea or recycled wood.

 # #Thanks again folks, i'll post some better pictures when it's done, the back,sides,and neck are a beautiful Trans-Tint green that didn't photograph well this time around.

Jim Combra

----------


## Gibson A5

My #4 Ukulele size Practice Mandolin about 90% done. Just needs a few more frets, nut, tuner holes drilled and finnish. I might have went a little overboard on the decoration. After three F5 styles, this thing sure was easy to bulid! Fur top and walnut everything else. Purple heart strip down the back. I hope it sounds good or at least Ok. If not it will look good on the shop wall for background.
Bill Pruitt

----------


## Gibson A5

The Back.
Bill

----------


## Arnt

Finish is getting there...
Hand rubbed water based dyes, air brushed anilines around the perimeter, shellac finish. It is not as dark as the picture suggests, the wood actually shows through everywhere.

Back:

----------


## Arnt

Front:

----------


## Arnt

The whole thing:

----------


## Arnt

It still needs to be levelled and rubbed out. This is a sprayed shellac finish, and the first time I have tried this method. I'm not sure how it will hold up as the finish is quite thin, but it is quite easy to apply as long as you can avoid runs. I will now let it cure a while before I buff it. 

Thanks for looking!

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Nice work Arnt. That's my finish method of choice right now too.

----------


## Arnt

Thanks, Darryl! 

That's interesting; how do you think it holds up compared to other finishes?

----------


## Gavin Baird

Arnt and Darryl,
          The problem with shellac that I have found is to insure that the last coat is clean..very clean. What I have found out is that to determine the state of the surface to be re coated AFTER SANDING, is to apply water via a cloth to the part. If the water assumes a continous film it is ok. If it collects into areas due to surface tension, it won't bond. The "melt or burn in" thing depends on an absolute clean surface. This is also true for the process of French Polishing. If you use oil that is not a drying type, this becomes an added problem..G

----------


## Brier

#4 1/2 way there.
Peter.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

good info Gavin. Maybe I've been lucky

----------


## Gavin Baird

Darryl,
     See my edited post re the water thing..This is done after sanding..G

----------


## Skip Kelley

Brier, awesome looking mandolin! Lets see the back. Nice work on the scroll!!

----------


## Hans

Got flowerpot?

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Nice Hans, some of us weirdos can see a Flamenco dancer with her back to us and a big feather plume for a hat

----------


## carleshicks

That is exactly what i was thinking I must be a wierdo

----------


## Brier

Skip, 
Thanks for the kind words, here's the back (Hard rock mable) not bound yet and a little rough...but barks nice.
Peter.

----------


## Chris Baird

Oh Yeah, that flower pot is sexy.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Brier, great looking back. That will look awesome with some stain!!!

----------


## Hans

Hey Darryl, thanks for the input! You on Druuuugs? #  

You got to stop thinking about that hourglass shape!

Maureen thought the floral part looked like a swan...I'm goin' with that! As with all fresh ideas, it's a work in progress...subject to change.

Wierdos UNTIE!

----------


## sunburst

Brier, what'll ya take f'r that bench top??

----------


## Hans

Thanks Chris! 
 It's just a little too contrived...hope to refine it some. It's too low on the peghead, and needs to be moved up in relation to the tuner posts. Also needs some Gracefullizationing! Sounds like a Kraut word, Ja?
I've always had a problem with the Loar flowerpot between the 3D pot and the flat floral...well, didn't I do just the same. I like the pot, and I like the floral (sort of), oh well...that's why we build the next one, right?

----------


## Gibson A5

Well I started # 4. Its still pretty rough at this point. I used some double sided tape and taped some sandpaper to the work bench for another project and got started with this before I removed the paper. Im going to leave it, it works great for holding tops and backs from moving while Im working on them. After seeing Sunbursts rim on another post about jigs, with out the scroll cut out in the block, I decided to try that this time. Ive been afraid on the other mandos that I would break the scroll off the head block when clamping up the rim. This worked slick. This is a Lefty. I hope I can find someone to play it when Im done. I cant play left handed !
Bill

----------


## Gibson A5

Neck

----------


## Gibson A5

Rim

----------


## Gibson A5

Top

----------


## DryBones

Lefty here with a bit of MAS curiousity....how much?

----------


## piknleft

I'd like to volunteer my services.......I'll even pick up the tab for shipping........I'm here for ya......
Mike

----------


## oldwave maker

nekkid ovals for DM, TG, ML, RS

----------


## piknleft

Nothin' like a chorus line of "nekkid bodies" to get yer 'tention. A5, I love your F5, buuuuuuuuuuut, I'm hopin' Santa Bussman has my Oval ready somewhere 'round Christmas. If not (Bill), my birhtday's in January. And on top of it all, we lefties get a dollar off! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snowwwww. Mike

----------


## Bill Snyder

> Wierdos UNTIE!


I hope that you wierdos are only unitiing you shoes or shop aprons, otherwise it could get kinda ugly around here.

----------


## oldwave maker

DM binding detail- snakewood binding (my first, maybe last!)with green/white/orange irish flag purfling. Desert Ironwood (tesota greggii) burl fretboard

----------


## mandroid

Bill, 
The FromageDolin foto spread ready fo prime time yet?
Wisconsin diaspora is eager to see that one.

----------


## Gail Hester

I've been putting this part off and now I know why. Hand building a Loar era F4 rosette is the most tedious and time consuming thing I've ever done. This one differs slightly from others I've seen as I removed the black that sandwiched the herringbone so that it would be white/herringbone/white like the originals. The black strips are Ebony; the white is Holly and ivoroid.

----------


## Jonas

Very beautiful!

I want to make a simple rosette on a planned oval A, but I am wondering, how do you get it to follow the graduation of the soundboard? And where can i get these "rope"-like purflings?

----------


## Gail Hester

Jonas try this old thread called, "Making a rosette, how to make and install a rosette".

http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....83;st=0

----------


## Brier

Wow, nice work Gail!!!
Peter.

----------


## Burner

Some amazing rosettes on this page Lutes

----------


## jim simpson

I'm sorry I didn't photo the rosette that I made for my F4 fake. The hardest part for me was cutting the channel out without messing up too much. Being a black top, I was able to fill a bit here and there. I was happy with the look of my rosette but overall finish was lacking.

----------


## Keith Newell

Nice work Bill, looks good. I spent the day bending solid ebony binding for a oval hole I am building and a archtop A style. WoW! talk about time consuming and the stress of bending it and getting it to fit perfect in a natural state. I took a break and started binding a F style in tortoise....whew I was very relaxed after that compared to getting the ebony to fit right :Smile: 
 Keith

----------


## Keith Newell

Here are three that are keeping me busy. Red Spruce topped oval hole flat top, red spruce archtop somewhat oval hole with different bracing and ebony binding and a Sitka topped modified F style with red maple back and sides.
Keith

----------


## Keith Newell

The insides.

----------


## Keith Newell

Close-up of the ebony binding.
Keith

----------


## JEStanek

Keith, I like the Munch-esqe scream soundhole.

Jamie

----------


## Bill Snyder

> Keith, I like the Munch-esqe scream soundhole.
> 
> Jamie


That is exactly what I thought of.

----------


## Keith Newell

aw common guys, it doesn't look anything like this.

----------


## oldwave maker

those next 5 stained & sealed, holes in the swiss cheesehead a bit strange, but when done and strung will work, I think:

----------


## sgarrity

The wood on those looks awesome. Your work never ceases to amaze me.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, those mandolin are amazing! I need to keep a hankerchief by the computer to wipe off the drool!!!

----------


## Mandoborg

Being married to a photographer i'd like to comment on the quality of that picture Bill ! Well done , that back-drop makes all the differance in the world ! Was it there for the picture or is it a Photoshop composite ?? Are you finishing those with the Homestead shellac you mentioned quite a few months ago ? I have a feeling one of those is going to sound cheezy..... hey, somebody had to say it !!! Are those holes going to act as your soundholes ?

As always, good job Bill  )

Jim Combra

----------


## labraid

Howdy folks. New baby in the works......

----------


## otterly2k

wow.


wow.
that just takes my breath away.

----------


## sunburst

Very impressive, Brian!
If I were to even attempt something like that, and manage to pull it off, if would drive me crazy trying to protect it from damage while building the rest of the mandoln!
I'm almost sorry I saw that...now I'll probably have to try it sometime! It makes me think of Ervin Somogyi.
Beautiful work!

----------


## atetone

OH MY! Mr. Bussman,,, I do believe that I spotted my quilted back mandolin hanging in that lineup.
Looking really good. Nice color selection,,, I just knew that you were going to come up with a beautiful blend.
I think I am going to be very pleased!
Just make sure that you don't accidentally ship me that cheese model.
That would pretty much be the last straw here on the homefront. 
TG

----------


## red7flag

Brian, absolutely beautiful work.
Tony

----------


## Antlurz

Beautiful piece, Brian! I guess that explains your recent absence.

What is the carving made from?

Ron

----------


## Gail Hester

Keith, Bill, Brian, all wonderful stuff. What a treat this place is.

----------


## oldwave maker

Jim- that backdrop is a 3 yd piece of purple velvet I use on display tables at festivals, stapled to my drying closet walls. lit with a halogen worklight and fuji e550 flash.
Never met an african-american luthier, but got Tony's quilt back from that big black dude Oby Johnson at GAL years ago, color inspired by a hillburn, 2 coats shellac, 4 of Rolfe's wb varnish so far:

----------


## atetone

Jeepers Bill! I knew that you really have an eye for colours but that is exactly what I tried to describe to you over the phone and lo and behold,,,, you nailed it.
 How do you do that???
Exactly what I wanted and the wood is better than anything I had hoped for.
The funny thing is that when we started on this mando I told you that I didn't really care too too much about the aesthetics, I just wanted a good sounding mandolin. Now I can't believe my good luck.
Looks like I am going to have an absolute stunner.
Great stuff.
I still haven't figured out the pickguard size/shape but I am workind on it. Trying to figure it out.
Take your time Bill,,,no panic,,, I have a belief that you shouldn't rush your mandolin builder or your dentist.
Tony

----------


## oldwave maker

Tony- guess I'm livin proof that even a blind pig can produce an acorn once in a while.....
DM quilt back came from that big white dude Spruce, hiding in a quarter trunk chunk dated 3/81, hardest tempered quilt I've worked. did the .010 green/white/orange irish flag purfling on the back also, but its too narrow to see easily. Shoulda painted in the alien eyes, but it may yet have to go thru a border patrol checkpoint!

----------


## Keith Miller

Bill that one is stunning what quilt, wish I had the skill or failing that the money 
Keith

----------


## french guy

Bill that is absolutly Wow ...
difficult to present pictures after that , however I do
Here is a mandola I'm building , harchtop , 16" scale
with purfling and violon aspect as I build a mando a couple
of years ago .

----------


## french guy

Back

----------


## french guy

the box open

----------


## french guy

Just to give an idea of the size

----------


## Gibson A5

Wow, I hate to show my Trash after those two fantastic instruments. Here are a few more pic of my first Lefty (mando #4)in progress.
Bill Pruitt

----------


## Gibson A5

Another

----------


## Gibson A5

and another

----------


## Gibson A5

The last for now.
Bill P.

----------


## Chris Baird

Hey Bill, You better watch out, you're going to ruin your reputation; those mandos look mighty artistic   Nice work!

----------


## Antlurz

Bill...

The way the quilt pattern follows the profile of that last one is stone freaky. 

You ought to make em ALL that way.  

Ron

----------


## van

Bill...Now this is freaky!

----------


## Dfyngravity

aliens have returned!

----------


## bluegrassplayer

I think this is where you guys told me to post my pictures.
This is the binding being glued onto my fretboard.
Is this an acceptable glueing proceedure?

----------


## Jim Rowland

If it works for you,it's acceptable.
Jim

----------


## martinedwards

Darned right!!

Inovation is where tradition starts

I've not bound a neck yet, but that looks as good a way as any!!

----------


## M. Montgomery

I made a "little" progress on my piccolo. #It looks small in front of the mandola.

----------


## buddyellis

Cross posted from the builder forum.

This is my first build, an IV kit, and I've had it about a month and a half.

I've finally broken down, dissapointed with previous finishing attempts, and gone with a spirit varnish finish and am currently starting to french polish the instrument. Steep learning curve, but its turning out pretty good. 

Lessons learned so far:

1. Lint Free Cloth, Lint Free Cloth, Lint Free Cloth.

2. Learning when enough rubbing is enough. It's easy to overdo one area and end up creating alot of work for yourself.

3. Use an adequate amount of oil. I was afraid of using too much. Dont float the thing in it, but a drop or two every time you recharge the muneca with shellac is fine, or whenever it starts sticking.

4. Keep the muneca SPOTLESSLY clean. Any dust that shows up on the face of the thing will either scratch the top or end up embedded in the top, and its a nightmare to get those specks out, as far as I can tell. Any suggestions other than sanding them out lightly, and not letting them get there in the first place?

Did I say Lint free cloth?

Here's how it looks so far:


More here: Mandolin Polishing

----------


## JEStanek

That looks great!  Did you get some stain on the fretboard binding to tone the bright white down or is that jsut reflected color?

Jamie

----------


## buddyellis

> Did you get some stain on the fretboard binding to tone the bright white down or is that jsut reflected color?
> 
> Jamie


Thanks!

I'm using a medium-dark amber shellac. Not sure if I intend to scrape them down afterwards, or even it up all around and leave it someone toned down. I think I like the amber binding look, personally, presuming I can get the color even all around.

----------


## Bill Snyder

> Originally Posted by  (JEStanek @ May 19 2006, 14:22)
> 
> Did you get some stain on the fretboard binding to tone the bright white down or is that jsut reflected color?
> 
> Jamie
> 
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> I'm using a medium-dark amber shellac. #Not sure if I intend to scrape them down afterwards, or even it up all around and leave it someone toned down. #I think I like the amber binding look, personally, presuming I can get the color even all around.


You did not shellac the fingerboard did you?

----------


## buddyellis

> You did not shellac the fingerboard did you?


Not purposefully. I got a bit on the very end there, but I'll wipe that off when I'm done with the alcohol. I didn't varnish the neck at all, I'm using oil there for a better neck feel (I despise sticky necks). That it still 'in progress' so there's some cleanup to do.

----------


## oldwave maker

another ovalhole back, shellac sealed and ready for binding scraping, lotta these reddish bursts goin on, a spring/summer color?:

----------


## testore

Purdy as ever Bill. You don't mask off the binding first? 3M makes some stuff for pinstriping cars that is available at auto parts stores.LMI also has some stuff from 3M but it's adhesive was a little too week.On an A model it takes about 10 mintutes to apply. Once I tried it I never went back.
Gary

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I'm just getting this ready for a sunburst. Stay tuned for more.

----------


## ShaneJ

Holy cow!!!

----------


## c3hammer

I'm sorry Jim, but you just can't put anything over that. A little honey tint and it's as good as it gets 

Cheers,
Pete

----------


## Burner

Nice Jim - I hear it's pretty tough to bend quilted sides like those.

----------


## Kevin K

Jim, Yeah just a little amber tint. Too pretty to hide any of that. Very nice looking A.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

The toughest wood to bend for me is the stuff Old Standard supplies with their backs. It's dead quartered and so curly that you can see light through it. This was a breeze in comparison.

----------


## amowry

I'm glad I'm not the only one has had problems with that wood. I nearly went mad bending the cutaway for an octave made with that stuff. Looks nice, though!

----------


## oldwave maker

Jim- looks like I need to raid your dumpster again!
Gary- I cut the blue 3m masking tape into 3/16 strips for taping off the binding on the sides, leaving mostly that .060 on the top and back to scrape- do you have a tape thin enough for that?

----------


## JEStanek

Bill,
I don't know if they still make this stuff in the day and age of desktop publishing but, in 1990-1992 at our school newspaper you could get hairline tape for making boxes around text or advertizement layouts. It cuts very smoothly with an exacto knife and wasn't too sticky (as it is going on plastic it shouldn't be a big deal). I wish I could remember a name brand. My quick google was a bust. Check at a drafting supplies or at your local newpaper...

Jamie

----------


## testore

Bill,it does come in different sizes but I mask the side first then the top and fold it over. I guess scraping the .06 from the top isn't such a hastle. None of it's fun. Jamie, keep looking. I haven't found the perfect stuff yet. The stuff from auto supply places is spendy and the 3M stuff wasn't tacky enough.

----------


## mandomaniac

Here is the back of the twin to one I posted under 'Crazy Construction' a bit ago. Waiting to cure out for buffing.
Do blondes really have more fun?
Hope so! Sure shows the bird's eye better.......

----------


## Austin Clark

This one is coming out shortly...

----------


## Austin Clark

and the back...

----------


## Steve Hinde

Black A model. In the finishing stages now. Waiting for the rains to stop to get the humidity down for the lacquer. This one has permanent electronics installed with a pre-amp, battery box and piezo sound board transducer.The back has the flame showing very lightly through the black. Hard to get a good picture of it. It is amazing how the binding shows color better when it gets thin.

Steve

----------


## Steve Hinde

Binding

----------


## Steve Hinde

Finger board 
I put a thin strip of Ebony on the sides to bind the board and hide the fret ends.

----------


## Steve Hinde

Top body binding and electronics port

----------


## Ted Eschliman

> Here is the back of the twin to one I posted under 'Crazy Construction' a bit ago. Waiting to cure out for buffing.


My favorite shape, Tom, and a stunning piece of wood to boot. Definitley a blonde to snuggle up with...

----------


## mandomaniac

Thanks Ted,
This blonde might have a bus ticket west pretty soon ....  
Stay tuned,
Tom

----------


## testore

Here are three coming up. Gonna try and keep one for MYSELF. From left to right,double bound blonde and tortoise to be,standard top bound sunburst, and a sidebound sunburst for me.

----------


## testore

Here's a quicky of the blonde and tortoise after the first varnish application.Never done one like this and I'm LOVING it

----------


## c3hammer

Yeah Gary! Now that's what I've been telling your for years. Hehehehehe 

Cheers,
Pete

----------


## kyblue

Gary,

That's awesome. I love the blonde/tortoise combo.

Paula

----------


## testore

Well she's done now and playing really nice. here are a couple more.Thanks 
Gary

----------


## testore

another

----------


## testore

last one.

----------


## martinedwards

some of the free walnut I got last week and a little spruce for a top.

Now I sit back & wait for international postage to bring me t'other bits from stewmac......

binding router cutter, binding, purfling, trussrod, fingerboard, tuners & tailpiece.........

yup, it's a micro dreadnought.....

I suppose that makes it a Corvette?

----------


## PaulD

Gary, 

That's beautiful. That back & side wood is excellent... great work! 

pd

----------


## stout1

Gary,

Do you have a picture of the headstock from the front, straight on? #Looks interesting, but it is tough to see on the angle.

Thanks, Nate

----------


## testore

Here you go Nate.

----------


## testore

A little blurry but you get the idea. Thanks for the comments everyone.

----------


## martinedwards

Progress on the Mandonaught......

All bound (rosewood) and purfled (maple)



Neck all shaped too.......




Hopefully tomorrow is cutting the neck pocket & sanding ready for finish.

----------


## martinedwards

more progress on the mandonaught.....

----------


## Steve Hinde

MA#2 Black buffed out and strung up. Playing it a little before final polishing and sending it out.

----------


## Steve Hinde

Electronics

----------


## Steve Hinde

The back.

----------


## martinedwards

All done with the Mandonaught.....

----------


## markishandsome

Jeez Martin, I can't believe how fast you got that little guy together! I built a similar instrument last year and it took me four months. Looks great too.

----------


## martinedwards

Ah but I have the pressure of the end of school term next Friday when I get locked out of my workshop for two months!!!!

That's a bit of a motivator!!!!

----------


## testore

Here's the brother to the blonde and tortoise posted earlier just after color and varnish application

----------


## PaulD

Just a second... let me go get my sunglasses! Great color Gary!

pd

----------


## testore

I was a little scared,but the pic is a little too flourescent.I wanted something a little modern looking....think I did it.

----------


## oldwave maker

like it says on that golf commercial- these guys are good! Eric's gom stained, shellaced, varnished, awaiting rubout

----------


## mandoman15

the gom awesomei love the FLAME!!!! anymore pics of that one mr. bussman?

----------


## oldwave maker

Attempt to show recurve, went to its new home in salt lake city before I could shoot more....Tims in white behind:

----------


## oldwave maker

Shellac sealer coats on Nats dark chocolate and Tims french vanilla goms:

----------


## labraid

"gifts of the spirit." love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Nine fruits. Thanks revray, something to meditate on while a cutting.........

----------


## revray

This beautiful carved soundhole is part of the new F4 Brian is building for me. It is based on a design from the Shaker tradition called the "Tree of Life." In this version each of the fruits represents one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit listed by St. Paul in Galatians 5:22. Brian is an amazingly talented artist in addition to his obvious gifts as a luthier. I can't wait for this mandolin to be finished.

----------


## JEStanek

That looks really inspirational. That Brian Dean just keeps raising the bar.

Jamie

----------


## otterly2k

Wowee! Love that tree!~

----------


## mandoman15

holy cow (pun may or may not be intended)

----------


## otterly2k

Rev-- willya tell Brian to post some in-progress pics on his website already?!

btw-- when I clicked on your links, my computer read them as Publisher files... I couldn't open them. Can you post them as .jpg files?

----------


## revray

Sorry about all the confusion. I think I've converted these to jpeg format. So here we go with the latest pictures of my new Brian Dean F4 soon to be residing in the beautiful mountains of Eastern Kentucky otherwise known as God's Country.

----------


## revray

and the second

----------


## otterly2k

Thanks, Rev! 
That sure is looking fine!
Someday maybe I'll have the $ available to order me one of those...meanwhile, I can vicariously enjoy watching yours come together.

----------


## markishandsome

So is this going to be one of those fiddle-style jobs with the overhanging edges and inlaid purfling? Way cool.

----------


## revray

Yes this mandolin will have violin style edges with inlaid purfling, Waverly tuners and Brian's own design floating ebony tailpiece. Haven't quite settled on a finish at the moment but likely something violinish.

----------


## bluegrassplayer

Here is my first attempt at binding on my IV. I have a little more to go, but it is close enough.

----------


## bluegrassplayer

Here is the headstock.

----------


## bluegrassplayer

Here is a preview of what it will look like (still trying to figure out an inlay to go between the string posts):

----------


## Darren Kern

Micah, nice job. Very good inlay work, is that your first attempt? If so, that's fantastic. My first one was a real challenge. Here's a pic of my #3 which is also an IV kit. I just strung it up about an our ago. The action is a little low but the bridge is almost all the way down, so I'll be able to raise it easily. It sounds even better than my first, which I'm very happy about. I can tell I'm going to have to do some fret levelling, but that's to be expected.

----------


## Darren Kern

Here's my headstock with my new logo that I'll be using from now on.

EDIT: Yeah, I know the nut fit isn't good, I've got a plastic nut just tack glued in there, as well as a rosewood bridge. I'll be replacing the nut with bone and the bridge with ebony, as soon as I'm done setting them up.

----------


## revray

Some more pictures of my new Brian Dean F4

----------


## revray

one more

----------


## revray

another

----------


## revray

the last for now

----------


## troika

That may be the nicest non-traditional headstock I have ever seen. Beautiful Mandolin. Congradulations, give us a review when you get it.

----------


## jim simpson

I'm having a hard time trying not to covet my neighbors mandolin!

----------


## revray

More pics of Brian Dean's latest piece of mandolin artistry.

----------


## revray

Floating ebony tailpiece.

----------


## revray

Latest pictures from Brian Dean. This bridge is an experimental model based on the bridge of a baroque violin.

----------


## mandoman15

ooh we need more pictures!!!!

----------


## revray

Another

----------


## revray

One more

----------


## otterly2k

Ray-- it just keeps getting better and better! Shall I assume that the stained bit under the raised fingerboard is the color the whole instrument will eventually be?

----------


## revray

Yes, Brian stained under the fingerboard extension and is even now finishing up the staining and varnishing.

----------


## cooper4205

what is wrapped around the tailpiece at the bottom, looks like rope. very cool mandolin, the tailpiece especially

----------


## revray

This tailpiece which Brian designed is truly a floating tailpiece just like a violin. Not sure what the material he used in the tailpiece fastener is.

----------


## otterly2k

my guess would be some sort of waxed cord

whatever it is, it's cool.

----------


## revray

Brian decided his experimental bridge might not be viable in the long run, so he redesigned it to still have a baroque feel but be more stable. Here is a picture. What do you think?

----------


## Brad Weiss

> Here is a picture. What do you think?


What do I think? I think you're having more fun than a barrel of monkeys!! This might not be the mandolin I'd want, but the design, artistry, innovation, and execution of this work are stunning!!

----------


## revray

Brad, you're correct working with Brian is a blast. He is so creative and willing to try almost anything. His work is superb. I'd say flawless but we all know flawless doesn't exist. You're also right in that Brian's mandolins are not going to be everyone's cup of tea and I think that's OK with him. I have heard a sound file of this mando in the white and I can tell you the tone is wonderful. I am chomping at the bit to play her myself.

----------


## oldwave maker

TL GOM on the way out the door, NR C# strung in the white

----------


## markishandsome

> Brian decided his experimental bridge might not be viable in the long run, so he redesigned it to still have a baroque feel but be more stable. Here is a picture. What do you think?



Aw, I thought the little one was way cute, can he do both?

----------


## otterly2k

I like the longer one...and think it's likely to be better for the top... distributing the pressure a bit more.

----------


## JEStanek

I like the longer one as well. The other was too.... banjoish. Brian Dean continues to amaze me with where he is taking the instrument.

Jamie

----------


## Ted Eschliman

"Nice, Bill!" he feigned selfishly knowing his was in the pipeline not too much longer after theirs. 
_(It's always all about *me*)_

----------


## revray

Latest from Brian Dean. One piece claro walnut back. How sweet it is.

----------


## grandmainger

Here's my latest one, in progress...


Germain

----------


## revray

Here is the latest picture from Brian Dean of my new F4. Brian calls it a teaser. I call it torture.

----------


## Jim Garber

> Latest pictures from Brian Dean. This bridge is an experimental model based on the bridge of a baroque violin.


revray:
Please explain the reasoning behind that kind of bridge and the sound you are looking for.

Jim

----------


## revray

The bridge in question was primarily an attempt to continue the overall violin aesthetic of the instrument. Brian decided the bridge likely wouldn't work and designed another which can be seen in one of the other pictures. This is not intended to be a bluegrass mandolin. What I play is primarily folk, old time, celtic and classical including a lot of church music (I am a Methodist pastor). I am looking for a sound which is sweeter, less edgy, or harsh than a typical bluegrass instrument. From the sound clip Brian sent me of this mando in the white, I think he has achieved that goal.

----------


## revray

Here are the latest pictures from Brian Dean of my new mando. It just keeps getting better.

----------


## revray

Another

----------


## otterly2k

jeepers... what's not to like?!

but I especially like Brian's take on the scroll, and also the fretboard inlays...

----------


## oldwave maker

the quilt C# is from a plank I got from Spruce with a 9/78 date on it, the color comes from a can of ancient partially evaporated turpentine, the birdseye was brought out to a tin shed in truth or consequences nm in 1980 by a retired snowbird dairyfarmer who cut it on his maine farm in the mid 70's, that one has a bearclaw engelmann old standard top and sides from Spruce's 1880's salvaged birdseye flooring pile, sounds like dark chocolate with medium red chile powder mixed in. the quilt more like milk chocolate with no chile..... 
cutting binding channels on yours today Ted!

----------


## Lane Pryce

Real smooth Bill. Lp

----------


## JEStanek

Bill,
Your descriptions sound more like a menu than a list of materials. #I'm left wanting mole (sauce at least). #Beautiful.

Jamie

----------


## oldwave maker

Thanks, I became a luthier because I couldnt find work as a chocolate tester! If Rigel had made an R100 mandocello it might have looked something like dr bob's french polished big blonde bomber, front of that quilt C# for scale:

----------


## Ted Eschliman

> cutting binding channels on yours today Ted!


_Sweetness!_

----------


## otterly2k

VERY cool 'cello, Bill!

----------


## oldwave maker

Still no adult supervision here in oldwave holler! MR 10 string dola with flame redwood top, SP quilt/engelmann ovalhole, TE solocomp engelmann 4 string dola:

----------


## Michael Lewis

Bill, what's all that green stuff in the background? I thought you lived in New Mexico. You know, dry, desert, dessicated, no humidity, rocks and lizards and thorny vegetation.

----------


## Antlurz

Hint: He's upside down. Ergo, he's down under in Australia.  

Ron

----------


## oldwave maker

The closer you get to the spirit river mando vortex, the more they turn tail up and head toward the pole shifting light! After the driest decade in the 2000 yr tree ring record, we've had the wettest august ever, with 6 weeks of wild 5 mile kayaking to the rio grande, and fields of flowers never seen before, interspersed with dying 500 yr old sycamores, strange brew indeed.....

----------


## Antlurz

Do the wound strings have to be wound in reverse to stay in tune down there?

Ron

----------


## mandoman15

no but the scrolls surely have to curl counter-clockwise....

----------


## mandoman15

I just got in the first pics of my a-5 in progress from Allen Jones of glenn mandolins. he didn't specify which rim or plate was mine specifically, but at this point i don't mind the looks of either of them... he's been great to work with, luthiers ussually are. i think it has something to do with being cut off from human contact, slaving over tone wood all the time.

----------


## mandoman15

cant get the pics to the right size. why is this so hard...

----------


## oldwave maker

Mandoman- if you download googles free photo software 'picasa' you can set any photo to a max side of 550 pix or so, this shot is 550 high x 220 wide.
back of mr 10 string dola with old turp wash, more Spruce 9/78 quilt, 5 on a side grovers made from 2 sets:

----------


## piknleft

The blossom of a lefty oval flowering somewhere in the Old Wave arbor is starting to keep me awake at nights. Damn Bill, them all be so purty! Mike

----------


## ab4usa

Mike,

I have a lefty A5 from Bill. As a natural lefty himself he has a warm spot in his heart for us southpaws.

----------


## grandmainger

> cant get the pics to the right size. why is this so hard...


 Read my signature! Hope it helps!
Germain

----------


## oldwave maker

That 10, 8 and 4 string starting the cure, I sure like wood! Thanks Bruce.....

----------


## Ted Eschliman

> That 10, 8 and 4 string starting the cure...


A "cure" for my MAS...

Stunning!

----------


## Duc Vu

> A "cure" for my MAS...


 Really? or just a temporary salve?

----------


## berkeleymando

Bill what is the scale legnth of the ten string dola?

Is it designed for cgdae tuning? Thanks very fine looking mandos there buddy.

----------


## tin ben dur

Cox#1 First build. Maybe I will be done by this time next year. I want to add virzi. California Redwood. I hope these pics come out nice.

----------


## tin ben dur

This should be the back. Curly maple maybe.

----------


## tin ben dur

I have kinda got my cart before my horse. I had to have this case so I bought it before I got my mandolin built.

----------


## jimbob

who made the case ? Looks nice.

----------


## tin ben dur

Thanks jimbob. I ordered it from Jeff at GWW. It took awhile to get it but the wait was worth it. It is a very nice case. I guess it is like the vintage ones from long ago. Thanks for the reply.

----------


## jimbob

BTW...looks like you're off to a good start on the mando too. I sure didn't intend to overlook that !!!

----------


## tin ben dur

Thanks jimbob. If you call Jeff at GWW, tell him Ben from Tn told you to call him. He is a good guy.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I've been working on this Bennedetto inspired 5-string. I needed a piece of binding that I didn't have for the heelcap so I took this same shot before it was installed to show Bill James what it was I needed.
 I liked that picture so much, I took it again this morning with the finished heel.

----------


## Eric F.

Jim, show us more, you tease!

----------


## Austin Clark

Cool Jim. Can you give a bigger shot for scale?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I'm getting it ready for finish and the peghead and fingerboard are all taped off.
 One interesting feature is the hole in the bout. While in Bennedetto's book there is only one instrument in the photo's with a strap button there, but it seems like the best option to me. I guess most of the cool jazz players sit to play.
 But I forgot to put some backing inside for it. So yesterday, I made a support to fit and drilled the hole. No turning back now. I used some fine wire to fish from the hole and out the f-hole. I drilled a small hole in the backing support piece and ran a very small machine screw threw it and taped it onto the wire. Put on a lot of Titebond and fished it through so the screw came out the hole and with a washer and nut tightened it so it clamped it in place. I was able to see that everything was lined up right by looking through the endpin hole.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Oh, as far as size, think mandola.
One nice thing about this design is that there is only one miter joint to make in the binding and it's a 45 degree.
 Easier than an A style with a heel button.

----------


## jimbob

Very nice looking instrument, Jim. Is it going to be amplified ?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Hi, Jim.
 It is intended to be primarily electric, but the acoustic properties of the instrument greatly effect how it sounds wired.

----------


## jimbob

Can't wait to see the finished product sitting on "the Chair" !!!

----------


## Gail Hester

A new H5 mandola starting to come together, Red Maple & Red Spruce, single binding, Ebony points.

----------


## Mike Handley

Here's a couple of solidbodys in the works.

----------


## tin ben dur

First time rim set. I hope it stays together.

----------


## oldwave maker

Double ovalation, np righty top, mm lefty bottom

----------


## oldwave maker

Engelmann tops of same, no turpentine

----------


## piknleft

OK, I'm a bit excited, but I think I've got it now. The righty's pointin' to the left and the lefty's pointin' to the right. Absolutely lovin' it, Bill. I lean back, close my eyes,
and dream with my ears. Many thanks, Mike

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's another sneaky preview.
 After spraying, I put it in a vise in the shop while I was cleaning the gun and this was how the fall sun was hitting it so I had to get the pic.

----------


## amowry

Beautiful, Jim!

----------


## Hans

Latest Eclipse in ivoriod. Destined to be purple-grape color.

----------


## DryBones

love that headstock!

----------


## Antlurz

....and that lower point will definitely be muchly appreciated by the guy who does his pickin' sitting down with the mando resting on his lap.

Ron

----------


## Hans

[QUOTE]
...and that lower point will definitely...

In this case, "gal".

----------


## Mark Franzke

Very cool design! Plus your workmanship is inspiring.

----------


## oldwave maker

Last of santas workshop 2006, ready again for stain, sprain, train and plain......hopefully no rain, at least for a week or so.

----------


## Don Grieser

Bill,

Finally someone has come up with a sensible endpin that won't fall out and your strap won't slip off of. About time.

----------


## Gibson A5

Pruitt #6 well on it's way.

----------


## Gibson A5

Another

----------


## Gibson A5

Still another.

----------


## Gibson A5

Last for now.

----------


## ab4usa

IT's Right Handed! You've gone over to the dark side!

----------


## tin ben dur

I have got my rim set together but I have a gap. Its that little piece on the lowr point and main. Can this just be filled with putty or a filler. I need help. Thanks.

----------


## Bill Snyder

> Can this just be filled with putty or a filler. I need help. #Thanks.


Of course it can .... but it will look like it was filled with putty.

----------


## tin ben dur

Its my first so I don't guess it has to be perfect but what is the best thing to fill it with. Or I could take it off and try to fit another piece in.

----------


## Bill Snyder

Fendoman a picture might help.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Two more underway. Should be finished around March.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

The fun part, in the mould.
These are the last two using this mould,
as I will retire it and build a new and better one.

----------


## Gibson A5

Wow Stephanie, your "C" clamps look as old and rusty as mine. They must have came from the same junk pile !
Nice work on the rims. I keep making new and improved rim molds, but the mandos still always come out looking the same.
Bill P.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

> Wow Stephanie, your "C" clamps look as old and rusty as mine. #They must have came from the same junk pile !
> Nice work on the rims. #I keep making new and improved rim molds, but the mandos still always come out looking the same.
> Bill P.


Thanks, Bill.
Yep, they're some old clamps of my Dad's.
I need to make some cam clamps really bad.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

So far, so good.

----------


## oldwave maker

Election day or not, beam me up scotty! hard to tell its a lefty, except that lefties have such good taste........

----------


## kyblue

Nice color! (but, the bourbon needs an upgrade...)

Paula

----------


## oldwave maker

Mike spec'd uniform jim beam, the only upgrade from there #is Woodford burst!

----------


## DryBones

got anything in a Christian Brothers Brandy?

----------


## piknleft

Thank you Bill. I think I'll go ice me a few fingers worth and lust over the pics ya sent me. Just gorgeous! Mike

----------


## oldwave maker

Mike's Jim Beam fully satinized

----------


## oldwave maker

sun done burst, shiny objects

----------


## kyblue

Bill,

That Woodford is the upgrade I had in mind! 

Looking good.

Paula

----------


## Duc Vu

Oldwave Maker is bad for my MAS

----------


## JEStanek

Bill just increased my BAS.

Nice day for it in the Philly burbs. Cold and wet.

Jamie

----------


## mandomick

> Oldwave Maker is bad for my MAS


Yep, viewing pics of Bill's mandos will definitely enhance the effects of MAS. Just buy one and it'll go away forever: or........(small print)can possibly make you want to buy another. (if this feeling lasts for more than 4 hrs, consult a physician.

----------


## Christopher Standridge

I thought these looked cool on the bench. Paul's on the right, J.A.'s in the middle, unclaimed blonde in front.

----------


## Christopher Standridge

backs of

----------


## Christopher Standridge

This one is my first blonde

----------


## Jack Roberts

in progress

----------


## Jack Roberts

and the top and sides

....more to come

----------


## Christopher Standridge

one more, this one went to it's home last week. Thanks for all the wood goes to Bruce @ Orca's Tone Wood and Jim @ Old Standard. If you happen to have an itch for some good wood, either of those guys will hook you up! 

 Here it is in the white... notice the streaks of color. Those didn't appear until I started shaping the outside bowl...

----------


## Christopher Standridge

and with color...

----------


## Eric F.

Sweet!

----------


## Jack Roberts

rubber banded. No, I'm not making it, it is being built for me. Any guesses?

----------


## Jonas

Coombe, or Old Wave.

----------


## Jack Roberts

Jonas, you only get one guess!

----------


## Jack Roberts

clamped fingerboard.

----------


## sgarrity

Looks suspiciously like an Old Wave to me

----------


## otterly2k

that would be my guess as well.

----------


## oldwave maker

Coombe!

----------


## Jack Roberts

Aww, heck, Bill...That just ain't fair! So, O.K., it's a Coombe. But what kind of Coombe?

First coat of varnish.

----------


## Jim M.

> So, O.K., it's a Coombe. #But what kind of Coombe?


The Coombes I've played have been wonderful instruments.
My guess: European Spruce / Myrtle

----------


## Jack Roberts

Right on the materials, Jim. Also, one piece back, seen below with its first coat of varnish. The one piece back is not found in every Coombe, and even more unusual because this is a ....... (fill in the blank)

----------


## Jim M.

> The one piece back is not found in every Coombe, and even more unusual because this is a ....... (fill in the blank)


Looking at the mando compared to the chair, I just realized it's an octave mando. Is this Peter's first OM? That should be sweet!

----------


## sgarrity

Maybe it's a mandola......don't see many of those with a one piece back and it would explain the size.

Shaun

----------


## Jack Roberts

Shaun wins bragging rights for the size, and Jim wins for the materials. Bill is DQ'ed (sorry, Bill)

That would be cool if it were an octave mandola. Maybe next time. 

Thanks for playing my little guessing game. I have been waiting a long time, but Peter has been terrific to work with: he speaks my language, although with an Aussie twang. Maybe it's because we are both 1918 A-1 owners.

I've still got a few weeks to go, and I'll keep you posted.

The picture below shows the one I played a few years back that convinced me to order a Coombe Mandola.

Jack

----------


## Jim M.

Very cool Jack! The last Coombe I tried was a mandola, and I would have bought it but somebody beat me to it. Have fun playing it!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Coming soon to a Cafe near you.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

A little closer.

----------


## grandmainger

Wow! That one-piece back is VERY VERY nice! Really nice figure. Love it!

----------


## Mike Crocker

Looks like how sand forms at the bottom of the lake. Amazing! 

Peace, Mooh.

----------


## Gail Hester

Here's my latest being varnished, an H5 style mandola, red spruce/red maple.

----------


## jasona

Nice work Gail!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Jim H. and Gail both...
your work is very very inspiring to me.
Just beautiful!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

> For those that don't know I have had Gail's wonderful F4 a couple weeks (yea the one with the Virzi / Herzi) ---the pictures that were posted here DO NOT even come close to the in hand inspection. #and the sound OMG!!! #I will be posting a review here soon for those interested.
> 
> 
> mandopLuker (shayne)


Shane, WOw...you own the F-4 that Gail had built!
THat instrument, plus a couple others have inspired me to build an F-4 next (after my current litter of 2 F-5's and then a guitar).
Contrats!
Looking forward to the review.
Gail certainly is an inspiration to me.

----------


## Jack Roberts

The latest mandola in progress photo from Peter.

----------


## piknleft

Bill sent me these final pics before shipment...Old Wave Lefty Oval Back....

----------


## piknleft

Front.......

----------


## testore

WOW nice stuff everyone. Gail are you going to SuperGrass/Loar fest? I'll have a mandola very similar to that one with me I hope. Would love to see some of your stuff.

----------


## piknleft

And headstock...It's been a fun ride. It's s'pose to start it's travel home tomorrow. Many, many, thanks Bill. I hope I can do it justice.

----------


## Lee

Stunning headstock!
Black veneer is so overdone. Refreshing to see something different.
How does Bill describe the woods? (He's always so precise with descriptions...)

----------


## man doh

Reverse "wave logo" for the lefty. I like it.

----------


## piknleft

The headstock was all Bill's. I told him I like a bound heastock but an unbound fingerboard. He suggested a figured maple stained to match the sides and back. I couldn't be more pleased with the look. The "Old Wave" on the tailpiece was engraved to be read when played by a lefty. Yes children, Santa does play an upright bass.

----------


## Ted Eschliman

As if we weren't already aware of Bill's prolific genius, look what he's getting ready to send me:

.

----------


## Ted Eschliman

And the back:

.

----------


## oldwave maker

Mikes peghead is 1981 quilted maple from Bruce Harvie,
Teds electrified has his new smoooth labella strings, very focused fundamental like thomastiks, got lost in my blues deluxe reverb just testing it!
In between those two I put the label in #400:

----------


## oldwave maker

#400 back:

----------


## cooper4205

is that for sale? i'm in love with that a-style

----------


## jasona

#400 is a beauty Bill! Congrats on building half of 800 mandolins (and related goodies)!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, Gail, Bill those instruments are incredible! Your work is always perfect!!

----------


## markishandsome

They say the first 400 is allways the hardest.

----------


## kyblue

Whoa! I'd love to hear that new one that's going to Ted.

It certainly looks HOT!

Paula

----------


## mandopete

I think we need a new category on the cafe called the *drool section*!

----------


## Ted Eschliman

Pete, as the originator of a thread that's posted over 243,072 views here (Post a Picture of Yourself), I think you're entitled to author a new thread, "The Drool Section;" Instruments we covet, but probably won't ever have.

Your move...

----------


## mandopete

243,074 views as of today - that's only 6,926 shy of a half a million. Who'd a thunk?

----------


## bluegrassplayer

A half or a quarter?

6,925 to go.

----------


## JEStanek

He didn't specify units... If each view is two eyes that's almost 1/2 million eyes.  
Jamie

----------


## mandopete

oops, my bad - just like McDonald's hamburgers I guess.

----------


## testore

Black and Tan teaser. Still needing the rest of the varnish. Getting ready for Xmas.

----------


## testore

Better pic I hope

----------


## testore

back

----------


## Lee

Bill, Congrats on #400. I remember eyeballing #17 at Elderly many years ago and still have the photo they mailed me (pre-internet). 
You've changed your F-holes now?

----------


## squirrelabama

Wow Gary!!! That is one of my favorite color combos on a mandolin. I have often thought of asking you to refinish the top of mine in black, but then come to my senses. The topon mine is way to gorgeous to hide! 

Curious, I noticed in the picture that the fingerboard extention is a bit longer than mine is it different? Cant wait to see the finished masterpiece!!

----------


## testore

Geoff,
It's the same length but yours is shaped like my F's. This one is squared off.

----------


## Jack Roberts

Tuners installed on the mandola. (thanks for the photo, Peter)

----------


## amowry

Here are a few headstocks I've been working on this week. The apple tree inlay on this first one was drawn by my customer's 15 year-old daughter.

----------


## amowry

This next one is for an A5 with a bit of an art deco flare. The sides are amboyna burl (fun stuff to work with, smells good too).

----------


## amowry

Standard F5, but with tortoise binding this time.

----------


## piknleft

Wow! Just beautiful! I really like the tree. 'Lil bit o' Grit Laskin.

----------

Your apple tree inlay is quite beautiful.
Its the most original thing i have seen, never mind Gibson torch inlay, old hat, you are a forward thinking artisan obviously.
Mindbending.

----------


## Mandoborg

BEAUTIFUL work as usual Andrew ! I'm with Dawg on the Appletree inlay. Gibsons crack-down on there old and tired inlay might have been the best thing in the mando-lutherie world because i think it has created a wonderful ' new' thinking and people are starting to accept a little more daring stuff now ! I'm partial to that A5 headstock myself, that is really well done !! I also like how you deal with the headstock scroll binding, if i ever have to do another 'traditional' shaped F-5 headstock, i'll have to remember that little trick...simple... yet BRILLIANT as the Guiness guys would say !

GREAT job as always !

Jim Combra

----------


## Hans

The Deco "A" headstock is lovely Andrew! A's are so much fun to experiment with.

----------


## stevem

Looks fantastic Andrew. I really like the apple tree and the art deco, but that tortoise binding, WOW! (It's mine.  ) I'm happy to see others are letting you out of the traditional mold a little more than me. I'm liking the no truss rod look too. It cleans up the headstock nicely. (Andrew switched to carbon fiber reinforcement bars.)

----------


## bush-man

WOW!!! I love that apple head stock. Lovely work. 

russell

----------


## Antlurz

You did really nice on the apple tree, but the young girl that designed it deserves a big kudos as well!

Ron

----------


## Brad Weiss

> The Deco "A" headstock is lovely Andrew! #A's are so much fun to experiment with.


 # #

This one's mine!! I even helped Andrew design it!! (He get's ALL the credit for the inspiration and execution though!)

Can't wait to see it up close!

----------

hey Amowry, 
Can we see the full instruments?
They must be shockingly good.

----------


## P Josey

Those are so nice Andrew....WOW !!!

----------


## Lane Pryce

Wow that apple tree inlay is exceptional. Brad your A headstock design is just pristine --- I can't wait to see the rest of it! Steve the tortoise binding is supurb.

You guys have to post more of your pics!!! They may seem redundant but we/I really enjoy those process photos.

Best to ya all. Lp

----------


## stevem

Ok, since you twisted my arm...  I only have smaller pics so far on mine. Here are 2...

----------


## stevem

I was uncertain about going with tortoise, but I'm very glad I did after the pics started coming in.

----------


## Brad Weiss

Ok, me too

----------


## Brad Weiss

And the back

----------


## tattiemando

Fantasic mandolin headstocks, its cool to see other designs as well. Please continue to display Andrew Mowry's work as I enjoy watching a mandolin take shape.

----------


## Mark Walker

Beautiful grain on both of those backs! Can't wait to see them stained and varnished!

----------


## tattiemando

How many mandolins are you building in this batch Andrew?

----------


## Brad Weiss

> Beautiful grain on both of those backs! #Can't wait to see them stained and varnished! #


Pretty sure these are cut from the same slab of quilted maple- this one, in fact.

Right stevem?

----------


## stevem

Mine's big leaf maple actually (one piece). Engelmann top.

----------


## stevem

That's one crazy piece of quilted maple though! I like it. Tattie: I think he does 4 at a time. Here's one last pic...

----------


## barry k

My take on an F 4 style, joined at 15th fret, X braced with Virzi, sycamore back,sides and mahogany neck w/ ebony center strip. this was a fun build, be even more fun to hear it !

----------


## barry k

...and the back

----------


## maddog

I'm the proud, soon-to-be owner of the appletree headstock mandolin and the proud father of a talented, 15 year old daughter. #Working with Andrew on the design aspects has been a delight. #He was open to having my daughter design the headstock. Andrew has kept me posted on all the developmental milestones as the project developed. There was a smooth interchange of ideas and technical requirements that brought her graphic design to life. #And thanks everyone's enthusiastic comments. #I can't wait to get my hands on this mando!

----------


## amowry

Thanks for the kind comments, folks, and yes, Mark's daughter Sarah gets all the credit for the tree inlay design.

Craig, I am building four in this batch--there's an octave in there too. Maybe I'll post a few more pics once the necks are on and they're all cleaned up a little.

Nice F4, Barry! I like the rays on the back.

----------


## jasona

> Thanks for the kind comments, folks, and yes, Mark's daughter Sarah gets all the credit for the tree inlay design.


Is the inlay apple wood?

Andrew, your work just keeps looking better and better--and it started out pretty nice!

----------


## oldwave maker

The circle aint broke, but its freshly bent: gom, mom, dolas, cello, a rims, f rims, no cheesehead, maybe time for a raven or charger mando!

----------


## testore

Just a few pics of the next Vessel F-5. It will be up and running at LoarFest.

----------


## testore

Tortoise points

----------


## testore

These points are two chunks glues together. They are from Red Bear Trading Co. What a great guy to deal with. His pics aren't bad either. He sent me a 1.5mm E model I think. It's my main pic now, I love it, and I have tried EVERYTHING.

----------


## Jerry Byers

Gary, do you have some specs on your new creation?

----------


## testore

There are a few of them.This is a custom job.......in every detail. I'll list a few. Old inlay patterns for the headstock and finger board,black top F2 style with the binding that stops at the scroll, matching headstock binding style,the tortoise points were something I pushed for a little,the owner to be wasn't sure what he wanted. Tortoise binding on the back to blend in with the redish color the sides and back will get. A total homage to the teens f-2 with some added features to make it very personal.Daniel may chime in with his ideas about his wishes. This has been as fun as the Monroe copy I did a while ago. The more I look t the archives the more I love those teens instruments. I think stylisically they trump some Loars, and the work looks to be better than many Loars too.

----------


## Jerry Byers

I love the tortoise points. Gary is definitely on my short list of favorite builders.

----------


## testore

Thanks Jerry,
Going to Loarfest? You can play this honey if you can pry it out of Daniels hands. I'll want it for my booth and I'm sure that'll be tough.

----------


## oldwave maker

I've heard that tortoise makes a swell soup also! dolas and mando in ovalation near the shortest day of the year...

----------


## Daniel Nestlerode

> Daniel may chime in with his ideas about his wishes. This has been as fun as the Monroe copy I did a while ago. The more I look t the archives the more I love those teens instruments. I think stylisically they trump some Loars, and the work looks to be better than many Loars too.


Yep, chiming in... 

Gary and I were in complete accord on the idea of creating a sort of an homage to currently-out-of favor teens Gibsons. #The blacktop, the red color of the back & rims, the headstock inlay and the fretboard inlay are all taken directly from or extrapolated from teens Gibson A-3's and F-2's. # 

Differences from these inspirations are the headstock and fretboard binding to match the top binding and the faux tortoise for the points and the back binding. #Teens F2's did not have headstock fretboard, back binding, or point caps.

Structurally this is still Gary's standard F5.

Gary didn't post this photo but I think you'll like it. #We're going with a one-piece top.

Daniel

----------


## Daniel Nestlerode

BTW, I did promise Gary that if he had the mandolin finished by LoarFest West/SuperGrass he would be able to show it off when I'm not gigging with it. Though that will be a difficult promise to keep, I intend to keep it. Playing Gary's instruments is another good reason to go to Bakerfield instead of watching the Super Bowl.  

Daniel

----------


## testore

!#$& IS THAT SUPERBOWL WEEKEND!

----------


## tin ben dur

Gary if you do not want to go because of a fooz ball game I will take your ticket. Lets see, watch a bunch of guys run around and throw an oblong peice of pig skin or go look some nice mandolins. I choose mandolins. Heck with fooz ball.

----------


## Daniel Nestlerode

It's also likely that Gary and I (since we both live a few hours north of Bakersfield) will be home in time for kickoff. The big men in colorful uniforms and massive padding don't start league sanctioned ritualized violence until 5-ish on Sunday the 4th. SuperGrass is pretty much over by 1 or 2pm on the 4th.

But if it makes you feel any better Gary, there's a sports bar/grill across the street from the venue. I'll be hapy to hang with you and watch the gme there.  Thruth be told I have a minor interest in it, I've got the San Diego Chargers in the family football pool and it looks like I' have a good chance at getting to determine the recipient of the "college fund" this year.  

Daniel

----------


## testore

If my "Boys" make it to the big dance I'll race home for the family atmosphere, but if it's anyone else, it's just another game.

----------


## Hans

What's Superbowl?
Just finished Lloyd 4 and will bring it along with Lloyd 2 and the F-4C to Supergrass.

----------


## testore

Hans,
Is that the same F-4 from last year? I sure hope so. I LOVE that mando.

----------


## Kevin K

Han's what tailpiece do you use? Those are some great looking mandolins.

----------


## kyblue

I love that red finish on the F4. Makes those other 2 look downright dowdy in their brown.

Paula

----------


## Mark Walker

I live in Detroit Lions country. ANY game other than the Lion's games are like Super Bowls to me. So - if I were in that neck of the woods - I'd probably pass on the actual Super Bowl!

----------


## Hans

Gary, it's the same F-4. Kevin, I use the James tailpiece for most all my instruments. KY, can't wait to see some of 

those "dowdy" Loars!

----------


## tin ben dur

Darn nice peices there Hans. Like ta have me one them Lloyds. How much it take ta get one them purdy things? WOW!

----------


## g_mc

Here's my first attempt at building. 11" scale, 3-point oval. No finish on it yet. Trying to get it done as a present for my tot nephew. He's only 3, think I'm pushing it?

----------


## g_mc

shown next to my Rigel for a size comparison:

----------


## Antlurz

That's a trip!  

Oughta be a hoot to play!

Ron

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

> Here's my first attempt at building. #11" scale, 3-point oval. No finish on it yet. Trying to get it done as a present for my tot nephew. #He's only 3, think I'm pushing it?


A piccolo, if you will.

----------


## Michael Lewis

New form for me. 23 1/2" scale. Due around late May.

----------


## Michael Lewis

Kinky walnut.

----------


## Michael Lewis

The figure doesn't show so well in the pic. It is rather extreme. I will put up some pics when it gets finished, next year sometime.

----------


## markishandsome

That looks pretty slick. Do you always leave your plate edges so oversize this far in the carving process?

----------


## Michael Lewis

There is excess material in the button area of the back, but not a lot more than that. It is easier to remove excess material than to put on any that might be missing.

----------


## Mark Walker

Michael - yeah, I've also found it's harder to cut it longer once you've cut it too short!  

Looks great - can't wait for additional pics as it moves along!

----------


## mandolooter

> It is easier to remove excess material than to put on any that might be missing.


Hehehe...I hear that!

----------


## Hans

Lloyd 5...A5 that is...

----------


## John Hill

It's not nice to tease people Hans!



John

----------


## Daniel Nestlerode

> Black and Tan teaser. Still needing the rest of the varnish. Getting ready for Xmas.


(The larger and backside pic are on page 75 of this thread)

I got to play Gary's black and tan on Friday. #This mandolin is built to be sweet! #It's still very green, so the chop hasn't developed yet, and truth be told I'm not sure the owner will be chopping much anyway. #The tone is wonderful: rich round and warm. #It's surprising to hear such depth in a mandolin; Gary's schooling as a violin maker is showing a bit with this one, # 

The owner got it as a surprise Christmas present from his wife. #She used a portion of a small inheritance from the recent death of her mother to finance the purchase. #The card she included with the instrument was a beautiful tear-jerker, expressing how her mother loved to hear the new owner play the mandolin and that she would approve of the purchase.

The payment and the delivery were executed in plain sight of the new owner without him being the wiser! #Wife put check in Christmas card, hand delivered to Gary, Gary popped the trunk remotely she she could retrieve the mandolin while he and the new owner went walking around the property on some other errand. #Very smooth! #  # I wish my wife was that cunning in pursuit of a new hand made instrument for me!

The pictures don't do the instrument justice (they never do) #Gary carved the neck (paddle headstock and all) out of one piece of maple! #I was surprised by that, though I'm gettting to the point where I should expect it. #

Sweet mandolin, sweet Christmas story.

Best,
Daniel

----------


## testore

Daniel,
Thanks for telling the story. I used German spruce for that top after I read here that it produces a sweeter sound. No joke, it sure does. It surprised me some because it had a lot of characteristics of Red Spruce and I graduated the top the way I would have for Red, but it sure is a sweeter sound right off the bat. It suits the new owner perfectly too since he's not strictly a bluegrass player. He loves waltzes and fiddle tunes. He plays mostly fiddle and mostly tinkers on the mando. He's been a friend of mine for about 10 years.It was an honor to build it for him. Oh , and BTW, yours is coming nicely too. I got most of the binding notch cut out last night. We should be on schedule.....stay tuned.

----------


## grandmainger

After a six months hiatus, I finally got around to resuming work on my mando. Cut the neck joint the right way around *THIS TIME * ...
I got the inlay from some guy in Viet Nam... I really can't be asked to cut my own 

Germain

----------


## tortispik

Michael Lewis,I was wondering what all those design elements put together would like,I really like it and can't wait to see the finished instrument.Keep it up.
    Rob

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Just buffed this one up and tried to get a decent shot of it but like they say, it doesn't do it justice.
 Really is a nice board I've had around for a while. Lots of forked flame.

----------


## Kent Barnes

Well, it's been quit a while since I posted on this board. #I've had wood for Harlan #4 for almost a year and a half. #I took Harlan #3 to the Argyle Bluegrass festival last year, and a mandolin player named Bobby Brite with the Clear River Bluegrass Band wound up picking on my mandolin for quite a while. #He emailed back in October and wants me to build one for him. #That gave me the push I needed to get started again. #Here are a few pictures of my progress so far. #Thanks for looking!

----------


## Kent Barnes

Here's a few more. #It's been a good week so far! #

----------


## Troy Harris

Here are a couple photos of my current F5. Im using tortoise binding for the first time. I plan to add color to the varnish and dont want to mess with cleaning varnish off ivoroid binding. I will post more photos after I fit the neck and inlay work.

----------


## Troy Harris

One piece sugar maple back

----------


## brunello97

Beautiful work, Troy-are you planning to leave this blonde (I love blondes.)

And also, thanks Ken, for posting that series of shots of your carving process--it was very informative.

Mick

----------


## Troy Harris

The ground will be amber, but the varnish has a fair amount of natural color in the resin. In the end I hope for a garnet red.

----------


## oldwave maker

Dolas, a's, f's, gom. mom, got me booted off american idle......

----------


## oldwave maker

x bracing lines up nicely to support jeannie's zia symbol abalone rosette

----------


## Daniel Nestlerode

Hey Bill, what's that?

Daniel

----------


## asa

> Mike spec'd uniform jim beam, the only upgrade from there is Woodford burst!


Im always tempted to buy a bottle of woodford, its just a little expensive over here in Scotland...More than a lot of Malt Scottish Whiskies!

So how is it?

----------


## testore

Daniels homage to the F-2, in need of more varnish and polishing but you get the idea.

----------


## piknleft

Asa, I uncorked a bottle of Woodford night before last( my mother-in-law buys me a different bourbon ev'ry Christmas) and it as smooth as the neck of my Old Wave Oval. My personal favorite bourbon, 12 year old "Old Weller". Mike

----------


## Kent Barnes

Got to spend some more time on the back of Harlan #4.

----------


## Kent Barnes

Gotta love using these little finger planes on figured hardwood # #  #

----------


## Stanley Cox

Looking good. Could you have used a bigger plane for the grunt work and then the finger plane? How long does the blue tape last? Now you can play the bass.  
Stanley

----------


## labraid

...a flattie octave in Sitka and curly cherry. Newly designed ebony floating tailpiece "not just another pretty face" in the works as well, to come......

----------


## Cragger

Well here goes. I've been contemplating building for some time and have just begun building my first musical instrument. I decided to just go for it and build an F5 from scratch. I have only been working on it for a couple of weeks here and there and I don't have any powertools so the progress is slow going but I have both my top and back joined and am working on carving down my top. Here it is.

----------


## labraid

White corian, pearl hop cones, followed by black patent, er, black mastic, yeah, that's it...

----------


## Daniel Nestlerode

I love this! 
An A-3 vine headstock inlay made for me and Gary by Andy DePaul. The A-3 vine hasn't been used in 85 years (as far as I know) and we couldn't find them in any catalogs.
The scroll binding was my idea whole heartedly supported by Gary. I had him take the white binding into the curl an extra centimeter or two to draw the eye into it. I think it gives the lines more motion.

Gary says it's strung up and will be ready for LoarFest West tomorrow! yahoo!

Daniel

----------


## labraid

sweet vine, looks like she's dancing. Is that a pearl dot in the center or some sort of reflection?

----------


## testore

It's a pearl dot.What cool is that the dot reflects light at a different angle than the rest of the inlay. Reminds me of a moon.I know, a little "new agey", sorry.
Gary

----------


## Jeff A

These photos of Kimble, #46, 2003, was the last straw for me. It set off Kimble Mas that has not subsided. Will has used the A3 inlay on a few mandolins that I have seen over the years. I think the proportions work great on an F5 and I am surprised it hasn't been used more. Daniel, congratulations on the new Mando. It's a beauty.

----------


## oldwave maker

Identical twins by different mothers, engelmann topped quilted oval, lutz topped f hole. The lutz is evidently a sitka/engelmann hybrid from the part of BC where the ranges overlap, tho this test piece worked and looks more like sitka light.

----------


## labraid

when a customer wants brass, when a customer wants sexy... I swear, I had no choice.

----------


## JEStanek

Herb Alpert and the Tijanna Brass "Whipped Cream and other Delights" remains a cover art fav of mine... That's better than a picture of larry the cable guy as inspiration, tho... That's a cool rosette design.

Jamie

----------


## labraid

I like to read the articles.. er, oh, um, I mean the music inside.

----------


## Hans

Just a few hanging around the shop almost ready to finish. L to R:
Rich's M22V, A2C snake, M22L, and ivoroid Eclipse slated to be purple, but decided it wanted to be F4 red.

----------


## labraid

Hans, am I seeing it right, that you flatten your fretboards after a few days of being strung fretless?

----------


## Hans

Brian, I string them up without frets, put them in a special jig, take off the strings, level the F/B, fret them, string 'em up again, put them back in the jig, take off the strings, and finally level the frets.

----------


## Flowerpot

Another trade secret out the window... that's why they play so great at low action without the tendency to buzz between the 9th and 12th frets.

Hans, what's the difference between the M22V and M22L?

----------


## Hans

Hey Mark, the M22L is the single bound version of the M22V, with just a logo on the P/H.

----------


## The Goat

heres my first mandolin
its my own design
really dragging my feet on the finish
myrtle and spruce, ebony and maple bindings, 5 piece myrt eb map neck. yep needs a refret already! i messed up.

----------


## The Goat



----------


## otterly2k

That's a really nice mando, Goat. re: finish-- I say keep it au naturale as much as possible and let that lovely wood shine.

----------


## billhay4

Cool design!
Bill

----------


## labraid

"...and cover it o'er with flourets sae sweet..."

----------


## amowry

Sweet is right!

----------


## Kent Barnes

I have the outside shape of the top and back just about done. #It's almost time to start whittlin' out the inside.

----------


## Mandoborg

Those plates look Fantastic Kent, In my opinion what the perfect 2-piece back should look like.....they both look pretty much complete already !! 

That's a cool design as well Goat ! What color scheme are you going after on that ??

Jim Combra

----------


## testore

'dola back,English maple from Spruce,(Bruce,Orcas Island Tonewoods)just after first rub down. Plenty left to do.Uh,......soon to be available......

----------


## stevem

Very nice burst Gary.

----------


## testore

a few more as I get'er polished up,still a lot of work to do....the color is better in these.

----------


## testore

top

----------


## testore

a couple details,still needing some cleaning up but it's close.

----------


## testore

last one. I thought a sidebound 'dola would look nice.

----------


## Dfyngravity

that mandolin is no good, i think you had better throw it away in my trash can an start over!


naw, just kidding there. the finish is unreal on that mandolin there testore.

----------


## markishandsome

I like how the round heel button complements the scroll button. Was binding a trad heel too easy for you Gary?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Gary, The mandola is beautiful! I love the side bound look. The sunburst is perfect!!

----------


## testore

Nothing about binding is too easy.I hate it,probably like the rest of the builders. I hate it more than purfling a violin.I've been making my buttons more round but I still love the traditional ones too. Just wanted to make something recognizably different. Thanks for the kind words.Did I mention that it's soon to be available?

----------


## Lee

Hey Gary, is that one gonna be available?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I'm making an archtop octave and wanted a way to use my duplicator on it but I don't have templates for it. So I had to hand-carve the top to use it as the template for the back. I did some step routing to remove much of the excess but there was still plenty of fingerplane work to do.
Because there's no cutaway, the top and back are essentially identical. The back wood was from a billet and not a wedge so it sat flat on the table both ways. I made the one plate holder and needed it to support the carved top so I did the inside first so I could flip it and have it still sit flat while cutting the outside.
 So here's what the operation looked like. When I get the back finished I'm going to use it as the guide to make some permanent templates in case I ever do one of these again. It's pretty tough on the spruce running the guide back and forth over it.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's a close-up of the back after routing. I made all of the cuts along the length so I could make good long passes.
 By the way, this one won't be available. I'm keeping it.

----------


## amowry

Looking great, Jim. That's gonna be a beauty.

----------


## Antlurz

That's one beautiful chunk of wood to start with. I've no doubt you'll take the best available advantage of it!

Ron

----------


## Kent Barnes

I've started graduating the top and back this weekend. #In the past, I've used the "forstner-bit-in-the-drill-press" method, and never really liked it because it still left a LOT of wood to be removed. #I spent Friday night putting this contraption together with some scrap metal that I had around. #It's my home-made overhead router, and it worked great! #I was able to take top and back plates down to about .2" in just over an hour. #Here's a few pictures.

----------


## markishandsome

That looks pretty useful. What's the orange thing?

----------


## Kent Barnes

That's a $19.99 laminate trimmer/router from Harbor Freight.

----------


## Kent Barnes

Another good weekend in the Harlan workshop. #The top is ready to glue to the rim.

----------


## grandmainger

Kent, these look good!

I was wondering about your router technique: I can see how you can shape one side after you've done the other, but how did you carve the outside of the back in the first place? Presumably, as the inside is flat, you can't use the device in the same way as you did for carving the inside...   
Germain

----------


## Kent Barnes

I use a Wagner Safe-T-Planer to "stair-step" the plates to a rough shape, then just smooth them out. You can see pictures of on page 78 of this thread.

----------


## mandopete

> By the way, this one won't be available. I'm keeping it.


Thank-you!

----------


## Jim Nollman

Something I did not too long ago. Took an old Kay and made it unique. It is actually a ceramic of a woman's head inlaid and spray lacquered so it looks like one piece.

----------


## Jim Nollman

one more photo.

----------


## JEStanek

That's pretty cool!

Jamie

----------


## DryBones

looks like that face on Mars #

----------


## Chris Burt

Jim, that's lovely--more a face for Venus.

Chris Burt

----------


## Kent Barnes

Yet another good weekend.

----------


## K3NTUCKI8oy

That's gonna be one fine mandolin

----------


## Doug Edwards

Kent you are a buzy bee. A good bit more done since I saw it Saturday. Great meeting you and seeing your work!

----------


## Stanley Cox

Kent, Is that new carpet on the "shop" floor? I know it is warmer in the house.  
You get more done in a weekend than I do in 2 weeks. In case I didn't tell you at Argyle #4 is looking super. Did you get the peg head overlay trimmed too?
Great work
Stanley

----------


## Kent Barnes

Yep, I got the peghead shape cut and sanded, the dovetail joint fit, and the back glued on. I'll start the neck profile work this week.

----------


## markishandsome

I always find I get way more work done if I can devote a whole day or weekend than an equivalent time broken up over the rest of the week (a few hours here and there). But Kent is just out of control!

----------


## labraid

vacuum art...



oh, and mandos!

----------


## billhay4

Now, Brian,
I know you just innocently posted that picture of three in progress along with the (very nice) vacuum art picture. And I know you just innocently expected all of us to say "how nice" and move on. But NOT ME.
What is that bottom instrument? More pictures please. It's quite a show stopper. Heck they're all show stoppers as all your instruments are.
Bill

----------


## Rob Zamites

Just wanted to point out that the top instrument is Brian's interpretation of my dream instrument, a 21.8" scale cittern. Walnut back and sides with a red violin varnished spruce top. He's worked with me on an almost daily basis to ensure what he creates matches the vision and sound that I want in my instrument. A true gentleman and craftsman of the highest caliber.

----------


## jasona

> What is that bottom instrument? More pictures please. It's quite a show stopper.


Obviously, its a "paddle-head" 

Very nice work, as per usual!

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

I started this thread, I'm glad to finally add something again. #Snakehead A-2 No. 73922 as pictured on some auction site in October 2004. #Top brush painted, neck broken (with screws and nails intact), binding missing, seams coming apart, back warped

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

On the left is 73922 last night, making noise for the first time in decades, 99 percent done. #I know I strayed from "true-to-form" restoration, but it's going to be my player. #As in "Not for Sale"

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

another angle

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Back (on the left) #I refinish the top and one side in shellac. #I was able to salvage the original finish on the other side, the back and the peghead. #Light shellac overspray on original finish for consistency. #Truss rod necks are no fun to finish breaking into two repairable pieces.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Gail, your label and mine are next. #Note 73922 is 70 numbers away from my F5 (73992). #They make a nice pair. #The pickguard is from the other snake which is a 1925 model. #The new one for 73922 is drying, but has already been fitted to it.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Once I realized the mando would never be a perfect restoration, I simply decided to modify an F5 fingerboard that I had ready. #I just peeled the binding back, shortened and narrowed the "florida" and glued the binding back. #That's why it is slightly different than an A4 fingerboard. #Note that it was one of those Stew-Mac blanks with the florida not cut in the right place. #So it was never going to be used anyway. #This made a good home for an otherwise perfectly good board.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Repairman note. #Get the fingerboard surface and fingerboard right before you refinish. #I leveled this up Saturday to install the board. #When you sand, the glue surface on the neck gets narrower and the glue surface on the body gets wider. #This picture was in progress, about half way to perfectly level # When building a new mandolin, this is not a problem, repair is a different story

----------


## Hans

Great work Darryl, feels good to get one playing again doesn't it?

----------


## Gail Hester

Looks great Darryl. I'm looking forward to my label and pickguards. Ya got any twenties wiggle end tuners?

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

> Looks great Darryl. #I'm looking forward to my label and pickguards. #Ya got any twenties wiggle end tuners?


yep, email me. I'll have your stuff ready by the weekend, provided I get a package back from Jamie W

----------


## mandolooter

Nice work Darryl...I like the look of that florida board on there...sweet!

----------


## David Newton

I'm finishing up one of my "New Navy" flat tops in Black Walnut, I love this wood. It should be playing this weekend, or next.

----------


## JEStanek

Looks sweet, Dave.  
Jamie

----------


## David Newton

Here's a look at the whole banana.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Hey Dave, Good looking "bannana", how about a close up of that peg head? What part of Tejas are you in? I am in the Denton area.
Stanley

----------


## David Newton

The head plate is a little IRW cut-off from a 00-sized guitar I'm making. It is chocolate brown, the walnut isn't as brown, more grey-brown.
I'm in Beaumont.

----------


## evanreilly

Here is a good pic of my forthcoming next mandolin.

----------


## evanreilly

Inside

----------


## evanreilly

The back.

----------


## JimRichter

Evan, you lucky dog. How long have you been on Lynn's list?

Jim

----------


## evanreilly

Seems like forever!!

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Here's one more of 73922. #I obviously got the finish too dark, but I kinda like it. #It looks black in low light. #I think I'll call the color "Tortoise" instead of Sheraton Brown. #It now has the repro guard and a new bridge top.

----------


## mandopete

> Inside


Canadian spruce?

Keep posting pictues as Lynn goes along!

----------


## evanreilly

Carpathian Spruce.

----------


## Don Grieser

EVAN!! Let me know if you need any help breaking that one in!

----------


## Deaf David

Dang, now I've drooled all over my keyboard.

----------


## oldwave maker

Finally scraping binding on Peters F4, thanks again Spruce for the ancient tone farwood!

----------


## oldwave maker

Richards mandola almost ready for blacktop and singlemalt sides/back/neck staining, I like these new stewmac elite tuners with the black buttons:

----------


## David Newton

I finished up the "New Navy" this last weekend, I'm breaking it in with Black Diamond heavies, but change to mediums soon. Anyone with knowledge of what strings go good with flat-top mandos chime right in. I may try Gibson Sam Bush's next.

----------


## David Newton

Figured Walnut, mmmmm.

----------


## Steve Cantrell

That's a fine-looking mandolin, Dave.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's the octave so far.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

one more.

----------


## Darren Kern

Darryl that finish job looks beautiful, and I think the fingerboard is a nice touch. Very unique.

----------


## labraid

Jim, elegant!

mine:

----------


## Antlurz

NIfty little point there, Brian! I like it! Not only the point, all of it!

Ron

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice mandolin Brian! How about a few more pictures. I like your cabinet in the background too!

----------


## Mandoborg

Brian, georgous as usual !! I wish more people would think outside the box the way you do ! Inspiring work to say the least !

Jim Combra

----------


## Kent Barnes

Progress so far on Harlan # 4 I'm building for Bobby Brite of the Clear River Bluegrass Band. It's my first mandolin for sale!!

----------


## David Newton

Kent, I hope you haven't gotten the money already. I lose all motivation if someone pays me up front. I had a boss who always would sing
"I work for pay, and not for fun,
I wants my money, when the work is done"
Nice mandolin...

----------


## labraid

Kent, nice FB extension. (Not to mention the all-wood stand? (pics!))
(the others, thanks! Your comments keep me goin'!)

----------


## Mandobob5

Kent, the mandolin is coming out to be exactly as I knew it would. Fantastic! I am looking forward to playing it. Actually, I can hardly wait. That fingerboard extension sets off the front; really catches the eye. I am very proud to be the future owner of HARLAN #4.

----------


## Kent Barnes

Thanks Brian. The stand is something I made a few years ago out of some scrap pine. #Here's a picture of that one and another made of maple. #The maple one has a folding back leg (hinged where it joins the stand at the top).

----------


## Rob Zamites

Here's my walnut cittern by Brian Dean, nearing completion. 21.8" scale length, going with the extra high course. This is the second of Brian's "Phi" based instruments. I can't wait to play this beauty!

-Rob

----------


## otterly2k

Ni.i.i...i...i...ce.

----------


## JEStanek

Bard worthy!

Jamie

----------


## K3NTUCKI8oy

Fine stands Kent! what news on your latest mandolin?

----------


## Kent Barnes

Here's a shot of the peghead, all filled and sanded.

The ebony overlay is very 'streaky'. #Anyone have suggestions on how to "blacken" it? #I have some black stain, but was concerned about what that might do to the binding.

----------


## Gibson A5

I think the ebony will look great with the finish on it as is unless you just have to have that pure black wood look. If so, I guess you could tape up the binding but that never seems to work 100%, or you could put some finish just on the binding, blacken the head and sand the whole works down. I'm sure others will have better ideas. I just think if it were mine, I'd leave it. With the strings, tuner pegs and rings, it would look stunning that way. Just another 2cents worth.
Bill P.

----------


## Antlurz

Kent...
I agree totally with Bill. The whole thing will darken with finish, but the grain that shows is very unique and I'd let it shine through! 

Cookie cutter instruments get boring after a while, and a bit of originality is a nice change of pace.

Ron

----------


## David Newton

Me three! I think that ebony will look great under finish. It's time to appreciate wood the way it is given to us. That doesn't mean our mandolins should look like logs

----------


## ShaneJ

Kent, I like the look of it as-is too. VERY nice!

Shane

----------


## DryBones

if the fretboard had the same look that would be TOO cool!

----------


## G. Fisher

I also think it looks nicer with the flame showing.

----------


## JEStanek

Add me to the list of those who appreciate the grain showing through.

Jamie

----------


## Stanley Cox

Kent,All is looking good. Have you started binding the body yet? New sander working?
Dave in Tejas, Great looking New Navy. I really like that peg head it looks great.
SJennings, Hello, I can send back the Abilene dust we got a couple of weeks ago.
Everyone's work on this page is great. I might be forced to "Gather A "STORM".
Stanley

----------


## ShaneJ

Thanks for the offer, Stanley, but we got plenty to replace what we lost. We got ours from Big Spring and Midland.

----------


## Hans

I wouldn't stain it...ebony is too exotic of a wood to cover with black stain. I mean, after all, if you wanted to stain it, should have used pear wood. #That would have been PC and "Loar spec"! #

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

This will be going out today for Ms. Hester. #It looks a bit weird because it's an H5 mandola guard.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Kent, I would leave the ebony as is. I think it looks great! 

Darryl, Nice pickguard!

----------


## David Newton

Thanks for the kudos Stanley, I played the prototype (mahogany) New Navy Saturday nite at a jam, and the guy on the amplified guitar next to me had to keep saying "not so loud"...
Darryl, is that a reconditioned old guard, or new?

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

It's one of my repro Loar H5 guards. #The binding is yellow ivoroid, not white like it appears

It's for this one of Ms Hesters. #I couldn't find her thread with the front pic

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Here it is

http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin....mandola

----------


## Gail Hester

Darryl, the mandola guard looks incredible and needless to say I'm very excited to get my "grab bag" in the mail.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Here is a picture that shows what a pain in the xxx some of these little parts are to make correctly

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

another

----------


## Kent Barnes

I don't know about y'all, but this is the stage when I start getting excited about the mandolin I'm working on!!

----------


## Stanley Cox

It looks like you are getting the hang of binding the top and back. That is great looking and if you don't mind me saying so, "the best you have done so far". You will have to call it the Spring Break binding.  
I hope to see it soon.
Stanley

----------


## JEStanek

Lookin fine!

Jamie

----------


## Skip Kelley

Kent, That mandolin looks fantastic! What kind of top is that? I am looking forward to the finished pictures! Nice job and clean lines!

----------


## Daniel1975

Dave, that Navy is sweet lookin'

Kent, Awesome work. I'm looking forward to watching this one.

Darryl, that does look like a tortoise finish. I like it.


I'm constantly amazed at how nice the work is that shows up here regularly. Thanks for the pictures everyone.

----------


## Kent Barnes

In the home stretch now!!

----------


## amowry

Looks great, Kent.

Here are my next five, ready for binding. Two lefties in this batch!

----------


## Hans

Yikes Andrew! I can't even bind a top and back at the same time let alone 5 complete boxes. You must really suffer from eye fatigue after a chore like that!

----------


## Kent Barnes

WOW!! My fingers are sore just looking at that picture!!

----------


## Mandoborg

Kent, your on to something there...... Nice work !

Andrew: DAMN YOU ! #:O)~ #I built one left handed a few years ago and had to label every piece of wood to constantly remind me it was a lefty ! oh....did i say #DAMN YOU ??! #If you weren't such a nice guy i'd release the freakin hounds ! Inspiring work.....

Question, does the maple side inside the top cutaway on that 2-point extend to the dovetail ? I imagine it doeas but it's tough to tell from the picture, i REALLY like that body style ....trade you a Grand Artist pattern for it ? #&lt; Laughin &gt; 

Jim Combra

----------


## oldwave maker

Dang! I get dizzy just lookin at andrews lefty f5~~~~~~you boys and girls even make me wanna buy a mannalin!
might as well, since I cant keep any of these, all ovals except the octomelon, whose seedholes are ovals pinched on one end. thanks to spruce and jim for this swell farwood!

----------


## Brad Weiss

> Looks great, Kent.
> 
> Here are my next five, ready for binding. Two lefties in this batch!


Alright Andrew! Looks like your first oval hole - and a tribute to Jethro to boot!

Beautiful, as ever...

----------


## amowry

> Yikes Andrew! I can't even bind a top and back at the same time let alone 5 complete boxes. You must really suffer from eye fatigue after a chore like that!


Hey, maybe that's why my prescription is -8.5!


Bill, those colors are beautiful, and some nice wood in there.

Jim, yep, the maple goes all the way to the dovetail, though it is hard to tell. It's basically just the Nugget shape that I ripped off (I figured if Bill can do it I can too  :Wink: 

Brad, the Jethro is actually a flat top, so sort of a hybrid. Something a little different for me.

----------


## Mandoborg

That's just a great body style..... It was a silly question actually , you couldn't make a Blonde without it extending the full length. Just a nice curvy piece there ! I'm going to have to make one of these .

 Mr Bussman: #L&gt;R: #wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, Yummy !

----------


## JEStanek

To each and everyone of you, Kent, Bill , and Andrew... Great looking stuff. Kent, that fern looks sweet. Andrew, you raised the bar and Bill lives up to his standard. This is a great page to have three builders showing off some fine mandolins.

Jamie

----------


## Kent Barnes

It's amazing how much you can get done when you have uninterupted time to work on things!! #The buyer wanted a dark burst on this one.

----------


## Narayan Kersak

Hey Andrew,

You can put that two point flat top in the forefront next time. I'm sure it won't mind. ; ) 

Ryan Kurczak

PS- Since I see the top on, does that mean the pickup has also been installed?

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Kent, very very nice work, and I love the stain. Can't wait to see the finish on it.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Nice 2-point styling Andrew

----------


## Mike Buesseler

Kent, that is my idea of a nice sunburst! Very understated, beautiful....

----------


## labraid

Kent, dude, yer smokin'.
BTW, I'm stealing your aesthetic while you sleep tonight.

Here's my funky cytole. Ok, some folks had asked just what's the deal. 
The deal is the first "diagonal" hole ever, far's I ken. It's a side port melded into a fronty bassy-side thingy. All made by hobbits, folks, the first ever in captivity. 
I bade them remove the red peghead veneer they'd put on earlier in favour of this wonderful walnut rot taken from their living room wall. Can't really see, but it's triple bound there.

----------


## Antlurz

Brian...

Methinks it reminds me of a medieval dragon hatchling. 

 

I'd love to see how you finish it up. Might prove very interesting to another nonconformist affectionado such as myself.

Ron

----------


## Antlurz

And yes, Kent's sunburst is world class.

Ron

----------


## Hans

Kent, a true vignette...beautiful!

----------


## Stanley Cox

"WOW" Kent, What size "mandoline" cap does it take now?  
Am I gonna get to see 4 before the 15th?

Stanley

----------


## David Newton

BD, I'm glad to see that you aren't giving in to convention.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

After spending 2 weeks on ordered mandolins I got back to the octave and got the back on. On the home stretch now.

----------


## tortispik

Jim Hilburn,
  WOW

----------


## Kent Barnes

Here's the drying station for my mandolins after spraying lacquer. #My wife LOVES this!!

----------


## Ken

My drying station is just like that!
Ken

----------


## cooper4205

here are pics i took yesterday of a couple of Will Parson's latest, here is a Varnish Fern F5 (and a flat top)

----------


## cooper4205

here's the back and headstock; the burst blends much better in real life, i need a better camera. it's definitely not as brightly colored as it looks here

----------


## cooper4205

and here's the next one, in the white

----------


## ShaneJ

Kent, I had an old Stella guitar and/or a mandolin hanging on my rack like that off and on for a month a while back. (My wife calls my rack a chandelier for some reason?) I think she even had the same little berry things stuck in ours too. Kinda got in my way.

----------


## labraid

Thanks, Dave.
Here's a (10th to) 12th fret marker I just got off the laser cutter... I lays 'er down an' then I cuts 'er!

----------


## Loren Bailey

Is that a five string fiddle in the background of the first pic of Will's shop?
Or do I really, really need to make that appointment with the eye doc?

Loren

----------


## Mark Walker

I only see four strings - but that could also be because of my eyes! (Or lack thereof!)

----------


## Bill Snyder

Sure looks to have three tuning pegs on the side visible in the photograph which would suggest a five string fiddle.

----------


## Sitka

I'm with Bill.

Micah

----------


## Bill Snyder

Here's the pegbox enlarged a bit.

----------


## Loren Bailey

yep, I saw the 3 pegs on one side and a string just left of the fingerboard almost below it.

Loren

----------


## cooper4205

i'm going by there today so i will get to the bottom of this! right now, i'm going with Loren and Bill

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's the tailpiece for the octave.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Hey Cooper, In the " and next one in the white" first pic., what kind of wood is the cross piece and finger board extender? I looks neat now but any pics of it finished?

Stanley

----------


## evanreilly

Here are a few pix of my next mandolin, currently in production.
The Front.

----------


## evanreilly

The Back.

----------


## evanreilly

One more.

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Oh, the Dude... Really nice, although I'm burning with envy now.

----------


## Mark Walker

Evan - that's a SWEET grain on the back of that beauty! I bet it'll look great when you get it stained and finished!

----------


## labraid

Jim, is that a modified Gibson-style sliding tailpiece? Curious where the metal bits came from... Nice handiwork.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Yeah, I had one sitting around so I sawed off the outside edges of the main plate and then bend that lip at the front into a 90 and routed a slot on the underside for that to go in. Since this pic I've epoxied in that part and superglued the flat part plus put in the screws in the hope of keeping it from becoming a slingshot. 
I probably should have asked how others have done this.

----------


## evanreilly

Here is a picture of an A-5, all finished, with the same wood as on the back and sides of my instrument.
The back on the F-5 is one piece.
I saw this pic and kinda went 'I want it!'
Understandable!

----------


## oldwave maker

half the fun of buffing a blacktop is taking the weird pics afterward!

----------


## Ted Eschliman

What's cool is if you mess with the contrast in Bill Bussmann's picture... look REALLY close, you'll get to the root of why many of us think his work is truly "inspired."

----------


## MikeEdgerton

That's really good.

----------


## jasona

> What's cool is if you mess with the contrast in Bill Bussmann's picture... look REALLY close, you'll get to the root of why many of us think his work is truly "inspired."


...or touched in the head.

----------


## pjlama

I've met Bill and may be inclined to go with the latter

----------


## oldwave maker

Well, at least my dog loved me, till it died, and one time my wife looked deeply into my eyes and told me I was "within the range of normalcy"!
Thanks for the desktop pic Ted!

----------


## jerchap

I am not a builder, but I had an octave mandolin made for me by Daunt Lee in Newfoundland. It is a wonderful, beautiful instrument with a great voice and easy to play, I really like it. He sent me pics along the way of each step in the construction - very cool. # #I posted them on the web, the link is at http://www.mandolindy.com/jerrysoctave

----------


## Ted Eschliman

> Thanks for the desktop pic Ted!


My pleasure, Bill. Thanks for being a good sport.

Picture of David Grisman on your desktop, now? I get confused, some have brought up the profound visual similarities, but "Dawg" backwards is merely "Gwad."

----------


## Steve Hinde

A couple from my shop.
Brazilian A
Quilted flat back A and mandola pair.

----------


## Steve Hinde

The other ones.

----------


## Steve Hinde

Hangin around, waiting for me.

----------


## Steve Hinde

The 3 hole dola

----------


## Steve Hinde

Last one. Finger boards finger boards finger boards.....

Steve

----------


## Gibson A5

Lucky #7 Lefty well on it's way.
Bill P.

----------


## Gibson A5

Another
Bill P.

----------


## Gibson A5

Another
Bill P.

----------


## Gibson A5

Another
Bill P.

----------


## Gibson A5

Another
Bill P.

----------


## Gibson A5

Another
Bill P.

----------


## Gibson A5

Another
Bill P.

----------


## Gibson A5

Last for now.
Bill P.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I really should wait till I have Fridays coats on because it will be smoother than these first coats, but this isn't too bad.
I'm going to keep this one and I'm trying to ram-rod it through so I can get back to making some $.

----------


## Lane Pryce

Jim nice back side. Lp

----------


## Michael Lewis

New crop nearly ready for finish.

----------


## JEStanek

Love those ff holes, Michael. Can't wait to see the finished instruments.

Jamie

----------


## tortispik

Really nice Michael,especially the mandola with the "Monte" hook.Your talents never end.
  Rob

----------


## amowry

Wow, is that an octave on the right? That's a great design.

Here's an inlay I did this week. New for me, but child's play compared to Michael's headstocks.

----------


## Hans

As "production" as I'll ever get. Routed tops yesterday, so cleaning the shop today, then it's down to one at a time. Remarkable how much dust and chips routing 7 tops can make. Let's see, Tim's 3 point, M23V for Bogle, a M21V, 2 F5C's (Lloyds), F4C, and an Eclipse.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Hans, that's a lot of production.

----------


## Lane Pryce

Andrew the peghead looks very nice. Is that a pseudo fern inlay? Lp

----------


## first string

You're causing me some serious pain here Andrew. That is really gorgeous. Very original, and yet it somehow harkens back to some of the classic designs.

----------


## first string

JLP beet me to it. My exact thoughts were, "like a fern, and yet not like a fern."

----------


## amowry

Yes, I sat down to drawn a fern, but it ended up more vine-like. I think I was influenced by the old Weymann inlays.

----------


## Hans

Jim, I've always figured the necks and ribs to be the "dogwork". I still have 5 pegheads to inlay while glue dries. I'm sure you will agree the top/backs are the important and time consuming part (aside from inlay, binding and finishing a'course). Necks and ribs also lend themselves more to production techniques than graduating a top or back.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

This was nearly 2 months ago. The most stuff I've ever had going at once. A couple of the archtop blanks there were turned into molds for future octaves. Dont miss the plexiglass f-hole template on the far right like I did when I took the photo. I also forgot to bring out the fingerboards which were all slotted and bound but not fretted.
 I just did the final lacquer coat on the octave today and expect to string it up in 2 weeks. Both the A and F have f-holes and the A has the top on the rim. The A neck is fit to the body and the peghead binding and inlay are done. The F unfortunately hasn't progressed all that much.

----------


## mandopete

Nice kindling!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's what some of that kindling looks like today.
But Pete, it's best not to mention kindling around Hans.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Another F. This box is in the midst of binding at the moment. The pine table top has hairspray as a finish, and I even thought briefly of trying it as a mandolin finish. So I stained a scrap of curly maple with some Lady Clairol and put 5 coats of hairspray on it. After it dried I placed the scrap wood in the bathroom to see how it would react to humidity. Not very well. So it's back to traditional (for me) shellac.

----------


## Mark Franzke

Great work, everyone! It was worth a try with the Lady Clairol, Stephanie. I've seen some pretty big hair stand up impervious to weather conditions, so you'd think it would be almost like lacquer.

----------


## Hans

Kindling...? Not to worry, summer has reached Minnesota. Hit 70 yesterday.
Interesting, looking at the different approaches to building, Jim. I like to get several (or more this time) necks and ribs done and ready for assembly. Then I'll go for getting one done in the white before starting another. These will keep me going for the rest of the year.
Good lookin' F there Stephanie, I like the grain on that top!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Thank you, Hans.
Same top, now bound, along with the neck-to-be.
Which, incidently, is going to pay a visit downstairs to Mr. Bandsaw today. All maple (sides, back, and neck) came from Bruce Harvie. The Englemann: I honestly can't recall from whom I received that board from. After the back is finished being bound I will show the magnificent figure it possesses.
Thanks.

----------


## red7flag

Andrew that is a beautiful job. I have attached the headstock of my F4 that takes a somewhat similar approach.
Tony

----------


## MANNDOLINS

Here's my take on a Monte. One of the few acoustics that I've been able to get out lately.

----------


## MANNDOLINS

Quilty backside

----------


## MANNDOLINS

Just finished this one also. These are what's keeping me busy.

----------


## jasona

Jon, I just wanted to say how great I think your Les Paul-like solid body emandos look. Both this one and the one in the classifieds recently are awesome!

----------


## Rick Jones

Here are a couple I began about three years ago, but got sidetracked along the way. Took an Early Retirement offer from FoMoCo effective March 1, so have been back at the bench. Have made much progress since this shot was taken; rear peghead veneer is drying on one neck right now, and binding on a fingerboard drying also. Sure feels good to be back at it again!

----------


## Bill Snyder

Rick what kind of neck joint are you using on those?

----------


## Rick Jones

Bill - 

Originally, I was going to do a dovetail - I'm basing most of this project on Benedetto's archtop guitar book, which is my next project. Then I decided to weasel out and bolt it on; then I spent an afternoon with Mike Kemnitzer (Nugget), and he convinced me to go with the dovetail. I built a pair of router fixtures - one for the body mortise, one for the neck tenon. Mortises are cut in the body, and neck tenons have been routed as well; I'll post more photos later.

----------


## Magnus Geijer

#4 coming slowly along. This one I'm planning to turn into a four-stringer, hence the shape of the headstock. The backdrop is a guitar I'm building for my sister's 30th birthday which is in about three weeks. Somehow I'm doubting that it'll get done in time...

/Magnus

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I think this one might hold together.

----------


## Gibson A5

Great fit Jim. If you don't use glue, you could make a travel mando out of it by just poping off the neck and putting both pieces in your back pack when you go hiking!
Again, great work.
Bill P.

----------


## Rick Jones

Wow, that's a nice tight joint. You cut that with a dull chisel, right? Isn't there supposed to be room for a little glue?

----------


## mandomick

It's like they were made for each other. My machine shop teacher would constantly talk about the importance of taking pride in your workmanship. A perfect example Jim.

----------


## Michael Lewis

Hey Jim, how are you cutting those joints? Looks realy pretty.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Thanks, Michael.
I've had the good fortune of having Mike Kemnitzer teach me how to do dovetails...twice. First in about 1980 when he was still here in Colorado and again last year at the Symposium. He hasn't changed a thing since then other than cutting the body with a router fixture. However, in that time I've streamlined what he showed me and approach it with the same concept but some different ways of doing things.
I posted some photo's a while back that are still available, but since then I got a new bandsaw with a table that tilts both ways and thats how I get the taper. I cut it all out on the bandsaw and do a little chisel work and a lot of rasp and riffler work. I have a plexi centerline guage and use carbon paper to find the contact points. 
The idea is to have the neck sit high in the taper after the initial cuts and slowly remove wood till it seats, correcting for center and tightness as you go. A good initial layout is the key.

----------


## evanreilly

Here is a pic of the one-piece back on my next acquisition.

----------


## evanreilly

And the top:

----------


## f5loar

That shows the quality and fine workmanship of an authentic hand-made Loar style Dude near completion!
I just saw a 2 week old Dude at MerleFest yesterday.
The Dude must be turning them out like turnips.

----------


## mandomick

Keep the pictures of the progress coming, I can't wait to see it done.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, That is the finest dovetail joint I have ever seen! 
Awesome job!!

----------


## carleshicks

Dude sure does a beautiful job with his sunburst.

----------


## Lynn Dudenbostel

Thanks Carles..... but the color is pretty much washed out by the time the image has been "jpg'd" a few times. It's a lot more brilliant than it appears in the photos. These were just some quick shots.
Lynn

----------


## Lane Pryce

Hey Lynn. I got a pick at Rich's new Dude at MerleFest. Very impressive. It really had a "substantial presence" at one of the jams. I know Rich has to be extremely pleased. Lp

----------


## Jim Hilburn

This is the first shot I took of that dovetail, before I trimmed the riser flush to the fingerboard.
The pencil lines are the 14th fret projections that were used in the original layout. It's actually more closely aligned tha the picture looks because the shot isn't taken directly overhead.
To get the layout I draw the nose on a piece of card stock with the 14th and centerline drawn on it.Then I lay the fingerboard on where it's supposed to be and draw it on the paper. Then add the dovetail and cut it out with an Exacto and you have a template for both the body and neck.
I didn't post this shot the first time because I thought it looked like it wasn't a good fit even though that's because of shadowing and carbon paper residue.

----------


## testore

Sorry if this isn't a mandolin but Strad made mandolins. It's a stretch I know. This is after the first and only coat of ground varnish.

----------


## testore

It's going to be antiqued like crazy,(disstressed)so the word working has been rounded off and softened.It's an early Guarneri model.

----------


## Austin Clark

Nice grain texture on the top, Gary. I like it.

----------


## oldwave maker

Gary- delicious! got a scroll shot?
3 strung in the white for the next staining group. Stopped by the Gibson factory last month to personally thank Big Joe for not making ovalholes......

----------


## Bill Snyder

Bill is the bridge on the mandolin on the left side similar in design to Red Henry's bridges?

----------


## Bing Cullen

how does one post a picture?

----------


## Pete Braccio

Hey Bing,

Take a look at this thread for instructions.

Pete

P.S. Do you know that you are the 10,000th member here?

----------


## Gail Hester

While you guys are having all the fun, I'm I'm carving retrofit tops and creating lots of very old dust scrapping/sanding some unidentifiable finish off of this old snakehead. It's a dirty job but someone has to do it.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

That's a great shot of how they re-enforced the necks in the teens. The maple you see on the neck actually is inlayed in the neck with a v shape. But I'd never seen that re-enforcement in the neck block before.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

OK, now I get it. I'm looking at the fingerboard riser. Didn't get the dimension in mind on the first look.

----------


## sgarrity

Those Old Wave F4's look awesome. Definitely on my MAS list.

Shaun

----------


## Hans

Latest incantation of the Eclipse. I've laminated two pieces of tortoise for the pickguard and will try to scallop it the same way my ebony pickguards are made.

----------


## cooper4205

i like the design of the eclipse more and more everytime i see it. good stuff, Hans

----------


## Hans

Close-up of scroll roughed out. This one will be red like the last one.

----------


## Hans

Well Shayne, I'm a strict traditionalist myself, but I do like breaking out of the box sometimes. Building Loar copies can get rather (dare I say it) boring, and building something like the Eclipse is a refreshing break from the tedium.
Tonewise, it sounds like an F model. I have built all of them with Italian spruce so far, varying the back material (hard and soft maples, and pink ivory), but the temptation to use red spruce/red maple and make a Loar sounding Eclipse is powerful. So far I have resisted because well, it's not a Loar copy. this one will have the Italian spruce top and sugar maple back. I expect the tone to be just like the last one, that is sharper, more percussive from the use of the sugar maple (think Gilchrist), but a bit richer and with the piercing trebles of Italian spruce as compared to the fundemental tone of red spruce.
 Maybe next time I'll build a red spruce Eclipse for techno-grass pickers! #

----------


## Mike Buesseler

Somehow, the phrase, "roughed out" does not seem appropriate for anything I see on that mandolin! (Although I know what you meant--it's not finished.) Your take on the scroll, Hans, is as good as Monty's, as far as I'm concerned.....WOW!!

PINK IVORY?!? For the whole back, or just the binding? And entire pink ivory mando (except top) would be something to behold!

More fantastic work, Hans!!! Out of this world!

----------


## billhay4

Beautiful design work.
The workmanship is impeccable as usual.
Bill

----------


## Hans

Behold!

----------


## squirrelabama

Very nice indeed Hans. Love seeing new designs. -Geoff:O

----------


## Mike Buesseler

*WHOA!!!!* That one got past the 'roughed out' stage pretty quick, Hans! Is this the only pink ivory mandolin in the world?!? I've never heard of one before (I know Paul H either has, or built a PI guitar.) 

*WOWIEWOWIEWOWIE!!!!* I predict that this mandolin will someday be in the Holy Grail Society of Mandolins (if there were such a thing). 

Could we have some more photos, pretty please?!? This thing knocks me OUT!!

----------


## Bill Snyder

Mike,
I am pretty sure that is a picture of the back of the Eclipse Hans made for his wife. 
See the thread on it HERE.

----------


## Steve Davis

Beautiful Hans.

----------


## Mike Buesseler

Right on the money, Bill. I actually called Hans at home, just to express my complete awe at this mandolin (sadly, not to order one...  ). He explained the pictures to me. 

In any case, I am STILL awed!!

----------


## Bing Cullen

Trying just one more time to put a picture on. Maybe something is disabled in my PC

Optical illusion on head of 2 pointer L&H inspired design

----------


## Bing Cullen

Ah success at last! here's a picture of a H bracing I dreamt up one day. Hope it sounds Ok

----------


## Bing Cullen

here's a good use for those old ear plugs

----------


## Bing Cullen

and for those little problems that crop up with side binding

----------


## F5G WIZ

Hans, that thing looks like it's breaking the speed limit, standing still!! Beautiful lines, kinda looks like the Lamborgini of mandolins. Keep up the original out of the box thinking, I love it!

----------


## Ken

Nice looking mandolins Bing, looking forward to more pictures as they move along.
Ken

----------


## Bing Cullen

These won't be finished for a few months yet. Working away from home. Left will be blonde. Might put a sunburst on the 2 pointer.

----------


## Bing Cullen

trying a bigger file size

----------


## F5G WIZ

I see you missed the 10000 member mark by one, you are member #9999. Nice lookin mando by the way, love that third point.

----------


## Bing Cullen

Yes I like the 3 pointer which I copied from the first mandolin I acquired which was a Windsor Pyxe... which I later found out was based on the early Gibson F2 design ca 1900. At what stage Gibson dropped the 3rd point I'm not sure...but probably when Loar got the job.

----------


## Antlurz

Love the way the opposing points come close to matching each other and the peghead design on that left one.

Ron

----------


## Bing Cullen

originally I designed the peghead to take A style tuners, but later got the F styles. Put the A's on the Pyxe. Dimensionally the mandloin is bigger than most F5 as it was based on the Pyxe, but the new one is more like F dimensions

----------


## Troy Harris

Some photos of my current F5 before I start to varnish.

----------


## Steve Cantrell

Troy, that's sharp. Love to see a closer look at that inlay.

----------


## Troy Harris

One piece sugar maple back

----------


## Troy Harris

Red spruce top

----------


## Troy Harris

Tortoise celluloid bindingI used the same material for the finger rest, truss rod cover and fingerboard side dots.

----------


## Troy Harris

Some details

----------


## Troy Harris

Dovetail joint I will post more photos after Im finish with the varnish and set up. 
The trees are just now turning green in upstate New York Its great to feel the sun again.

----------


## Troy Harris

Here you go Steven. I posted this photo a little while back, before I set the neck.

----------


## Steve Cantrell

Thanks Troy! Can't believe I missed that one. That's some fine work.

----------


## Troy Harris

We are driving to Vermont tomorrow to see Mike Marshall play, Ill tell him hello from you. Im looking forward to taking a couple days off and playing lots of music. Take care.

----------


## JEStanek

Troy that is a very nice torch and wire headstock inlay. That's quality work!

Jamie

----------


## oldwave maker

More whiskey, less breakfast- just the f4 got shellaced this morning. Waiting for someone to do a tornado inlay on an F5.....

----------


## kyblue

Oh! Now that is nice, Mr. B.

Paula

----------


## Austin Clark

who/what got shellacked?

----------


## Mark Walker

Troy - beautiful attention to detail throughout that mandolin. #Love that grain on the back too - it's reminscent of the back #of my Silver Angel's - BEFORE the angel got painted on it!

(I think I have a photo somewhere of that 'in the white' before the angel was painted on it - and it looks a lot like the back of yours. #I'll dig it up and post it.)

Keep up the great work. #

----------


## oldwave maker

Its wunnerful to visit planets where the figured maple grows, earth is my current favorite:

----------


## buddyellis

F5 #2, from an IV kit. I finally feel like I have half a clue about this stuff, though it hardly compares to some of the pros on here!

----------


## buddyellis

Back

----------


## buddyellis

Peghead

----------


## jasona

Troy: clean as a whistle, nice work!
Bill:

----------


## Mark Walker

Buddy - That's a fine looking effort from a kit! I'm impressed. 
(Someday I gotta try my hand at one of those kits. Maybe when the Lions win the Super Bowl...)

----------


## K3NTUCKI8oy

looks like a banjo killer to me nice work!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

How do you think I would look as a blonde?
This is ready to be attached. I wet it with solvent to show the figuring. Pretty plain-looking without it.

----------


## testore

Jim,
You been diggin in Bussmans dumpster? Uh....I think it'll look ok with ANYTHING you put on.

----------


## Mandoborg

Troy, that's just sick ! 

Bill, do you keep that bottle-o-Woodford for color matching, or do you kill one after each matched mando and buy another ?? #:O)

Jim

----------


## JEStanek

Jim, how about a strawberry blonde? Whatever the color that's sweet. That's a nicely figured back! That figure on a A sytle back makes me feel like I'm gazing into a crystal ball to see what great music the future holds for that instrument.

Jamie

----------


## testore

Bill here's the head just about done.Color in pics is the most difficult thing to get right. Looks much better in person.The body pics aren't good enough to post. Maybe later.

----------


## Narayan Kersak

I posted pictures of this one a while back without stain. Check it out!!! It just keeps getting better. I hope to have it in my hands by mid June!!!

----------


## Narayan Kersak

By the way...Mr. Andrew Mowry is the builder.

----------


## Narayan Kersak

Last one for now...

----------


## stevem

Ralian, that does just keep getting better! It looks very cool.

----------


## Rick Jones

Finally sprayed a coat of shellac on the neck last weekend and got the first of my two strung up in-the-white. This is too much fun - I dread having to take it apart to spray it!

----------


## amowry

That looks great, rick.

Here are a couple others I stained this week.

----------


## amowry

another...

----------


## amowry

Last one.

----------


## Rick Jones

Lovely work, Andrew. I'm still trying to decide how to finish mine. Using Target USL for sure, but stuck between a natural/honey blonde or a sunburst. Haven't done a burst before, so may give it a rip. There's enough other little things wrong with this one - might be the perfect opportunity to try something new!

----------


## mandobando

Wow Andrew! I'd love to see the front of those. Great work!

----------


## Ted Eschliman

Mama!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Working away on this one an hour or two a day.

----------


## brunello97

> Bill here's the head just about done.Color in pics is the most difficult thing to get right. Looks much better in person.The body pics aren't good enough to post. Maybe later.


Testore,

I love the violin head. Beautiful carving! What type of hardware do you intend to use on it?

Mick

----------


## Troy Harris

Andrew,
That is a striking quartered one piece back nice work. What variety of maple?

----------


## testore

mick, I usually go with ebony. I don't like boxwood too much though I've used it a bunch. The ideal is mountain mahagony but those are hard to come by. Glad you like the head, thanks. Pics of the rest are just not good enought to post. The color is WAY off and it looks cheap and *&#!ty. It sounds great, probably the best sounding I've made.

----------


## amowry

Thanks Troy--nice work yourself! That's all bigleaf, because it's what grows around here. It's a little stringy to work with, but it seems to function really well.

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Holy cow, Andrew! Your work just keeps getting better and better. It makes me seriously depressed that I had to get off your list when I see pics like those.

----------


## Austin Clark

I hate having to post after Andrew.....
This one is in the uv box right now.

----------


## Austin Clark

and the bearclaw top...
This is a better representation of the color, too.

----------


## The cobbler

Man oh man some real good stuff here glad I joined this site
great ideas.

----------


## Gibson A5

Lefty two piece (4 if you include the wings)neck in progress.
Bill P.

----------


## Gibson A5

Lefty back with a little quilt in progress. (spritzs with a little water).
Bill P.

----------


## DryBones

Bill,Bill,Bill... That is no way to treat a lefty with no MAS cash

----------


## oldwave maker

fresh stuff in the oldwave anti-gravity chamber

----------


## Hans

Here's a few shots of Tim's 3 point:

----------


## Hans

Closeup of rosette and scroll:

----------


## Hans

Peghead with Mike Blohm's beautiful buttons:

----------


## grandmainger

Holy Macaroni! That's a gorgeous 3-pointer. Lovely. 
Germain

----------


## first string

I really didn't think that I liked the three points. You have definitely changed my mind. Very nice indeed.

----------


## sgarrity

Hans.....you really need to stop posting pics like that. That 3 pointer is so pretty it'd bring a tear to a glass eye. I can't wait to see it finished. I'm gonna have to get a part time job so I can afford all these mandolins I want to buy!

----------


## Antlurz

Wow, Hans! That is real Mando Porn!  

I'm not normally into three pointers either, but I could change my mind with that sweetheart!

Ron

----------


## jarhead122

sexy scroll.

and I don't normally use that adjective.

----------


## Hans

Three pointers do take a little getting used to. By design, they are very asymetrical to the point of looking lopsided. Taking the whole look of the instrument into account, they are very, well, "old timey", very 1900 looking. I love the way the scroll ridge terminates at the 3rd point, making a very elegant S curve.

----------


## Gibson A5

Hans, you know it's hard for new builders to post our pictures when your instruments look so much better than ours do, do'nt you have some old ###### looking instruments to post so it don't make mine so bad when I post them?  
Bill P.

----------


## martinedwards

the latest incarnation of the mandonaught, shortened to move the bridge into the body more.....
walnut spruce body, EIR binding, walnut/maple/EIR lam neck



centre neck lam & tail wedge from an EIR coffee table I salvaged from a neighbour on a dump trip!!

----------


## Gibson A5

Martin, looking good. I bet it will sound just great.
Bill P.

----------


## B. T. Walker

Holy Wak-a-mole! Hans, that three-pointer is a stunner. You're right about how cool it is that the scroll ridge esses right into the third point. Very sweet.

----------


## amowry

I agree about the scroll ridge-- it always seems on F5s that it should have somewhere to go, rather than just fading out.

Austin, that looks great. Those are fantastic woods, especially the bearclaw!

----------


## Kent Barnes

This arrived Thursday from Old Standard Wood. #
It'll keep me busy for a while ! #

----------


## The cobbler

So much talent, if any one would like to share.
how long does it take to build a mandolin from start
to finish. and a ball park figure on how much it would cost.
I would guess The first would be a labor of love.

----------


## martinedwards

a carved top and back takes a LOT longer than a flat top & back.

the flat top one a few posts up there is about 18-20 hours work as it is now. Another 10 will finish it easily.

these hours obviously have gaps between them to let glue & varnish dry

a carved top?

I wouldn't expect change out of 150 hours.

----------


## Bill Snyder

> how long does it take to build a mandolin from start
> to finish. and a ball park figure on how much it would cost.


Carved top and back depends on the style (A or F) and whether CNC, duplicarver, power tools or all hand tools are used for the carving. Even CNC'd mandolins take quite a bit of hand tool time.
For F-styles the range of hours several of the luthiers have mentioned in other threads range from sub-100 hours to over 300 hours labor. These are figures for a luthier with a few mandolins under his belt.
If your question is about the dollar cost to build one yourself you can get nice wood and decent hardware for less than $400. Go with plain jane wood and cheap hardware and you can get by for less than $200 including lacquer/varnish. 
But then there are the tools and spray equipment. That can cost quite a bit.
Check out International Violin's kits for your first one or two. The link I posted has one of their mandolin kits at the bottom of the page. Go to the next page for several more.

----------


## The cobbler

Hey Bill, thanks for the link it is very interesting.
I think that would be a great way to start and pretty cheap
to. I have most of the tools needed and I think it would be a great hobbie.thanks agian.

----------


## Mike Blohm

This one is going to Pete in Australia. The most patient customer anyone could ask for.

----------


## Mike Blohm

Front.

----------


## Mike Blohm

Back.

----------


## B. T. Walker

Good Lord! If you stare at that back for too long you'll need a seeing eye dog, but at least the last thing you'll see will be beautiful. Nice job, Mike. Take care of your ozzy eyes, Pete.

----------


## The cobbler

Hey Mike, thats real nice.
Bet its well worth the wait.
Great job.

----------


## frankenstein

> MIKE is the patient one. i tortured him with confused ramblings of what i thought i wanted. eventually via email ( not an easy thing to do ) we ended up on the same page. can't wait to hear it. mr. blohm you are the man..it will keep my sumi sf-4 company , it's gettin' lonely.. #pete..


back

----------


## frankenstein

[QUOTE= (frankenstein @ May 29 2007, 07:39)]


> MIKE is the patient one.


front..  look at the world with a smilin' eye and laugh at the devil when he rolls on by..

----------


## martinedwards

gonna have to have a go at one of those carved topped jobs some day......

in the mean time.....

Sorry about the messy background, the kids are out of the workshops for exam revision, so I don't have to tidy away all my junk!!

here's the shortened mandonaught to see if parking the bridge deeper into the body makes a big difference.......

Oh yes, and a new headstock design too. #It was pointed out to me that the tapered one I was using didn't look right with the lams & angles tuners etc. #looked messy. #hopefully this'll be better.

a first coat of varnish to find the glue splodges..... 

not TOO many this time!!

----------


## Hans

The rumored sucessor to Charles Bogle's M21MTV, the M23MTVBVDSTPGRD! For short just call it "The Bogle"...

----------


## Skip Kelley

Here is my first quilted mandolin. I have to put it on the back burner for a while to work on a customers mandolin. The figure is pretty weird on this back. I plan to make it a blonde.

----------


## jmkatcher

I like that figure. I have a custom guitar on order with an Oregon Myrtle top that has figure like that.

----------


## danb

Nice Hans, I see another 3pt in the herd there

----------


## cooper4205

Hans-

those mandolins look great- do you have a close-up of the inlay on the first one?

----------


## cbogle

Dr. Brentrup,

That mando looks great!!! 

Makes me wish that I'd ordered the optional back and fingerboard!

And no, this mandolin will not be the "successor" to the 21MTV at all, but rather they will co-exist and be nurtured in a loving home with lots of good music surrounding them.

----------


## Hans

Not to worry Charles, but I'm having a little trouble fitting the bedpan to the back of the instrument. # 
Dan, check back one page. I love building the 3 points.
Wes, I'll try to get a pix of the P/H up later today.

----------


## Driver8

Hans, on the 3 point that you are building, you say it has "Mike Blohm's buttons". Are they original Handel's or replica's that he makes?
I've been trying desperately to find some of the inlaid type but without any success so if someone is making replica's that would be fantasic. Any information would be much appreciated. Best wishes Marc

----------


## Hans

Here ya go Wes...Charles elected to have a fleur on the P/H, and he also got the new logo. 
Marc, just email Mike...he told me that he just made up a new batch. They are just beautiful!

----------


## cooper4205

Beautiful Hans. I really like your take on the fleur-de-lis (as usual) it is elegant in its simplicity. If I didn't love my wife, I'd have already had one of your mandos on order!

----------


## Hans

Wes, I can't take credit for the fleur...Charles picked it out from the DePaule website. 
Here's a sneek peek inside the new F4C with one of those "silly things" installed. Felt kinda foolish while building it, especially when cutting out the cc-holes, but won't be too hard to take out with a fork if I don't like it. #

----------


## oldwave maker

Hans- those virzectomized virzis make swell bolo ties, especially with inlaid handel tuner bottons on the string ends, as Spruce knows:

----------


## sunburst

Bruce's bolo collection is something to be admired!
I almost started one myself, but the customer decided he wanted to keep the remnant of his mando's Floridectomy.

----------


## Hans

I was trying to find one of those giant Fender picks to put in there...

----------


## Hans

Bruce's M21V with German spruce and bigleaf maple...

----------


## Hans

Snake with "vase"...not much room up there for the logo.

----------


## Mark Walker

Kinda had to 'shoehorn' that there logo in, eh Hans?

Very nice looking regardless!

----------


## Bill Halsey

Now, THERE'S a flowerpot!
Just beautiful, Hans!

----------


## markd

Great photos. Do any of you guys have photos of how the neck reinforcing rod is configured ? I have a 2000 Fern that has some kind of older did-not-work-too-well rod system, and my repair guy is wanting to see how Gibson sets up the neck rod now days. Any photos or advice along these lines that will help him are very much appreciated. 

Mark

----------


## markishandsome

Markd, you may want to start a new thread in the builder/repair section or do a search there for "truss rod".

----------


## Glassweb

Very nice Hans... how about just "JB" at the top... done figuratively of course!

----------


## Hans

Thanks guys. Steven, I was told a long time ago that initials are OK on guitars, but mandolins need a name. Used to do the JB thing, but changed over. thought of leaving out the J, but just made it between the bushings.

----------


## Michael Lewis

Hans, elegant, as usual. #Will miss you at the BG festival in Grass Valley next week.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

This one is for Megan T. She wanted a scooped FB extension, the first I have ever done. Almost ready to attach the fretboard. Should be staining in another week.

----------


## Gibson A5

Looks great Stephanie. What kind of flower is in the little pot on the peghead?
Bill P.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

not really sure, just some kind of generic, branchy-leafy thingy.
Thanks for looking.

----------


## frankenstein

> Hans, #on the 3 point that you are building, you say it has "Mike Blohm's buttons".


here ya go !! mikes buttons.. nice huh!!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Varnish drying in the booth.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

If you cut very carefully you end up with a souvenir.

----------


## Narayan Kersak

Alright Ladies and Gentleman...she's currently waiting at the FedEx office to be picked up at 6 PM!!! I missed the delivery today, but I'm glad I can pick her up tonight instead of waiting until tomorrow.

----------


## Narayan Kersak

#2

----------


## Narayan Kersak

#3

----------


## Narayan Kersak

#4) If this goes on another page, check out the 3 others before it.

----------


## John Hill

It's amazing the variety & quality of mandolins available to players today. That is one sweet mandolin.

----------


## grandmainger

> If you cut very carefully you end up with a souvenir.


Holy Macaroni! That's one fine cut Jim, very impressive. Are you a surgeon in your spare time?

----------


## Brad Weiss

WOW! Ralian, you have lucked out!! What a cool combination of traditional elements to produce something unique!! Andrew, you've done it again. Gotta hear some sound clips when you have a chance - fair warning, it will sound EVEN BETTER in just a few days, weeks, and months. 

The second prettiest mandolin I've seen (after my own Mowry, of course! )

----------


## Narayan Kersak

> WOW! Ralian, you have lucked out!! What a cool combination of traditional elements to produce something unique!! Andrew, you've done it again. Gotta hear some sound clips when you have a chance - fair warning, it will sound EVEN BETTER in just a few days, weeks, and months. 
> 
> The second prettiest mandolin I've seen (after my own Mowry, of course! )


I plan on making a few recordings in the next week or so. #I'll post those when I get them. #

Yes, this is one hell of a mandolin. #I played all of my repertoire on it before going to bed last night, and woke up and played half of it this morning. This is a flat top mandolin, and the idea that flat tops only sound louder to the player is nonsense. #I had my wife sit across the room and listen, and this mandolin wails! #I have an A800 Alvarez (which I will now be selling for $475 in excellent condition if anyone would like a nice intermediate mandolin) that I had compared to upper end mandolins and even though tonally it didn't compare to the 3-4K mandolins it was extrememly loud compared to them and could easily be heard over the fiddle, guitar, and whistle in the irish group I play with...I would say, and my wife agrees, that this flat top is at least 3-4 times louder from across the room. #

The notes all seperate with crystalline clarity. #The highs are sweet, full and bell like. #The lows and mids are earthy, woofy, loud and deep. #The mids, lows and highs are all perfectly balanced. #The sustain on this mandlin is to die for. #It is like my Gibson Les Paul. #I can play a note, go eat dinner and come back and its still ringing. #Can you hear it? # It's still ringing and I'm at work. #; )

Andrew Mowry Captured EXACTLY what I wanted out of this mandolin, and I must say he also gave me 200% more. #It is way more than I ever expected. #I could go on, but I won't. #I'll post some clips soon. #I don't have a great microphone but I do have a nice tube preamp and digital 8-track. #

I play mainly irish and brazillian music, and I could not imagine a better mandolin for it. #Mr. Mowry's next construction for me is a doubleneck, with a mandolin neck on top and a 6 string acoustic on the bottom! #I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!

----------


## mandomick

Almost too pretty to play! What's the back wood?

----------


## Narayan Kersak

The back and sides are bubinga. The top is engleman spruce. Neck is mahogany.

----------


## Narayan Kersak

Is there anyway for me to post sound clips on here?

----------


## mandolooter

no but if ya post them on YouTube, Myspace, Soundclick etc ya can link to them in your post.

----------


## Keith Newell

OK, here is one I'm building for me. I don't want to hear about the color, don't laugh. I like it, I live in Oregon (green), I like avacados, I like relish, I like JJ Yeley, I like money (the color of , and most things green. Given the choice between colors I usually choose green.
 Keith

----------


## Keith Newell

I'm stuck on green. Keep in mind there is no finish yet on this. I will be doing that later this week.
 Keith

----------


## 45ACP-GDLF5

It kinda looks like the "Tiger Stripe" camo that was used in Vietnam by the Spec Ops and LRRP's and the Navy Seals!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Keith, a mahogany neck? Will this be an F-4?

----------


## Mandoborg

Keith, Green is Great, be Bold, Beat the Boring Burst !

Looks like a winner.

Jim

----------


## JEStanek

Looks cool. I like the hook scroll too. Please show us the top.

Jamie

----------


## Keith Owen

Surprised to see you go with the ivoroid binding, Keith...thought you were tortoise all the way!

Looks great!

----------


## Daniel Nestlerode

> OK, here is one I'm building for me. I don't want to hear about the color, don't laugh. I like it, I live in Oregon (green), I like avacados, I like relish, I like JJ Yeley, I like money (the color of , and most things green. Given the choice between colors I usually choose green.


I think Joe Raposo wrote the following, sung by Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog:

It's not that easy being green
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves
When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold
Or something much more colorful like that

It's not easy being green
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things
And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're
Not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water
Or stars in the sky

But green's the color of Spring
And green can be cool and friendly-like
And green can be big like an ocean, or important
Like a mountain, or tall like a tree

When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why
Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful
And I think it's what I want to be

 
Daniel

----------


## Keith Newell

Here are a few pictures of the top and points. everything is a bit different. I chose a Mahogony neck because I have not done one and wanted to try one. One of the early mandolins that I loved to play as I was learning was a Jim Prior mandolin with a Mahogony neck and my mandolins have a similiar recurve and look as that mandolin. 
 Yes Im a tortoise guy but had this ivroid laying around for about 4 years and decided I wanted to make it into a project.
 Keith Newell
http://www.newellmandolin.com

----------


## Keith Newell

Another look at the mando.
 Keith

----------


## Keith Newell

A few other shots.

----------


## Keith Newell

The point protecters are curved and look very three diminsional when looking at them from different angles. They curve and widen then nearrow back at the intersection points.
 Keith

----------


## Mike Crocker

Always wanted an instrument with a smallmouth bass green finish. Looks like you nailed it. Very nice!

Peace, Mooh.

----------


## danb

Very watermelony

----------


## JEStanek

Love the grain in the recurve. That looks way cool. I like the colors alot. Lots of nice touches.

Jamie

----------


## DryBones

> Always wanted an instrument with a smallmouth bass green finish. Looks like you nailed it. Very nice!
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


nice color (wifes favorite) but a smallmouth is more brown than green. funny you mention this because I actually talked to Keith about a smallmouth bass mando once. I just couldn't get around to pulling the trigger......yet. #

Here is what I consider a smallmouth mandolin.

----------


## JEStanek

What about Mr. Bussman's Bass-bass? #I'm sure he could make a smaller version! I believe that would fit the bill, or Bill as the case may be...

Jamie

----------


## oldwave maker

Please, Jamie! this is, after all, a Mandolin forum! Don't appeal to our basser instincts!

----------


## Mike Crocker

Drybones...It depends where you get the smallmouth. I've seen them from very light brown to very dark green. One on my wall is very green. Environmental effects. 

Peace, Mooh.

----------


## DryBones

> Drybones...It depends where you get the smallmouth. I've seen them from very light brown to very dark green. One on my wall is very green. Environmental effects. 
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


I hear ya, I've seen them so dark brown it was almost like fudge, but there has to be something to the nickname Bronzeback don't ya think?  

let's go fishin! We do it from a kayak in the rivers around here.

----------


## mandobando

That's how I spend my weekends here in TN. Smallmouth fishing in the rivers. Drybones, that's an accurate color for smallies around here. I've been trying to think of a good headstock inlay involving smallmouth. Any ideas?

----------


## DryBones

> That's how I spend my weekends here in TN. Smallmouth fishing in the rivers. Drybones, that's an accurate color for smallies around here. I've been trying to think of a good headstock inlay involving smallmouth. Any ideas?


I believe Mr. Newell told me he could do a smallmouth taildancin' on the headstock. NOW don't get me thinkin' of buying another mandolin! sheesh, you guys! I am going to be single soon if this keeps up!

----------


## rekx

I love the scroll on the green mando...can't wait to see when it's finished.

----------


## Mark Walker

That should fit right in with the St. Patty's Day celebrations wherever you may go!

VERY nice looking mandolin!

----------


## Mike Crocker

Drybones...Yeah, I've seen pictures of bronzebacks, but my in local rivers they're green, in fact they're green in my part of Georgian Bay too. If you're ever in Ontario I'll introduce you.

That said, I like green, brown, black, muted red/orange/yellow, earthy colours and colours you'd find in the forest, as long as they're clear or translucent because I want to see the wood. Sunbursts are cool but way too common.

Peace, Mooh.

----------


## Hans

Back to instruments...

----------


## carleshicks

hans is that a fretless mando

----------


## Hans

Carles, I just haven't straightened the neck, fretted it yet or made the pickguard.
A warning for those of you that will ever install Virzi type things...I was reaming the end pin hole on the F4C, totally forgot about the Virzi thing inside, and broke the back support with the ream. A delicate "through the endpin hole" operation ensued, but I was very close to ripping it out completely. Can't say that I really notice a difference in tone "in the white". #We'll see what I think after it's finished.

----------


## JEStanek

Nice set of Usual Suspects, Hans! Love the three point.

Jamie

----------


## Bill Snyder

Hans do we get to choose the one we want?

----------


## Hans

Sure Bill, choose one and I'll build it for ya!
 Seriously, they are all spoken for.

----------


## DryBones

you would think you could "lure" a guy from Minnesota into talking about fishing but oh no it's all mando all the time!  (this from a native Minnesotan) Seriously though thanks for getting us back on track those things look great except there are no lefties in this batch!

----------


## Michael Lewis

A rather impressive group. I can feel the quality from here!

----------


## Dale Ludewig

Hans- quite cool. I can't imagine your restraint in getting those all that far along and not leaving some to "wait" a bit and finish one or two.

----------


## Hans

Thanks guys. Dale, we're leaving on the 4th for a festival in Wy, so I can't start finishing, and let it sit for a week, then continue the process. Only thing to do was to get 'em all ready for when I get back. I expect I will have sanded all my fingerprints off after getting these ready to stain. I've sanded down to blood before.
Jason, I was an avid flyfisher for close to 30 years in Wisconsin, tied my own flies, made my own rods. Runoff and overfishing (Thanks Redford & River Runs Through It) have rendered my favorite stream almost unfishable. 
My other excuse is that I just don't have the time anymore. #

----------


## Mike Blohm

Hans. Are you going to the Festival in Buffalo?

----------


## Troy Harris

Hans, I admire your productivity. Here are some photos of my current A-5

----------


## Troy Harris

Compound dovetail

----------


## Troy Harris

Im ready to glue the back on

----------


## Troy Harris

Red spruce top & tone bars

----------


## JEStanek

Troy, sweet looking mando. Those ff holes are crisp! I also think the grain lines of the tonebars and soundboard in the last photo are cool.

Jamie

----------


## Hans

Mike, I will be at that festival...you going?
Troy, nice, clean work...I like that. You have to remember that my "productivity" pictured is a good 5 months of work.

----------


## Mike Blohm

Hans. I'm going to try.

----------


## danb

very nice clean work Troy!

----------


## Antlurz

Very impressive, Troy!

Ron

----------


## Troy Harris

Thank you Today I routed for the binding.

----------


## Troy Harris

A spiral cutter does a clean job

----------


## Troy Harris

The rest is done by hand.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Troy, that is very clean work! It doesn't get any better than that!!

----------


## dstretch

Troy

Very nice! Could you post a picture of your set-up you use for cutting the binding channels? I would be very interested in seeing how you do it.

Thanks

Danny

----------


## Troy Harris

I use a router table and ¼ inch spiral end mill cutter. The set-up elevates the exposed cutter and adjusts for depth and height.

----------


## Troy Harris

I use spring spool clamps the exact height as the cutter to keep everything steady. The springs make it easy to change the position of the clamps as needed.

----------


## Troy Harris

One more photo.

----------


## Hans

Dale, that was the Rush river, Wisconsin's premier stream for over 60 years. I have been privileged to fish it for half those years. Don't even like to think about it anymore. Too sad...

----------


## grandmainger

Troy, that's a very clever setup... Very clever. I like the simplicity of it.
Germain

----------


## markishandsome

Those spring clamps are clever too. They don't provide enough pressure for glue-up, do they??

----------


## carleshicks

can you post some pics of just the spring clamps that is a great idea

----------


## DryBones

not to get too off topic but we have a dying river right here in Virginia. Spring fish kills for the past 3 years, poor spawns and not enough rain. Most experts suggest that the kills are triggered by spring runoff through over saturated fields with chicken waste and human bio sludge. I haven't even been on this river yet this year because its just not the same as it was in the past. Mybe you have heard of this river....The Shenandoah River 
you can find more info about the fishkills if you are interesed at RiverSmallies.com Now, back to mandolin talk only!

----------


## Troy Harris

I made the clamps to keep the sides square to the cutter and eliminate the possibility of tipping the angle of the rabbet. The springs do not provide enough pressure for gluing, but make it easy to reposition the clamps when routing.

----------


## carleshicks

Thanks I will be making a set soon.

----------


## Troy Harris

Carles, thats great, but you have to write Harris on the side of each clamp

----------


## Gavin Baird

Two Peter Ostroushko A models, Englemann and Big Leaf Maple

----------


## Gavin Baird

Back

----------


## Gavin Baird

2nd. Top view

----------


## Gavin Baird

Back View

----------


## dstretch

My Aniane #4 finally coming along. Should have her done by end of July.

----------


## dstretch

Bound Top

----------


## dstretch

Scroll UMMMMMM

----------


## dstretch

Dovetail

----------


## dstretch

All laid out.

----------


## dstretch

The birth of #5

----------


## JEStanek

Looks great, Danny, That scroll bindings getting very good looking in there!

Jamie

----------


## Steve Cantrell

That top wood is fantastic, Danny, and awesome work on the scroll and binding.

----------


## dstretch

Thanks all.

----------


## Troy Harris

I finished gluing and scraping the binding on the A-5

----------


## Troy Harris

I added an inside layer of .020 black to the traditional side binding. This gives me a margin of error when scraping the dye off the binding after staining a dark sunburst.

----------


## Troy Harris

I wait to bind the button until after the neck is set.

----------


## Troy Harris

One more

----------


## Bill Snyder

Troy do you have a website? Your work is VERY clean.

----------


## Troy Harris

Bill, Thank you I have a website in the works and hope to have it launch before the end of the year.

----------


## Mike Buesseler

I'd call that almost surgically clean! That A model is an art piece just as it is now! Superb, Troy!

----------


## otterly2k

That is SO clean... why hide it under a sunburst? That would make a great blonde!

----------


## markishandsome

> why hide it under a sunburst? That would make a great blonde!


Agreed, stellar work.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Troy, That is some "migty fine" work. Do you have a pic of the neck dovetail to go along with the dt in the body?
The other posters have used up all the adjectives so all I can say is neat.  

Stanley

----------


## Sitka

I am usually hard to impress, but your work is awesome.

Micah

----------


## Troy Harris

Thank you I havent started the neck, but I will post more photos as I make progress.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Is this progress or what?

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

An F-5, 9 months in the making, just strung up for the first time today.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

and a rear pose.

----------


## Steve Cantrell

You do good work, Stephanie. How's she sound?

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

> You do good work, Stephanie. How's she sound?


Well, today is the first day with strings, but I think it sounds pretty good. Still needs lots of playing to break it in.
Thanks!

----------


## Hans

Hey who set the camera to B & W? Chuck Bogle's M23MTVBVD ready for varnish with blackburst back and sides. Top is natural. Hate flashes...

----------


## Steve Cantrell

This is posted in another thread, but I thought it would qualify here too. This is the back of Poe #14, waiting for varnish.

----------


## Calvin

Agreed

----------


## Steve Cantrell

Appreciate it guys. I can't wait to see it varnished and polished. Not long now.

----------


## Calvin

Good post a pic. of it. When it is done.

----------


## Antlurz

> _waiting for varnish._


I'll bet that grain jumps out and bites you when it gets some clear on it!

Ron

----------


## Sitka

This one is almost in progress. I got this in yesterday from LMI.

----------


## Sitka

A better pic of the figure on the back.

----------


## Keith Newell

This one is almost done and heading over the ocean.
 Keith Newell
http://www.newellmandolin.com

----------


## cooper4205

here are some pics I took at Will Parsons' shop of his latest mandolin, an x-braced F5

----------


## cooper4205



----------


## cooper4205



----------


## Bill Snyder

I like Mr. Parson's version of the F-style peghead.

----------


## markishandsome

LOVE the soundholes!

----------


## Yellowmandolin

That peghead "scroll" is great!

----------


## sean parker

great soundholes!

----------


## Yellowmandolin

Hans, I just noticed your "blackburst" from the page before and was wondering if you could tell us a little more about it. If you had a shot of the back/sides and the top, that would be cool... I'm just having a hard time visualizing how the colors (or lack thereof!) work.

----------


## Christopher Standridge

I just read Han's thread about having to redo a sunburst job, right before i was ready to do this color job. #After being away from the bench for about a month and a half, i was a little intimidated. #Sorry for the lousy lighting, but here is a new Carver...

----------


## Christopher Standridge

Here is the backside. This one is going to Bob. He chose the color combination...

----------


## billhay4

Will Parsons does a lovely take on both soundholes and peghead scroll.
Bill

----------


## Steve Cantrell

Nice burst, Rovinmando. That backwood and scroll look fantastic.

----------


## Troy Harris

I started working on the neck for the A-5...

----------


## Troy Harris

Truss rod slot & headstock pocket.

----------


## Troy Harris

I use a traditional bent compression rod.

----------


## Troy Harris

Sugar maple filler piece.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

French polish.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Troy, that neck is looking good. Can't wait to see the dovetail along side the A5 body.

Stanley

----------


## Hans

Jacob, I'm just getting the last coat of varnish on today. Top is natural. I'll post some pix when it's done.
Chris, looks like a great burst there! Guess I didn't intimidate you too much...

----------


## Troy Harris

Jim, Beautiful work Thanks Stanley, I will keep posting.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

More French polish.
I learned to spray finishes and there have been a lot of cases of varnish mandolins having curing problems and I just haven't been all that excited to go in that direction. But I chose this instrument to try an oil- fp finish.
I was brushing on the oil and decided to consult with a nearby longtime violin builder, restorer and repair person. He found my work to be worthy enough and has been guiding me along. While I was asking about cure times between coats of oil, he gave me the schedule, and said then just level sand it, french polish it and your done. Gulp. French polish?
So he showed me how he does it and the concoction he has used for the last 40 years. It's exactly like...only completely different than any of the instruction I've seen before. So far it seems to be working for me although the final buffing is still ahead.

----------


## JEStanek

That looks like a rippling pool of the most beautiful honey I've ever seen. Gorgeous!

Jamie

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, That is a beautiful mandolin! I can't seem to get the art of french polish down. I think it would take someone demonstrating for me to learn. Great job; congratulations!

----------


## Kevin K

Goodness that is beautiful.

----------


## amowry

Jim, that looks gorgeous. For me French polish can be frustrating, because with most things I expect to get better each time I do it. FP seems to defy the "practice makes perfect" rule. I guess the learning period is just that long!

----------


## oldwave maker

You boys and girls do mighty fine work. When I stopped at the BG showcase in nashville a few months back I thanked Big Joe for not letting Gibson make ovalholes....
maple, mahogany, black walnut, rosewood ovulation, with a splash of GOM

----------


## oldwave maker

100 pages of wood worship- whew! George's brazilianized new mexistanic gom with zia symbol and roadrunner peghead, bearclaw musser engelmann top.
Could I get 10% more beer in the monitors?

----------


## Austin Clark

Jim, that FP looks fantastic. That wasn't your first was it??

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I messed around on scrap before and told myself I'd never try it on an instrument but this is in fact the first shot on an instrument. Hey, it's not done yet. Plenty of time yet for disasterto strike.

----------


## mandopete

Hey Jim - I saw #24 at Ken Cartwright's shop at the Darrington BG fester last weekend. I took a few pictures and I'll try to see if I can post 'em here.

What year was that one built?

----------


## otterly2k

> maple, mahogany, black walnut, rosewood ovulation


Speaking for those of us who ovulate... I can only say... OUCH!!!
   

But the mandolins sure are beautiful!

----------


## mandopete

> Hey Jim - I saw #24 at Ken Cartwright's shop at the Darrington BG fester last weekend. #I took a few pictures and I'll try to see if I can post 'em here.
> 
> What year was that one built?


Here it is....

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Pete, that's the one I had at the '03 Wintergrass. It was completed in '02.

----------


## ShaneJ

Jim, congratulations on the FP and the drop-dead-gorgeous blond. Unbelievably beautiful!

----------


## Cragger

Here is my first attempt at woodworking other than widdling with my grampa when I was a kid. #He is the one that has inspired me to take up woodworking as a hobby. I figured I would try from scratch since I really didn't have anything to lose. I started on this around January. I may finish up by 2010!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Craggar, what you've accomplished right there is an achievment in itself. GOod job!

----------


## labraid

Ok, the lute studies have been having their effect on me. This is my second attempt at lute bracing for a classical sounding cytole mandolin. 
Sorry, nothing glamourous yet my friends. 
Yet, isn't this where it all begins...

----------


## billhay4

Brian,
Is this bound? If so, does the binding cover the brace ends?
Nice looking and interesting brace pattern. Your usual stellar work. I'll pick your brain sometime about the theory behind the shape and placement of the braces.
Bill

----------


## labraid

Yessir, we'll have some 2x5.5mm bloodwood bindings covering those ends.
The knowledge is 400 years old for this layout.. Some good historical and practical info in Lundberg's book.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

French polish...polished.
As I mentioned before this is my first fp mandolin, actually a thin fp topcoat over a brushed oil. While there is the technique of "spiriting off" to get it polished and shiny, I've reverted to my old habits and I'm starting with 8000 micromesh lubed with baby oil, then on to a swirl remover and 2 finer polishing compounds.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

So far so good.

----------


## Brad Weiss

Wow Jim! I thought I was looking at the mandolin Andrew Mowry built for me, also French polished. Both awfully nice!

----------


## labraid



----------


## Mike Buesseler

Brian, you mind explaining how that "birdtail" will become the back of that mandolin?!! I don't get the curves at ALL....can't wait to see this one finished. 

Just exactly what makes a 'citole' anyway? It looks like a bigger body size. More bass???

----------


## Mike Buesseler

Oh, wait...I think I see now that the 'curves' are just an illusion in the angle of the photo....right?

----------


## labraid

It's a full 3d curve Mike. I'm fitting that curved back to the straight ribs at the moment. More pics as that's finished. 
Yes, I'm aiming for a very full, sweet, resonant bass register with this instrument.

----------


## Stanley Cox

I go to bluegrass jam and stay off the'puter a couple of days and just look at what shows up!!  
Good looking work all.
Stanley

----------


## labraid

As are reinforced the classical Embergher backs.. 
My third-ever attempt. 
Second-ever success.  
The whiter spots under the shavings up near the top, minor remnants of a first go which I had to remove because the shavings, flat-"shaven", warped when wet and wouldn't sit flat. These shavings, quartered in Sitka, do the job.. only .004" thin.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Brian, the research that results in your building style and ethics remind me of the luthier shop at Colonial Williamsburg, where historical accuracy and period technology is a must. Very impressive.

----------


## oldwave maker

The OW! shellac sealer coats over waterbased and alcohol based stains...

----------


## Gibson A5

Just beautiful Bill.
Bill P.

----------


## labraid

Incubus Insurrectum Fallibus and some other made up Latin incantations:



forgot the incense.

----------


## testore

Here are few shots of the cedar topped Monte that is just getting varnished. I was a little scared to go clear, I was worried about the color contrast between the cedar and maple, but I think I made the right choice. Uhm.....did I mention?,.....it's available. Gonna mount it with gold hardware.Hope you like it

----------


## testore

European maple back,sides and neck.Trying a new varnish,terp. based. So far I love it.

----------


## testore

.....

----------


## testore

The scrolls on the Monte where soooo fun to carve. Any critique is very welcomed BTW

----------


## testore

Last one.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Beautiful!! Gary, I love the blonde look! Did you use the template I sent? Critique??? It's perfect! Nice work!!

----------


## testore

Skip, I didn't use your template. I had a Monte tracing that I lost for over a year. It turned up about 4 months ago along with a bunch of other info. Thanks for the comments. Perfect it isn't but I'm happy with it. Can't wait to play it.

----------


## testore

WOW no more comments?Is that good or bad?

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Gary,

I think it looks really nice. I want one.

----------


## Bill Halsey

Hey, Gary -- been away awhile, just saw this masterpiece & had to acknowledge yet another great surprise from the master! Talk about perfection... look at those miters. This is not very encouraging to we elder mortals, you know... now it's my turn to be sick.
Tell ya what: you stick to fiddles & I'll do bows - deal? (*NOT!*  )
Still love that button shape too, man.
BTW, do you ever sleep?

----------


## testore

FINALLY!, I thought someone must have died or something. Hello is anybody out there??Mando's are just too fun to stop Bill, as you know. Not useing any CNC stuff at all makes me feel like I'm standing in mud sometimes. It's been a hard summer trying to get stuff done. 
biorkman, you can have THIS one, well not really HAVE but it could be yours.

----------


## Bill Halsey

Right. Sounds like my CNC looks a lot like your CNC...

----------


## testore

Mine's bigger

----------


## squirrelabama

Holy Scroll Batman!! Ya know, I thought I owned the two prettiest Vessel mandos out there, and then dang it Gary,ya had to top them!! Just when I was starting to get in a better financial situation, and learning to live with the fact that I may have to be happy with only two of your creations you go and do this.......now I know how heroin addicts feel. Ok, we're going to have to post pone the 'dola order and talk here. No joke, I have been considering offing the Nugget...i'm just not playing it much. We'll have to talk soon! That is absolutel jaw dropping. -geoff:O

----------


## markishandsome

Bill, do you have any more shots of your CNC? Looks a lot more aggressive than my puny model.

----------


## squirrelabama

Gary- Any shots of the headstock?? is it Monte shaped, or other?? -geoff

----------


## swinginmandolins

Gary,
That Monte Style looks awesome!

----------


## jasona

Very impressive! And awfully tempting...

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Gary, I would love to take that off your hands, but I like being married so I must respectfully decline.

----------


## Daniel Nestlerode

Well, I don't know about anyone else but I was out of town when those shots were posted, and I didn't look at a computer all weekend!  

Jeez Gary, if I had known you were into trying out a Monte, I would have talked you into doing one for me!

Love the blonde!

Daniel

----------


## testore

Daniel,you can own more than one you know 
biorkman, marriage is overrated 
Geoff, the head is Monte with a new flwerpot design. Tried my hand at some wire inlay. That's hard to do. I'll post pics later. thanks guys.
Gary

----------


## squirrelabama

Yah Daniel!! They're like Lays potato chips, you can't have just one!!! C'mon! Just teasing. I love both of mine. They have two totally different voices, yet there is an undescribable (probably due to my limited vocabulary) commonality with the tones. How's your's breaking in?

----------


## Daniel Nestlerode

> How's your's breaking in?


Quite well, thank you. I think it's done with the first 6 months/radical break in period. I need to put its 3rd set of strings on and hear where it is when they're fresh.

Absolutely no complaints; I love it.

I took it to the Healdsburg Guitar Festival last weekend and got a lot of jokes about what happens when you put your guitar in the dryer.   

Yes, I suppose I could own two, but then --overrated or not-- I would likely no longer be married. Then I'd have to sell a bunch of instruments to stay afloat. Best to wait at least two years before considering another mandolin.


Daniel

----------


## Mandoborg

Gary,

That's RIGHT !!

----------


## Bill Halsey

> Bill, do you have any more shots of your CNC? Looks a lot more aggressive than my puny model.


Sure. Don't know if this is too far off-topic, but for context I'll put it here.

For years I had the priviledge of living near an antique tool dealer (now retired) who scoured Britain for the best of the best pre-WWII tools. This one is a Thos. Ibbotson & Co., 1-1/2"w., probably about a 7 or 8 sweep. A 5 or 6 might be better. I made the two-fisted handle, and the whole affair is about 21 1/2".
I can rough a top & back and still shave with it. Try that with your CNC...

----------


## markishandsome

Thanks Bill, that's now at the top of my fantasy tools wish list

----------


## pjlama

Gary,
I think that the Monty will like the dry climate here in New Mexico

----------


## labraid

This little guy comes in handy for paring cuts.



(wanna go, Billbows?  )

----------


## testore

OOOOH that's bigger than mine.

----------


## Bill Halsey

> (wanna go, Billbows?  )


 Sure. Your place or mine?

----------


## labraid

[distinct running sounds]

----------


## Bill Halsey

Have to admit, that weapon doesn't get used a whole lot for mandos. It's a lovely old laminated Haw & Houghton boatbuilder's slick. It has the sweetest curve, and is a terrific paring tool.

----------


## Michael Gowell

I've got a slick a bit bigger than that with no markings. I used it to slick off the bark and smooth off the bumps on a 70-foot white spruce stick destined for use as a spar on a historic vessel. Really fun to use a major tool on a major job.

----------


## Bill Halsey

Maine Michael, would that be the pinnace _Virginia_?

----------


## labraid

Michael... My other dream job! Any links to your work?

----------


## Troy Harris

Ive returned from my summer vacation and now back to work on the A-5

----------


## Troy Harris

The neck heel and back button are ready for the final shaping

----------


## Troy Harris

The early Gibson A-3 inlay design is a favorite. I cut this from black mother of pearl.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Troy, very clean work! That mandolin is awesome!

----------


## Michael Gowell

Billbows & Old Tymer - sorry not to answer your questions, just lost track...I used to be the skipper/bilgeboy on a historic reproduction 70-ft sailing barge called a gundalow. #In the nearby Piscataqua estuary the conditions were right (fast tidal currents on an interconnected river system) for moving local freight by boat, and we used our Piscataqua Gundalow CAPTAIN EDWARD H. ADAMS as a teaching platform for both historical and environmental programs. #Good fun, and I had to learn some brutal woodbutchery to keep the vessel in spare parts, but I never achieved the level of skills of a true shipfitter. The vessel is still going, but I've retired.

----------


## Bill Halsey

Sounds to me like good work for the right reasons, Michael. And, if she's still afloat and working, then your carpentry was appropriate. Hope we meet, love to see your mando.

----------


## amowry

Proof that I'm still getting some work done, even with a new baby in the house (folks on my waiting list take note  :Wink: !

----------


## tattiemando

Nice work Pop! I can't wait to see this batch. Best wishes Craig.

----------


## Troy Harris

Nice work Andrew

A few more details and the A-5 will be ready for the varnish room

----------


## Troy Harris

I drill and tap the threads for the finger rest before installing the extension. I use a flat head slotted machinist screw and also a steel rod to fasten the finger rest to the instrument. I find that #4-40 machinist screws work better than wood screws in ebony.

----------


## Troy Harris

...

----------


## Troy Harris

Ready for varnish.

----------


## labraid

Someone else using dense woods under the extension... Nice, 'tis catching on!

Finally got away from the desk, seems like the last week has been paperwork... Deathly sort of boredom!

Here's number 51:



Well, you have to use your imagination.

----------


## Troy Harris

I was cleaning and organizing the shop and took some final photos of the mandolins before I start to varnish.

----------


## Troy Harris

...

----------


## Troy Harris

Ive enjoyed the opportunity to show my work and see the excellent work of other builders. Thank you for all of the positive comments.

----------


## testore

Great stuff. Have you thought about buffalo horn for black points? It's the coolest stuff. I'll be doing it at some point.Beautiful work!

----------


## Bill Halsey

Instruments in white-wood always look so innocent...
Very pretty work, Troy!

----------


## buddyellis

Nice, clean work troy. Something for us newbs to shoot for.

Brian: I need to come by YOUR house. Killer chunk of wood!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's a new F.

----------


## HoGo

> So he showed me how he does it and the concoction he has used for the last 40 years. It's exactly like...only completely different than any of the instruction I've seen before. So far it seems to be working for me although the final buffing is still ahead.


Hey Jim,
I wonder what's so completely different in your method of FP? 
I've seen at least dozen of different methods, but all basicly along the same lines, the biggest differences are in putting the shellac inside the pad from front or "rear" and application of oil directly on instrument or to pad or added to shellac.

Your mandos are pure perfection, BTW. But no one can expect less from you. My first (and maybe even the latest) FP was nowhere near that.  
And still learning after 10 attempts on mandolins and several gunstocks and other objects.

----------


## labraid

The last supper... for this beautiful bit of tree anyhow.

----------


## JEStanek

What?!? No Salad gouge! Good looking wood, Brian.   

Jamie

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, Beautiful work as always!

----------


## labraid



----------


## Stanley Cox

Brian, What did you do? That looks like a mandolin back from that wood. Looks good.

Stanley

----------


## labraid

Yep, I think I might even glue it to a pair o ribs one these days.

----------


## markishandsome

Jeez Brian, that could have gone towards a few dozen nice pens instead of being wasted on one of your little noisemakers.   

Looks great!

----------


## french guy

Hello builders,
I'm about making the #13 it is a smaller one , for a young boy ( 4 years old ) . I've removed the firsts 5 frets from a standard fretboard and then drawed a body especially for a young one . 
that's why the body seem lengthened .
The #13 & #8 are pictured togheter to give an idea of the size.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Hey Troy, Very fine work on the pair. I saw the excellent dovetail work on the A. Did you use mahogany fret board extenders?
Stanley

----------


## Troy Harris

Thanks Stanley,
I use Macassar Ebony (SE Asia) for the fingerboard extension. In the past I used African ebony. It works well for drilling and tapping threads for installing the finger rest. 
Gary I havent thought about using buffalo horn, but I can imagine its a nice material to work with.

----------


## Doug Edwards

I'm re-working my first guitar, a Stella 1/2 size. I plan to set it up as an OM. 

Finally finished with the body binding, black and Mahogany binding.

----------


## Doug Edwards

I doubt it sounds great or anything, vintage plywood you know, but it's a great way to learn new skills. I thought the body binding would be easier but the Mahogany is tough.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Hey Doug, Good looking work. So mahogany binding is also fun to work with huh?
You should have come to the BBQ picking party Sunday with Paul.Good time was had by all.

Stanley

----------


## Doug Edwards

Moving right along Stanley. #I'm learning from my mistakes. So far I've learned a ton! My OCD is starting to kick in, but I'm leaving for Colorado after our show tonight.

----------


## Doug Edwards

Headstock

----------


## testore

Here's the latest F5 attempt. Reds are sooo hard to photograph. This one is more browny in person, but you get the idea.

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Gary, nice work as usual.

----------


## Dave Cohen

Here's a photo of a one-piece koa back from Bruce Kreps. He had it at the 2006 GAL convention, and thought it should have my name on it (for a convention price, of course). I didn't get around to carving it until this summer.

----------


## Dave Cohen

Here's the headstock on the koa neck. I couldn't decide between a traditional ebony headplate and a highly figured koa headplate, so I got the dumb idea to use both. The headplate is bound in maple, rosewood, and curly maple. I'll do a similar treatment on the pickguard.

Actually, I "appropriated" the headplate idea from Steven Anderson, with some modifications to fit an F-style headstock shape.

----------


## Dave Cohen

Here's the redwood top plate on the koa ribs. #Points are ebony and bone. #Finish will be natural, on accounta the very colorful materials. Binding will be rosewood and curly maple, arranged to provide contrast to the relatively dark body materials.

----------


## labraid

(certainly like those colour and trim choices!)

----------


## JEStanek

Me too! Looks very tasty, Dave.
Jamie

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dave, that looks great! I love the peghead combo!!

----------


## buddyellis

Heres my #3. IV rim and neck, 'Euro' Spruce top, 'Euro' maple back. Again, the EVO .080 frets from LMI. They rock.

Lighting makes the vignette look off center, but its not.

----------


## buddyellis

Back

----------


## buddyellis

Back Full

----------


## buddyellis

Back Scroll

----------


## limerock

good job Buddy

----------


## Antlurz

Some really nice stuff on the page, but that piece of Koa is fascinating.

Ron

----------


## labraid



----------


## Steve Cantrell

Awesome, Brian. The work and the photograph. It's going in my desktop wallpaper file.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

> Awesome, Brian. The work and the photograph. It's going in my desktop wallpaper file.


I agree. A stunning photograph. The lighting, the colors, the texture of the wood, workbench, tool...it all adds up to a scene from colonial Williamsburg. I half expect that Brian works by candlelight.

----------


## billhay4

However he works, he's an artist in everything he does.
Bill

----------


## MLT

Brian, 

B e a u t i f u l!

I can't wait to watch as you build mine beginning March/April 2008!

----------


## Antlurz

Absolutely beautiful photo, Brian, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what having an old drum brake adjustment tool in the photo is for. 



Ron

----------


## labraid

vielen Dank

----------


## labraid

Jeepers, this place is kinda slow these days. Guess y'all have better stuff to be doing... than... beading a single edge for two straight days.. Like IBMA! Well, then. Happy Thanksgiving Canadian people not at IBMA. See you in the mountains...

----------


## Jonas

Did you "scoop" the lap-point on that one? Too cool!

----------


## labraid

Yes, I'm putting a bead around the edge as somewhat standard now. The scroll has some too, it has a great light effect; an effect on edge stiffness as well. Thanks, nice to hear.

----------


## Austin Clark

nice work all...
I feel your pain on photographing reds, Gary. btw, I like your violin style heel buttons.

This is the current batch. An F and 2 2-points.

----------


## Glassweb

my hat is off to any builder that adopts Collings most perfect solution to the dreaded "pick click". the Collings fingerboard should be adopted as the new standard. elegant, understated and solves the problem... no more scoops, scallops and naked black tongues.

----------


## Austin Clark

and a couple other shots...

----------


## Austin Clark

the backs

----------


## jasona

As clean of work as usual Austin! Very pretty.

----------


## otterly2k

I really like the elegance of your two-points....scroll is nice too, but I"m just partial to the 2-pts.

----------


## JEStanek

The back of that 2 point is pretty sweet! Very clean work, Austin.

Jamie

----------


## stevem

Nice work Austin. That 2 point back looks great. It's like the wood is coming together to share a kiss.

----------


## amowry

Looks great, Austin!!

----------


## bradeinhorn

They do look great austin! These two mandolins are being commissioned for Kings County Strings, and we can't wait to try em out.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

My latest mandolin project in the foreground, a future F-4.
It was actually destined to become an F-5, but an emergency came up and I needed an F-5 top and didn't have time to order wood and carve one. SO I removed the F-holed and tone-barred top off of this rim and now I have the beginning of an F-4 that I've wanted to build for so long.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Austin, your work is awesome! I love that wide grain top!

----------


## testore

so Austin,you'll photograph them in the white and make us imagine how they'll look red? That's not fair.Great work. My red one is a polish away from being strung up. I'm usually so impatient but this time I've had other things to do and that helps varnish dry. Hurry and let us see yours painted up.

----------


## Steve Hinde

Binding miter time. Magnifying glasses,, sharp knife, and a little blood. #

Steve

----------


## jessboo

that looks good steve

----------


## Dan Voight

#4 just completed and shipping out tomarrow. My first custom order!

----------


## oldwave maker

Inspired by the carpathian discussion a few weeks ago, a vampire a style with the "carptop" I since found out came from the transylvanian alps- maybe a blood red top with translucent black sides/back/neck? hard stuff, almost as irritating sounding as a banjer, got some teeth to it.....

----------


## labraid

You are one prolific man! "...a few weeks ago" hehe.

----------


## squirrelabama

Bill....if you go the route of a red top.... do like "The Red Violin" except mix some bat's blood or something crazy like that into your varnish!! Way cool.

----------


## oldwave maker

Ah, Oldtymer- the joys of no adult supervision mon morn thru fri eve....
I once made some beautiful red stain from alcohol and dried red chile, set it in the window, and the jar was back to clear in 4 days! Still, it was easy to suspend belief when he diluted the blood with turpentine and started varnishing with the brush made from her hair. I could scrape some dried blood off Susie's bike helmet to add to the top finish, tho duco cement and colortone red work better for halloween bloodcrust....

----------


## testore

red chili in alcohol is a GREAT looking color, but not at all light fast. I made a pigment from it 20 years ago and it was muddy yellow.

----------


## amowry

Here are a few that I'm working on...

----------


## amowry

...

----------


## rekx

my new desktop background

----------


## amowry

Thanks for looking!

----------


## Brad Weiss

Wow, an octave revolution. Five at a time, keepin' busy there Andrew!

----------


## Mandoborg

Andrew, how on earth do you find the time to work with a newborn ?? My kids 2 1/2 and i still haven't gotten back in the sawdust pile yet !

GREAT looking stuff as usual !!

Jim Combra

----------


## Mike Buesseler

I'm sorry, but these photos make those old Loars look clunky by comparison. All I can see that they have over the new builders' work is age, and you can't build that. 

Just _awesome_ work, People!!!

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Andrew, 

Nice and clean, but that's nothing new for you. Got any pics of the headstocks?

----------


## amowry

Thanks folks! Jim, it's definitely been a challenge, but Sarah was on maternity leave until recently, so she had Will during the day most of the time. I've ruined more pieces of wood than normal in the past few months, though, which I attribute to being up half the night. My reject pile is taking over my assembly table.

Here are a few headstocks, as requested.

----------


## amowry

...

----------


## Chris Biorkman

I love your headstock inlay. So classy...

----------


## Austin Clark

those look great, Andrew!

----------


## markishandsome

Top notch stuff! If you need someone to help haul away your rejects...

----------


## labraid

This is why I "work" Sundays. Reverence...

----------


## oldwave maker

The only newborns at the oldwave nursing home/shop, no adult supervision coming till sunday evening!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's one thats ready for varnish.

----------


## labraid

darn perty colouring!

Here's a new neck ready for final shaping to dimension. 
On the newly retouched Fib peghead, hmmm... a new siggy?

----------


## amowry

Wow, cool headstock, Brian.

Here's an octave with some color applied:

----------


## labraid

You've _earned those stripes_, Andrew.  

I wasn't going to start a new thread, because I don't have much to show off yet, but here's the above f4, come to life! 24 hours old (and with a megalight pick, cuz it's all I gots cuz I loses ems!) 

http://www.bfolk.com/51withalightpick.mp3

This is for a guy in a Celtic group here in Quebec. I was hoping to complexify/"wetten" (thanks guys!) the tone of an arch-top. This is a compounded arch, with different archings in different regions. Notably, it has a deeper arch at center, yet the break angle 3 degrees less than "standard". Go figure?

----------


## Steve Cantrell

Brian, that F-4 is just stunning. I really dig the headstock design you have. I think the first mandolin I ever saw of yours was an F-4 with a similar headstock and I was stunned. Good stuff.

----------


## mandomick

> You've _earned those stripes_, Andrew.  
> 
> I wasn't going to start a new thread, because I don't have much to show off yet, but here's the above f4, come to life! 24 hours old (and with a megalight pick, cuz it's all I gots cuz I loses ems!) 
> 
> http://www.bfolk.com/51withalightpick.mp3
> 
> This is for a guy in a Celtic group here in Quebec. I was hoping to complexify/"wetten" (thanks guys!) the tone of an arch-top. This is a compounded arch, with different archings in different regions. Notably, it has a deeper arch at center, yet the break angle 3 degrees less than "standard". Go figure?


Beautiful tone Brian.

----------


## stevem

Yes, really nice tone Brian. Very nice stains Jim and Andrew. Nummy.

----------


## David Newton

I know I'm going to appear odd, that just comes with the territory, but here's my latest.

----------


## Bill Snyder

Nice looking instrument Dave. 
I seem to recall you posting a picture of one of these over at the MIMF several months ago. How many of these have you built now?

----------


## stevem

How are the strings tuned Dave? Looking good.

----------


## David Newton

This is Harp-mando #2. It was made to show at the "Harp Guitar Gathering" this weekend in Williamsburg Va.
Tuning? What the heck, I don't know! No one knows. There is no known music written from 1901 or there-abouts when these were invented by Chris Knutsen. I think players tune the bass strings to something that will go with a particular piece, retuning for whichever key they are in, basically an octave lower.
These are a fun build, but I'm not specializing, ok?&lt;g&gt;

----------


## Austin Clark

coming soon...
These are oil varnished and in the process of getting their french polish final coats.

----------


## piknleft

Absolutely love the back of that 2 pointer! That fabric reminds me of the O Brother penal farm.......

----------


## bradeinhorn

looking great austin. cool button on that f-5.

----------


## Chip Booth

Dave, I love your harp mandolin! #I wish I was near enough to try it out.

Chip

----------


## 4Strings

"These are oil varnished and in the process of getting their french polish final coats."

Austin, Looks great! Can you share your materials and method of applying the color/oilvarnish...I tried oil varnish on my IV kit and had very limited success. 
Brad

----------


## harwilli55

Kent, 

If I looked half as good as that Harlan #1, I could sell me easily  

Great Looking work !! 

Harlan

----------


## Troy Harris

Ive been mixing dye colors for the last couple weeks. I finally came up with a brown that I was happy with and got some color on the A-5

----------


## Darren Kern

Troy, I'm speechless. That is going to be a gorgeous A-5. Wow. That's the color scheme I've been shooting for. I get the middle colors pretty close, but I don't know how to get the outside that nice dark color. Great job man.

----------


## Kent Barnes

It's been a while since I posted any progress pictures. #Here's Harlan #5.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Hey Kent, When did you carpet your shop?  
Stanley,
Edit, Looks good

----------


## Stanley Cox

Troy, Looking good. Also a nice stash of wood in the back ground.
Stanley

----------


## Skip Kelley

Austin, I love the color on that two-pointer!! It looks awesome!

----------


## Bill Snyder

I know it is really early in the process but here is a guitar shaped one I am finally starting. Shape is inspired by Howe Orme instruments.

----------


## labraid

Bill, are the centerline dimples making their way into the final shape? Very classy, understated touch if I may say so.

----------


## Bill Snyder

My template is not full width. The dimples just give me something to line it up when I flip it over.

----------


## buckhorn

here are Buckhorn #6 and #7 pegheads with binding....

----------


## buckhorn

here is another..

----------


## buckhorn

last one ...it is a lefty...after enough reversed and wroung cuts , even you can make one..

----------


## oldwave maker

Every time I've made a lefty I thought it would be great for every mando teacher to play a lefty every once in a while so they can remember what its like when you're just starting out.
Lest anyone think I only worship at the church of the wholly oval hole, some current f holes. Hadnt made an f hole in a while with that engelmann spruce, its refreshing!

----------


## squirrelabama

Bill- is that the carp on the far left??

----------


## buddyellis

Here's the current state of #1 scratch build, about 3 weeks into construction:

----------


## Troy Harris

Thank you Im currently in the process of brushing oil varnish.

----------


## Troy Harris

I delicately level sand using 1000 wet/dry between coats.

----------


## Troy Harris

Its critical that the oil varnish is dry before sanding back and before you add another coat.

----------


## JEStanek

WoW! Stunning photo's Troy.

Jamie

----------


## HoGo

Great work Troy!
BTW, I've got one tip for all who use brushes for varnishing. I always wrap the metal on the brush with masking tape (thicker plastic one). I learned this the hard way after I managed to put a "nice" scratch into top when I was brushing the tight space under the f/b extension. It's cheap insurance. Just my $.2.

----------


## oldwave maker

coming holiday delights with build coats of brain solvent, I need to switch soon to finishing with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, only 235 brain cells left.......

----------


## oldwave maker

Its great to live on a planet where curly maple thrives:

----------


## labraid

what's your planet's name?

----------


## elvisNoir

Bussman, you blow my mind!
Do you make five instruments per day???
How many instruments have you made?
Fine Work. Very Fine Work.

----------


## billhay4

The one with the bag over its head? Too ugly for us to see, or are you fuming it with ammonia?
Bill

----------


## oldwave maker

Brian- the spanish call it oblivione, alas, Dr. Gary told me last night the transport craft will be here in 2012 to beam us all back.
Elvis- thanks, but dim light, cheap camera, and no adult supervision are my only secrets. this must be at lest 2 days work!
Bill- the bagbody model is a reneck of ol'#87, a sordid tale of great box/neck gone way wrong.
Transylvanian topped dracula model, a little late for halloween, type a topstain, not from my lovely wife:

----------


## rekx

I love the color on that mando.

----------


## Ken

The beginning of #17, thinking of a blacktop with f holes. This will be the first f hole mandolin I've made in 18 years.
Ken

----------


## oldwave maker

Inspired by Kent's changing leaves of fall pics, some of that strange arizona sycamore fruit ripening in oldwave holler:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, Your mandolins are amazing! Your pictures of them are equally nice. Have you ever thought of a photography sideline of work?

----------


## billhay4

Yeah,
If he ever can take a break from his 5 mandolins per week schedule, he'll make a mint taking pictures!
Bill

----------


## Bill Snyder

> Inspired by Kent's changing leaves of fall pics, some of that strange arizona sycamore fruit ripening in oldwave holler:


I want some seeds from one of those sycamores if the fruit looks like that.

----------


## Glassweb

Now THAT'S the kind of strange fruit we like to see hangin' from the trees... a beautiful image of some good lookin' wood!

----------


## labraid

Reminds me, in a nicer way, of an old Josh White tune...

;(

Here's one of the four new flatties. I'd been working on a new bracing pattern, and happily it seems to have developed itself. Refinements had to be made to get her to ring like I wanted, you can see the previous trials there "underneath".



Back arches stretched to 3.5mm latitudinally, 6.5mm longitudinally... Not quite a bowl, but getting close



The rear veneer + decoration fitting...

----------


## labraid

"Ok, so now on to the so-called art." -Bukowski

----------


## oldwave maker

One benefit of increasing atmospheric CO2 is its effect on fall color, intensifying fraximus velutina leaves till they almost take on the color of its weird fruit.....

----------


## pjlama

Great pic Bill

----------


## billhay4

This is a rebuild I am currently finishing. This instrument was made by C.C. Stapleton of South Carolina in 2000. It had some issues when I bought it from Charles Johnson sometime thereafter. These included very poor fingerboard binding, a cracking top, and others.
I played it a while. It was a nice player. But the issues bothered me, so last summer I removed the top and binding and fingerboard and finish, and started a rebuild. Here it is with a couple of coats of Tru Oil on it.
Top has a flaw that I patched. Otherwise, it's a beautiful piece of Spruce's redwood. Flaw won't affect playability or life of the instrument IMHO.
Color of top is much more reddish brown than this picture shows.
Bill

----------


## billhay4

The back.
Bill

----------


## billhay4

Another

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Still in the finishing process but the varnish is dry enough to sand.

----------


## Troy Harris

Beautiful work Jim

----------


## Troy Harris

Im preparing the F-5 for varnish beginning with the ground and a wash coat before applying the dye.

----------


## Troy Harris

...

----------


## h2o-X

Troy,
Your craftsmanship is outstanding. Someone is going to be thrilled with this beauty.
Keith

----------


## amowry

Looks great, Troy! How do you mask those soundholes?

----------


## amowry

I was trying to resist, but here's a taste of one I just finished. The purplish cast is from my blue backdrop-- I suppose I should find something more neutral.

----------


## rekx

Mr. Mowry....please, indulge yourself!!

----------


## Hans

New crop of necks...Nathan's F5C, PML, Gerry's 23V, and Trevor's A5/2 snake.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, that mandolin is perfect! The scroll, the binding miters, and the color is as good as it gets!!

----------


## Plang

I agree Skip! That puppy is on its way to me as we speak. I should be playing it by tomorrow afternoon. Can't wait!

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

Nice looking mandolins by all

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Darryl, you started this one off. Bet you never expected it to be one of the most posted to threads ever.

----------


## mandopete

Yep, that's progress.

----------


## Stanley Cox

And the bar goes up,up,up. Great job people! 

Stanley

----------


## Troy Harris

> Looks great, Troy! How do you mask those soundholes?


Andrew,
I use the binding tape from Stew Mac, sticky side up. Its stiff and tacks without any pressure and is easy to remove.

----------


## amowry

Thanks Troy, and thanks for the kind comments, folks. Here's another-- this is too much fun!

----------


## Bill Snyder

Andrew you should use that for your avatar. Great shot and stunning instruments.

----------


## stevem

Fantastic work, Andrew. Just beautiful.

----------


## amowry

Good idea, Bill! Thanks!

----------


## Brad Weiss

I dunno Andrew, I'm partial to this one!!  

Beautiful as ever!

----------


## swinginmandolins

Andrew you do some great work!

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Nice per usual, Andrew. It makes me sick that I had to cancel my order when I see pictures of your work.

----------


## amowry

No problem, Chris, the future is a great expanse of mandolin purchasing potential...

----------


## markishandsome

> the future is a great expanse of mandolin purchasing potential...


My new life motto.

----------


## french guy

mandola #14 on the bench

----------


## Troy Harris

I wanted this mandolin to have some color, but the use of tortoise binding created a challenge

----------


## Troy Harris

I decided to sunburst the back, sides and neckand have a solid color for the top.

----------


## Troy Harris

...

----------


## Chris Biorkman

So clean. Love the color scheme.

----------


## monradon

You know after seeing the beautiful work here I am almost ashamed to show the Ugly Duckling

----------


## dstretch

Aniane #4 almost done.

----------


## dstretch

#5 in the works

----------


## dstretch

#6 in the future.

----------


## dstretch

And #7

----------


## markishandsome

Jeez, I have trouble planning things out past dinner time, but 3 mandos into the future? I repeat, jeez.

----------


## Michael Lewis

A pile of parts! I will be doing really well if I can get one done by June. Too many other obligations taking my time (repairs and orders).

----------


## Gail Hester

Great looking pile of wood Michael. I feel your pain.

----------


## otterly2k

Shayne... is that one of Don Kawalek's kits/designs? Or your own? It looks like his "signature" spalted maple rosette, and new body shape...

----------


## otterly2k

Hey, no pressure from me... I have an IV kit that's been stalled out for over a year.  

But that OM's looking good... keep us posted.

----------


## brunello97

Danny,

Very nice looking wood! I have a simple question, but of interest to me in my own work: How do you 'Project' the outline of the top onto the canted surface of the wood blanks? Do you simply trace a (horizontal) pattern or have a more ingenious method?

thanks,

Mick

----------


## markishandsome

Michael,
I'm curious about the wood left around the outside of the pattern. Is that to give you a easy surface to clamp to jigs? It looks like you do that by hand?

----------


## Mike Buesseler

Troy, do you expect us to believe you are carving those instruments _by hand?!?_ C'mon!!! WOW!! You could make CNC machines obsolete! 

I gotta stay away from this forum....

----------


## dstretch

Mick

The out line that is drawn on the inside to ensure it is big enough with no flaws. So I use my plastic template to draw the outline. 

When I am ready to carve it I use the what ever ribset I have bent for the top and back to outline the area I will carve. Don't know if it is right but thats how I do it.

Danny

----------


## Michael Lewis

Mark, the wood on the outside of the plates is just scrap to be cut away. That is how they come out of my pantograph outfit, with lots of hand work yet to be done. This allows the thick plate to normalize for a while before I start the final shaping and graduations. Whenever you remove the surface of a thick piece of wood you expose the inside that has more moisture. The wood usually moves some at this point, so I like to let the plates settle down and stabilize before committing the wood to a final shape. 

Some folks have been smart enough to figure how to get better accuracy from their carving outfits, but I just use mine to remove the bulk of the waste material from the outside surfaces.

----------


## dstretch

About to start varnishing. These were taken after a coat of shellac to seal the color. Still some fine scraping to be done. I just got my China Boars Hair Brush. Plan to start this weekend.

----------


## dstretch

Good figure in this back.

----------


## dstretch

Picture of the top.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Danny, Very nice, I think that varnish is going to look great on that burst.
Stanley

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's a dovetail I set today. I had second thoughts about how far back I anchored the trussrod.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here it is from the side.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, That dovetail is perfect! Looks great from the side too!

----------


## Hans

Latest Stealth peghead incantation...

----------


## kyken

here's one for SPBGMA.......

----------


## kyken

another view...........

----------


## stevem

Very nice colors, Ken. I love it.

----------


## Kevin K

Very nice

----------


## markishandsome

> Latest Stealth peghead incantation..


Very cool

----------


## kyken

another one for SPGMA.

----------


## Mark Walker

SUM day, eye am a-gonna half two get me won of those to-pointers! 

That sure looks great Ken!

----------


## kyken

Spbgam 08.....

----------


## amowry

Nice! For those who haven't seen it, there's a new Mandolin Sessions interview with Ken:

interview

----------


## Mark Walker

Andrew - Thanks for sharing! Very interesting!

----------


## kyken

another in progress..........

----------


## kyken

back........

----------


## Baron Collins-Hill

that back is going to be amazing

----------


## Jim Rowland

Andrew: My thanks also for the link. I admire Ken's work and got to play (read pick around on)one of his distressed models a couple of years ago at the Fraley festival.
I've always wondered what he looked like,as I do most who post here. Actually,I live a short distance away,but don't want to bother him with a visit. 
Jim

----------


## kyken

well, you can keep wondering what I look like because that ain't me..........

----------


## Jim Rowland

Perfectly OK,cause I ain't me either.
Jim

----------


## Mark Walker

The picture in that article is of the author. I've met Ken and his lovely wife, and even if you shaved him bald, he wouldn't look like that! 

It is a great article!

----------


## Michael Lewis

Hans, your Stealth is intriguing. I love your sense of design.

----------


## Kent Barnes

Finally got some time in the shop. #Harlan #5 "in progress".

----------


## Steve-o

> Finally got some time in the shop. #Harlan #5 "in progress".


Oh man, the colors and intricacy of that headstock inlay are just gorgeous Kent. Nice work.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Looks good Kent, when are you going to cut the "f" holes and spend time with the maple?  
Stanley

----------


## Kent Barnes

Thanks guys. 

Steve-O - The inlay is from Andy de Paul, and is one of Roger Siminoff's designs. I haven't ventured into the world of cutting my own inlay yet.

Stanley - Now that I have the outside pretty much done, I'll whittle down the inside before cutting the F-holes. 
I may go ahead and work on the outside of the back so I can then do the inside of both the top and back at the same time.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Did you put something on the top or is that from the lighting? Looks real smooth. 

Stanley

----------


## David Newton

Beautiful stuff guys! I am in awe of all you guys great work. 
I have just a small group of humble flat-tops, a Mandola to add some spice.

----------


## otterly2k

wow, Dave... what's the wood on the darker one, lower right??
very ziggy...

----------


## David Newton

Hi Otter.
It's redwood, and the reduction in the photo size must have made the ziggys, it isn't like that, but it does have a great bonk.

----------


## amowry

Nice looking fretboard woods too, Dave.

Some rims...

----------


## dstretch

Nice rims Andrew. Are you using the reversed kerfing at full size? Does it have any effect on tone? I have been cutting mine down.

----------


## Hans

Thanks Michael! I've always thought your wingfeather appointments are top notch, and those Lewis deco pegheads...wow!
Here's the completed Stealth peghead with handmade ebony buttons and the rim...

----------


## Bill James

Whoa Hans! Very nice. 

That would make a nice Christmas card.

----------


## Mark Walker

Hans - that is going to be an absotively, posilutely _beautious_ mandolin. #I can TELL! #

----------


## mandolooter

Hans, is that maple for your neck block on the Stealth? And if so is it only because you have no return piece on the upper point or are my eyes deceiving me. Thats a absolutely killer body shape and the curve to and away from the bottom point is pure as they come!

----------


## amowry

The inner workings of the Stealth! I'd better take notes.

Danny, I've been making my revesed-kerf lining with about the same dimensions as traditional mandolin lining, but it looks a little bigger because it's nearly rectangular. I like to leave plenty of room for clamping, and enough of the web to make the rims nice and stiff, which it does. That basswood is so light that I don't see a significant difference in weight.

----------


## delsbrother

> Hey, no pressure from me... I have an IV kit that's been stalled out for over a year. #


I bent some sides for my first mandolin in 1992. They're still sitting in my outside mold. I hope there's no springback...

----------


## Bluegrass Nut

Nice Hans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

----------


## rekx

Hey Kent...that mando is looking great!

----------


## Hans

Thanks folks! Bill, you know what my Chrismas card looks like... 
Jeff, they are maple blocks. I use maple on all but the Classic model instruments. Those are traditional mahogany.

----------


## Austin Clark

that is really cool, Hans! I like the way you used the maple block as the side in the curve of the upper point.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Awesome work everyone!

----------


## kyken

here's one with a few coats of varnish.........

----------


## kyken

another.........

----------


## kyken

top.

----------


## kyken

Varnish is very raw at this stage. After all the wet sanding and polishing it will look alot better....

----------


## kyken

By the way Hans, I really like that rim and mando shape you have there. You going to SPBGMA?

----------


## kyken

2point

----------


## Skip Kelley

Ken, Nice mandolins! You are one busy man!

----------


## Hans

Thanks Ken! Wish I was going to SPBGMA, but can't afford to take the time and I wouldn't want to drive it this time of year.
Here's the progress on the Stealth. Top is German and back will probably be sugar...

----------


## Mario Proulx

Hoo boy! 



Want! Want! Want!

----------


## kyken

the upper point is similar to my two pointer. I like it.
 The trouble with SPBGMA is FEB! Can't depend on the weather. How's your wife doing?

----------


## Michael Lewis

The essence of elegance. Beautiful, Hans.

----------


## Dale Ludewig

Hans, I agree with Michael. Just plain beautiful lines.

----------


## Austin Clark

I know I have already said it once, but I will say it again.
That is really, really cool Hans!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Hans, Beautiful lines! The mandolin is a work of art!

----------


## Hans

Hey, thanks guys, we'll have a little surprise for the finish...
Ken, Maureen is doing fine considering. She just did a benefit for Utah Phillips (he's had some heart problems which have stopped his touring) along with the likes of Peter Lang, Bill Hinkley and Judy Larson, Pop Wagner, Dakota Dave Hull and Phil Heywood.

----------


## Don Grieser

I love how that subtle scooped fingerboard/pickguard line flows right into the (non) f hole. The whole thing looks like a fast sports car in motion. Very nice.

----------


## Mandobar

ya'll don't know what you are missing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Fun with French polish.

----------


## JEStanek

Jim.... Smmmmmoooooooth! Looks great. Nice top wood too!

Jamie

----------


## Kbone

> Hey, thanks guys, we'll have a little surprise for the finish...
> Ken, Maureen is doing fine considering. She just did a benefit for Utah Phillips (he's had some heart problems which have stopped his touring) along with the likes of Peter Lang, Bill Hinkley and Judy Larson, #Pop Wagner, Dakota Dave Hull and Phil Heywood.


I've had the pleasure of hearing Maureen sing & it was a treat.

----------


## kyken

still raw varnish..........

----------


## kyken

another..........

----------


## David Newton

I like the earlier post:
Fun with French Polish, Redwood.

----------


## David Newton

...and the Walnut part.

----------


## otterly2k

nice work, Dave... very groovy back!

----------


## JEStanek

Two groovy backs, Ken and Dave!

Jamie

----------


## ourgang

WOW!! Now there's a name you don't see too often - Utah Phillips

"I'd fill up my shot-gun, with ROCK SALT AND NAILS" Man, what a great tune. One we do every time we're together

----------


## David Newton

Oh Ken, that one-piece back is georgeous!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Beautiful mandolin Dave! I love the walnut back. Cool figure!

----------


## dstretch

A few of my irons in the fire.

My first A style. This will be number 6.

----------


## dstretch

Here is the back of #5. Just finished prepping to glue on. You can see my new label without the "MY" read to be put on the back.

----------


## Bill Snyder

Danny does the A-style have mahogany sides?

----------


## Geoff B

a few from an order I'm close to wrapping up

----------


## Geoff B

the scroll

----------


## Geoff B

playing with finish ideas...

----------


## dstretch

Hey Bill

The sides on the A style are walnut. I have a 3 piece walnut back to carve for it. I planned on a redwood top, but my piece of redwood wasn't good enough, so I am rethinking the top for now.

Danny

----------


## labraid

Hey Geoff B. You rock

----------


## Steve Cantrell

I agree 100%. The combination of the soundhole shapes and the headstock design are just fantastic. Can't wait to see it finished.

----------


## MML

> I agree 100%. The combination of the soundhole shapes and the headstock design are just fantastic. Can't wait to see it finished.


Those sound holes are a very cool...very creative!

----------


## Joel Spaulding

Geoff, your instruments definitely deserve a spot on the Cafe's "Eye Candy" Page!

----------


## Kent Barnes

I really like the time when the pieces start to look like a mandolin. Here's Harlan #5.

----------


## Antlurz

One of the things I find fascinating about this thread is observing the different interpretations on the recurve area and how the various builders handle it. 

Great visuals.

What would be more interesting would be to hear the different tonal results if all else was the same.

Ron

----------


## Hans

Couple of new ones...Trevor's M21 with snake P/H and Nathan's F5C...

----------


## Stanley Cox

Yeah Kent, I see it finaly warmed up So we could get in the shop.  Looks good. I moved some tools around on the work bench but mostly burned daylight.

Stanley

----------


## sunburst

It's warm here, for January, so I took my "work in progress" out to pose for a group photo. Here then, following in the inimitable style of Bill Bussman, is some of the potential fire wood in the shop right now.

----------


## first string

That is going to be one heckuva bonfire John.

----------


## Gail Hester

John, you're irritating me just like Bill does.

----------


## surfandstrum

forgive the stupid question, but I know some builders have nice bonfires with wood that didn't make the cut...Couldn't instruments be made from the bonfire wood and be sold under a different name at a lower price? I could see the reason for not doing this, but I thought I'd ask...forgive me if this question has been asked before (I didn't look at past threads...)

----------


## JEStanek

I'm no builder but If I were a builder who earned my living that way... it would take the same ammount (if not more) time to make a mando with poor wood for less final pay than one from good wood. #If I was trying to fill orders I would rather fill higher paying ones first. #Also, some of those plates become unstable for use and it becomes appearant only during the build or if an error is made. #No one wants to have a mando that implodes with their name on it! #Even their cheap name.

I think some production companies do this with factory seconds (Eastman has done this - I believe) #I'm not sure if I recall how they are labeled.

For a single builder shop it's better to cut your loss earlier on a bad plate.

Jamie

EDIT: Sorry to answer for the builders... I figure they're either carving or drowning their sorrows from carving "errors".

----------


## oldwave maker

Gail- no irritation intended, progress slowed considerably while adult supervision was here for the hollidaze.
John- I sure hope you're successful in obtaining professional help for your mando building syndrome!
Seasoning in the barn since '91, just-sawed 50 lb/cu.ft. juglans nigra. Tree died in the 70's when my neighbor built a feedlot upslope. Big'un will be back for my first walnut GOM.

----------


## tree

Hey John, did I remember you saying that you're building one for yourself? #Is it gonna be one of those F's in the foreground?

----------


## oldwave maker

Left home while the adult supervision was here:

----------


## oldwave maker

Leaving as soon as the cases get here:

----------


## sunburst

Clark, as a matter of fact yes one of those will be mine. I'm about to finally make it to the front end of my own waiting list!

----------


## Bill Snyder

I sure am glad that I do not have the money to buy a custom mandolin from any of the luthiers on this site. I do not know how I would ever decide on which one to use.

----------


## Jim Rowland

Looks like it's time for another dumpster raid in VA.
Jim

----------


## tree

> Clark, as a matter of fact yes one of those will be mine. I'm about to finally make it to the front end of my own waiting list!


Good for you! # #

I'm looking forward to some pics of the finished instrument - particularly the headstock inlay. #I really like the white pine cone, the oconee bells, and the one you did on #13. #I'm curious to see what you decided on for your own mandolin, including bindings and colors. The ebony binding on the walnut/cedar fingerstyle guitar (on your web site) rocks.

----------


## oldwave maker

Jim- can you give me a lift to the virginia dumpster? all I found in this vermont dumpster was empty epoxy buckets and carbon fiber thong remnants!

----------


## sgarrity

Bill,
Thanks for posting your pics here. Your mandolins are works of art!

----------


## Don Grieser

However, Bill, your dumpster diving technique is less than artistic.

----------


## JEStanek

C'mon Don. He's well camoflaged, nobody is in sight and we can't see his face in the incriminating photo. I bet he even has on sunglasses to further blur his identity! I think those in the know, know that the dumpster is the least of the extravagances to be sampled at Hamlett Manor!

This has to be one of my most favorite threads...
Jamie

----------


## Don Grieser

Here's Bill showing his most artistic form--everyone knows the good stuff is on the bottom.

----------


## JEStanek

Nice!

Jamie

----------


## Gavin Baird

Jamie,
    I think you have the best avitar of any...Gavin

----------


## oldwave maker

Shucks, I got to the Rigel factory the day after they went out of business, so the bottom of the dumpster was as lacking in curly as my hair.
The JR special, finally strung in the white, Musser engelmann spruce top, not from the dumpster:

----------


## Griffis

> Leaving as soon as the cases get here:


I'm not sure why the pic doesn't end up in the quote...

If I may say so, Mr. Oldwave Maker, sir-- these are among the most beautiful luthier-built instruments I have ever laid eyes on.

A style mandolins with oval soundholes are my favorites and this one on top is just drop dead gorgeous (just like it's sister on the bottom.)

Also, I lust for one of your guitar-shaped octave mandolins. I really want one of those more than I can express. Perhaps someday I will be lucky enough to be able to commission one from you.

Just phenomenal work.

Are you taking any apprentices?

----------


## JEStanek

G'OM my goodness. That looks wonderful, Bill. I know when it's finished it'll be through the roof but those f holes are so snazzy. Amazing.


BTW- Gavin, thank you. That's my son cracking himself up.

Jamie

----------


## labraid

I like's takin picterrs.
Here's a koa cytole mandolin just begun.

----------


## Geoff B

I got some initial finishing pics on the newest iii.

----------


## Geoff B

Brian D., besides the incredible picture and incredible instrument it looks like you've got there, I like that you are using (what appears to be) solid linings instead of kerfing. (I was about to write "solid kerfing" but my head almost exploded with contradiction!). I prefer the solid stuff. Nice work!

----------


## kyken

here's my new model, a 4 point call "El Fantasma".

----------


## kyken

another..........

----------


## kyken

here's the back. Top is German spruce. It has a BIG sound for only being strung up for 5 minutes. I'll post some finished shote in the post a picture section in a week or so.

----------


## kyken

last one for now. THe head. Same as on my two point, I think it suits this mandolin fine.

----------


## otterly2k

Wow, Ken, that has a really elegant look.

----------


## Doug Edwards

Ken, I like that different look. Close call to which I like better, Han's stealth or your consept. Ebony cover on the tailpiece??

----------


## kyken

yea Doug, an ebony tailpiece cover. Sure has a nice deep woody sound. THe soundholes are small, and it's x-braced.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Ken, That is the coolest mandolin ever! Awesome design!

----------


## JEStanek

Ken, What do you have in the neck? CF or a truss rod accessible via neck block? Pretty cool design.   

Jamie

----------


## thistle3585

Here is my koa emando. The back and neck is quartersawn honduran mahogany I got from a boat builder. The 12th fret marker is the bolt off of the GD "Steal your face cover".

----------


## thistle3585

Here is the headstock. Maple inlay.

Andrew

----------


## Magnus Geijer

I really like that new design, Ken, very nice!

/Magnus

----------


## kyken

it has a double action truss rod from Steve Smith, I just haven't cut through the veneer yet to make the access point. I do that last thing, after the varnish.

----------


## Mark Walker

Wow - very cool Ken! Love that ebony tailpiece cover and all four of those points!

----------


## delsbrother

Oooh, Andrew, love the "german carve" on that koa!

----------


## oldwave maker

That low winter sun is great for seeing curves while finish sanding jrgom, and sure heats the alcohol for dissolving fresh shellacs. Window chickenwire discourages the 3 bears from sampling the papa bed...

----------


## JEStanek

That's some kinda pickle juice, Bill. Great photo. Great color and texture.

Jamie

----------


## Kent Barnes

Harlan #5 coming along.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Kent, That mandolin looks great! Keep the pictures coming!

----------


## Stanley Cox

Kent, It looks as if you will have something nice to show off at Argyle.  I guess I am going to move my whittling area to the office. I might have to show pieces this year.

Stanley

----------


## Andrew Lewis

Andrew,
That is one of the coolest emandos I've seen. Love the body and headstock shapes. Please post pics when you're done.

----------


## Dan Voight

Here is #4.

----------


## Dan Voight

back

----------


## Dan Voight

peghead

----------


## Dan Voight

look mom, no end grain!

----------


## rekx

kent....you work is looking really great...

----------


## Andrew Lewis

Those ff holes look elegant and sharp, Dan.

----------


## bradeinhorn

awesome dan. can't wait to see 'er done..

----------


## Hans

Nathan's F5C and Trevor's A2/5 snake ready to sand...

----------


## first string

Beautiful work as always Hans. And I'll second what DeRoy said Dan, those f holes are really cool. Maybe even the nicest I've seen.

----------


## K3NTUCKI8oy

harlan five?? SWEET!!

----------


## Joel Spaulding

Hopefully a successful attempt at a photo post ! This beauty by Geoff Burghardt of iii Mandolin should be here by March !

----------


## Joel Spaulding

Sitka Top:

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Ahh, lacquer.
After 2 varnish/ french polish jobs, this is nice. 5 coats of lacquer, 5 hours.
5 coats of oil varnish, 10 days.

----------


## Troy Harris

Fretwork

----------


## Troy Harris

Setup

----------


## Troy Harris

Nearly finished I just need to make the pick guard and then Ill post some final photos.

----------


## MML

Wow that is some clean/crisp workmanship!

----------


## labraid

Geoff, yep. I think unkerfed linings add a lot to a shorter break-in time. 

Here's a closeup of the cherry scrollwork for the next cytole.


And some more, uh, scrollwork. For the Embergher repro.

----------


## Magnus Geijer

#5, which will be a four string, and a matching guitar. Really looking forward to hearing these two if I can ever get the finish finished. 



/Magnus

----------


## Ted Eschliman

Nice, Magnus!
Keep us abreast of that 4-string! (Love to see the front, too.)

----------


## MLT

Brian, 

Wow! Great work on the soundhole. And, that scroll, now that's a scroll I could get excited about.

----------


## JEStanek

MLT, I gotta agree on both counts. That scroll looks like the ghost of mandos yet to be for me! Now I'm excited. 

Troy, So very clean. Excellent!

Mangus- that 4 stringer looks very cool. Jim too!

This page is just a WOW!

Jamie
Geoff's is a very cool new look as well.

Jamie

----------


## Doug Edwards

Moving right along on the A5 kit. I'm ready to glue on the extention and fret board. Grover tuners, Allen tp, & inlaid McClung armrest. The fret board had gold & white MOP block inlay and MOP side postion markers. Ebony heel cap with a gold MOP heart. The binding is b/i/tortoise.

----------


## Doug Edwards

I'm still waiting on the bridge to come in. I guess I'll get the nut ready and level the frets.

----------


## Mark Walker

Looking good Doug! That's got some serious sound holes, doesn't it!

I've been watching the progress on your web link; you'll be up there with the Masters before too long! 

Keep up the great work!  

- Mark

----------


## oldwave maker

425 finally strung up, got the red spruce top wood from Carl Barney at the y2k ASIA convention, #shoulda bought the whole stack, mebbe next time.....f holes inspired by the late John Ziedler

----------


## oldwave maker

Backwood picked from the old standard reject pile on 9/11/01

----------


## Brad Weiss

> Moving right along on the A5 kit. I'm ready to glue on the extention and fret board. #Grover tuners, Allen tp, & inlaid McClung armrest. The fret board had gold & white MOP block inlay and MOP side postion markers. Ebony heel cap with a gold MOP heart. The binding is b/i/tortoise.


C'mon, you know you want a blacktop....


Really nice job, Doug!

----------


## Doug Edwards

That looks tempting Brad. I was thinking yellowish top and amber back and neck. The top will probably cave in when I string it up anyway. I guess that's why I using Hide glue so I can replace the top easier.  I hope to complete this in 2 - 3 weeks.

----------


## Chip Booth

Looks good Bill. I love my Old Wave #353, a similar looking mandolin. 

How about more pics of that Gold Top you posted in the Women with Mandolins thread?

Chip

----------


## amowry

Some overlays...

----------


## amowry

And a fretboard inlay.

----------


## delsbrother

> Some overlays...


So, forgive the dumb question... You glue the overlay to the top of the peghead, then sand/rout the peghead back to the binding on the overlay?

----------


## Dan Voight

Nice work Mr. Mowry (as usual). Say, what method do you used to glue the binding to the overlays? Do you use a fixture or do you just tape it?

----------


## amowry

That's right-- I glue the overlays to the peghead, bandsaw out the shape, and sand until the binding is the right thickness all around. I think that's how Gibson has always done it (at least with F5s).

Dan, I use the thin CA everywhere except at the binding joints, where I use a little dab of melted binding. I actually don't even tape it-- I hold it in place, wick in a drop of CA, hold it for 15 seconds or so, and move on to the next piece. Sometimes I use a few little wedges inside the scroll. That thin CA is a godsend. I do fretboards the same way-- usually no tape at all.

----------


## Dan Voight

Thanks Andrew. I'll give that a shot next time.

Here is my current project. I'm aiming to get it done to take to the Joe Val fest. It'll be close...

----------


## Dan Voight

...

----------


## Dan Voight

starting to work on the final shaping

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Dan, that instrument looks great, but those F-holes...they are so crisp to me.

----------


## oldwave maker

On this most holy american feastday of St. Vincent the Lombard, I thought I'd start my morning snorting abalone plyboard dust, making special ovalhole inlay material from the refuse of #giant robot rosette production:

----------


## oldwave maker

I feed handcut curves thru this temporary table with robotic arms attached to my very own shoulders!

----------


## labraid

Nice pic, bill. But what are ye talkin about man?  



Patrick's on vacation, so I thought I'd act like I'm not really up to much on the site updates, just hanging about, slacking eh! ha! Here's one for you guys. Any guesses on what's written...

----------


## Doug Edwards

In the white. Some more detailing and work on the nut left to do. 

MP3 this morning:
http://ntbbluegrass.com/media/a5white.wav


http://ntbbluegrass.com/images/white2.jpg
http://ntbbluegrass.com/images/white3.jpg

----------


## Steve Cantrell

Great work, Doug. That pickguard is fantastic.

----------


## Doug Edwards

Thanks Steve,

I made two pickguards. One to match the back & neck color and binding and one Ebony with black w/side bound binding. I'm not sure which I'll stick with yet.

----------


## Mike Buesseler

Ebony.

----------


## markishandsome

If they aren't to hard to (dis)mount, I say keep both handy and coordinate them with your outfit.

----------


## John Hill

Whats the top color going to be?

----------


## Doug Edwards

Going with a yellow top, amber back and sides.

----------


## John Hill

Then I'd go with the ebony pickguard.

----------


## markishandsome

I notice your avatar shows a matched natural tone top and maple pickguard.

----------


## John Hill

Mine? Oh that is a pic of a Nugget I used for an example of the finish I want on my BRW. If it was mine I'd have an ebony pickguard. As it is I don't use a pickguard.

----------


## Andrew Lewis

Doug,
Lookin' great and sounding good, too! Sounds kind of oval hole-ish to me. It has a nice open ring to it. Congratulations on going for it and succeeding. 
And I like the ebony pickguard on it, too.

----------


## labraid

Finally got pore filling down to about two hours' work...

----------


## amowry

Sweet!

----------


## Steve Davis

What kind of wood is that Brian? Looks great.

----------


## oldwave maker

Brian- you shore done mended the pot totally with that one!
my first turquoise rosette, on curly redwood, and some other freshly hatching hangers on....

----------


## Chip Booth

Brian, WOW! More info please...

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Brain, that thing is wild looking. Nice work.

----------


## Graham McDonald

Here are a couple of pictures of a current experiment. It is trying out a whole bunch of ideas at once - an adjustable neck (which isn't working as well as I had first hoped), semi-side cut soundholes to combine soundholes in the top as well a sides port and to move them away from the more active area of the soundboard, and a soundboard carved without a recurve an to a constant thickness of around .100" with the centre area stiffened by a 3x3 carbonfiber lattice. The whole thing flies in the face of any usual scientific method of changing only one variable at a time.

The idea of the adjustable and detachable neck was based on co-ordinator rods, a little like a banjo, with a pin in the heel of neck fitting into the bottom rod (carbonfiber arrow shaft) which is glued and pinned into place, and the top rod being adjustable by a grub screw in a threaded insert in the tail block #which would bear on the upper part of the heel and adjust the neck angle. After fitting the neck I was pretty sure it would come apart under string tension 8-), so I have added a bolt and an insert in the neck.

The thinking behind the soundboard is to reduce mass, without losing stiffness. Not sure how it will sound, but as soon I I have worked out a way of #sorting out a detachable back it will get strung up. I suspect there is enough rigidity in the body structure to be able to be strung up without a back, but it should sound better with a back on.

cheers

graham

----------


## Graham McDonald

and the inside

----------


## Graham McDonald

and an angled shot of the soundholes. It sort of looks like one of those Roswell aliens from some angles...

----------


## labraid

Steve, thanks much. That's koa. 
Chip, no problem. That's my cytole (sitole, citole, whate'er) shape. Comes standard with round back like that. This one's ready for some FP...

----------


## Geoff B

Brian and Graham,... Man.... Wow...:D

----------


## John Hill

That's pretty wild Graham. Keep us posted on your progress.

----------


## billhay4

Graham,
Very interesting ideas you're experimenting with there. I'd appreciate your keeping us posted, too, as I am fascinated with experiments of this type.
Bill

----------


## Mario Proulx

Graham, if you're still trying to come up with a removable back, consider doing as I have done dozens of times. Use regular white glue, spread on the rim, and set a layer of newspaper into it. Trim the paper, apply a new bead of white glue, and clamp the back down. Don't over clamp.

Now, to remove the back, simply use a dull knife in the joint and rip it apart. It will come off cleanly. Once you're done with experimenting, it can all be cleaned up and glue permanently...

----------


## james condino

Graham:

The new look is interesting. It is always good to see folks pushing design limits. Will I see you with it finished at the GAL show in a few months?

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## Graham McDonald

The soundboard is glued with thin animal glue and a sheet of newspaper and if I can't find any mechanical fittings to be able to screw/bolt the the back on I will do the same for the back. Off to a R/C model plane shop tomorrow to see if they have something I can use. 

I am coming over in June for the GAL convention, and I will certainly have either this instrument or V.2 along. I have another idea about a detachable neck to try out so I don't know what I will have by that time.

cheers

graham

----------


## Michael Lewis

Sorry to miss you guys at the GAL event, but I have the big bluegrass festival here in Grass Valley, California that I am obligated to. This year I was invited to present a program on making mandolins, and to be on a panel of archtop guitar makers, and would have done so were it not for the conflict of dates. So I say, go forth and have interesting fun!

----------


## thistle3585

Slowly getting there. The mono/stereo wiring schematic is a bear to figure out. Hopefully will be out the door tomorrow.

Andrew

----------


## Dan Voight

Shining up the varnish on the next F.

----------


## Dan Voight

this is my first shot at brushing oil varnish. Its not perfect. I think I'm going to spray it next time.

----------


## Dan Voight

...

----------


## Dan Voight

...

----------


## Dan Voight

...

----------


## John Hill

By not perfect do you mean perfect?

----------


## Mark Walker

Dan - looks pretty sweet to me! Are you still in the Ann Arbor area?

Looks like a great mandolin to entertain with at a local watering hole on St. Patrick's Day! 

Keep up the good work!

----------


## Dan Voight

Thanks. The color is actually more brown than what it appears in the pictures. I'm just north of Ann Arbor in Flint.

----------


## David Newton

Dan, it may not look perfect to you, but I think it looks great. I love dragging that brush around, do you?
What varnish, do you mind me asking?

----------


## Rick Jones

Looks great to me, too, Dan. I sent you an email. We live relatively close. Might be interesting to cross paths sometime.

----------


## bradeinhorn

Killer Dan - So can we play her at Joe Val this weekend or what?

----------


## Dan Voight

> Dan, it may not look perfect to you, but I think it looks great. I love dragging that brush around, do you?
> What varnish, do you mind me asking?


Internation Violin Clear.

----------


## Kent Barnes

Finally got some time to work on Harlan #5. The top is bound, and I'm working on the back.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Kent, That one is looking good! I like the nice wide grain in the top!

----------


## Magnus Geijer

My neck blocks are bigger than your neck blocks...



Planning for these to be exposed. You can see the notch where the sides are supposed to end on the treble side. I just can't stand following the plans, apparently.

/Magnus

----------


## Magnus Geijer

And here's the top of #4, thanks for asking.



I get to this point and realize that I hadn't actually purchased a bridge for it, so here it is, one week later, and I still haven't strung it up. Argh. Ah well. Should be here Friday.

/Magnus

----------


## Jim Hilburn

One way you can tell your done buffing. You can read the lightbulb wattage in the finish.
The camera won't actually focus it but in person it's like a mirror.
By the way, this one is lacquer. Don't try this on varnish. You can get close but nothing like smooth scratch-free lacquer.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, that is one slick finish! Excellent work!

----------


## oldwave maker

Jim- you should have a photo on yer website of you shaving in front of that mirror! A couple of alcoholed pegheads, curly canyon walnut and quartered arizona sycamore from here in the holler. The center and left are for walnut/engelmann f hole and ovalhole A style raffle donations to help out with a couple of local festivals in aug and sept

----------


## JEStanek

Real beautiful woods, Bill. And you are a good man to boot.

Jamie

----------


## Mario Proulx

Here's Jim's lightbulb reflected in his finish reflected in my finish via my computer's monitor &lt;bg&gt;

----------


## David Newton

Hi Mario
Jim's, in Mario's, in mine.

Mine's not so shiny, I guess.

----------


## Mario Proulx

I knew someone would pick up the ball and keep this one going &lt;g&gt; That gloss looks mighty fine from here.

----------


## oldwave maker

more of the alcohol-laced OW wet peghead contest: african blackwood, quilted maple, both on curly maple necks, desert ironwood on canyon walnut, brazilian rosewood on old cuban mahogany

----------


## David Newton

Like 'em all Bill, but I think I'll always be amazed at the quilt, I've never had any...

----------


## Austin Clark

haven't posted lately - been busy with a shop remodel/expansion and finishing up these two... .

well, here's what's in the oven. #Fraternal twins...

----------


## Kent Barnes

Harlan #5 coming along!

----------


## Stanley Cox

Kent, So that is why you were not at thr SWBC meeting. #5 is looking good as are the "stands". You missed Mr. Eastman. Is #5 going to be ready by Argyle? I will be glad to show it off for you  
Stanley

----------


## amowry

Here's an inlay I finished up today. It was my customer's idea to base it on a photo by Vermont's Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, who also happened to be a hero of mine. The cool thing about snowflakes is how symetrical they appear at first, and then you see lots of little variations on a theme when you zoom in.

----------


## amowry

My first real foray into engraving...a humbling experience. It makes the work of pro engravers all the more impressive to me.

----------


## JEStanek

Very nice, Andrew. Good work!

Jamie

----------


## Dan Voight

Nice idea. Small flakes on the fb perhaps? Engraving is tough. I'm on the search for some material to improve what little skill I have. I would study some greenbacks but I'm a luthier  .

----------


## amowry

Exactly! That's why I could only afford a penny for scale.

Snowflakes on the fretboard? Ask and you shall receive.

----------


## Dan Voight

Haha nice. What finish/stain is this one getting?

----------


## amowry

It'll be a fairly traditional sunburst.

----------


## mandopluker

Andrew,

Very nice work...... I really like your direction on the headstock inlay! Can't wait to see the finished mando!

----------


## tattiemando

Great idea those snow flakes. As always great work By Andrew Mowry.

----------


## Troy Harris

Andrew,
I was admiring your inlay work during a beautiful morning northeast snow fall great work.

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Wow, Andrew. That detail work is amazing.

----------


## oldwave maker

a gombody for the brazilian/cuban neck combo above: curly redwood top from Spruce, black walnut side and arizona sycamore binding from rah cheer in oldwave holler....
see ya at wintergrass, or not!

----------


## John Hill

That assemblage of wood varieties paints quite a pretty picture there Bill. Nice work.

----------


## amowry

Yeh, that looks great! I love that sycamore.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Kent, Was looking at #5 again and noticed how good the scroll looked. Is the binding only BI or am I not seeing IBI ?.

Bill, that wood looks mity fine.

Stanley

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, that inlay work is incredible!

----------


## bkhooper

Andrew, I love the snowflake motif on your fretboard

----------


## amowry

Thanks folks!

----------


## David Newton

A Local TV reporter, who also has a band, did a feature story about me and my shop, to air soon. It was a good experience, but I was a bit nervous. A couple of my friends played one of my guitars and this latest New Navy Mandolin for the music to accompany the story.

----------


## Mattman

Andrew....why are you putting a sunburst on a mandolin with snowflakes on it....shouldn't you be putting a snowburst on there?

----------


## JEStanek

Dave, That's wonderful news. When it airs, if there is a link to the story on the station's web page, please post it. I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to see it.

Congratulations,
Jamie

----------


## delsbrother

When are the Army versions coming out?

----------


## Gail Hester

Bill, that looks fantastic. #We really wanted to see you at Wintergrass, waited for hours by the dumpster.

----------


## David Newton

The Army can figure out their own mandolins!

----------


## Geoff B

continuing from the last page, here is a light reflected in an oil varnish...

----------


## rekx

dave in tejas....keep it up...I really want one of your mandos.

----------


## kyken

here's the next Fantasma........

----------


## kyken

...........

----------


## kyken

front....

----------


## kyken

.........

----------


## Keith Owen

Dave, if I ever get an oval hole I am calling you. I love the look of your New Navy mandos, and I am just a few hours away in College Station.

Great work!

----------


## oldwave maker

that walnut/redwood gom strung up in the white, er, red, blue turquoise peghead wave makes nice contrast with dark brazilian peghead veneer

----------


## Troy Harris

Bill, 
At first look, I thought it was a finished instrument beautiful natural wood color.

----------


## Troy Harris

Some photos of the beginning of the next batch of mandolins

----------


## Troy Harris

Detail of lower point

----------


## Troy Harris

Upper point

----------


## Dan Voight

Nice mold Troy, and very clean rim assembly. Do bend your sides by hand or do you use heat blankets?

----------


## Troy Harris

The rib assembly is made from slab cut sugar maple sides; mahogany blocks, and hot hide glue.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Troy, that is as clean and neat as they come! Awesome work!

----------


## Troy Harris

Thanks Dan & Skip, 
I cant take all the credit I pirated the mould design from photos on Tom Ellis & Jamie Wiens web sites, and then modified it to suit my needs. Ive wanted to design an inside mould for some time and liked this design. I bend my sides with a bending iron. Im careful to balance the amount of water and heat while bending and then completely dry the wood with the iron when finished this helps to prevent warping. Im interested to see photos of a side bending machine I know it can be done.

----------


## mandopluker

wow!

----------


## Dan Voight

> Im interested to see photos of a side bending machine I know it can be done.


That is my next project. I recently purchased some heat blankets and will start on the jigs shortly.

----------


## David Newton

Troy, you know you could stop right there, your work is Art! Can't wait to see the finished product.

----------


## Hans

Glad to see someone else going the inside mould route.

----------


## Dan Voight

Wow Chris, I don't think a better contraption could be concieved. Did you machine it your self?

----------


## Bill James

You win Chris!

I bow in humbleness... #

----------


## mandopete

F-Bender...is that anything like a B-Bender?

Yikes!

----------


## Kent Barnes

WOW Chris -- looks like you have WAY too much time on your hands!!

On a side note....Harlan #5 moving right along!

----------


## Dan Voight

Nice Kent.

----------


## McCandolin

Does anyone know how many PSI those red handled piston things can exert, or what theyre called for that matter?

----------


## Troy Harris

Chris,
Impressive side bending system... Next time Im in Moab, I would enjoy a shop tour.

----------


## Mark Walker

Ken - That new Fantasma looks great. Did you scale down the size of the tailpiece some, or is that still in the works?

----------


## mandopluker

Mandoplyr,,

....holy #### that looks like it could hurt ya!

----------


## labraid

Chris, that's perty awesome

I found this on a sidewalk this morning.

----------


## Jason Nagati

Nice find, Brian. The only thing I ever find are banjos and Britney Spears CDs/coasters. Is that your Embergher style bowlback?

Jason N.

----------


## Michael Lewis

Chris, that is what I call a real Business Machine!

----------


## kyken

Mark, I just haven't finished it yet. I'll put the cover on later.

----------


## labraid

J, yessir. Pretty much only the bowl will be Embergher in the end. 
tfl

----------


## Mike Buesseler

Brian, QUICK! Look busy!...The classical guys are coming up here!...(They look stunned.)

----------


## amowry

That's sweet Chris! What do you use for heating elements? Here's my low-tech version, shoddy in comparison.

----------


## Dan Voight

Andrew,
What do you use to control the heat on your heating blanket?

----------


## Michael Lewis

Andrew, simplicity reigns supreme! Your outfit doesn't remind me of Dr. Frankenstien's lab.


 

I use a 15 minute timer between the blanket and the power source, and usually set it for 7 minutes to make the bends. Full heat and go as quickly as the wood will allow.

----------


## amowry

That's pretty much how I do it-- I set it to full heat for about 5 minutes, and then I turn it down and let it cook for another five or so to dry out the wood. If I'm not in a hurry I'll sometimes let it cool and then heat it up again on low heat (and let it cool once more) to really set the bends.

Mine's quick and dirty, that's for sure. It doesn't bend the scroll portion, as I assume Chris's does; I have to do that on a pipe first. I've been wanting to modify it to do the scroll too, but I haven't wanted to spend that much time on it.

----------


## Chris Baird

I used a combiniation of coil and cartridge heaters in mine.

----------


## Dan Voight

Any advice on bending the waist bend right after the scroll using the heat blanket method? I just built the first jig to bend the long piece and I keep breaking my test pieces right there.

----------


## brunello97

These are great looking jigs, fellas, but I think I am missing some basic understanding. Can someone explain just what you mean by 'heating blanket'? Is this sandwiched together with the side piece and what appears to be a metal spacer?  Any clarification would be helpful to me. (The simpler the better....)'
thanks,
Mick

----------


## oldwave maker

Inspired by the swell wooden hat Brian found on the sidewalk the other day, I've finally finished the mandohat I'll wear to mc the silver city folk fest this fall, brazilian is a bit warm but the redwood rim should keep the sun off:

----------


## Greenmando

> Nice find, Brian. The only thing I ever find are banjos and Britney Spears CDs/coasters. ,,


My wife found 3 stetsons and a fiddle out in the alley.

----------


## pickinNgrinnin

Bill - I'd like to see a picture of you wearing that hat!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

So I'm not the only one who has a box full of these tonebar wedges am I? Perfect for scroll binding or adding a little pressure while building a rim, especially when your rim jig isn't perfect.

----------


## Hans

Bet you save buttons too!

----------


## David Newton

"Perfect" I don't get that word...

----------


## Michael Lewis

Jim, do you also have a bag labeled "pieces of string too short to save"?  

Seriously, wedges are very handy and come in handy quite often.

----------


## Stanley Cox

My scraps don't look like wedges, but my rim jigs (2) are definately not perfect or even close.  

Stanley

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Old short pieces of strings are great for cleaning the holes on your spray guns.

----------


## Jim Rowland

I have a drawer labled "Things I Meant to Save,But Lost". It's full of memories.
J.

----------


## oldwave maker

I use short pieces of those .040" g string cut-offs as locating pins for fretboards, predrilling with a #60 drill. The leftovers from brace cutting make dandy glue spreaders and glue cleanup sticks.

----------


## piknleft

Bill, that avatar gave me palpitations I laughed so hard! Ya might wanna open some windows when ya get the glue out for awhile. I love it.

----------


## Rick Lindstrom

Here's a picture of my first build in progress. I've been completely through this inspirational thread and noticed that no one seems to show the early stages. So here's mine.

My mold is in the background with a pair of sides that are ready to bend. The wood on the right is more side stock that Old Standard sent me in case I goofed up the first sides. I've done mahogany guitar sides before, but no figured maple, so who knows?

I love all the photos of in progress mandos on workbenches because of the other stuff you see. There's much to be learned from the tools and supplies you might notice. What a hoot!

Rick

----------


## amowry

Jim, I save those wedges too. Definitely one of the more useful types of cutoffs.

----------


## Dan Voight

Old Standard is great isn't it? Good luck with #1 Rick.

----------


## Antlurz

A package of popsickle sticks and tongue depressors with a handy razor knife make for almost instantly creating quick one-off wedges too, that are invaluable up around the scroll doing binding work. Their narrowness comes in handy at times when you can stick five narrow ones in a place a thicker one simply will not fit.

----------


## amowry

scroll...

----------


## Doug Edwards

Oh wow that's nice. Perfect! I can only hope someday to do half that good.

----------


## Dan Voight

Sheesh andrew, thats what I'm talking about. What method do you use to make the channel around the inside of the scroll and the button? I tried free handing it with the dremel on my last one and that turned out ok.

----------


## amowry

Thanks guys! Dan, I use a sharp knife to score the line, then I remove the wood outside that line with little dogleg chisels, and I repeat until I reach the bottom. Then I clean the whole thing up with whatever I can reach in there with, which is usually a combination of gouges, chisels, and knives. I've tried a Dremel too, but it seemed to take just as long, was louder and messier, and made me more vervous.

----------


## Michael Lewis

Beautifully clean work Andrew.

----------


## tattiemando

Outstanding scroll !!! Love the binding, and so clean.

----------


## Brad Weiss

Whoosh! Work like that makes me want to take out my Mowry mandolin and just LOOK at it! Must - resist - scroll - envy....

----------


## Troy Harris

Remarkable work Andrew

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, that scroll is perfect! When I grow up maybe I be able to carve a scroll like that!

----------


## wannabethile

good grief that scroll looked absolutely flawless. *drool*

----------


## Troy Harris

Basswood linings installed

----------


## Troy Harris

Detail

----------


## dstretch

Here is #6. This is my first A style from scratch. Walnut sides, back, and neck. Red spruce top.

----------


## dstretch

Here is the back inside. It is 3 pieces.

----------


## dstretch

Another top picture.

----------


## dstretch

F holes cut and top being glued.

----------


## Dan Voight

nice danny

----------


## Austin Clark

Geez Andrew, that is so clean.... very nice!
One of these days I will have to take the time to make a side bending setup, but I can knock out an F pretty quickly over a pipe unless I have some really funky wood so it is hard to justify the setup time for something new. It would be nice to help avoid scorching things now and then, though...

Anyway, here is the last week or two of work in the new shop! Still pretty clean in here....

----------


## markishandsome

Austin, your top and back blanks look thicker than I usually see folks using. Do you have any special methods for rouging out the backs. May I ask where you source your wood? Thanks!

----------


## Austin Clark

I thickness the blanks to 17mm before roughing them out on the duplicarver. I use a rotary planer in the drill press if I am experimenting with a different arching than my normal templates, though. The wood comes from a number of sources depending on what I want. Orcas Island Tonewoods, Tepper, Old Standard and Rocky Mountain. All good people and quality wood.

----------


## markishandsome

Thanks!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Troy, Your detail work is so clean! Great job!

Danny, The walnut back looks awesome! Can't wait to see the finished mandolin!

----------


## amowry

Great work, everyone! Austin, looks like you're busy!

Thanks for the kind words folks-- here's that blonde/tortoise with a little color.

----------


## amowry

This one's staying with a customer here in Bend. This little elk swallowing a snake (who knew) is from a local pictograph.

----------


## Doug Edwards

That's very cool Andrew. 

Here's my IV kit with a little lacquer.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, That mandolin is beautiful!!

----------


## Austin Clark

sweet Andrew, I really like the blonde color you use.

----------


## Austin Clark

Ok, here is a top off the duplicarver. I still establish edge thickness with a rotary planer. I do the scroll all by hand, but just rough it in at this point. I don't finish the scroll until the body is complete.

----------


## Austin Clark

Here is a back. As you can see, there is still plenty to carve by hand. I am establishing the recurve here. For me anyway, the duplicarver is a tool that just takes away most of the meat of the blank. It saves the joints in my hands for another day!

----------


## Joe F

Austin,
Thanks for those work-in-progress pictures. #It's especially gratifying knowing that one of those F5s is going to be mine!

----------


## oldwave maker

More of Spruce's curly redwood, paired with oldwave holler walnut, arizona sycamore binding and peghead veneer, lmi recon turquoise, ziricote fretboard, enjoying iroidical gdad chordbangin on the gom:

----------


## markishandsome

Thanks again Austin, I love those sort of "in between" pictures!

----------


## Bill Snyder

Taking a 5/8" thick WRC top down to proper thickness. This is going to be shaped similarly to the Howe-Orme manolins and mandolas.

----------


## Bill Snyder

My 12 year old wanted to try his hand with the plane.

----------


## JEStanek

Nice, Bill. Good to work with your son too!

Jamie

----------


## amowry

I make that face when I'm planing, too. Cool! I can't wait until my son is old enough to help out. Little does he know he's destined for a life of indentured sanding .: :Wink: :

----------


## Mandoborg

Time FLIES Andrew !
Dylan working on 'r new gitar '

Jim Combra

----------


## amowry

Yes! Good to see safety instilled at a young age.

----------


## Ted Eschliman

Jim that's a hoot!
We also like to keep all the family working on projects around the house, _including_ pets:

.

----------


## John Rosett

Must have been a "cat-o-strophic" repair job...

----------


## Kbone

I want that guitar ! beautiful, just beautiful.

----------


## oldwave maker

Found these on this mornings easter egg hunt, medium, large and jumbo sizes. Somebody forgot to color them:

----------


## Bill Snyder

Here you go.

----------


## JEStanek

Two of those had Ted E written all over them!

I wanna go Easter Egg hunting in Old Wave Holler.

Jamie

----------


## Mandoborg

Andrew, the funny thing is, he INSISTS on wearing his eye glasses and ear protectors as soon as he sets foot in the shop ! It's funny, i could be cutting pearl or even just drawing up something on paper had he's walking around like that ! It's a gas !
 # We have 3 cats so that car shot had me laughing like heck !! Just don't accidently lock one in your car overnight....... it takes weeks to get rid of a certain smell !!!
 # Keith, the guitar is actually based on Garcia's 'Tiger', minus the cocobolo back, by Doug Irwin and i'm keeping this one as my strat i've played since 1984, the second guitar i ever made, is completely falling apart ! This isn't a guitar forum so i'll save the pictures, but it really is a very nice father-son project we have going. If only he could have hand fabricated all the brass hardware, MAJOR chore..... #)

ok i can't resist, this inlay went in the BACK of the guitar,yeah, where noone will even see it ! #)

----------


## dstretch

Got to do some work this weekend. Here is the peghead with matching fingerboard (yet to be bound), kinda Andrew Mowry inspired.

----------


## dstretch

Group photo. All work this weekend.

----------


## dstretch

Last one for today.

----------


## Steve Cantrell

Looking good, Danny. When are you opening up shop?

----------


## dstretch

Thanks Steve,

I am building for fun, but everythings for sale. I planned to retire from the Army in 2011, but I was selected for Master Sergeant on Friday so I might stay a few more years, who knows?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Danny, Nice work! Congratulations to you and thanks for your service!!!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Danny, I remember seeing the pics of your first mandolin.
Man, you have come a long way!
How do you do your beautiful labels?
Congratulations on the promotion to Master Sgt.
And as Skip said, thanks for protecting our country!

----------


## Hans

M23V in German spruce/Bosnian maple for a complex tone. 
In front, the PML in W. Virginia red spruce/sugar maple for that "Waterford crystal thrown down a flight of stairs" tone. # 
PML has .040" SS frets.

----------


## Dan Voight

Wonderful Danny and Hans.

----------


## dstretch

Thanks Dan, Stephanie, and Skip.

Hans, your stuff looks great as usual. 

Stephanie, I made my labels with Microsoft Publisher. I print them with a laser printer on card stock I buy from on office supply store.

----------


## Kent Barnes

Harlan #5 completed last night. This one is headed down near Corsicana Texas.

----------


## Doug Edwards

that looks great, Kent!

----------


## Stanley Cox

Hey Kent, It sure is strange how that finish came alive in 2-1/2 weeks. Finish elbow perhaps? Great job. Is it going before I can put my scales on it?  

Memo to self, get busy!  

Stanley

----------


## rekx

Those look wonderful kent. I especially like the way you shaped the fingerboard extension.

----------


## oldwave maker

As usual, momma dont allow no adult supervision round here....

----------


## JEStanek

Bill! Who's getting the Watermelando? I green with envy.

Jamie

----------


## Kent Barnes

Here are a few more pictures of #5.

----------


## JEStanek

Kent, That's fine looking mando, number 5 or number 500! That's a good looking F5.

Jamie

----------


## M. Montgomery

This is my first walnut mandolin. A friend found the board in a house he bought and gave it to me. #It was enough for the back and neck. #I made the sides from a piece of curly walnut crown molding someone else gave me.

----------


## ckmiv

The talent on this site is truly amazing.

----------


## M. Montgomery

The walnut works well with the Red Spruce top and oval hole.

----------


## sgarrity

Nice oval hole!!  A friend of mine had a mandola that you made. it is an awesome instrument!! I didn't know you were still building...

----------


## Eric Hanson

A couple of days ago the neighbor cut up a walnut tree. He left the trunk whole to possibly get some lumber from it. I talked him into letting me have 20in or so of the bottom of the trunk. The reason? Being here on the site has created a desire to build. 
 I will start off with something easy, like a kit, and work towards doing a "from scratch" When I get a few more skills. In the meantime the wood will be drying slowly. I have split it into billets that are the sizes needed for a few backs and a few necks. I look forward to working with a bit of wood again.  

Eric

----------


## M. Montgomery

I'm still building...just not completing anything, until now.

----------


## Glassweb

What all you builders do is amazing... my hat's off to you all!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Kent, The mandolin looks great! The fretboard extension is nice! 
M.Montgomery, I love the walnut A!! Beautiful figure in the back!

----------


## Rick Lindstrom

Not as impressive as one of Andrew's scrolls, for instance, or most of the other beautiful and inspiring work I've seen in this great thread, but, on the other hand, it's my first (and from scratch) 

Rick

----------


## Dan Voight

Thats a great start Rick. Very clean. Keep us posted.

----------


## billhay4

Madison, 
Beautiful instrument as all of yours are. I'd like to see a close up of that back. Hope it's Dismal Swamp walnut.
Bill Hay

----------


## M. Montgomery

Bill,

Here is a couple more pictures of the back. It could be Dismal Swamp walnut, but I havn't a clue.

----------


## M. Montgomery

In the weeds

----------


## M. Montgomery

Here is an alternate way to attach the strap to an A model. #I use 2 #4 screws at attach the pickguard. #I looped a leather strip and attached it with the same screws. A strap can then be tied to the loop. #I looped it back so it would not be in the way when not in use.

----------


## sgarrity

I'd love to play this instrument. Does the owner jam anywhere regularly?

----------


## M. Montgomery

Shaun,

The owner does not jam anywhere regularly but we will both be at the LRB concert tonight.

Madison

----------


## cooper4205

Nice work. What to you call the inlay design? looks like a cross between a fleur-de-lis and a fern, a "Fern"-de-lis perhaps?

----------


## Troy Harris

M. Montgomery, 
I like the design of the fingerboard extension beautiful work.

----------


## shelley

I can't quite figure out how to use this, I never did find my pictures or my post. I am so computer illiterate.
Are you talking about the Stetson mandolin?? Do you know anything about them??
Thanks
Shelley

----------


## markishandsome

Shelley, I don't see anyone here talking about Stetson mandolins. Are you sure you posted this in the right place? Questions like your are more likely to be answered in the "Looking for Info" section. Explanations on posting pictures can be found in the "Miscellaneous" section at the bottom of the main page.Everyone struggles with this the first time around. The most common problem is folks trying to upload pictures that are too large. You need to resize them in a program like MS Paint before you can upload them here.

----------


## shelley

I don't know...I never found my post or ANY of the pictures. There were three mandolins and one picture of each was supposed to have been posted. I am so computer illiterate....I'm not even sure I am answering this properly! 
Thanks
Shelley

----------


## Bill Snyder

Shelley you have only made 2 posts total (as I type this), neither with a picture.

----------


## Bob McRee

Here is a photo of the first Jade F4/F5 hybrid. I am thinking of calling it the F4.5.  It will have a raised fingerboard extension and long neck.

----------


## Bob McRee

Here is the back of the Jade.

----------


## markishandsome

Shelley, you're not giving us a lot of information to work with so it's hard to even figure out what sort of problem you are having. If you want to post to the forum, you should click on the Add Reply button near the bottom right side of the page. Under the box where you type your message there is a section titled File Attachments where you click Browse to select the pictures you want to upload. Once you've done that, click Add Reply again and it should work, assuming your files aren't too large.

----------


## shelley

I keep trying to add pictures... 3.... and it says not allowed...2, not allowed.... then even one...not allowed. I have been told to resize the photos... yeah, sure... I know how to do that. If anyone wants to see the pics... maybe I can send them regular e-mail??
Sorry I'm so inept at this stuff.
Thanks anyway
Shelley

----------


## mandomick

Also, if you preview your post the photo won't load. Welcome to the Cafe, it gets easier!

----------


## shelley

I didn't try to preview anything.... each time i tried posting a picture(s) it would just tell me Not Allowed. My son turned the resolution WAY down on the camera and new pictures won't load either. Well, it looks like they are loading then all of a sudden it says "Not Allowed"
I really would like to know who made these mandolins and a little info on the Stetson. Each one of them has to be over 60 years old as they were old when my husband got them in 1954!
thanks again for any input
Shelley

----------


## Bill Snyder

Shelly if you are uploading a photo from your computer the file size is limited to about 153k and you can only attach one photo per post. Use the  button. That takes you to another page where you type your post and as mentioned above you click the BROWSE button to find the image file on your computer. Do NOT preview the post. If you do it will drop the image.
Another option is to upload the photos to someplace like photbucket or flikr and use the IMAGE button. If you do this you can add multiple images to one post and the file size is not limited to 153k.
Good luck.

----------


## shelley

I will try adding one picture this time. I place my cusor over the picture and it says 601 kb...I don't know if that is big or not. I'll give it a try.
I don't know what photobucket or the other thing is or where they are....how to use or anything. I am VERY intimidated with computers!
Thanks again,
Shelley

Ok, it did not work again... not allowed. Sorry

----------


## labraid

Shelley, most computer problems are solved by dissolving them in acid, preferably vinegar, and spreading them over salad.

----------


## shelley

Sounds like a plan to me!!! Ha ha!
Shelley

----------


## markishandsome

Your photo files are too big if they are 600kb. The limit is 150kb. There are lots of ways to resize the files depending on what kind of computer and what software you have. Here's how I do it using Paint, a program that comes with Windows.

1. Use Paint to open the file you wish to resize.
2. Go to the Image drop-down menu at the top and select Stretch/Skew.
3. Tell paint to shrink both dimensions by 50% (you may need to shrink less/more).
4. Save the file (i save the smaller photo with a different file name so I don't lose the high-res original).

----------


## shelley

Thanks a bunch... I will give it try..... I'm not sure what Paint is... but will look! I'll do my best. I could always email the pictures if i can't figure this out.
thanks again
Shelley

----------


## shelley

Ok... I followed your directions and all three pictures are between 99 and 112kb each now. Here's hoping they go this time!
Thanks so much
shelley

----------


## shelley

That is the Stetson.... here is one of the "no name" mando's
Shelley

----------


## shelley

Here is the second "no name" mando.
thanks so much to all of you that have tried to nuirse me along!
Shelley

----------


## shelley

Here's the head of the last one.
thanks again
Shelley

----------


## markishandsome

See that wasn't so bad was it? However, you've been posting in the "Mandolins in Progress" thread. If you are looking for information about these mandolins, you really need to post these again in the "Looking for Information About Mandolins" section or maybe the "Vintage Instruments" section. Once you're in one of these sections you'll need to find the New Topic button and start a fresh discussion on your question. The people with the answers you're looking for aren't going to find your question buried at the bottom of some other thread.

----------


## shelley

Ha ha ha.... I KNEW it was too good to be true!! Something HAD to be wrong with what I was doing! I do want to know anything i can find out about these... all three are VERY old. The two "dirty" ones were hanging in a barn for years before my husband got them back in 1954. he got the Stetson at the same time but it was in MUCH better shape.
Thanks for all of your help, i really do appreciate it!
Shelley

----------


## dstretch

More progress on #6 this weekend. Trying to prepare to build a Zouk.

----------


## dstretch

Will have an ebony FB extender.

----------


## dstretch

Here is the back.

----------


## dstretch

Last one for now. #5 and #6.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Danny, Very very nice. Would like to see a pic of ebony fb extender. Good work.

Stanley

----------


## markishandsome

Shelley, I know it was difficult for you to get this far, but no one is going to answer your questions here; it's just not what this thread is for. It's like going to the dentist and asking about your car. You need to put your question in the appropriate section in order to get answers. You seem to have the hang of it, it will only take you 5 minutes to repost.

----------


## Bill Snyder

Shelly Mark is right that you should repost in the Vintage Instrument section of the Looking for Information section. Either of those is likely to get you more responses than this thread. Having said that I will tell you that Stetson mandolins were built by the Larson Bros. Take a look at this link.

----------


## shelley

Thanks. A Greg Fisher wrote me and offered to post them for me...I couldn't find a vintage section anywhere. I sent him several pictures last night, i haven't heard back from him yet.
Thanks again
Shelley

----------


## billhay4

Here's the vintage section.
Bill

----------


## amowry

Here's a two-point I'm working on, after the first round of French polishing.

----------


## dstretch

Nice Andrew. Did you varnish first? Or is it straight FB of shellac?

----------


## amowry

Thanks! Yes, it's varnished first, just enough to level.

----------


## Dan Voight

Andrew,
Your stain looks really good... do you thicken it w/ shellac?

----------


## amowry

Thanks Dan. No, it's just water stain.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Not too bad for E-bay wood.

----------


## Dan Voight

Get out. What did you pay for that chunk?

----------


## markishandsome

Love that 2-point

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, That is one sweet piece of quilt!!

----------


## Kent Barnes

Is it just me, or do you guys find it 'therapeutic' to carve scrolls? #I really enjoy this part.

Here's Harlan # 6 under constructions.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

> Is it just me, or do you guys find it 'therapeutic' to carve scrolls?


Yep, that and shaping neck-shafts.

----------


## Geoff B

Andrew- what # is that 2-pointer? Are you spraying the sunburst? Is that a new hole design?

Jim - awesome wood! Apparently we are sort of neighbors (Denver-boulder)??? it'd be cool to trade notes sometime!?

Kent - theraputic at times yes, frustrating at times yes.. the yin and yang

Stephanie - good looking veneer transition on the headstock into the neck!

----------


## Geoff B

Just sent this one off a week or two ago.

----------


## Geoff B

shot of the back

----------


## Dan Voight

Wow cool back Geoff. Where did you come across that piece?

----------


## Geoff B

it was a very expensive piece from LMI. I've since discovered Bruce at Orcas Island Tonewood who got me an equal quality piece for considerably less-- that will be in my next "mando's in progress" submition....

----------


## ash89

for great wood also check out john griffin at 'old standard wood', missouri.adirondackspruce

----------


## Joel Spaulding

> it was a very expensive piece from LMI. #


But it was worth every penny #

 Those pics do #17 far more justice than my ham-handed attempt at sizing my avatar!!

plan to update the avatar this week - although wish I could as easily slim my own physique # 

Top: Sitka, Sides and back: (obviously) maple, James Tailpiece, Gotoh tuners, Custom bridge from Geoff, Nekkid neck (no tung oil here, please!) wired w/ j75s, ivoroid binding, bone nut.

Several pics and some early sound clips (played more skillfully than I could hope to at present)HERE

----------


## billhay4

Yeah,
When you resize a photo, you have to do it equally in horizontal and vertical directions. Otherwise...
Nice piece of wood.
Bill

----------


## Geoff B

Just uncovered some pics of an A-style I'm doing for my class... Binding these holes is about as much fun as driver's ed, but, like driver's ed, worth it...

----------


## Geoff B

a close-up

----------


## stevem

Looks great Geoff! I really like that design.

----------


## Doug Edwards

Nicely done! This shows you have a lot of patience as well as skill.

----------


## JEStanek

Wow, that's a tight space to work in! Those look great.

Jamie

----------


## craigw

I'll try to post a few pics of my #3 and #4 F-5s. They are basically built to Loar specs from scratch. No.3 is Sitka over Bigleaf and no.4 is Adirondac over Red maple. Thanks go out to both Bruce harvie of Orcas Island Tonewoods and John Griffin at Old Standard for supplying killer tonewood. They both are showing great tone and volume. They presently strung up in the white whith staining and oil varnish finishing to start this week

----------


## craigw

Here is a view of their backsides. (the mandos that is).

----------


## craigw

The pegheads. I'm an old hotrodder and decided if I am going to do a torch it'll really have flames.

----------


## craigw

This may be a trademark used on all future instruments. It's an inlaid ebony cross inspired initially to cover a mistake in the wood. I just read a book on the life of Antonio Stradivari and noted that his labels all included a cross and his initials. It will probably be very subtle under stain and varnish.

----------


## Gail Hester

Looking good, very nice work Craig.

----------


## Bill Halsey

Love your torch, Craig... be sure to let us see these finished!

----------


## Dan Voight

great work craig

----------


## DryBones

> Looking good, very nice work Craig.


Gail,
Speaking of looking good, I am dying to see Alan's lefty

----------


## Skip Kelley

Awesome work Craig! Nice inlay!

----------


## Hans

Jolly good Craig!

----------


## Keith Erickson

Those pics are beautiful Craig!!! Thank you for sharing...

----------


## Chip Booth

> Those pics do #17 far more justice than my ham-handed attempt at sizing my avatar!!


drmole, here's your avatar cleaned up a bit.

Chip

----------


## Hans

Latest crop... 
Trevor's A5 and oval, Gerry's oval, both hybrids, Anthony's F5C, John's F5C, and STV4.

----------


## Michael Lewis

Always great looking stuff Hans. The steady stream of instruments coming out of your shop should make the world a happier place.

----------


## buddyellis

Here's my scratch build #1 (I've put together 5 IV kits otherwise)
Fiddle in the back is a kit a kid I'm helping for his high school senior project.

----------


## buddyellis

Top

----------


## buddyellis

Not perfect, but this is only my 3rd scroll :-)

----------


## buddyellis

Back.

All the wood came from Old World Tonewood. The top is hard, dense Carpathian, and the back is rock maple.

----------


## MikeEdgerton

Looking good. Nice work.

----------


## JEStanek

I'll second that, Mike. Good work, Buddy.

Jamie

----------


## cooper4205

can I get on the list for number 2? The fern looks like it's coming along nicely.

----------


## mandomick

> Not perfect, but this is only my 3rd scroll :-)


Not perfect but far from being a deal breaker IMO. Looks good!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Very nice, Buddy!

----------


## Brandon Flynn

This is a bad thread for someone such as myself who is feeling extreme MAS! Nice job Buddy. It's amazing to see people pop out a perfect-looking F5 on their 5th, 6th, 7th tries? It make me think: if so many can make such beautiful mandolins so quickly, could I make a decent one? Maybe someday I will fool with building, but for now I will focus on playing.

----------


## buddyellis

Yes. You should have seen my first. It is a dog, although I've refinished it since (blacktopped it because I did such a bad job on the stain :-) Beware: 'fool' with building and you'll end up with a shop full of tools, wood and various impediments of destruction relating to shaping wood into things. I don't really feel like I know what I'm doing, yet, but I'm getting a handle on the MECHANICS of putting the things together (patience and perseverance go a long way). Acoustically, I'm barely starting to understand how the things work. 

Frankly, though, theres no better time in history (in my opinion) to learn to build, though. There is SUCH a wealth of information around (and several world class luthiers around here, especially, thanks Paul, John, Hans, Andrew, and whoever else I left out!) that anyone with a modicum of woodworking ability can figure out the basics and turn out a decent instrument, especially a kit.

----------


## labraid

Buddy,
Don't improve them scrolls. Just make the sound into something really wonderful, and keep the scrolls looking like someone touched them with real hands. With all the prevalence of CNC these days, folks will one day hanker for something real and human. 
Kudos brother.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

> and keep the scrolls looking like someone touched them with real hands. With all the prevalence of CNC these days, folks will one day hanker for something real and human. 
> Kudos brother.


I could not agree more.

----------


## Ted Eschliman

June is going to be a huge month for me. My 50th birthday (my doctor has already picked out a special glove for the occasion), my book from Mel Bay ("Getting Into Jazz Mandolin") is finally to be released, and this lovely critter from our collaborative efforts, the new Clark JM is scheduled for completion:

----------


## elvisNoir

> June is going to be a huge month for me. My 50th birthday (my doctor has already picked out a special glove for the occasion), my book from Mel Bay ("Getting Into Jazz Mandolin") is finally to be released, and this lovely critter from our collaborative efforts, the new Clark JM is scheduled for completion:


I am here to tell you that good things happen to you in your fifties--you have the evidence before you.

What are the details on the Clark JM? That is a beauty.

----------


## Rick Jones

> I am here to tell you that good things happen to you in your fifties--you have the evidence before you.


Amen to that - and all those rumors about losing your mind, or your memory, or whatever, are a bunch of malarky.

Wait ... what were we talking about?

----------


## delsbrother

> Buddy,
> Don't improve them scrolls. Just make the sound into something really wonderful, and keep the scrolls looking like someone touched them with real hands. With all the prevalence of CNC these days, folks will one day hanker for something real and human. 
> Kudos brother.


I prefer instruments made with the feet.

----------


## rekx

I can't wait to hear how that Clark turns out.

----------


## labraid

del, you hippies kill me. I'd love to see it!

----------


## oldwave maker

Ohms two, soon to be stained singlemalt (maybe a prewash of imperial stout) sides/backs, blacktop tops sans hops:

----------


## steve V. johnson

Wow, NICE Ohms!!

Interesting differences in tailpiecs and in the headstocks. Heads' are same shape, just the one on the right is bound, do I have that right?

Are these two the same size?

I can't wait to see the finishes!

Thanks!

stv

----------


## otterly2k

ooooooooooo

nice!

----------


## Andy Nichols

Nice work. The scroll is a pain for me to.Some day i'm going to build one from scratch.I'm building my third stew-mac f-5 now.   Andy

----------


## billhay4

The OM on the right has one of Weber's armrest/tailpiece combinations on it if I'm not mistaken. Nice, but pricey, accoutrement.
Bill

----------


## h2o-X

Keith Newell just sent me some progress pictures of the F he is building for me. He just finished binding the red spruce top. He still has to scrape them, glue on the board, inlay the headstock, and apply the varnish.

----------


## h2o-X

... and a one piece big leaf maple back. The bindings haven't been scraped yet, and evetually it will have a cinnamon brown colored finish. 

I cannot say enough good things about working with Keith Newell.

----------


## ash89

nice one.
good choice working with keith.
if your result is anything like my #36,
you've got good things to look forward to....

----------


## h2o-X

ash89,
Interestingly enough, it was the picture of your blonde Newell that inspired me to first look at Keith's website. Then when I saw his green and brown "Subtle F" models, I was hooked.

----------


## ash89

well, that's nice to know. it turned out just like i wanted it, thanks to keith. 
only thing we're going to change over are the perloid buttons to something nicer.

that green 'f' you mentioned i always called 'tree frog' green,
in honour of some of the critters that live around where i am in australia....

----------


## JEStanek

h2oX, are you going with Kieth's A style headstock on that or the tradtional scrolly one?

Jamie

----------


## h2o-X

Jamie, I told Keith I wanted a flaired symmetrical peghead, like a Monteleone, Mix, or Kentucky Dawg. I sent him a couple sketches and he drew up the perfect headstock shape.

----------


## JEStanek

I was hoping you would say something like that! Excellent choices.

Jamie

----------


## stevem

Man, that back sure looks nice.

----------


## oldwave maker

Stained and shellac sealed: Pete, Imperial stout-stained raffler, Michael, Will, and Richard

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, You are one busy man!!! They look great!

----------


## amowry

Nice colors, Bill!

Scooping an octave:

----------


## amowry

A birdseye F5 back. Yum!

----------


## amowry

And a top for the same.

----------


## amowry

Last one, a hybrid rosette getting the squeeze.

----------


## buddyellis

Does that spoon work pretty well? I've been thinking about getting one. I hate carving the back with a gouge.

----------


## amowry

Yes, it's amazingly efficient; much less tiring than a gouge. The first time I used it I almost carved right through one of those octave backs, not realizing how aggressive I was being. Turned a $15 tool into a $215 one, but it's still worth it. Now that back is on my wall of "gentle reminders".

----------


## h2o-X

Here is the headstock Keith Newell came up with for his "Subtle F" pictured above.

----------


## h2o-X

Andrew, will that rosette be round or oval when you inlay it on the instrument? When you say hybrid, is it for an F4/F5 hybrid?

----------


## amowry

Cool headstock, Keith!

The rosette will be oval, and it's for an A4/A5 hybrid. The only problem with elevated fretboards is that you can't hide the joints in the rosette, so they have to be tight. That's just the inside layer of herringbone in the photo. The completed rosette has the ivoroid and another layer of herringbone, like on A4s and F4s.

----------


## JEStanek

Good looking new batch, Andrew. Bill, I'm always impressed by how many and how great your work looks too.

Jamie

----------


## Lane Pryce

Andrew I like the look of the Birdseye. How does it compare in hardness to Red, Big-leaf ect? Lp

----------


## testore

You'll have to excuse the glue, but here's a cool two point mandola that I'm working on.The points are buffalo horn, the top is Engleman and the back and sides are quilty Silver maple.It will be finished in a colorless varnish and bound in black.

----------


## testore

another

----------


## testore

last one

----------


## Austin Clark

cool Gary, I like the buffalo horn idea as I am partial to black points.

----------


## Will Kimble

H5s in progress...

Will Kimble
www.kimblemandolins.com

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Nice work, Will.

----------


## Gail Hester

Looking good Will. I love H5s.

----------


## oldwave maker

Nights are too cold to start plowing here in sycamore hollow, this one germinated anyway.....the high x brace just adds to the complex sweetness....maybe this should go in the post a pic of yer mando on yer tractor thread

----------


## oldwave maker

final finish coat on Petes 13.5" wide 1 pc om back

----------


## JEStanek

Wow! That's an awesome back, figure and finish.

Jamie

----------


## markishandsome

slobber...

----------


## Pete Martin

> slobber...


I'm slobbering even more!

----------


## Steevarino

Bill B., 

I used to have a tractor that looked quite a bit like that. #An Allis Chalmers B Model, as I recall, but I might have the letter wrong...

Steve 

www.CumberlandAcoustic.com
www.RedLineResophonics.com

----------


## oldwave maker

Steve- you had a curly maple veneered ACB tractor? awesome! Might have to try that with my AC300lp. Mesquite flooring and veneer supplier David Perino coated his refrigerator with titebond, let it dry to the touch, and then used a hot iron to stick 1/28" mesquite to it, what a kitchen appliance- suggested for $2.50 a sq ft I could do my toyota pu.....
Pete- 28 days!
Gary- were those points bison or water buffalo? bought some lmi wb horn nuts that were too soft for mandonuts, would have made great points tho.....

----------


## mandopete

> Pete- 28 days!


I can hardly wait!

----------


## buddyellis

Working on stain, darker on the edge? Whatcha think?

----------


## buddyellis

Front:

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

> Working on stain, darker on the edge? #Whatcha think?


Darker around the perimeter for sure.
Looks great! Love that curly maple back!

----------


## buddyellis

Thanks, I've used a mix of hand rubbed and a blending of the airbrush to even out the edges, but I think I'm almost happy with the transition on this one. Lesson learned and applied from previous builds: if you don't want stain there, don't ever touch it with the rag, even if you don't have 'much' stain on it. 

Lesson learned on this build: when you cut out the back, remember the button.

----------


## markishandsome

I like it the way it is.

----------


## Eric Hanson

Don't know about the rest of you. I LOVE to see as much of the wood grain as possible. The wood used for mandos is some of the best to be found. IMO why cover it up just because that is the tradition. 
OUCH!! OK, OK, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come across so opinionated. Man I must get to bed soon.:p

Eric

----------


## labraid

should I bring it to life?

----------


## Eric Hanson

That is a beautiful pattern! I say go for it.

Eric

----------


## JEStanek

Fantastic.

Jamie

----------


## otterly2k

hey! where'd it go?

----------


## labraid

oops, updating a site can be dangerous ;) one sec...

----------


## labraid

's better. It's hard doing these because I'm always fleeing the "Gothic" tendencies the younger folks have so popularized. Trying to keep away from vampire aesthetics, while capturing some of the glory days of stone architecture.. Harder than one might think, to balance. This was a test drawing. I'm really just torturing the ghost of Mike while he's away without email or phone.

----------


## billhay4

Looks like a very interesting hammer beam roof mirrored on a pond.
Bill

----------


## labraid

That's a cool thought, I like that

----------


## otterly2k

wow

looks like gothic windows to me

stunning

----------


## Ken Olmstead

All I see is a really cool looking snowflake!!

----------


## Kent Barnes

Moving right along on Harlan # 6. #This one is for my cousin.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Looking good Kent, Is that a new shop floor?  
Stanley

----------


## bradeinhorn

here's a new voight a-5 in the making.

----------


## bradeinhorn

and

----------


## bradeinhorn

and

----------


## bradeinhorn

and

----------


## Hans

Spring planting...

----------


## Timbofood

Nice Crop!

----------


## Dan Voight

Bravo Johann!

----------


## markishandsome

Can't wait to see the harvest!

----------


## Andy Nichols

Here is my latest project. #This is my third ADAL manolin still under construction.
Andy

----------


## Andy Nichols

here is the peg head, body, and scroll after stain

----------


## Andy Nichols

scroll

----------


## buddyellis

Lots of scraping, lots of cleanup, lots of FPing to do, at this point but, here goes. First couple coats of spirit varnish on, final leveling and etc, to be done. Maybe a hit or two more around the edges to level out, but, will see. This is with a bit of garnet shellac with a few other things tossed in (benzoin, mastic, etc) Other than the yellow 'smokers fingers' from working with it, really my favorite finish so far. Lacquer is 'easier' but this is a much friendlier finish to work with, even if it is a bit more work.

----------


## buddyellis

Pictures are a bit too red, its really more gradual in person, and the back looks much better than this in person. I need to work on my photog, but oh well. Don't see much of these 'ugly stage' photos with the tape and the scraping not done. 
Back:

----------


## Mark Walker

You folks building mandolins just amaze me. #I just remodeled two rooms in my 110-year old farmhouse, and struggled with all new baseboards, crown and cove moldings. (Cutting AND staining. Coping saws and cope cuts in crown molding are a PAIN!) #

Everyone who've been in the remodeled rooms rave about it, but I'm nowhere NEAR the point of tackling a mandolin - let alone the staining and finishing! #

Hans - I'm GOING to drive to the next-door state and visit you this year! #

----------


## Golman8

Hey adal04 I see you learned how to post a picture , That adal#3 is looking good! Maybe the third time will be the charm for you. I was impressed with @s one and two! Keep on picking, your friend golman8

----------


## Hans

Mark, you're going to have to drive thru that next door state. Welcome anytime.

----------


## Austin Clark

mmm, purty backs.....

Left to right, mine, mine, Joe's, Ted's, Andre's and again, mine.
Well, mine for the summer anyway...

----------


## bradeinhorn

yum.

----------


## first string

Drool.

----------


## Joe F

My fingers are itching with anticipation!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

An F-4 in the binding process.

----------


## JEStanek

Looking sweet Amanda! Blohm buttons?

Jamie

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

> Looking sweet Amanda! Blohm buttons?
> 
> Jamie


Yes

----------


## bropete

polishing another White Dove

----------


## bropete

cont.

----------


## bropete

cont.

----------


## bropete

still polishing!!

----------


## bropete

Rounding out a dozen
I decided to make number 12 a custom oval...
here it is with one coat of lacquer

----------


## bropete

cont.

----------


## bropete

and again..

----------


## bropete

one more...

----------


## Playing8

Real Perty Brother Pete! Hope to see you soon, If I can get a lone for Gas Money. HA

----------


## oldwave maker

Stained and shellac sealed, no adult supervision in sight:

----------


## Dan Voight

Hey Bill, does that second mando have rosewood back and sides?

----------


## labraid

Pete, extremely classy indeed... The non-cursive text adds a bit of astuteness, and well, I dunno, it's a very, very nice choice. Soundhole treatment is a-1 too.. bravo!

Bill. Hey, it's walnut, hurrah!

Well, I'm getting accustomed to these quartered spruce reinforcing strips. And I don't know a luthier who wouldn't love to just make them all day, that beautiful "schhhhhhck" of the plane as it slices off another curl. Here they are wetted, to be put aside near the fire to dry (still cold up here mornings, come on sun!).

----------


## Bob McRee

Here are some photos of what's going on with Jade mandolins in China. Here is one of some maple, walnut and cherry bodies. The walnut and cherry bodies will have maple binding.

----------


## Bob McRee

Here is one of the walnut bodies that happens to be an oval hole.

----------


## Bob McRee

Here is another of the walnut body.

----------


## Bob McRee

Here is a black topped A that is on its way to Missouri,

----------


## Bob McRee

Here is the back of that black topped A.

----------


## Bob McRee

I have started doing some of the finishing here at my home. The black topped A and this sunburst F are some of the first. Everything has a varnish finish.

----------


## Bob McRee

This is the back of the F pictured above.

----------


## Bob McRee

OK, a couple more photos and thanks for indulging me in this long string of photos. Here is the violin varnish on an F. This is the finish that "brought Jade mandolins to the dance" and I am keeping it going. The great news is that the finisher who does these has vastly improved. There was a big learning curve for him going from violins to F style mandolins and he is getting it right now.

----------


## Bob McRee

Here is the back of the violin varnished F.

----------


## BiscoMando

i love that violin finish! very classy.

----------


## bropete

labraid, Thank you for your kind words. The F-style dove has taken flight to north Georgia, and I polished and strung the A-Oval yesterday. I used an experimental bracing pattern and I am glad to be able to say, "she really sings". (you always run a risk with unproven means). The dark finish and final polish really brought out the MOP around the soundhole. Thanks again, Pete

----------


## oldwave maker

screen capture from my recent audition for "America's Most Disturbing Home Videos"

----------


## Dan Voight

Haha very nice bill.

----------


## labraid

who's the leprechaun with the ipod glaring at us in the orb of night?

----------


## crazymandolinist

I love that pic!

----------


## JEStanek

Reminds me of a cross between Alex DeLarge and David Jones. Great photo.

Jamie

----------


## mandomick

> Stained and shellac sealed, #no adult supervision in sight:


JMO, Old Waves have the "cleanest lines" in their "F" hole design.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

How to tell if your pattern carver is set up well.
This top started with penciled crosshairs all the way down the centerline and across at the bridge location. After carving it looks like this. 
I make all the early passes in straight lines parallel to the centerline and only do the side to side on the final pass to remove as much material as possible.

----------


## Dan Voight

nice jim. I didn't know you used one of those. Seems like a nice investment...

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's some fingerboard binding going on. You can't really see the fingerboard but the cam clamps are holding it flat to the table, the quick clamps are holding the boards I use for pressure square to the table and those cool black British clamps are applying the pressure.

----------


## markishandsome

Those British clams do look pretty cool. Details?

----------


## Troy Harris

Nice work Jim
Carving the top is one of my favorite steps in the building process. I like to cut for the binding around the center of the scroll while I have a level working surface.

----------


## Troy Harris

Detail of the scroll begins to take shape.

----------


## Troy Harris

Here Im scraping the final arching.

----------


## wannabethile

that is just beautiful!!!

----------


## buddyellis

Got impatient, and strung it up. Still some finish work to do but before I finished the neck I wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong neck angle wise. After a week of playing time this thing is really starting to surprise me. Plenty of mid-cut with solid but not overwhelming bottom end.

----------


## buddyellis

Front. All spirit varnish, although I'll probably end with a couple thin coats of lacquer just to toughen it a bit.

----------


## McCandolin

> And a top for the same.


Hey, whats the story with the location of the blade in that finger plane? Why so far back?

This is the internet, my curiosity need not go unfulfilled.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

A couple of pics of an F-4 I'm building in my spare time.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Only just started binding the headstock today, so wont show that side till the inlays are finished. This F-4 will be from the 1911 - 1917 period.

----------


## Steve Cantrell

Nice work, Stephanie. That rosette looks sharp.

----------


## Dan Voight

Nice F4. Here are some shots of #5. I really like red maple for sides.

----------


## Dan Voight

another

----------


## Dan Voight

The inside

----------


## elvisNoir

> Nice F4. Here are some shots of #5. I really like red maple for sides.


VERY nice f-hole design. As the kids say...Sweeeet!

Keep up the great work.

----------


## Chip Booth

Elvis, I was thinking the same thing. Nice F holes!

Chip

----------


## oldwave maker

Great f holes, should lower the resonant frequency of the box.

----------


## amowry

> Originally Posted by  (amowry @ April 28 2008, 13:24)
> 
> And a top for the same.
> 
> 
> Hey, whats the story with the location of the blade in that finger plane? Why so far back?
> 
> This is the internet, my curiosity need not go unfulfilled.


I just noticed your question-- the edge of the blade is roughly centered on the sole of the plane. It's just the angle of the blade puts the tail end so far back. That blade is from a circa 1960 Bombardier snowmobile leaf spring. A last remnant from my childhood!

Nice looking work, everyone!

----------


## amowry

Hey Jim, have you tried thin CA for gluing fretboard binding? I find I can just hold a section in place with my fingers, and wick in a drop of CA, then move to the next section-- no clamping or tape required, and it's done in a few minutes.

----------


## Dan Voight

> Great f holes, should lower the resonant frequency of the box.


Thanks. After doing some reading here and calculating the internal volume of my mandolins, I developed my opinion in that a lot of F hole mandolins with Gibson stle apertures had f holes that covered too much surface area for their given cubic volume. I designed a crossbreed of traditional violin and Gibson stle F holes and reduced their surface area to coincide with the cubic volume of my instruments. I am pleased with the tone I am getting with them. The pictures show them right after routing and I have yet to open them up with files. I cut them small to leave room for adjusting.

----------


## mandopete

"Thanks. After doing some reading here and calculating the internal volume of my mandolins."

like this....

----------


## Dan Voight

> "Thanks. After doing some reading here and calculating the internal volume of my mandolins."
> 
> like this....


Actually, I just filled it with rice. I used the equation on the site for the opotimun aperture size given my volume via rice.

----------


## pelone

Now I know where some of my error may have occured. I used rice crispies, perhaps their lighter density lead me to believe that my calculations were correct.

----------


## Christopher Standridge

Rice, crispies, don't you know any scientist worth his salt uses mustard seed???
Jim, that top looks very nice. #I also do all vertical passes before I do the side to side passes. #Troy that top is very clean and I agree it is very easy to establish the binding channel at this point.

----------


## Christopher Standridge

Here is the source of my most recent frustrations...I am glad that I bought enough of this to be able to practice, you don't even want to know how much this cost me. I could have gotten a lot of nice maple...

----------


## Christopher Standridge

two engelman tops, one red, backs of birch, maple, and koa!

----------


## Troy Harris

Koa is beautiful wood
Im working on a batch of F5s here are some photos of the next top in progress.

----------


## Troy Harris

Routing for binding around the center of the scroll

----------


## Troy Harris

I use a small palm plane then finger plane with a toothed iron to do the rough arching before moving to scrapers.

----------


## amowry

Nice photos! So, do you guys do the binding channel for both the top and back before gluing them on, and then cut the scroll opening in the headblock to match? Or is the headblock completely cut beforehand? That looks like a real timesaver not having to deal with the binding channel once the plates are on the instrument.

----------


## Christopher Standridge

Andrew,
I don't think I should be giving you any time saving tips, but this really works better for me. I prep the channel on both plates and then trace to the block, then cut the block, sand smooth, and glue plates to the block with registration pins.

----------


## amowry

Cool, thanks Chris! That's good food for thought. I love the fact that everyone does things a little differently. Keeps it interesting.

----------


## oldwave maker

Another month or so before its ready for picking, and already a melonius thonk!

----------


## JEStanek

Bill,

How many watermandos have you made now. Their whimsy is great.

Jamie

----------


## charlesa46741

This is a Siminoff F4 kit in the white. I'm still trying to decide on a brown or red sunburst.

----------


## Troy Harris

Andrew, here is my current working method
First I trace/draw the blocks, linings, and body/scroll outline onto the top

----------


## Troy Harris

Then I cut out the body outline and begin rough carving the plate. I route for the binding (only around the center of the scroll) when I have a level working surface and before I carve the scroll. The left side scroll is cut for side binding; the right side scroll is cut for triple top binding.

----------


## Troy Harris

Next I trace/draw the scroll shape onto the block and cut out the block. I repeat the steps with the back, making sure everything lines up. I do all the tracing while the ribs are in a mould. I carve both the top and back before gluing them onto the ribs. I route for the body binding after both plates are glued to the ribs.
My understanding is that the early Gibson scrolls were cut out after both the tops & backs were glued to the ribs. Ive thought about trying that method

----------


## amowry

Thanks for taking the time to explain that, Troy. I guess it's similar to what I currently do, except I cut the opening in the headblock and then trace that on the top and back. I like your way better, though, because it seems you have better control over the shape of the scroll when you draw it directly on the top and back.

I've seen photos of several builders cutting the scroll opening after assembling the box. I guess you need some way to hold it level on the bandsaw. It makes sense to me, because you'd have less sanding to do inside the scroll.

----------


## Geoff B

brilliant work with the pre-binding, I like that a lot! Also, as usual, the caliber of this little corner of the internet is quite startling! good work all. here is my humble contribution.

I just posted a youtube video of my latest (#19). It is in the white and coming along well for being strung up for only a day. I'm not sure if the video compression also messes up the sound, but I thought it would be worth sharing. I realized after playing a bit that I didn't level the frets, so there are a couple buzzies in there. This is an engleman topped, big leaf back F style and my nineteenth effort. I'm a happy camper. Dedicated thread is to come... check it out: somewhere over the rainbow

by-the-way, I got this tab from mandozine.com 
Whoo hoo!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Nice job, Geoff

----------


## french guy

#15 in the white :

----------


## Brandon Flynn

> #15 in the white :


Very clean. I like the headstock a lot.

----------


## amowry

Here's a royal coachman I did last week.

----------


## Hans

Now cut that out!!

----------


## amowry

But, like, I already did!

----------


## Geoff B

And on the back of the headstock, where precious few will see! Nice!

----------


## JEStanek

Andrew, that's bloody micro-surgery! Do you use a dental pick to clear the inlay cavity? Not to mention cutting the individual pieces out. Amazing. 

Jamie

----------


## french guy

Andrew , what a work !! I like that .
By the way , if you love beautiful inlay , you MUST have a look to a friend website , he make old time banjos , but his inlaying work is really fantastic look here :
http://perso.numericable.fr/%7Erevep...s/mybanjos.htm

----------


## french guy

just an exemple

----------


## amowry

Thanks Jean-- I was just looking at his site, and it's amazing stuff. The engraving is mind-boggling.

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Andrew, your attention to detail is amazing. Just keeps getting better and better. I always enjoy seeing pics of your work.

----------


## Geoff B

Andrew, your work really flies here! I mean, it is a catch. Which is, of course, to say that I think people are hooked. Sorry, I couldn't resist!

----------


## Hans

That mush be a western Coachman...looks to be about a #8 or #10. Wouldn't catch a thing here! #

----------


## Skip Kelley

We are certainly living in the age when the finest instruments are being built! There are so many gifted craftsman on the board. The work you guys post on here is absolutely perfect! Fine piece's of art!

----------


## amowry

Hans, very true. The customer originally asked for a size 16, but that seemed a little small. I'm guessing it's around 12, but I didn't get out a hook to be sure.

Around here we tend to use Royal Wulfs instead-- they float long time!

----------


## Hans

Round here, the "credit card boys" (they all have new waders, vest, rod, reel, store bought flies, etc) are standing where they should be fishing, fishing where they should be standing and the wife is taking the video while they whip the water to death. They are the ones using Coachman flies. 
You couldn't catch a trout on a #22. Trouts are way too wary around here for Coachmen...

----------


## Geoff B

some nice figure on this one....

----------


## JEStanek

I can't bear to look at that much quilt in the summertime! Too hotThat's gorgeous. 

Jamie

----------


## amowry

Nice quilt!

Carving necks...

----------


## Joe Dodson

> Around here we tend to use Royal Wulfs instead-- they float long time!


I'm the lucky customer on that one. Once again Andrew, thanks for the beautiful work.

That birdseye is looking great too!

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Ooh, sweet birdseye!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Getting a little work done on the 4th.
Starting on the routing for my name. Looks pretty strange at this point.

----------


## igowing

Alembic inspired 5 string electric I'm currently working on. This will be the second instrument I've built.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

After a week more of sanding I will be reading for filling and staining, then varnishing.

----------


## Larry S Sherman

> Alembic inspired 5 string electric I'm currently working on. #This will be the second instrument I've built.


Looks great, and I love the inspiration!

----------


## Hans

Some necks...H5 mandola, 3 PML's, A4 snake, Eclipse V6.
Oval hybrid in the foreground.

----------


## Timbofood

Gee, Andrew one might just say "There ain't no flies on you" but then again that would not be entirely correct, very cool!

----------


## labraid

dust

----------


## Glassweb

Hans... you're killin' me brother! I'm loving you're signature "flower urn"... that's classic!

----------


## Doug Hoople

Fan-fret 10-string mandolin A-style. First stringing. No frets yet. Sam Crossan, my father-in-law, is building this, loosely based on Mike Marshall's Smart, and taking into account Mike's feedback (mandolin body, straighter nut angle for easier first position playing).

----------


## Glassweb

> Fan-fret 10-string mandolin A-style. First stringing. No frets yet. Sam Crossan, my father-in-law, is building this, loosely based on Mike Marshall's Smart, and taking into account Mike's feedback (mandolin body, straighter nut angle for easier first position playing).


easier playing position? damn, i'm gonna have to go to my chiropractor tomorrow just looking at that thing! attention all mandolinists... proceed at your own risk...

----------


## Doug Hoople

> Originally Posted by  (doughoople @ July 08 2008, 21:06)
> 
> Fan-fret 10-string mandolin A-style. First stringing. No frets yet. Sam Crossan, my father-in-law, is building this, loosely based on Mike Marshall's Smart, and taking into account Mike's feedback (mandolin body, straighter nut angle for easier first position playing).
> 
> 
> easier playing position? damn, i'm gonna have to go to my chiropractor tomorrow just looking at that thing! attention all mandolinists... proceed at your own risk...


If you look at the pictures of the Smart 10-string on this thread: Lawrence Smart 10-string, you'll notice that the nut is even "worse" there. 

Plenty of discussion on the same thread about playing with a fan-fret instrument. I've done it, and I'd agree with everyone else that it's not that bad. 

In Sam's 10-string, he's essentially reversed the angles of the nut and the bridge, so the nut is more "normal" and the bridge is more radical. The frets are going on even as I'm writing this, so there will soon be a picture to show how the angles graduate up the fretboard. 

The radical bridge angle is the big question mark. You can see that it calls for pretty out-of-skew f-holes (and the tone bars inside follow the line of the f-holes, not the neck line).

----------


## markishandsome

Reminds me of those melting clock paintings - love it

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Doing frets today. Big ones.
I press them in and use the Stew Mac nipper to remove the section of tang that goes over the binding, ala Don McRostie. You have the whole length of wire to hold this way instead of trying to hold just the fret. Much easier to keep it upright and aligned. It cuts out just enough tang to do the next fret on the far side of the board without cutting again.
I glue them in with Titebond ala Bob Bennedetto.

By the way I got to meet Sam Crossen at the 2006 Symposium and that instrument doesn't suprise me at all. Great guy.

----------


## mandopete

Those do look like big frets, what's the measurement?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

They're Stew-Mac #147 frets which they used to call banjo wire. .08" wide compared to .053" for the smaller mandolin wire. I think they look wider in photo's than they appear in person.
Everyone who gets them loves them.

----------


## mandopete

Agreed, I have those on my Flatiron and will likely put 'em on the Collings when the time comes.

Jim - your work is flawless as always!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's some tortoise binding going on. When I do ivoroid with top and side lines I can get it pre-laminated from Axiom but not the tortoise. Bill may be making it but I need to use up what I have anyway.
I pre-glue the blk/white strip to the bottom of the tortoise for the sidelines. Then I do the blk/white for the top separately. It's in place here and the tortoise is being added.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

This picture gives a little better view of what's happening.
At this point it needs that last bend and then cut to the final length, glued and taped on.

----------


## Dan Voight

Here is #5 in the white. I kept it simple on this one because I wanted to let the tone speak for the instrument.

----------


## Dan Voight

Magnets

----------


## Dan Voight

trc

----------


## Dan Voight

peghead

----------


## Steve Cantrell

I like those lines, Dan. Great work.

----------


## pjlama

Very nice, I like the font/logo, great movement.

----------


## Mark Walker

Dan - looks great. #I gotta get over to that side of the mitten one of these days and meet you! (And check out your mandolins of course.) #

----------


## ellisppi

the start of a new A-5 project, more pics with progress.

----------


## oldwave maker

Tom- glad to hear you're celebrating national rim week too!
Nice f holes Dan!

----------


## sgarrity

An Ellis A5.......I can barely contain myself!!! That is exciting news.

----------


## buddyellis

And a little something different from my shop.

----------


## buddyellis

A little dirty, but I just strung it up, and I'm loving how this one turned out.

----------


## buddyellis

Headstock, we've nicknamed this one 'cookie monster'

----------


## buddyellis

Top and side bound thanks to Bill James' celluloid, this was a breeze compared to previous attempts.

----------


## Chris Biorkman

> the start of a new A-5 project, more pics with progress.


Can't wait to see the results. I'm sure it will be spectacular as usual.

----------


## labraid

Interesting variation, Buddy. The scroll tip matches the angle of the area just below the scroll, giving it a "rolling", live feel. And the accentuated top point which also matches that same angle. Very cheeky of you, and very bold looking.

Here's one I've got cooking on the side. I thought she'd look good as a white mandolin, but having second thoughts now..

----------


## OzMando

Love the pickguard shape and colour, very nice. If not white what sort of stain?

----------


## labraid

Hmmm... you got me.. 

Deep candied red wine perhaps?

----------


## buddyellis

Brian, thanks for the vote of confidence, we thought it looked like cookie monster had taken a couple of chomps out of the headstock # #I've got an idea of reworking it a bit to be more 'flowing' with the same sort of shape, but more directly mirroring of the lower point on the body.

As for the color, yea there was an oldwave that was a merlot color. #That would be fabulous, especially with the edge treatment you do. #That wood has some GREAT silking. #What is that on the right side, the streak, just a wood oddity? #Love that grain. #Wine top, beer (blonde) back?

P.S. PM me with info on your tailpieces, cost, etc and what it would cost to do a design (you were the one that was working with casting, right?)

----------


## MLT

Brian, 

Very nice indeed! 

Although I have never been one for pick guards, I like this one. Even at this stage I can see that it adds something to the overall design.

----------


## labraid

I can't believe Collings nabbed my soundhole rosette idea, ha! Just saw this:



Kidding, it's more an odd coincidence... Funny too, the number of A's being made these days eh...

Buddy, re: tailpiece castings I'd be happy to help you out. I have a standard back with Gibson holes that I can weld onto your own waxes meaning you'd only need to design a top (unless you want to do both, but they'll need to be designed separately for wax repro purposes).. Send me your address and I'll send you a chunk of carving wax you can work with. Forty piastres gets you a rough casting.

MLT, I'm not used to such wide expanses of mando face any longer, especially after dabbling with classicals.. And the cytole is only 9" wide.. The full size A-model was just looking naked without the guard.. I liked this shape and went for it. Another one-off......

----------


## ellisppi

Here is the top carved and ready to glue on

----------


## Austin Clark

I thought this was a kind of a neat view....

----------


## JEStanek

You're right!

Jamie

----------


## pjlama

Tom, you're doing an A? Very cool.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Austin, That is a neat view! Exceptionally clean work! Nice job!!

----------


## Dan Voight

doing some varnish on #5

----------


## Dan Voight

and the front

----------


## bradeinhorn

nice dan,

can't wait to pick her.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, very nice sunburst!!

----------


## Hans

A couple off to sanding and some other assorted necks. Gerry's Celtic special in front and a PML back. V6 neck...

----------


## Dan Voight

nice hans

----------


## John Hill

Agghh! I should have bought one of Han's mandolins back when I lived in St. Paul while I had the chance!! These pics are a sore trial but beautiful work to look at.

----------


## amowry

I love that headstock, Hans!

Staining week this week...

----------


## Dan Voight

Love that color Andrew.

----------


## Onesound

> Love that color Andrew.


I'll second that! I can imagine that it would look equally good with a satin or gloss finish.

----------


## Hans

Thanks Andrew! Still drawing the redesigned body, making scroll mockups, etc. Getting close, but not quite right yet. Hoping not to have to make any changes after V6. Nice looking back!
Mn John...come to IBMA, come to IBMA... #

----------


## John Hill

> Mn John...come to IBMA, come to IBMA... #


If only I could. For those of us in the residential development industry, now is not the time to be drooling over new mandos or any other new toys.

Since I'm not quite awake & dreaming I'll take a PML, an A4c and, what the heck, a V6 just to cover all the bases.

----------


## Hans

V6 progress...

----------


## Dan Voight

Love that V6. The scroll has a very modern vibe to it.

----------


## John Hill

Nice.

----------


## Troy Harris

Carving backs

----------


## Troy Harris

Scroll detail

----------


## Troy Harris

...

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Nice work, Troy. Your pictures always look great.

----------


## Dan Voight

Great looking back Troy. Are you using an overhead router to remove material for the binding ledge around the scroll?

----------


## Troy Harris

I use a Dremel tool with down cut bits and a small base, working free hand with a level surface, before I carve the scroll.

----------


## Austin Clark

nice work Troy, I do it very similarly except use a Foredom as I find it is lighter and easier to control the speed.  

I just fretted these today.
Left to right, prototype 2pt mandola, Dennis,Corey,James,Brad,Mel,Bill.

----------


## mandopete

Nice line up!

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Austin, what's that one on the end? A two point?

----------


## Bill Snyder

> ...Left to right, *prototype 2pt mandola*, Dennis,Corey,James,Brad,Mel,Bill.


I believe that should answer the question.

----------


## Austin Clark

the mandola...

----------


## Ted Eschliman

A dola? Oh, Grrreat...
Austin, my wife is going to hate you now!!!

----------


## labraid

I'm partial to that walnut sweetie... "bichin!"

----------


## Brad Weiss

> I just fretted these today.
> Left to right, prototype 2pt mandola, Dennis,Corey,James,*Brad*,Mel,Bill.


Huh? When did I order THAT?!!? I must have forgotten... thanks for sending it my way when you're done!

----------


## Austin Clark

It is actually not walnut, but Rosewood with Koa binding and Mahogany neck. It is really pretty wood, though. I can't wait to see it with finish on it!

----------


## sunburst

A couple of mandos fresh from the sanding machine at the mandolin building facilities here at Hamlett industries, ready for transport down to the finishing facilities and the trip through the staining machine.

----------


## Austin Clark

nice John, do you have a picture of that inlay? btw, great color in that veneer!

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Very nice, John. It's amazing how good robots are these days at woodworking.

----------


## sunburst

> ...do you have a picture of that inlay?


Check out this thread. There are pictures of several interesting inlays in there including a shot of this one right after sanding it down.

----------


## JEStanek

Those look great, John!

Jamie

----------


## Skip Kelley

Here's a pic of a F4 I have been working on. The back is a piece of master grade quilt I have been waiting to use for years. It is wet prior to sanding. Hope you enjoy!

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Looks nice, Skip.

----------


## Hans

Good work Skip, and the top is?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Thanks for the compliments! Han's, the top is a old piece of really wide grain sitka. This mandolin is probably the loudest I have made. Han's, by the way, I have always admired you work!

----------


## Steve-o

> Here's a pic of a F4 I have been working on. The back is a piece of master grade quilt I have been waiting to use for years.


That's a gorgeous quilt, Skip. Looking forward to seeing it with stain!

----------


## Troy Harris

Cutting the sound holes

----------


## Troy Harris

Squaring the top for the 15th fret position riser block

----------


## Troy Harris

Im ready to fit the tone bars.

----------


## Mike Black

Troy, I always admire your clean lines! Yours and others pictures make me a little self-conscious about posting my progress pictures.

----------


## Troy Harris

Thank you Mike Id encourage you to show your work. The Café presents a wonderful opportunity to share your work, get valuable feedback, and to see the work of other builders. I continuously learn from other builders and the information that is shared on the Café.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Troy, your work is outstanding! Very clean!!

----------


## ellisppi

makin a little more progress on my new A model ready for back

----------


## Austin Clark

almost done scraping....

----------


## Austin Clark

and another...

----------


## amowry

Nice!

----------


## Hans

Big guy...the H5C progress. WV red and back (right) to be very hard red maple.

----------


## Glassweb

i'd say there's some ridiculously talented builders out there, and my hat's off to them all... how do you guys and gals do it?!

----------


## Austin Clark

That is a perfect scroll, Hans.

----------


## Mandolusional

Clean lines and talent are right, and a whole lot of time and hard work- beautiful stuff all around.

----------


## Hans

Thanks Austin...I have to redefine the scroll ridge a little as it looks too much like an F5. Here's a quick size comparison.

----------


## Hans

All ready to sand...

----------


## labraid

Rockin her ready for CMSA

----------


## MLT

I with I were going to be at CMSA Montreal '08!  I would love to hear #57 being played by some of our members.  She is going to be a beauty.  Are those staves maple?

----------


## labraid

Well, Michael, I hope it will be at the convention myself. We're getting mighty close to still be on the bowl, but... we'll see!

It is indeed maple, here's another shot.

----------


## MLT

I have every faith.

I hope other members are seeing this!  And those scallops--wow!  

BTW--Nice Avatar too!   :Laughing:

----------


## JEStanek

Very ship-like, Brian.  Can't wait to see more of it.

Jamie

----------


## buddyellis

Brian, how in the heck do you carve that pattern in the back.  That's GOTTA be tough to get clean.

----------


## labraid

Laser vision. It's how I plowed through college too. Well, that and a nicely cut rattail. File I mean, not the sweet hairstyle. 

Hey'd you ever get that wax, buddy? I figure customs might've smoked it if they found it going cross border. They ate my oranges once.

----------


## buddyellis

Wasn't sure if you chiseled down to a certain point and then went at it with a file, or what -- alot of work either way, but oh so cool looking.  Very, very fine work.

Yep I got it, just not had any building time in the last few weeks: start of semester at work == me not wanting to do much when I get home :-)  I just got a couple orders in at the last festival I went to, though, so I suppose its time to get my butt back in gear.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Hey'd you ever get that wax, buddy? I figure customs might've smoked it if they found it going cross border. They ate my oranges once.[/QUOTE]

They (the American guards) ate my apples once while crossing back from Montreal into Vermont. Dang!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

In the beginning. The conception of the mandolin. From here, in my shop at least, it will take 9 months to come to full term before it is born.

Bandsaw fun today, cutting out the neck blanks to two guitars- a 12 string maple and 6-string mahogany, the underside cutoffs will be used to make about 6 to 8 sets of F-model body blocks.
Fun.

----------


## Dan Voight

I've got my neck(s) out on this one... :Smile:  From left to right: #6 for Paul Lestock, #7 for Patrick Gunning, #8 for Sean Robinson, and #9 for Travis Burch.

----------


## labraid

New tailpiece design... The insert is a custom job, ebony and raw burgundy silk.

----------


## billhay4

Brian,
I'd like you to concentrate for a minute or two on the concept of ugliness. Then, make something ugly. Do it poorly.
Well, never mind.... Just keep on with the gorgeous stuff you seem to produce at will.
Bill

----------


## Dan Voight

> New tailpiece design... The insert is a custom job, ebony and raw burgundy silk.


That thing is slick man. It will fit the style of your instruments nicely.

----------


## Mandolusional

Slick is right!  That's an artistic take on the tailpiece, I agree with Dan it will definitely look good on one of your instruments.  Great concept.

----------


## Gathright Customs

Hello,Jake Gathright here. Im John Gathright's son. Im 19 and this is my first project, A "snakehead" A-style that I am building from scratch. I figured it would be a cool challenge to "fit" my kerfed linings to the body block/rib joints. As iI said,this is my first mando project, so ALL criticism is welcomed! ha ha

----------


## Andy Nichols

Nice job Jake.Like father like son. The acorn don't fall too far from the tree.Missed you when I was down at your dads shop a couple months ago.Keep up the good work. Andy

----------


## Dan Voight

Peghead binding is done on #6. I am quite pleased with the results. It's the exact look I was going for. 1 down 3 to go...

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Perfect headstock shape, Dan. That's an area that not everyone executes correctly.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, I'm with Chris on that one. The peghead binding is perfect! It doesn't get any better! Awesome job!!!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Carving an F-5 Red Spruce top.

----------


## Scotti Adams

Hey Daryl...lets see some of the mandos you started..finished....thanks

----------


## Steve Hinde

Jessboo has been waiting a while for this one. Finally caught up with the tornado damage and day job. Spent my entire fall vacation in the shop. 

Steve

----------


## JEStanek

Steve, Some nice looking wood there!  Keep up the good work.

Jamie

----------


## McCandolin

> New tailpiece design... The insert is a custom job, ebony and raw burgundy silk.


Where might one be able to procure one of those tailpieces? I really love how minimal it is and am tempted by the possibility of doing my own custom insert-type job.

----------


## JEStanek

Brian has started forging his own tailpieces.  Contact him via his website.

Jamie

----------


## McCandolin

> Brian has started forging his own tailpieces.  Contact him via his website.
> 
> Jamie


Thanks, i sent him an e-mail.

----------


## oldwave maker

Part of the santas workshop litter, octaves of spruce maple and walnut

----------


## amowry

Nice, Bill!

Making necks today...

----------


## Dan Voight

great looking batch there andrew

----------


## Randy Price

*My First Build - StewMac Campfire Kit*

Here is my first build, a StewMac Campfire kit. It is still in the white, I would like some advice on finish. I would like it to have a "vintage amber" look, with a technique that is relatively easy for my first build.

Thanks,

Randy

----------


## F5GRun

Hey andrew are those guitar necks???  THey look pretty big net to the mandolin necks.

And Nice camp fire kit Randy. And welcome to the Cafe.  Im sure others will chime in to help ya with the finish, or start a new thread asking help.  You may want to try to search the forum for some previous threads on finishing.  Theres alot of info here

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, Andrew, and Randy, nice work! You guys have been busy!

----------


## amowry

F5GRun, the biggest one is a guitar neck, the middle one is an octave (those two will be a matching pair), and the third one is a four-string octave (I guess you could call it a tenor).

----------


## oldwave maker

The great pumpkin was supposed to bring me some sanding elves for the hollidaze, guess I'll have to rub on  the DN TM JB and JJ by meself.....

----------


## labraid

Hey Bill, that shot on the right reminds of that Rolling Stone song, "she's got colours everywhere"..

Or was that one of the very first iMac commercials: "she's got colors everywhere"

Subtle difference  :Wink: 

Here's a head shot of the latest classical and some of the binding bits. Ebonized maple 'n' not-so-ebonized maple. Get this: the original Embergher binding config was W-b-w-b-w-w-b-w-b-w-b.... Say it three times fast!

----------


## Skip Kelley

[QUOTE=labraid;595236]
Get this: the original Embergher binding config was W-b-w-b-w-w-b-w-b-w-b.... Say it three times fast!

Brian, I had trouble saying it once! :Grin:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Brian, your neck carving is incredible!

----------


## Eddie Sheehy

My 2-point Gypsy OM by Walt Kuhlman is nearing completion:

Pics here: GYPSY OM

----------


## labraid

Thanks Skip, I have fun anyway.

I'm going to post the following for anyone interested in bowl construction. It is literally months of trial and error coming down to this -- thumbtacks and wedges. Believe it! I still can't. 
You can reuse tack holes over and over so as not to gum up the form too much. Lateral pressure from the wedges, combined with glue tack, is sufficient to hold the lat down vertically as well as snug to its brother. It's actually becoming fun work now that I no longer need to yell.  :Whistling:

----------


## JEStanek

Brian, for some reason the pins on that form are reminding me of a Clive Barker film...  From the sounds of it, the travails of assembling the bowl are similar.  :Grin: 

Jamie

----------


## DougC

That bowl back looks like a boat hull. I wonder if boat builders use a similar technique?

----------


## sebastiaan56

Brian,

I have been contemplating a bowlback build for quite a while, the pins and wedges have just made it feasable. Do you have any tips for getting the neckblock and tailblock radiuses right? Ive been thinking to make them part of the form and using bakers paper between them to allow an easy seperation from the form, if that makes sense......

Thanks,

Sebastiaan

----------


## amowry

Some impressive work, Brian!

----------


## labraid

Hey, thanks Andrew. You ain't so bad yourself.  :Wink: 

Sebastiaan, the blocks are more or less an art. Each is carved freeform and I don't know there'd be any way around that beside taking a plaster cast of a bearing surface that you consider perfect, and using chalk to fit that to new blocks. Actually, that idea has some appeal now that you brought it on! 
For the tailblock, it does not need much shaping at all. I have a system where there is a negative cut out of my form, where the block wedges in tightly in a dovetail (be sure you cut to release the right direction, or else!  :Smile:  ). On the Roman form, this block only needs slight rounding with a block plane. It loosens and lets free when the form is done -- with just a few light taps the whole assembly lifts off in quite a moment of glory if I do say so...

I'm happy if the pin and wedge idea inspires you. It is a far cry above masking tape, rubber bands, and little strips of paper glued under tension offered from some sources. You can even do without veneer filler strips altogether, strips whose sole purpose I believe is to provide contrast, hiding imperfect joins -- they are closed *that* tightly with the wedges. I kinda like the sleek, unimpeded looks this gives to the bowl...

How would you want to use the baking paper, exactly?

----------


## billhay4

DougC,
Boatbuilders use stations -- i.e., forms spaced every so often instead of a solid form such as Brian uses. This enables them to use clamps to hold the wood in place. Also, because of the various shapes in which boats are built, the real art is shaping the wood strips or planks so they fit together precisely. With lapstrake boats, this involves fitting on two planes, the edges and the insides of the planks. Complex stuff.
I, for one, would like to see Brian Dean build a lapstrake boat. It would be a work of art.
Bill

----------


## piknleft

I immediately thought boatbuilding. And when carvel planking, the use of wedges as clamps as Brian is using, is quite common. The beauty of both handmade objects is also a parallel. Beautiful work as always Brian, Mike

----------


## crazymandolinist

Brian your stuff is so cool. Someday......

----------


## sebastiaan56

> How would you want to use the baking paper, exactly?


Hi Dean,

My question about the paper really derives from a wonder how to keep the adhesive off the form. I was thinking of the paper to use between the blocks and the form but your dovetail resolves that. 

The only resources Ive found for bowls are "Oud Construction" and "Historical Lute Construction" do you know of any specific mando resources?

----------


## labraid

Seba, have a look here: http://www.iror.it/corsi.htm. No books that I know of.

----------


## oldwave maker

Quilt curing in the early morning moonset

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, that is really beautiful quilt!

----------


## Dan Voight

very nice indeed

----------


## oldwave maker

Those cool quilts came from Sir Spruce. More morning moonset final coat figure: 1 pc sugar maple from Earnest up in Rigelland, 2pd red maple dola from old standard. I've personally visited 17 life supporting planets in other solar systems, and read reports on over 200 others, and this is the only one discovered so far where figured maple thrives. What a special planet to live and work on!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, I'm with you! I just love this planet!!
Really nice work!

----------


## Geoff B

Nice Bill, and everyone!
I guess it is getting on quilt season, although here in Denver we recently had a day get up near 80 degrees.  Here's one that's about to find a new home...

----------


## Mike Bromley

> That bowl back looks like a boat hull. I wonder if boat builders use a similar technique?


Not Quite.....click here.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Geoff, that is a wild looking piece of maple! Very nice work!!

----------


## guitharsis

First attempt to post a pic.

My Old Wave in progress

----------


## Jim Hilburn

After a run of A styles, it's back to the scroll.

----------


## Mike Black

It's cold here too.  Here's my quilt.  This is my Octave Mandolin with it's first coat of french polish.  I fell in love with Jim Hilburn's Octave last Winfield and had to make my own.

----------


## Dan Adams

This one is bout done and headed home (mine).  I'll let the builder post where he wishes.  The back is a eye-poppin quilted maple.  Dan

----------


## Dan Adams

Why wait?  A quick view of the back in the early stages.  Dan

----------


## sebastiaan56

Here is a pair based on the instructions in Graham Mcdonalds excellent "Mandolin Project" book. I changed the shapes but the bracing etc is all his. A flat top and a bent top. Back and sides are Tasmanian Blackwood, soundboards are WRC and Monterey Cypress, necks are New Guinea Rosewood, Cooktown Ironwood and Eucalyptus burl for the fretboards, Brown Mallee burl for the inlays, Wenge and Ivoroid for bindings. Finish is Tru Oil. I'll let the finish harden for a week and start fitting the hardware.

----------


## Austin Clark

Everybody is sure making some nice looking stuff!

I've been going slightly crazy trying to keep up with this bunch.... 
I am making a few extra mandolins to take to Wintergrass on top of a normal batch. It's better now that the bodies are together and I have fewer parts running around.  :Coffee:

----------


## crazymandolinist

> Everybody is sure making some nice looking stuff!
> 
> I've been going slightly crazy trying to keep up with this bunch.... 
> I am making a few extra mandolins to take to Wintergrass on top of a normal batch. It's better now that the bodies are together and I have fewer parts running around.


Um... a FEW?  :Confused:

----------


## crazymandolinist

> Why wait?  A quick view of the back in the early stages.  Dan


Um, WOW. Never seen figure like that.

----------


## F5GRun

Nice work Everyone...I love this thread!   :Grin:

----------


## Dan Adams

There is actually some silking along the rib on the back that really is nice to see up close.  The mandolin has a nice antique look and feel to it even though it is new.  It's like walking into a room and figuring our that the most comfortable chair is probably the old worn leather chair and when you sit, you know things are right.  This mandolin has that comfort appeal, and the tone to match.  Dan

----------


## JEStanek

Dan, love that burl on the headstock.  Lovely.

Jamie

----------


## Hans

The F5R strung and surrounded by some of the new builds. Ken's F5PML, Isaac's lefty 23V tortoise and Bruce's F5C topbound. As always with long logos and left handed pegheads, it's difficult to come up with a way to squeeze the logo in. Isaac and I came up with a solution that we both agreed on.

----------


## P Josey

Hans,
How does that F5R sound.

----------


## Hans

Paul, it's about the loudest mandolin I've built to date. It is piercing, and seems as though it will be louder than V6 (no slouch itself). The other thing that strikes me is the clarity. Seems as though it goes straight to the soul of the instrument. I don't know if it has to do with the forward ff holes, more likely the the tapered ribs and internal redesign. Will be interesting to hear the finished instrument. 
Depending on the finished mandolin's tonal qualities, I may make internal adjustments to the next, and I may try moving the ff holes back to traditional location to see if that is a contributing factor. It may also be time for a removable back "testbed" to be able to modify the internals.

----------


## barry k

heres the most recent, hanging around waiting to be final sanded and polished out....oh....1 piece back also, old red spruce top..

----------


## barry k

.......and a  F 4 hybrid

----------


## Bill Snyder

Very nice Barry. Glad you are back in production.

----------


## Joel Thomas

> more likely the the tapered ribs


Pardon if it's been brought up previously, but what is the gist of this?

----------


## JEStanek

I'm with Bill, Barry.  Great to see you back at it (and so well too, I should add).  That one looks real good!

Jamie

----------


## barry k

Thanks guys......great to be back in the shop, now only if my right hand would listen to me a little better ( seems to have a mind of its own on occasion).  I was binding a headstock plate, and what normally took 15 minutes, took me 2 hours. Those fingers just would not bend where my brain was telling them to go.....grrrrrrrrrrrr     and not quite as strong in that arm as I used to be....gets tired fast,  but that will go away in time also..

----------


## Hans

Keep working at it Barry, it'll come around...
Joel, here's a pix of the tapered ribs on the F5R.

----------


## Joel Thomas

Ah, wonderful! I don't think that ever would have occurred to me.

----------


## Steve Cantrell

Looks like great work, Barry, and I hope you stay on the mend.

----------


## Jeff Chu

Hey Guys, i posted recently on the rigel g5 thread, but i figured it would be more appropriate if these pictures were on this thread. I got the opportunity to go up to Jeffersonville to meet Pete Langdell, and help work out the sound for this new G5. Petes still working on these instruments, known either as the new "Rigel" or a Langdell. It was an amazing process, being able to get a picture of what the mando will sound like before the top is glued in. Now, i sure you have all heard about Rigels, but they are still going, run solo by Pete in his own workshop. All custom work, and beautiful as ever. This one is about 2 weeks out. enjoy!


test neck, and new neck


putting in the new neck

----------


## Jeff Chu

we were able to adjust the sound in between tests. 



and the final. You can see Petes new model tail piece. The little extension from the original model takes care of overtones, as well as protecting your arm/sleeves from catching onto the string winding.

----------


## John Hill

jayphu, thanks for reminding us that Pete is making mandolins. I, for one, didn't know if he was still at it.

Nice looking G5. The bracing looks interesting.

----------


## oldwave maker

Last months nekkin om and goms got color and finish: blacktop with kentucky bourbon curlyback, straight singlemalt teardrop, shellac/fp walnuttery. Glad to see Barry and Pete back in the sawdust and shavings!

----------


## oldwave maker

Mesquite/curly redwood oval in the works, leaning on a pile of mesquite slabs from the Rio Sonora near Hermosillo Mexico. Some of this stuff is wide enough for 1 pc octave backs.

----------


## guitharsis

Beautiful work, Bill.  Absolutely gorgeous stuff.  

Can't wait to receive my Old Wave oval A mando!

----------


## JEStanek

Sweet, Jayphu.  That's good on a bunch of levels!

Jamie

----------


## Dan Voight

My best peghead yet...

----------


## Dan Voight

And a grouping. 3 down, 1 to go.

----------


## Mark Walker

All great stuff there Barry, Pete, Bill, and Dan!  Keep up the great work!    :Smile:

----------


## Hans

Isaac's lefty and Ken"s PML progress...

----------


## billhay4

Right nice piece of myrtle for my next one, a Lyon and Healy interpretation.
Bill

----------


## billhay4

Oh, Wood is from Bruce Creps from Notable Woods, the San Juan's other Bruce.
Nice stuff.
Bill

----------


## Pete Martin

> Right nice piece of myrtle for my next one, a Lyon and Healy interpretation.
> Bill


I want to play that one when it is finished!

----------


## billhay4

God knows, you'll play it better than I ever could.
Bill

----------


## Kevin Briggs

You guys are the bizz-omb. Or, as the Zebra in Madagascar would say, you're crackalackin!

----------


## Doug Edwards

Fourth day into this, but about to git'r done.  Red oak with a Mahogany/Birdseye inlay.  Great practice for doing the real thing later on.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Hey Doug, I am glad to see you doing something besides spoiling the grand kids.  :Cool:  I think you should put the star in the armrests too. Are you getting to do any picking around Kerrville? take care and keep making the sawdust.  :Coffee: 
Stanley

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

> Fourth day into this, but about to git'r done.  Red oak with a Mahogany/Birdseye inlay.  Great practice for doing the real thing later on.


Doug, those are BEAUTEEFULL!!

----------


## Timbofood

Doug, Are those dandy peices of work eventually going to be a stand or what exactly?  They look great for whatever purpose.

----------


## Doug Edwards

It's a mandolin stand.   I've built 23 of these, this is my first with the inlay.  I forgot how much tougher the Red Oak is to carve than Maple.

----------


## crazymandolinist

> Hey Guys, i posted recently on the rigel g5 thread, but i figured it would be more appropriate if these pictures were on this thread. I got the opportunity to go up to Jeffersonville to meet Pete Langdell, and help work out the sound for this new G5. Petes still working on these instruments, known either as the new "Rigel" or a Langdell. It was an amazing process, being able to get a picture of what the mando will sound like before the top is glued in. Now, i sure you have all heard about Rigels, but they are still going, run solo by Pete in his own workshop. All custom work, and beautiful as ever. This one is about 2 weeks out. enjoy!
> 
> 
> test neck, and new neck
> 
> 
> putting in the new neck



Laying down eh? Now THAT takes talent!

----------


## billhay4

Some progress: form ready for side bending and carving started on top.
Bill

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's an example of some of the weird stuff you see while building these things. The second shot puts it in perspective.

----------


## mandopete

Looks like that ribbon candy we see at Christmas!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, That is a cool picture!

----------


## James P

Here's a pic of my Mowry in progress.  

Thanks for the pix Andrew.
I am jazzed beyond belief!

----------


## woodwizard

Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!

----------


## Payit Forward

James P, 
You are a lucky man. Wonderful color.

Someday......

----------


## Joe Dodson

Congrats James.  I'm really enjoying my Mowry from Andrew's last clutch.

----------


## Brad Weiss

> Here's a pic of my Mowry in progress.  
> 
> Thanks for the pix Andrew.
> I am jazzed beyond belief!


I have been playing my Mowry a good bit of late - almost two years old, and it is just a joy to play, and a beautiful piece of artistry.  James, you will be HAPPY!! :Mandosmiley:  :Mandosmiley:

----------


## oldwave maker

Love those blacktops, heres a first attempt at a blacktop guitar shaped octave, heading to Az next week:

----------


## labraid

Almost done...

----------


## JEStanek

Wow! That's two posts in a row of nice maple backs!  Yowza.

Jamie

----------


## Joel Thomas

> Wow Chris, I don't think a better contraption could be concieved. Did you machine it your self?


Did anyone happen to save the picture of the Arches wonder-bender that this post (and others) were referring to? It seems to have disappeared, and I'm really anxious to see it.

----------


## pjlama

> Love those blacktops, heres a first attempt at a blacktop guitar shaped octave, heading to Az next week:


Awesome, I play almost no mandolin since getting my OWGSOM. These are the coolest instruments around. Thanks Bill! I'll get around to posting some pics and sound clips of mine soon.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Brian, All I can say is Awesome!!!

----------


## jasona

> Almost done...


 :Disbelief:

----------


## Dan Voight

If that sounds half as good as it looks..... wow.

----------


## Austin Clark

almost done....

----------


## Skip Kelley

Austin, that scroll is perfect! Nice work!!

----------


## billhay4

Snowed in today. And I'm near Seattle; it never snows!
So, I'm bending some wood. Nice tiger striped myrtle.
Bill

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's one ready for finish.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, your mandolin is perfect as always!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, that is a really nicely flamed piece of myrtle. I bet it will look great!

----------


## Hans

Isaac's 23V lefty ready to finish...

----------


## Keith Newell

Snowed in and not really minding it too much. Family is a bit up tight but I have some projects to spend quality time on.
Keith Newell
http://www.newellmandolin.com

----------


## Skip Kelley

Hans and Keith, Those mandolins look awesome!

----------


## Mandolusional

Hans, it's beautiful!

----------


## joshua collum

Quite the snow storm we got here in the Portland area huh Mr. Newell? The mandos look great. When i'm ready to buy i'll have to get in touch. My mother in-law lives in Canby. Your mandos always look great!

----------


## kyken

Here's an A-style I'm building now for the hard economic times. Check it out on my web-page;  silverangelmandolins.com

----------


## Hans

Ken Y's F5 PML...
First one in over 200 instruments that I've built with no pickguard!
Ready to sand and finish along with the 23V.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Hans, very nice as always!

----------


## otterly2k

Keith-- I really like that headstock design... is that new?

----------


## Mark Walker

> Here's an A-style I'm building now for the hard economic times. Check it out on my web-page;  silverangelmandolins.com


Ken - very clean.  What is that inlay in the headstock?  A variation of an 'R' for Ratcliff, or the head of a bird?  Interesting!

----------


## Keith Newell

Yes Karen it is new but I was just playing around with peghead overlay shapes and thought this one might look ok. When the strings are on it should provide contrasting visual curves to compliment the body shape....I think  :Confused:

----------


## Graham McDonald

A two point mandolin to be raffled off by ZoukFest sometime later this year. Top is Sitka, X braced, body and neck are Tulip Satinwood, a rare Australian wood with ivoroid binding. Fretbaord and head overlay are ebony and the ZF on the head and the position markers on the fretboard are some sort of man-made turquoise I got at a jewelry supply store in Gallup NM (fascinating place to spend an hour in!)

cheers

graham

----------


## oldwave maker

Graham- I'm going to start saving up for a raffle ticket today!
My son gave me a real computer and monitor for christmas- you professional luthiers sure make some incredibly beautiful looking instruments! you amateurs too!
This trio is heading across the big pond as soon as  I get strings on the quilty sunburst one:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Graham, that is a cool looking mandolin! I like the side port.
Bill, love that quilted mandolin! The sunburst is perfect! Nice blonde! And is that lower one walnut?

----------


## Magnus Geijer

Working on something a little more F-ish than what I've done before.

/Magnus

----------


## Dave Cohen

A slotted headstock classical A in the white.

http://www.Cohenmando.com

----------


## Dave Cohen

...And  couple more views.

http://www.Cohenmando.com

----------


## jasona

That looks great Dave!

----------


## Joel Thomas

> A slotted headstock classical A in the white.
> 
> http://www.Cohenmando.com


Did you add any extra reinforcement to the headstock, or build as usual and just route them out? I love that look.

----------


## Dave Cohen

There is some CF reinforcement buried in the center of the headstock, though I'm not sure it is necessary.

I designed this mandolin with some classical guitarlike features.  The headplate is a sandwich of veneers as in the classical guitar, the headstock shape is intended to evoke a simplified classical guitar shape, there is a guitarlike tail inlay, etc.

http://www.Cohenmando.com

----------


## guitharsis

> Graham- I'm going to start saving up for a raffle ticket today!
> My son gave me a real computer and monitor for christmas- you professional luthiers sure make some incredibly beautiful looking instruments! you amateurs too!
> This trio is heading across the big pond as soon as  I get strings on the quilty sunburst one:


You've certainly been busy, Bill.  Your mandolins sound as good as they look; mine is the best sounding/playing mandolin I've ever owned.   Fortunate that at our local music store, the owner is a mandolin player and one of the most knowledgeable technicians in the area.  He was VERY impressed with Old Wave #442.  Thanks again for building me such a fine instrument.  Happy New Year!

Doreen

----------


## otterly2k

Graham... what's the scale on that two-point?  It's gorgeous... 
I always buy a zoukfest raffle ticket, but this time, maybe I'll buy two!

----------


## Graham McDonald

Hello Karen

Standard 13 7/8 scale with the body more or less a Gibson A size with the L&H points added. Anyway, by now you should be thinking about building one yourself  :Smile: 

Get on with it

graham

----------


## Troy Harris

Here are some photos of an aluminum form I made for fitting the tone bars.  The form is designed to stiffen the soundboard rim and prevent any distortion while fitting the tone bars.

----------


## Troy Harris

First I draw the contour of the top onto the bar
Next, I glue cleats onto the top to position the bar
I chalk the top, position the bar, and press to mark the underside of the bar with chalk
I remove the high spots with a flat bottom finger plane and scraper until full contact is achieved
The cleats also prevent the bar from moving when gluing.

----------


## Bill James

Very nice Troy...and thanks for the new desktop images.  :Smile:

----------


## otterly2k

Hey Graham... thanks for the kick in the pants...er, um... encouragement!!

*(-;

----------


## barry k

Attachment 37660This is going to be a mandolin for me, a sort of tribute to John Duffy and a conversation we had about 20 years ago in Gettysburg Bluegrass festival. I have been wanting to do this for about the last 15 years....it should raise a lot of eybrows and  get some laughs.... I hope.  and the latest of me working in the shop

----------


## Ted Eschliman

Those that want to see the headstock of Barry's latest, feel free to correspond with him privately.

----------


## Steevarino

Here are a couple of shot's of Ollie's Red Line Traveler in process, caught in the middle of the finishing routine.  First some sealer, then the trans-red on the top, then the black lacquer on the back and sides.  Here we see it with the binding scraped and the first or second session of top coats applied.

Neither Ollie or I can decide if this one should go satin or gloss finish.  Any suggestions/opinions on this?  Ollie is leaving it up to me, but I probably won't decide until I fill the gun for the last couple of blows.

Steve Smith
www.CumberlandAcoustic.com
www.RedLineReso.com

----------


## Dan Voight

Thats slick Troy. Thanks for sharing.

----------


## barry k

yea...oops sorry about that....forgot for a moment...now it edited  thanks Ted

----------


## wildpikr

I'm curious...what inspired it?

----------


## barry k

I have told the story  here several times but its worth sharing again. Around 1984 or so  bought my first custom mandolin, I took  it  to the Gettysburg BGF where John Duffy and the Seldom Scene were playing. When John and Co. were finished playing their first set, I went back stage to show John my new mando.  He gave it the typical look over front , sides, back, played  it about 5 minutes , I asked John if he liked it, he looked at me and said "  do YOU like it?", I said yes,  He said " I dont care if it says Dog####   across the headstock,  If you like it , its a great mandolin"  So......the skull and crossed swords, symbol of pirates ( bad boys)  which John was,  and the Puppy prints across the fingerboard heading  to the headstock, then the "Dog#### across the headstock.....and there ya have it. It was something that just always stuck in my head... so I brought it to a reality.  And BTW the mandolin that I bought and showed to John was a D O G , a terrible  $2000.00 (1984) mandolin, he was  really being kind to me in his own way.

----------


## JEStanek

Barry,
I do think your new instrument and the story behind it are pretty cool.  Why did you choose a more traditional headstock shape instead of the more curvy one you normally use this time?

Jamie

----------


## barry k

I think it was because I used   "The"   this time and it would not have looked quite right on the curved headstock.......Interesting story.....and should be a killer mandolin too,  its only the third blacktop I have done.. i like the look !!!

----------


## Dan Voight

first wire inlay

----------


## Ken Olmstead

Zowee! That is sweet Dan!!!

----------


## woodwizard

> first wire inlay


Beautiful work! Just think how good it will look when you get practiced up.  :Grin: 
You know I'm kidding. You do amazing work. So clean looking and precise.
I really like that headstock.

----------


## sgarrity

That is a beautiful headstock!

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Flawless, Dan.

----------


## John Gardinsky

That's a mighty tasteful inlay design Dan.  Very well executed.

----------


## Dan Voight

Thanks guys. I cant wait to see it with the Waverlys.

----------


## dstretch

Here are a few pics of "Aniane" #5 finally had some time to get back in the shop. I had to make a Military move away from my shop, and I get back home every few weeks to spend some time in the shop.

Quilted Maple back and sides, Red spruce top. Varnish finish.

This is the first coat of varnish.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, That peghead is absolutely perfect! I love the wire inlay!

Danny, That is a sweet looking quilted mandolin! You will have to post a sound clip when you are done. I love the colors in your sunburst!

----------


## Doug Edwards

I took the plunge a while back, but I had to put everything on hold due to my move to Kerrville.  I got back at it the last week or so.  It's so addictive and frustrating at the same time. It's especially frustrating to see so many fine examples of everyone's work. It's also inspiring as well.

A couple of two pints in the works. A chance to learn and correct one's mistakes from the first to the second.

----------


## igowing

my #4
This one will be a 18.4" scale 5 string baritone solid body electric mando.

----------


## OzMando

That's pretty darn cool!

----------


## Dan Voight

More inlay

----------


## David Newton

A New Navy Mandola for Jonathan in Vermont.

----------


## Bill Snyder

Sharp looking mandolin David. Glad to see you are getting back to an eight string.

----------


## Magnus Geijer

My first electric. The top is some really nice maple burl which I completely failed to capture in this picture. I found an old Schecter dual coil that I'm going to slap in there, and I'm going with a regular acoustic type bridge and tail piece. A pack of strings last twice as long if you only use half of it at a time...

/Magnus

----------


## oldwave maker

New day, new year, unbroken circle on rimshot mountain, octaves, dola, mandos piccolos, in maples, mesquites, walnuts......

----------


## Mike Black

Bill,  
What's with the screws around your forms?

----------


## billhay4

Those are often used to hook rubber bands to when gluing the top or back on.
Bill, however, may use them for other, unmentionable, purposes.
Bill

----------


## viv

> i have told the story  here several times but its worth sharing again. Around 1984 or so  bought my first custom mandolin, i took  it  to the gettysburg bgf where john duffy and the seldom scene were playing. When john and co. Were finished playing their first set, i went back stage to show john my new mando.  He gave it the typical look over front , sides, back, played  it about 5 minutes , i asked john if he liked it, he looked at me and said "  do you like it?", i said yes,  he said " i dont care if it says dog####   across the headstock,  if you like it , its a great mandolin"  so......the skull and crossed swords, symbol of pirates ( bad boys)  which john was,  and the puppy prints across the fingerboard heading  to the headstock, then the "dog#### across the headstock.....and there ya have it. It was something that just always stuck in my head... So i brought it to a reality.  And btw the mandolin that i bought and showed to john was a d o g , a terrible  $2000.00 (1984) mandolin, he was  really being kind to me in his own way.


what a _great_ story!!!

----------


## Dan Voight

Here is yet another wire inlay. This one is on Patrick's mandolin. You can see some of the color on this one: The large piece on the bottom is green abalone, the next piece is mop, the next is green/blue/purple abalone, the pot is mop, the next "branch" is green/blue abalone, the large flower at the top is a very colorful piece of mop, and the two little flowers are abalone that reflect pink from one angle, and green from the next.

----------


## JEStanek

Very clean, Dan. Very clean!

Jamie

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Very nice, Dan. Do you have any pics of the rest of the mandolin? I have to admit that Patrick's ravings are making me a little curious about your work. You can definitely see that your skill level is rising quickly when you look at the little details on your mandolins. That headstock, like your others here recently, looks perfect.

----------


## Dan Voight

> Very nice, Dan. Do you have any pics of the rest of the mandolin? I have to admit that Patrick's ravings are making me a little curious about your work. You can definitely see that your skill level is rising quickly when you look at the little details on your mandolins. That headstock, like your others here recently, looks perfect.


Thanks so much.  I'm starting the carving process this week so the body assembly is behind the necks and pegheads. I'll be sure to continue to post my progress in this thread in the comming weeks. 

It's back to work for me!

----------


## Patrick Gunning

*drools*

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, that inlay is as good as it gets! Awesome work! Very clean!

----------


## oldwave maker

Dan- nice! do you cut your logo or get it done where?
Havent tried these woods before: John Arnold red spruce for GOM, from the y2k nashville ASIA convention, New World Spruce Co. engelmann for 1/2 size mando, from Tom Beeston's widow, certainly older than any kid who will play it! Spruce's  western red cedar for OM, marked 'old'. Any idea how old, Bruce?

----------


## WadeG

After spending the last couple of years lurking and getting tooled up I finally completed my first. Thanks to all who have shared their knowledge.  My first attempt at building, busted the block fittng the neck.  Now it just hangs on the shop wall for a reminder.  Just strung up my second.  Thanks for looking.

----------


## Dan Voight

Very nice. You should be mighty proud of that one. Good luck getting away from mandolin building once you've started!!!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Wade, that blonde mandolin is very nice! How about so close up pics. I love the look of that one!

----------


## herbsandspices

Wade,
Beautiful! That's your first completed mandolin? WOW! I hope my 10th mandolin will look that good!
What about a "Wade" across the top on the headstock? Brand that baby!
And +1 to more photos!
john

----------


## K3NTUCKI8oy

Wade that is one fine mandolin. still hard to overlook the damage on the other with the block
cracked you should be careful because that is preventable.

----------


## sgarrity

Nice mandolin Wade.  I like the natural colors.

----------


## Dfyngravity

WadeG, I really like the way you reversed the binding scheme on the back vs. the top. Really good looking mandolin, I hope to start my first soon.

----------


## Jason Renzi

that is beautiful...
wonderful coloring...

----------


## WadeG

Thanks everyone for the kind words.  A few more pictures.  

K3NTUCKI8oy - I think the block had an internal defect, but I did jam the neck in a little tight.

Dfyngravity - I really didn't know the style I liked the best so tried a different style on each side.

Shaun - Since I don't know how to play I would like to bring it out to one of the jams and let you, Jim or Bucket bang on it a little, I am close by in Chesapeake.

----------


## viv

o _LAWD_....bee-yooteeFULL!!!  lovely, lovely colors....reminds me of a maple nut goodie, or a warm cashew....yummy.  you're to be highly commended for a first work--a truly beautiful piece.  someone is going to love that baby!  :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Dfyngravity

WadeG, well I think you have something there. At first glance you think it is just top bound, but after close examination you see that the back is bound too. Very very clean looking, that's for sure.

----------


## sgarrity

> Since I don't know how to play I would like to bring it out to one of the jams and let you, Jim or Bucket bang on it a little, I am close by in Chesapeake.


Bring it on!  I'd love to get the opportunity to look it over and play a few tunes on it.  Jim has been talking about doing a MandoTasting jam here in the next month or so too.  the last one was a lot of fun!

----------


## Troy Harris

Some photos of the completed tone bars.

----------


## LVH

I have a challenge that Hans should try one day. Three point Eclipse  :Smile:

----------


## Dan Voight

[QUOTE=oldwave maker;622097]Dan- nice! do you cut your logo or get it done where?
QUOTE]

I get 'em cut here: http://www.customluthier.com/ The logo is the only thing I dont cut. 

Troy! Pictures.....too.....good.....ahhh (death). Thats some consistantly outstanding work you do!

----------


## David Newton

Troy, that "stacked up" picture is classicly elegant.

----------


## Gail Hester

A fresh bouquet.

----------


## Dfyngravity

:Disbelief: ....... somewhere there are three bodies running around without and heads!!!!

Gail, that is a nice trio of heads you have done there. Very clean work.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Gail, those are some sweet looking pegheads! Very nice work!

----------


## piknleft

:Laughing: ANOTHER beautiful high-end Lefty in the works. Bless your heart!  :Laughing:

----------


## McCandolin

Wade, I love the look of that mandolin, I'm a sucker for wooden binding and apparently now I'm a sucker for blondes too. If I ever get to the point where I can afford a mandolin from a small builder other than myself I will be keeping you in mind, great stuff!

----------


## David Newton

This New Navy Mandola is trudging into the snows of Vermont this week.

----------


## Markkunkel

GORGEOUS, David!  As the never-again-to-be-pried-from-my-fingers custodian of one of your New Navy mandos, I can only imagine that this one sounds even nicer.  Thanks for sharing the pic with us. 

MK

----------


## David Newton

Thanks for the comment, Mark.
Thanks also, for those who have asked, I'm not currently building the New Navys. Guitar orders got a'hold of me. When I get back to GDAE, you'll be the first to know.

----------


## Ken

Getting close now, it's at this point that I can't wait to hear what it sounds like.  Planning on b/w/tortoise binding, side bound as well as top and back.  Also currently planning it to be  black top with medium brown back and sides.

----------


## Dan Voight

Carving a nice one piecer.

----------


## John Hill

Nice Dan. I love me some one piecers.

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

Dan, that wood is already alive - can't wait to see it with stain!  Great stuff you're putting out.

----------


## Patrick Gunning

Can't...form...coherent...sentence... Hypnotized by flamed maple...

----------


## LVH

Patrick, your voight is on order... is that yours? if so, YOU LUCKY DOG!!

----------


## Patrick Gunning

Yeah, that's mine.  *assume evil laugh pose*  Muahahahaha...

----------


## LVH

If you ever need someone to baby sit it for you.  :Smile:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Ken, Nice job on the A!!

Dan, That is a fine looking piace of maple!!

----------


## D.E.Williams

> Carving a nice one piecer.


Interesting workboard and hold-downs.  Are you handcarving, or are you using some kind of machinery?

----------


## Dan Voight

> Interesting workboard and hold-downs.  Are you handcarving, or are you using some kind of machinery?



Both. I rough carve with an arbortech power chisel. I have to clamp the plate down with quick clamps when I use that bad boy. This fixture also allows for the plate to be turned over for graduating the inside. I also clamp the plate in this jig while fitting the tone bars.

Thanks for the comments guys!

----------


## kyken

here's my new Fantasma......

----------


## LVH

well i got the wood for the mandolins. but the flame on one set is so beautiful and the grain on the spruce top is excellent. I can't bare covering it with a thick, dark stain like the old gibson a's. Should i do some modern A oval blondes? like old waves....?

----------


## Jason Renzi

> here's my new Fantasma......


that's incredible!...
who made it?...

----------


## Brad Weiss

> that's incredible!...
> who made it?...


He did!!
 :Cool:

----------


## D.E.Williams

> Both. I rough carve with an arbortech power chisel. I have to clamp the plate down with quick clamps when I use that bad boy. This fixture also allows for the plate to be turned over for graduating the inside. I also clamp the plate in this jig while fitting the tone bars.
> 
> Thanks for the comments guys!



Brave guy!  Those power chisels scare me...I have a hard enough time with the manual kind.

 :Wink: 

Nice fixture, btw, and your mandos are lookin' good!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Ken, That fantasma looks awesome!

----------


## Mark Walker

Ken - that's sweet!   Do you have a little different logo in your more recent headstocks?  Can't tell if that's an angel or a letter 'R' or what!   


Dan Voight - great looking efforts you've been posting recently too!

Keep up the great work you two!

----------


## Jason Renzi

> He did!!


duh... :Frown: 
i'm not real bright, don't you know...

anyway, that's on the of the most amazing looking instruments i've ever seen!..

----------


## kyken

That's an R Mark, it's a little modern looking and contemporary, but so is the rest of it.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Mandolins in Progress had fallen off the 1st page, so something has to be done about that.
Here's something you've never seen me post before.

----------


## swampy

> Mandolins in Progress had fallen off the 1st page,


Good to see I'm not the only one that thinks this is the most important thread.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, your the perfect one to bring this thread to the first page! Nice work on that top!

----------


## oldwave maker

More bars in more places?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, You have the greatest sense of humor! I like that bracing! Is that a new design?

----------


## oldwave maker

Skip- same X, bracing mass depends on stiffness of ad, er, red, spruce sticks, mando on left, dola on right, photo shows some runout in the engelmann.
Currently tied up with Johns top and sides......

----------


## french guy

Hello all , I'm not very present on the forum , but I work on the bench
here is a mandola in progress .

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

_My first side-bound._

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jean, glad to see you back posting some pics! Nice work on the mandola! I love your design and especially the peghead shape!

Danny, great looking F5 you have started! I have always been partial to a side bound mandolin. Looks like a nice wide grain top too! Awesome work!

----------


## oldwave maker

Still no adult supervision in the oldwave body shop, this months weather report- 100% chance of sawdust!

----------


## pjlama

Why doesn't this thread get "Sticky'd"?

----------


## Steve-o

> Still no adult supervision in the oldwave body shop, this months weather report- 100% chance of sawdust!


Bill - Man you are cranking them out!  I count a baker's dozen mandos and 3 GOMs (or guitars) in your pic.  Are those all custom orders?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, You are one busy man! I see alot of hard work there!

----------


## D18dave

I'm new to the forum. Here's my modest first attempt at mandolin building.  I'm not going it alone, a friend of mine is an experienced instrument builder.  He's been awfully generous sharing the skill.  Thanks for all the inspiration this forum has provided.

----------


## D18dave

Here's a few more  :Smile:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dave, very nice! I really like your peghead shape and the F hole shape! Can't wait for the finished pics! :Smile:

----------


## D18dave

Thanks Skip!  

I had some fun coming up with the peg head design.  I basically wanted to combine the Gibson Style paddle and an F style peg head.  To balance it out I put the paddle head 'part' off centered.

The S-holes I used because my last name begins with an 'S'  :Grin:  

build material:
top is Engleman (from Idaho)
back and sides is Big Leaf Maple (from Oregon)
The veneer is Macassar Ebony

----------


## Rod_Neep

This one is a rare picture of my next one in progress:



Red spruce in the hands of the maestro himself, just before he added the colour.

The final result will come out something very much like this....
Lots of tortoise. Even the color.

 

About 3 to 4 weeks to go.

Rod

----------


## crazymandolinist

> The final result will come out something very much like this....
> Lots of tortoise. Even the color.
> 
>  
> 
> About 3 to 4 weeks to go.
> 
> Rod


Much drooling is taking place here.  :Disbelief:

----------


## herbsandspices

Dave,
Beauty! Great looking instrument there - love the headstock design.
It's classically modern. (Ooh, I like that phrase!)
Very cool of your friend to show you the ropes... he seems to know his stuff!  :Mandosmiley: 
john

----------


## D18dave

Thanks for the kind words John.  The Headstock was a lot of fun to come up with.  Now that I'm becoming familiar with Mandolin tuners  I may have some work a head of me to make them work  :Smile:  Oh well, part of the journey! 

Cheers
Dave

----------


## labraid

art shot, whatever.  :Smile:

----------


## texasmandolion

Picks of my Jade I am having Bob make for me

----------


## D18dave

Neck and Kerf in place.

----------


## Mike Black

Gluing in the Virzi in my A4 snakehead copy.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

First ever rosette.

----------


## Dan Voight

thats wonderful Jim. What color will be on this one?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Mike, That little A4 is coming along great! Please let us know how it sounds with the virzi.

Jim, That "first" rosette is awesome! Very nice work!
All you guys on here are such an inspiration.

----------


## ShaneJ

Beautiful, Jim.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Heres two pics of work in progress. 
The first pic is my poor boy carving machine I made. I had just finished roughing out a maple back.

----------


## Skip Kelley

The second pic is of my messy work bench(I need to clean it off so I can find things!)

----------


## labraid

Mandos ahoy, Skip(per)!
 :Smile: 

Non-art shot, sorry, I'm wavering.

----------


## sebastiaan56

Dean,

what can I say?, exquisite as usual! Are those the new (old) tuners from Stewmac, any thoughts? What are the buttons made of?

----------


## Andy Miller

Jim, that shell has tons o' character, it's really going to be gorgeous with a finish over it.  Does the curvature (carvature?) of the top make it difficult to arrange everything into the rosette channel?

Andy

----------


## labraid

Sebastian,

Those are Schallers.. with my own patented Old World (mis)treatment. 
(we've got gold, we've got nickel, and we've got crud  :Wink:  )
The buttons are my own that I make, cocobolo. Just happened to match the varnished walnut almost perfectly by itself!

Thanks!

----------


## joshua collum

This is the top of a solid body eight string electric that i'm working on. This is my first attempt at building. So hopefully it will turn out O.K...if not, i'll throw it away and try again.

----------


## McCandolin

> Sebastian,
> 
> Those are Schallers.. with my own patented Old World (mis)treatment. 
> (we've got gold, we've got nickel, and we've got crud  )
> The buttons are my own that I make, cocobolo. Just happened to match the varnished walnut almost perfectly by itself!
> 
> Thanks!


Any hints on that there "crud" treatment?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Brian, I love the looks of that mandolin! Nice tuner buttons too!
Joshua, Awesome looking first build! Very nice!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Hi, Andy.
Since this oval isn't going to be a traditional replica, I felt I could deviate from the standard F-4 look. However, my client does like the herringbone look. I had this abalone that has some of the creamy look that reminded me of the celluloid thats normally used only with lots of translucence as well and thought I'd give it a try. 
Instead of making the rosette on a mold, I built it in the channel. The herringbone was pretty straight forward. soak it, bend it into place, hold it there with push pins, let it dry, then I used Titebond to affix it. (Sorry, all you hide glue lovers).
So that left the channel to fill with abalone. I traced it onto paper and segmented it into inch or a little longer sections, hand cut it, ran it on my rotary sander to get close, and hand filed it till it dropped in. As you can imagine, there a quite a few high spots that had to be leveled. That was about the most time consuming part. I could hit the high spots with a flat file and use a riffler in the curves, a lot of scraping and some sanding. I tried to get it so it felt level to your finger tips.
Stop by after work sometime and have a look...and a beer.

----------


## joshua collum

Thanks Skip! I'll post my progress as I go. I've been so inspired by all the wonderful builders here on the cafe. It's amazing how talented these guys and gals are. 

Joshua

----------


## crazymandolinist

I cannot believe this thread got thrown of the first page!   :Mad: 
Quite dissapointed guys.... :Whistling:

----------


## D18dave

Here's my latest update. Glued the back on last Saturday.  Won't get to work on her again until this Saturday evening.  Hopefully tuners, binding and tail piece arrive in the mail tomorrow

----------


## crazymandolinist

Itching and scratching to see what that thing will end up looking like! I love two-points!

----------


## Mark Walker

Skip - I like your magic-marker inscribed 'reminders' on your poor-boy carving machine!   I usually have to write those on the palms of my hands!

Your workbench looks like mine - though, alas - mine's currently cluttered with shotgun re-loading components.  (Winter trap-league here in Michigan!)

Keep up the great work everyone.  I'm so impressed by all the great looking mandolins you people craft!   :Smile:

----------


## oldwave maker

Hoping to have this one ready to take to st loo for the Tionol in april- Spruce's old cedar carved top, mesquite sides and 1 pc back, mahogany neck, ziricote binding, ironwood fretboard (buffed) and peghead veneer (wet with alcohol), the turquoise shamrock will turn mellow green under the shellac sealer:

----------


## ShaneJ

That's extremely beautiful and a very nice understated way, Bill.  I love it.

----------


## JEStanek

D18Dave, Keep up that good work.

Bill, That looks great!

Jamie

----------


## D18dave

Almost ready for the binding.  It's supposed to be hear Monday!!!  I'm going with tortoise with white black Side-bound strips. I used Ivoroid points to contrast.  I hope to string her up in the white in a week or two  :Grin:

----------


## Dfyngravity

Dave, that two pointer is coming along very nicely. Very clean and sleek, and those _F_ holes look just great. Can't wait to see this one finished....great work!

----------


## Bill Snyder

D18dave it looks good to me.

----------


## D18dave

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement.  It really has been a fun project and can't wait to hear how she sounds.  

Still anxiously waiting for binding and tuners to arrive

----------


## Mandolin

Restoration Project numero uno. an Arabic mandolin I got at "The Talking Heads" in Seattle.

----------


## Pete Counter

> Itching and scratching to see what that thing will end up looking like! I love two-points!


I hate two points...........wich means in a year or two, I'll be dying for one!  :Confused:  Hard to believe, when I was a banjo player years ago, I couldnt stand the sound of mandolins. Now I cant stand the sound of banjos!  :Laughing:   weird. I love this thread BTW, Its a regular stop. JH is awesome!

----------


## crazymandolinist

> I hate two points...........wich means in a year or two, I'll be dying for one!  Hard to believe, when I was a banjo player years ago, I couldnt stand the sound of mandolins. Now I cant stand the sound of banjos!   weird. I love this thread BTW, Its a regular stop. JH is awesome!


You must be an older version of me!  :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Kent Barnes

It's been quite a while, but I'm finally getting some time in the workshop.  Here's Harlan #6 under construction (the fretboard is just stuck on with tape).  I'm working on the binding now.

----------


## ShaneJ

Lookin' good, Kent.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Hey Kent, You should have gone to Argyle Fest. instead of time in the shop.  :Grin:  Is that a different fern pattern? Anyhoo it is looking good. I am getting further behind.
Stanley  :Coffee:

----------


## Kent Barnes

Stanley,
Yeah, I really wanted to go to Argyle, but I had my son's 13th birthday party Friday night, and I had an Eagle Scout court of honor for a boy in our Troop Satruday evening.
A bit off topic, but here's why I haven't had much "mandolin" time for the past few months.  My 17 year old wrecked his 1990 Camaro IROC back in November - he was car # 3 of a 5-car accident.  He only had liability insurance, so we decided to fix it ourselves.  Pretty much everything from the engine forward had to be replaced, and it's getting hard to find parts for these cars.

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

> A bit off topic, but here's why I haven't had much "mandolin" time for the past few months.  My 17 year old wrecked his 1990 Camaro IROC back in November - he was car # 3 of a 5-car accident.  He only had liability insurance, so we decided to fix it ourselves.



OHMYGOODNESS!  What a blessing that he's still with you!

----------


## Kent Barnes

No kidding.  The good Lord was definitely watching over him and the 2 other boys in the car, and the girl in Saturn that was under his car.  Everyone walked away without a scratch.
Just one of those situations where traffic just STOPS with no warning.

Just a couple more pictures -- the first is during the repair in my garage, and the second was bringing it home after my brother painted it.  He's happy to have his car back - it took us about 3 months!

----------


## crazymandolinist

That's a nice action shot! Glad everything worked out well.

----------


## barry k

one  of the latest  F's coming out of the shop in about 2 weeks or sooner.

----------


## Bill Snyder

Barry, you better beef up security at your shop. Someone has doodled some old man's likeness on the back of your mandolin.
Not to worry though. You can probably sand it back and no one will ever know it was there.  :Smile:

----------


## barry k

Hello Bill,  That would be the lovely Miss Sabine......she was feeling creative, so did this charcoal rendering and I sprayed lacquer over it......I like the effect
She knows the security codes so.......but then we always have Harley, the rottweiler

----------


## Skip Kelley

Kent, Nice looking F5! I like your fretboard extension. Very tastefully done. That is great that  your son and everyone else is okay! Thank the Lord for his protection!

Barry, that is one cool looking mandolin! I guess now, Gibson isn't the only one to do a Monroe model mandolin!! :Smile:

----------


## Magnus Geijer

#6 and #7 in progress.

/Magnus

----------


## Troy Harris

Carving backs

----------


## Steevarino

Oy Troy!  That is one FINE looking scroll. Your perimeter cuts look so perfect, even before you start carving on the scroll. How do you do that...?

My shop is currently a Scroll Free Zone.  Here are a few guys hanging around my shop that I will have to deal with this week.  With a little luck, it could be a week for "completions".

----------


## crazymandolinist

That is some NICE work Troy! Really good big pictures too.

----------


## Dan Voight

Here a progress pic after a minor set back: I TOTALED MY NEW CAR! And it is also red like the one above, with basic insurance.

Its a good thing I didnt take my mandolin to school that day be cause I usually set it in the passenger seat. Any mandolin (or person) in the passenger seat would have been obliterated in the collision.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, Thank the Lord you are safe! That car looks horrible!

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Wow, are you sure it's totalled?  :Wink:  Looks like you got lucky. Pretty gnarly.

----------


## Steve-o

> Here a progress pic after a minor set back: I TOTALED MY NEW CAR! And it is also red like the one above, with basic insurance.
> 
> Its a good thing I didnt take my mandolin to school that day be cause I usually set it in the passenger seat. Any mandolin (or person) in the passenger seat would have been obliterated in the collision.


Dan - OMG!  You are lucky to have survived.  Any broken bones?  And all you can say is "good thing I didn't have my mandolin" ??  :Laughing:  (and you can build them)... Where else would you read that but on the cafe.  Hope you are well and heal up.

----------


## amowry

Here's an F4 hybrid I'm working on.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, that is one sweet looking mandolin! Nice work as always!!

----------


## Dan Voight

Andrew, BEAUUUTIFUL. And, no injurys sustained, not even a sore neck. You'd think a fedex truck would do more harm...

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Good gravy, Andrew. That's some of the nicest stuff I've ever seen.

----------


## Jim Roberts

Andrew is so passionate about his work and it sure shows both visually and tonally.  

Really special, Andrew.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's some see-thru maple. 
It's not particularly thin, 3.5 mm at the seam. It's just that knarly!
That's a 60 w behind it.

----------


## Mandolusional

Wow, that is pretty sweet!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, That is a wild looking maple back! I've never seen one like that!

----------


## Dan Voight

Jim, I say wire up some LEDs in that thing.

----------


## JEStanek

Jim, That looks awesome.  I took some liberties, I hope you don't mind...

Jamie

----------


## Steevarino

Jamie  --

You crack me up!  Plus, I almost missed your St. Patrick's Day get-up.

----------


## ShaneJ

Wow, Jim!  That is some wild-looking maple.  It's gonna be gorgeous when you get through working your magic.  You need to mount an internal LED lighting system.  Can you imagine having that backlit maple glowing through a sunburst?   :Smile:

----------


## amowry

Cool photo, Jim. I always thought it was interesting how light travels along the grain better than across the grain. I guess those cells are like little fiber optics.

Ready for a fretboard! Always a satisfying day, no?

----------


## em guitars

> Ready for a fretboard! Always a satisfying day, no?


Andrew, even your photo is a work of art! The juxtaposition of the tools, the lighting, and of course the mando, is just so well done. Bravo!
 Eric.

----------


## sebastiaan56

> Ready for a fretboard! Always a satisfying day, no?


My new background, thx Andrew, beautiful work!

----------


## Mario Proulx

Wow, Andrew! That's not a photo; that is art!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, That is very artsy! And it is a perfect dovetail by the way!! Very nice!

----------


## amowry

Any artistic content on my part is purely accidental, I assure you  :Wink: . Thanks, though!

----------


## joshua collum

Wow Andrew, Beautiful work...Is that router used for cutting the dovetail? Also, are you gonna be at the handmade musical exhibit at Marylhurst University again next month?

----------


## joshua collum

Here is the slow project I started in Feb. It will be an 8 string electric. And also a piece of wood for a future project.

----------


## amowry

Looks good, Joshua! You and I are lucky to be in the land of bigleaf!

----------


## joshua collum

Thanks Andrew, We are lucky to live in the land of big leaf. I got this piece of big leaf from Bruce Harvie that's pretty sweet. The mandolin that I'm working on is my first. I'm not brave enough to jump into acoustic building yet. I love your stuff and have admired your work for a long time.

----------


## labraid

Classical number 4 is destined for California.

----------


## crazymandolinist

You've gotta get a commission closer to Florida!  :Wink:

----------


## labraid

You've gotta come to Canada. J'ai besoin d'apprentis.  :Wink:

----------


## amowry

Some amazing work Brian, as usual.

----------


## crazymandolinist

> You've gotta come to Canada. J'ai besoin d'apprentis.


??? No habla el Frenchy, someday.

----------


## MLT

Brian, 

Love the Head design for Classical #4. I am sure that it will find a great home in California just as mine did in Washington state. :Laughing:

----------


## Dan Voight

scrolls

----------


## mandozilla

Gosh Dan, your work is impeccable...how old are you and how long have you been building? In your photo you look like a little kid!  :Laughing: 

 :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Doug Edwards

I'm stoked!  My first scratch build is starting to look like a mandolin.   I have two in progress, but this one will get finished first.  I cut and inlaid my logo today.

----------


## JEStanek

Wow, that looks great, Doug. Any significance to the mountain and lake?

Jamie

----------


## Doug Edwards

I'm in Kerrville now, heart of the Texas Hill Country with the Guadalupe river running through it.

----------


## Dan Voight

> Gosh Dan, your work is impeccable...how old are you and how long have you been building? In your photo you look like a little kid!


Thanks Mark. I've been building for about 3.5 years. I'd like to think my stubble makes me look a little older than I am but alas I am 21...

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, nice work on the mandolin tops! The scrolls look great!

Doug, very nice mandolin! I like your inlay and the wide grain top is awesome!

----------


## Kent Barnes

Finally got some stain on # 6, then spent a couple of hours yesterday scraping the bindings.

I'm convinced that you haven't truly lived until you've had to scrape the bindings on an F-style mandolin!!

 Hopefully I can spray some lacquer on it this week.

----------


## crazymandolinist

Looks great!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

_That is a nice spray stain job, Kent.
Here is my latest, will be my first with a sprayed sunburst and finish.
Nervous, but still have lots of sanding to do._

----------


## Kent Barnes

Thanks Stephanie. I've tried to hand-rub a sunburst and they come out looking terrible.  I've been airbrushing since my first, and it gives a much more even graduation, in my opinion. 
Post pictures when you've got yours stained!

----------


## Doug Edwards

Looking good Kent.   I got mine strung up today.  Lots of detail works left to do before finishing it out.  Sound pretty good for just a couple of hours.

----------


## mandozilla

Wow! Kent , Stephanie, and Doug good work. I was wondering, does building interfere with your picking? I mean do you play less now than Before?  :Confused: 

I'd like to give building a try but I wouldn't want building to overtake my playing. You see I'm a bit anal (oops, can I say that) when it comes to things like that and I'm afraid I'd build to the exclusion of pickin'.  :Laughing: 

Gee Doug, I hope building mandolins doesn't keep you from building your wonderful armrests!  :Frown: 

 :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

_As for myself, I only build maybe two instruments a year. It's only a hobby that pays for itself, plus some extra. I practice 2 hours a day._

----------


## Doug Edwards

I think I'm down to the hardest part, waiting for the finish to cure out.

----------


## Trey Young

Doug,
 I really like the pick guard cut away with the oval hole, nice job!

----------


## Doug Edwards

It's Cherry to match the back/sides and headstock overlay. I did five miters on the binding.  I have a Cherry armrest on the back burner to go with it.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Doug, your mandolin is awesome! Beautiful color and the pickguard is cool!

----------


## Mike Black

I just thought that I'd share some pictures of the 1923 A4 snakehead that I'm copying.  I just put a sealer coat on it tonight.   It looks pretty darn close.  Except I put a Virzi in mine.   :Whistling:   I just wish I would have gotten a little more red in the middle.   :Grin:

----------


## Mike Black

Here is a picture of the label too!   :Grin:

----------


## Chris Keth

> I just thought that I'd share some pictures of the 1923 A4 snakehead that I'm copying.  I just put a sealer coat on it tonight.   It looks pretty darn close.  Except I put a Virzi in mine.    I just wish I would have gotten a little more red in the middle.


That is impressively close. I actually like the tone in the middle of your burst better than the Gibson. I bet with a little bit of UV coloration it matches it even better, though.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Mike, Very nice indeed!! I like your sunburst better than the original! Very cool label. I think you are onto something!!! :Smile:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Mike, Please give us an update when you get it strung up. I would like your opinion of the virzi.

----------


## Mike Black

Thanks PanaDP & Skip.  

Skip, I'll definitely let you know how it sounds with the Virzi.  So far, just tapping it, it sounds really nice.  I'm looking forward to hearing it myself.   :Mandosmiley:

----------


## oldwave maker

A new 'top' in progress. Made the arizona sycamore bodied mandolin years ago in trade for machine and welding work with my old friend, neighbor and woodhunting partner Stan. Its resting on the lid of the bookmatched taptuned spalted hackberry coffin I built him wednesday and thursday after he passed away tuesday evening. This netleaf hackberry (Celtis Reticulata) died a couple of decades ago down the canyon. It was 85' tall and had a 5.5' dbh, possibly the AFA national champion when alive.
Thats his blacksmithing brand to the left of the mando.

----------


## viv

> A new 'top' in progress. Made the arizona sycamore bodied mandolin years ago in trade for machine and welding work with my old friend, neighbor and woodhunting partner Stan. Its resting on the lid of the bookmatched taptuned spalted hackberry coffin I built him wednesday and thursday after he passed away tuesday evening. This netleaf hackberry (Celtis Reticulata) died a couple of decades ago down the canyon. It was 85' tall and had a 5.5' dbh, possibly the AFA national champion when alive.
> Thats his blacksmithing brand to the left of the mando.


probably the finest tribute i've ever run across.  bless your heart.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, So sorry for the loss of your friend. You and his family are in my prayers.

----------


## D18dave

Here's some new pics.  Bounds it last night and scraped her down today

----------


## D18dave

Forgot to include pics

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dave, thats looking good! I really like your peghead shape!

----------


## D18dave

Thanks Skip!  It's cool seeing it start to take shape.  Hope to have it strung up 'in the white' in a week or two  :Grin:

----------


## Skip Kelley

I agree Dave! It gets exciting at that point!

----------


## Chris Keth

oldwave maker, I think that's the finest tribute a woodworker can give a friend. I'm sure you miss him but you'll see him again.

Dave, that 2 point is coming along great. That fretboard extension looks great; very graceful.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I finally decided I had to have a new camera. Every photo I've ever posted has been taken with the old (2001) Olympus C-3000. 
But I wanted a better zoom and a bigger display. I got a Canon SX110 at Amazon for $216 and it's a 9 MP with 10x zoom and a 3" display. There's some much cooler stuff out there but not on the luthiers budget. I agonized over even getting this.
 UPS dropped it off about an hour ago and the first shot was to see how the zoom worked and it was pretty impressive. But of course next I had to take a mandolin shot with the macro setting. Obviously having 3 times more megapixels makes a difference. I can actually zoom in about twice as much as this and it's still amazingly clear.
 I might start taking pictures of every angle on the instrument so I can see where it needs more work.

----------


## Jim Roberts

Beautiful (as usual!) Jim.

You folks bought your tickets for Winfield yet???  I'll be camping with some folks from the Panhandle of TX this year but we'll get together.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's that shot as it was taken, except since it was taken with my bench lamps for light, I added some brightness and just a smidge of contrast.

----------


## Bob Kellett

Jim I think you could look at your mandolins under a 100X microscope and they would STILL look exquisite! Keep up the amazing work!

----------


## John Gardinsky

D18 Dave- I am often neutral on 2 point mandolins but that one is a thing of beauty.  Very harmonious.  Good Job,   John

----------


## Andy Nichols

Beautiful picture and beautiful work. I want to someday do a binding job that looks that neat.

----------


## D18dave

Thank you John. Just finished with the binding on the fingerboard.  Hope to have it radiused and fretted this weekend.  

Been drawing some ideas for headstock inlay.  some are more ambitious than others.  I'll probably keep it simple

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, beautiful scroll and binding work! 
Dave, I like your inlay drawings!

----------


## mandomania7923

Post some of your work skip!

----------


## Chris Keth

> Thank you John. Just finished with the binding on the fingerboard.  Hope to have it radiused and fretted this weekend.  
> 
> Been drawing some ideas for headstock inlay.  some are more ambitious than others.  I'll probably keep it simple


I like the torch inlay designs. The second of those with the more flowing tail of the first one would be, IMO, the best of what you drew.

----------


## Mike Black

> I like the torch inlay designs. The second of those with the more flowing tail of the first one would be, IMO, the best of what you drew.


D18Dave,  I would have to agree.  I really like the far right torch.  Actually...I don't think you should use it.  Forget about that one.  Now where is my jewler's saw and router?  :Grin:   :Whistling:

----------


## mandomania7923

my current wood stock. looks like scraps compared to all you experienced builders... from left to right. birch sides, maple sides, maple sides(finished), maple back sets(2), Maple neck blank, Desert Ironwood fretboard, Ebony fretboard, Spruce top sets(2)

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

_My least favorite part of building mandolins: scraping the binding._

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

> _My least favorite part of building mandolins: scraping the binding._


So you put the binding on when it's in the white, then stain the mando, and then have to scrape all the stain off the binding?  I never knew that.  I often wondered what luthiers were referring to when they talked about scraping the binding.  :Redface:

----------


## jefflester

> So you put the binding on when it's in the white, then stain the mando, and then have to scrape all the stain off the binding?  I never knew that.  I often wondered what luthiers were referring to when they talked about scraping the binding.


http://dudenbostel.leanside.com/11.html
Scroll down to pictures 131 and 132.

And start at page 1 to see the whole step-by-step build.

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

> http://dudenbostel.leanside.com/11.html
> Scroll down to pictures 131 and 132.
> 
> And start at page 1 to see the whole step-by-step build.


That is ABSOLUTELY fascinating!  Thank you!  :Grin:

----------


## oldwave maker

In-the-white string-ups of the first of the next, Johns quilted maple/engelmann/brazilian, and Gregs local black walnut/engelmann/ironwood. the LMI laminated turquoise will turn green under the dark shellac sealer:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, those are sweeeet!! I like the turquoise inlay; it is bright! Nice work!!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

> That is ABSOLUTELY fascinating!  Thank you!


_Tracy, maybe we can make a builder out of you_

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

_Still scraping away...
good thing I don't do this for a living - I'd barely be able to scrape by._

----------


## Life Is Good

Geez Louise Stephanie! I'm sure you could make a living at it if you wanted to, That mando look marvelous!

----------


## D.E.Williams

Yeah, Stephanie, that's looking really pretty.  I hope I can come even partially close to that caliber of work.  Very nice indeed.
 :Mandosmiley: 

I'm finally about ready to start cutting for my first. Actually, I'm going to attempt a few at once.  I figure if you're going to build one, it's not much more work to do two.  Or three, or four...
 :Redface: 

I just took ownership of some nice tops from a regional red spruce vendor, and have four curly maple backs and side wood all ready to get cut and be joined for carving.  This should be a blast. The tops are plenty dry and well seasoned, but I'll probably give them a good baking anyway just to make sure they're good and dry.

----------


## John Bertotti

:Grin:  :Grin: Bill looking great! I really like the Oldwave logo between the tuners on the back of the headstock. Would be very cool if it said old wave at the top also! Maybe I'm the odd guy out but I have always thought the back of the headstocks need embellishing as much as the fronts. 

That back is just as crazy as I hoped it would be, kind of reminds me of a topographic map or map of the ocean floor! Thanks! John :Mandosmiley:  :Popcorn:

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

> _Tracy, maybe we can make a builder out of you_


My husband owns a machine shop and swears he's going to try it one day just to see if he can.  Of course, I don't think there'll be a lot of hand-done work, knowing him!  :Laughing:

----------


## Bill Snyder

> That back is just as crazy as I hoped it would be, kind of reminds me of a topographic map or map of the ocean floor! Thanks! John


Looks like a topo to me too. I think that is really neat. 
All these mandolins are truly amazing. Just looking at photos I don't know how anyone would choose which of these talented people to purchase from. 
Seeing how I don't have any money I am spared the agony of choosing  :Confused:   and I can only play what I can build.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Stephanie, That mandolin looks great! I love your sunburst; it is perfect! You said you don't like scraping the binding; I guess I am weird because I like that part. I don't know why because it is such a time consuming, nerve wracking task. One slip and you have a mess.  :Smile:

----------


## D18dave

Drilled the headstock and glued the fingerboard.  Starting to really take shape  :Smile:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dave, nice work on the mandolin! I love your peghead shape and the fretboard extension. Cool design! Here's a picture of my workbench. I have three F's and one dread in the making. I just need to decide which one I am going to work on! :Smile:

----------


## joshua collum

Wow Skip, Bustin' it out! Looks nice....

----------


## D18dave

Skip
Looks great! Wow! 3 mando's and a Dred. And it's so clean!!!   I think I've just learned a lesson in organization and attention to detail from one photo  :Smile: 

Is the guitar mahogany back and sides?  What's the wood in the Rosette and the binding?  

Bill 
Nice pair of A's.  Something very 'ying and yang' going on with the two of them

Stephanie
That sure is a pretty sunburst.  

Now that I feel inspired ...I guess I'll sit here at work for another six hours and day dream about building

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dave, the back and sides of the guitar are waterfall Bubinga. It is a great tone wood and very reasonibly priced. The rosette and binding are Padauk. The guitar has a wonderful tap tone to it. I am getting the neck ready to go in it.

----------


## Chris Willingham

I went to visit my baby this afternoon -- here's a few pics of my gorgeous Gathright f-5 shaping up (with a few bad shadows from the crummy photographer  :Whistling: ) one-piece back, adirondack top.  Plus a really sweet 'dola John is almost finished with. The shot of the back had me grinning all the way home.

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

> The shot of the back had me grinning all the way home.


*wolf whistle*  That's gonnna be one PURTY mandolin!  Congrats!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

_Skip, you are quite the prolific builder, with so many projects on the bench. I love the rosette on the dread!_

----------


## Skip Kelley

Stephanie, Thanks! I can't wait to see more pics of your mandolin when it is completed!

Chris, it looks like you have a real nice looking mandolin coming your way soon! John builds a great mandolin!

----------


## D18dave

Strung her up today!  Played with a friend switching off between his 46 D-18.  They really sounded nice together  :Mandosmiley:  

Now to decide on the color and the finish

----------


## crazymandolinist

Looks really nice! I would have bound the ehadstock to though, looks unfinished somehow. Love the shape and the color, wish I could play it myself.

----------


## D18dave

Thanks!  I haven't rulled out binding the headstock just yet.  But she's in the white.... and playable  :Smile:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice job Dave! How about a sound clip? I love your design!!

----------


## crazymandolinist

Yeah Dave I say bind the headstock with white binding and give it a clear finish, looks fantastic in that color. How about a black pickguard?

----------


## D18dave

Working on a sound clip.  Tried it with my laptop last night but it was overpowering the mic.  Can say it sounds a lot better than even I'd hoped  :Smile: 

I'm starting work on the pickguard and a solid bridge tonight.  Both macasser. 

I'm also considering scooping the extension starting at the last four frets.  It's the middle of the sweet spot and I keep tapping fingerboard with my pick.  The bridge is a little low right now so I might hold off until I get the set up dialed in.

Still undecided on the finish.  I've seen some really pretty light and dark finishes with tortise binding.  It also  contrasts well in it's natural state.  I'll be thinking it over the next week or so.  I'm also hopeing the tortoise binding will show a little better once I polish it up a little.

----------


## oldwave maker

f holers just strung in the white- engelmann/curly maple a with first attempt at white pearloid binding, will be staining all blackish as a steve james tribute thing, engelmann/curly maple C#, tortoise binding, brazilian rw appointments, will be golden:

----------


## Don Grieser

Bill, do I detect a new f hole design for you? Or is it just on these 2?

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

_Nice looking dread there, Skip. Whatcha got for rosette material?_

----------


## Skip Kelley

Thanks Stephanie! That is Padauk. I am using it for the binding and peghead veneer.

Nice F hole mandolins, Bill!

----------


## billhay4

Got the top glued on.

----------


## Dan Voight

graduated and F holed

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, you've been busy! Those tops look great!

----------


## Doug Edwards

#2 coming along nicely.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Doug, that's looking good! Sweet piece of maple for the back too! :Smile:

----------


## Mario Proulx

I'm doing a rough series on a mandolin buildup on my website, and I guess it would fit in with this thread. The mandolin will be donated to the Studdard Family Scholarship Fund(SFSF) to help the family of the late John Studdard, guitarist and singer for the band, Hiwassee Ridge, and also a well know soundman, and a good friend to many of us.

The build starts out here, and by simply following the links at the bottom of each page, you can follow along. There are seven pages up at this time, and a new one to come soon, perhaps even today.

http://proulxguitars.com/the_workshop.htm

----------


## billhay4

Nice page, Mario!
Very helpful to us amateurs.
Bill

----------


## oldwave maker

A little color sealed with shellac, ready to shoot build coats- walnut with sycamore binding, mesquite with tortoise binding, coily maple with pearloid binding, dola with ivoroid:

----------


## Jim Roberts

Bee-you-tee-ful, Bill and I am sure they all sound fantastic!  I think Bill builds one of the finest oval hole mandolins on the market.  Must be a by-product from all of those Joe Parker green chile's!

----------


## mandomania7923

Bill, Since when have you built more than two at a time? :Grin:  you gotta be at least #30 by now right?!? :Wink:

----------


## Jill McAuley

Lovely looking indeed and I like that pearloid binding!!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice page Mario!
Bill, those mandolins are sweet!

----------


## Dan Voight

more progress

----------


## Chris Keth

> more progress


Nice clean work, Dan. If you ever need a product tester, you know where to find me. :Grin:

----------


## Dan Voight

> Nice clean work, Dan. If you ever need a product tester, you know where to find me.


Will you be at the symposium? If I get all of these done, 3 out of the 4 will be there  :Mandosmiley:

----------


## joshua collum

Dan...Your an animal! Nice work!

----------


## Nate

> A little color sealed with shellac, ready to shoot build coats- walnut with sycamore binding, mesquite with tortoise binding, coily maple with pearloid binding, dola with ivoroid:


Is it my imagination, or did you scallop all of those fretboards? How weird.

----------


## Patrick Gunning

> Is it my imagination, or did you scallop all of those fretboards? How weird.


Masking tape over frets.


Also, Dan, looking ridiculously cool.  I can't wait to have her in my hands.

----------


## John Bertotti

A scalloped neck would be cool. Wish I would have thought of it.

----------


## Doug Edwards

I got the top bound and inlay cut for the headstock.  Hopefully I'll find time to work on it next week.

----------


## Dan Voight

its always nice to reveal a binding job from all of the glue and tape mess. Its a very rewarding step.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

_Dan, you're getting it done! I really admire your work._

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

> I got the top bound and inlay cut for the headstock.  Hopefully I'll find time to work on it next week.


Looks great, Doug!

----------


## oldwave maker

1 piece backs from the same board, slobbered with alcohol, f hole A's heading across the pond:

----------


## oldwave maker

3 planets orbiting a brazilian horizon on Randy's C#:

----------


## bropete

hand-rubbed varnish starting to shine

----------


## D.E.Williams

> 3 planets orbiting a brazilian horizon on Randy's C#:


Suh-weet!

----------


## Doug Edwards

Moving along, the back  is bound and starting to get the frets done.

----------


## Pete Counter

OOOO bropete... that is a sweet lookin A model, Is that a banana on the headstock?

----------


## bropete

No banana. It is a feather (White Dove) . My daughter snapped the photo with her cell phone. Maybe I can get her to do one of the headstock. Bro. Pete (www.hutchinsonhandcrafted.com)

----------


## David Catalfamo

An A oval and an F almost ready for finish

----------


## Bill Snyder

David, is that an inlayed arm rest or an overlay? Either way I don't see how it would accomplish the task that most people with arm rests are wanting.

----------


## JEStanek

Lots of pretty nice looking stuff going on on this page.  

David Catalfamo, I'm interested in looking at more photos of that A oval with the classical headstock.  Can you show us some more photos of it, please?

Jamie

----------


## bropete

here is the headstock and a couple of more shots.

----------


## David Catalfamo

Jamie,
 My camera and my camera skills are limited , usually I can get a decent pic outside but it's raining here today. This is the best I can do for now
Bill , I guess it was a another one of my bad ideas, I just thought since i am just going to varnish it the elm burl inlay might help the wear against the spruce in that area , didn't mean to offend anyone, was just thinking it might be functional? :Smile:

----------


## JEStanek

Thanks, David.  I like the scratch plate and the headstock very much.  Thanks for posting the extra photos.  I'm looking forward to seeing it finished.

Jamie

----------


## sebastiaan56

David,

That is a very pretty Mando, well done! Do you think the inlays affect the sound?

----------


## Dan Voight

Magical truss rod covers.

----------


## Dan Voight

fingerboards

----------


## Dan Voight

I laid everything out for a little boost of motivation. I still have a lot more work to do within the upcoming weeks.

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Dan, you should be very proud of that. Looks fantastic.

----------


## Chris Keth

Love the magnets i the trussrod covers, Dan. Very clean touch!

----------


## Doug Edwards

Very nice Dan.  You're moving right along and four F5's at that! Nice clean looks, details, & innovation. 


This is just the best thread.  So much talent, it's inspiring.

----------


## Bill Snyder

David Catalfamo, I must appologize if my question and statement came across as being critical. That was not my intention at all. I was just wanting to know if I was seeing your mandolin correctly. The question arose because most of the comments and questions I have read about arm rests seem to be from people wanting them for their comfort more than to protect the top of the mandolin. 
I think you have done a very nice job with your inlaying of the scratchplate and arm rest. You may start something with your mandolin.

----------


## Pete Counter

> here is the headstock and a couple of more shots.


sweeet!

----------


## herbsandspices

Dan, 
The magical magnetic truss rod covers rock! Cool idea.
john

----------


## Doug Edwards

In the white.  Still some detail and setup work to do before starting the finish.  I made two recordings on the mp3, the first with an adjustable ebony bride and the second with a one piece ebony bridge and bone saddle. The playing is a little sloppy, I tried to take the finger tip of my left ring finger off with a chisel. No real harm done, but the mandolin does have a little organic red stain in places.

http://hillcountrystringworks.com/media/2pntwhite.mp3

----------


## Steve-o

Sounds great Doug and looks nice too, especially for a your #2.  You should be proud.

----------


## D18dave

Stained her today! Was going for a subtle sunburst. Pretty happy with the results

----------


## Jill McAuley

Doug - your two pointer looks and sounds awesome!

Dave - the finish on your two pointer is absolutely lovely!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## D.E.Williams

Lookin' really good Dave!

----------


## j. condino

Here is a peek into the current batch:

L-R:

-African blackwood A5 with 105 year seasoned red spruce top
-Red spruce / Michigan hard maple A5 from Ted Davis estate 20 year old materials
-ten string fan-dola  in red spruce top, quilted western bigleaf maple back and sides, Honduras mahogany neck 
-striped ebony ribs F5 with 20 year seasoned W.Virginia red spruce top and more Michigan maple back and neck

More photos coming soon!

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## oldwave maker

Love those non traditional peghead woods, heres a mesquite burl unhindered by inlay, and 'The Scream', black mandoback style:

----------


## Chris Keth

> Love those non traditional peghead woods, heres a mesquite burl unhindered by inlay, and 'The Scream', black mandoback style:


Love the placement on that peghead veneer. The knots on the top almost make it look like it IS inlaid.

----------


## JEStanek

Bill, Yum and Yum!

Jamie

----------


## viv

> Bill, Yum and Yum!
> 
> Jamie


um...what he said.  i am ever amazed at the beauty of wood.

----------


## PhilGE

Apologies for the cross post (more details there). This is my "guittern" - originally conceived as a guitar shaped 'cello, it's now a 5 string guitar bodied guitar/cittern/mandocello. Being built by Jim Shenk in Goshen, IN.

----------


## Mario Proulx

Another new page on the SFSF mandolin buildup; less than a month before she finds her permanent home! Spread the word if you can. The money raised goes to a good cause, and the odds on snatching up this mandolin are pretty good.

New pages will come daily for the next few days, as I catch up; I'm actually very near to stringing her up!

Today's page: making the fretboard, and a couple of twists!

http://proulxguitars.com/js_mando/js_8.htm

----------


## Mario Proulx

'nuther new page is up; thew headplate/headstock

http://proulxguitars.com/js_mando/js_9.htm

----------


## crazymandolinist

Good stuff Mario! Love the headstock shape! Mind if I use it on some of my stuff?

----------


## crazymandolinist

> Stained her today! Was going for a subtle sunburst. Pretty happy with the results


Me too! Light bursts are really nice looking. Especially with really dark pickguards and fretboards for contrast, I think anyway. What's the plan for this one?

----------


## D.E.Williams

Lookin' fantastic (as usual) Mario.  Don't ya just love coco?  Looks really great with the abalone too.  Is that Paua, or is it some very bluish Green Ab?

----------


## billhay4

One of Brian Dean's tailpieces with my insert and inlay.
Bill

----------


## Andy Nichols

> Love those non traditional peghead woods, heres a mesquite burl unhindered by inlay, and 'The Scream', black mandoback style:


Beautiful back.

----------


## tree

> One of Brian Dean's tailpieces with my insert and inlay.
> Bill


I likee!!  I've always been partial to ebony and brass (think Ultimatum braces and marking gauges).

----------


## Bill Snyder

Bill, 
Did you cut the pearl yourself? It looks like you did a really clean job on inlaying it.

----------


## MLT

> One of Brian Dean's tailpieces with my insert and inlay.
> Bill


That is very nice Bill.  Did Brian only do a tailpiece for you, or did you commission a new mandolin to go with that tailpiece?

----------


## billhay4

The "pearl" is brass and I had it cut from my design by these guys.
I just got Brian to make the brass tailpiece. I inlaid the ebony and inserted it into the tailpiece. Actually, I'm not very good at the inlay, but ebony is especially forgiving as it accept  epoxy and ebony dust well.
This tailpiece is for a new Lyon and Healy "interpretation" I am doing.
Bill

----------


## JEStanek

Bill,
I can't wait to see it.  One of my favorite mandolin shapes.

Jamie

----------


## Doug Edwards

A little color.

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

Looking good, Doug!

----------


## Magnus Geijer

Geijer #6 strung up for the first time. All sorts of first involved in this one, including it being my first scroll. Now it's just another 72,000 hours of final sanding and the finishing process. 

/Magnus

----------


## JEStanek

Mangus, that looks pretty neat.  I'm looking forward to seeing it finished.  Any hints on the color?  I might be prejudiced by one of Hans Brentrups stealth models but I be that would look cool in smokey blue.

Jamie

----------


## Magnus Geijer

Thank you! Funny you should say that, I was thinking blue as well, but the owner-to-be has requested red. I may still convince her differently, but otherwise I have three more of similar styling that are about half way done and (so far) mine to color as I want. 

/Magnus

----------


## mandognome

That's a looker Doug! Big improvement from your last, which I also liked. I'm a fan of the two point with scrolled peghead.

----------


## Mark Walker

Doug - like the others have indicated - LOOKING GOOD!   Great job.  Looks like a relaxing atmosphere off the back deck as well in your new digs!   :Smile:

----------


## Doug Edwards

You'd love it Mark.  The trees, view of the hills, all sorts of wildlife, & quiet.  We're in a rual subdivision about four miles up the hill from Kerrville. We're we are it's very private and peaceful. My grandson loves to come and explore.

----------


## crazymandolinist

I wish I had a floating head grandson. Gimme thirty more years....

----------


## labraid

mandoliiiiiin

----------


## billhay4

Brian,
Nice! but what else would we expect.
Hope the move to Cape Breton went well. You can't go any further east without returning to the auld sod.
Bill

----------


## David Catalfamo

Brian,
Super Job, love the sound holes and all the other details , All the best.

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

:Disbelief: Wow, look at that headstock!  a-MA-zing!

----------


## Jim Nollman

that is a gorgeous tailpiece Billy. As a completed example of your developing mandolin aesthetic, it obviously suggests very good things for the finished instrument. I'm with Jamie on this one, and I also can't wait to see the finished instrument. 

Once you've got it done, I'll definitely try to include you in a future trip to Seattle to try it out. And you can try out my BRW three point, which is another successful expression of that same  Lyon and Healy assymetry that we both favor so much.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Magnus and Brian, Those mandolins look awesome! Nice work to both of you!! :Smile:

----------


## labraid

Here's a close-up for you, Tracy.

----------


## labraid

and thanks...  :Smile:

----------


## JEStanek

Very elegant, Brian... the background is nice too.

Jamie

----------


## Steve-o

Brian - Your work is so beautifully artistic.  You surely raise the bar every time.  Another masterpiece!

----------


## Dan Voight

hey looking good Doug.

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

> Here's a close-up for you, Tracy.


Even better close up! Just beautiful.

----------


## Martyweir

> Even better close up! Just beautiful.


That's just awesome!!! 

Some day I will own one.  Some day!

----------


## PhilGE

Brian, amazing work as always!

Here are some new pix of the "guittern" in progress. The photos include "through the port" views of the instrument interior.

-Phil

----------


## Mario Proulx

I have nothing to even come close to that! Incredible.

But I do have a few new pages to show:

http://proulxguitars.com/js_mando/js_10.htm
http://proulxguitars.com/js_mando/js_11.htm
http://proulxguitars.com/js_mando/js_12.htm

----------


## oldwave maker

Stained, sealed, binding scraped- 2 Trevor's, Johns, Randy's. Still feeling blessed to live on a planet where maple gets figure! Still awed by the artists who post here.......

----------


## Gail Hester

I just sent this A4 off to Rob in West Virginia today, hope he likes it.  It has figured birch back and sides with a red spruce top.  Now on to finishing up several F5s and then Ill be ready to continue on to my next batch.

----------


## Jill McAuley

Gail - what a beauty that is!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Bill Snyder

Boy I like A-4's (1's, 2's, and 3's also  :Mandosmiley: ). Gail that is lovely. 
Have you ever made a pumpkin top? I don't recall seeing one posted from you. Were A-4's ever finished that way?

----------


## JEStanek

Bill and Gail.  Wow. I'm similarly amazed by the good work displayed on these pages.  You two are always fun to watch.

Jamie

----------


## labraid

one more..

----------


## amowry

Wow!

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

> Wow!



When Andrew Mowry says 'Wow!' about something you've made, you know you're on the right track!  :Wink:

----------


## toddjoles

Wow is right!  Brian, I would love to see a photo or video essay on how you build and carve the bowl on one of your babies! Personally I'm an F style type of guy, but I'm in complete awe of the craftsmanshi p it takes to build that.

----------


## billhay4

Brian's not just on the right track, he built the right of way, graded the cuts, laid the ties, placed the rails, and hammered the spikes. Yeah, the John Henry of the mandolin world!
Nice work again, Brian.
Bill

----------


## D.E.Williams

Good heavens!  That's amazing!  Is there any cnc action on that?

----------


## crazymandolinist

I turn my back one second and then...




> mandoliiiiiin


Wow, hardly any frills whatsoever. No pickguard, rather simple tailpiece, not even any fretboard inlay. I woulda added an inlayed pickguard and a viola tailpiece, maybe some binding round the f holes but what do I know lol! Looks nice. I've been waiting a while for this one to get done. I love red mandos these days.

----------


## crazymandolinist

> Here's a close-up for you, Tracy.


And this should be a standard windows wallpaper.

----------


## Bill Snyder

> Good heavens!  That's amazing!  Is there any cnc action on that?


I don't think so.   :Whistling:   :Popcorn: 

Don, take a look at this thread  to get an idea of why I doubt Mr. Dean used any CNC on that.

----------


## John Bertotti

Bill that rd turned out great! Thanks

----------


## D.E.Williams

Bill,  yeah...with that kind of artistry, it would be difficult to ascribe a machine to it.  It's just so darned perfect!  That's one big hunk o' maple on that thing too.

----------


## amowry

Carving.

----------


## Mark Seale

> Carving.


Andrew  - 

Are you using a Saf-T-Planer to set the rim height and then carving to spec from there?

----------


## Mando Gil

I LOVE GAIL HESTER!!!

I will post some sound clips of a better player than myself in a couple of weeks.

Thanks Gail

----------


## amowry

Mark-- that's right, but I also use the Safe-T-Planer to rough out the whole arch by folowing the topographic contours. I think if you look closely at that photo you can see a few curved marks inthe arched area left over from it.

----------


## D.E.Williams

I have a Safe-T-planer, and it scares the heck out of me!  It sits in the box.  You're a brave fellow Andrew!

----------


## Steve-o

Andrew - I know you've heard this many times, but your photos are works of art.  I really enjoy viewing them!  I can only imagine how great your finished products are.  Thanks for sharing.

----------


## amowry

Hey, thanks Steve!

Don, I love my Safe-T-Planer, but I know what you mean. I nicked a fingernail on it once, and it was a sobering moment. Why they gave it that name is beyond me-- calling any power tool "Safe" just seems like it's inviting a lawsuit.

----------


## Don Grieser

Hey Andrew,

I got to play your #11 in New Mexico recently. Very impressive. I liked it a lot. I've always loved the looks of your mandos and it was a treat to finally play one. They sound as good as they look. Keep up the good work.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Brian, That mandolin is unbelieveable! You must have the patience of Job. Is that where you got the name for your tailpieces?

Andrew, Nice work on that top! Your pictures are always so cool!! Thanks for always sharing your invaluable tips on here!!

----------


## John Bertotti

Ok I know I said it once already but Bill that is one great looking red mandolin. I love the oldwave inlay on the back of the headstock reminds me of wearing my rank on my arm in the Marines. I don't know why just feels that way to me. That mandolin just isn't going to get here fast enough!
 :Crying:  :Crying: 

Also what's the deal with the eraser on the big ole, upright bass neck, in the back ground? I think it's an upright bass neck.  :Whistling: 
 :Mandosmiley:  :Popcorn: 


I am also curious the other three mandos hanging up with the red one. Are the two on the left the one piece backs you posted awhile ago? and the one on the far right is it the one with the mesquite burl headstock veneer? Just curious!

----------


## John Bertotti

labraid is that bowl carved from a solid piece of maple. Seems the figure is very consistent across what I would think are the individual pieces glued up to make a bowl?

----------


## John Bertotti

amowry you do have some great art shots, any chance of getting a cdr or such with some hi res pics burned on it? I might start a differetn thread about this in a few days I have an idea!

----------


## D.E.Williams

Well, it's something, not much, but a start.  I finally made my mold and some cauls for starting mandolin #1.  I also sliced the sides from a board, and will have them trimmed to length and thicknessed shortly.  Here's the mold, ala Hans Bentrup.  And yes, I'm cheating - I used the cnc I built.

 :Smile: 

So far, I have the top and back plates joined and ready for carving (no, sorry...cheating again...), and the rim should be done in a week or so when I get more time.  Seems like I'm working 6 days a week on my day job lately.  I guess that's because I am.
 :Frown: 

Good thing I have the cnc to make things go faster...
 :Smile:

----------


## Jake Wildwood

> one more..


Incredible.

----------


## D18dave

Shot the last coat of lacquer today.  now to let it cure and buff it out

----------


## John Bertotti

D18dave on my computer screen the body of your mandolin looks shorter then a normal sized A or F mandolin. Is it just my perception or is it smaller? Looks really good just wondering.

----------


## D18dave

The first picture is angled downward slightly and makes it look a little stubby but... It is just a smidge (less than 1/4") shorter than average  :Smile:

----------


## Chris Keth

> labraid is that bowl carved from a solid piece of maple. Seems the figure is very consistent across what I would think are the individual pieces glued up to make a bowl?


I don't know if this is labraid's process, but if I were going to do it, I would saw the slats from which I carve the ribs from the same piece of wood and number them to keep them in order.

----------


## John Bertotti

Cool! I was thinking it was the picture but it does look a little rounder. Works well with the two points!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Just got the back buffed out today on this one.

----------


## Dfyngravity

Holy smokes that's one incredible looking back there Jim. Perfection yet again.

----------


## Mike Black

I love the character of that quilt on the back.  You always seem to have some of the nicest quilted backs.

----------


## Mark Seale

> Just got the back buffed out today on this one.


Holy smokes that's a gorgeous backside.  I think I'll just sit and stare... :Popcorn:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, That is one cool looking back!! Nice work!

----------


## minkus

Here's my #1 & #2, #3 is in the works too.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Got the front done too.

----------


## mandomania7923

AMAZING Jim! i like the sticker on the inside too. nice touch.

----------


## Brad Weiss

> Got the front done too.


That's about as nice a sunburst as I've ever seen.  Your work remains an inspiration, Jim!

----------


## KyleBerry

Jim you make amazing mandolins.  I was at a guitar center a couple weeks ago and they had two of your mandos in there.  After I got done playing the Gibson, I played one of yours and the tone was way better than the Gibson I just played.  In a couple years when I am looking to buy an F, I will definitely be considering buying a Hilburn.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Kyle, I'd be interested to know where you saw the mandolins. I didn't know any were up for sale.

----------


## D.E.Williams

Jim, I love the way you burst an instrument and yet allow the beauty of the grain to still show through.  Awesome job.  I've never tried a burst and I doubt I could ever do one that nice if I tried. That's one that sets the standard pretty dang high for sure.

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

> Kyle, I'd be interested to know where you saw the mandolins. I didn't know any were up for sale.


Jim, it was in Tri-County, Ohio (a northern 'burb of Cincinnati)

----------


## Bill Snyder

Their website list a used Kilburn. Is that a typo in their listing or is it NOT one of Jim's?
Here is a photo.



FWIW, I decided to call the Guitar Center in question and just talked to their "acoustic guy". They have two Kilburn's built by Bill Kilburn. He does not have any Hilburn's.
Understandable mistake as neither Kilburn nor Hilburn is a common name.

----------


## crazymandolinist

> Got the front done too.


Glorious!

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

> FWIW, I decided to call the Guitar Center in question and just talked to their "acoustic guy". They have two Kilburn's built by Bill Kilburn. He does not have any Hilburn's.
> Understandable mistake as neither Kilburn nor Hilburn is a common name.


That makes sense.  Kyle first thought it was 'Kilburn' but we couldn't find any makers by that name, and then he found some of Jim's posts on the Cafe and figured it must be one of his. Wonder who Bill Kilburn is and where he's from?

----------


## Bill Snyder

The man at Guitar Center said Bill Kilburn had been a local area builder but has moved to Tennessee (I think). 
I never would have called them except for free long distance.  :Grin:

----------


## KyleBerry

Sorry about the mistake then.  I originally thought it was a Kilburn.  Then I was wondered whether I read the headstock wrong or not.  So I thought it was a Hilburn after seeing Jim's mandos on here.  But whatever that Kilburn was, it was a good mando.  Now I want to play a Hilburn.  Sorry about the mistake Jim.

----------


## Geoff B

> Here's my #1 & #2, #3 is in the works too.


Well done man!  Good to see you sharing here!  I can't wait to see how #2 turns out, then #3, then #4 etc.!

----------


## Oliver R

Lovely A style Minkus.
Very understated and old timey', I bet it sounds great!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Minkus, Nice job on those mandolins! I love that oval hole!

----------


## oldwave maker

How come this room goes dark and starts to spin every time I click to enlarge a pic from the Dean of mando makers? how did this saliva get on my keyboard?
Full frontal foto of the forementioned four, build coats on:

----------


## minkus

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement.  It's does sound great and I love playing it.

  I owe Geoff Burghardt (of III Mando's) many thanks for his expert instruction and guidance in the making these mandos..
He teaches a great mandolin building class at Red Rocks Community College each spring, for any of you interested.  ;-)

----------


## John Bertotti

Oldwave you nailed it and that Celtic Cross is perfect right there! Thanks!

Now the impaitent wait for the Blohm tuners.  :Crying:

----------


## Randolph

Mr. Bussmann, I smell a wee bit o' whiskey #309 in that C# top :Whistling: .  Beautiful color contrast with the back and sides. And...John, if the red oval hole is yours, all I can say is enjoy  :Grin:

----------


## John Bertotti

Oh Yea! I am going nuts. These little pics are the worst kind of tease but it would be worst without them. All these builders are just incredible.

----------


## Skip Kelley

I am getting a little done at Kelley mandolins!

----------


## D.E.Williams

Got my first side bent today.  I gave up trying to use a pipe to get the maple to go around the scroll, so I opted to go with laminated sides.  I soaked two .053" pieces of curly maple and then bent them around a form, and with matching cauls (aren't cnc's great?!), I clamped the pieces to the form.  Once they dry, I will Epoxy them together and re-clamp them in the form to harden.  Once they're hardened, they're incredibly stiff and make assembly a breeze, since clamping the top and back on won't deform/deflect them.  I'll try to get pictures once I get assembling the rim.  I'm getting pretty excited..!

----------


## Dan Voight

Looking good skip

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, Thanks alot!

----------


## John Bertotti

Well as of two days ago all the finish coats are on. Bill likes to let the fnish cure for 21 days before buffing and set fret work etc... I have to go work more so I don't think about it. I was real paitent till the end, now not so much.


I think anyone wanting an Oldwave better order up before they get much more in demand!

----------


## Dan Voight

Here is some progress. I still have to shape the scrolls and do a TON of sanding. I just thought I would give my leather thumb a break.

----------


## Dan Voight

couple more

----------


## MojoMando

Wow Dan, those new mandos look absolutely great! I really like your wire headstock inlay too. I'm so glad that I sent you my deposit for Voight F-5 #15. I can hardly wait.

----------


## John Bertotti

Anyone ever think of inlaying a fine wire in the ridge of the scroll?

----------


## crazymandolinist

Great stuff Dan. Very clean and proffesional looking, even unsanded.

----------


## BadeInBulverde

OUTSTANDING craftsmanship!

----------


## mandozilla

Dan those are beauties! I like the smaller ff holes, they look very similar in size and placement to the ones on my Kettler and it's a b**jo killer with awesome tone. Have you always made your mandos with the smaller ff holes?  :Grin: 

 :Coffee:  :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Dan Voight

> Dan those are beauties! I like the smaller ff holes, they look very similar in size and placement to the ones on my Kettler and it's a b**jo killer with awesome tone. Have you always made your mandos with the smaller ff holes?


I rout them in a little under sized. I'll open them up tomorrow. Compared to the standard Gibson holes, they do have a smaller displacement.

----------


## Skip Kelley

John, thats a nice looking Old Wave!


Dan, awesome work! Very sharp looking mandolins!

----------


## Christopher Standridge

Skip, Bill, Jim, Dan, and others,
Great work!  this is a great spot to stop by for inspiration!  
Here are a couple of shots of my latest batch of twins.  I love this stage of the processs as it is time to polish up the work and anticipate the color and finish.  And no, that isn't AmandaLynn, that is Lily my shop foreman.  She often has other work for me to do but sometimes allows me time to work on these wooden playthings. :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Chris, those are some nice looking two-pointers! Lily looks like she could keep you busy! :Grin:

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

Those 2 pointers are nice, but I'm sure likin' that smiley one!  :Grin:

----------


## D.E.Williams

You want a smiley one?  I'll show you a smiley one...


Ok, it's a ukelele...but it's a fun one!  I made this back in '04.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Don, I bet playing that one will put a smile on your face! I like your design! Very cool!

----------


## Tracy Ballinger

Very nice, Don.  Cute in a different way!  I bet EVERYBODY smiles when that makes an appearance.   :Grin:

----------


## Christopher Standridge

Thanks Skip and Tracy,  
Lily is a happy baby that truly makes it easy for me to prioritize taking care of her over working in the shop.  I am also fortunate that now school is out, her 9 and 10 year old brothers are so willing to help out.
Skip, I can tell by your avatar that you appreciate bringing your passion for mandolins together with fatherhood!

D.E.,
That is one great uke.  When my boys saw it, they said "you gotta build one of those".  So, with your permission,  I might be building a round uke in the near future.

----------


## D.E.Williams

The greatest thing about the uke is the reaction it always gets out of those who see it for the first time.  It's perhaps the most "fun" instrument I've ever seen, and certainly the most fun one I've made.  I made it for the New England Luthiers group's "Uke-a-palooza" back in '04.  I wanted to do a really serious traditional uke, but then somehow I saw a smiley face on an IM screen, and well the idea was born.  So I brought it to the meeting and had it inside a tennis cover.  I took it out, showing only the back.  I explained that the curly maple for the back came from Home Depot, and then showed the different woods used for the neck.  Then I turned the thing around and showed the front.  Needless to say, there were a lot of laughs and smiles, other than on the uke.
 :Grin: 

I'm hoping to make a mandolin version at some point.

Rovin'....I do sell these, but if you're making them for your kids, then feel free to use the idea.

----------


## Christopher Standridge

Thanks D.E.  It might be a while before I start that project as I have my plate full enough now.  There is another batch of twins on the heels of this one.
Here are the twins with color.  Now the child labor will be busy scraping binding clean, while Lily and I take a nap. :Wink:

----------


## D.E.Williams

Nice!  Put them young'ens to work early in life!

----------


## joshua collum

Chris, those mandolins look great. When do you wanna get together for some pickin'? 
Let me know...Josh

----------


## crazymandolinist

Yay! I finally get to post here about an instrument! 

Here's mah first mandolin. Les Paul special...

Up next, Rickenbacker 4003 replica..........

----------


## j. condino

Don:

That smiley uke is fantastic!

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## D.E.Williams

Thanks kindly... btw.  the smile is the bridge, and it's ebony, as are the rims of the eyes.  Neck is mahogany, maple and yellow heart.  The headplate is also yellowheart, which ties the whole thing together as far as the color scheme goes.  Top is western red cedar on this one.

----------


## crazymandolinist

Well someone's gotta be doing something!

----------


## John Bertotti

Well Bill got my Blohm buttons in. Sadly it is still to early for a final buff and install but he sent  pic wth them laid out.

----------


## oldwave maker

While Johns finish cures thought I'd push the next octaves along with back wood I bought from asymmetrical violamaker David Rivinus last year, milled by old standard in '99

----------


## amowry

That's some nice maple all right. I like your avatar, too Bill. I too have lots of those funnny-looking pieces of spruce lying around.

Binding:

----------


## amowry

A mandola neck...

----------


## D.E.Williams

Such nice clean work there Andrew...

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, Nice binding channel; that is some very clean work! I love the mandola peghead!

----------


## words

Great stuff, Mike! That dobro is one bizarre instrument. I'd love to see it finished.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

It's octave time again.
I made an octave for myself about 2 years ago and it was a bit of a rush job. I had no top wood the right size so I got a set of englemann from Don in southern N.M. I knew it had been harvested in the 90's and has been stored in southern N.M. for years. That meant no question about being seasoned.
 The only maple I had that was big enough was a billet of bigleaf quilt I had for some time. Bigleaf is known to be quite a bit softer than the eastern maples.This combination of woods made for a rich tone and a good amount of power but when I made another I wanted to go with red spruce and a very stiff back for comparison. 
 Old Standard doesn't like selling red spruce in this size for archtops because they can get more bang for the buck cutting it for acoustic guitars but John came through with a couple of wedges that were less than pristine in appearance but just right in GPI. They also sent some tight quartersawn red maple with strong fiddleback. So these will be the woods I use and we'll see if I get a big projectile sound.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

While I had some glue heated up for the X-brace I decided to go ahead and join the other red spruce set John sent me.
This is the classic piece of wood Martin would have rejected for 28 and above styles and use in the 18's. Bearclaw and dark compression streaks. You know, the good stuff. This is Gilchrists Holy Grail. And they gave me a discount because it wasn't as perfect as what they usually send.

----------


## Mike Black

I'd like to hear how those turn out Jim.  I'm sure they will be nice. I love that first one you built and I'm sure glad you directed me in that direction too.   I'm working on two more octave mandos like that.   One with the tight grain flame and the other a big leaf quilt.  They both with have one piece Sitka tops.  Half of a bass side.  :Wink:   I'm experimenting with these.  I'm using tone bar bracing instead of the x-brace.  The first one I built has tons of projection but kinda hard to hear yourself in a large group, because of said projection.  So I'm putting a sound port in the side.   I think that will be the best of both worlds.  For me at lest.  

Keep us posted on your experiment Jim.  I'll do the same.

----------


## Dan Voight

Nice there Jim. Cant wait to see the finish. Plan on french polishing it the Gilchrist way?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Dan, it was great meeting you. Loved your mandolins. Very impressive stuff.
I plan to do a Gil finish sometime but for now it looks like a lot of lacquer in my future.

----------


## PhilGE

A few more photos of the almost finished "Guittern" are posted *HERE* in the CBOM section.

----------


## John Bertotti

IT'S DONE! I'm on my iPod now but will get a pic of this incredible Oldwave A Oval loaded asap.

Edited to add; click the link below for the pictures of this instrument from beginning to end! Bill said he will ship next tuesday and my guess is I will see it the following monday or tuesday! now the wait is really hard!

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Busy time in the shop, for some odd reason, with three maple rims.
An OM eventually heading to Oklahoma City, an F-5 going to Long Island, and a Del Gesu that will call Deer Isle ME home, only an hour from here.

----------


## John Bertotti

Stephanie what is a Del Gesu?

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Del Gesu is also known as Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri, an 18th century Cremonese violin maker. The fiddle in my picture is a copy of one he made in 1733.

----------


## John Bertotti

Very cool thanks. What type of tone does it have? Darker or brighter? Also are the blocks on the inside points permanent or just there for clamping? What type of finish will you do on it? Sorry for all the questions but it is very interesting. Maybe you should write a book on women in luthierie. Not sure I speeled that correctly.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

I honestly do not know what tone it will have. Much depends on the usual variables - wood species, thickness and weight (hoping for a 60 gram top), finish, set-up, strings, bow, player.
The corner blocks indeed are just for holding the rim to the interior mould. They eventually get trimmed back just prior to assembly. Today I will probably hide glue in the linings, and then the rim is set aside while the top, back, and neck are carved.
But for now the OM guitar has the priority. I won't be returning to the fiddle till around September.
Thanks for asking.

----------


## John Bertotti

Thanks Stephanie, it would be kind of neat to see the progress of that also but I'm not sure that is allowed here.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

I actually have a blog showing step by step over at Fiddle Hangout. I do not think it would be of interest at this sight, which is why I placed the F-model in the pic. The fiddle is taking a back seat now to the guitar, which I am binding and purfling this weekend.
Thanks....

----------


## crazymandolinist

Pictures!

Pardon me, not trying to be rude............

----------


## Magnus Geijer

#7 after one coat of Deft. Man, this stuff is easy to work with.

/Magnus

----------


## D.E.Williams

Is that their spray lacquer, or the urethane?  Lookin' good.  Redwood top?

----------


## Magnus Geijer

That's the spray lacquer. The top is Sitka, hand rubbed stain. Not as splotchy in real life as it looks in the picture.

/Magnus

----------


## oldwave maker

The 3 amigoms with strings in the white, awaiting a few good ball end .034's

----------


## Graham McDonald

The soundboard and back of a two pointer, being built to take around europe in a couple of months. The back, sides and neck are a pretty spectacular bit of a streaky Tasmanian myrtle. Top is sitka

cheers

----------


## mandomania7923

looks amazing graham!

----------


## JEStanek

Graham, three of my favorite elements, oval hole, asymmetrical two point and Aussie (Tazzie) native tonewoods.  She's a beauty, mate.

Jamie

----------


## Steve-o

Graham,
Very nice!  I like the design elements and the wood figure.

----------


## sebastiaan56

Seriously pretty Graham!

----------


## D.E.Williams

Love that mando!  Tasmanian Tiger Myrtle is a really cool wood for sure.  I stumbled on to some here in the states a number of years ago, enough for a few guitar back and side sets.  The dark spots like a cat/leopard are caused by a fungus that grows in the pores.  Not all Myrtle trees get the cool fungii though, and it's relatively rare.  That example is also curly, like the sets I have. 

Sweeeeeet.

----------


## Gerry Cassidy

Here is my Octave Mandolin being made North of the border by Cafe' listed builder Darrell Pura.

Nice short scale (20.75") with a Sitka top and black walnut B/S. Ebony board and bridge. 

I have more pics in the CBOM forum

----------


## oldwave maker

The 3 amigoms with the last coat of lacquer. The final coat always reminds me of how lucky we are to live on a planet where curly maple grows! And a parting shot of a pair of heading-over-the-pond a models:

----------


## Troy Harris

Making truss rods

----------


## Troy Harris

Ready to cut the dovetail

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, those are some sweet looking Om's and A's. There will be some happy pickers soon!

Troy, your work is amazing as always. Every detail is as clean as a pin!! Nice work!!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I just got the back on my second octave. It should be a breeze from here. Too bad it never is.
Before I started selling mandolins I made a lot of stuff for myself. That Telecaster in the background is from '99. Candy Apple Red, white pearl pickguard, 3 pickups, and a Bigsby. That Fender amp is a genuine 1965 Deluxe Reverb.

----------


## Dan Voight

Looking good Jim. Nice toys. By the way, that material on the workbenches in CA was just the non slip stuff people put in cupboards and shelves and is available at home depot in the area with the cabinets etc.

----------


## thistle3585

I don't post here often but thought I'd show off my new semi hollow five string.  I've been working on this for about a year and have built about four prototypes in that time frame.  The maple top came from spruce.  The body is walnut side bound with rosewood and maple.  Neck is figured maple with a walnut strip down the center.  It will sport a DiMarzio humbucker.  My only regret is not having routed for a toggle switch to match the traditional LP style.  Scale is 14.75".  Should be done in about two weeks.

----------


## Bill Snyder

> I don't post here often but thought I'd show off my new semi hollow five string.  I've been working on this for about a year and have built about four prototypes in that time frame.  *The maple top came from spruce.*  The body is walnut side bound with rosewood and maple.  Neck is figured maple with a walnut strip down the center.  It will sport a DiMarzio humbucker.  My only regret is not having routed for a toggle switch to match the traditional LP style.  Scale is 14.75".  Should be done in about two weeks.


 :Confused:  
Someone a little less familiar with the regulars around here could be confused by that.  :Laughing: 

BTW, great looking mandolin.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, That is a fine looking electric!!

----------


## oldwave maker

Waiting for octave finishes to cure, got bent and joined: A's, an F, dola, octaves,  and a fresh pallet of tonal colors: musser engelmann, old standard red, transylvanian euro from a dusty warehouse in RI, skagit cedar from unconfusing Spruce

----------


## crazymandolinist

Someone's been quite busy.

----------


## amowry

Varnishing...

----------


## Dan Voight

Thats really nice andrew.

----------


## Chris Biorkman

That's some wild figure, Andrew. Very cool.

----------


## man dough nollij

I'm getting closer to the construction of my cedar/mesquite Old Wave oval. Bill sent me a picture of some of the wood he has going for those. It's cut from structural beams in a Skagit Valley sawmill erected in 1910. Ooo-wee!

----------


## John Bertotti

Very cool man dough nollij!

----------


## barry k

Heres the fingerboards and headstock plates for the next  2.  The mandolin body faces will be white and the back sides  and neck will be a slighly stained curly maple.  1  "A" model and 1  "F"  almost like a  matched set. All with tortise and white binding all around , should look pretty cool.

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

Jim Hilburn, on your OM, what did you use for the neck center stripe?
I used Rosewood on this instrument (not a mandolin), and felt it worked out well, matching the rosewood purfling. I was just curious about your choice...
Nice work!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Stephanie, I've always used ebony.

----------


## JEStanek

Barry, I really like those inlay designs.  Nice work!

Jamie

----------


## Christopher Standridge

Hey Barry,
Cool stuff!  I didn't know that you were an art nuveau kinda guy.  What are the fretboards and headstocks made from?

----------


## Steve-o

> I'm getting closer to the construction of my cedar/mesquite Old Wave oval. Bill sent me a picture of some of the wood he has going for those. It's cut from structural beams in a Skagit Valley sawmill erected in 1910. Ooo-wee!


Lee,
Nice choice of woods and luthier.  I've always wanted an Old Wave oval.  Bill creates some exotic mandos, and I love the woods he uses.  Please keep us posted on the pics.  Are you going to be off the ice by the time it is ready?

----------


## barry k

Thanks yall,   I usually stick to the standard stuff, but wanted to venture out a little this time around.  The headstock plates are dyed maple, and the fingerboards are a type of resin laminated to ebony on the bottom  for stability and it gave the frets someting to grab on to. I really like the look of it, especially  with the black position dots.  Next time Im gonna use gold frets too. But I did get the idea looking at an old Orphem (sp) ? ornate tenor banjo.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, the sunburst is perfect! Really amazing work!

Barry, I love your inlays, really cool!

----------


## Dfyngravity

Well about 4 years ago I start talking to a builder about a mandolin I wanted built. The builder was very excited about the build but I decided to hold off for a while and recently I contacted him again and gave him the go ahead. So here are a few pictures that I was recently sent. To be honest I would have rather not received the picture because now I am squirming in my seat in anticipation....waiting for updates and pictures. I will name the builder a little bit later on once I have some more photos to share. So until then, yall can wait in anticipation with me....and watch the progression of the build.

----------


## Bill Halsey

> Varnishing...


Whoa, Andrew --- WOW!

----------


## Martyweir

> Waiting for octave finishes to cure, got bent and joined: A's, an F, dola, octaves,  and a fresh pallet of tonal colors: musser engelmann, old standard red, transylvanian euro from a dusty warehouse in RI, skagit cedar from unconfusing Spruce


Bill, 

What be all the screws for?!?

----------


## Bill Snyder

I know I am not the right Bill but think the screws are for rubber bands.

----------


## kyken

here's two that I'm working on right now, an econo and an F.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Ken, Those are awesome! That is really nicely figured maple!

----------


## PeteinGA

I've built a couple of "prototypes" and now I'm on to the "production" versions.
Mandolin, Mandola, and Octave Mandolin.
The Mandolin will have a 13 7/8" Scale. The Mandola will be 17" and the Octave will be 21". All will have 12th fret body joins, oval holes and will be flat tops with induced back and top arching.

I'm going with Sitka tops, Mahogany back, sides and necks. The oval will have a mahogany rosette. I haven't decided yet on peghead overlay or finish.
I'm leaning towards a french polish finish with a lacquer top coat, but that is still up in the air.

Here are my three sons in the embryonic stage....

First my three-way work board for drying the sides and fitting the necks. I can do all three on the same workboard ( not at the same time silly ) by moving the dowels back. Right now it is in Mando mode.
In the background are my neck block dummies. The MDF on top of each is the sanding form. 



Next are the three body molds... Mando front left, Dola front right, Octave in the back.

[/IMG]

And finally some ears being glued on the necks ( Mahogany / Maple / Mahogany ) ... Octave on the left, Dola on the right.



Tomorrow, I'll be bending the sides and gluing up the tops and backs.

----------


## Magnus Geijer

Getting started on a new batch.

/Magnus

----------


## Bill Snyder

I decided to try my hand at building an e-mando for the Musical Instrument Maker's Forum $100 Tele challenge. 
The goal is to build a solid body guitar (or mandolin  :Smile:  ) with no more than $100 outlay. I am using wood that I salvaged or milled myself. Yellow pine body and neck and the fretboard will be osage orange. 
There is still time for others to participate in the challenge. Deadline for completion is Oct. 31.

----------


## labraid

Hi all, here is my 5th official bowl, an Orchestral. She'll be coming with me to Dayton  :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Eddie Sheehy

Wow, that looks awesome Brian.  I remember reading an article by the current president of Martin about their old bowlbacks in which he said that if they were to make the fluted bowls by hand today they would cost thousands of dollars just to make the bowl.

----------


## Fliss

Brian, your photos are almost as artistic as your instruments!  Beautiful  :Smile: 

Fliss

----------


## labraid

Thank you Eddie and Fliss. Eddie: That`s a pretty good estimation. Each of the 34 staves requires about 30 minutes of fitting!

----------


## Graham McDonald

I'm working up to a bowlback. The first one will not be fluted. :Smile: 

Elegant work.

----------


## Steevarino

Not a great shot of the mandolins, and about as far as you can get from a fluted bowlback, but here are 10 RedLine Travelers coming through the "Finish Line".  Looks like they are facing some stiff competition with our latest offering, the RedLine Yo-Yo...

----------


## John Bertotti

Labraid how do you fit them? Line them up and chalk the edges then use scrapers to get it right?

----------


## JEStanek

Bill: Good luck!
Brian: Wow.  Seriously good looking.
Steve: You might be having too much fun in that shop!

Jamie

----------


## labraid

Chalk is good, yes. A scraper would bite into the grain too much so I use a combination of file and plane. Pins and wedges and she goes right on......

----------


## Glassweb

here's a shot of the beginnings of my Kimble 2-point mandola... nice! nice!

----------


## hank

Amazing craftsmanship Brian.  I would love to hear your new Grand Concert and one of your fluted bowlbacks together weaving a bit of Mr. Bach's magic.  How much difference is there in the weight?  The mass and stiffness of your bowl back is so inversely opposed to your Grand Concert I can't Imagine two more opposite ways of building a sound chamber.

----------


## hank

Glassweb, I'm betting your mandola's gonna have a thunderous chop.  Your may need to get a biker's kidney belt to keep your organs in place when you cut loose on it. When's the ETC?

----------


## Chris Biorkman

Sweet Kimble. When's it going to be finished?

----------


## Glassweb

[ TWO QUOTES 1. Chris Biorkman - "When's it going to be finished"? 2. Hank - "When's the ETC"?

Well guys, I'm just letting The Wizard wave his magic wand a bit... I imagine I'll just wake up some morning and it'll be done! "You can't hurry love...  :Wink:

----------


## thistle3585

Here is what is going on in my shop.  

Andrew

----------


## crazymandolinist

That's quite a collection! Awesome funky little things!

----------


## Bill Snyder

Nice work Andrew.

----------


## Ben Milne

the one on the far left looks like something i want to dive into...  maybe like a barrel of Mr Daniel's fine drop.  tasty stuff... certainly.   two thumbs up Andrew.

----------


## thistle3585

> the one on the far left looks like something i want to dive into...  maybe like a barrel of Mr Daniel's fine drop.  tasty stuff... certainly.   two thumbs up Andrew.


Actually, that is my first attempt at a tenor ukulele.  I am using the Ghost piezo system in it, so it can be strung with nylon or steel strings.   The top is curly koa.  I bought a large koa board two years ago and have gotten six instruments out of it.

----------


## oldwave maker

Lee's paua rosette, cedar top, saliva:

----------


## man dough nollij

Woo Hoo! Got any more build pics, Bill?

----------


## ellisppi

All laid out for the Mandolin Social, scarily tidy

----------


## ellisppi

This will walk around the whole workbench

----------


## ellisppi

first blond top A

----------


## ellisppi

F5 is on my bench

----------


## hank

Is that a vacuum mold with the colored hoses running to the manifold under the bench?  Looks like someone there worked in the aerospace industry and incorporated their excellent bonding methods(other than glue type).  If you don't mind my asking what adhesives are you bonding with? I'm familiar with vacuum bonding Rotor blades with infra-red cured epoxies set with simular vacuum fixtures to eliminate voids. It makes for a bullet proof voidless bond.

----------


## ellisppi

Hank, the vacuum mold is only for holding the sides in place thru various operations, glue joints are all clamped. I use titebond for most joints

----------


## hank

Thanks, very impressive shaping fixtures as well.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

OK I give up.  What is the green and white jig and how does it work-d

----------


## sgarrity

That blonde A5 is gorgeous!!!

----------


## ellisppi

Darryl,
  that's the side bender the cranks and springs are for keeping tension on the sides inside and out when bending. 

Thanks Shaun

----------


## tree

I dig the little oak machinists tool chest, too.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

> Darryl,
>   that's the side bender the cranks and springs are for keeping tension on the sides inside and out when bending. 
> 
> Thanks Shaun


OK--I see it now.  The thing is 5 times the size I was seeing.  My mind was thinking way smaller than that ...pickguard binding or something

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

I think I see a Gibson hiding in one picture.  

Are those some sort of phenolic pieces that you have cut pickguard binding "slots" into...heat gun them into the slot??

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I'm getting close on my second octave. The first was one I got to keep, the first instrument I made for myself in 6 years.
It had been a bit of a spur of the moment project and I didn't have any top wood that size but I had a big chunk of quilt that was big enough for the back and sides. But I knew I could get some well seasoned Englemann from Don Musser in N.M. 
For the second though, I had time to gather the wood and wanted to go to the other extreme in species and type. Old Standard supplied both the red spuce for the top and quartersawn tight-grain red maple for the back and sides. We'll see soon how much difference there is in sound.

----------


## Dfyngravity

Stunning Jim! Let's hear some sound file.

----------


## labraid

a hybrid Italian-L&H, semi-lute... coming up.

----------


## Dfyngravity

Well, here is a new picture I was just sent of my new Jazz Mandolin being built. In my previous post I did not disclose the builder. But the man behind the genius is Steve Holst. He has been awesome to work with and really knows his stuff. So 4 years after I originally contacted Steve, we are now getting pretty close to a final product (he started on construction sometime is the early Spring of this year).

----------


## oldwave maker

Burl desert ironwood (tesota greggii) paddle peghead in the shining sun with a splash of alcohol. Haven't seen much burl in this species.....
fresh facebookin-http://www.facebook.com/pages/Old-Wa...4228536?ref=mf
website update 3 yrs late  http://www.oldwavemandolins.com/

----------


## man dough nollij

Hey Bill, is that mine? It's gorgeous.

----------


## Steevarino

Some pretty fine looking tesota greggii there, Bill!  Speaking of paddle pegheads, look at the picture below.  Out shop has become absolutely over-run with these RedLine Traveler mandolins.  I think the farthest one hanging precariously from the ceiling is sporting our version of a snakehead.  One of the first ones to sneak out of here.  I'm thinking of offering them both ways, depending on what people want.

----------


## oldwave maker

Steve- makes sense to do a snakehead once in a while, this is my first paddlehead, I had to pull the Scott Antes blueprint down off the ceiling to make a paddle pattern.
Lee- I was hoping this was the peghead veneer you had in mind, you can see to the very center of the milky way galaxy if you use the right alcohol with it......warm PBR doesnt seem to work!

----------


## JEStanek

MMMmmm PBR.  Bill and Lee that is an exquisite headstock overlay.

Jamie

----------


## Hans

Wow, man, how much for the yo-yo's?

----------


## Walt

This is the back of #1. If all goes well, this will have a bolt-on neck accesible through a side soundport.

----------


## hank

Beautiful grain Walt.  What kind of finish are you planning?

----------


## Walt

> Beautiful grain Walt.  What kind of finish are you planning?


Thanks Hank. I'm thinking about a solid red top with blonde back and sides. It really depends on how well it turns out. I may end up having to use a lot of dark colors to cover up my poor craftsmanship! So far so good though.

----------


## hank

"It really depends on how well it turns out."
When you get her finished You'll have to celebrate over at Enoch's with a cold Guinness,eh?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice looking mando Hank!!

----------


## hank

"Nice looking mando Hank!!"  Isn't mine, but it looks like Matt's got it going on.  His port of call was my old stomping ground in my early twenties.  Enoch's owner is a friend of mine from my college days.  Celtic music and cold brews Ahhh It doesn't get much better than that.

----------


## D18dave

A little late but here are some finished photos.  

I have three more in the works at this point.   One is a twin to this one and two are  F bodied oval holes with black walnut back and side (single piece top and back).  Pics of progress on the way

----------


## Walt

> "It really depends on how well it turns out."
> When you get her finished You'll have to celebrate over at Enoch's with a cold Guinness,eh?


Indeed! I might celebrate a bit before I finish! We play there every Thursday. You should come down for Celtic Fest on the 24th. Doyle and Yvette are bringing in some great bands this year.

----------


## hank

Small world isn't it?  Thanks for the invite.  Donna and I would like to do the festival this year too. I went with my sister Kathy to Doyle's first one at the Zoo in 05 after Katrina washed us up there from the North Shore.  I'll pm you with details if we can swing it.  We look forward to meeting you and your's.  Are you playing at the festival?

----------


## Walt

> Small world isn't it?  Thanks for the invite.  Donna and I would like to do the festival this year too. I went with my sister Kathy to Doyle's first one at the Zoo in 05 after Katrina washed us up there from the North Shore.  I'll pm you with details if we can swing it.  We look forward to meeting you and your's.  Are you playing at the festival?


Yes, pm me. We are playing some time Sunday on stage, then we are having a bluegrass meets celtic workshop later that day.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dave, awesome job on the mandolin! I'm glad to see the completed instrument!!

----------


## JEStanek

Dave, I'll second Skip's post and say I'm looking forward to seeing the next batch.

Jamie

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I love doing this part where that wet wood is shimmering as you work it.

----------


## Pete Counter

> here's two that I'm working on right now, an econo and an F.


alright ken, this is why I dont come here very often...thats just pure PORN! Creating lust in a mans heart to this degree is just plain evil. NOW what am I supposed to do? Play my morgan monroe and _pretend_ Im not thinking about those?

----------


## sebastiaan56

> Burl desert ironwood (tesota greggii) paddle peghead in the shining sun with a splash of alcohol. Haven't seen much burl in this species.....
> fresh facebookin-http://www.facebook.com/pages/Old-Wa...4228536?ref=mf
> website update 3 yrs late  http://www.oldwavemandolins.com/


Outrageous, I love it!

----------


## D18dave

Number 2 taking shape. Carving the second one goes by much faster than the first.  What took two days seems like took 2 weeks on the previous mandolin.

----------


## Mike Black

Dave,  Those look great.  I just started on a little 2 point the other day too.  Red Spruce top (from Bruce) and curly maple back.  It's going to be for my son (who's ACTUAL "birth" date is on Monday the 19th).  He probably won't really appreciate it for another 20 years but... 

I also plan on inlaying his name on the fingerboard.   :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Mike Black

I should have specified when I said "little" two point...

It's going to be a piccolo mandolin.   :Mandosmiley:

----------


## D18dave

Well if it's a piccolo, he might be playing enjoying it in 6 or 7 years  :Mandosmiley:   My son is seven and can play a full scale mandolin (he's a big kid) 

Congrats on the arrival of your son.  Hope all goes well!

----------


## Mike Snyder

Mike Black might have to get into fiddle building, too. Mom is a mighty strong fiddler.

----------


## Joe Mendel

Here's a new crop of OM's I've been working on. Since the photo was taken the necks are nearly completed, it will be time to start finishing soon.

----------


## Gail Hester

Joe, looks like you're ramping up production.  They look great.

----------


## Joe Mendel

Thanks, Gail. I have also recently stepped over to the dark side with these:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Joe, Not a banjo! Say it ain't so :Crying:  Just kidding! :Grin:  It looks great and so do the OM's!

----------


## Dfyngravity

Here's the latest picture sent to me from Steve. The tuners are not attached or anything, he was just making sure this looked ok before he finalized things. To me it's more than ok, it's just sweet. The tuners were made by Nicolò Alessi and I think they just look awesome.

----------


## crazymandolinist

I love slotted headstocks...

----------


## hank

Very interesting look Dfyn,  maybe even another another oval cutout above with a built in futuristic tuner(no digits only color for corresponding tuned note) for a bold modern 2010 mandolin. Nice design Mr. Holst.

----------


## Dfyngravity

I am very partial to slotted headstock. I think Steve really hit the nail on the head with this one. I can't wait til I get to see the mandolin in person, I think it's gonna be really keeper.

----------


## Steevarino

Well, it looks like diversification is the name of the game around the RedLine Shop these days.  In this shot you will see our latest Traveler mandolin out in front of the pack.  The ones behind it are all of the six string variety, including a quilted mahogany big body reso, guitar (we call it The Peabody, but we're not quite sure why), also, our version of a parlor sized guitar (this one is myrtle wood with a Carpathian spruce top), and a couple of our latest New Product Blitz, our take on a popular design acoustic guitar, which we call the RL-45.  A couple of months ago it would have just been the Traveler mandolin and a completely different shaped reso.  Gotta go with the times, you know. 

When you couple this line of instruments with our usual array of parts, accessories, and contract work, this place is becoming a genuine Attention Deficit Disorder haven.  

Now, what was I doing....?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, your work looks great! That shop is an ADD afflicted paradise. I have it bad. I have got to have a list made of what I want done so I can stay focused or I am all over the place and never really get anything done. :Smile:

----------


## Dfyngravity

Latest picture from Steve Holst. She's looking mighty sexy if you ask me.

----------


## man dough nollij

My Old Wave in the white. Mesquite back and sides, cedar top. Ironwood peghead veneer and fingerboard. Paua rosette and wave inlay. The back will get a "winish" stain, similar to a vintage Gibson. The top will either be natural or pumpkin, depending on how the cedar takes stain. Ivoroid binding and tuner buttons. Unfortunately, it looks like I'm taking another unexpected trip back to the ice for the austral summer season, so I won't get to take delivery until late February-ish. It's gonna be a beaut! (And I'm betting it's going to be an extremely nice sounding oval, to boot.)

----------


## Dfyngravity

Very nice. I think that is going to be one great mandolin, Bill sure knows how to do it right.

----------


## JEStanek

Lee,
I had the pleasure of having several of Bill's mandolins in my hands (at least 3 which is pretty good considiring he's in NM and I'm in Philly) and I've never held one that feels or plays poorly or one that didn't look way cool.  You'll be loving it.  This one looks great so far too.

Jamie

----------


## man dough nollij

Thanks, guys. Though this isn't a "concept mandolin" like Cedarhog's cool Elk mandolin, it does have some thought in the choice of materials. The mesquite back and ironwood fb and peghead remind me of the many years I lived in the southwest (Prescott, AZ, mostly). And the Cedar reminds me of the northwest, though the smell of the cedar will likely remind me of the alligator and shagbark juniper we used to burn in AZ, which produces the most magical smell on earth. The paua reminds me of NZ, where I've spent a lot of time, and for which I have a lot of fondness. It's going to be a keeper, for sure!  :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Steve-o

Lee,
I dig your Old Wave oval!  Mequite and cedar - very aesthetic wood combo and I like the nostalgic value you attribute to them.  Bill is so creative and organic with his instrument designs.  My favorite oval of all time was Old Wave #361 with a curly redwood top and pickguard.  Keep the pics coming.

----------


## hank

That's one Way Cool one of a kind mandolin Lee.  I definitely see she's part of your and Bill's imagination.  Hope this desert rose resonates with all your expectations.

----------


## Michael Wolf

Hello Lee,

these are very beautiful woods. I find it cool that you opted for a paddlehead.

----------


## oldwave maker

That cedar/mesquite combo seems a bit more crystalline sounding that these generic engelmann/quilted maple ovals I'll be finishing along with it this week.
Also an odd duck F5 in the mix, with cedar top, curly maple sides and neck, and local black walnut back, just how Hugh wanted it.

----------


## oldwave maker

Fall colors- some of that generic quilt, and Lee's pumpkin/wine, shellac sealed and build coats applied. The sycamores are colorful this year, my pinhole digital doesn't do them justice......

----------


## man dough nollij

Bill, that looks great! I can't wait to play it.

----------


## bropete

Scroll carving time at White Dove Farms
-Pete
www.hutchinsonhandcrafted.com

----------


## hank

That cedar and walnut of Hugh's is a nice combination visually how does the tone compare to your spruce and maple F5s?

----------


## D.E.Williams

Bill, those look great!  Love the color on the quilt maple.

----------


## oldwave maker

Hank- the cedar/walnut f5 combo sings up the e string but the back needs a bit of thinning to bring out the bottom. 
The wine stain on Lee's mesquite back looks a bit more oxidized than this napa valley merlot, but its the same color I use to fake wineglass rings on the top surface of distressed vintage tweed amp cabinets. Those nifty genuine Kmart Martha Stewart wine glasses were 75% off while that naughty girl was in the slammer!

----------


## mtucker

ahh c'mon oldwave maker ... that's Petrus in that Martha glass!!

----------


## Mario Proulx

> Latest picture from Steve Holst. She's looking mighty sexy if you ask me.


Sweet! I so want to find time to build something similar someday!

Gah! Need apprentice...(who'll work for free  :Wink:  )

----------


## Dfyngravity

> Sweet! I so want to find time to build something similar someday!
> 
> Gah! Need apprentice...(who'll work for free  )


I can't wait to play it. 

It's too bad you live so far away, I would love to do an apprenticeship. Most builders charge people to learn under them, I definitely can't afford to do that.

----------


## amowry

Stand back!

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

That actually looks like a good idea for hoggin

----------


## hank

Get back Loretta!

----------


## amowry

Hoggin is the appropriate term. It's fast, I can say that much! And messy. And not for the faint of heart. But it works!

----------


## j. condino

Looks good Andrew-gotta be careful when using a Lancelot on your grinder. The machine itself can take over and make the arches completely different than your best intentions. I tried using one once to carve a beautiful double bass back and it was changing things so much that I stopped and carved everything by hand- you can imagine how long that takes!

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## Dfyngravity

Well, here is the latest photo from Steve Holst. It's almost time to start the finish!!!

----------


## mtucker

> Stand back!


It's the jacko glove that gives me most concern!  :Laughing:  Always enjoy your pix!

----------


## amowry

Wooey, that Holst looks nice!

James, it took me a little while to get used to the Lancelot, but I love it now. The trick seems to be using very light passes. I brace the grinder with both arms and move my whole body side to side to make a pass. I have holes drilled ahead of time so I can clearly see how deep I'm going.

----------


## Magnus Geijer

That's exactly how I use the Lancelot!

It scares me half to death to use it, but it's sooooo fast...

/Magnus

----------


## Dfyngravity

Thanks Andrew! Steve has been amazing to work with and this is going to be a great mandolin.

----------


## hank

Very nice Ben.  Your getting close now.  Woo hoo!

----------


## pelone

Andrew---have you lost any fingers or appendages yet.  That is a fully committed way to "hog" material.  I just might try something similar but with a chainsaw which seems to be popular in the the making of sculpture--perhaps a bear holding a mando?

----------


## Gail Hester

Andrew, I had to look back at your post to see what all the hoopla was about.  It appears to work well but be careful.  

When I first started building, hogging out material on the hardwood back plates was tearing up my hands and wrists and I was desperate for an easier method.  My brother who I used to trust and who is usually a genius at thinking out of the box recommended that I try using the table saw with the blade set down low and move the plate around to hog material.  I tried that once.  I didnt clock it but Ill bet that piece of maple was doing 70mph or better when it slammed against the wall on the far side of the shop. :Laughing:

----------


## Dfyngravity

> Andrew, I had to look back at your post to see what all the hoopla was about.  It appears to work well but be careful.  
> 
> When I first started building, hogging out material on the hardwood back plates was tearing up my hands and wrists and I was desperate for an easier method.  My brother who I used to trust and who is usually a genius at thinking out of the box recommended that I try using the table saw with the blade set down low and move the plate around to hog material.  I tried that once.  I didnt clock it but Ill bet that piece of maple was doing 70mph or better when it slammed against the wall on the far side of the shop.


Gail, I can only imagine that piece of maple being shot across the room. I am sure that it didn't take you too long after that maple hit the floor to move on to another, much safer, method of removing access material. I bet for a brief second you thought it was pretty cool though, but then grateful you weren't the wall at the other end of your shop!

----------


## hank

My father was a builder and owned this huge Dewalt ripping saw on wheels that they towed to the construction sites. This beast probably commanded the most respect of all the equipment there.  The carpenters used to refer to it as "THE DEWALT" and it's almost legendary history never failed to amuse them during lunch time huddles.  It too had sent huge 10' to 20' 2"x4"s and 4"x4"s hurling thru space at blinding speeds if the saw was fed from the wrong end or the right end but allowed to get under the lumber.  I wonder what ever happened to that monster?

----------


## oldwave maker

Andrew- aah to be young and fearless. I only use the lancelot to fix the small banjos, preferring the poulan with the 18" bar for the longer scale 5 strings. Been using the safety planer in the big radial drill press for octave hoggin for years, and still have all 10 fingers..... following with sanding discs gets it ready to scrape in short order, just dont ask about having all 2 lungs!

----------


## Steevarino

That's an awesome picture, Bill !!!

----------


## Dfyngravity

> Stand back!


Andrew, you might want to get a pair of these just in case....you know

----------


## amowry

Actually, I consider the Lancelot to be prett safe, except for accidentally removing too much wood. Both hands are on the tool, and wood is secured to the bench. Freehanding with a Safe-T-Planer (not to mention a table saw), now that gives me the willies!

----------


## Charles E.

I use a Safe-T-Planer to establish rough edge thickness on my plates and it is very controllable. I just move on to my arching gouge after that.

----------


## amowry

I do the same thing, and I didn't mean to say that the Safe T' Planer is too dangerous, just that I'm more wary of it than the Lancelot, because your hands are closer to it, rather than holding the tool.

----------


## Glassweb

something here to think about gang... let's consider the (very real) risk these luthiers take when they set out to build us these beautiful mandolins. how much is a finger worth... or an eye or a hand? it only takes a split second to be maimed for life...

----------


## Mike Black

I use the Safe-T planner for roughing out the outside arches, but I'm with Andrew...That kinda scares me to think about using the Safe-T planner for hogging out the inside.  As for a table saw to rough out the inside!  :Disbelief:   Never!

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

I was making a mandolin form one time.  This was a build the mando inside of the form type.  I was using my trusty table mounted router to pattern follow a perimeter template attached to the form.  I was holding the form, feeding it carefully to the cutter. I had made three of these in the past. 

Well, all of a sudden the form was jerked out of my hands, the router broke free from it's phenolic plate and things went flying everywhere.

The moral to this story is that both the work piece and the work tool must be secure.  Essentially, the router table took off in this instance.  It is a miracle I had no hands or appendages within the inside perimeter of what I was cutting

----------


## JEStanek

> something here to think about gang... let's consider the (very real) risk these luthiers take when they set out to build us these beautiful mandolins. how much is a finger worth... or an eye or a hand? it only takes a split second to be maimed for life...



We've had builders who post here get injured during builds.  How a builder builds and the pressure they put themselves under is outside of the control of the customer and accidents do happen with power tools (even hand tools can really injure someone.  

I would rather have my instrument take a little longer and ensure the build is done safely rather than meet an unrealistic deadline that was agreed to not knowing the full safety status of the build.  Shop safety is the responsibility of the person working in the shop.

Jamie

----------


## Skip Kelley

I've made a list lately and am getting some things accomplished in the shop! Pictured is Leon's A model top, Shorty's brazilian F5 and a Loar copy, and last an A model with the varnish curing. Thanks for all the inspiration! Hope you enjoy! I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!!

----------


## Gail Hester

Wow, nice production Skip.  Everything looks great but that Brazilian is going to be stunning.  I can't wait to see how that one turns out...what top wood are you using?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Gail, Thanks! It is red spruce for all of these mandolins.

----------


## hank

Skip is this your first Brazilian Rosewood/Adirondack mandolin? I'm guessing you and shorty are wanting to tap into some of the low end power behind some of the old prewar guitars.  I'm also trying to imagine a B.R. treble tone. Perhaps a warmer tone overall in the direction of walnut but the crisp response of maple. It's a very interesting combination and I'm listening forward to the end product.

----------


## amowry

Looks great, Skip!

----------


## Pete Counter

> I would rather have my instrument take a little longer and ensure the build is done safely rather than meet an unrealistic deadline that was agreed to not knowing the full safety status of the build.  Shop safety is the responsibility of the person working in the shop.
> 
> Jamie


"And Remembah, there's no more important safety rule..than to wear these, Safety Glasses!" -some guy named Norm.

----------


## Dfyngravity

Bridge and tailpiece are being made so she can do a little singing before she gets a bit of color and finish. Can't wait to play this beauty!

----------


## hank

She's mighty slick.  It won't be long now.

----------


## D.E.Williams

Safe-T Planers scare the crud out of me.  I have one, and it sits in the box.  I had too many near misses with it, and it tended to grab the wood rather than cutting cleanly through it.  Now a Lancelot....I would never even think of using.  I saw an episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition where one of the guys butchered his hand with it.  It nearly ruined his career from what I heard.  Not the best way to make hamburger...

----------


## TDMpicker

A few photos of a new flattop I am building from scratch.
I am drawing my own plans in CAD based on various sources of info.
This one has an engelmann spruce top and curly maple back and sides.
Bending the sides was fun and fortunately got it done right on the first try.

Ready for cutting the neck out now.

----------


## Mario Proulx

One of my long-time favorite tools, also! Great for neck shaping, too. Definitely not for the faint of heart <lol> Messy, but the chips are easy to sweep up, and it creates very little dust.




>

----------


## sebastiaan56

You are a brave man Mario! How much do you leave, the only times I have attempted it I left 5-6mm all around, and yes I blew a couple of trials as well.

----------


## Mario Proulx

I just use 'em for the major hogging of material and just eyeball it to within 1/8" or so I guess. They do cut rather smooth, when used correctly, which is to pull it back, at the lowest possible angle. The above photo isn't mine, but Andrew's, which I quoted from earlier in the thread, but look at how nice the surface is; he's got the hang of it for sure!

I began building a duplicate carver that would have used the Lancelot cutter at one time, but never completed it. I still think it would have been very quick and surprisingly precise. Chip collection would have been a breeze, also, on such a machine.

----------


## labraid

Quick and breeze go hand-in-hand, they are quickly blown away. I like Mario's method, he is not a slave to the machine. ArhhhHa!

----------


## oldwave maker

With safe-t planer hogging, its always important to wear protective gloves, unless you're already an upright bass player.....

----------


## amowry

Mario, I'd love to build a duplicarver that uses the Lancelot too. It would be a lot more pleasant than one that uses a router. The thing that seems to complicate it is that for F5s I the grinder would have to swivel on its axis as well as moving in 3 dimensions, so you could negotiate the scrolol area. It seems feasible, but it adds a level of complexity.

----------


## Dfyngravity

Speaking of grinders for woodworking....anyone try one of these from Arbortech? Saw it on the DIY channel's COOL TOOLS. Looks like it would be great for roughing out plates.



or this wood carver for arbortech

----------


## PeteinGA

My first mandola getting it's first coat of stain. I had it strung up in the white over the weekend and the sound exceeded all expectations by a long shot.

I also have an Octave in the white, and it too sounds great.

After sweating out bringing them up to pitch, I had a smile on my face a mile wide while playing them.... It was cool that something I made sounded soooo good  :Grin:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, Thanks for the kind words! Now that Thanksgiving is over, it is time to get back to work! 


Hank, Thanks! This is a joint effort for Shorty and me. He has one he built, same type of woods and it is a cannon! It has a chop that punches you in the gut when you chop chords. His will also have a virzi. This has been fun. I can't wait to get it done for Shorty. He is such an awesome guy. He is a Vietnam veteran and Police veteran. One super cool guy!

----------


## oldwave maker

Ho Ho Ho hohokam, er, ancient humpbacked mimbres mandolaplayer, the original petroglyph is about 30 miles south of oldwave holler, in a remote canyon, inscribed on a basalt boulder the size of a VW bus.......

----------


## Pete Martin

Nice job Bill, way cool!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Cool inlay Bill!! It looks like he has dreadlocks blowing in the wind!  :Grin:

----------


## amowry

Cool! A few years ago a local customer introduced me to some rock art in our area and gave me a book of designs. There are lots of great ideas that have been sitting here in the desert for hundreds or thousands of years!

----------


## Wudwerkr

Current Project

----------


## labraid

A new style of mandolin ~

----------


## Jake Wildwood

Brian: Curious! And I'm currently a little confused, as well, but I won't spoil it by asking questions.  :Smile:

----------


## hank

I'll bite though it does feel like we're being baited.  It looks deep enough to have an inner sound board.  Come on Brian help us out here.  Is that the top or the back of your new style?

----------


## hank

It almost looks like the neck should fit on the end with the notch closest to the hole.

----------


## j. condino

Brian:
The neck looks great and the gigantic soundboard with all of the grided soundports looks fantastic, but what's with the funny little plywood laiminated parts in the background???

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## Steve Sorensen

First back and front.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Good looking work Steven. Also nice bench.

Stanley  :Coffee:

----------


## Bill Snyder

Brian's shot looks like a neck and an inside mould to me.

----------


## hank

I agree Bill.  Whoo hoo! That body is stacked!!

----------


## hank

Very nice Steven, how many hours does it take to ruff carve a plate?

----------


## labraid

Well if you weren't all having so much fun guessing I'd just come out and tell you, but I'll leave some things to the imagination. Basically this is an assembly board, the same used in the construction of the Roman classicals, only with a new form attached. This mando will be a short scale hybrid, which we are aiming for a real old-timey, early mandolin / early folk tone. The goal is simply loud and rich, not unlike the others, but with early Celtic influences on the design.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Hank,
I used a router doing 4 or 5 concentric depths then chisels for this first set.  

The outside of the back took me a about 8 hours to get from 5/8" to carved on the outside.  The top took three or four days from start to finish.  I love hand-carving spruce ! ! !  Really fun!

Steve

----------


## Jill McAuley

> Well if you weren't all having so much fun guessing I'd just come out and tell you, but I'll leave some things to the imagination. Basically this is an assembly board, the same used in the construction of the Roman classicals, only with a new form attached. This mando will be a short scale hybrid, which we are aiming for a real old-timey, early mandolin / early folk tone. The goal is simply loud and rich, not unlike the others, but with early Celtic influences on the design.


Man, oh man, I am so looking forward to seeing the finished product! Your description of it alone is starting to give me MAS!!!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## SchlazzGraft

This thread will someday inspire me to start building. until then.. beautiful work everyone!

----------


## hank

They look like you've been doing them all your life Steve.  I used to whittle small pieces.  There's nothing like it when your blade is sharp and you cut into the grain in the direction that gives you so much control.  To me what you do is the ultimate in wood carving.  Beautiful functional Art.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, that is excellent work! It looks like you have done it before! Great work! Looking forward to the finished mandolin! :Grin:

----------


## labraid

Here is another mandolin I've started -- a German, Seiffert style. This is one of nine ribs on the evening board. A plane is run over the edge assuring geometric precision, and a perfect fit to the assembly-form-less construction.

----------


## billhay4

That's easy for you to say, Brian, but for the rest of us...?
Nice work.
Bill

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Is carving tone bars while waiting for Christmas dinner rude?  Should be good practice for carving the turkey!
Steve

----------


## Stephanie Reiser

> Is carving tone bars while waiting for Christmas dinner rude?  Should be good practice for carving the turkey!
> Steve


No, but I don't eat meat. I've been carving a top most of the morning.
Dang, this is the wrong forum. Sorry 'bout that!

----------


## j. condino

I haven't posted anything new around here in a while; that sure doesn't mean I've not been busy this year! Here are some images of Lucas' soon-to-recieve New Century model ten string fannndola. Ted should have a nice review of the whole instrument next month over at jazzmando.com. I'm still finishing up the details, but you get the idea; 'kinda hate to see this one leave the nest! I hung up a bunch of photos of the "Brock" 1959 Les Paul sunburst the day I was adding color and kept mixing and shooting until I got this pretty close color match.

The background is my new large workbench- French polished, big enough for an oversized double bass, and made out of 12/4 Honduras mahogany. The next time I mix a big batch of color, my plan is to sunburst it like a giant banner year J45! 

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## j. condino

Here is one more- Dwayne's new mandolin in merlot-burst w/ a natural red spruce top that was cut in 1904 along with the parts mocked up. I just did the first round of scraping on the curly maple binding when these were shot; the figure will come out a lot stronger later when more finish is applied. This back and the fannndola back were cut from the same board.

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## mandomania7923

that is a gorgeous mandolin james and  fantastic (fan?)dola

----------


## j. condino

Thanks for the kind words. "Fannndola"- dual scale, fanned fret mandola- approx 14" on the treble side / high E and 16.5" on the bass / low C. As if things are not difficult enought building a regular instrument...

This is #4 of these that I've built, and I can comfortably say that they are an entirely different instrument and have their own builder's learning curve. You can make them too short, too long, braced wrong, over built, and underbuilt... Checkout the back issues of mandolin Magazine- I wrote an article on them about two years ago and John McGann wrote one a few months back. 

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## JEStanek

The Fanned Fret Phenomenon is taking off.  Looks pretty cool, and great looking woods all, James.

Jamie

----------


## Steevarino

Cool looking instruments, James!  I like the 'three hole theme" on the mandolin.  Those little triplets seem to pop up all over on that thing!  If I were making that mandolin, I would be tempted to include a matching wall hook, so Dwayne could hang it by the big hole in the peghead, if he wanted to.

----------


## hank

The Brock Les Paul burst is magnificent with the red inner band hue.  Looking forward to the finished masterpiece.

----------


## j. condino

> The Fanned Fret Phenomenon is taking off...
> 
> Jamie


Fanned Fret Fenomenon???

I've been using some variation of it on a regular basis for about a dozen years, since I went to a workshop that Ralph Novax gave on the system. It did take a while to work out  a good, clean method to make the fretboards. They are definitely the most difficult refret jobs going- compound radius with a fannn!!!! Because of the potential for future catastrophies, I no longer offer bound fanned fingerboards. 

On smaller instruments it works nice; on larger instruments like mandocellos, citterns, or baritone guitars with a lot of strings, the results are fannntastic- it seems like the ground rumbles. I usually make up a few fingerboards in advance- if anyone wants to give it a try, I have a couple of extras around that are fretted that I'd part with; give me a call and we can chat a bit about all the new headaches you're so eager to take on.....

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## Docreed

> Here is one more- Dwayne's new mandolin in merlot-burst w/ a natural red spruce top that was cut in 1904 along with the parts mocked up. I just did the first round of scraping on the curly maple binding when these were shot; the figure will come out a lot stronger later when more finish is applied. This back and the fannndola back were cut from the same board.
> 
> j.
> www.condino.com


Wow, James wow.  What a beautiful instrument!  The cherry stain matches the new syrah we just put into a barrel, a perfect color for Sonoma Valley.  The red spruce top is outstanding.  I just read somewhere that the kind of placement for the half moon f-holes enhances the deep wood sound so I can hardly wait to hear it.  The Orrico tailpiece looks perfect.  Thanks for posting the photos and I am looking forward to seeing the "Sonoma" soon.
Dwayne

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Trying to wrap my mind around binding and inlay after finally getting comfortable with chopping wood.

Hope I don't need the whole decade . . . .

----------


## Skip Kelley

> Is carving tone bars while waiting for Christmas dinner rude?  Should be good practice for carving the turkey!
> Steve


Steven, anybody can carve a turkey! Looks like you've got carving the tone bars down too! Nice work!

James, those instruments are a work of art!! Just beautiful!!

----------


## Dfyngravity

Well, I posed pics of this just a little while back in my Custom Holst thread but figured I would post it here too....African Blackwood tailpiece  to utilizes ball-end strings. The bridge, pickguard, and and peghead veneer are all African Blackwood too.

----------


## Skip Kelley

That is a sweet looking tailpiece! It will look great on your new mandolin!

----------


## Walt

+1 to what Skip said. That tailpiece is awesome!

----------


## JEStanek

Wow.  I like that wooden tailpiece, too.

Jamie

----------


## Glassweb

count me in... the tailpiece rules!

----------


## Dfyngravity

Thanks so much for the kind words. Steve has really out done himself with the mandolin.  

His usual mandolin tailpieces are very similar but the have metal posts to hook the strings on. But I figured since I love the Labella Jazzmando strings (and now there are ball-ends) that I would have him do one just like his archtops to use ball-end strings so there is even less metal in the tailpiece, the only metal will be the bracket that holds the tailpiece to the mandolin.

----------


## Arnt

I'm making an oval hole mandola in "the $100 Acoustic Challenge" over on MIMF, where you are supposed to make a functional instrument with materials and parts that cost less than $100.  I'm using only local (Norwegian) woods that were either given to me or I bought cheaply at the lumber yard.  Waverly tuners are out for this one!

The instrument is 300 mm wide, and has a 16 1/2 " scale.

----------


## tree

Whoa - sweet infill plane in pic #4!  What is it?

Oops, where are my manners - nice looking mandolin also.

----------


## minkus

Here's my #002 ;-)

----------


## Arnt

> Whoa - sweet infill plane in pic #4!  What is it?


Hi Tree, that plane is an old Spiers smoother.  Works great even on curly and "difficult" woods...

----------


## tree

It's gorgeous - a "Loar" of infill smoothing planes!

----------


## oldwave maker

Nice to get back into the shop groove and snort some real sawdust......

----------


## Mike Black

Here is the piccolo mandolin I'm making for my son James. 

 He can't wait to play it.  :Smile:   :Mandosmiley:

----------


## mculliton123

This is so sad, folks.  A tragic and extremely rare case of neo-natal MAS, not the usual adult-onset strain that most of us are familiar with. With any luck, he may have inherited a degree of immunity from his Mother. This case should be followed by the AMA if we are ever to find a cure for this affliction.
Good luck, James. You will be the poster-boy for us all. :Coffee: 
Michael

----------


## JEStanek

Well, if anything can be said about his condition, at least it's not a 1/4 size banjo, clarinet or accordian.  

Looking good.  I really think a blue finish is in order.

Jamie

----------


## hank

Quote, "He can't wait to play it." Your gonna have boo coo fun breaking that little piccolo in for him.  You may need to tie a helium filled ballon to the peghead when you pass it over to Junior though.  :Smile:

----------


## Mike Black

> Quote, "He can't wait to play it." Your gonna have boo coo fun breaking that little piccolo in for him.  You may need to tie a helium filled ballon to the peghead when you pass it over to Junior though.


Oh, of course someone's going to have to break it in.  I guess I'll be forced to do it.   :Whistling:

----------


## kirksdad

Mike Black;

That is a very cool piccolo mando......are you going to continue to build that model ?

KD

----------


## Glassweb

why waste good ebony on bad design? lose the "Dreaded Black Tongue"...

----------


## man dough nollij

> why waste good ebony on bad design? lose the "Dreaded Black Tongue"...


I'm not as freaked out about the DBT, but I think it improves the look 100% to inlay silver wire for FFF*.


*Fake Frets in the Florida.

----------


## Dfyngravity

> why waste good ebony on bad design? lose the "Dreaded Black Tongue"...


Glassweb, I agree with your stand on the so called "dreaded  black tongue" and I think many people here knows your stand. But I think it may be best to start a new thread rather than commenting on so many photos how you don't care for it. Not trying to cause any hostility, just a thought.

----------


## Larry S Sherman

> why waste good ebony on bad design? lose the "Dreaded Black Tongue"...


These comments are getting _really_ old.

----------


## squirrelabama

:Grin:

----------


## mtucker

sorry ... couldn't resist. happy friday, everyone!

----------


## Glassweb

sorry if i _O-Fend_, but there's plenty of posts and comments on these threads that i get tired of as well... that's the nature of free speech i guess. if you don't like it don't read it. if people are going to post images of mandolins they will be open to comments good and bad. i have made plenty of positive posts for mandolins i have found attractive, so i'm just expressing my views on mandolin design. i don't "know" any of you, so if you're taking it as a personal attack i'm sorry... it's not. just as many Cafe people send me PM's supporting my views, and agree completely my with thoughts on design and the waste of valuable wood.

----------


## sgarrity

Have you removed the extension from your Loar yet???

----------


## Glassweb

nope, not yet Shaun...  :Wink:

----------


## Mike Black

> Mike Black;
> 
> That is a very cool piccolo mando......are you going to continue to build that model ?
> 
> KD


Thanks!  As for continuing making that model...I'm not sure.  It was a royal PITA to bend the upper parts of the points since it's so small.  I like the way they look, but from a construction point of view, I don't think I'd make the points as pointy and pronounced next time.  More of a gradual curve.

----------


## minkus

No offense taken here, I build for me (for now).   I also cant take credit for the design either.

----------


## Walt

Tact?...Anyone?

----------


## hank

:Popcorn:

----------


## Geoff B

I like how it's coming out, Minkus!  The inlay looks well done.  Can't wait to hear it!

----------


## Mike Snyder

Put a funny little beard on him, and he'd look just like his dad. Cool piccolo, Mike.

----------


## j. condino

Another batch of fittingz- sharkfin pickguardz and port plugz: African blackwood, two different striped ebony,  and a stubby swartzia cubensis  for a group of A models.


j.
www.condino.com

----------


## JEStanek

I like the way you laid those beauties out!

Jamie

----------


## oldwave maker

Every time I get the build coats on I think how great it is to live on a planet where curly maple trees grow.....

----------


## Mike Black

I totally agree Bill.

----------


## mtucker

> Every time I get the build coats on I think how great it is to live on a planet where curly maple trees grow.....


love the one on the far right ..  do you have a frontal?

----------


## bropete

Nearing final stage of varnish finish on newest White Dove F5-HS

----------


## Jessbusenitz

Very nice! I notice you don't bind the heel button like the parrot loar. Adds a nice touch to it . :Mandosmiley:

----------


## bropete

Sorry, I did not mean to start a new thread: I was trying to add it under "Mandolins in progress". If an editor or someone  can tell me how, I will cancel this thread and add it where it is supposed to be. Pete

----------


## Skip Kelley

Those are incredibly nice looking mandolins, Bill!

----------


## hank

quote  "how great it is to live on a planet where curly maple trees grow....."  into mandolins.

----------


## kirksdad

Bill:

NICE !!!!.  

KD

----------


## maj34

The many pictures of groupings of Old Waves in progress are some of my favorite pictures on the Cafe. . .

----------


## hank

That'un on the right might be the pick of the litter.

----------


## JEStanek

I merged BroPete's White Dove thread into this one on his request.

Looks good BroPete and I always enjoy Bill's photography.

Jamie

----------


## Mark Gibbs

As promised, photos of my Wilkie mandolin under construction. This mando will be fitted with Waverly's with ebony knobs and a engraved James tailpiece. Looks a Wyatt has been busy in the  shop. As i type the french polish is being applied. Won't be long now.
My next project with Wyatt will be a arch top octive mandolin.
Mark

----------


## Skip Kelley

BroPete, The mandolin looks awesome! I like the figure in the back!


Mark, That is a sweet looking A model! That's going to be nice!

----------


## bropete

Thank you Jamie, and thanks to all. Pete

----------


## ColdBeerGoCubs

> Thank you Jamie, and thanks to all. Pete


Thanks for making me want to get a real job.

----------


## McCandolin

> Another batch of fittingz- sharkfin pickguardz and port plugz: African blackwood, two different striped ebony,  and a stubby swartzia cubensis  for a group of A models.


Beautiful as always James. Which wood is the guard thats second from the left? That striping is so vivid, makes me want to make sides out of it.

~Chris

----------


## Walt

Here is a picture of my future mandocello being built by Joe Mendel.

----------


## j. condino

> Which wood is the guard thats second from the left? ~Chris


Immature striped ebony. There is a beautiful F5 made out of the same board sitting in parts as we speak. The fingerboard, scroll cheeks, and tailpiece of my new double bass were also made out of that board - not much left after that!

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## Mark Gibbs

It's a blond and i will have her home soon. Wyatt has started with the french polish.The engraved James tailpiece arrived today. The same wilkie logo will be on the headstock in abalone.  Can't wait to get my hands on the Waverly's.

----------


## oldwave maker

Mtucker- full frontal of the forementioned light of the last litter, you have to move the top to get the full effect of the flamed Musser engelmann, the back was an old piece of broadleaf from Spruce years ago. This group was the first in years to get waterbased aniline stains from powders directly on the wood, I cant seem to get the same hues with colortone/transtint in alcohol.
The dola alongside is my first with an old standard red spruce top, not as warm as engelmann but shouts better......

----------


## amowry

Bill, I know what you mean about Transtints-- the colors don't seem as "natural" as analines. I wonder why that is?

----------


## swinginmandolins

Some pics of the asymmetrical 2 point Steve Holst is building for me. Swiss spruce top with X bracing. Red Maple back/sides. Cocobolo/ebony bindings and accents.

----------


## Dfyngravity

> Some pics of the asymmetrical 2 point Steve Holst is building for me. Swiss spruce top with X bracing. Red Maple back/sides. Cocobolo/ebony bindings and accents.


I tell you what, that is a mighty fine mandolin there. The one behind it looks mighty familiar too! Probably will be getting them at about the same time.

----------


## swinginmandolins

> I tell you what, that is a mighty fine mandolin there. The one behind it looks mighty familiar too! Probably will be getting them at about the same time.


It's getting closer, and that makes me happy, but he can take as long as he wants :Smile: 
I think your's is ahead of mine a bit, as he is just binding the back and the fingerboard is going to get some inlay, but not too far apart.

----------


## hank

Original Quote by Walt "Here is a picture of my future mandocello being built by Joe Mendel."
How long is the scale length going to be on you mandocello Walt?

----------


## crazymandolinist

Beautiful pics Ben. So clear, and the subject matter is so awesome!

----------


## Walt

> How long is the scale length going to be on you mandocello Walt?


Hank,
It's funny you should ask...Mr. Mendel and I have been talking today about what sort of scale length we should go for. It seems a lot of luthiers are liking 27" as opposed to 25". Right now I'm leaning towards 27".
What are your thoughts?

----------


## hank

My interest came from reading Max's thread around the time you posted your build photos.
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=58477

----------


## amowry

Some headstocks...

----------


## man dough nollij

Looks great, Andrew! I really like the burl "wings". Is that by any chance some of the paua I sent you? Looks similar.

----------


## amowry

Thanks Lee! No, I'm saving that paua for your mando, but this stuff does indeed look very similar. Brings me back to my "Maori" roots (just kidding).

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, Those are some nice looking pegheads! I love the inlay!

----------


## JEStanek

Andrew, always a pleasure to see your updates. Yow-za!

Jamie

----------


## bropete

Andrew, Very, very nice. I like the burl also. Reminded me that I have had some Thuya burl stashed away for a few years that I used to use for knife handles. I think it will be on a peghead soon! Thanks, Pete (http://www.hutchinsonhandcrafted.com)

----------


## Mike Black

Here is the piccolo stained and the first coat of French Polish on it.

----------


## Dfyngravity

Very nice!!!!

----------


## Ben Milne

lookin awesome Mike...  Very special.

My dad built me a shorter scale mando When I was a wee chap...  not as wee as your little James though.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Mike, You are really doing some great work! Nice job on the piccolo! Now, just get the little guy pickin'! :Smile:

----------


## swinginmandolins

That piccolo is too cool!

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

"who called that man a Piccolo player"

Nice work

----------


## Steve Hinde

In the white finally. Broke the first neck, finally got over the mental anguish and decided to finish it up. More than 2 years in the making. Worked on guitars and resonators, finally back to the mandolins for a while.

----------


## Steve Hinde

3 more getting close. Finger boards and a pile of wood for the next round. 1 A, 1 F Dola, and 2 Fs. 1 Indian Rosewood and 1 Maple

----------


## TDMpicker

Thought I would share my latest flat top just out of the workshop.
This is the first scratch built mandolin I have built. I developed my own
plans and drafted them in AutoCAD.

The mando has a solid engelmann spruce top, curly maple back, sides, and
neck. The fingerboard is rosewood (flat). I put pearl dots on the fingerboard
top and sides. The peghead has a rosewood veneer with a pearl logo and insignia. The body has a cream binding top and bottom with a .20 black accent strip on the inner side. For tuners I used Grover A-Style 309 
machines.

I real happy with the sound.

Mandolin Specification:
1 1/8" nut (bone)Standard 13 7/8" scale lengthOverall length 24 1/2"Overall width 9 5/8"Body width 9 1/2"Body Depth 1 1/2"~96" radius in top and backebony bridgeadjustable truss rod

Getting started on another now, this one with and Adirondack red spruce top.
or maybe western red cedar... haven't decided.

Some construction photos and details at link below:
Flat top construction photos

----------


## Tom C

Beautiful flat top there.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I usually take a break from buffing about now and post a picture of the progress. You woudn't want to see the top just yet.

----------


## Kirk Albrecht

Beauty, Jim!

----------


## Greg Potter

Looking good Steve.  You should be getting some orders with Rick playing one of yours with Special "C".  Keep up the good work.

----------


## Mark Seale

> I usually take a break from buffing about now and post a picture of the progress. You woudn't want to see the top just yet.


Beautiful burst Jim!

----------


## oldwave maker

Will the circle be unbroken? Not when the seams are spliced with mahogany!

----------


## Glassweb

one things for sure... there's a _LOT_ of people building mandolins these days... and ukes too apparently!  :Wink:

----------


## hank

Whoa! That photo really helps me digest the different volumes of those air chambers.  I had no Idea that you could fit a guitar inside the lower bout of a bass.  Do you make many of those big guys?

----------


## hank

Is there a sound post under the bridge on those mammoths?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Getting ready for binding . . . but first I need to clean that bench!

----------


## sebastiaan56

> Getting ready for binding . . . but first I need to clean that bench!


Why?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice work, Everyone!!

Steven, that bench looks clean compared to mine! :Grin:

----------


## Steevarino

We've been keeping busy here at the Ol' RedLine Shop, getting ready for SPBGMA, and all.  Here we have 4 or 5 mandolins mixed into this Happy Family.  With a little luck, most of these mandolins, acoustic guitars, and resophonic guitars will be built and off-gassing their little pegheads off at the Big Show in Nashville this weekend!

If you are in the area, come by and see us!!!

----------


## thistle3585

Slowly but surely, I have been putting together this "interpretation" of my old Regal Octofone.  Tried Graham McDonalds "H"  bracing on it.  We'll see how it goes.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Here is a picture of Shorty's BRW mandolin with the back clamped on. 

Next picture if of Leon's A model with the fretboard clamped up.

----------


## oldwave maker

Skip- is that a fiddle you're building? sweet......
Steevarino- you know there is no known cure for instrument building syndrome, I must have caught it last time I was in your shop!
No need the clean the bench when you have an old sheet to hide the mess, er, work area. Made just about all the progress I can on these, short of spankin 'em on the rear to get 'em to cry........african blackwood fretboard and pickguard on the f5, desert ironwood fretboard and pickguard on the a:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, those two mandolins are SWEET!! I wouldn't mind spanking either of those! I bet it would be a real pleasure! I started that fiddle over a year ago and I should finish it. I just keep getting side tracked. :Smile:

----------


## Walt

Here is a picture of my future Mendel Mandocello. I'm really digging the way that carbon fiber bracing looks--I may have to purchase one of those telescoping mirrors so that I can admire the inside of it from time to time.
Mr. Mendel told me that he removed the clamps from the soundhole for picture taking purposes, so I thought I would do him the courtesy of pointing out to everyone that the headblock was fully clamped for gluing.

----------


## hank

Walt she's looking fantastic.  I'm curious are the carbon fiber braces laminated within two outer spruce strips?  Does Mendel do the braces on his octaves in the same manner?  Is the top/back flat or with an induced arch?

----------


## Walt

Hey Hank,
  Yes, the carbon fiber is sandwiched between strips of spruce. He opted for this on the mandocello because of the extremely high string tension--I'm not sure if he does the same on his octaves, but I'm fairly confident that he would do it if a client asked him to. Joe is a great guy to work with--ordering this instrument has really been an enjoyable experience.
The top and back do have induced arches.

----------


## Dfyngravity

Walt, that is definitely some cool bracing. I wonder if and who else is bracing like that. It sure makes since to me, especially on a mandocello.

----------


## hank

OK, that explains the rib bracing as well.    If you can articulate that one like you do your Arches #4 your gonna blowem out of their chairs @ Enoc's.  Oh by the way, I was so blown away with your playing I forgot to comment on how great your Arches sounds.  Chris Baird built you an incredible mandolin, was it a custom build as well?

----------


## Joe Mendel

Hi Guys,
 I have not used this bracing pattern before. On the octaves I've been using an X brace with one tone bar. When Walt ordered the mandocello I checked around with some of my interview victims & Graham suggested this pattern as a way to counter the 288 lbs. of string tension on a 25" scale & we are going with 27" on this one.  Rick Turner suggested CF, I have used CF sandwiches in 3 OM's & can't hear a difference in tone than with spruce alone, but this CF is much thicker (1/8" vs. .020") than I've used before, but the spruce is thinner, the total width of the braces is .290". This top has a nice tap & is very stiff, it should handle what we are asking it to with out any problems. I think I am as excited as Walt to actually hear the finished 'cello.
 The worst thing about the CF is the dust, it's really bad for you, and of course grinding, sanding & a hacksaw are the best ways I've found to cut & shape it, and it is hard to clean off the spruce.

----------


## hank

Thanks Joe,  Same here I'm really listening forward to hearing this one especially with Walt driving her.  I can understand your excitement as well.  This is one way cool project that just keeps getting better.  Some of the builders are using a carbon fiber truss independent of the sound plates to take the longitudinal load off the plates.  I find your methods and theirs interesting new spins on dealing with this load.

----------


## Walt

> I forgot to comment on how great your Arches sounds.  Chris Baird built you an incredible mandolin, was it a custom build as well?


Thanks. I bought it from Mr. Baird, but it wasn't a custom build--I think he had used it as a demo instrument for a while. It really is a beautiful mandolin, although I have put a lot of wear on it the last few years. Hopefully the next time you're around Monroe, I will have the Arches and the Mendel for you to check out--I'm looking forward to seeing your Goldrush and A4 !




> I think I am as excited as Walt to actually hear the finished 'cello.


 :Smile:

----------


## hank

> Original quote Walt: GO SAINTS!! Who Dat?!!


Who let the dogs out!!!!?  :Grin:  We can always get our daughter to come visit when there's a Saints game on the big screen(we usually don't watch football except when she visits).  :Laughing:   mandolin content: Thats gonna be some sweet music for a lot of folks if they pull it off.  We'll have to write a song about that historic event.  :Mandosmiley:

----------


## oldwave maker

A certified engelmann spruce Smartwood top. Got it from Lawrence a decade ago, it was one of his rejects because of the wormhole, which I'll incorporate into the f holes. A lot more like red than the engelmann further south. want. more.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, It looks like you have been one busy man! I see a lot of good work there!

----------


## Hans

Trevor's V6 blacktop with moonburst back and sides...first coat of varnish.

----------


## Jill McAuley

what a beauty - love the moonburst!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## DougC

I like the name 'moon burst' as opposed to 'sun burst'. When there is an opening in the clouds, I'm gonna visit and see it in person. (Really, I've been too shy...). Looks like a real 'cloud burst' of activity over there in N. Mpls.

----------


## Ken Olmstead

Another coolness Hans!!

----------


## McCandolin

> Trevor's V6 blacktop with moonburst back and sides...first coat of varnish.


Ooooo, moonburst. I like the name AND the aesthetic. The moon is so much cooler than the sun anyway.

----------


## DougC

This may be another topic, but looking at Hans' v6 as an innovative design and just coming from last night's Michael Monroe concert, I was wondering if people have seen David Seaton's guitars from Grand Marais Minnesota.
http://www.hjo.com/seatonguitars/index.html

----------


## Skip Kelley

Hans, when I read that first post about a moonburst, I thought, what?
Then I saw the back and it does look like the moon! Very, very cool!!

----------


## Dfyngravity

Hans, that looks awesome. It also looks like a black and white photo of rippling water or maybe a sunburst behind some altocumulus clouds

----------


## ISU Trout Bum

Sweet! I love that wood pattern & colors! Very nice.

----------


## Walt

Two more pictures of the Mendel mandocello with its newly installed maple and rosewood binding.

----------


## amowry

Some color...

----------


## Mark Walker

Steve, Jim, Terry, Andy, Bill, Hans - _looking great!_  So many of you guys turning out such beautiful mandos and exhibiting great woodworking skills.   I envy you as someone who simply can't even cut a 2x4 straight!  

Keep up the great work everyone!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, nice looking work! I love the sunburst on the F5! It's perfect!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Here is a picture of Shorty's BRW F5 with the neck clamped up! I know he is getting pretty excited!

----------


## Walt

Skip,
What are the sides and neck made out of?

----------


## j. condino

Andrew:

A left and right handed F5 in the same batch? That definitely makes things more challenging; nice work.

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## amowry

Yup! This time I've managed to avoid putting position markers on the wrong side of the fretboard and all those other little things that can pop up, but it is an exercise in concentration. Actually the octave will be a lefty too-- both instruments are going to a fellow in the UK.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Walt, Shorty's F5 is a brazilian rosewood with a red spruce top. It also has a virzi per his request.

----------


## Walt

Skip,
The neck is rosewood too? I had a friend with a PRS with a rosewood neck--it was very cool.

----------


## hank

Skip some of those rosewood guitars have so much umf a good player has to be able to mute them back somewhat until the song is ready to go full critical mass in all their fury.  Amazing powerful guitars that makes your rosewood/vizi/red spruce a very interesting combination.

----------


## Bigtuna

Skip, the new mandolin is looking good, can't wait to see the finished product.

----------


## G. Fisher

> Here is a picture of Shorty's BRW F5 with the neck clamped up! I know he is getting pretty excited!




So the BRW is for Brazilian Rosewood?

----------


## Skip Kelley

The back, sides and neck are brazilian rosewood. I had totally forgot about Ben Wilcox's BRW mandolins. Sorry for the confusion. I set-up another mandolin of Shorty's that is also a BRW mandolin and the chop would punch you in the gut. It is a cannon. I believe this one will be in the same camp. Thanks for the compliments!

----------


## Charles E.

> Here is a picture of my future Mendel Mandocello. I'm really digging the way that carbon fiber bracing looks--I may have to purchase one of those telescoping mirrors so that I can admire the inside of it from time to time.
> Mr. Mendel told me that he removed the clamps from the soundhole for picture taking purposes, so I thought I would do him the courtesy of pointing out to everyone that the headblock was fully clamped for gluing.


Walt, you could take that instrument, clamped up as it is and put it in an art gallery. It would be fun to hang back and watch the art crowd admire ' the artistes daring concept'.  :Smile:

----------


## crazymandolinist

C'mon guys! We love this thread!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Here are two pictures of Leon's A model I am building for him. Red spruce top, Highly flamed maple back, sides and neck. Thanks for looking!

----------


## hank

Nice Skip, another 17 fretter.  Lot of clickless territory there.  I really like the extra space but am still trying to get used to the look.  I'm considering scalloping my Goldrush to the 17th but I think I want to dress it up with faux frets if I do.  I would like to lower my abreviated pick guard as well.

----------


## ISU Trout Bum

> 3 more getting close. Finger boards and a pile of wood for the next round. 1 A, 1 F Dola, and 2 Fs. 1 Indian Rosewood and 1 Maple


Wow Steve - you like you've been a busy man! They all look great.

Best,
Eric

----------


## hank

Original quote TDMpicker 


> "Thought I would share my latest flat top just out of the workshop."


Very nice, that's some beautiful woodwork.

----------


## Jake Wildwood

> Slowly but surely, I have been putting together this "interpretation" of my old Regal Octofone.  Tried Graham McDonalds "H"  bracing on it.  We'll see how it goes.


Very cool -- is it the same size as an Octo or is it a mandolin or mandola-scale variant with a similar body shape? With that wide neck it looks like you may be going for a 5-course instrument?

----------


## thistle3585

> Very cool -- is it the same size as an Octo or is it a mandolin or mandola-scale variant with a similar body shape? With that wide neck it looks like you may be going for a 5-course instrument?


The fretboard and neck haven't been trimmed in the photo, so its not as wide as pictured.  The nut will be 1.25".  I have two bodies built and one will have a 20.75" scale and the other a 22.875" scale. The body on one is a bit smaller to reflect the difference in scale.  The "income" producing instruments get my attention, so I don't get to work on it as much as I do but here is an arch top electric I just completed.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Before and . . . after sanding.  Sure is motivational to see what a little sanding can do!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Home with a sick kid.  Progress while he napped . . .

----------


## Walt

Binding! Joe Mendel just sent me these pictures. Almost time for staining!

----------


## Steve-o

Very nice Walt.  I love those flame maple bindings.  Looking forward to the next pics.

----------


## hank

Beautiful Walt,  I really like the way the light rib flaming is accented by the flame in the binding.  Anticipation must be creeping into your fingers by now.  What kind of wire are you gonna string her up with?

----------


## Arnt

My "Norwegian Wood" mandola after 4-5 coats of varnish, plus some Tru Oil rubbed on top of that.  Almost done!

----------


## amowry

Lookin' great, Arnt! I've been following your progress in mimf.com with enthusiasm.

----------


## ISU Trout Bum

> Lookin' great, Arnt! I've been following your progress in mimf.com with enthusiasm.


Ditto that Andrew! It looks fantastic Arnt!

----------


## Walt

> Beautiful Walt,  I really like the way the light rib flaming is accented by the flame in the binding.  Anticipation must be creeping into your fingers by now.  What kind of wire are you gonna string her up with?


I think the D'Addarios, although I may experiment with different gauges later on.

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

What to do with a chunk of rosewood that isn`t pretty enough for fingerboards?  hmmm......make a neck......hmm......what body?
As a big fan of Warwick basses, I had to make a mini 5 string. Fingerboard is wenge, body sapele.

I`ve not thought which pickup to use yet hence no routing but finish will be Tru Oil followed by home-cooked beeswax polish.
Thanks go to Andrew Jerman for the tailpiece.

----------


## thistle3585

That's a great looking instrument. What is the scale? It looks like you have enough room for two pickups.  I hear there's a great mando pickup maker in the UK.  Maybe you should see if he'd make you one.  :Smile: 

Andrew

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

Andrew, the scale is 14" so it`s actually quite a dinky thing. I`d thought about two pickups but all the extra knobs and switches might be a bit cluttered. Just want to keep it simple and elegant..........trouble is, now you`ve got me thinking of stacked pots :-(

----------


## oldwave maker

Fresh pegheads- ziricote, maple, walnut, ebony A's; koa C#, ironwood solocomp, ironwood teardrop octave, ebony F5

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

> Fresh pegheads- ziricote, maple, walnut, ebony A's; koa C#, ironwood solocomp, ironwood teardrop octave, ebony F5


Bill,

Aside from a nice peghead overlay, do you see any future use for Ziricote in mandolins?  I opted for Ziricote (vrs trying to find nice BRW) in a guitar my Dad is making.

dw

----------


## Walt

> What to do with a chunk of rosewood that isn`t pretty enough for fingerboards?  hmmm......make a neck......hmm......what body?
> As a big fan of Warwick basses, I had to make a mini 5 string. Fingerboard is wenge, body sapele.
> 
> I`ve not thought which pickup to use yet hence no routing but finish will be Tru Oil followed by home-cooked beeswax polish.
> Thanks go to Andrew Jerman for the tailpiece.


Too cool! I used to have a warwick fretless that was awesome. You should go for a slanted jazz bass pickup on it to complete the thumb bass look.

----------


## KyleBerry

Here is my Shawnee Creek Mandolin being built for me.  It is about to get tortoise binding, and it is going to be honey maple blonde!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, those pegheads look great! I like how you use the different woods!


Kyle, that is going to be a sweet looking blonde! Congratulations!

----------


## oldwave maker

Darryl- I think  ziricote would work well for the sides and backs of flattops, especially octaves, but I'd sure hate to carve F5's out of it! I got a couple of oversized dreadnaught guitar sets from the widow of Craig Carter several years ago, milled in the mid 90's, hope to get a parlor guitar and a uke from each.
Skip- Im still laughing about my confusion in thinking you were subcontracting for Ben! Curly maple, spruce and ebony are great, but I get excited by other stuff, like this weirdo from, of course, Spruce.........

----------


## man dough nollij

Wow!

----------


## hank

Holy Cow, Am I wearing 3D glasses? That's a magnificent piece of wood Mr. Bill. :Grin:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

It makes sounds!   :Mandosmiley:  :Cool:

----------


## hank

Very nice Steven.  That's Chaotic cool in the white.

----------


## swinginmandolins

Some new update pics of my Asymmetrical 2 point for Steve Holst cocobolo inlays and binding, one piece back:

----------


## Dfyngravity

Terry, that Holst sure is coming along nicely. So what did you decide color and finish wise? Is it going to be purely acoustic or will it have any electronics in or on it?

Steve really does some fine work!

----------


## swinginmandolins

> Terry, that Holst sure is coming along nicely. So what did you decide color and finish wise? Is it going to be purely acoustic or will it have any electronics in or on it?
> 
> Steve really does some fine work!


Thanks Ben! 
He has an update of yours on the "in process" page at is site and it looks great and getting close to be being done!

I'm leaning towards leaving it natural, but I will consult with Steve to see what he thinks. I'm wanting a hand rubbed finish for sure. He did one a couple years ago and showed me the pics and it looked great!  He is the mastermind behind the instrument I had ideas but he took it to the next level.  

I decided against electronics for now. I may get a Schertler to use between both mandos, but mics for what I do is good for now.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Here are a couple of pictures of Leon's mandolin with a few coats of varnish brushed on. Hope you enjoy them. It isn't as yellow as it looks :Smile:

----------


## Dfyngravity

Skip, as usual that looks top notch. That one doesn't have too far to go until completeion.

Terry, yeah I saw the up dated photo.....couldn't stop smiling when I saw it as I am sure you might have been doing when you saw your update.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Terry, that is absolutely one of the coolest body shapes I have ever seen! I love it; congratulations! I bet your getting pretty excited!

----------


## swinginmandolins

> Terry, that is absolutely one of the coolest body shapes I have ever seen! I love it; congratulations! I bet your getting pretty excited!


Thanks Skip! I knew I was going for a 2 point when I started, then Steve showed me that design and I flipped. On paper I was a bit unsure about the "lap point", but when I saw it in wood I was in love! I'm really excited! I started talking to Steve 3 years ago right after I bought the 2 point I have now from him, gave him a deposit and was on his list. About the time he got the wood I had to cancel due to some pressing financial issues I didn't expect. Lucky for me Steve held the wood and said let him know and he would still build it for me. I've had to wait in line again, but this time it's happening and getting close. Another stroke of luck is he came up with the design above just recently!!

You make a mean mandolin yourself!!

----------


## Walt

Here is a sneak peak of the finish on the Mendel mandocello. Joe says he still has a few coats to go, but it is getting very close!

----------


## hank

Terry I agree with Skip, what a great looking design. Matt Wow sir! Your gonna put their eyes out @ Enoch's.

----------


## swinginmandolins

Thanks Hank!

Matt the mandocello is looking good!

----------


## KyleBerry

Newest updates on the Shawnee Creek.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Kyle, congratulations! I bet your getting excited!

----------


## Dfyngravity

Steve Holst just sent me these photos yesterday, and I haven't stopped smiling since. Man I can not wait to play this mandolin.

----------


## swinginmandolins

Won't be long now Kyle!

Ben did Steve give you an ETA? I can't wait to hear it! Looks fantastic!

----------


## Dfyngravity

Thanks Terry. Steve just said he had to do the final assembly and waiting on the case. There will be a Kent Armstrong floating pickup at the end of the fingerboard and a k&k transducer pickup inside.

----------


## Geoff B

Just finished my first flower-pot, torch, esque type inlay...  First time with abalone, multiple pieces and etching the pearl...

----------


## MandoNicity

Wow!  That Holst looks absolutely amazing!!! I'm jealousing....!

----------


## KyleBerry

More pics of the Shawnee Creek.

----------


## Jill McAuley

Nice Kyle! How exciting that it's nearing completion!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Rob Fowler

Yup, that's looking pretty nice, Kyle! Can't wait to hear it on the SAW group!

----------


## swinginmandolins

Looks great Kyle!

----------


## KyleBerry

Yes it is looking very nice!  I can't wait to play it!  Just needs hardware now.  It won't be long!

----------


## TDMpicker

Some photos of my latest flattop ready for finish.
I used old Old Standard Woods on this mandolin.
It has a red spruce top and curly maple sides, back and neck.
Ebony fretboard and peghead overlay. 
Double binding, my own custom MOP inlay.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Kyle, That Shawnee Creek F5 is looking good! I bet your excited!
Terry, Nice work on that flat-top; it looks like it would be fun to pick!!

----------


## Charles E.

Terry, I really like the way the back and the heel cap come together, very nice.

----------


## JEStanek

Lots of nice progress all over this page.  I like your deco torch, Geoff.

Jamie

----------


## Geoff B

here's another one... abalone and cocobolo on quilted maple...

----------


## Skip Kelley

Geoff, that is a really nice inlay! I like the peghead shape too; very cool!

----------


## billhay4

Geoff,
Does the peghead mirror the body shape? Hope so.
Nice.
Bill

----------


## swinginmandolins

The new Holst is getting closer!

----------


## hank

Nice color Terry.  Is the FB extension bonded to the top or suspended above it with a very small gap?

----------


## swinginmandolins

> Nice color Terry.  Is the FB extension bonded to the top or suspended above it with a very small gap?


Thanks to Steve for that color! As far as the extension goes, if it is like the one I have there is a small gap, and I assume that is the case with the new one, unless he has changed due to a neck angle change or some other reason. There is about 5 years difference in the 2. I think I see a small gap,about as much as my current. I can't wait to play this beauty!!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Terry, that's looking good!!

----------


## John Hill

Wow Terry, that is a beauty!

----------


## JEStanek

I like what Mr. Holst does design wise.  Those woods and finish are really something to behold.  Great work!

Jamie

----------


## nobullmando74

> I started to put this on "mandolin backs"...but why not just show some thing in progress


looks like there's some defect in that wood. all that rippling and what not :Wink:

----------


## thistle3585

Getting closer on my Octofone inspired OM.  This is after the first coat of amber shellac.   I'm deliberating over making it a four string Tenor lute or an eight string OM.

----------


## PJ Doland

It's amazing that Steve Holst gets any work done, seeing as he must spend half his time photographing and emailing beautiful in-progress pictures to his customers.

----------


## Michael Wolf

> ... As far as the extension goes, if it is like the one I have there is a small gap, and I assume that is the case with the new one, unless he has changed due to a neck angle change or some other reason. There is about 5 years difference in the 2. I think I see a small gap,about as much as my current...


I looked at the pictures of your older Holst before and wondered if the neck goes somewhat higher above the top than it normally does or does it only look like this because the space under the extension is filled with wood? 
I find the Holst (this new one as well as your older one) one of the most successful two point designs that I´ve seen so far. There are also only very few varities of the f-hole that I really like and these on the new Holst are one of them.

----------


## swinginmandolins

> I looked at the pictures of your older Holst before and wondered if the neck goes somewhat higher above the top than it normally does or does it only look like this because the space under the extension is filled with wood? 
> I find the Holst (this new one as well as your older one) one of the most successful two point designs that I´ve seen so far. There are also only very few varities of the f-hole that I really like and these on the new Holst are one of them.


There is more wood under the extension, then some, but I do think that the fretboard is higher, or the neck set is steeper then others. The bridge on the bass side with the action set at 1/16" is 1 1/8" off the top. I don't know if it is much different though. It's a breezy to play!

----------


## oldwave maker

Still no adult supervision here in oldwave holler, guess I'll just keep makin sawdust till theres a good basketball game on the tv, hope to get the f hole litter frettable before driving miss daisy next week

----------


## oldwave maker

Like this 14.5" wide GOM with 1 piece hard maple back, widest I've  found.

----------


## MandoNicity

That Holst looks just simply amazing!  <jealousing>

----------


## Dfyngravity

Terry,

Wooowweee, that color turned out amazing. It's a nice contrast from your other two-point. How many times a day do you check your e-mail to see if Steve has sent and updated photos?

----------


## Don Grieser

Bill, we can only hope there's no adult supervision for you for a long long time. You got some elves or hobbits helping you down in Old Wave holler?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I don't usually name mandolins but I think this one will have to be known as "Blacksnake".

----------


## oldwave maker

Part of the latest f hole clutch, sitting on a landfill salvaged backporch swing, designed for backporch swing......no hobbits harmed in the production, as far as I know:

----------


## TDMpicker

Another new flat top coming out of my workshop.
This is Crystal Forest #4 and has a red cedar top,
curly maple back, sides and neck. Rosewood peg head
overlay and fingerboard, 1 1/8" nut. I am anxious to hear
how this one sounds compared to the spruce top one.

----------


## thistle3585

> I don't usually name mandolins but I think this one will have to be known as "Blacksnake".


Looks more like a garter snake.  :Smile: 

Is it going to be left natural?  It's nice to see a "natural flaw" in a piece of wood.  Gives it some character.

----------


## swinginmandolins

> Terry,
> 
> Wooowweee, that color turned out amazing. It's a nice contrast from your other two-point. How many times a day do you check your e-mail to see if Steve has sent and updated photos?


Thanks Ben! At least 10 times a day I check my email, and his site a couple times :Smile:

----------


## Dfyngravity

I am right there with you Terry :Grin: . I guess it won't be too long before we will both be loving life with our new Holst mandolins. This will be my first, and your second....I think I already have another project to discuss with Steve  :Whistling: . We will see how business goes this Spring.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Got to post these two shots here too!  My first 'burst followed with a shellac seal coat.  Not thrilled with the spruce, more in love with the maple than ever.  On to varnish and French polishing.
Steve

----------


## Dfyngravity

Steven, that looks pretty darn good for your first one. And yes, that back looks stunning.

----------


## swinginmandolins

That looks great Steven!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

This is the endgrain from the top of an octave that's about to get the duplicator treatment. It's red spruce from Old Standard and it has a lot of bearclaw and is also a lot of compression grain.
I'm not sure what makes this happen but it looks good when it does.

----------


## Mike Black

> This is the endgrain from the top of an octave that's about to get the duplicator treatment. It's red spruce from Old Standard and it has a lot of bearclaw and is also a lot of compression grain.
> I'm not sure what makes this happen but it looks good when it does.


Now you gotta make sure you show us after the duplicator treatment!!!   :Smile:    Can't wait.

----------


## hank

> *Jim Hilburn's post* "It's red spruce from Old Standard and it has a lot of bearclaw and is also a lot of compression grain."


 Woo hoo That beauty took a lot of trips around the sun, lots of rain clouds and fresh air, a large helping of gravity soaking up good old mother earth all the while.  You know I don't understand everything I know about what makes this happen either but it sure is wonderful, Ain't it?

----------


## trevor

Bill,
Are guitar dola and GOM coming my way?

----------


## hank

I think your burst looks fantastic Steven.  Does the contrast in the reflex area shift with the lighting direction? Did you find anything interesting in Sensitive Chaos? Maybe a vortex burst.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here it is mid-carve. This blank had more wood on one side than the other which you can see on the endgrain picture and thats why the cutter hasn't hit all of the bass side yet. There's 2-3 more progressively lower passes to go yet.
On this style of octave the top and back are the same so I only need one template for inside and outside and I made it in one template which I flip for the inside. In fact the inside has already been roughed out on this top.
 I only make these long front to back cuts till I get to the last pass and then I go over it all side to side. It will still be pretty lumpy so this is where I use a disc sander on the drillpress to get a smooth starting surface for the hand graduating.

----------


## thistle3585

Jim,
How much do you take off in a pass?

Andrew

----------


## ISU Trout Bum

Hi All:

I'm currently in the process of building a Don Kawalek OM kit. I've set-up a blog to record the process, which you can find here. I'm actually a bit further along than the blog records . . . but, I'm trying to get it caught-up. Here are a couple pics:





I'm only a hobby builder, so if any of you see things that I could do differently and/or better, I'm happy to have my work critiqued.

Thanks for looking!

Best,
Eric

----------


## Jim Hilburn

On the spruce I'd guess between 3/8" and a half. After each pass I just raise the stylus slightly which lowers the router and have developed a feel for it. If you try to take too big of bites it's harder to keep those consistent passes.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

So here's where I quit. I could have taken a couple more passes but the main thing I want from the carver is to establish the shape of the arch. Now it's on to fun with fingerplanes.

----------


## Skip Kelley

> I don't usually name mandolins but I think this one will have to be known as "Blacksnake".


Jim, that mandolin needs a "snakehead" peghead!

----------


## Doug Edwards

My Amradillo mandolin in the white.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Doug, nice work on the mandolin and I really love the inlays!

----------


## Doug Edwards

Thanks Skip.  The luthier I work with at the music store said I should have put tire treads across the armadillo inlay.  I cut the headstock to mimic the Hill Country inlay.  So far it sounds pretty good.

Armadillo MP3 

You're missing the best of Texas in the spring right now.  I wish I had color on the mandolin to run out and get a photo in the flowers.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Doug, the mandolin sounds real good! Nice tone already!

----------


## swinginmandolins

> Doug, the mandolin sounds real good! Nice tone already!


I agree! Looks great as well!

----------


## hank

Looks and sounds great Doug.   Your demo tune fits well with your Spring time in Texas photo too.  The inlay is spot on "Not too little and Not too much" I really like the Hill country and the dillo.   How much tan are you gonna give this albino Armadillo's pale complexion?

----------


## David Newton

New-Navy Mandola, going to Vermont. My happy place, polishing.

----------


## bropete

David, Put a cork in that grain alcohol while you polish lest you get too happy! Looks great. I want to hear it before you ship it. Is that some of the walnut we acquired?   Doug, I like the dillo!

----------


## amowry

Ready for glue!

----------


## amowry

And binding...

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A color-correct back pic in French Polish mode.

----------


## Jessbusenitz

Andrew, that binding ledge on the scroll is perfect! (as far as that goes, everything looks perfect) I'm working on my second F and that has been a real headache ! Jess

----------


## Skip Kelley

David, love that dola'!

Andrew, that is some mighty clean work brother!

Steven , that mandolin looks great!

----------


## David Newton

Thanks guys. I can't believe I'm on the same page with Andrew and StevenS, those are lovely mandolins. Not that my army-navy style can match the looks of your F's, the tone is dark and dreamy.

Pete, the Texas Walnut's figure is deep as the ocean, thanks!

----------


## Dfyngravity

The Kent Armstrong pickup arrived today and is being installed. So Steve thought it would be a good idea to send me a picture of her all strung up and to tell me has has been playing like a champ.....that just isn't right!  :Mandosmiley:  Anyways, he said he should be boxing her up and shipping out on Tuesday, oh it is going to be a great week next week.

----------


## swinginmandolins

> The Kent Armstrong pickup arrived today and is being installed. So Steve thought it would be a good idea to send me a picture of her all strung up and to tell me has has been playing like a champ.....that just isn't right!  Anyways, he said he should be boxing her up and shipping out on Tuesday, oh it is going to be a great week next week.


That's great Ben!! Looks Fantastic! Funny I just sent you a pm with a comment as I saw on Steve's site he updated the pic. It will be a great week next week, but a long weekend... :Smile:

----------


## Dfyngravity

A VERY LOOOONG weekend.

----------


## MandoNicity

> The Kent Armstrong pickup arrived today and is being installed. So Steve thought it would be a good idea to send me a picture of her all strung up and to tell me has has been playing like a champ.....that just isn't right!  Anyways, he said he should be boxing her up and shipping out on Tuesday, oh it is going to be a great week next week.


Love the look of this mando!  <jealousing>

JR

----------


## ColdBeerGoCubs

> Thanks Skip.  The luthier I work with at the music store said I should have put tire treads across the armadillo inlay.  I cut the headstock to mimic the Hill Country inlay.  So far it sounds pretty good.
> 
> Armadillo MP3 
> 
> You're missing the best of Texas in the spring right now.  I wish I had color on the mandolin to run out and get a photo in the flowers.


I probably owe you a few bucks for bandwidth. I've been trapped in that sound clip for awhile now. Mesmerized would e a better word, been trying to figure out for two nights now. Well done. Thank you.

----------


## Dfyngravity

Well, it's done! It should be shipping out tomorrow.  :Grin:  :Mandosmiley:

----------


## swinginmandolins

Supercalifragilistic Ben!! I can't wait to hear you play it!

----------


## MandoNicity

Congrats on one amazing looking instrument.  I too wanna hear some sound clips.

----------


## Dfyngravity

I will do some sound clips as soon as I get a hold of this baby.

----------


## David Newton

This is Texas Black Walnut, cut near where I live, and given to me by Peter Hutchinson, "White Dove" mandolins.
Actually he made me trim about 50 lbs of wood to get 5 sets, then he took 2! Poor old share-cropper me.
This wood has landscape lines and a band of red in the center, beautiful stuff, thanks, really, Pete.

----------


## gw16

Pretty happy with the way my new Brian Dean is turning out thus far - I can't wait to get this home!

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

[/IMG]

----------


## Doug Edwards

That peghead is amazing!

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

From the sublime to the ridiculous!
The first in a daft scheme of reducing "signature" guitars - the Tom Delonge Strat.
Not sure whether to call it a Tom Deshorte or a Blink 91 :-)
The pickup is obviously inspired by the Seymour Duncan Invader and weighs in at 11k - Dying to find out just how brutal it sounds!

----------


## ISU Trout Bum

> Pretty happy with the way my new Brian Dean is turning out thus far - I can't wait to get this home!
> 
> [/IMG]
> 
> [/IMG]
> 
> [/IMG]


Wow - that is an absolutely amazing looking instrument!

----------


## Max Girouard

Here is my number 4 build.  Instruments is strung up in the white right now. Will have a black topped top and the birch back will be stained to match the leopard wood sides. All hardware was gold so I decided to use the EVO gold fret wire. Instrument still needs final shaping and a ton of sanding before finishing but this will give you an idea.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Wow, That Dean mandolin is amazing and the peghead is a work of art to say the least!
Max, That is a great looking mando! I love the birch/ leopard wood combination! Awesome job!

----------


## hank

Just catching up on this thread after camping awhile.  Beautiful wood and amazing talent here.  It's like walking thru a gallery of art with minds from around the globe carving out the most beautiful little boxes on the planet.  Thank you all for taking the time to share with us.  David did that black walnut have a strong aroma when you butchered that old Texas tree?

----------


## JEStanek

Wow, from the ornate to the elegantly plain to the raucous.  Great stuff on this page!

Jamie

----------


## Skip Kelley

Here are some pictures of number 26 for Leon in Florida. It has a red spruce top with  a highly figured well quartered maple back. Tortise single ply binding on the body. 17 fret fretboard. Bill James tailpiece. Oil varnish and pearl nut. I hope you enjoy the pics as much as I like looking at yours!

----------


## swinginmandolins

This page is full of great work!

----------


## David Newton

Hank.
That local Walnut does have it's own aroma, (I love Walnut smell, it reminds me of my dad who liked to work Walnut) but not any stronger than the Indiana that I've worked.
I'm so taken with it because of its rich dark chocolate brown color.
There aren't many exotic dark North American woods available to the builder, I think we should promote Walnut.

----------


## ISU Trout Bum

Skip - that is a beautiful instrument!

----------


## hank

Skip Wow!  David I agree, my dad also spent his last years working with wood in his retirement.  I remember the smell of walnut in his shop and is the reason I asked the question.  I agree on both it's dark beauty and it's ability to produce a warm rich tone.  The prettiest sounding dulcimer I have ever heard was built with walnut.  A dear friend came up from New Orleans to find a new dulcimer at McSpaddens in Mountain View.  We listened to and tried every combination they had there and both agreed that the walnut model was our favorite choice.

----------


## french guy

Hello all , good work from everyone here , how many hours of woodworking only on this page .

I present you my actual project it's a teardrop mandolin inspired by a most part by the John Monteleone teardrop guitar .
I have designed a new scroll , and decided to make unsymetrical holes 
here the plan , and the mandolin in progress .
The design remember the hoopoe bird , so I decide to give the name "La Huppe" to that mando.

----------


## swinginmandolins

> Hello all , good work from everyone here , how many hours of woodworking only on this page .
> 
> I present you my actual project it's a teardrop mandolin inspired by a most part by the John Monteleone teardrop guitar .
> I have designed a new scroll , and decided to make unsymetrical holes 
> here the plan , and the mandolin in progress .
> The design remember the hoopoe bird , so I decide to give the name "La Huppe" to that mando.


I like that!

----------


## billhay4

Nice, Jean, very nice!
Bill

----------


## oldwave maker

Jean- my favorite line from the movie Field of Dreams- "if you build it, they will come"
A couple of weirdwood mandotoys, before we return to our regularly scheduled red spruce/curly maple programming: engelmann/broadleafburl oval, curly redwood/koa C#

----------


## SHORTY

Wow Dean. How about a lesson in scroll carving from you. That is amazing and beautiful.  Skip, that A mando in outragious. Nice match up on the back.

----------


## trevor

Bill,
I love the swirl on the burl...

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Jean and Bill,
Wow!  Wow, Wow ! ! !
Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jean, I love that mandolin! It is such a cool design! I hope to see more pics of your work!

Bill, those are sweet looking A models! Nice work!

Thanks to all for the compliments!

----------


## ISU Trout Bum

> Jean- my favorite line from the movie Field of Dreams- "if you build it, they will come"
> A couple of weirdwood mandotoys, before we return to our regularly scheduled red spruce/curly maple programming: engelmann/broadleafburl oval, curly redwood/koa C#


Those are really nice looking. I absolutely love the curly redwood on the soundboard! Beautiful. I'm building an OM right now with redwood/walnut that I bound in black ABS. I just ordered black tuning machines from Stew-Mac today. So, thanks for posting this as it makes me feel a lot better about my color choices. Again, great intruments! Thanks for the post.

----------


## Graham McDonald

A couple with Tasmanian myrtle bodies/necks and spruce soundboards. The F model is made from what is called a streaky myrtle, streaks and blobs of tans and greys, sometimes almost reds and greens mixed in with the basic pink timber. This particularly nice bit also has a few wormholes and a couple of resin voids which will be filled with epoxy,

The 2-point oval hole mando has a body of tiger myrtle, a red brown colour with black streaks along the lines of the annual rings. It means a perfectly quartersawn piece has only very thin lines, as it goes off the the black stripes become more pronounced. 

A lot of sanding and cleaning up to do yet

cheers

----------


## crazymandolinist

Gotta love them Aussie woods.

----------


## Doug Edwards

All lacquered up, 3 coats anyway.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Doug, that is a great looking mandolin! I love the sunburst!

----------


## bropete

Looking good Doug! PM me if you have tried that jig for the neck joint.

----------


## Jessbusenitz

Gettin' close to stringing up! :Mandosmiley:  Can't wait to hear how it sounds! You can tell from the pictures that photography is not my strong suit.  :Smile:

----------


## billhay4

A different drummer (make that mandolist).
Coming along.
Bill

----------


## Cosmomurphy



----------


## oldwave maker

Different strokes- engelmann/walnut x braced oval, red/sugarmaple tonebar ffholer.  Big Country soundclips by Ezra, passing thru.....

----------


## Dfyngravity

Bill, those are two GREAT sounding mandolins. The eng/walnut blew my socks off!! I think that is a great combo for producing some amazing tone. You got a shot of the their backs?

----------


## swinginmandolins

Those sound great Bill! I agree with Ben the eng/walnut sounded mighty fine!

----------


## Dfyngravity

Terry you tricked me! I  saw that you posted and I rushed in hoping to finds a photo of a finished Holst Jazz 2 Pointer. It's gotta be close now.

----------


## oldwave maker

Backs of the 2 with soundclips above, wiped with turpentine. Harvested the walnut by a neighbors corral in 1991, it had died maybe 20 yrs before that. The maple is from Rigel supplier Earnest the tractor pull champ, harvested 2005.

----------


## Doug Edwards

Bill, those mandolins sound amazing.  I hope to get there someday.

Starting to work several new ones. Just a little here and there.  I had a local woodworker bring me some nice birdseye.  One particular piece is from a 100 year old church organ.  I'm using that for a back and ribs.

----------


## Steve Hinde

#6 finally. Big Leaf, Sitka, Triple Ivoroid, Varnish

----------


## JEStanek

I love this thread.  Great updates on amazing instruments and processes.

Jamie

----------


## Steve Hinde

The next 3 in progress. Remember that Green Tortoise idea? It works for me. I thought it could get ugly, but it grows on you. It may even be my favorite to date. Although I still love the Burgundy. Not done scraping the red one yet, and I may make the sides black, not decided yet. The side wood is not so fancy, so I may just cover it up. blonde top, black sides, and burgundy for the rest.  :Coffee:

----------


## kyken

Been working on a painting for this one.....

----------


## oldwave maker

Randy's octave strung in the white, never did a 1 3/16" nut octave before, sure easy to chord, will shorten the tailpiece as soon as I find the correct metric die. Binding tape pile left from the recent binding orgy......

----------


## sgarrity

That octave looks tasty!

----------


## ISU Trout Bum

There are some absolutely BEAUTIFUL mandos on this page. Thanks for posting everyone!!

Best,
Eric

----------


## Randolph

I'm with Shaun on this one, that Old Wave GOM looks mighty nice :Grin:

----------


## John Hill

> Bill, those are two GREAT sounding mandolins. The eng/walnut blew my socks off!! I think that is a great combo for producing some amazing tone.


Agreed! Very nice sounding instrument.

----------


## crazymandolinist

Steve be sure to take some good pics of that green F and post them. I love it when people push the envelope and it works!

----------


## Steve-o

[QUOTE=billhay4;796004]A different drummer (make that mandolist).
Coming along.
Bill

Intriguing back wood and rosette Bill.  What is it?

----------


## hank

Steve your green finish came out slick as Shamrock.  May you have the luck of the Irish with it's tone.  Bill it's hard to believe your walnut back oval is still in the white, what beautiful wood both in tone and hue.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Great work, guys!!

----------


## billhay4

Steve-o
Back, sides and rosette are Oregon Myrtle from Bruce Creps in the San Juan Islands: Notable Woods. Very nice stuff but a bit dicey to work with as it alternates being hard and soft. Book match went south on me for some reason, but it still has nice figure. I think it will need fill before finishing as it's pretty open pored. I intend to FP, but we'll see when the time comes.
Bill

----------


## pjlama

Jonathan Mann is building me up a sweet emando. Here's a few progress shots;

----------


## David Newton

I'll be shipping this New-Navy Mandola, Monday.

----------


## Skip Kelley

David, Nice mandola! I love it!

----------


## MandoNicity

Just catching up on this thread.  Some amazing work being done.  Thanks all for posting.  I just love this thread!

JR

----------


## Geoff B

Caught a cool one last night...

----------


## JEStanek

Cool.  I dig the translumination photos.

Jamie

----------


## Dfyngravity

Me too! You know, for those who have carved a top and thought that it is just too thin you can always cut out a face and illuminate it on your front porch for halloween!

----------


## ISU Trout Bum

Almost ready to string up the Kawalek OM that I've been working on. Starting to get excited to see what she sounds like!  :Smile:

----------


## Geoff B

> Me too! You know, for those who have carved a top and thought that it is just too thin you can always cut out a face and illuminate it on your front porch for halloween!


Yeah, in a lit room this one is not nearly so dramatic, but right up close to the light bulb in a dark room and it sure lights up!

----------


## David Newton

Spooky!

----------


## Mike Black

I've got the neck fitted and ready to be shaped for my octave.  I also got the inlay done last night.   The top is going to be natural and has a sealer coat of amber shellac.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Mike, your octave looks great! I like how you cut your name for the peghead!

----------


## Mike Black

> Mike, your octave looks great! I like how you cut your name for the peghead!


Thanks Skip,  It took me a long time to design it.  I originally used just MB, but then I found out that the M that I used was being used by the MIX mandolin.   I messed around with that B forever so that it was original and didn't look like a 3 with a line in front of it.  And I've always likes the way the Jackson logo looked on all those metal guitars as I was growing up.  So the LACK is kind of a tribute to that.

----------


## roscoestring

Hey yall. I'm new to the forum and new to mando building too. This is my second. The first started as a kit that I modified. This one is totally from scratch. Electric.

----------


## crazymandolinist

That's silly....I like it!

----------


## MandoNicity

I really like the look of your octave Mike!  Love the natural blonde!  

JR

----------


## amowry

Making some necks...

----------


## Mike Black

Those look nice Andrew!  I really like the way that you thin the middle of the headstock so the ears cover the sides better.

----------


## Geoff B

Classy as always, Andrew!


Here's a color I'm pretty happy with... Been french polishing as snow falls outside... may be the latest snow I've experienced in May in Denver...

----------


## MandoNicity

Geoff that color is gorgeous!  

JR

----------


## Skip Kelley

> Geoff that color is gorgeous!  
> 
> JR


Geoff, I agree with JR, that is an awesome color!

----------


## amowry

I like it, too! Looks great Geoff. I'm waiting for that last freak snowstorm here too-- should come right after we get the tomatoes in the ground  :Wink: 

Mike, sharp eyes--thinning the headstock like that saves some headaches, especially when someone requests an unusually wide fretboard.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice work, Andrew! I love the inlays! Snow, this time of year? The weather this year has been strange for sure!

----------


## oldwave maker

Y'all got me droolin! or maybe its the solvents.......snippets from the latest buildcoat sprayathon:
lizardskin quilt, the noah, burl, walnut/engelmann,  blacktop gom, redbrown burst gom

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, you should really try to get some decent looking wood for your instruments :Grin:  
Just kidding, really beautiful work! I love those A models!!

----------


## hank

Droolin is right.  When my wife Donna asks me if I need anything from the store she has no idea what I'm talking about when I tell her "Pick me up one of Mr. Bills walnut and englemann ovals".

----------


## billhay4

Coming along.
Bill

----------


## hank

Bill thats one Bodacious mandolin you designed, what a great original look.  Myrtle sure is a beautiful wood.  Do you think it will sound similar to walnut?  I hope we'll get to hear this lady sing when you finish up. What's the top wood?

----------


## ISU Trout Bum

That headstock is so cool, Bill!

----------


## JEStanek

Nice design, Bill.

Jamie

----------


## billhay4

Thanks, guys,
The mandola itself is from a tracing of a Kay Florentine someone brought to a jam I go to. I guessed about body depth as I wanted a small mandola instead of a mandolin. It will be almost 3" deep. The headstock shape and design are my own. Supposed to mimic the top curve of the mandola body.
Myrtle is lovely. I've heard it actually resembles bigleaf in sound, but this may not be the instrument to find out on as it's size is odd.
It's tonebar braced.
I don't know what the top wood is. I was going to use Lutz spruce, but the top I carved split as I was doing the final sanding (better then that after it was glued up). I used a billet I got in a lot of odds and ends I bought a few years ago. Has a nice boink, though.
Bill

----------


## hank

I like that word boink, maybe if I ever get another dog since I lost Koko that might be a good name for her.  I got an old A model Kay from Donna's family that they had on their fireplace mantle.  I really think the mantle is the best place for it though, it's in really bad shape and would cost much more to repair than to buy another in good shape.  Did the florentine at the jam sound good.  I'm not familiar with Kay at all and have never heard one.

----------


## Geoff B

Bill I was gonna comment when I saw the picture a few pages back!  I like the design!  Please keep updating the pics!  I'm thinking about a new body style, in that sort of direction...

----------


## Graham McDonald

For the past couple of years I would sit in boring meetings at my day job and sketch out ideas for building a really small mandolin that would just about fit into a briefcase, a compact travel mandolin. I was inspired by those German travel ukeleles, with the tuners in the middle of the body, but I wanted to get some acoustic sound at the same time. This is the prototype half done. There will be a spruce soundboard on the top, and the sides will be covered in  thin pieces of timber, but there won't be a back so there is access to the tuners. They are Rubner side mount tuners which will have to be screwed into place before the sides go on. It is a 13" scale, to keep the size down and will be strung with light gauge strings. The bridge will be only an inch or so from the end of the body and the strings will go over the end of the body and underneath to the tuners. The body framework is laminated spruce, off cuts from the guitar soundboard and the neck and centre sections of the body where the tuners are mounted are rock maple. There will be hitch pins above the nut for the string loops. The last pic is next to a standard mandolin to compare the size

It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

cheers

----------


## man dough nollij

Hey Graham, just out of curiosity, what is your day job? I'm one of the fortunate few that got to buy a ticket for your Zoukfest instrument. I'm stoked. I've never been to Canberra, though I've done a bit of traveling in NSW, Victoria, and Queensland. 

Cheers,

Lee

----------


## Graham McDonald

> Hey Graham, just out of curiosity, what is your day job? I'm one of the fortunate few that got to buy a ticket for your Zoukfest instrument. I'm stoked. I've never been to Canberra, though I've done a bit of traveling in NSW, Victoria, and Queensland. 
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Lee


I work for our National Film and Sound Archive, collecting sound recordings for the national collection. As day jobs go it is pretty good, basically the government pays me to know about music. One of my research projects is compiling a discography of Waltzing Matilda (our national song) and I have 613 unique recordings of the song so far, much to my colleagues' dismay.

cheers

graham

----------


## Dfyngravity

Now that is quite the interesting project Graham. Can wait to see and hear the results.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, that is one cool mandola! I love the peghead!

Graham, that is amazing!

----------


## mzurer

Love this idea, Graham, I can't wait to see/hear the results.

----------


## RJinRI

my #2 in the white, strung up awaiting final sounding & some tru-oil
back, sides and neck is oregon myrtle, top is one pc adirondack spruce
it even sounds like a mandolin !

----------


## Skip Kelley

RJ, that looks great! I like the Myrtle! Can't wait for the finished pics! Nice work!

----------


## hank

Looking good RJ another myrtle beauty.

----------


## Joe Mendel

Graham,
 You should post a couple of versions or tab of Waltzing Matilda and let cafe members double or triple your count of recordings! Please don't give your colleagues my name.

----------


## Dfyngravity

> Graham,
>  You should post a couple of versions or tab of Waltzing Matilda and let cafe members double or triple your count of recordings! Please don't give your colleagues my name.


Now that's a cool idea.

----------


## Graham McDonald

> Joe Mendel
> 
>     Re: Mandolins in progress
>     Graham,
>     You should post a couple of versions or tab of Waltzing Matilda and let cafe members double or triple your count of recordings!


I do only include commercially released versions, but perfectly happy to add any that anyone wants to record. There is a small selection on the NFSA website which are all quite old ones and out of mechanical copyright. I especially like the square dance version  :Smile: 

It is a good job, but I would rather be building mandolins...

cheers

graham

----------


## Mark Marino

Well, nothing fancy but this is my first build (Siminoff kit)- I'm doing an F4 hybrid- elevated fingerboard oval hole, with a virzi.  For a while I wondered if I bit off more than I should have, since I've got very little woodworking experience and few tools.  

Anyhow, I thought I'd post a picture as encouragement for others out there who are contemplating taking this on.  Just finished binding the top scroll over the weekend.

----------


## mzurer

Wow - that looks plenty fancy to me...

----------


## RJinRI

Very nice Mark...can I send my #3 to you, to do the scroll work? :Grin:

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I've always been amazed by Steve Gilchrist's name inlay with the fine underline. I got to ask him how he did it and the explanation made it sound easy. However, because in his name the underline is connected between the G and T. and that gives it a little extra stuctural stength. With mine it needs to be open ended. So I thought I'd try.
The picture makes it look giant but it's actually pretty small. I see where I need a lot more work with the files but I was being quite conservative because that long line is very delicate. I was going to glue it down so I could work on the line and straighten it out but to be honest I don't care for the look. So here's the evidence that I did it. I'm going to saw it off so it looks the same as always.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, nice work with the pearl!! That is hard to cut!

----------


## Jessbusenitz

I'm a little ignorant when it comes to inlay, do you glue your pearl to something when cutting it?  Also what size of blade did you use?

----------


## Steve-o

> Well, nothing fancy but this is my first build...


Looks real good Mark. I'm impressed with the binding on your first go at it.  Are you having fun in the process?

----------


## Mark Marino

> Looks real good Mark. I'm impressed with the binding on your first go at it.  Are you having fun in the process?


I am really having a great time.  Kinda like a roller coaster ride- moments of sheer panic and then elation once I figure out how to overcome something (or hide it!) 

Not sure I'd be doing as well if it weren't for Roger (Siminoff)- he's been great about answering questions as I go.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Jess, I know some and probably most people use some kind of backing support glued to the pearl but I just cut it raw.
I don't know exactly which jewelers blades I'm using now but they're the last batch I have and must be extra fine. They're finer than I prefer but all I have right now. I only have to drive about 10 miles to get more but never seem to get around to it.

----------


## Kirk Albrecht

Mark -

Excellent work on your number 1!  Wow - very impressed with the quality of the carving on that scroll - good geometry, better than some I see coming from established builders!

Tell me, do you have any background in woodworking?

I, too, have a Siminoff F5 kit, sitting in my workbench waiting for me to get the time to dig in.  Hopefully I will have as much fun as you!

----------


## Mark Marino

Kirk- Thanks much.  I don't have any woodworking background- but I really enjoy figuring things out as I go.  Don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions as you build.  (marinos@charter.net).  I just finished installing the virzi, and getting ready to merge the neck and body- so I'll probably post more pictures once that's done.   If you don't see any, expect the worst!  

I just prepared by reading threads on mandolin cafe until wee hours of the morning getting ready to undertake this- most of the frustration I ran into has already been widely discussed somewhere, or included in the Siminoff book.  Not sure how the rest of the build will go, but I KNOW it was much easier to bind this top scroll before the neck was installed and in the way.  I think the scroll on the back, and in much harder maple, will be a real challenge..







> Mark -
> 
> Excellent work on your number 1!  Wow - very impressed with the quality of the carving on that scroll - good geometry, better than some I see coming from established builders!
> 
> Tell me, do you have any background in woodworking?
> 
> I, too, have a Siminoff F5 kit, sitting in my workbench waiting for me to get the time to dig in.  Hopefully I will have as much fun as you!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Mark, nice work! The F4 looks awesome! Keep posting the pictures!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Trying a new inlay.

----------


## MandoNicity

I like it jim!

JR

----------


## oldwave maker

Jim- looks like a more complex A3. Bought one precut from Dave Nichols without realizing what it was, inlayed it upside down, which is, of course, the international A3 distress signal!
build coats on the next tradom and guidola, voldemort left his mark in the middle of the guidolaback, but its ok since its heading near hogwarts......

----------


## MandoNicity

They are lovely Bill!  I'm sure Dumbledore would approve!   :Wink: 

JR

----------


## Mark Marino

Allrightee... I posted a picture of my F4 body under construction a page or so ago.  I've just completed the headstock inlay in a torch-n-wire pattern using all abalone.  It turned out pretty good- a few pieces aren't exactly where they should be, but for a first inlay project, I'm ecstatic.  

So... I'm starting to think about finish- thought I'd ask for opinions, considering the classic torch-n-wire.  I've played around on scraps and think I can do a fair job on a cremona sunburst, but also pondering a black-top.  Of course there's always the traditional F4 red-burst.  Suggestions?  I've heard black tops show every flaw, so I'm fearful of that.  If black top, what should back and sides be?

----------


## hank

Allrightee & Good Golly Miss Molley too.  Looks great Mark.  Did you cut out the abalone or was it precut?

----------


## MandoNicity

Hey Mark that's a fantastic job!  Outstanding!  I'm partial to the trad red-burst myself, and I thought blacktop HID problems not the reverse.  I could be wrong but that's what I've always heard.  I'm sure builders with experience will give you the low down.  Great job on the torch and wire!

JR

----------


## Andy Miller

> Allrightee... I posted a picture of my F4 body under construction a page or so ago.  I've just completed the headstock inlay in a torch-n-wire pattern using all abalone.  It turned out pretty good- a few pieces aren't exactly where they should be, but for a first inlay project, I'm ecstatic.  
> 
> So... I'm starting to think about finish- thought I'd ask for opinions, considering the classic torch-n-wire.  I've played around on scraps and think I can do a fair job on a cremona sunburst, but also pondering a black-top.  Of course there's always the traditional F4 red-burst.  Suggestions?  I've heard black tops show every flaw, so I'm fearful of that.  If black top, what should back and sides be?


Nice inlay.  First one?  You really like to dive in headfirst, don't you?  I bet you'll do a great job with whatever finish you choose.

----------


## Mark Marino

Thanks for the kind words- yes, the inlay was precut- no way I would have taken that on.  Routing was fun- nice thing about ebony is that it's easy to hide the gaps- ebony dust and epoxy blended real nice.  Thanks for the compliments- I read gobs before starting, ended up using a stew-mac dremel router base and used CNC bits off ebay for $11.  From there, just took it slow, and kept test fitting the pieces as I went.  

This is my first inlay- I figured worst case I'd just sand off the ebony overlay and start over if it turned out too poorly.  Glad that wasn't the case.  I've always admired this inlay pattern and when I found it available online, I couldn't resist.  Honestly I thought this would be the hard part, but I'm now trying to carve the binding channel on the headstock- now that's a bugger...

----------


## Max Girouard

I posted this a few pages back.  I guess this is actually my fifth build rather than fourth.  I forgot about a mandola I made a while back.  It has a black top and yes, it shows every little flaw, fingerprint, piece of dust, pollen you name it!  The top also gets hot when I was playing it outside.  Still need a new nut and to finish the truss rod cover.  Sitka top, leopard wood sides, birch back and mahogany neck.  All parts from other projects that I either terminated or did not like how they were progressing.

----------


## Max Girouard

Also just closed up this box today.  It is an archtop guitar body that will be a mandocello.  Beagle included for size reference.

----------


## RJinRI

> RJ, that looks great! I like the Myrtle! Can't wait for the finished pics! Nice work!


finished pics and others in progress are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rj7388/2FMandoBuild#

have wood & time to make one more  :Smile:

----------


## misterc

Here's two of three that are almost finished, just polishing the varnish and installing the hardware.  I like the view of the fingerboard on this one.

----------


## ISU Trout Bum

Lots of nice work on this page folks! Thanks for posting the pics. Max - the back and top of that mando is amazing! I love the contrast.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Spent the past couple of weekends neckin'

----------


## Dfyngravity

Steven, very nice! 2nd to the end on the far right looks amazing. Can't wait to see the group shot with the necks attached to the bodies.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steven, nice work on the necks! It looks like you have been busy!

----------


## mandopete

> Spent the past couple of weekends neckin'


Careful, this is a G Rated movie!

----------


## D18dave

Well, our latest batch of instruments may not be as detailed as some of the beauties in this post , but they keep perfect time  :Grin:  

We were looking for a project for our scrap Engleman Spruce.  Don't worry, we didn't cut up good instrument tonewood.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dave, if you bring one to a jam, will it help you keep perfect time? :Grin: 
Nice work! I would like one of those!

----------


## Geoff B

very cool, Dave!  I recently put a clock into an old top that was replaced.  They look good on the wall!

Here's something I've been working on... working on binding this week....

----------


## ISU Trout Bum

Geoff - the inlay and the headstock look really cool. What is the image on the headstock? Nice looking mando!!

----------


## Geoff B

thanks Eric!  the inlay is a tree, designed by the future owner.  I put a picture up a few pages back... post #4513, page 181

----------


## Jordan Ramsey

Looks great, Geoff!  I love your take on the block inlay, very cool!

----------


## hank

Geoff your clients stylized tree is similar to Terry's(TDMpicker) Crystal Forest Logo with tree(ex.page 13 post 4509).  They both remind me of a cedar Bonsai. Are the f holes yours or your clients design?  Very nice.

----------


## Geoff B

thanks hank!  yeah, we had to do some arranging with the tree so the roots wouldn't run right into the tuners.  I worked them to reach around the posts.
The blocks and modified holes were all commissioned, but I really like the whole thing we've got going on.  
here's a pic of a hole up close... very cool take on the traditional-ish f-hole, which I'm not very traditional on anyhow!

----------


## Mattg

Nice mandolin Geoff. I like the detail on the F's too

----------


## D18dave

Geoff,  Nice mandolin! a real work of art

Skip,  I'm heading down to Weiser this weekend to do some pickin'  I'll let you know if it helps me keep 'perfect time'   :Smile:

----------


## labraid



----------


## hank

What does the bowl back sound like compared to the normal flattop with a flatback the depth of its rib.  What is one  looking for in a mandolin to have a bowl back commissioned.

----------


## crazymandolinist

Well if you haven't already I'd message the guy doing it to find out.

----------


## MandoNicity

Brian your workmanship and innovation always blows me away.  The bowl back looks lovely and the setting would make an amazing painting!  Thanks for posting. 

JR

----------


## Geoff B

Incredible, Brian.  What's in the glass?

----------


## labraid

Geoff (and JR), Thanks. Sailor Jerry.

Hank, it's so very very hard to describe tone in words.. The benefit of a bowl is its incredible stiffness : low-weight : high-air-volume. And like a carved/flat-back, there are many ways you can go about tuning the back to either be heavier/lighter, more/less-resilient, so that each maker can have their own tone. And they certainly do...

----------


## hank

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question Brian, I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for the understanding you have of acoustic instruments.  Having no exposure to bowl backs I had no idea they are resilient and tuned with similar objectives of carved back instruments.   I think most of us with interest in the leading particulars of acoustic design can find detail and narratives for an armchair understanding of flat/canted top/back and carved top/back instruments but your instruments exceed our present boundaries on both the oldest methods from all over the world and completely new unexplored designs.  I really enjoy this thread and can imagine from past experience what many of the beautiful projects shown in construction may sound like but your amazing creations leave me with no known reference for speculation. Thanks again for sharing your time and giving us a peak at your work.

----------


## Michael Wolf

> What does the bowl back sound like compared to the normal flattop with a flatback the depth of its rib.  What is one  looking for in a mandolin to have a bowl back commissioned.


If I´m not totally wrong this mandolin in the photo above looks like the german model of Brian. In this case you can see and hear some wonderful playing of Chris Acquavella with this kind of mando. 
To me this mando sounds very beautiful and strong, plus it seems to match the player perfectly.

----------


## hank

Thanks Michael, This video gives us a good comparison of Catherine's bowl back and Mikes Loar F5.  I'm getting the impression from these videos that these bowl backs have more projection and cut better than a carved top/back or flat top/back oval hole instrument.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pw26...eature=related

----------


## Jill McAuley

> 


That photo is a work of art itself! Your mandolins are such things of beauty that it just makes my day to see photos of them in any stage of progress! Thank you so much for posting that!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Dan Voight

Here is #9. Just doing the final sanding, getting all those scratches and nicks that are over looked during the building process. After being strung for 3 days, this mandolin sounds like the mandolin that I've always wanted to build. That is a great feeling. :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Dan Voight

Here is a sound sample. at this point, it had been strung up for 2 nights.

----------


## Geoff B

That looks great Dan!  The headstock looks very nice, and it sounds good too!  Well done.

----------


## hank

The only thing more beautiful than you playing is the delicate tone of this mandolin.  Congratulations on what sounds like perfection to me.

----------


## Steve-o

> That looks great Dan!  The headstock looks very nice, and it sounds good too!  Well done.


x2 Dan!  Your playing is exquisite.  I love the tone you pull from #9, and it is quite a looker.  Is it spoken for?

----------


## Dan Voight

#9 is spoken for.

----------


## MandoNicity

Dan that looks and sounds great!  The back looks amazing.  Can't wait to see that with some color.  What size frets did you use?  They look big.  Loved you playing also, the piece sounds like Mark Knofflers music for Local Hero.  Great work!

JR

----------


## Dan Voight

That is "banjo" wire from stew mac and in the clip I was playing Bela Fleck's Big Country. This is what I was up to last night. This is my first sunburst with no airbrush.

----------


## hank

"That is "banjo" wire from stew mac"  Would that be the narrow medium?  I ask because as I see my frets wearing down I'm beginning to wonder if I could increase my sustain with larger frets and if stainless frets would have any effect on tone or sustain.  Beautiful burst.

----------


## Dan Voight

yup narrow medium

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Dan,
You caught the "Magic, bell-like tone that I keep trying to describe as my goal.  Impressive ! ! ! 
Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, that is one well done sunburst! It is going to look awesome under the finish!!

----------


## Clyde Clevenger

An IV kit I made for my son, my first attempt at an F-5.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Clyde, Nice job! I love the burst; it is perfect!!

----------


## Jessbusenitz

That is one sweet lookin' mando Clyde! Jess

----------


## hank

Beautiful job Clyde.  Your son is a lucky man.  Happy Fathers Day!

----------


## Clyde Clevenger

I've started a Stew-Mac kit this week.  I've learned a lot on the first one.  I really wish I'd bought the Stew-Mac/Don MacRostie DVD before I started the first one.  I have it now and it sure answers a lot of my really dumb questions, I mean really dumb.

----------


## billhay4

That mandolin must have aged you quite a bit, Clyde. Your beard is considerably whiter in the later pictures than in the earlier. :-)
Nice job on the instrument!
Bill

----------


## Clyde Clevenger

It was only six months of every second of my spare time, it's the lighting and length of beard that are different.  It was a great experience and only aged me slightly.

----------


## wwwilkie

Walnut back and sides, Amboyna burl 'portal to hell' inlay on headstock.  French polished.  Gold logo (oudensha) will eventually be flush after spraying many coats of shellac.   This has been a fun project.

----------


## big smiley guy

Very cool design - nice mixture of modern and vintage styling.

----------


## labraid

Hey, it's my man Wyatt. Goodonya Wyatt....

Lining a bowl:

----------


## Dan Voight

Some back shots of #9

----------


## wwwilkie

Brian, I think you should fill that bowl with beer and pass it around
Dan, what a fine looking finish on that F-5
Thanks big smiley guy!

----------


## crazymandolinist

> Walnut back and sides, Amboyna burl 'portal to hell' inlay on headstock.  French polished.  Gold logo (oudensha) will eventually be flush after spraying many coats of shellac.   This has been a fun project.


I like that alot. You've even used my personal favorite fingerboard extension  :Wink:

----------


## crazymandolinist

> Brian, I think you should fill that bowl with beer and pass it around


I don't. It's already full of other good things.

----------


## labraid

Mmm, deep amber homebrewed stout.

----------


## hank

So that's your secret.  You know come to think of it my mandolin sounds better after a pitcher or two as well.

----------


## Mark Marino

I'd posted some pics of this earlier- just got strings on for the first time last night and making adjustments before starting to dye and finish.  It's my first build (a Siminoff kit) F4, but with an elevated fingerboard and Virzi.  Sound isn't bad for first string-up, but hoping it will open up some- bass is pretty tight sounding.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice work to all!
Here is a new A model I am getting ready for sanding. It has a California redwood top.  It had been sitting around for years. The peghead shape is similar to Smart/ Monteleone. I hope you like it.

----------


## Agustin

Beautiful mandolin Skip

----------


## hank

Mark are those Jescar Evo Gold Frets? Very nice Redwood A Skip.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Thanks guys! I am scraping the binding this morning.

----------


## Skip Kelley

It's been a blessed 24 hours in the shop. Thank the Lord for getting off work early yesterday and having time to workin the shop! Here is #029 with stain, one coat of shellac and binding scraped. :Smile:

----------


## Mark Marino

> Mark are those Jescar Evo Gold Frets? Very nice Redwood A Skip.


No - just regular banjo size.  Must be the angle that makes them look gold.

----------


## crazymandolinist

> It's been a blessed 24 hours in the shop. Thank the Lord for getting off work early yesterday and having time to workin the shop! Here is #029 with stain, one coat of shellac and binding scraped.


AMEN BRO! I like the burst on that one a lot. That fretboard extension is really cool too.

----------


## Doug Edwards

Got all my wood together to start some new mandolins. Hats off to Jim at Old Standard.  Talked to him Thursday morning and received everything Friday evening.

----------


## JEStanek

Skip, That's gonna look even sweeter when done.  I really like the FB extension and the headstock.  Great burst too.

Jamie

----------


## Stanley Cox

Hi  Doug, Nice stash of wood there. Now there will be No Turning Back.  :Smile:  Does that 
little green thing in the upper right have my name on it? I can't find mine anywhere.

Take care,
Stanley

----------


## oldwave maker

Splashed some turpentine on this nekkid redwood/koa C# to show some flame (thanks Bruce and Musser!), my local test driver made a video clip:

----------


## crazymandolinist

That's a sick awesome looking mandolin dude. I do believe I'll put it back on my desktop ; P

----------


## Geoff B

Happy 4th everyone!
Looks and sounds great Bill!
I put some color and coats on this guy this week, pretty cool quilt going on (thanks spruce!).

----------


## Skip Kelley

Geoff, That is one awesome piece of quilt!
Bill, I love the C# It sounds and looks awesome!
Doug, It looks like you have alot of work ahead of you!
Thanks guys for all the kind words! 
I have three coats of varnish on it now. I'll get another pic up soon.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Bill, 
Just carved out two curly redwood tops.  (Thanks for the pointers).  Interesting how your C# [I]sounds like curly redwood [I] -- That tone is now so familiar because the wood gives that same soft warm sound as you work it.
Steve

----------


## Grommet

Bill,
Great looking C#! That soundclip is awsome Too.


Scott

----------


## Lefty Luthier

This is Unit #212 a left hand Mandola that is the first I have ever finished in this fashion. It has Sitka Spruce top, Burl Red Maple back finished in what I call Bumble Bee. It has Allen Montalone style tail and Gold Grover tuners.

----------


## mandomania7923

that's one good looking H5, Byron!

----------


## nykyly

Started this project  a while ago.  I had some Cherry left over from a project and decided to use it for my first mandolin project.  I hope to stain it this week.

----------


## nykyly

More pictures at different stages.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Here is my rewood A with a couple coats of Captains varnish. Thanks to Will Kimble; this stuff is great!!!

----------


## amowry

Looks great, Skip!

Final setup this week--seems like this requires more tools than any other step in building...

----------


## Don Grieser

What's the purpose of the miniature drill in the endpin hole on that beautiful mandolin?  :Smile:

----------


## John Gardinsky

Skip and Andrew- Those look flawless from here.

----------


## Larry S Sherman

> What's the purpose of the miniature drill in the endpin hole on that beautiful mandolin?


That's the mando-winder. Good for about 3 months of playing before requiring a rewind.

----------


## hank

nykyly is that an all cherry mandolin with cherry topwood?  Thats way too way cool.   George Washington used to do some choppin on a cherrywood as well. Beautiful mandolin.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, Thanks! That is one beautiful F5!!

----------


## misterc

excited about this piece of quilt

----------


## Dick Hutchings

I'd be pretty excited too. I wonder if I'm ready to build one with something that nice. Probably not.

----------


## sebastiaan56

Im with you Dick, Id ruin it......

----------


## dragonrAy

Spectacular results across the board. Bravo.

----------


## labraid

A new tailpiece Master, fresh out of the oven.. This one is destined for the new Germans.

----------


## man dough nollij

Nice TP, Brian. Do you sell them, or are they just for your builds? (BTW, nice icon, too.)

----------


## labraid

Thanks. Undecided on selling them individually, it gets into marketing and all these things that really aren't on my plate.

----------


## dragonrAy

This might be a strange idea, but given you all's skill with the wood, has anyone ever made custom instruments that didn't actually work as an instrument?  For decoration or ornamental display only?  When I saw all the great woodwork it got me to thinking if there was any significant overlap between mando/dobro/banjo/uke/guitar players and those who play these Guitar Hero/Rock Band games.  Those custom controllers go for a pretty penny, and I can imagine a few people at least plunking down the cash to have an odd controller to play the games with. Not huge support for the bluegrass music in the games perhaps, but the players are all across the board in age and demographics.  Especially for any of the titles with DLC songs (downloadable content) that do offer country hits.  Just a zany thought/question.

There are a few teachers I've seen articles on around the country who do cigar box guitars with students where they make their own custom guitar, and that sort of thing in their shop classes or technology courses. Up in Upstate New York the shop teacher would assist/advise students in wood crafting for guitar bodies, electrical wiring for the pickup, and metal fabrication for the whammy bar and other bits.  A couple kids in my track did that.  I was never that focused on working with my hands, sadly.  I could definitely see this as a way to bring the older vanishing woodworking skills to a younger generation obsessed with those games.

----------


## Chip Booth

I visited Lawrence Smart's shop earlier this week and here are a few photos of the new batch under construction.  It's a great experience to stop iin weekly and see these amazing instruments coming together.  

10 String fanned fret, A5, mandocello:


Comma hole 10 string for Trevor:


The backs, left to right: Trevor's 10 String, other 10 string, A5, mandocello


I am headed over to Fletcher Brock's tomorrow to check out two finished GOMs.  I played them in the white, and they were both fantastic.  Hopefully I can get some pics of those as well.

----------


## Ben Milne

those ten strings look wild...

----------


## Chip Booth

A quick visit to Fletcher Brock's shop:  He has two Fs, an A and a mandocello going, after just finishing two GOMs.  Here are the Fs.

----------


## Skip Kelley

> A quick visit to Fletcher Brock's shop:  He has two Fs, an A and a mandocello going, after just finishing two GOMs.  Here are the Fs.



Those F5's are nice!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Comparing some different woods -Adirondack spruce, Port Orford Cedar, curly Redwood and really old curly Redwood.  Curly Claro Walnut backs and sides for all of 'em!  Want to see how the West Coast woods compare to the standard.

----------


## MandoNicity

> Comparing some different woods -Adirondack spruce, Port Orford Cedar, curly Redwood and really old curly Redwood.  Curly Claro Walnut backs and sides for all of 'em!  Want to see how the West Coast woods compare to the standard.


That's so cool!  I will be very interested in your findings.  Keep us posted.

JR

----------


## Steve Hinde

A couple finally finished.

----------


## Steve Hinde

More

----------


## Andy Miller

Cool colors, Steve.

----------


## crazymandolinist

I really like the tailpiece  :Wink:

----------


## Skip Kelley

StevenS, nice looking tops on your bench!

Steve, really nice black and green mandolins!! There is an intense amount of color in the fern inlay! I love it!

----------


## Steve Hinde

Have to thank Brian Dean (Labraid) for his tailpieces. Really great design. I like the new one too Brian. I'll have to call you in a couple years when I finish some more......

Steve

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Neck.

----------


## Mike Black

Nice one Jim!

----------


## P Josey

Jim, don't know if I've ever seen a nicer neck.

----------


## Jim Garber

> The backs, left to right: Trevor's 10 String, other 10 string, A5, mandocello


What is the story with those brown spots on that back in the middle of the photo?

----------


## Geoff B

> Neck.


Jim did you end up spraying or hand applying the dye?

----------


## Chip Booth

Jim, I am not sure what methods Lawrence uses to rough cut a back like that, but those are just left over marks from the process.  He doesn't use CNC or anything fancy, it all seems to be done with pretty common tools. I noticed when I visited his shop yesterday that he used a drill press to do some rough shaping on that piece of wood, and it left 1/2" drill marks all over it.  Of course, this is just how he gets it close to right shape, and then the final carve is all done by hand.  As you can see buy the more finished pieces all the roughness and discoloration is gone at that point.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I chickened out...at least for now.
But things changed. I thought this one was a spec but now someone with another of my instruments is interested and as someone who plays out a lot is more interested in durability over asthetics so I went sprayed stain with lacquer so it matches his other one better.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, that is a sweet looking neck!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Back

----------


## Jordan Ramsey

Mighty fine, Jim!  Hope I get to play it before it's gone.

----------


## MandoNicity

This thread is so mando-porn!   :Wink: 

JR

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, That is beautiful maple and beautiful work!

----------


## labraid



----------


## Jim Garber

> 


Brian: is that another German mandolin?

----------


## labraid

yessah, it is, and another one coming in a few months. I was partial to the sound of Chris', but so it seems were others.  :Cool:

----------


## Jim Garber

Brian: More pics?

----------


## labraid

Should have her strung up and ready to show within the week.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Headstock.

----------


## Geoff B

Jim I'm gonna have to visit in a few weeks, say, right around the time that gets strung up!

Brian, let me know if you ever come to CO, I'll buy you a beer just 'cause you're awesome.

----------


## labraid

Will gladly take you up on that Geoff, good beer like you have down there is uber-hard to come by in these parts.

----------


## man dough nollij

You can't swing a dead cat around here without hitting a microbrewery.

Mando content: Anybody have tab for "Swingin' a Dead Cat"?

----------


## Jim Roberts

Jim...having seen that A5 in the white a few weeks ago, I was hoping to get to play it at Winfield in September...looks like another one of your stellar creations!  I had a chance while in Westcliffe yesterday to play the five string electric you built for Drew.  Beautiful work and a gas to play!  See you and Pat in Kansas in about a month at Windshield.

----------


## Life Is Good

Content removed by moderator.  a) wrong thread for the post b) mind the posting guidlines re: flames and trolling.

----------


## Clyde Clevenger

I've started my second kit, this time a Stewmac kit.  9 hours today on the back, I may be old, but I'm slow.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Looking good Clyde!!

----------


## Chip Booth

Beautiful pictures Jim!

Here are a few shots from Flatcher Brock's shop last week.  He has a lot going on, 2 Fs, a blonde A ready to be buffed out, an archtop guitar and a GOM all under construction:

----------


## kyken

here's one I'm working on. I just finished the oil painting and it is about dry, now the varnish starts. I love putting the oil paintings on, it's about my favorite part. I know, I know, it's not for everybody, but some like it.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Ken, you are such an awesome artist! Is that someone you know?  
The painting is beautiful!

----------


## kyken

Trying a bigger picture, hard to see much detail.

----------


## kyken

nobody I know Skip, just a fantasy. I guess making it bigger didn't change a thing, I'm pretty ignorant on this thing, lucky to do anything.....

----------


## MandoNicity

I love it Ken!  Reminds me of of a Munch or Maxfield Parish piece.  It looks great!

JR

----------


## JEStanek

That's a good painting, Ken.  Way better than a Parrot for the back of a mandolin.

Jamie

----------


## Skip Kelley

Ken, You are one incredibly talented guy and humble too!  :Smile:

----------


## kyken

Thanks Skip, I sure appreciate appreciation of my work. I'm going to Kernersville tomorrow to do a little mowing at my ladies house.

----------


## Mark Marino

this is my first build-a Siminoff kit.  I posted last week in the builder section and got some great help with sunbursting from the Cafe- as even after a lot of practice on scraps, my first try was not good- I ended up sanding down and starting over.  I'll keep this one.

----------


## banJoe

Looks pretty darn good Mark!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Ken, I wish I had tomorrow off so we could visit!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Bearclaw in red spruce.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I was going to say stretch marks but thought that would not be very PC.

----------


## Steve-o

> this is my first build-a Siminoff kit.


Very nice Mark.  Looks old already.  Maybe I'll get to see it some day.  Make sure you post the final pics when it is all strung up.

----------


## hank

Ken your painted mandolin is the best I've ever seen.  Very Nouveau and fitting for an instrument design that was inspired from that same turn of the century Art Movement.  I find myself drawn like a magnet to the style so often used as a setting for the magic of Elves.  Thanks for sharing.

----------


## kyken

Too bad Skip, would have liked meeting you, maybe next time.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Ken, Absolutely! It would be my pleasure!!

----------


## Ben Milne

From a recent trip to the far southeast of Oz...

These mandos are a few years off yet.  Hopefully someday I'll know someone who can sit in the shade here.

The second pic is the start of my #1 build...  it will be a lengthy one as It is now several thousand kilometers away from me.  Doing as much planning as i can as it will be quite removed from traditional builds.  
So far undecided on hollow or semihollow body, though have made cuts for Tas Oak top  w/Jarrah and somekindofmahogany(?) neckthru .

----------


## Mike Black

I've got stain and a sealer coat of shellac on the new octave.  The accessories are just sitting on top to see how it will look.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

The dreaded hand-buffing stage. I'm going to the mountains instead. More next week.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Mike, that octave looks great. Will I be able to check it out next month? You know where.

----------


## Mike Black

> Mike, that octave looks great. Will I be able to check it out next month? You know where.


Absolutely!  You should be able to check it out in about 30 days. But who's counting   :Smile:

----------


## hank

Mike Your OM looks fantastic. I think thats a great body shape of the OM guitar shapes.

----------


## Jake Wildwood

Wow really nice OM!

----------


## Jill McAuley

...and another voice chiming in on how lovely Mike's OM looks!!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Skip Kelley

Mike, Jim, great work you guys!!

----------


## Charles E.

Mike, great looking OM, really nice F-holes. Do you do the side port on all of your OM's?

----------


## Mike Black

Thanks for all the comments about the Octave.  :Redface: 

 Charles, I have decided to put the side port on all of my octaves.  The first one that I made for myself doesn't have one, but I wish that it did.  Some days I think that I'll probably just cut one in, but most likely I won't.  Especially since now I build them with a backing reinforcement at the port.   The biggest drawback to the side port is that you have to make everything so clean on the inside.  It adds a lot of extra work. 

The octave has been coming along nicely this weekend.  Just a couple more coats of spirit varnish...

----------


## Charles E.

Mike, I just noticed how the shape of the end of the fingerboard mirrors the end of the tailpiece, very nice detail! What are you using for the tail gut? Is it the Sacconi style or the new Kevlar ' rope ' stuff?

----------


## Mike Black

> Mike, I just noticed how the shape of the end of the fingerboard mirrors the end of the tailpiece, very nice detail! What are you using for the tail gut? Is it the Sacconi style or the new Kevlar ' rope ' stuff?


And the end of the fingerboard is actually a reverse of the headstock.   :Smile:  

The tail gut is made of stranded steel with black nylon coating (the Benedetto Tailpiece Fastener).

----------


## Charles E.

Reversed, thats what I ment. It flows nicely.

----------


## Mike Snyder

The only thing wrong with Mikes' OM is that my stubby little fingers don't fit it. Nice work, Mike.

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

My "Most Fun" project yet, the graphics were designed by Sean Closson of Santa Fe to suit the scaled down BC Rich Stealth outline.

The edges of graphic will be blended to black and although not obvious in the photo, the Olympian themed graphics are overlayed onto a flame maple veneer. Pickup is the new Almuse Aggressor (my take on the Seymour Duncan Invader :-).
Never know.............might start a craze for Death Metal Mandos!

----------


## Doug Edwards

Just finishing up my second Armadillo A5. 
Mp3 here  and info on the website

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Ready to learn how Curly Claro Walnut bends . . . 
Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Doug, nice work on the A model! I like your peghead shape!

StevenS, that looks like alot of good work on your bench! Can't wait to see more pics of the walnut!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Now there's something I haven't done for a while.

----------


## MandoNicity

That looks really elegant Jim!  Love it!

JR

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, now that is one clean bound F hole! Nice work!

----------


## Troy Harris

I recently installed truss rods in a batch of necks.  I made 5/32 diameter truss rods to reproduce the fit and weight of the original Loar truss rods.

----------


## Steve-o

StevenS,
That's some great looking claro walnut. Looks like a couple spruce tops and a couple redwood tops.  I have an A-style mando with a claro back and redwood top - love the look and tone.  I'm anxious to see your finished products.

----------


## Steve-o

> That looks really elegant Jim!  Love it!
> 
> JR


Yes, indeed Jim.  I don't care for the white bound f-holes, but really like the more subtle approach.

----------


## hank

Troy I didn't realize that the truss rods had so much curvature to them. Is it needed to get the proper leverage to pull the neck in the opposite direction of the string tension?  Steven does the walnut back and sides give a warmer tone somewhere between mahogany and maple?  Beautiful work everyone.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Troy, those neck looks great! Impeccable work!

----------


## Charles E.

I made a new rosette for a one off instrument and did not want to grind a new cutting head or pay $ 80.oo for the LMI rosette cutter. So I went old school ala Cumpiano-Natelson. It worked well. More pics in the future.

----------


## Jim Garber

Looks good, Charles. A circular instead of an oval hole?

----------


## Charles E.

Thanks Jim, yes, round hole. I am useing a a Lyon and Healy bell shaped Tiple we have in the shop as a model. To my knowledge L & H never made a bell mandolin. I made a carved bell mando a few years ago and it is my only mando at this point so I thought a flat ( pancake ) instrument would be a nice addition. I will be using a slotted peg head with a L&H early 20's Deco style head plate. The sides and back are Austrailian Blackwood. More picks soon.

----------


## Charles E.

Here are the back and top plates as well as the ribs with an inside mould.

----------


## Jill McAuley

Looking forward to seeing that one when it's all finished, Charley!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Steve Sorensen

For those of you who haunt this place and provide such excellent motivation . . . 
Thank you!

A year ago, when I bought a mandolin, my wife joked that it would be typical for me to either start composing music or building instruments.  Glad I chose the second.

Tickled to show off a hint of where the Californian project is headed . . .

Steve

----------


## delsbrother

> My "Most Fun" project yet, the graphics were designed by Sean Closson of Santa Fe to suit the scaled down BC Rich Stealth outline.
> 
> The edges of graphic will be blended to black and although not obvious in the photo, the Olympian themed graphics are overlayed onto a flame maple veneer. Pickup is the new Almuse Aggressor (my take on the Seymour Duncan Invader :-).
> Never know.............might start a craze for Death Metal Mandos!


Dude, this thing needs to be BLACK. If you don't mind, I'm posting a link to this pic over on the BC Rich board - someone should get a kick out of it!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Stevens, nice mermaid inlay! I love your peghead shape!

----------


## Charles E.

After reading the GAL interview with Gary Southwell (winter 2009) I have been wanting to try this. I am making sure the poltruded carbon rods are not distorting the rib structure and will fill the grooves with Mahogany blocks and epoxy them into place.

----------


## Jim Garber

Charley: What is the purpose of those? I did not read that interview.

oh, i see: Southwell site




> The internal construction is influenced by other makers who have worked in the Viennese style, such as Stauffer, Scherzer and Hauser. A carbon fibre sub-frame supports all the stress exerted on the top when using a floating adjustable neck. Relieving this stress allows the soundboard to vibrate freely, improving the efficiency response and sound quality of the instrument.

----------


## Geoff B

Charley, my friend Herb Taylor has done that on some of his instruments and it makes for an INCREDIBLY stiff rims.  I'm not sure what the tone effect ended up being, but all his instruments sound like his instruments, so he was successful with it.  I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on it once you get it all strung up.
By-the-way, it looks great!

----------


## MandoNicity

> stevens, nice mermaid inlay! I love your peghead shape!


+1

jr

----------


## Charles E.

When I was doing guitar repair one of my least favorite things to deal with were cracks in the top of flat topped instruments next to the fingerboard and extending to the sound hole. In addition to stiffening up the ribs I hope the carbon bars will prevent that happening in the future.

----------


## Paul Statman

Great looking instrument. Eager to hear how it sounds!

----------


## JEStanek

That mermaid looks great.  I like the graphics on the e-mando, too.

Jamie

----------


## amowry

Here's some old European spruce from John Sullivan's stash.

----------


## j. condino

I remember hanging out in John's basement while he would tell stories about what he was planning with each piece of wood he was holding on to; stuff stashed in every nook and corner along with that great big Rube Goldberg sander he had right in the middle of everything.

I've got a bit of John and his wood inside a double bass that I built last year. 'Great fellow and a huge loss...

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## amowry

Yes, I'm amazed that he produced all those fantastic instruments in that cave. I think I would have gone crazy in a week down there.

----------


## Skip Kelley

> " that great big Rube Goldberg sander he had right in the middle of everything."
> 
> 
> 
> j.
> www.condino.com


Don't you just love it!  :Smile:

----------


## Max Girouard

Here is a Carpathian top, Walnut back, sides and neck mando I started a few weeks ago.  I'm looking forward to hearing how the walnut sounds.  Not quite sure how I'll finish it yet, will be my first experience with pore filling.

----------


## Max Girouard

Some more photos of the walnut mando.....

----------


## Max Girouard

.......and some more.....

----------


## crazymandolinist

Yay the thread's been bumped!

----------


## Max Girouard

...... still some more.........

----------


## Charles E.

Looking good Max. It seems that Walnut is a popular thread these days.

----------


## Max Girouard

So I have been learning and building for the past few years, and my wife has been watching how much fun I'm always having.  So, she decided to join in.  This is her first build.  She is going to call it the Marinedolin.  It will have a marine theme.  She chose some blister maple for the neck, back and sides.  The top will be Carpathian spruce,  When stained blue, the blister maple looks like bubbles in water.  Should be fun watching her build her first mando!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Beautiful work Max!! I want to build one out of walnut soon. Where did you get your walnut?

----------


## Max Girouard

> Beautiful work Max!! I want to build one out of walnut soon. Where did you get your walnut?


I found it on ebay by a seller named Antlers Express.  He has some really nice stuff, the only hitch is it is not dry and you will have to mill it to size and let it finish drying.

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

> Dude, this thing needs to be BLACK. If you don't mind, I'm posting a link to this pic over on the BC Rich board - someone should get a kick out of it!


He...heh..metal for small folk!!!!
Now I`ve figured out the graphics thing, it`s got to be a Kirk Hammett Ouija 5 string!

----------


## Michael Cameron

Max,you ARE having fun! 

Looking forward to more pics.

Thank you for sharing.

----------


## hank

Great looking work Mr. & Mrs. Max.  Ah the Marinedalin a mariners delight.  Will it have gill slit sound holes and fish scales pick guard?  You two are definitely living LARGE.

----------


## Max Girouard

A few more pictures of the Claro Walnut mandolins.......

----------


## Max Girouard

And some more of the truss rod installation........

----------


## Max Girouard

I'm not using the drill press to thread the rods, just to hold it square so the threads come out perfect..........

----------


## Max Girouard

Wife's turn...this is her carving the inside of the marinedolin top.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Max, looks like she's been busy! Nice work! How did you manage to get your wife participating?

----------


## Max Girouard

> Max, looks like she's been busy! Nice work! How did you manage to get your wife participating?


Hi Skip,

She just saw how much fun I was always having and wanted to see what was keeping me in my shop all day long on my days off!

----------


## Charles E.

Here are the poltruded carbon rods glued in and the top glued on. Also included is my take on a Lyon and Healy style 'C' but with a slotted headstock. Note the piece of Aussi Black wood inlayed under the window, it was a cut off from one of the ribs.

----------


## Max Girouard

More progress on the Claro Walnut A5's.  One with a walnut overstand and one with a maple overstand.

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

Here`s a baby Strat 5 string!

Shame I couldn`t fit three pots in :-(
CheeryBye

----------


## Tom Wright

Handsome.

Looks like you contoured the body. 5-way switch?

----------


## Paul Statman

Looks great! can't wait to see it finished.

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

> Handsome.
> 
> Looks like you contoured the body. 5-way switch?


Contoured body, 5 way switch.........middle pickup reverse wound/polarity!
It was certainly fun making the pickups so small but anything larger....well...wouldn`t be right!
It`s only white primer at the moment before the Antique White colour.
CheeryBye

----------


## crazymandolinist

Man everything is proportioned so well! Looks great!

----------


## MandoNicity

That really looks awesome Pete!

JR

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

Yikes!.....trouble is, I`m fighting an almost uncontrolable urge to do another but this time, with a scalloped fingerboard (Yngwe style)!
I wonder if anyone`s tried that before........?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Max, That looks like alot of good work there! Really nice dovetail!

----------


## Max Girouard

> Max, That looks like alot of good work there! Really nice dovetail!


Thanks Skip!  My best dovetail to date!

----------


## oldwave maker

Pallette of red and engelmann tops for mando , gom,  guidola,  and guimando joined with new improved shooting board recycled from our old butcherblock kitchen counter top, my new favorite hand, er, elbow tool.

----------


## Gail Hester

Great looking mandos everyone.

Nice Bill, any more of that stuff left? :Smile:

----------


## Eric Foulke

It has been a while, here is the latest.

----------


## billhay4

Your usual stunning work, Eric. Good to see you back in the game. Let's get together at Wintergrass this year.
Bill

----------


## wildpikr

> It has been a while, here is the latest.


When you get it strung up, I'd be interested to hear how this django-lin sounds...hope there's a sound clip in the future... :Coffee:

----------


## billhay4

I believe there is a sound clip of one of these instruments on Eric's website: Boot's Mandolins.

----------


## Eric Foulke

There are several sound clips on my website that were recorded by Peter Mix. 
These are pretty versatile instruments, but they definitely have their own unique voice.

Bill, the Seattle Luthiers Group will probably have a booth at Wintergrass again this year, hope to see you there.

----------


## wildpikr

Cool sound and -wow- what sustain!

----------


## TDMpicker

Just finished the assembly and put some strings on Crystal Forest #6.
Its ready for staining and finish.

This is a deluxe flat top mandolin that features an Adirondack Spruce top, curly maple back, sides and neck. Fully bound ebony fretboard an peghead. Body is bound top and bottom with cream+black+cream binding.  Fitted with a Cumberland Acoustics adjustable bridge and Grover tuners. A great classic flat top sound! It will be a beaut when finished.

----------


## crazymandolinist

That's one high class Pancake!

----------


## Bill Snyder

TDMpicker,
What is the width of your nut. Looking at the photos your fretboard appears to be wider than what is common.

----------


## TDMpicker

Bill,
It is a standard 1 1/8" nut (bone)

----------


## HoGo

This is my first post in this long thread. I'll add something different.
I've not used Adi or Carpathian spruce but pure zeros and ones... 
Here is the back, rim, rim with kerfing, top outside carved, top inside carved, f-holes cut.

----------


## HoGo

And here the partially, and fully assembled body :-)
Going to cut dovetail and make the neck soon.

----------


## TDMpicker

HoGo,

Pretty cool solid models. What software are you using.

----------


## HoGo

Rhino.
This is the first work I ever did in 3D. Took me two dozen nights to get here :-) I'm barely starting to understand 3D modelling.

----------


## HoGo

Fatal error occured... I forgot to use tonebars. Thankfully, the solid model is so easy to disassemble :-)

----------


## Steve Sorensen

All the shavings from those tone bars must created quite a pile of binaries -

        0
     10101 
   01010010
010100101001

Steve

----------


## Glassweb

Big Wheel (Will) keeps on churnin'... proud pickers keep on burnin'! Here's a couple of Kimble 2-pointers that are ready for finishing... SWEET!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Adrian, are you going to be able to model the stresses of the strings on the top and neck? I'd love to see an accurate computer model of how different trussrods effect the neck. We could finally see if the original rod design works backwards or not.

----------


## HoGo

> Adrian, are you going to be able to model the stresses of the strings on the top and neck? I'd love to see an accurate computer model of how different trussrods effect the neck. We could finally see if the original rod design works backwards or not.


Good point Jim. 
I was doing this mainly for FEM analysis of stresses on whole body. That's why I did the kerfed lining in such detail (I may replace it with solid or reverse kerfed linings to see difference). The neck stresses will be much easier to analyze. May be a good start for the rest of FEMA. Actually, I know that the rod in the Loar neck measured for the plans works VERY well. The Loar came with severely bowed neck for setup  but the rod was able to straighten it perfectly. 
As a side product I will have good models for CNC roughing parts and designing jigs.
BTW, nice new webpage, Jim!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

This weekend I decided I'd decorate the tailpiece on the upcoming octave.

----------


## billhay4

Nice, Jim!
Bill

----------


## Skip Kelley

Very nice inlay, Jim!

----------


## Onesound

IMO, Glassweb, I'd finish at least one of those beauties in a translucent white, perhaps with a black wipe to heighten the grain.  It would make an absolutely dynamite looker!  Until I looked closer, I thought they already were stained.  :-)

----------


## Martin Stevens

> This weekend I decided I'd decorate the tailpiece on the upcoming octave.


That is sweet!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

The curious Mermaid ready to be inlaid.

----------


## Mike Black

Made a Virzi for my next A4 today.

----------


## Glassweb

> IMO, Glassweb, I'd finish at least one of those beauties in a translucent white, perhaps with a black wipe to heighten the grain.  It would make an absolutely dynamite looker!  Until I looked closer, I thought they already were stained.  :-)


 I hear ya, but Will probably won't be traveling down that road!

----------


## Skip Kelley

StevenS, nice inlays and I love your peghead shape! Nice work!!

----------


## Ken

Wonderful inlays Steven, I love the motion.  I've done a couple mermaid inlays over the years but they don't hold a candle to yours.
Ken

----------


## ParsonsMandolins

Brand new Parsons mandolin in progress.

----------


## Max Girouard

Here is a custom 2 point I'm working on for a customer, my walnut mandolins are taking a back seat until this one is finished.

----------


## crazymandolinist

I like it. What kind of finish are you thinking of putting on this one? Nice chisels

----------


## joec

Here are a few of an A-model on it's way:

...just a few more detagli, and on to varnish...
Joe

----------


## Max Girouard

> I like it. What kind of finish are you thinking of putting on this one? Nice chisels


We are going to put a variation of a 1704 varnish with a FP top coat.  Stain is going to be a uniform brown.

----------


## HoGo

I have more binaries to show...
Added neck, fingerboard headstock overlay, bridge. All I need to add is f/b support and riser block and also nut, tailpiece and tuners...
I will add the truss rod soon and will do the FEMA.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Adrian, when that one's done your going to need a giant blue alien to play it.

----------


## Diamondback_Jack

> The curious Mermaid ready to be inlaid.


Gorgeous!!! I love how the mermaid moves from headstock to headstock

----------


## Jim Hilburn

This is the new octave. The top has quite a bit of bearclaw for red spruce.

----------


## Don Grieser

Joe Cleary--great to see you posting in this thread. That A looks wonderful. Make sure you post some pics as the finish goes on too. I play my Dué all the time--it's something special.

Jim, that octave is gorgeous. Always amazing work from you.

----------


## Andy Miller

Another beauty, Jim.  With the bound f-holes and pickguard, that's gonna be "uptown!"

----------


## Joe Mendel

Here's my first OM built with padauk back and sides. Aside from the sawdust being nasty and huge pores it's been very nice to work with and rings like a bell. Thanks to a good dust collector on the thickness sander and a good downdraft table the sawdust wasn't much of a problem, but it did take a lot of pore filler.

----------


## hank

Beautiful craftsmanship and wood Joe.  Is the padauk natural or stained?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, I love that octave!! The burst is perfect and so are the bound F holes!!!

Joe, that is a sweet looking OM!! I love the look of the padauk under your finish!!

----------


## Joe Mendel

Thanks, Hank & Skip.
 The padauk is unstained, sealed with clear shellac, with Epiphanes varnish over that.

----------


## JEStanek

Almost 5000 posts in this thread and I'm running low on superlatives for the beuaty being presented here so frequently.  Wow.

Jamie

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's a shot inside my spray booth.
I hate working on Sunday but you have to pick your days this time of year. It's 40 outside so I'm blowing out my 70 degree air and intaking 40. So I try to get done as quick as I can.

----------


## Joe Mendel

Here's the finished octave, ready to ship out this week.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Joe, That is sweet!! Nice work!!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Thankful for the Go-Bar idea.  That was easy!



Steve

----------


## Miked

> I have more binaries to show...
> Added neck, fingerboard headstock overlay, bridge. All I need to add is f/b support and riser block and also nut, tailpiece and tuners...
> I will add the truss rod soon and will do the FEMA.


Nice work, Adrian!

Any virtual sound clips?  :Grin:

----------


## Geoff B

Joe that's a fine looking octave there!
Jim, I have to make it by sometime for some pointers  :Mandosmiley: 
Adrian, that's a sweet looking mando model.  Must be nice to not have to deal with dust...

Here is a new design I am going for... Been in my head in various forms for a year or two now, finally giving it a try...

(Looks like I didn't get the pictures oriented right, but a little head tilting will give you the idea)

----------


## Mattg

Dang Geoff. That's pretty cool. Can't wait to try it out.

----------


## Bill Snyder

Geoff I look at you headstock, your "f" holes and now this octave and wonder why you have to be such a conformist and can't get more imaginative with your designs and do something original for a change.  :Smile: 
Obviously just kidding. That octave is something else. Curious about bending the sides where they hook back so tight. That has got to be a challenge. 
Good for you in being so creative.

----------


## bernabe

Geoff- new and interesting design yet it has a vintage look in some unfamiliar way. cant wait to see the end product.

----------


## Jill McAuley

Geoff, what an interesting and awesome design! I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished product!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## hank

I like the leg rest. Obviously less to the point.

----------


## Tavy

Here we go with a few in progress images, first off with the back off, showing the "flying" braces:

----------


## Tavy

Now some more up to date images, just prior to starting finishing, first off the pickguard and tailpiece cover, veneered in amboyna burr and bound in rosewood, sealed with one coat of shellac and already looking gorgeous, I need to do better on the binding though:



General front and back views, sitka top and curly maple back and sides:






Neck and headstock is mahogany recycled from some bedroom furniture that was being thrown out... bad planning here... I made the headstop just a touch too small and put the tuner holes too near the neck as well... I'm impressed by the color though - I sanded this to 1200 grit and then immediately sealed with shellac - hopefully that'll keep the red color intact and stop it from going back to dull brown again!

----------


## Tavy

And finally some shots showing the cylinder top - it ended up not as highly curved as the Howe Orme instruments that were my inspiration - basically I chickened out of bending the top that much - I also forgot to check that the curve on the top was symetrical when carving the sides to match the top... did I mention this is build #1?  So much to learn... !





Cheers, John.

----------


## Kramster

My Matching Gypsy's Music mandos coming along... can't wait!!

----------


## crazymandolinist

First post on the 200th page. Congrats. Is this the longest running thread on the site?

I like those mandolins btw.  Folky stuff makes me feel warm and fuzzy  :Coffee:

----------


## Kramster

Doing what I can...

----------


## hank

"My Matching Gypsy's Music mandos coming along... can't wait!!"
  Wow talk about a chip off the old block.  Interesting burl signature on some beautiful dark wood.

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

> Looks great! can't wait to see it finished.


There`s a pic part way down in the "busy busy busy" thread - 4,5 and 8 string electrics.
CheeryBye

----------


## Doug Edwards

Busy hands are happy hands.

After sitting on high center for several weeks, I finally got going on several mandolins. I have an A5 with red spruce and a  one piece BE maple back. a 2pt with RS &  one piece BE maple back, another 2pt with RS & one piece curly maple back, & my third Amadillo a5. The 2pt BE back has exceptional figure. The ribs were cut from a re-claimed church organ panel.  I have another back from the same panel in line.  

I've decided I do not like bending ribs any more, broke several on the curly maple.

----------


## bernabe

Couple of new ones.

----------


## Bill Snyder

James,
I notice your ribs do not meet at the end pin. I take it will get an end graft like most steel string guitars. Is that how you do most of your mandolins or is this by request?

----------


## bernabe

Bill, If I dont have ribs long enouph to go all around an A style which is typically the case, I like to fit an ebony deco strip there. Just the way I do it.

----------


## Bill Snyder

Like I mentioned it is typical of guitar construction.  I have always wondered why it was not common place on mandolins.

----------


## Jim Garber

For one thing I think it is pretty common in the construction of Brazilian mandolins (bandolims). Check out this detail from Pedro Santos.

----------


## bernabe

Heres none from a builder in Indiana.

----------


## thistle3585

Here's another from a builder in Indiana. My first lefty.

----------


## Charles E.

I finally got the neck set. I use a bolt on system, and am thinking about having a floating fingerboard and adjustable neck rather then glueing it to the top. I just have to think of a way to stiffen up the fingerboard where it hangs over the body.
Also here is the mando with it's inspiration, a L&H bell tiple.

----------


## Bill Snyder

So Charles, 
Are you going to repair/restore the tipple?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Doug, that is some really great looking maple! Nice work!

Charley, very nice work indeed!!

----------


## Charles E.

> So Charles, 
> Are you going to repair/restore the tipple?


 Hey Bill, I don't have any plans to restore it at the moment. It is in pretty rough shape. When the bridge came off it took a large section of the top with it and most of the braces on the inside are split or loose. With my work at the shop and instrument building on the side, I just do not have the time. I have thought about sending it to Mr. Jake, He would do a bang up job I am sure. So right now it is a study piece.

----------


## Charles E.

> Here we go with a few in progress images, first off with the back off, showing the "flying" braces:


Tavy, it is nice to see that I am not the only one to use " flying braces ", looking good.

----------


## Tavy

> Tavy, it is nice to see that I am not the only one to use " flying braces ", looking good.


LOL, I was just looking at yours and thinking that looks familiar... clearly great minds think alike  :Smile:

----------


## Clyde Clevenger

I've been working on this steady since July.  Should be ready by Christmas Morning

----------


## Steve-o

> I've been working on this steady since July.  Should be ready by Christmas Morning


Well, talk about just in time delivery!  I'm sure you've been told that you make a great Santa as the last photo shows.  Kind of the mando-Santa that we all dream about.  Merry Christmas,

----------


## bernabe

> I've been working on this steady since July.  Should be ready by Christmas Morning


A merry x-mas for someone this year. Lookin good

----------


## Clyde Clevenger

It's a gift for my son, Chad, to replace the IV kit I made for him last year.  It had some problems.  This one is much better, sounds great and looks pretty good I think.  It's a steep learning curve for old dumb guys.

----------


## mandopete

Lookin' like Santa's workshop there Clyde!

----------


## Mike Snyder

Clyde, I'm curious about that wild psychedelic cello in the backround.

----------


## Clyde Clevenger

Okay, the psyco cello was a project for a troubled youth group in our area.  It was donated for them to paint and was raffled off at some function that my wife bought tickets for, being a good hearted Norwegian woman and all.  Well she won.  It's a student model/plywood cello that is playable but, like me, not ready for the big time.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice work Clyde!! That is one awesome Christmas present!!

----------


## Doug Edwards

Making a mess and loving it.

----------


## oldwave maker

Hogged tops: dolas, parlor archtops, goms. Nice to get back into the sawdust/scraper groove now that the days are getting longer in the mando cave:

----------


## Clyde Clevenger

I gave the mandolin to my son today, he was thrilled but not as thrilled as I was.  It sounded great, the kid can pick a little.

----------


## Steve-o

> I gave the mandolin to my son today, he was thrilled but not as thrilled as I was.  It sounded great, the kid can pick a little.


What a great gift, a mandolin that dad built!  No, that's a family heirloom. I'm sure you son is very proud and happy.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Clyde,
Pictures have nice soft focus . . . like Dad's eyes got a little misty while taking the shot.  Well done.
Steve

----------


## hank

Congratulations Clyde on your build and your family to enjoy it with.

----------


## Clyde Clevenger

Yes, dad got a little misty eyed.  I'm a little proud of the mandolin, but more of my son, he's a good one.

----------


## Ed Goist

Clyde, that's a beautiful mandolin and a great story all around. Congratulations and enjoy!

----------


## Skip Kelley

> Yes, dad got a little misty eyed.  I'm a little proud of the mandolin, but more of my son, he's a good one.


That is awesome!!  We have some of the best folks in the world here!!

----------


## Magnus Geijer

Merry Christmas to me, from myself. Almost done.

----------


## hank

Interesting pattern in the wood up around the neck.  Almost looks like wood inlay.  Very nice looking lectric skillet.

----------


## DBedwell

This is my serial number 1. 

It still needs fillets at the neck joint, the binding needs scraped, the french polishing is barely started, the mother-of-pearl headstock inlay blanks aren't cut out yet, the truss rod cover isn't fitted, etc. etc. but I couldn't wait any longer; I strung it up for the first time on December 25. Then I removed, reworked and reglued the fretboard, levelled it, and set it up. 
Now it actually makes music.  I was shocked! 



It's based on the 2004 Siminoff book. The bigleaf maple and sitka spruce are from Don Barnes at Grandpa's Workshop; I ordered an "A" grade mandolin wood package and was very pleased with it. Grover tuners, ivoroid single-bound body, hand-rubbed finish with Fiebing's Leather Dye in yellow, dark brown and USMC Black.

Pretty much everybody who's ever posted good advice here deserves part of the credit.

Darren Bedwell

----------


## crazymandolinist

Love that dark, smoky burst. Great job for no. 1. Especially if it's a first attempt. And an F5 at that.

----------


## Earl Gamage

Nice work dbedwell

----------


## Ed Goist

> This is my serial number 1. 
> ...snip...
> Darren Bedwell


Congratulations! Really fine job, Darren. I, too, really like the look of that burst. Nice!

----------


## Clyde Clevenger

Very nice work Darren.  I, too, got much help from the folks on this list.  I really appreciate it.

----------


## Kramster

Very beautiful indeed Darren....nothin' bettern playable art.

----------


## bropete

Applying a little hand rubbed varnish to the next White Dove A5.

----------


## TDMpicker

Sharing a few photos of my latest Army-Navy - _Flatiron_ style mandolin.

This one has an Engelmann spruce top, red-curly maple back sides and neck. Ebony fingerboard and peghead overlay. The body is bound front and back in black.  The top and back have a 96" induced radius. 1 1/8" bone nut with a standard mandolin 13 7/8" scale length. Grover 309, 18:1 tuning machine (nickel plated). Fitted with a  _Cumberland Acoustics_ adjustable bridge. A scalloped nickel plated tailpiece, Crystal Forest M.O.P. inlay on peghead. I am going to do a classic sunburst stain on this one.

----------


## Skip Kelley

BroPete, Terry, those mandolins look great! Nice work guys!!

----------


## hank

Terry has the induced arch changed the voice of your Crystal Forrest designs?

----------


## TDMpicker

Hank,

I've never built one without some induced arch so I can't say how much it effects the sound.
It probably has some effect but the primary reason for the arch is to resist the downward pressure of the bridge
and help keep the flat top from sagging. Keeping the neck angle to the body low so the bridge height is .5-.625 has
worked well for me. I haven't noticed any "sagging" on my mandolins.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Got to love it when the plan starts to come together.

----------


## Max Girouard

Here are some of my latest......   and for all of you whom like wood, check out the size of that board those mandos are sitting on!

----------


## Mike Black

Max, the A5 at the bottom looks great!!!  Love the back woods and stain!  Great job.

----------


## JEStanek

Those look stellar, Max.  Love the floor too.

Jamie

----------


## Ed Goist

> Here are some of my latest......   and for all of you whom like wood, check out the size of that board those mandos are sitting on!


Max, those are magnificent! My personal favorite is the 2-Point...A very unique finish on a very original design. Nice! 
Also, I agree with Mike about the A5 on the bottom. That burst finish is just stellar. 
Really nice work! Congratulations.

----------


## hank

Thats a nice litter of pups you got there Max.  Can you tell us more about that very large slab of knotty pine?  I've always heard about tall Georgia pine trees but thats a mighty serious chunk of wood.

----------


## Max Girouard

Thanks guys.  I cant take credit for the stain.  I just build them. My wife dresses them up!   

Hank, to answer your question about the slab, I am not sure what type of pine it is.  It was here when we bought our old 150 year old farmhouse.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Max, Awesome work!!! I love the sunbursts on those mandolins as well! Looks great!
You have to let us in on how your wife got interested in this with you. That's wonderful!

----------


## hank

Woaaaa! 1861, the real deal!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Just getting started on some new A style orders. 
Here are 2 fingerboards, one narrow and one extra wide. I usually do this 12th fret inlay and you can see how I glue 2 abalone blanks together to get a set with one cut.

----------


## Glassweb

pretty purty Jim...

----------


## Max Girouard

That's a great idea on the inlay.  How wide is that board????

----------


## Jim Garber

Nice inlay and I like the patterns on the abalone dots too.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Dang, Jim, no need for jeweler's files when you cut like that.  Lovely work.

Steve

----------


## Jim Hilburn

The board on the left is 1 1/16" and the one on the left is 1 3/16" at the nut.
I try to pick dots that match but by the time you sand it to final they look totally different.
Believe me, there's plenty of filing to be done.

----------


## Max Girouard

> Max, Awesome work!!! I love the sunbursts on those mandolins as well! Looks great!
> You have to let us in on how your wife got interested in this with you. That's wonderful!


My wife loves to paint so staining and color are right up her alley.

----------


## Kirk Albrecht

Max, love all of them!  Really nice, some great bursts.

I see your wife is hand staining?  Any secrets you can let out about her technique / materials?

Are any of these for sale?  Do you have website?

----------


## Max Girouard

> Max, love all of them!  Really nice, some great bursts.
> 
> I see your wife is hand staining?  Any secrets you can let out about her technique / materials?
> 
> Are any of these for sale?  Do you have website?


Hi Kirk,

Yes she usually hand stains our mandolins.  She uses both water based dyes as well as trans tint dyes.  She rubes them on with cotton cloth.  I included our website in my signature if you want to take a look.  We are still working on it.  Thanks!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, Nice inlay work in the fretboards!

----------


## swampy

> Thanks guys.  I cant take credit for the stain.  I just build them. My wife dresses them up!   
> 
> Hank, to answer your question about the slab, I am not sure what type of pine it is.  It was here when we bought our old 150 year old farmhouse.


we bought a 240 yr old house a little South of you. Nice wide floors, but the slew of mandos were nowhere to be found  :Smile:

----------


## Jill McAuley

Jim - inlays look lovely!

Max- lovely selection of mandolins there, how awesome that your wife helps with the finish!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## hank

Way cool flying Yin Yangs at the 12th Jim.  Great idea the added thickness of the two joined prob. helps make them stiff enough to prevent some of the push pull breakage when cutting thin shell with a jewelers saw. Anyone here using a laser cutter?  I would love to see one and try to clone it on the cheap.

----------


## F-2 Dave

Really nice looking mandolins there Max. Your wife sure gets a good scald on those sunbursts.

----------


## Kramster

My Gypsy's Music critters are coming along... can't stand it I want them now... but will be worth the wait for sure

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I had someone try laser on MOP years ago. It was too reflective and would just burn it instead of cut a fine line. Maybe you could paint it black or something but i never went very far with the experiment.
 I wasn't there but I bet it made a big stink.

----------


## F-2 Dave

Looking good Kramster. I love the matching figuring on the backs. They'll make a cool set for sure.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Kramster, Those look awesome! I love the walnut!

----------


## amowry

French polishing a mandola...

----------


## Max Girouard

> French polishing a mandola...


Nice binding scheme Andrew, and that glass smooth finish sure is something to look at!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Boy, Andrew that finish is slick! Nice work!!

----------


## Pete Heady

Andrew,That mandola looks great!
I hope it makes somebody very happy  :Wink: 
Pete

----------


## Denny Gies

Beautiful work, Darren.

----------


## amowry

Thanks folks, and I hope so too, peter  :Wink:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Here is the back to #032 I am finally getting around to polishing out the oil varnish. Sorry for the glare and smudges. Thanks to all for your continued inspiration! :Smile:

----------


## nobullmando74

Andrew/Skip thanks for the MAS  booster  :Wink:

----------


## hank

Both beautiful workmanship and finishes Andrew and Skip.  I agree Matt this thread is not for the faint of heart.

----------


## MandoNicity

Nice looking work everyone.  Andrew that 2-point is stunning!  MAS is a horrible thing to suffer for one with an empty pocketbook!


JR

----------


## Steve-o

Skip,
Fabulous looking flamed maple back.  I always appreciate your posts.  You win the award for the most positive, encouraging posts, and great MC community attitude.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Skip, that looks great! In love the sunburst!

----------


## Max Girouard

Skip, Thats awesome!!!!!!!!

----------


## JEStanek

Skip is always such a supportive cheerleader for everyone else, I forget how good his work is.  Looks great, Man!

Jamie

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Skip and Andrew,
Pure inspiration.  Oh, to someday have the level of finesse you both achieve so consistently!  Wow.
Thank you for posting.
Steve

----------


## Doug Edwards

Love that burst Skip!
Andrew, your work really inspires me.

----------


## oldwave maker

mandola mandala, actually only the bottom left and right are dolas, with a couple of pieces of scrap ablam used to make the rosettes

----------


## Jill McAuley

Awesome photo!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## JEStanek

Bill, I love the grain on that one on the bottom.

Jamie

----------


## pickloser

Skip Kelley's #32 has the sound to go with the looks.  I had the privilege of taking it for a short spin, when I took a guitar for some work.  That mandolin is going to make somebody wildly happy.

----------


## bernabe

2-pointer, #18

----------


## MandoNicity

Very clever Bill, and Jamie is right, that wide grain looks awesome!  @ James, that 2 pointer looks lovely.  

JR

----------


## Max Girouard

> Bill, I love the grain on that one on the bottom.
> 
> Jamie


I really like that one too.  Could it be Doug Fir?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

James,
LOVE the first shot.  It beautifully conveys one of those thrilling moments when you know all the details are coming together as you had hoped.
Steve

----------


## Max Girouard

Here is an idea I've been toying with.  Finaly got the templates cut.  Shapes inspired by Jerry Garcia's Rosebud and Tiger guitar.  Should be a fun project!

----------


## Ed Goist

Max, as you know, I love this particular new 2 Point design of yours!
I would like to officially suggest the model name _'The Timber Wolf'_ for this mandolin!
Really cool!

----------


## hank

Whoa!  That's thunder koo for sure.  Definitely a Starship shape Max.

----------


## Larry S Sherman

> Here is an idea I've been toying with.  Finaly got the templates cut.  Shapes inspired by Jerry Garcia's Rosebud and Tiger guitar.  Should be a fun project!


Love it! As a Deadhead I approve!

Larry

----------


## oldwave maker

Jamie, Max, that prominent grain stuff is compression grain Colorado engelmann spruce from Don Musser, wider grained but somewhat similar to some compression Appalachian red spruce I got from John Arnold at the y2k asia convention, engelmann on right, red on left

----------


## Don Grieser

Max, that is really cool. Kudos.

Bill, I know you've told me before but I don't remember. What exactly is compression grain? I think you said my octave was made with it.

----------


## JEStanek

Thanks for the detail, Bill.  I like the way Engleman tops sound.  Those both sure are pretty.  I hope they're destined for one of you Scotch or corn liquor finishes.

Jamie

----------


## Clyde Clevenger

Now that's purty right there.  I've always admired your work, Andrew.




> French polishing a mandola...

----------


## Clyde Clevenger

That's just beautiful, Skip.  Thanks for your encouragement, makes me want to keep at it.  My #2 was much better than #1.  When I get to #32 I hope I'm half as good as that.





> Here is the back to #032 I am finally getting around to polishing out the oil varnish. Sorry for the glare and smudges. Thanks to all for your continued inspiration!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

In the middle of cutting out a name with a completed one in the background.

----------


## ShaneJ

Wow, Jim.  Nice!  That's some delicate work right there.  Don't sneeze!  LOL

----------


## Andy Miller

> In the middle of cutting out a name with a completed one in the background.


Jim, is the block under the saw there to keep the saw frame from smacking the blank, or is it just there to keep the saw in its pose for the photo?

----------


## billhay4

It's there to support the pearl while you cut.
Bill

----------


## Bill Snyder

The block under the *saw frame* is not supporting the pearl. That is a different board.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

It was just for the pose so the saw clamp didn't block the view. 
Here's the one I was cutting finished but not filed yet. The one on the bottom is mostly filed and ready. there's probably an hour or so filing to be done.

----------


## Max Girouard

> It was just for the pose so the saw clamp didn't block the view. 
> Here's the one I was cutting finished but not filed yet. The one on the bottom is mostly filed and ready. there's probably an hour or so filing to be done.


That is really amazing the difference the filing makes.  What are you using for files?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Needle files. I have about 4 favorites for different approaches to the area's that need attention.

----------


## Jill McAuley

> In the middle of cutting out a name with a completed one in the background.


I always wondered how folks did that! I love how informative this thread is - looks awesome by the way!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Ed Goist

> In the middle of cutting out a name with a completed one in the background.


Jim; this is very cool to see! Thanks for posting.
Do you folks use simple tracing over a template, or do you use some sort of CAD program that drives the jig to ensure that each piece is cut out exactly the same?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I used a font that has become very popular now. I see it in all kinds of advertising now but in my print software I angled it and then did some modifications to make it easier to cut and it doesn't end up looking like like all that advertising. 
I print it in a business card format and get 10 per sheet although I could use a label format and get 50 on a sheet, but I just don't make that many mandolins. Cut it out and glue it to the pearl and cut away.

----------


## Max Girouard

This one is going out in the mail tomorrow morning!  Carpathian Spruce top Red Maple back/sides/neck, tortis bound, Cocobolo fretboard with gold frets, gold hardware, gold James tailpiece, spirit varnish finish and custom inlayed truss rod cover.

----------


## Ed Goist

Very striking, Max. Great work. Congratulations. Someone's going to have a beautiful mandolin in a few days!

----------


## amowry

Time for setup!

----------


## Jim Roberts

Incredible workmanship as usual, Andrew.  This picture would make a great jigsaw puzzle once the instrument is strung up!

----------


## Max Girouard

Here is my first attempt at inlaying a tuner button.  I don't see me making many of these as it took over an hour to do one side of one button.

----------


## Mike Black

> Here is my first attempt at inlaying a tuner button.  I don't see me making many of these as it took over an hour to do one side of one button.


But it does look nice!  Keep it up.   :Smile:

----------


## Larry S Sherman

> ...custom inlayed truss rod cover.


Another cool Grateful Dead touch!

Larry

----------


## crazymandolinist

> Here is my first attempt at inlaying a tuner button.  I don't see me making many of these as it took over an hour to do one side of one button.


I love decorated tuner buttons. Shows exquisite attention to detail. Do you think it would be quicker to do that in wood? I find that the first time I do anything takes a while but by the third or fourth I'm flat out bookin'. Hopefully this is one of those.

----------


## Toycona

Hey there!

I've posted pictures of my new, yet to be received Manndolin (by Jonathan Mann) on the "2 Point Mandolins?" thread. Come by and take a look.

Tom

----------


## oldwave maker

Amazing to think that there's still stuff actually made in this country. I really yen to do some necking to stifle this yuan......

----------


## John Hill

C'mon Bill, get to work and quit slackin'!

----------


## crazymandolinist

Dang I just spent the whole day getting just HALF of ONE rim assembly fitted (not even glued!) I can't imagine working on that many at once!

----------


## oldwave maker

It gets easier after the first few hundred, last time I caught up with Steve Gilchrist he was french polishing a litter of 12 F5's, while doing touchup work on 4 loars. He seemed to have a lot of energy for a younger guy!

----------


## strings777

> Amazing to think that there's still stuff actually made in this country. I really yen to do some necking to stifle this yuan......


...with all those HOT bodies hanging around, I'd want to do some necking too!   :Laughing: 
Looking at that photo reminds me of the Temptations song, "I Can't Get Necks To You".  :Grin:

----------


## PhilipD

I am building an Octave Mandolin from a kit by Don Kawalek.

----------


## Steve-o

> I am building an Octave Mandolin from a kit by Don Kawalek.


Looks nice Phillip.  Hope you are enjoying the project.

----------


## bernabe

#17 and #18 enjoying some 60 degree fresh Carolina weather after the first coats of finish.

----------


## Ed Goist

Beautiful work, James!

----------


## oldwave maker

peghead mando mandala for aforementioned necking nonsense

----------


## Ben Milne

> #17 and #18 enjoying some 60 degree fresh Carolina weather after the first coats of finish.


Nice!!...   Though now you have me searching for a front shot of these two...  are these two ff hole or oval hole?  

(and it's the headstock on the 2 point makes me wonder about soundhole shape... go figure.)

----------


## Marc Berman

Here's my Smart - Got a few more months to go!

----------


## bernabe

> Nice!!...   Though now you have me searching for a front shot of these two...  are these two ff hole or oval hole?  
> 
> (and it's the headstock on the 2 point makes me wonder about soundhole shape... go figure.)


Ben, these both have ff's. I just placed these outside for a pic carefully on the taped fretboard so front wasnt an option at the time. I will post more as I finish.

----------


## Doug Edwards

About have the necks ready.

----------


## Ed Goist

Doug, those are really neat peghead veneers...What type of woods are you using?

_(Edit: Never mind, I just saw the answer on your Facebook page......KOA on the armadillo and Madagascar Ebony on the A5)_

----------


## Doug Edwards

Curly KOA and Madagascar Ebony. I'll have matching TRCs, pickguards, & armrests when done. Got to get these done so I can start the KOA A5 & two point.

----------


## bropete

Nice Doug!   Pete   http://www.hutchinsonhandcrafted.com

----------


## Max Girouard

Made some progress on my Garcia two point.  Sliced some veneer on the band saw.  Can you believe how red that Padauk dust is!!!

----------


## Ed Goist

> Made some progress on my Garcia two point.  Sliced some veneer on the band saw.  Can you believe how red that Padauk dust is!!!


Wow. Looks like you've been drilling in Alabama clay!
I'm looking forward to seeing the progress of this one, and hearing the finished mandolin.
Will the sound chamber be sized appreciably different than that of an A or F style?
Custom designs are very cool!

----------


## Max Girouard

> Wow. Looks like you've been drilling in Alabama clay!
> I'm looking forward to seeing the progress of this one, and hearing the finished mandolin.
> Will the sound chamber be sized appreciably different than that of an A or F style?
> Custom designs are very cool!


Hi Ed,

The sound chamber is simillar in size to an F5, which is what I based the design of the mandolin with the exception of the points.  I havn't actualy measured the chamber size but looking at it I think it is slightly larger.

----------


## Marc Berman

Here's a couple shots of the cover of the Bill James tailpiece going on my Smart. Engraving by Weldon Lister.

----------


## Jim Roberts

Marc...that looks really cool.  Did you design it?  And what a great mandolin it is going to grace!

----------


## Marc Berman

I gave Weldon some clip art I found on the web. It consisted of a basic drawing of the thistle and the ring. I asked him to come up with something and I got the photo today. I have to say my jaw hit the floor when I saw it. It goes to Bill James for plating then to Lawrence.

----------


## JEStanek

Marc, that looks great.  Hats off to Weldon.

Jamie

----------


## Steve-o

> Here's a couple shots of the cover of the Bill James tailpiece going on my Smart. Engraving by Weldon Lister.


Amazing detail on that engraving!  Such artistry!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

That engraving makes the best tailpiece in the world worthy of only the best mandolins in the world.  Awesome ! ! !

----------


## Jim Hilburn

This is probably a waste of time and bandwidth but I thought it was cool.
I recently rough carved 3 tops and backs on my Marlin duplicarver. I screw big sheets of cardboard to the table to try to contain the chips and sawdust.
 I first did the outside of the 3 spruce tops, then the outside of the 3 maple backs. After thicknessing the rim on all of them I went back and did the same order for the insides. This is the pattern of sawdust that accumulated between the edge of the table and the cardboard. I may have vacuumed the earliest stuff out, I don't know, and this is just from the last inside passes. I don't know but it was kind of interesting. To me anyway.

----------


## Andy Miller

Mandolin geology, a previously-unexplored field.

----------


## Paul Statman

Beautiful thithle! Seriously, though - a unique tailpiece cover indeed. Well done!

----------


## Ed Goist

*Highland Strings #047 - Orpheus 2-Point Mandolin*

Jason Harshbarger is keeping a very detailed photo record on my Orpheus 2-Point build.
There are already 34 pics. Instead of posting them in batches, I thought it best to post this public link to the album containing all of the photos. (Just click on the link and you will be taken to the album)
As more photos are taken (including during my shop visit next Saturday), I'll be sure to re-post this link.

----------


## Marc Berman

Latest photos of my F5 from Lawrence Smart

----------


## bernabe

Cool. I like seeing the different ways people do things. Hope you'll enjoy it for many years.

----------


## Doug Edwards

My two latest in the white.  One Armadillo A5 and a from scratch a red spruce/birdseye maple A5.







Armadillo MP3

Birdseye A5 MP3

----------


## bernabe

Nice. Of the two, I think Im partial to the birdseye tone.

----------


## billhay4

Nice, Doug, but what the heck is an Armadillo A5?
bill

----------


## Skip Kelley

Doug, very nice work brother!! I like the grain on the one in the first pic. Sweet!

----------


## hank

Most excellent Marc, why did you choose cross bracing as opposed to parallel bars?  Seems like I remember Matt Flinner's Gilcrest being cross braced as well.  Great looking & sounding mandolins Doug.
  I've never played a mandolin in the white.  With all the hipe about Varnish finishes what is most affected by the finish as compared to in the white?  Volume? Treble tone? Bass tone? response characteristics? Etc. Etc.

----------


## Doug Edwards

The Armadillo is from a Chinese body and neck.  I worked with a violin luthier that would get chinese violins and reworked them to his specs.  He called them Moonshine violins because he used moonshine with the spirit varnish when he first started them. Just marketing.

I totally rework what I use and upgrade the instrument. I also put a MOP armadillo on the back of the headstock.

----------


## Marc Berman

> Most excellent Marc, why did you choose cross bracing as opposed to parallel bars?


Lawrence builds using cross bracing. I'm not sure if he ever builds with tone bars. Two good friends of mine play Lawrence F5's and they both have the sound and tone I'm looking for. So for me it wasn't even consideration to ask him to do something different. 

Here's a quote from a Lawrence Mandozine interview -



> I still do vary the angle of the X to steer toward various tone. It should be noted that in the bracing I generally use, the X crosses forward of the bridge so that a brace runs under each foot of the bridge. The brace angles are limited by the F hole placement and the need for them to support the bridge feet. I like this bracing because I believe it combines the attributes of both tone bar (quick attack and punch) and X bracing (complex overtone structure). Closing the X means that the crossing point is usually moved closer to the neck and this will help enhance the mids and trebles and quicken the attack, similar to tone bars. Opening up the X helps the bass response and the ability to generate overtones giving a more warm or dark tone.

----------


## billhay4

Thanks, Doug,
And, you ARE from Texas...
Bill

----------


## Mike Black

I have your mandolin hostage!!!!   :Laughing:

----------


## Tavy

> I have your mandolin hostage!!!!


Mandolin bondage?  Could be a whole new sub-genre  :Smile:

----------


## hank

I found the owner.
 :Whistling:  :Whistling:  :Whistling:

----------


## Chris Oliver

I recently started a small batch of f mandos. I'm way early in the build but here are some fretboards, cut, slotted and shaped.. ready for fret markers and binding this weekend.

----------


## Ed Goist

> *Highland Strings #047 - Orpheus 2-Point Mandolin*
> 
> Jason Harshbarger is keeping a very detailed photo record on my Orpheus 2-Point build.
> There are already 34 pics. Instead of posting them in batches, I thought it best to post this public link to the album containing all of the photos. (Just click on the link and you will be taken to the album)
> As more photos are taken (including during my shop visit next Saturday), I'll be sure to re-post this link.


I Had an informative, fun, and productive visit with Jason Harshbarger of Highland Strings today.

I got to play a couple of Jason's remarkable mandolins, one of his ukuleles, and we tied-up pretty much all of the loose ends regarding my Orpheus custom build.

Here are the finalized specs:
Body Style: Custom two-Point, f-hole
Soundhole: Custom Highland Strings Segmented S-hole
Bracing: tone bars (Red Spruce)
Soundboard: Engelmann Spruce
Neck, Back & Sides: Curly Cherry
Fretboard: Radiused Custom Bocote - (12" Radius) with shortened fretboard extension (no pickguard). Fret markers on board & side
Nut Material: bone
Neck Width at the Nut: just under 1 1/8" (1 3/32")  with the edges of the nut rolled for comfort and appearance.
String spacing at Nut (outside G to outside E): Just a hair under 1" (31/32")
Neck Shape: Slight V profile
Frets: large (Gold EVO - .080X.043)
Neck Construction: one piece Cherry with wings at headstock
Neck Reinforcement & Joint: (1/4" x 1/2" carbon fiber with handcut dovetail)
Headstock: Custom - Imbuya Burl vaneer with abalone inlay HS logo.
Tuners: Grover tuners (Gold with white pearloid buttons)
Tailpiece: Highland Strings custom wood and brass (to match appointments: gold & Bocote)
Bridge: Custom Highland Strings adjustable (with 12" radiused saddle) Bocote bridge / Ebony saddle
Colors: Opaque Blackface on Soundboard, Natural blond on sides, back and neck
Finish: Oil Varnish (with custom varnish application on back of neck for speed and feel)
Point tips: Bocote
Additional Inlay work/appointments: Top & Bottom Bocote wood binding, plus double purfling.
Strings: set-up with J74 strings.
Armrest: Highland Strings original to match appointments (Bocote)
Strap Buttons: 2

Here are some pictures I took during the shop visit today (these and many additional pics of the build can be found at the link referenced above):

----------


## barry k

One of the next ones out of the corral. Kinda fun to build these.

----------


## dcoventry

Barry,

That bubble quilt maple pack beauty in the classifieds is out of sight. I believe someone looked at it, and I can't believe they sent it back!  For we the sausage fingered, do you ever do wider nut and banjo frets?

dave

----------


## barry k

Yea , that was unfortunate with that deal, the mandolin never left the shop,  he just couldnt find the money, but I understand that  times are tough. Fortunately I dont depend on selling mandos to live, I had great military career ( 36 YEARS)  and Uncle Sam is now very good to me.  Yes I build with a wider board if the customer wants it, bigger frets too. Thats the wacky world of custom building. I had played that quilt mandolin today at the Randy Wood Shop jam, and I really like that mandolin a lot, it plays like butta ,lol  and has a great pop to it.

----------


## Nonprophet

Looking good Ed! She's gonna be a beaut!


NP

----------


## Ed Goist

Beautiful work, Barry! Love the headstock shape and the inlay work. Nice.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Barry, that is a great looking mandolin! Love the peghead shape!

----------


## Jill McAuley

Ed, your Highland Strings 2 pointer is coming along nicely there! 

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Just finishing up this neckset.

----------


## Jill McAuley

Great stuff Jim!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Dan Margolis

My hat is off to all of you talented builders.  I couldn't do that even if you handed me a bag filled with $100,000!

----------


## barry k

Dan....sure you could.  People start on this adventure every day who had thought it couldnt be done by them, some with great results, some with not so steller results .

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, that is perfect! Nicely done!!

----------


## Chris Oliver

A few fretboards, 2 dyed and 1 not in my current F5 build.

----------


## Doug Edwards

Sealer coat.

----------


## Dobe

[QUOTE=Jim Hilburn;898626]Just finishing up this neckset. 

Wow Jim, couldn't you get that joint any tighter !?   Great work !!!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Before making mandolins took over my life I used to make whatever came to mind for myself. I was going to make a Les Paul type flametop. I have the mahagony body which I may use for blocks someday and a neck blank that won't ever get used for anything, but this top has been laying around for about 12 years so I figured I may as well use it for a mandolin back.

----------


## jasona

> Before making mandolins took over my life I used to make whatever came to mind for myself. I was going to make a Les Paul type flametop. I have the mahagony body which I may use for blocks someday and a neck blank that won't ever get used for anything, but this top has been laying around for about 12 years so I figured I may as well use it for a mandolin back.


Something poetic about that picture!

----------


## Dan Margolis

> Dan....sure you could. People start on this adventure every day who had thought it couldnt be done by them, some with great results, some with not so steller results.


Hm.. maybe you're right.  Now all I need is that bag 'o $100,000 and I can get started!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice work, Doug! The mandolins look great!

----------


## Doug Edwards

Thanks Skip. Photos don't always reveal the little things you see up close, but we're still learning.

 I really appreciate the way you always have an encouraging word for everyone.  You do great work as well.

----------


## joec

I know I'm late to the party, but, pay attention kids (to the build-photos from Lawrence).  He's one of the modern masters of the mandolin family builders.  Also, amazing engraving on that tailpiece. 


> Here's my Smart - Got a few more months to go!

----------


## joec

Here are some fun pictures of an F that I'm working on.  If I scrape that Adi top just right, I can get each grain to cast it's own shadow.  Under varnish, this is the grain texture that reminds you that yes, it WAS once a tree.  Plus it feels nice--a tactile reminder of the same.  In a hundred years, when it's accumulated some grime and dirt in those low areas, it'll really have character...
Joe

----------

Denman John

----------


## Skip Kelley

Doug, Thanks! 

Joseph, Those are super cool pictures! I love seeing the grain like that. That is one sweet looking top!

----------


## billhay4

Joec,
Quite stunning photographs and carving and scraping work! Am I correct that one pictures shows purfling on the inside of the top? If so, please explain why. I assume it's for crack prevention, but would like to hear from you on this. Of course, this may simply be an optical illusion.
Will this instrument have the protruding top a la violin design?
Thanks,
bill

----------


## joec

They're all pictures of the outside of the instrument...wood purfling 4.something mm from the edge glued with hide glue. And yes, all of my instruments feature the overhanging edge à la violin construction.  The edge and the purfling in combination are very strong protection against cracks from impact at the edge and provide a rigid structure at the perimeter (think exoskeleton!).  In addition there's none of the materials stability/incompatibility issues that you find with plastic binding (shrinking and cracking).  Well, wood will shrink and expand of course, but many old instruments have issues with shrunken, cracked and crumbling plastic at the edge. 

Binding?  I'm just over it, and will be happy if I never use it again (been off the plastic since 2002).  Also did I mention that I once got superglue in my eye? It flicked off a bit of springy binding.   Another story for another time, but not inconsequential in the development of this design. Somehow I survived the incident with 20/20 in both eyes...
cheers, 
Joe



> Joec,
> Quite stunning photographs and carving and scraping work! Am I correct that one pictures shows purfling on the inside of the top? If so, please explain why. I assume it's for crack prevention, but would like to hear from you on this. Of course, this may simply be an optical illusion.
> Will this instrument have the protruding top a la violin design?
> Thanks,
> bill

----------


## Jonas

The grain on that top reminds me of the top on my A5 Joe. Love the way it looks. Modern and oldtimey.

----------


## billhay4

Joe,
That top center photo sure fools me. Great shot! and again a lovely job of carving and scraping.
Bill

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I once was squeezing a plastic bottle of CA when it split open and totally soaked my hand. I was smart enough to leave my hand open. Then I soaked it with acetone and it got real hot for a few seconds. But I was able to peel it all off.

----------


## Dan Margolis

> off the plastic


ha ha ha

----------


## Charles E.

Joe, I like that look of the violin purfling. With no binding and an overhang it should make repairs alot easier for someone in the future. Heck, you could actually take the top off with little fuss.

----------


## Marc Berman

> I know I'm late to the party, but, pay attention kids (to the build-photos from Lawrence).  He's one of the modern masters of the mandolin family builders.  Also, amazing engraving on that tailpiece.


Joe - It must have been great working Lawrence. I agree about him be one of the greats. I had the tailpiece done as a way of honoring my Scottish wife who is allowing me to get my mandolin of a lifetime. I love the shots of your top. Definitely that old world violin feel to it. The next time I'm in your neck of the woods I'll make a point of stopping by.

----------


## Mike Black

I've got my two oval hole A's strung up in the white.  Now it's time to go on to the finishing stage!

The A4 on the left, with the Virzi, will be sunburst and the A2-(z) on the right will be a blacktop.

----------


## oldwave maker

Mike- what could be finer than a traditional oval A?
A few big backs, Randys walnut gom, Jasons walnut gom,  Jims walnut parlor archtop guitar, Bobs maple rigelesque cello, Jimmies maple gom. Walnuts from a deadstanding tree I traded a mando for in '91, Jimmies is from '99 cut old standard wood I bought a few years ago from violamaker David Rivinus when he switched to euro woods. Weather report? 100% chance of sawdust....

----------


## Steve-o

Mike - Those ovals are exquisite. Can't wait to see them stained.  Bill, some tasty walnut there.  You are feeding my Old Wave GOM OMAS for sure.

----------


## Randolph

Bill, Very nice looking walnut indeed!  Sort of makes me want one for myself :Wink:

----------


## billhay4

Bill,
Would you care to comment on the "Rigelesque cello" a bit more? I assume you mean mandocello, but I am intrigued by the design of this instrument. A lovely take on the two point. Will it have a "Rigelesque" rounded body or other elements of Rigel's instruments, too?
Thanks,
Bill Hay

----------


## Max Girouard

The wife is at it again.   Here is a picture of her inlay for her "marinedolin"

----------


## Ed Goist

Max;
The artistic, freehand style of that inlay is wonderful.
It's warm, rich, and real. Just Excellent!
Please congratulate her for me.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Mike, Nice pair of oval A's! I have said it before and I will say it again, I think the script of your name is the coolest!!

Nice bunch of backs, Bill! I love the walnut!

Max, tell your wife that is a fine looking inlay! Wish I could get my wife involved!

----------


## oldwave maker

Bill- the 'rigelesque'  body shape was influenced by the customers Rigel R200(?), has regular sides, is a companion piece to the guitar I built him as per his design a while back.

----------


## oldwave maker

Parts mando from leftovers after the big layoffs at the oldwave heavy industries and mandolin stamping facility. 
Only email I ever got from Charlie Derrington was a request not to use the gibson flowerpot anymore, since they were claiming it as a proprietary design element. In honor of the legal department.....yes, thats a pipestone pot from the Arizona mine! no recon sacred ceremonial materials were harmed in the making......

----------


## billhay4

Thanks, Bill,
A beautiful design.
Bill

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I'll dot that "I" later.

----------


## JEStanek

I feel bad every time I post in this thread because I miss someone.  *All* of the work is so good.  Jim, I particularly like that design and I love everything Bill Bussman posts.

Jamie

----------


## Jill McAuley

> I'll dot that "I" later.


lovely bit of inlay there Jim!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## hank

Absolutely beautiful artwork everyone, thanks for sharing.  I always look forward to your latest creations in wood, shell and sound.

----------


## Dobe

[QUOTE=oldwave maker;903096]Only email I ever got from Charlie Derrington was a request not to use the gibson flowerpot anymore, since they were claiming it as a proprietary design element.  

Hope they don't go there with the whole 'Florentine" thing. That would be a bummer for a couple builders :0

----------


## Chris Oliver

One of the new fretboards gets solid silver plate inlaid as faux frets. Once the rest of the frets are installed and the binding is in place, it will be scooped.

----------


## Max Girouard

Getting some really nice shavings with my plane today!!!!!!

----------


## hank

That's an amazing sliver of wood there Max.  What kind of wood?

----------


## Charles E.

What kind of plane?

----------


## Max Girouard

That was red spruce shaved with a Veritas 5 1/4 plane.    I love that plane!    I am getting another iron in the next couple of days so I can make some of the same shavings off of sugar maple.

----------


## Max Girouard

A bunch of rims. Three f5s, a three point and two custom Garcias.

----------


## Marc Berman

Latest photos from Lawrence. Fretboard will be scooped at the 22nd fret. Interesting how he leaves the neck unfinished so he has a clamping surface for the vise.

----------


## Charles E.

> That was red spruce shaved with a Veritas 5 1/4 plane.    I love that plane!    I am getting another iron in the next couple of days so I can make some of the same shavings off of sugar maple.


Hey Max, good looking stuff. I also love my Varitas 5-1/4! Are you getting the new iron from Woodcraft? The new cryo-A2 blades they sell ( made in Canada ) are very nice.

----------


## Max Girouard

Hi Charles,  I ordered the iron from Lee Valley.  I couldn't find the cryo blade you are talking about.  Sounds interesting.

----------


## SteffeyGibson

man those look great! how long you been workin on them?

----------


## Paul Statman

> I've got my two oval hole A's strung up in the white.  Now it's time to go on to the finishing stage!
> 
> The A4 on the left, with the Virzi, will be sunburst and the A2-(z) on the right will be a blacktop.


These are gorgeous, Mike! What tuners are you using?

----------


## Mike Black

Thanks!  I'm using the Gotoh tuners from LMII.  They are the only ones that look correct on a snakehead mandolin (and turn the correct way) that are available.

----------


## Paul Statman

I wondered - because although the gear orientation looked right, yours have screw-fastened buttons, which the Golden Age retro sets do not.

----------


## Chris Oliver

A few of the fretboards in the spring build are getting a scooped florida with Infinity inlay.

----------


## Marc Berman

Smart F5 and mandola

----------


## Ed Goist

Jason Harshbarger (Highland Strings) continues work on my Highland Strings Orpheus 2-Point mandolin (# 047). Here are a few of the most recent pics:

 

 

 

The entire album for the build up to this point (over 80 pics now) can be seen here.

----------


## D18dave

Here's my latest attempt.  I strung it up in the white last night.   Very happy with the sound!  

Hope the weekend is nice and I'll put a finish on it.

----------


## bernabe

Very nice Dave! Like the headstock.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dave, very nice! I love your peghead shape!!!

----------


## Steve-o

Nice Dave.  What type of wood is that on the face of the headstock?

----------


## D18dave

It's figured black walnut. 

Thanks for the kind words guys

----------


## JEStanek

Dave, looks great.
Jamie

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's one in tortoise.

----------


## thistle3585

Jim,
I am always so impressed with the your work.  You have such clean, sharp lines.  Do you laminate your own bindings or buy them pre-laminated?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

i did all the laminations on this one but I use pre-lams when ever I can.

----------


## Jill McAuley

> Here's one in tortoise.


One word: Awesome!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Skip Kelley

That's sweet, Jim! Nice looking back too!

----------


## bernabe

> Here's one in tortoise.


Real nice!!

----------


## Ed Goist

> Jason Harshbarger (Highland Strings) continues work on my Highland Strings Orpheus 2-Point mandolin (# 047). Here are a few of the most recent pics:


Here are some more pics of Jason's on-going work on my Highland Strings Orpheus 2-Point mandolin (# 047 - _The Raven_). 

 

 

 

The entire album for the build up to this point (over 100 pics now) can be seen here.

----------


## Jill McAuley

Nice, looking forward to seeing the completed project!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## oldwave maker

Lacquer build coats, not sure how that scrolly thing snuck in amongst the ovalation, seems to have a testoresque heelbutton. Todays weather report- 100% chance of dust!

----------


## Steve-o

Nice.  Delicious looking wood and mandos that we expect from you Bill, served up with the usual singular sense of humor.

----------


## Ed Goist

> Here are some more pics of Jason's on-going work on my Highland Strings Orpheus 2-Point mandolin (# 047 - _The Raven_). 
>  
>  
>  
> The entire album for the build up to this point (over 100 pics now) can be seen here.


Here are some pics of 'The Raven' in the white.
I really like the white purfling Jason has installed around the stylized raven's head headstock inlay.
Jason reports that the mandolin's voice is right along the lines of what we were shooting for: a very deep, rich tone with plenty of warmth.

----------


## Steve-o

Nice lines on that one Ed.  Looking forward to hearing how it sounds in your hands.

----------


## D18dave

...After a fun weekend of spraying.

----------


## Ed Goist

Hi Steve:
Thanks very much...
I, too, am filled with anticipation.

----------


## Marc Berman

New Smart photos. These are after a couple coats of spirit varnish. Last I heard he's been french polishing. Any day now!

----------


## Ed Goist

Marc; absolutely beautiful!
Love the unique headstock shape and inlay!

----------


## Geoff B

Boy that Smart looks good!

Here's a tasty inlay I'm doing for my mando-building class, the school logo....  made from cinnamon, paprika and pearl dust...

----------


## Marc Berman

Geoff - Very nice headstock. I like the mountain inlay. Lawrence's headstock represents the Idaho Rockies. The inlay is a columbine flower.

----------


## fswaf

Here's a picture of Paul Newsons first 2 pointer sans color.  Picking it up this afternoon.

----------


## eastmountain

> Here's my first attempt at building:  Harlan #1 waiting on my lacquer order to arrive so it can shine!


Looks like Harlan #1 is awaiting his massuese, lol.

----------


## Dobe

Pretty darn nice for #-1  I hope we get to see the finished product. Isn't it amazing how many really nice 1st builds are coming out in the past few years ?!!

----------


## Bill Snyder

He finished it about 7 or 8 years ago and has built several since. The post that eastmountain has quoted is from July of 2003.

----------


## roscoestring

Not my first mando but my first neck. Has a piezo pickup.

----------


## crazymandolinist

:Disbelief:  

That's amazing

----------


## Charles E.

Well this is taking a lot longer then I expected but daily life keeps getting in the way. I wanted to show the ground coat that I use on the top. It is from Old Wood and is made for spruce and maple. It gives a lot of color before any finish goes on. I am using a pale baltic amber varnish from Joe 
Robeson. It seems to dry fairly quick and hard in the UV box. I hope to have this done for Mt. Airy.   :Smile: 
Oh, the back and sides are Aussie Blackwood and this is the first coat of varnish. The top is Engleman.

----------


## Mike Black

Starting another Loar style A5.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Mike, that is one sweet looking piece of maple! Nice work!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Sorensen mando #2, is "Pacifica #1" -- sounds pretty good in the white.  

Following my Pacific Coast muse, the top is really old salvaged sinker curly redwood, back and sides are curly claro walnut.  "Pacifica" herself, is abalone and white MOP.  Double-bound tortoise just to make that task as challenging as possible. 

So fun to play, it's gonna be hard to take the hardware off and start the finishing process.  Got to say, I love the Bill James tailpiece.

"Pacifica" versions #2,3,4 on the way (each has a different top wood and mermaid). Since I'm doing them in order, poor #1 has suffered a lot of learning.  Can't wait to see how her siblings turn out!

Thanks to Walt for wave-theory inspiration and Bill "Old Wave" for curly redwood carving tips (to name just a few).  This community is simply amazing ! ! ! 

Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

StevenS, Nice work! How does the Claro sound? I have been wanting to build one for myself for awhile out of Claro. Looks great!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Mike,
Congrats on the nice article in Mandolin Magazine.  Seeing wood like that is sure sets the heart a-flutter!

Skip,
Love the curly claro.  Wish nobody else felt the same way . . . keeps getting more expensive.  The idea with this set of 4 is to find the top wood that marries with it the best (and to hone my process by repeating each step 4 times).

Steve

----------


## Mike Black

> Mike,
> Congrats on the nice article in Mandolin Magazine.  Seeing wood like that is sure sets the heart a-flutter!
> 
> Steve


Thanks Steve!    :Smile:

----------


## Marc Berman

Getting Very Very Close!! Latest from Lawrence Smart!

----------


## Charles E.

Marc, that looks fantastic!

----------


## MONami

Holy Crap! Wow! That is a beautiful thing. 




> Getting Very Very Close!! Latest from Lawrence Smart!

----------


## Mike Black

> Mike,
> Congrats on the nice article in Mandolin Magazine.  
> 
> Steve


I was kind of wondering if anyone would recognize the obscure picture reference.  

But I guess it was kind of an obscure reference.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Mike, you win the award for the "Best dressed Luthier"! Congratulations on the article!


Marc, your Smart F5 looks awesome!

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

:Whistling: And from the sublime to the ridiculous!!!!!

The 5 string Kirk Hammett Ouija is going to be my first attempt with a tremolo......hope it works  :Whistling:

----------


## Mike Black

Love the SG.  I've been planning an electric tenor Baby Snakes SG for awhile.    :Smile:  

Love to see it when it's finished!

----------


## Jill McAuley

> And from the sublime to the ridiculous!!!!!
> 
> The 5 string Kirk Hammett Ouija is going to be my first attempt with a tremolo......hope it works


Those both look like they're going to be the business!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## JEStanek

SF Pete.  That Ouija board may be the coolest top I've seen on an electric, ever.  Tip o the hat to you, sir.

Jamie

----------


## Glassweb

Ouijalin... mystical, yet musical...

----------


## Ed Goist

Ouijacaster...
I agree with Jamie...Coolest axe top ever!

----------


## Max Girouard

Here is my Jerry Garcia inspired mandolin starting to come together.  It is the first of three I have in progress.  Binding still needs to be scraped flush and a little shaping of the top is still needed.

----------


## Paul Statman

> Getting Very Very Close!! Latest from Lawrence Smart!


Hey Marc ~ interesting peghead - what tuners are those?

----------


## Marc Berman

> Hey Marc ~ interesting peghead - what tuners are those?


Nicolo Alessi - Here's a couple of shots of just the tuners.

----------


## Paul Statman

I love his tuners. I tried to contact him a few years ago when I was having one built. Got Waverly instead. Congrats again on your beauty, Marc (pretty mastiff, too)!

----------


## Marc Berman

I have to correct you because Skye got insulted. She's a Bull Terrier - It's just a funny photo of her.
Here's another picture of her hanging out with our other girl - Rosie.

----------


## Barry Platnick

> Here is my Jerry Garcia inspired mandolin starting to come together.  It is the first of three I have in progress.  Binding still needs to be scraped flush and a little shaping of the top is still needed.


Man thats great!

----------


## Paul Statman

> I have to correct you because Skye got insulted. She's a Bull Terrier - It's just a funny photo of her.
> Here's another picture of her hanging out with our other girl - Rosie.


Please forward my profuse apologies to Skye.  :Redface:  I meant well, and thanks for setting me straight on the breed there, Marc. *Rosie's a cutie, too!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Strings this afternoon. Las Vegas on Wed.

----------


## Jill McAuley

Absolutely gorgeous!!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Chip Booth

Max, I love how the JG mando is coming along!  

Marc, it's strung, I played it, and it's freakin' awesome!!!!

----------


## Don Grieser

Amazing mandolins--SF Pete, I want to rock out when I see your work. Max, the JG is the coolest. Jim, I hope you mean Las Vegas, NM because I hope to be there.

----------


## Mike Snyder

Kalamazoo/Lawrence. Pretty cool, Mike. Definitely obscure, but cool.

----------


## Glassweb

> Strings this afternoon. Las Vegas on Wed.


As usual, beautiful work Jim! A front photo perchance?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

The final pictures are in the "Hilburn #55" thread.

----------


## Ed Goist

> Here is my Jerry Garcia inspired mandolin starting to come together...snip...


Really nice, original work Max! 
I look forward to seeing the completed mandolin.
Well done.

----------


## Marc Berman

> Marc, it's strung, I played it, and it's freakin' awesome!!!!


I just want to publicly thank Chip for being my eyes and ears in Idaho. Chip has been sending me regular updates (email and photos) on my Lawrence Smart build. Chip got a ten string mandolin/mandola out of batch before mine. I saw where he mentioned that he would be folowing the current batch. I dropped him a line when it started and he's been great. After the top and back were carved he called me and we spent a 1/2 an hour talking about what he saw and heard during the carving process. Now that the instruments are strung up he went over with his personal mandolin, a Gil, and sent me an in depth overview of how he feels mine compares to his and how it is in general.

----------


## Ed Goist

> Here are some pics of 'The Raven' in the white.
> I really like the white purfling Jason has installed around the stylized raven's head headstock inlay.
> Jason reports that the mandolin's voice is right along the lines of what we were shooting for: a very deep, rich tone with plenty of warmth.


The final coat of varnish was applied to _'The Raven'_ two weeks ago.
Next week she'll be rubbed-out and polished.
Then, after another week, she'll be strung-up and test driven...
I keep telling myself...patience, patience...  :Smile:

----------


## Marc Berman

> I keep telling myself...patience, patience..


I can honestly say I know how you feel. It looks like next week will be the end of my two year odyssey.

----------


## Jill McAuley

Looking very nice indeed there Ed! 

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## sgrexa

> Here is my Jerry Garcia inspired mandolin starting to come together.  It is the first of three I have in progress.  Binding still needs to be scraped flush and a little shaping of the top is still needed.


Max, LOVE IT!! Keep posting updates! Jim H. -  LOVE that finish.  Amber perfection!  (hint, hint, Max!)

Sean

----------


## crazymandolinist

Workin on No. 2. It's an octave.

----------


## Max Girouard

[QUOTE=crazymandolinist;925055]Workin on No. 2. It's an octave.

Looks great, what scale length are you going to use?

----------


## crazymandolinist

It's a 22.5 inch scale. The neck joins at the 16th fret.

----------


## D18dave



----------


## Ed Goist

Dave: Beautiful 2-Point! Thanks for sharing.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Dave,
THAT is a good looking mandolin.  Love the 'burst.
Steve

----------


## mcasey2006

Here is C 'n O #1.  I started working on it in January and I have about one more week to go until it is buffed, polished and strung up! :Smile:   Sure has been a fun learning experience!

----------


## Kheath

> My #1, first stringing up tonight, and no imploding tops or anything. I'd say I have about four million work hours left on this thing, but I just couldn't help stringing it up when I realized it was possible.
> 
> /Magnus


Duuuudeee thats just fricking awesome.....................Kevin

----------


## thistle3585

In the spray booth, yesterday was natural and today was red.

----------


## iputthemaninmandolin

This is incredible, you guys are all building such beautiful instruments! This may not belong in this forum, but can I ask you guys how you start out tracing and cutting out your base and top plate? Is a plastic template the way to go? And what size blades are you guys using to cut out those shapes?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

"Pacifica" 1 and 2 luring me to play rather than take off the hardware and start the finishing process . . .  



I'm really loving the tone of the new curly redwood of Pacifica 2.  She is warm and woody and getting better with each second played.

Next up, Port Orford Cedar and then Red Spruce.  Can't wait to have them all side-by-side.

Steve

----------


## Steve-o

Very nice Steve.  Beautiful redwood figure and innovative headstock.  I'd enjoy seeing the finished product on those.  What is the back/side wood?

----------


## Ed Goist

Beautiful instruments, Steve! 
I absolutely love the contemporary design! Well done.
Congratulations.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Steve-o,
Curly Claro Walnut backs, sides and headstock veneers.  Curly western maple necks.
A little experiment with West Coast wood that is making me think I have a few decades of further experimentation ahead! 
Steve

----------


## Steve-o

Steve,
Great combination of wood!  I have an oval hole mandolin with that combo (except the next is walnut/maple/walnut).  Again, looking forward to the final product.

----------


## D18dave

Steve 
Very nice pair of mandolins.   I like the mermaid inlay work.

----------


## JEStanek

Great designs, Steve!

Jamie

----------


## crazymandolinist

Steven that would make an awesome display at a trade show with the large variety of woods and all.

----------


## oldwave maker

GOMapalooza: walnuts, maples, Engelmann. Shellac sealer coat. Hugging the tree after its parted out......

----------


## dcoventry

Whoa. that third one over from the left is a beauty!! Zowie, Batman!

----------


## Randolph

Nice looking group of GOMs from Mr. Bussmann.  The maple sure looks nice, but I really like the color contrasts on the one to the far left.  I'm guessing walnut body with wood binding, and a maple neck.  Nice combination of woods.  I bet they will all sound great in their own way.

----------


## Pete Counter

Steve... Not into the mermaids but I really like those mandolins, love your style!

----------


## burt50

Here are a couple of pictures of my #2. #1 was an A so this is a lot more challenging as you know...
Red spruce and black walnut...
Far from perfect, but I'm learning a lot...
The quality of the building on this site is just amazing and the amount of information available here is invaluable.
Brian

----------


## billhay4

Nice, Burt!
Bill

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Brian,
As a lover of figured walnut . . . that is some really cool figure.  Nice clean workmanship too.
Steve

----------


## Steve-o

> Brian,
> As a lover of figured walnut . . . that is some really cool figure.  Nice clean workmanship too.
> Steve


x2 with this Steve.  That has tremendous character.  I'd love to see the finished product.  And only your second build!  Mighty fine!

----------


## burt50

Thanks Bill & both Steve's for the compliments and encouragement. I'll have some more pix soon. I love that walnut too, can't wait to hear it's voice...
Brian

----------


## burt50

Well I'm on to french polishing now - boy does that ever show off the warts!
So far so good - I'm not expecting perfection on #2
Hoping for a good sound...
Brian

----------


## Steve-o

Brian,
Wow, amazing staining and french polish job for #2.  Save the perfection for #3 :Wink: .  I really like the "warts" on that back figure!

----------


## bernabe

Nice job Burt50. I really like the walnut back.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Brian,
Did you use grain filler on the Walnut?
Steve

----------


## Mandolin Architect

Hey Guys and Gals ! This is Jonathan McClanahan. Here are some pics of a custom order A-5 I am building. This mandolin is a Quilted mandolin with Herringbone trim. Also, I am currently taking orders. Enjoy! Jonathan McClanahan

----------


## dcoventry

Ack. I love the quilted look so much! Especially with a clear coat that retains the beauty of the wood itself. Very nice.

d.

----------


## Mandolin Architect

Hey Everybody! I just posted an A-5 I am working on so I thought I would post these pics of a custom F-5 with Herringbone trim that I am on also. Jonathan McClanahan

----------


## Steve-o

Jonathan,
Exquisite workmanship and artistry on those mandos.  Great photos too.  That quilted back is just perfect - the figure, the stain and the fit are top shelf.  Do you strictly build custom instruments, or do you sell any through music stores?

----------


## dcoventry

Jonathan,

Jeez, quilted maple AND the herringbone? That's a low blow. Your mandos are already really pieces of art, and then you gild the lily. Sigh. OK, how much do I have to save for a one piece quilted back F-5........? :Crying:

----------


## burt50

Thank you for the comments. Steve, I tried using pumice and alcohol for a grain filler, ala the Milburn Bros., but I was wearing out my arm with questionable results. It filled the small grain OK but not the big grain. It helped but I'm not sure I could have ever made it perfectly smooth. I don't mind seeing some of the wood grain, it shows the contrast better. The walnut looked sort of flat after the filling so I called it good after going over it twice. Where it really worked well is on the neck - that really came out smooth. It's not so bad on a small area.
WOW the level of artistry on this site gives me something to strive for.
James, I looked at the pictures on your FB page - that is some beautiful work. Nice job  building the shop too...
Brian

----------


## amowry

...

----------


## Mike Black

Lovely as always Andrew!

----------


## Tavy

Some serious eye-candy coming out here!  :Smile: 

Jonathan: I'm well impressed with the way you got that herringbone to go round that scroll!

----------


## Ed Goist

I think this is a very cool comparison...
The headstock and the back/sides of my Highland Strings Orpheus 2-Point mandolin before & after Jason's application of the oil varnish finish:

 

 

I pick her up on June 11th!

----------


## Don Grieser

Ed, the finish really makes the figure pop. A gorgeous mandolin. Congrats.

----------


## Jill McAuley

Wow Ed, your two point is really coming along - what's the ETA on it now?

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Ed Goist

Thanks very much Jill. I pick her up on June 11th!

----------


## Jill McAuley

Hurrah! You must be counting the days, I know I would be!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## bernabe

#19 just bound

----------


## burt50

Beautiful work James. Very inspiring...
Are you going with a blank fretboard?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Can't wait to see some finish on that back, James.  Crinkle-curl.
Steve

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Spending Memorial Day scraping binding. Remind me to tape it next time!
This is another first for me. Hand applied stain.

----------


## sgarrity

That coloring looks gorgeous!

----------


## Steve Hinde

Couple more coats of Behlens.....Thanks for the nice piece of Maple Bruce.

----------


## Steve Hinde

Front Shot

----------


## Dan Voight

Great colors Jim. Air brushed stain I take it?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Dan, you didn't read, you just looked!

----------


## Andy Miller

> Spending Memorial Day scraping binding.


That stain looks great Jim, classic!  I'm spending Memorial Day with Jess and some of our musician friends and Hilburn #45.  Fine-looking and fine-sounding company all around.

----------


## Andy Miller

The long weekend let me put in some time on octave #4.  Got the soundhole/rosette done, and made & installed the top bracing.

----------


## Jill McAuley

> Spending Memorial Day scraping binding. Remind me to tape it next time!
> This is another first for me. Hand applied stain.


Stunning! 

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Jim Hilburn

The hand applied stain does kind of give it that "old" look, doesn't it?
This is the color with a shellac sealer. French polish is next.

----------


## Ed Goist

Jim, that was some pretty quick and effective scraping! Well done. 
The hand applied stain looks fantastic! Very much a traditional, "Old World" look. I Love it!
I look forward to seeing that beauty after the French Polish!
Congratulations.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Hey, Ed, I walked the dog and went for beer since I first posted today!

----------


## Ed Goist

Jim, very impressive! 
As a non-builder, I'm curious...What do you do when scraping the binding clean to ensure you don't damage the surrounding stain? Do you mask the wood, or just go free hand?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Even if you tape the binding off you're still going to have to clean up that fine wood to binding line and I don't know of any way to do it but with the old hand-eye. You can make a scraper with a stop but you better be sure your binding is 100% the same depth all around and that's rare. Maybe at Collings.
Holding a razor blade and using your finger as a depth gauge is the traditional method. I've seen film of the ladies Gibson hired to do this day in and out and they could do it in one pass. They always waited till the finish was complete so they were cutting through a pretty thick finish. You can feel that ledge on old Gibsons.

----------


## Jill McAuley

> The hand applied stain does kind of give it that "old" look, doesn't it?
> This is the color with a shellac sealer. French polish is next.


As my old gran would've said - "Pure class that, pure class...."

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## amowry

Looks fantastic, Jim!

----------


## Dan Voight

> Dan, you didn't read, you just looked!


Jim, It was a joke. It looks awesome! I love staining by hand now.

----------


## oldwave maker

Bobs 24" scale maple/engelmann mandocello in the white , Jims parlor archtop- new mexico black walnut/colorado engelmann,  bound with arizona sycamore:

----------


## Glassweb

You builders are too much! Great work by all of yuz!

----------


## Ed Goist

Bill; beautiful work as always!
That sycamore binding on the parlor archtop is gorgeous! 
Congratulations.

----------


## Mandolin Architect

Hey Stev-o ! I just build my orders. I have had many offers to build for dealers though.

----------


## JonZ

> Jonathan,
> 
> Jeez, quilted maple AND the herringbone? That's a low blow. Your mandos are already really pieces of art, and then you gild the lily. Sigh. OK, how much do I have to save for a one piece quilted back F-5........?


Jonathan built a Trinity for me. No quilted maple, but a beautiful matchbook back. There is no "camera magic" going on--they really look that good. His prices are a great value too.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Testing the macro setting on my camera.

----------


## dcoventry

> Jonathan built a Trinity for me. No quilted maple, but a beautiful matchbook back. There is no "camera magic" going on--they really look that good. His prices are a great value too.


That's not realy helping my situation here!! Resolve failing...MAS rising....bank account screaming, no, that's my wife...must(not) resist!!!

----------


## Jill McAuley

> Testing the macro setting on my camera.


Nice to see that grain up close and personal! What wood did you use for the top on that one?

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Three of the four Pacifica ladies.  Number three is Port Orford Cedar.  
Like the tone a lot -- bright but not tinny.



Starting to assemble the fourth - Adironadack - for the Atlantic comparison.  

Getting excited to break out the Transtints, Epiphanes and Shellac and finish these babies up!

Steve

----------


## usqebach

Steve,

I'm imagining the effort involved in destringing and restringing 4 mandolins concurrently...I probably don't do that in a year!

Good luck!

----------


## labraid

Erin's making coasters for her folks' cottage.  :Cool: 



The mandolin is just dropping in to say hello. Hoping all are well... I miss it here sometimes.  :Coffee:

----------


## Ed Goist

Wow!...Just wow.
That slot-head bowlback is a thing of sublime beauty.

----------


## Jill McAuley

Yow!  That looks gorgeous already - imagine what it'll be like when it's done? Lovely stuff indeed!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Tavy

> The mandolin is just dropping in to say hello. Hoping all are well... I miss it here sometimes.


And we miss you too! Good to see you're back  :Smile: 

That bowl is simply stunning - I simply can't begin to imagine the work that's gone into that.  If it's not a trade secret just how do you make fluted ribs anyway?  I've always wondered....

John.

----------


## labraid

Morning, and thanks. The fluting is done with a round rasp and small shaped scrapers. You have to keep an eye on the thickness with a bright light, in alternation with trips to the form to remove material. I think I could build a garden shed in the time it takes to complete a bowl.  :Cool:

----------


## Troy Harris

Inlay work

----------


## Chip Booth

Troy, that is simple and elegant, I like it very much.

----------


## crazymandolinist

That vise ain't too shabby either.

----------


## oldwave maker

Randy and Trevor's GOMs, awaiting cases, still a trickle of water in the creek tho our last rain was late august.

----------


## Jill McAuley

Gorgeous!!!! I think the black top one is my favourite!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Randolph

Nicely done GOMs by Mr. Bussmann!  I have to admit I am partial to to the blonde top and walnut bodied version. :Wink:

----------


## Max Girouard

Finishing up my second F5.  I have been building mostly A style mandolins and forgot how difficult it is to build one of these.  My wife, Lauri, did the stain job on it!  First coat of Spirit Varnish in the photo.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Max,
Worth the effort!  Classic beauty.
Steve

----------


## TDMpicker

A few photos my my latest mandolin, an f-hole flat top. The top and back
have an induced radius imparted via the x-bracing. The top on this mandolin is Adirondack red spruce. For the sides and back I used Honduran Rosewood. The neck is curly maple. The fretboard is rosewood as is the peghead overlay. The mandolin is fully bound in cream+black+cream. A standard 13 7/8" scale length with a 1 1/8" bone nut. Grover 18:1 gold plated tuners.

I'm really happy with the tone on this mandolin. The "boys" at Old Standard wood recommended the rosewood and it really produces a loud clear "bell-like" sound.

----------


## Denny Gies

I remain in awe of all you guys who are building mandolins, no matter the style.  Impressive.

----------


## Jake Wildwood

There's a heck of a lot of gorgeous stuff turning up lately!

----------


## Doug Edwards

Seems I only get a day or two a month to work on this.  My on going project two point. I got the neck going this month.

----------


## oldwave maker

Jimmie's maple and Jasons walnut- goms ready to float away to new homes. Last fresh stuff for a while, getting caught up on repair and warranty work while I'm still alive!

----------


## dcoventry

Dear God man, that flamed maple makes for one stunning instrument. My hat is off to you, sir.

dave

----------


## pjlama

I have one that looks very similar and the back is crazy too, nice job!

----------


## fatt-dad

Here's the back (walnut):



and,

Here's the top (redwood):



Dave Cohen's the builder (hence the wacky braces).

few more months, I guess. . .

f-d

----------


## baiyongjie

> Dave Cohen's the builder (hence the wacky braces).


Wacky, indeed! What is the story behind it? I'm sure Dr. Cohen has a good reason for bracing it that way.

----------


## Ed Goist

I love the _Blair Witch Bracing_!

----------


## Glassweb

> I love the _Blair Witch Bracing_!


Good one Ed! I hear haunting melodies...

----------


## fatt-dad

> Wacky, indeed! What is the story behind it? I'm sure Dr. Cohen has a good reason for bracing it that way.


I think Dave's explained it to me before.  That said, I'm not the best interpreter of what he's talking about.

f-d

----------


## Charles E.

Looks like Dr. Kasha inspired work.

----------


## Jake Wildwood

Favoring certain frequencies in certain areas... makes sense to me. Really old Lyon & Healy gut-strung guitars used slanted ladder bracing that really opened up the bottom end. I have an 11" wide model and the thing sounds as big as a concert classical. I love doing a blind listening test and seeing jaws drop.

Meanwhile, the same sort of guitar with straight ladder bracing (slightly later) sounds "short" and much less lush.

----------


## Dave Cohen

There was a Kasha influence in the beginning, ca >35 yrs ago.  I was a grad student in p-chem at FSU then, and built two mandolins at that time from Gibson 2nd parts that Kasha graciously supplied.  He was then Norlin's technical consultant, working with Richard Schneider and Norlin/Gibson designing the ill-fated "Mark" line of guitars.

Since then, I taught a lot of chemistry, then started working with Tom Rossing during a sabbatical in 1999-2000 on holographic modal analysis of mandolin fammily instruments and a few guitars.  Once I did actual physics with Rossing, I could no longer subscribe to Kasha's reasoning.  The wacky braces aren't any 'better' than anything else, nor are they any worse.  I have continued to use variants of them because I have gotten used to working with them.  One way in which I have evolved them is to try to reduce mass without sacrificing structural integrity.  Another is to vary them from top to top depending on the ratio of cross-grain modulus to parallel (to grain) modulus.  The next mandolin I do might have a bracing pattern that looks somewhat different.  Any given piece of top wood is different from most others, so I don't expect to use the same exact placement of braces on all of them.

I don't subscribe to the idea of favoring certain frequencies in certain areas of the plates.  The mode shapes and frequencies are influenced by (among other things) the 'global' properties of the plates, i.e., overall stiffness, mass, internal damping (Q), and, the ratio of modulus (i.e., stiffness) perpendicular to the grain to that parallel to the grain.  Localised changes only affect mode shapes and frequencies inasmuch as they affect the global properties of the plates.

http://www.Cohenmando.com

----------


## Ed Goist

> There was a Kasha influence in the beginning, ca >35 yrs ago.  I was a grad student in p-chem at FSU then, and built two mandolins at that time from Gibson 2nd parts that Kasha graciously supplied.  He was then Norlin's technical consultant, working with Richard Schneider and Norlin/Gibson designing the ill-fated "Mark" line of guitars.
> ...snip...


I have owned a Gibson MK-35 guitar since the mid 70s. It was the first quality instrument I owned, and it introduced me to fine acoustic instruments. Pretty much everyone who has played or heard this instrument over the past 30+ years has commented on how good it sounds.
To this day it remains my most meaningful and prized personal possession.

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

> Love the SG.  I've been planning an electric tenor Baby Snakes SG for awhile.    
> 
> Love to see it when it's finished!


Well Mike, Got there in the end!

----------


## Chip Booth

That is awesome!

----------


## Charles E.

Now all you need is a English school boy uniform and a screechy voice and your in business.

All kidding aside, that looks really well done. The color is perfect.

----------


## Eliot Greenspan

Love the SG emando!  one of the dumbest things I ever did was sell a 1957 SG custom to finance a new Ibanez electric, back in 1977. I was 16 and didn't know much...

----------


## Steve Hinde

#10 almost ready to go home

----------


## crazymandolinist

I ADORE that SG mandolin! I'd actually hoped to do one way back, but it was going to be a neck thru, and an octave. That's some amazing execution there, proportions are spot on!

----------


## Steve-o

Very nice #10, Steve.  Some wild figure on the back!  The finish looks very glossy. Varnish?

----------


## Mike Black

> Well Mike, Got there in the end!


Looks awesome!  I just cut out and thickness sanded my tenor SG a few days ago.

----------


## Steve Hinde

Steve,
Behlens Rock Hard varnish. Some of Spruce's 'fishbone' Maple. Adirondack from Old Standard. 1 1/8 nut, 9 1/2 to 12 compound radius, ebony board and headstock cover, stainless frets. Dark tortoise around the top only. 
A little story to go along with this one. When the wood was shipped, the back pieces fell out of the package in the UPS truck. I claimed it as lost, but decided to check with UPS anyway. The driver had found the pieces and turned them in as lost. Said they were real pretty and had to be for some special purpose. Little did he know. Now I have to take it back to UPS and show them what it was for....

Steve

----------


## Geoff B

I love that SG!  Nice!
Also, Steve your #10 looks nice!
Here's one that is finding a new home tomorrow.  Special features are a bridge saddle that (through a series of choices over the last year) became ebony/maple/abalone.  I also topped the bone nut with abalone to go with the flower-pot-ish inlay.  Lastly, truss rod cover to match the amber maple.

Sorry for the low quality pics... need to work on that...

----------


## usqebach

Geoff,

Looking great! Glad to see the bowtie ff holes are back. I was just playing "Birdie" (see my avatar pic) last night.  She's really developed a nice "thumpy" chop to her!

Jim

----------


## Skip Kelley

There has been alot of incredible work posted on here lately! Here is a mandolin I have put the last coat of varnish on. It has a 1 piece California redwood top I bought from Orcas tonewoods. The back is a 1 piece I bought from the local Woodcraft store for around $13.00. It was a nice find.

----------


## JEStanek

Skip, that back is amazing.  You're such a fan-boy of all the builders showcasing their work here, one can forget how good your work is. Wowzers.

Jamie

----------


## Lefty Luthier

I thought this combination of Alaskan Yellow Cedar and East Texas Black Walnut made a particularly elegant combination. The French Polish finish came out very well.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Thanks, Jamie!!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Skip,
Best way to spend 13 bucks I have ever seen.
Steve

----------


## Doug Edwards

Getting there




Skip, that looks real nice.  Woodcraft gets some bargins every now and then.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Doug, Thanks! Your two-pointer looks awesome!

----------


## Jill McAuley

> Getting there
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Skip, that looks real nice.  Woodcraft gets some bargins every now and then.


Looking forward to seeing that one when it's finished - looks great Doug!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Steve-o

> Skip,
> Best way to spend 13 bucks I have ever seen.
> Steve


x4 Skip!  That's a beauty.  I'd love to see the redwood top.

----------


## Max Girouard

I know this won't be for everyone, but here is the prototype for my Jerry Garcia inspired mandolin ready for final shaping and sanding!

----------


## Don Grieser

Max, that is so great. What's the color scheme going to be?

----------


## Ed Goist

Max, that is fantastic! 
I love how the top of the peghead compliments the aggressive body points...Nice!
I can't wait to see it under Lauri's stain and varnish.
Fine work.

----------


## buckhorn

looks great ...who says that it has to look like every other one ... keep at it and tell us how it sounds....keith

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Max,
Extremely impressed.  You've got something special there!
Steve

----------


## Max Girouard

Thanks guys!  I'm trying to keep this one as close in appearance to the guitar that inspired it, so it will have gold hardware, dark brown front and back, and amber sides and neck.

----------


## JEStanek

I like the strength of that design, Max.  I bet it would be sweet in a bright red finish too...  I'm looking forward to seeing the final instrument.

Jamie

----------


## Max Girouard

> I like the strength of that design, Max.  I bet it would be sweet in a bright red finish too...  I'm looking forward to seeing the final instrument.
> 
> Jamie


Thanks Jamie,

It's funny you say that because I have the second prototype close behind in construction, and I planned on making that one red with maybe a slightly lighter burst in the middle.

----------


## oldwave maker

From the oldwave unfinished furniture dept, neighbor Brian's mandola, finished in tru-oil by him. Engelmann spruce, vermont hard maple, local black walnut peghead veneer and fretboard. Swapped him for labor to build a sunroom, win-win.........

----------


## Mark Walker

Doug - Been awhile since I've been noodling around on the Cafe'.  (Always busy in the summer here in Michigan you know - gotta take advantage of camping, festivals, good weather, the lawn, the garden, etc.)

That mandolin looks great!   Soon you'll be right up there with the top-shelf luthiers, and we've had the privilege of watching your progress from day one!  Keep up the great work!   :Smile:

----------


## draino

> From the oldwave unfinished furniture dept, neighbor Brian's mandola, finished in tru-oil by him. Engelmann spruce, vermont hard maple, local black walnut peghead veneer and fretboard. Swapped him for labor to build a sunroom, win-win.........


The back on this is awesome -- the figure complements the annular rings, rather than overpowers them.  Same with the back on Max's Garcia-replica.  Both of those backs make a strong case for "not quarter-sawn" (Slab cut?  flatsawn?) backs!

----------


## Marty Henrickson

Max, that is one beautiful mandolin!  You should consider accentuating the "Ripple" pattern of the grain on the back.  I can't wait to see picture of this when it is finished.

PS - Now my mind is plagued with thoughts of an OM with this shape, thanks a lot! :Wink:  :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Ed Goist

> Max, that is one beautiful mandolin!  You should consider accentuating the "Ripple" pattern of the grain on the back.  I can't wait to see picture of this when it is finished.
> 
> PS - Now my mind is plagued with thoughts of an OM with this shape, thanks a lot!


And from the moment I saw Max's "Garcia" design, I thought it would look awesome with an oval hole. Now that you mention it, an 'oval-hole Garcia OM' would be sweet!

----------


## Doug Edwards

Thanks Skip, Jill, & Mark.  My James tailpiece should come today and I'll get it strung up tonight.  Can't wait!

----------


## Max Girouard

> Max, that is one beautiful mandolin!  You should consider accentuating the "Ripple" pattern of the grain on the back.  I can't wait to see picture of this when it is finished.
> 
> PS - Now my mind is plagued with thoughts of an OM with this shape, thanks a lot!


That would be cool!  Don't give me any ideas!  That goes for you as well Ed!

----------


## mtucker

> I'm trying to keep this one as close in appearance to the guitar that inspired it, so it will have gold hardware, dark brown front and back, and amber sides and neck


certainly you've collected pics of alembic's tribute, coco facings and hippie sandwich... swirly and dark, kinda got that old gibson or guild vibe to it. RT and or Paul H are probably familiar with the one and only orig wolf... although i think its been covered, considerably...and not without some controversy, either.

----------


## Max Girouard

That is a great looking guitar.  I love how Alembic uses laminates, so I decided to try a few on this prototype.  To simulate hippie sandwich look, I used bindings with a top and side stripe.  I thought about using rounded sides like the Rigels with real wood laminates, but I didn't want to get too crazy right off the bat!

----------


## Ed Goist

Max; the detail work on that binding is outstanding!
*Very sharp!*

----------


## mtucker

guess it's 'tiger' now that i google it....here's the man himself playing doug erwin's creation...your's has got it going on, Max...well done.

----------


## Chip Booth

:Smile:  I think that is a picture of Rosie

----------


## Max Girouard

> I think that is a picture of Rosie


I'm pretty sure the one on the left is Tiger, made by Doug Irwin. He used brass of all things for the fretboard binding!  Rosebud didn't have any fretboard binding and only one dark laminate between the top and middle piece of maple.  The one on the right is Lightning Bolt made by Steven Cripe.  I studied as many pictures as I could and took features from each guitar to incorporate into my prototypes.  Really interesting stories around each guitar and how they were made and what they were made from.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Looks like I'm getting back into the F5 biz.

----------


## Doug Edwards

Got'r strung up and she sounds quite loud and nice. 

Red spruce top, shaller machines, James tailpiece, radius fretboard, KOA over lay, Cocobolo point protectors and 15th fret marker, and b/i/tortoise binding.


Here's an MP3

----------


## Marty Henrickson

Doug, that is a beautiful mandolin!

Max, do you have a link to info on Jerry's guitars?  I would really like to know more about how they came about.  Somebody like Fretboard Journal needs to do an article about them - and they could do a sidebar on your tribute mandolin!

----------


## Max Girouard

> Doug, that is a beautiful mandolin!
> 
> Max, do you have a link to info on Jerry's guitars?  I would really like to know more about how they came about.  Somebody like Fretboard Journal needs to do an article about them - and they could do a sidebar on your tribute mandolin!


Here is a link to get you started: http://www.dozin.com/jers/guitar/history.htm
There are other sites that have other information as well.

Doug, that looks great!  Is that your own design?

----------


## BadeInBulverde

my #3 mandolin ... these pics after 10 coats of Tru-Oil before curing the finish and before rubout ...

----------


## Jill McAuley

> Got'r strung up and she sounds quite loud and nice. 
> 
> Red spruce top, shaller machines, James tailpiece, radius fretboard, KOA over lay, Cocobolo point protectors and 15th fret marker, and b/i/tortoise binding.
> 
> 
> Here's an MP3


Looks and sounds great Doug - lovely work!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## fatt-dad

more images of my gestating Cohen:







f-d

----------


## Doug Edwards

> Doug, that looks great!  Is that your own design?


Yes, I designed it combining a couple different ideas and blueprints. I did one over a year ago and have a birdseye one planned.

----------


## Max Girouard

> Yes, I designed it combining a couple different ideas and blueprints. I did one over a year ago and have a birdseye one planned.


Looks awesome, and I love that one piece back!  I'm looking for something very similar on a future build.

----------


## Max Girouard

Here is my second F5 I built in the middle of a French polish session.  Few more to go.  Stain shows up a little dark in the photo.

----------


## Ed Goist

Max; that stain looks glorious under that varnish and French Polish!
*Outstanding!*
...Your recent postings in this thread get me quite excited about our A-Style Oval Hybrid project!  :Grin:

----------


## Pete Counter

I love that fingerboard, and the....... Heck its gorgeous!

----------


## labraid

Same ol' same ol'  :Whistling:

----------


## Mike Black

12 holes???  Will it have 6 Strings????

----------


## Jim Garber

Looks like an early, gut string "mandolino", 6 pairs of strings.

----------


## Jill McAuley

> Same ol' same ol'


What a great photo!!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## billhay4

Ah, Brian,
Even the ordinary is extraordinary.
Why am I counting 12 holes in the headstock?
Bill

----------


## Tavy

Beautiful carving Brian!

I'm really looking forward to seeing that one complete, John.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

12 strings has to be about 150% harder to build and play than 8.
What a picture!
Steve

----------


## fatt-dad

Brian, that carved taterbug in the white is real cool. I also checked out your web page and loved your work.  Not sure I'd quite know how to handle this sort of mandolin, but one day I'd like to try!

f-d

----------


## crazymandolinist

Geez I never noticed how WIDE the fretboard was on that thing!

----------


## Steve-o

fatt-dad,
Your Cohen is looking good.  That's an interesting take on the fleur-de-lis headstock.  

Brian,
Wow.  Incredible, fine art, as usual.

----------


## SHORTY

Skip,
          You still give me that incentive to keep building. A really nice piece you've done.

----------


## Max Girouard

Mandolin complete!  My second F5, going out in the mail tomorrow!  I posted a video clip of it in action.  My playing was a little off today, so not the greatest, but it was the only chance I had to take a video before sending it off.

----------


## Max Girouard

Here is a link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5QXrtReFrM

----------


## Ed Goist

Fantastic work, Max. Congratulations!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I don't know about Bruce Harvey. 
I told him I wanted some nice wood but he sent me this stuff full of imperfections.

----------


## Jim Garber

> I don't know about Bruce Harvey. 
> I told him I wanted some nice wood but he sent me this stuff full of imperfections.


Man, that is terrible, Jim. Looks like some worms go into the wood. Just send it to me. In fact, send it to me attached to the rest of that mandolin.  :Smile: 

I love quilting!

----------


## Jill McAuley

> I don't know about Bruce Harvey. 
> I told him I wanted some nice wood but he sent me this stuff full of imperfections.


Sure he probably mis-heard you and thought you asked for some "nice kindling...."

All joking aside, my eyes are popping out of my head - that wouldn't be the back of my one by any chance?

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I've been saving this one for someone special.
So yeah, Jill, it's yours.

----------


## Jill McAuley

That's what I like to hear - Hurrah!!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Don Grieser

Jill!!  Congrats!!! Wow!!!

----------


## Ed Goist

Jim & Jill, congratulations, that's some fantastic looking wood! I can't wait to see it under the stain and finish!
Jill, have you chosen a color scheme yet?
Oh, and what about the wood for the soundboard? It will be an A5, right?
I'm very much looking forward to watching this one come alive! Again, congrats!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

That is some nice quilt ! ! !  Jill, I don't know how you'll handle the wait.  I'd be staying up nights pacing!
Steve

----------


## Jill McAuley

A5, Engelmann Spruce top, and it's gonna look like this one:

http://www.hilburnmandolins.com/gallery42.html

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Jill McAuley

> That is some nice quilt ! ! !  Jill, I don't know how you'll handle the wait.  I'd be staying up nights pacing!
> Steve


I've got my banjos and my new tenor guitar to keep me busy in the meantime...

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## GKWilson

Jill. I think Don said it all. As another who is waiting for his A5 to be built. Let me tell you that the waiting gets easier. After awhile you only think about it five or six times an hour. Then you get a picture of the carved back. And........ well good luck.
And Jim. Thanks for the hours of eye candy I've indulged in. This one might be the sweetest yet. And, going to just the right home.

----------


## Barry Platnick

where is the Jerry guitar inspired mando at?

----------


## Don Grieser

> And, going to just the right home.


Agreed!

----------


## Grommet

Nice work Bruce and Jim. Great news for all of us that it's going to Jill, as we know we all be able to enjoy the sound she pulls from it. I eagerly await it's first appearance on the SAW Group.

Scott

----------


## Ed Goist

> A5, Engelmann Spruce top, and it's gonna look like this one:
> http://www.hilburnmandolins.com/gallery42.html
> Cheers,
> Jill


*Beautiful!* Love the tortoise binding!
Congratulations.

----------


## Max Girouard

> where is the Jerry guitar inspired mando at?


Sides are stained and seal coats of oil on.  Lauri is going to stain the top and back tomorrow!

----------


## Ed Goist

> Sides are stained and seal coats of oil on.  Lauri is going to stain the top and back tomorrow!


Solid "A", Max! Love that binding.  :Grin:

----------


## Dan Voight

Carving in the dark: Time to finish up the recurve and scroll areas.

----------


## Steve-o

Nice to see some of your work Dan.  That's a striking back and nice use of lighting on the photo.  What build # is that one?

----------


## Dan Voight

Thanks. This is a lingering one from the last batch but I am currently working on #s 10-13. Now that I'm done with school, I'll be posting progress more frequently. This one is a bit of a prototype. I'm trying something new with longitudinal bracing...

----------


## SHORTY

Max,
           Great work with a great inspiration. Make more.

----------


## SHORTY

Brian,  I need one of those, maybe two or three. I'm day dreaming a fantasy again. 
           Great workmanship.

----------


## oldwave maker

Stain and shellac sealer coats, bobs own design cello, jim's C# tornado damage retop

----------


## nobullmando74

> Stain and shellac sealer coats, bobs own design cello, jim's C# tornado damage retop


 What kind of back is on the mandolin?

----------


## Steve-o

> Thanks. This is a lingering one from the last batch but I am currently working on #s 10-13. Now that I'm done with school, I'll be posting progress more frequently. This one is a bit of a prototype. I'm trying something new with longitudinal bracing...


Great Dan, I'm looking forward to those posts... by "longitudinal bracing" do you mean tone bars, or something more experimental?

----------


## Max Girouard

Good to see you are back Dan.    I loved watching your work.

Here is my Garcia inspired mando, top and back stained dark brown with natural sides.  First coat of oil.

----------


## Dan Voight

> Great Dan, I'm looking forward to those posts... by "longitudinal bracing" do you mean tone bars, or something more experimental?


Not tone bars but rim bracing

----------


## Charles E.

Dan, are you thinking about carbon fiber rods from block to block? If so I am a believer.

----------


## Crazy Bones

Hi everyone,  I am new here, but got my first mandolin back in the late 70's. Being young I never really learned how to play it. Now that I am older (55) the bug has bit me and I am at it again.  I bought a DIY kit off Ebay as a starting point.  From what I have read here, there are a few things I think I am going to change.  LOL  maybe everything except the solid body and the neck.  I am a wood worker by trade, so I am enjoying making this DIY kit mine.  So far I have rounded off all the corneres and I am adding a Olive Burl Veneer to the top. I think I will have a faded black along the edge like you see on others.  Any suggestions are welcome, as I am in a whole new world.

----------


## Carleton Page

Max that looks great!  A band I used to play in played a show with a Dead cover band called Lobsters from Mars(hopefully I'm remembering that right).  Their guitar played a Cripe. I believe one of  very few other than Jerry's.  I would love to come and check that out when it is all done.  That F just finished looked great too.

Carleton

----------


## Dan Voight

> Dan, are you thinking about carbon fiber rods from block to block? If so I am a believer.


Yes. I already came up with something. We'll see how it sounds soon. I was surprised at how much the braces stiffened up the rim.

----------


## Charles E.

If your experiance is any thing like mine, expect volume, bass, and a lot of sustain.

----------


## Dan Voight

> If your experiance is any thing like mine, expect volume, bass, and a lot of sustain.


Good to hear. I'll post some pictures and soundclips soon

----------


## Dan Voight

Roughing out the inside

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

Here`s one I`ve wanted to do for ages.............

I`ve been squeezing this one in between my "serious" work. I`ve done a few scalloped guitar necks before and once I got used to playing them, I became a convert so I wondered how scalloping would translate to a 5 string emando.
A few more coats of lacquer, buffing and fitting up then (if I can find a very small Swedish dude to play it  :Wink: ) I`ll have the answer  :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Yngvie Mandosteen!

----------


## mandopete

What, no whammy bar?   :Smile: 

That is off the chart!

----------


## Mike Black

> Yngvie Mandosteen!


That's prefect Jim!   :Smile:

----------


## bernabe

My latest underway. #21

----------


## eastmountain

I've started work on another resonator conversion. This is a late '50s-early '60s A-style Kay that I will add a biscuit cone to.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...847.1377946907

----------


## Jake Wildwood

I love reso conversions... make the old ply sing, I say!

----------


## Mark Seale

> My latest underway. #21


Am I missing the point?   :Smile:

----------


## Dobe

Perhaps a different take on this :

http://cgi.ebay.com/270790598073

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Been a while since i made one of these.

----------


## eastmountain

> I love reso conversions... make the old ply sing, I say!


They do indeed; however, this one had a solid top.  The only lamination was around the F-holes.

----------


## bernabe

> Am I missing the point?


 Yes. They actually wanted no upper or lower point originally however that changed before I started. I told him that would be "pointless".

----------


## Steve-o

> Yes. They actually wanted no upper or lower point originally however that changed before I started. I told him that would be "pointless".


You had to _point_ that out.  I hope they aren't disap_pointed_.

----------


## Max Girouard

> Been a while since i made one of these.


I made one of those last week.  Now what to do with those little curly things?

----------


## bernabe

> Yes. They actually wanted no upper or lower point originally .


They want it ALL black as well, except for the speed neck. Block inlays, and a Collings/Nugget shaped headstock. Should be interesting.

----------


## Max Girouard

Just a few more days curing time, and it is ready for some hardware.

----------


## Ed Goist

Wow! Max, that is fantastic!
I really like the combination of the natural sides/neck with the stained top & back. Very nice!
Oh, and I LOVE that binding.  :Smile:

----------


## Max Girouard

I thought this was a cool photo, a oval hole hybrid I have in progress with 500W of light behind it.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Max,
Very impressive cuttin'!
Steve

----------


## Doug Edwards

Getting there, finally through spraying.

----------


## Ed Goist

Max: Now that is cool!
Love how the back light highlights the X-bracing and really shows off the binding.
Hybrid oval-hole with tortoise binding...Nice! Looking forward to watching this one come to life...
Whomever ordered this build must have good taste.  :Grin:

----------


## Steve Stahl

It's been a while since I posted on the progress of these mandolins (#3 and #4) See posts #119-#122 (Nov 25, 2003 on thread page 5). Anyway here are some more pics of some of the intermediate steps and of my homemade duplicarver (or pantograph carver)

----------


## Steve Stahl

Here are a few more pics. One shows the rough carved backs along with a positive casting from a March 1924 Loar back that I used as a template for carving the backs.

----------


## crazymandolinist

Brian Dean says hi.

----------


## Charles E.

Now that's just crazy! I love it.

----------


## Carleton Page

Max, that looks really good!

----------


## Dan Voight

I'll hopefully be stringing this one up by the end of the week.

----------


## dcoventry

Dan,

Whew. Really fascinating piece of work there on many levels. I like the CF rods, the asymetrical TB's AND the lovely f-holes.

Real nice. Real nice.

How's Grady?

----------


## Glassweb

To all you busy, mando buildin' bees... great-lookin' work! My hat is off to you all...

----------


## Dan Voight

> Dan,
> 
> Whew. Really fascinating piece of work there on many levels. I like the CF rods, the asymetrical TB's AND the lovely f-holes.
> 
> Real nice. Real nice.
> 
> How's Grady?


Thanks. I havnt seen Grady in a while. I figured I would go see him after I strung this mando up in the white.

----------


## Steve-o

> I'll hopefully be stringing this one up by the end of the week.


Nice.  Can't wait for the sound check report.

----------


## Max Girouard

Hi Dan,

Looks great, I too can't wait to hear some clips!  Really nice binding channel, how are you going about getting such a nice channel?

----------


## Dan Voight

> Hi Dan,
> 
> Looks great, I too can't wait to hear some clips!  Really nice binding channel, how are you going about getting such a nice channel?


Plexiglass template double stick taped to the underside with a pin routing set up on the drill press.

More progress. In the inlay shot, you can somewhat see how I tried selecting shell to make it look 3D. The other shot is of a neck I just roughed out.

----------


## Charles E.

Dan, looks good, I think you will be happy with the sound. On mine I used hollow CF tubes (pultruded) from LMI. Again, outstanding work!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Dan and Charles,
What is the sound goal of the CF rods through the body -- to stiffen the body structure without reducing the flex of the top and back?
Steve

----------


## eastmountain

It's a bit embarrassing to post pics from my little project next to all these incredible works of art.  Anyway, here is how my reso-mandolin conversion is going.

----------


## Charles E.

> Dan and Charles,
> What is the sound goal of the CF rods through the body -- to stiffen the body structure without reducing the flex of the top and back?
> Steve


Steve, I can't speak for Dan. I built a very different mandolin then his. Mine is a flat top with a round hole and the Idea was to relieve some of the compression of the top caused by the string pressure and hopefuly allow the top to vibrate more freely.

----------


## crazymandolinist

Something a bit different.....

----------


## Charles E.

The Loch Ness X?

----------


## crazymandolinist

Ha! Never thought of it that way but it does look like it doesn't it? That's too funny!

----------


## Steve-o

> The Loch Ness X?


Tic-tac-toe.

----------


## mando.player

Too bad that's going to be covered up by a top!  That's awesome looking.  Hopefully it translates to a sound that meets your expectations.

----------


## George R. Lane

Looks like they are playing Leap Frog.

----------


## crazymandolinist

> Too bad that's going to be covered up by a top!  That's awesome looking.  Hopefully it translates to a sound that meets your expectations.


I'm going to take lots of pictures for future reference, and the intersection near the soundhole is very visible. Similar thing going on for the back, but there is a single x instead of two, or four, depending on how you look at it. I'm optimistic that it will get me some great results! Thanks for all the kind words everyone.

----------


## Mike Black

Brushing on the varnish...

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Mike,
Love the Graco monitor at the back of the bench.  Soon you'll be hearing piccolo mandolin from it!
Steve

----------


## GKWilson

Mike, #9 and #10 look awesome. Can't wait to see #11.

----------


## Andy Miller

Oh, just puttering along at this one. . .  starting to look instrument-shaped now.

----------


## Larry Mossman

Hey Mike - love the look on the 2 A-models. 
Will these come to Winfield, or the GOM ...?

----------


## Mike Black

> Hey Mike - love the look on the 2 A-models. 
> Will these come to Winfield, or the GOM ...?


Only one will make it to Winfield, the closest one in the photo (black top oval hole).  Dave and I will have our GBOMs there.

----------


## j. condino

Mike: 

'Looks great; I sure do like a nice A mandolin!
Two different heel styles?

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## Mike Black

> Mike: 
> 
> 'Looks great; I sure do like a nice A mandolin!
> Two different heel styles?
> 
> j.
> www.condino.com


Thanks!
Yeah, I like to make the oval hole mandos with the ebony button cap like the original A's (plus it's much easier to bind  :Smile:  ).   The A5 has the back making the heel cap.

----------


## Doug Edwards

Are we there yet?  Birdseye two point and KOA A5, seems like I've been working on these forever.  Ready to flip them over and start the graduations.

----------


## eastmountain

Put on a MOTS headstock veneer, removed the fretboard with a putty knife I heated on the stove, and made a new fretboard of 1/4" walnut. I have a paper template I made with FretFind 2D, which shows me where the frets should be for a 15" scale.

----------


## eastmountain

More pics:

----------


## labraid

Cool project there eastmountain, way to salvage what looks like an old beater!

Here's a new, all-custom 10-string Grand Concert nearing completion.

----------


## Don Grieser

I always check this thread when I see one of your posts, Brian. Always a treat to see what you're up to. Wow!

----------


## Jill McAuley

Pure class! 

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## billhay4

Ah, Brian, such wonderful work!
Bill

----------


## labraid

Thanks ;)

----------


## Steve-o

> Here's a new, all-custom 10-string Grand Concert nearing completion.


   That one is off the charts!   :Disbelief:

----------


## eastmountain

> Here's a new, all-custom 10-string Grand Concert nearing completion.


Wow, now THAT is art!  I've seen sound holes in tops, on backs and on sides, but I've never seen one that migrated from one to the other. Well done!

----------


## billhay4

Well, eastmountain,
You will also be surprised to know that the soundhole you see isn't even in the soundboard of that instrument. The soundboard is hidden inside underneath the top!
Brian's Grand Concert is something.
Bill

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Now on to the binding.

----------


## Jill McAuley

> Now on to the binding.


Awesome!!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Rob Fowler

Jill, is that yours on the left? Nice Barn Swallow inlay! I bet you're getting excited!

----------


## Jill McAuley

Aye, that one's mine! Super exciting to watch it's progress!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Ed Goist

Congratulations Jill (and Jim), that inlay is gorgeous. Class all the way!

----------


## oldwave maker

Breathtaking, Brian!
It's so hot in oldwave holler the mandolin sides just bend themselves......
It's so hot in oldwave holler we put dry ice in the gluepot to get the right temp......
Its so ho
It'

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Bill,

Same in sunny CA.  Down to 95 at 9 PM.  So . . . go Spanish-style -- siesta in the day, carve in the night!

Steve

----------


## Jeffrey Sawyer

That is a beauty!! look down one opps!


Jeffrey

----------


## Jeffrey Sawyer

> Just a few more days curing time, and it is ready for some hardware.


That is a beauty!!

Jeffrey

----------


## Doug Edwards

The KOA A5 taking shape with the Birdseye two point not too far behind.

----------


## amowry

> Breathtaking, Brian!
> It's so hot in oldwave holler the mandolin sides just bend themselves......
> It's so hot in oldwave holler we put dry ice in the gluepot to get the right temp......
> Its so ho
> It'


Makes for some good chiles, though. Mmmmm, chiles......

----------


## amowry

> Cool project there eastmountain, way to salvage what looks like an old beater!
> 
> Here's a new, all-custom 10-string Grand Concert nearing completion.


That's beautiful work Brian. I'm always inspired by your designs. Looks like you have a nice fast lens, too.

----------


## Dan Voight

Starting one of my favorite parts: final scroll shaping

----------


## Jessbusenitz

Dan, Nice scroll! I noticed your inside white binding seems to come in a little farther in than normal. Is this something you came up with? Jess

----------


## Dan Voight

Thanks. Farther in? Where?

----------


## Jessbusenitz

On the scroll button where your splice is.  Vs. something like this  http://www.mandolinarchive.com/perl/show_mando.pl?167#  5th pic over. Different, but I like yours.

----------


## Dan Voight

Thanks again. I just try to make the lines and geometry look as natural and true as possible.

----------


## Andrew B. Carlson

Perfect circle in the scroll button. My favorite.

----------


## roady43

And you succeed very well. I have been studying many pictures of F-Mandolins recently and besides not yet understanding the sense of the scroll much the shape rarely has convinced me. But yours does!

roady43




> Thanks again. I just try to make the lines and geometry look as natural and true as possible.

----------


## Max Girouard

> That is a beauty!!
> 
> Jeffrey


Thanks Jeffrey, feast your eyes on this!  Garcia #3, last coat of oil!

----------


## Max Girouard

Also, here is a fretboard I'm working on for a mandolin fanatic who sometimes posts here.....

----------


## George R. Lane

Max
That is one awsome looking mando. AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! I'm feeling the MAS monster rising up in me.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Spent Labor Day in the newly remodeled shop prepping for finishing.  Hard to call it "Labor" in this nice environment!


Here is my son, Chris, helping in about the same location a couple of weeks ago . . .  Couldn't have done it without him! 


Sure is sweet to finally have insulation (and drywall).
Steve

----------


## bernabe

Finishing up #20

----------


## Don Grieser

Spectacular, James. Max, the Garcia is just so cool.

----------


## Dan Voight

Nice figure there

----------


## billhay4

My, James, where did you find that piece of maple (bigleaf, I presume)?
Bill

----------


## bernabe

Bill, I got it from Bruce @ Orcas Island.

----------


## billhay4

Why am I not surprised. Nice score and lovely instrument.
Bill

----------


## Doug Edwards

Got those pesky F holes bound.  Couldn't find my third hand so I went for some extra patience.  Sometimes I think the third hand is more attainable.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Doug,
Can't wait to see that with a finish.  Bold.
Steve

----------


## Bill Moore

Well folks, here's my first F5 in progress. Its been slow in coming but we're getting there.

I owe much to so many folks on this forum for what they've taught me.  Like many, I've spent countless hours reading, searching and digging for answers at various stages.  What a great resource and inspiration this forum is.  Thanks to everyone here.



BTW, I'm not sure I posted these pics right, so if they're too large, or there's something I can do better, let me know.

-Bill

----------


## Dan Voight

Bill,

Looking great for your first one. Nice work.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Bursting in progress.  Note how the power of the sunburst allows the ladder to defy gravity . . .



Steve

----------


## Bill Moore

> Bill,
> 
> Looking great for your first one. Nice work.


Thanks Dan!  I appreciate the kind words.  I love your mandolins and have visited your site a number of times to study your work.

----------


## GarY Nava

I've just put the first couple of coats of shellac on this Koa backed mandolin. Really pleased how it looks; wanted to share it! :Redface:

----------


## Jill McAuley

> I've just put the first couple of coats of shellac on this Koa backed mandolin. Really pleased how it looks; wanted to share it!



Gorgeous!!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## crazymandolinist

I would love tho see more mandolins made with koa. It's such a great wood.

----------


## billhay4

It's quite scarce these days. Ukes and guitars make better use of all the wood.
Bill

----------


## crazymandolinist

I find that comment offensive.  :Wink:

----------


## JEStanek

I've seen a couple koa mandolins here on the Cafe.  IIRC, they were always from small shops for a specific order.  It's hard to get folks interested in an arched mandolin not in spruce of some sort over maple of some sort. A WSM legacy perhaps in the US at least.

Jamie

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Here's another reason to think outside the "Maple box" -- stunning curly claro walnut ready for a little French Polish.



Steve

----------


## amowry

Some work on a two-point 'cello:

----------


## Charles E.

Andrew, nice to see those bars being fit the violin way,   :Wink: 
I saw a jazz group in Raleigh recently and the mandolin player was playing a beautiful two point you made. It sounded great too. The band was ' Kosmos ' and the mandolin player was Paul Richman, from Edenton, NC.

----------


## Doug Edwards

This would be my KOA A5 in progress.  Red Spruce and Curly Maple binding w/curly maple overlay.

----------


## Doug Edwards

Just received my new tailpieces today, how exciting.  Thanks Bill!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Doug,
Can't beat the Bill James touch.  Going to be a truly beautiful instrument!
Steve

----------


## j. condino

A 2 point Mowry  'cello  :Disbelief: ..... I want one!!!!

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## amowry

Ha! Thanks James. It's a lot of fun building these bigger things, but it makes me want a bigger shop (or at least a bigger router table).

Charles, yes, I'm finding that violin makers know the best way to do a lot of things. I guess that's what several centuries of practice does for you.

----------


## oldwave maker

Ground the bark off these and dribbled turpentine so some customers could see what to expect, sure love living on a planet with acer family trees!

----------


## Glassweb

> Ground the bark off these and dribbled turpentine so some customers could see what to expect, sure love living on a planet with acer family trees!


The only planet with the only trees with the only life forms with the only urge to build instruments with the only similar life forms to play and make music? AFFIRMATIVE!

----------


## Ron McMillan

Peter Mix and Larry at New-Mad are keeping me posted on their progress on my A4 order. Here it is having had some of the pore-filling work done, and awaiting many many coats of clear and red lacquer that will give it a stunning red-and-black finish. This guy can't wait.




ron

----------


## Ed Goist

Ron, that is SO awesome. *Congratulations!*
Please keep us posted.

----------


## Ron McMillan

> Ron, that is SO awesome. *Congratulations!*
> Please keep us posted.


Thanks, Ed. If all goes to (the very tight) schedule, a friend should bring it over to Thailand in about three weeks. Be assured I'll share new photographs of it then in its new tropical setting.

ron

----------


## Jill McAuley

Can't wait to see the finished product Ron!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

Another Tele style emando, this time from Indian Rosewood.

Just a little more buffing needed to the body, a scratchplate to make and then I can fit it up and find out if this little rascal is to be a sustain monster......weighs a ton!!!!!!!
For anyone interested, I decided to have a go at a photo log of the build which can be found here -

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...9a2ba9d&type=1

----------


## Ed Goist

Beautiful work Pete!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Do I really have to smoke filter-less cigarettes, sputter incomprehensibly under my breath and swill gallons of cheap Burgundy while French Polishing?



Seems like it helps . . . but is a little trying for the rest of the household.

Etienne

----------


## Ed Goist

Eitenne; 
I'd recommend continuing to do whatever you are doing now, as it seems to be working beautifully. Very nice!
Très Bien, Félicitations!
-Edouard

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Sometimes the hardest part is waiting until the mandolin is fully ripened and ready for harvest . . .



Steve

----------


## John Hill

Nice, I really like the lines on the scroll & opposite point along with that headstock design.

----------


## Max Girouard

> Sometimes the hardest part is waiting until the mandolin is fully ripened and ready for harvest . . .
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


Nice!  What color will it turn when it is ripe?!?

----------


## Bill Snyder

> Sometimes the hardest part is waiting until the mandolin is fully ripened and ready for harvest . . .
> Steve


But I think it is getting there Steve. Look closely and you can see that the f-holes are starting to form. I don't know if that scroll will grow all the way into a button or not though before it is ready to pick.  :Wink:

----------


## Max Girouard

Here is my Garcia #1 all finished and ready to go out to its new owner!

----------


## Max Girouard

and a few more............

----------


## George R. Lane

Oh Max, what have you done? 
That has to be the coolest mandolin I have ever seen. 
I bet Jerry is looking down with a big grin on that old bearded face.

----------


## G. Fisher

Hey Max,

Any chance of you posting some sounds clips of the Garcia???

----------


## Ed Goist

Absolutely beautiful, Max.
Outstanding work in every way.
Congratulations to you, Lauri (for the wonderful stain work) and the new owner!
Boy, am I glad I'm in the queue!  :Smile:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Another So Cal 'burst in the works.



Can't wait to give it a shine!

Steve

----------


## sgrexa

Max,

That Garcia looks FANTASTIC!  I gotta order one of those  :Grin:

----------


## Max Girouard

> Hey Max,
> 
> Any chance of you posting some sounds clips of the Garcia???


Hi Greg, a video of Garcia #1 is available for viewing at the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZyKWExJrZs

Thanks everyone for the kind words on the Garcia!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Max!

----------


## Jritter3

Here is #2 in progress...I have an old neck from an IV kit that I never used and decided i would try a little experiment with materials on the body since I am on a tight budget. So, looking around my shop i found some leftover kevlar (from a non-mando related project) and a chunk of rosewood, which i ripped the side pieces off of. And so here I am...hoping its all going to stay together and sound alright when its done. We'll see...at least if it fails Ive got a nice piece of wall sculpture and im not losing any money...

Oh and sorry for the poor picture quality.

----------


## G. Fisher

> Hi Greg, a video of Garcia #1 is available for viewing at the following link:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZyKWExJrZs
> 
> Thanks everyone for the kind words on the Garcia!



That sounds great. I'm going to have to add one to my wish list.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

"When we get to California, Timmy, we'll be able to just reach up and pick a fresh mandolin right off the trees".

----------


## Doug Edwards

The KOA A5 taking shape with lacquer this week.  Almost there! I have a matching KOA pg w/maple binding and McClung armrest for it as well.

I sure hope I do not need documentation on this wood.  The KOA came from a couple boards in the closed Dulcimer Factory in Fredricksburg.  Probably been sitting there over six years in a very dry climate.  I had several huge humidity cracks to contend with. It's been in my shop since March acclimating & humidifying. I have enough left for and F5 or two point.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice work, Doug, Steven, and Max!!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

The scary part - spraying a dark 'burst . . .


The boring part - scraping the binding . . .


The exciting part - first French Polish session . . .

----------


## Charles E.

Steve, that is very nice! I really like the sound holes.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, that one is nice! 
Here is a pic of the back of a blonde for a customer.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Skip,
Wood-love! Stunning.
Steve

----------


## Max Girouard

Steve, that is scary nice.  Also Skip that is some really impressive work!

I've got the wife busy in the shop today staining a mandolin.  Here is a picture of the back, we are still working out the stain on the front.  Details to follow.......

----------


## Skip Kelley

Max, that is one sweet looking A model! You are so blessed to have a wife that does that with you!!

----------


## Max Girouard

> Max, that is one sweet looking A model! You are so blessed to have a wife that does that with you!!


Thanks Skip!  I truly am blessed to have Lauri as my wife.  She is very supportive and as you can see above really enjoys participating in the builds.  A few years back when we weren't married, we lived in a little apartment with a spare bed room.  I had just gotten bitten by the mandolin building bug and asked her what she thought about me turning the room into a building room.  I had wanted to buy a planner and a band saw to put in the room.  She said "Sounds cool!"  I knew right then it was time to start ponying up the cash for that engagement ring!

----------


## crazymandolinist

^THAT is awesome

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Max,
Again with the parallel lives.  First year we were married, I set up a table saw in the extra bedroom in our two-bedroom tiny apartment.  I had just gotten some spruce from Alaska as our first purchase on our brand new American Express card. New wife's response, "As long as we close the door, I won't have to vacuum that much more."  That is about when I started to realize I had found a keeper!  Waaaaaay too good for me.  Still.
Steve

----------


## man dough nollij

Steve, is that just a trick of the light, or is that top really that curly? What kind of wood is that? Looks great. I have some 'silk' in the top of my Weber Gallatin, but nothing like that.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Lee,

Curly redwood that is amazing to look at and sounded great when strung up in the white.  Can't wait to get it back together when finishing is finished.

Here is a shot beside a Port Orford Cedar topped version that I just started French Polishing --

Steve

----------


## Pete Jenner

This is my first post on this website and I'm happy to be here.

As a first time builder, I'm not sure my efforts are worthy of appearing on this thread among the masters of the art, but here goes.

I believe it's a Mandolin by Antonio Tsai from Thailand. These Mandolins have been mentioned in a few earlier threads.

It was purchased on EBay in about 2006. Last Christmas I opened the case to discover that the top had collapsed and the back was starting to collapse inwards along the seam. The sound board was only 2-2.5 mm thick in most places and probably made from green wood.

I decided my first foray into Luthiery would be making a new soundboard ...after all ...how hard can it be?  :Laughing:  

This is what it looked like in the EBay advert.


After many many months of research, reading forums (including these ones), purchasing tools and books and making myriad mistakes, this is the latest pic of it strung up in the white with the old bridge sitting on spruce shims, and one of the back with the finish stripped off.

It sounds surprisingly good to my ear.
Don't look too closely or you will see I made a complete dog's breakfast of the rosette. :Redface: 
I decided to go with an oval soundhole with X bracing for a couple of reasons - not least of which was my lack of faith in my top jointing efforts.

Next - making a Red Henry style bridge from this piece of ebony (as soon as I repair the 2nd hand bandsaw bought for the project.

Then binding ...ughh ...and a new nut.

The bracing and soundhole lining were the most successful stages.


Thanks for your attention,

Peter Jenner
Blackheath NSW Australia

----------


## Doug Edwards

Finally ready for varnish.  I had it strung up over the weekend at the Paluxy River BG festival.  Lots of positive comments, it's going to sound as good as it looks. The BE maple was given to me by a local woodworker.  It was some scrap he had left over.  I'll have to check out Johnny's trash bin.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Tim,
LOVE the birdseye!
Steve

----------


## Doug Edwards

Just amazing what a little finish can do.

----------


## Jill McAuley

Wow - looks great Doug, nice job!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Skip Kelley

Doug, the finish really makes the figure stand out! Nice work!

----------


## JEStanek

Way to go Doug and Peter!

Jamie

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Doug,
Don't know where I got "Tim" . . . perhaps just intoxicated by the birdseye!  Stunning.
Steve

----------


## Ron McMillan

My Mix A4 is running a little behind schedule, apparently because of excess humidity interfering with the curing of carbon fibres, but it is looking nice. Here it is before the red burst is applied, after which I gather there will be further clear coats of something I don't understand in the least.....

----------


## strings777

Doug, WOW...what a beautiful birdseye maple back! Please post some sound clips when you're finished...drool!   :Disbelief:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

For some reason, this picture reminded me of *The Little Engine That Could* . . .
_"Bringing good things for the boys and girls on the other side of the mountain."
_


I think I can.

Steve

----------


## GarY Nava

Hi Guys,
Just completed this pearl and turquoise rosette for my next Red Spruce and Cocobolo twin-pointer. 
Hope you like it  :Wink: 
Cheers Gary

----------


## Pete Jenner

Love it.
I'm still trying to work out how to cut a rosette channel with side square to the top. :-P

----------


## Jill McAuley

Looks gorgeous there Gary!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Tavy

That's really nice neat work Gary!  Good to see some "alternative" materials being used too  :Smile:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Is it just me, or is the figure on this wood just knock-dead gorgeous?  Either going to be a small bodied arch-top guitar or a guitar-bodied octave mandolin. 

What is your vote?  Keep it in the mando family or go guitar?

Steve

----------


## John Hill

Mando family of course!

----------


## Steve-o

> Is it just me, or is the figure on this wood just knock-dead gorgeous?  Either going to be a small bodied arch-top guitar or a guitar-bodied octave mandolin. 
> 
> What is your vote?  Keep it in the mando family or go guitar?
> 
> Steve


No, it's not just you.  That Claro walnut figure is especially gorgeous.  My vote?  How about a GOM for a compromise?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Check out the swirling bearclaw on this sitka spruce ! ! !  What a joy to carve.



Steve

----------


## billhay4

Steve,
You're on a roll with wood lately. Nice stuff.
Bill

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, that is an awesome looking top! I love your take on the F5 shape!

----------


## oldwave maker

Some ancient ebony guitar boards from the estate of a long deceased classical maker, rendered into mando family boards, for these bodies. Some maples really attract the bees to the bandsaw.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Bill and Skip,
Thanks for the nice notes.  Sometimes I feel like such a wood-geek posting stuff here.

Bill B,
Speechless.  Amazed.  Impressed.

Steve

----------


## Tavy

> Some ancient ebony guitar boards from the estate of a long deceased classical maker, rendered into mando family boards, for these bodies. Some maples really attract the bees to the bandsaw.


Gosh, that's quite a production line you have going there - all looking good too!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I hate posting after Bill. It makes my output look so...meager.
Here's a fingerboard being installed using Don McRostie's approach with a long rubber band. Clamps it very evenly without adding any clamp weight to the equation.

----------


## pjlama

> Some ancient ebony guitar boards from the estate of a long deceased classical maker, rendered into mando family boards, for these bodies. Some maples really attract the bees to the bandsaw.


I wonder if there's a cello in there? I gotta say whatever you're doing down there is working, Dr. Bob's cello is unreal and that recent oval is just sublime, wow. Bill take it easy or you're going to hurt my wallet.

----------


## Jill McAuley

> I hate posting after Bill. It makes my output look so...meager.
> Here's a fingerboard being installed using Don McRostie's approach with a long rubber band. Clamps it very evenly without adding any clamp weight to the equation.


That's my one - awesome!!!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## GKWilson

OOH... OOH... OOH. Jill. That's Sweeeet.
And Jim. You're the Candyman.
Gary

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A part of "Mandolins in Progress" that too often goes unpublished -- the young Apprentice hard at work.



Steve

----------


## Tavy

> A part of "Mandolins in Progress" that too often goes unpublished -- the young Apprentice hard at work.
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


I thought child labor was illegal these days?   :Wink: 

But yeh, we all do our fair share cleaning up  :Frown:

----------


## Ed Goist

Here's a four-string, solid-bodied electric mandolin Steve Ryder is currently building for me.
It's Steve's model EM-44. She has an alder body (with a quilted maple top overlay), bolt-on maple neck with 10" radiused ebony fretboard, and ebony peghead overlay. This e-mando will be equipped with two of Steve's stacked humbuckers. She'll have a natural gloss finish and a vintage tortoise pickguard.

----------


## oldwave maker

Jim- my output went up when my adult supervision started leaving every monday morning and coming back friday evening! can we see that quiltback?
PJ- hoping to swap  you for an electric vespa with a 50 mile range!
Ed- nice quilt there!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

You mean this one?

----------


## GKWilson

Sweet? That's so sweet my teeth hurt.
Yours is rockin' too Ed.
Gary

----------


## Charles E.

I cannot wait to hear Jill punch out some tunes on that! Beautiful Jim.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

The bad part about posting quilt pictures is it doesn't even begin to convey what it's like to look at it in person and move it around in the light.

----------


## Jill McAuley

> You mean this one?


Long, long day at work - so nice to sit down at the laptop, peruse the cafe and find this photo waiting for me!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Ed Goist

> I cannot wait to hear Jill punch out some tunes on that! Beautiful Jim.


*Big +1!* Congratulations to Jim & to Jill. That's a beauty!

----------


## oldwave maker

Jim- nice quilt. Its not too late to dress it up for halloween with some evil eyes and vampire teeth on that smiley face. Would do that on this one if I was making it fer meself:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

I'm gonna have to join Quiltaholics Anonymous.

Steve

----------


## bernabe

#21 ready for sandpaper

----------


## Mark Gibbs

Here we go with some photos of my newest Wilkie mandolin under construction. Looks like it will be a goodin'
Mark

----------


## Steve-o

Yessir. Gorgeous flame all around on that one Mark.

----------


## Chris Oliver

A new A model in the white. That is a slipmatched maple back. Should look great under a burst.

  


Here is some poor playing way early in the morning... at least the mando saves me a bit.

----------


## Jim Garber

> That is a slipmatched maple back.


Looks real nice Chris!. Pardon my ignorance... what is a slipmatched back?

----------


## Bill Snyder

Jim, a bookmatch is where you slice the piece of wood and open in like a book. A slip match would be cutting a long board and sliding the bottom piece up beside the other piece.

----------


## Chris Oliver

Thanks Jim,

What Bill wrote is right on. The billet wasn't thick enough for a book match so  I used another cut from the board.

----------


## Jim Garber

Thanks Bill and Chris.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Two side sets almost ready for tops.  Starts to get exciting now . . .



Looking closer -- Let me tell you, bending extremely curly maple for the "tube" of the Pacifica scroll wave is not an easy task.  3/4" diameter curve at the apex.



Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, nice work! That is one tight scroll!!

----------


## Jill McAuley

Here's a photo Jim sent me yesterday of the back of my eagerly awaited Hilburn A5, he's in the middle of varnishing it now:

----------


## Ed Goist

*Jill; that is absolutely gorgeous!*
Can't wait to see and hear the finished mandolin!
Congrats!

----------


## Avi Ziv

Jill - that mandolin looks amazing. The waiting would kill me

----------


## sunburst

A couple of years ago a member here, Jerry Haynes, gave me a wedge-shaped piece of a western red cedar telegraph pole from the 1800s. One surface of the wedge was the outside of the pole.

----------


## sunburst

The wood itself looked like this:

----------


## sunburst

I managed to get a couple of top blanks from it. Here's one of them:

----------


## sunburst

This blank was big enough that, when a customer asked if I could use it in his mandola, I said "sure". Here's the top attached to the rim, and here's the 'dola right before finish sanding and starting the staining. I just though some folks might be interested in seeing the transformation from telegraph pole to mandola top!

----------


## Grommet

That is a beauty John!

Scott

----------


## Steve Sorensen

John,
Can't wait to see your approach to finishing that beautiful wood.
Steve

----------


## Tavy

Lovely work as ever John, an instrument like that deserves a telegraph-pole-related name.... I just can't think of one right now  :Frown:

----------


## Mike Black

Wichita Lineman

----------


## Steve Sorensen

867-5309

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I think it would be cool if it had a spike hole in it.

----------


## sunburst

I think I'd better check with the customer before adding a spike hole...

----------


## Jim Hilburn

It would have to be an original 1800's spike hole to be cool.

On another topic, I'm thinking I better think about cleaning up the bench tomorrow morning.

----------


## Tavy

> I think I'd better check with the customer before adding a spike hole...


LOL, yeh I can just see you explaining that one  :Wink:

----------


## GKWilson

John. That's an ultra cool dola. Does it come with apps. Like one for Bluegrass. One for O.T. ect.
Jim. Looking at your bench, then mine, I thought yours was clean.
Gary

----------


## Mike Black

> 867-5309


Is that the serial number?   :Smile:

----------


## GKWilson

Mike. Too much Bluegrass and Contra, and not enough 80's Rock. Tommy Tutone would be crushed.
And by the way. Why aren't you working on #11.  :Grin:  :Laughing:  :Laughing:  :Grin:

----------


## lauri Girouard

Attachment 78258I thought I would show you all some pictures of my work.  This is the first mandolin I have ever built completely.   I started her well over a year and 1/2 ago.   I just picked her up again and I plan on getting her ready for staining on this Friday.   The back is one piece of what i think is called blister maple. I found that at a local lumber yard.  If you look at the grain of the wood, it has a water droplet look to it.  I decided to do a nautical inlay because of this.  The top is E. spruce.   I did carbon fiber in place of a truss rod.

I love looking at all the pictures in the thread.   You all do such great work and keep things constructive.  You have inspired me and given me  the courage to post my work

----------


## jzings

Imagination is the mother of invention

----------


## dadsgrl1



----------


## dadsgrl1

For all you luthiers out there, this is a John Duffey 'Duck' mandolin in progress. My friend is a master luthier and he made this box in 4-1/2 days. It will be ready for sale in approximately 6 weeks. He watched videos on YouTube of Mr. Akira Otsuka, the Japanese man who now owns Mr. Duffey's original mandolin. I will post more pictures as they become available to me. Thanks for looking!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Installing tone bars with go-bars.

----------


## fatt-dad

O.K. so I played it in the "white" today.  That was fun!  Dr. Dave's done good and I'll be plenty happy in a month or so when the varnish is done and it's polished. 

Christmas?  Don't know and don't want to be in a rush.  It is exciting though. . .

f-d

(for those who are wondering, that's walnut for the top, redwood for the back and curly maple on the outer binding.)

----------


## Jim Garber

> (for those who are wondering, that's walnut for the top, redwood for the back and curly maple on the outer binding.)


Hmmmm... are you sure?. It looks like redwood for the top and walnut for the back. Makes  more sense to me acoustically tho maybe Dave has other ideas?

In any case, Dr. Dave is on my short list for commissioning a mandolin from a contemporary maker. BTW F-D, I also like that jaunty little fleur-de-lis. is that what the headstock inlay is?

----------


## Jake Wildwood

+1 to Jim's eyeballing... def redwood on the top & wal on the back.

----------


## Jim Garber

Walnut is very enticing to me as a backwood. F-D, what was the tonal goal here for the combination of woods? Does redwood top tone down the trebles?

----------


## fatt-dad

yeah I have dylexia (sp).  Redwood top, walnut back and maple binding.

f-d

----------


## fatt-dad

Oh, my goal was to have a mandolin built by Dave.  I've played a redwood/walnut mandolin of his before.  I also know that his "Loar Killer" was the same woods. (For those that don't know Dave built a mandolin that was played against a bunch of other mandolins and in the blind "competition" his mandolin "beat" the Loar example that was in the field.)

It was fun playing it today!

f-d

----------


## Jim Garber

I played an oval hole A (my preference) of his at CMSA that was definitely in my top 5 or so for the best for me.

----------


## Dave Cohen

Man, that guy in the pictures in post #5711 is one ugly luthier.  I had no idea!

http://www.Cohenmando.com

----------


## sunburst

> Man, that guy in the pictures in post #5711 is one ugly luthier.  I had no idea!


I must say, the mando does look better than the luthier! :Wink:

----------


## strings777

I need to stop looking at this thread....I'm beginning to get a bad case of MAS again, LOL!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A natural blonde.



Steve

----------


## oldwave maker

#500, a C# of spruce's curly redwood and mussers old curly koa, 17"scale guitdola of old standard bearclaw red spruce and spruce's 1pc curly broadleaf maple, on top of spinal tap tribute fender bussman piggyback tweed bass, all awaiting shellac sealer coats.
When I made that first walnut ovalhole a pair from elderly's scott antes blueprint I never planned on more..........

----------


## Malcolm G.

Those are NICE!

----------


## pjlama

Wow Bill those look awesome. I need to come down and test those guys before they leave the hollar.

----------


## Mike Black

Congrats on #500 Bill.  That Bussman Bass is awesome too!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Bill, 

Congratulations on making it halfway to your first thousand instruments!  Consistently astounding!

Steve

----------


## Diamondback_Jack

Hey guys, 

           I just started my first mandolin build this past weekend. It'll be similar to a Gibson/Flatiron pancake mando, with my own take on woods and a few other things. The back and neck will be Genuine Mahogany, the sides are Curly Maple, and the top will be Spruce. These are all the pictures I have so far, more will be coming this weekend. Let me know what you think!

----------


## Bill Snyder

Are you using Franklin Liquid Hide glue? If so you might want to do a search and do some reading of previous threads discussing it.

----------


## Diamondback_Jack

Bill, 

No, I think I'll be using titebond wood glue instead of the hide glue. Just from some small uses and tests I don't care for it. After seeing how this one turns out I might go to HHG, but we'll see. Thanks for the input!

----------


## Doug Edwards

> John. That's an ultra cool dola. Does it come with apps. Like one for Bluegrass. One for O.T. ect.
> Jim. Looking at your bench, then mine, I thought yours was clean.
> Gary


Neatness is over rated.  Where's the fun looking for something right in front of you. :Smile:   I clean up my work area a least twice a year, needed or not.

----------


## Jim Garber

> Hey guys, 
> 
>            I just started my first mandolin build this past weekend. It'll be similar to a Gibson/Flatiron pancake mando, with my own take on woods and a few other things. The back and neck will be Genuine Mahogany, the sides are Curly Maple, and the top will be Spruce. These are all the pictures I have so far, more will be coming this weekend. Let me know what you think!


What kind of bracing are you planning? Are those marks on the top where the braces are to go?

----------


## Diamondback_Jack

Jim, 

You're correct about the marks, that's where the plans call for braces but I'm torn between that pattern and a classical style pattern  a friend of mine came up with. Decisions decisions ha ha

----------


## Jim Garber

Are those braces arched with parts not touching the top and is the top induced? Where did these plans come from?

----------


## Diamondback_Jack

Jim, 

 No the braces will touch the top like normal, the blocks are just cut outs in my templates for reference. I don't really have a means to induce the top on this first one but hopefully I will be able to on my next. I got the plans from Terry Majewski of Crystal Forest mandolins. He's a heck of a nice guy, any time I've been stumped he's helped me get it worked out.

----------


## Jim Garber

> I don't really have a means to induce the top on this first one but hopefully I will be able to on my next.


I am no expert but don't you induce an arch in the top with arched braces? And shouldn't a flattop mandolin have an arched (convex) top, however slight, to avoid the top sinking? Flattop guitars have the same thing, I always thought.

----------


## Diamondback_Jack

You are correct, Jim, and I might induce the top some way. As of now I don't have the top thicknessed so I have some time yet to plan it all out. With the classical pattern I mentioned earlier, there is an X brace involved so arching the top may be easier.

----------


## GarY Nava

Hi Guys,
Awhile ago, I showed you a pearl and turquoise rosette that I had just completed. Well, here is the rest of the body- Cocobolo back and sides bound in ebony and a red spruce soundboard.  
The other mandolin body is for one of my austerity standard mandolins- mahogany and maple 3 piece back with a western red cedar soundboard.
The twin-point is a commission and the standard a speculative build which should be completed and for sale soon-ish.
Cheers Gary

----------


## Diamondback_Jack

Very cool work Gary! I can't wait to see them done!

----------


## Mandocarver

Great work Gary. That rosette is one of the nicest I've ever seen. Do you mind me asking where you sourced your turquoise from?
Thanks,
Dean

----------


## GarY Nava

> Great work Gary. That rosette is one of the nicest I've ever seen. Do you mind me asking where you sourced your turquoise from?
> Thanks,
> Dean


Thanks Dean, I appreciate your comments.
The turquoise was from Smallwonder
http://www.smallwonder-music.co.uk/

Cheers Gary

----------


## Jill McAuley

gorgeous work Gary, can't wait to see the end results!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Charles E.

Nice work Gary, that two point is wonderful. The other ain't too shabby either.

----------


## Mandocarver

Thank you Gary - that opens up some new possibilities.
Cheers,
Dean

----------


## Chris Oliver

I finished that mando (last pics in the white) on 11/11/11.  Here is a couple shots from my phone camera. I really need to use my camera camera.

----------


## TDMpicker

A.J.,

The plans show how to induce an arch in the braces/tonebars by cutting a radius in the bottom edge. You can set up a bent piece of plywood with sandpaper glued to it to sand the curve. You need the induced arch to prevent the top from depressing under the pressure of the bridge and strings.

----------


## TDMpicker

1927 Fairbanks-Vega Little Wonder mandolin bango.

Some in-progress photos of my reconditioning of this instrument.

Purchased at an estate auction this instrument is in pristine condition
for its age. It needed some cleanup, a new skin, strings and a setup.
This will make a great old-time or Celtic instrument. All the metal is
in great condition, no tarnish, rust or etc. The ebony fretboard looks
new, no noticeable wear on the frets. Tuners are in fine condition.

Fairbanks - Vega was one of the premier banjo makers in the 20's.
They made three version of the mandolin banjo. The entry level model
K, the upgraded Little Wonder, that featured a chrome tone ring, bound
fretboard and simulated tortoise binding on the bottom of the rim. Their
top of the line model was the Whyte Laydie.

----------


## lauri Girouard

Blue may not be the first choice for most traditional mandolin fans but I found this piece of blister mapleat a local lumberyard.   I thought the blue stain would give it a cool water feeling.  I also love the color blue.   Traditional colors wouldn't fly for this wood.  Introducing my first complete build...  the Marinedolin.  




(The picture of the top is without any finish applied.)

----------


## usqebach

Lauri,

I've never thought the greens and blues were appropriate for instruments, but as you've tied yours together with a marine theme, I actually think it's really cool! I appreciate your creativity.

Please follow up with a pic of the finished instrument!

Jim

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Lauri,

Can't wait to hear it!  Looks really nice.  

Interesting how, in the electric guitar world, anything goes . . . and the instruments are far more exciting to look at because of the creativity of design.  But in the mando world folks are obsessed with two old designs tinted various shades of brown.

I love seeing something new!

Steve

----------


## Ed Goist

Lauri, that Blister Maple under that stain is just remarkable.
The more I look at it, the more compelling and aquatic it looks!
Can't wait to see this one once it's finished. Great work.

----------


## GKWilson

Lauri. When you're diving in the 'Deep Blue' going ever deeper. 
Often your buddies air bubbles dance in front of your 
eyes as you strain to see the first signs of the bottom of the
abyse and all her mysteries. 
I think this mandolin had to be blue.
Please let us see her when she's done.
Gary

----------


## lauri Girouard

Thank you all for the kind words about my mando.    I will post pics and a video when she is complete.   As of now, she has had all of the coats of water based lacquer  (KTM 9) applied  and now will need to cure a bit before I can buff her out and string her up.    

Steve:  What you said is what I think as well and I have to tell you that I almost chickened out and went with tobacco brown, red mahogany and vintage amber stains.   Then once I did it, it was so blue that I almost put her in a closet and pretended it didn't happen.    But then reason set in and I decided to continue on anyway.  Now with finish and the way she looks under it, I am glad I took the plunge into Gary's abyss  (that was pretty cool Gary, thank you).     The sound being what matters and not the color ... this mando is loud, has great tone and has an overall great sound.  Though that blister maple was the toughest piece of wood that I have ever carved.   When tapped and then played it was very distinctive and powerful.   I am hoping whoever purchases her will play around with some jazz, rock and alternative music.   

Ed:  Thanks!   You have been with me right along on this   :Smile:

----------


## Chris Oliver

Speaking of deep blue... I got a few pics of my latest while on vacation.

----------


## GKWilson

This is Mike Black's #11.
Strung for the first time this week.
I think it's going to be a very good New Year.
Gary

----------


## Jill McAuley

looking forward to seeing the end results!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Jim Garber

> Speaking of deep blue... I got a few pics of my latest while on vacation.


Hey Chris: I just noticed that this is an A5 but with a shorter neck. Very unusual. What kind of bracing is inside?

----------


## Chris Oliver

Jim, thanks for noticing. 

I wanted to see how moving the bridge back to the fat spot of the mandolin would affect the tone. I kept the near parallel bracing and profile like an A2 (I did carve the top to accommodate the shifted bridge). I used a 13 7/8" scale and, of course, f holes instead of an oval.

I did this for two mandolins. This one has a Sitka top and the other, which should be complete after the holidays, has a Lutz spruce top.

----------


## Keith Newell

Wow there are a lot of nice looking mandolins being made. Here is a blacktop (face not shown yet) with natural color body gonna be shipped out soon.
Keith

----------


## oldwave maker

Astronomers have recently discovered more earth sized planets outside our solar system, wondering if they have life forms that exhibit chatoyance when made into mandolins and sealed with shellac.......

----------


## Chris Oliver

> Astronomers have recently discovered more earth sized planets outside our solar system, wondering if they have life forms that exhibit chatoyance when made into mandolins and sealed with shellac.......


You darn well know there is. The biggest barrier is knowing how to interpret the alien law... Lacey Act and all.

----------


## imleath

> You darn well know there is. The biggest barrier is knowing how to interpret the alien law... Lacey Act and all.


I think it'd be way cooler of the planet was just covered in a massive ancient forest.  I'd hate to hear Gibson got raided by aliens to recover illegally imported alien fretboard blanks(or whatever it was they got in trouble for here on earth).  Seriously though, I bet if there's trees out there anywhere there's some pretty cool woods.

----------


## lauri Girouard

My mandolin looks like it may be from another planet with some new alien wood for the back.... Thats ok with me though.  My first build is complete.

----------


## John Hill

Alright...anyone else have to google "chatoyance" but me?

----------


## Chris Oliver

Luari,
Wow. Pandoran.
Chris

----------


## Ed Goist

Lauri:
Striking...Fantastic...Congratulations!

----------


## buckhorn

looks cool.....I want to try that in pink for my granddaughter....

----------


## GKWilson

My granddaughter plays a purple fiddle.
Lauri, someones going to love playing that little beauty.
Very unique and classy.
Gary

----------


## Don Grieser

Anyone else notice all those backs in the white in Chatoyance Wave's post. Woah.

Lauri: I fear that's made with unobtanium.

----------


## Steevarino

We took a bit of a "Traveler Holiday" here at the RedLine shop during a major portion of 2011, while we further developed our line of acoustic guitars and resophonic guitars, and moving into our bigger and better shop space.  I thought about not making them anymore, but customers kept asking for them, even when we weren't building them.  So, now that we have more space, and an awesome apprentice added to the team, we are back to making the intrepid RedLine Travelers.

Here's a shot of a few recent builds.  The one in the front has its back made from a book-matched section of Claro Walnut.  We have nicknamed this one "The Shroud of Turin", because if you look just right, you can see a face, sort of...

----------


## Steevarino

Oops!  Sorry about that second picture.  I grabbed the wrong picture at first, tried to edit it out, but it's still there.  Oh well, that was one I took for our Facebook page.  Deck the Halls, and all that...

----------


## Carleton Page

Congrats Laurie! Looks great!
Carleton

----------


## Charles E.

Laurie, that is beautiful. I am curious about the carved ridge (ripple?) in the top, below the fingerboard. Is that for acustic reasons? Or is it part of the aquatic theme? Either way it is nicely done!

----------


## lauri Girouard

> Laurie, that is beautiful. I am curious about the carved ridge (ripple?) in the top, below the fingerboard. Is that for acustic reasons? Or is it part of the aquatic theme? Either way it is nicely done!



Thank you all.     That is the recurve.   It was an experiment to have the recurve go all the way around.

----------


## lauri Girouard

> Congrats Laurie! Looks great!
> Carleton



Thanks Carleton!  Happy Holiday to you and your family.

----------


## fatt-dad

Love the blue mandolin!!

Really want to try an Old Wave oval one day too.  Nice photo!!

I also would love to play one of the Redline pancakes.  I get a lot of play on my pancake and really hope that these Redlines live up to the Flatiron performance.

What a fun thread!

f-d

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Hopefully won't be too long now.

----------


## killerstiver

Wow some very impressive cosmetics! Now how about the sound? Any clips?

----------


## Markkunkel

> Wow there are a lot of nice looking mandolins being made. Here is a blacktop (face not shown yet) with natural color body gonna be shipped out soon.
> Keith


Oh boy oh boy oh boy... looks VERY nice, Keith.  

Mark

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Two-point headstock in progress.



Steve

----------


## Ed Goist

Steve, Love that design! Very cool.

----------


## JEStanek

Great looking inlay as well, Steve.

Jamie

----------


## oldwave maker

Likker and lakker may kill the tone of a fiddle, but the latter sure makes a mando beer proof in a hurry......

----------


## Doug Edwards

My, my such great artistry going on here.  Here's my humble offering in the white.  Quite pleased with the tone.  It's only been strung up a few hours before this MP3 was made.

----------


## George R. Lane

Doug,
You are doing some mighty fine work. What color is this one going to be?

----------


## Doug Edwards

The customer wants a deep cherry burst.  I'll be starting my first F5 very soon, a red spruce and KOA,

----------


## GKWilson

Steve. That headstock and inlay are beautiful. Modern Art Deco. I like.
Doug. That's going to be one purdy mando. Who made the armrest and pick guard?  :Grin: 
Gary

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Getting the finish on.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Jim,
That maple makes my heart skip a beat.   Sure love seeing the Tiger come out!
Steve

----------


## GKWilson

Someones going to be very happy Jim.
Gary

----------


## Jill McAuley

Absolutely gorgeous, Jim!

Cheers, 
Jill

----------


## Max Girouard

Jim that is really nice!!

I'm final sanding an A5 with a nice one piece back that shows some really great figuring.

----------


## Ben Milne

Stunning page this 232.  Great work all

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Is one more OK?
Final coats today. (this one is lacquer by the way)
I have a very nice Sata HVLP and you can see the way it lays down finish. At 25 # it shoots tiny gobs instead of a highly atomized mist. Just a little sanding will level it to a smooth surface.

----------


## Chris Rogers

Just finished #1, enjoying playing some tone into it before a making some final adjustments.

----------


## Max Girouard

Chris looks great for your #1

Also, Jim that is just about as good as it gets!

Here is an A5 I have in finishing, probably one or two more coats of spirit varnish before the French polish top coat goes on...........

----------


## Max Girouard

Also here is an inlay of a Mayfly I just did that is going on an F5...........

----------


## Doug Edwards

Love it Max.  Ever try a dry fly?

----------


## kkmm

I feel very humble with all the beautifully made mandolines here.
Here is mine (I am assembling from a F-style kit), still in progress



These photos were taken yesterday after I installed hardware (tuners, tail piece) on it.
The woods are still natural, not stained yet.

----------


## Ed Goist

That's a kit?!
Looks beautiful! Great job.
I love the look of those tonewoods - I think I'd go natural finish all the way!
Please continue to post in progress pics...I look forward to watching this one come to life.

----------


## kkmm

I am thinking going for a natural finish too, at least for the sides and the back. The top would use light color finish.
This kit only requires me to glue the neck to the body, install hardware, apply finish, then do the proper setup before playing. It took me only two evenings from the kit to get to this form (not counting days of searching for information on how to do things right).
That's why I feel humble compare to others who went thru very elaborate works to get to the final results. My next project will be a kit where I have to do most of the work up front.

----------


## Max Girouard

> Love it Max.  Ever try a dry fly?


Hi Doug, never tried inlaying a dry fly.  I know Andrew Mowry has inlayed one into the back of one of his peg heads that was off the charts!!!!!  I can't seem to find the picture.  Andrew, if your reading this, can you post a photo of that inlay?

----------


## GKWilson



----------


## Steve Sorensen

Impressive little inlay.

Steve

----------


## Tavy

> 


That gets me, hook, line and sinker  :Wink:

----------


## Doug Edwards

I tried to do a simular fly inlay but could never get it to look right.  Still thinking about giving it another shot.

----------


## oldwave maker

John, Zack, Dan, enjoy. Waiting on tailpieces. All engelmann spruce tops, turpentine wipe to show genetic warp/viral weft of backs.....

----------


## labraid

Been a while, the shop has been in much transformation over the last year.. Here's the new workbench, with chisels never far away. This is iteration 2.3. I'm looking forward to 3.0.



Here's a shot of the slots for the latest mandolin being pared over the oak register.



The brunt of the material is first roughed out with the scroll saw. I always go at a skew angle to the grain for a nice clean cut, and only hair's thickness at a time.

I'm looking forward this Summer to completing the insulation of the shop and removing the ceiling attached to the lower bouts of the a-frame trusses, for a grand cathedral ceiling and storage above. The walls are in rough shape only for a little while longer now...

----------


## Max Girouard

The wife got an action shot of me French polishing an A5.  Almost ready!!

----------


## Kip Carter

Purdy!
Kip...

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Very close now.

----------


## testore

Wow Jim, that looks yummy.  More shots?

----------


## oldwave maker

Curing shot of those scrolly items above, with Kendra's quilty au naturelle, thanks again to Spruce, who cuts a fine figure!

----------


## Jim Garber

I like those two eyeballs on the au naturelle one.

----------


## Mando Tristan

I agree, beautiful work guys! Love to see anymore picture people have of their projects.

----------


## Max Girouard

This is a nice back!  Finish is KTM-SV.  Learning how to get the best settings from my new HVLP gun has proven to be a challenge.  Lots of level sanding tomorrow.

----------


## JEStanek

Great looking back (and color), Max.

Jamie

PS, I'm so reluctant to post in this thread for fear of omitting some praise.  Everything looks so good.

----------


## Mike Black

Had a little side bending party tonight!

----------


## Tavy

> Had a little side bending party tonight!


I think you need some more clamps  :Wink: 

Seriously.... like Jamie, it's hard to know what to say on this thread, so much amazing stuff here.  Max: that back looks pretty level as it is!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Max,
Looks like you've found a new finish!
Steve

----------


## Mike Black

What's with the new thread title Steve?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Doh!  

Was sending a note to Scott about a site issue I was having.  Accidentally pasted into this string.  Couldn't figure out how to change the title . . .  Should be fixed now.

Sorry,
Steve

----------


## labraid

Eileen's classical German mandolin. Ready to clean up the outside of the bowl now...

----------


## brunello97

> Eileen's classical German mandolin. Ready to clean up the outside of the bowl now...


Great photos! I dig the facets carved into the neck-block to match the bowl-stave geometry. Sharp work..

Mick

----------


## Steve Sorensen

*Three backs --*

*
Three fronts --*

*
From top to bottom -* _Sprite Two-Point_ with Red Spruce top, _F8_ with  old one piece Sitka Spruce top, and _Pacifica_ with bearclaw Sitka Spruce top.  All have maple backs and sides and necks.

Ready for last looks and finishing.

Steve

----------


## labraid

Thanks much, Mick.

Elegant twists there, Steve. Ah, and some ebonized curly maple I see there too, nice.

----------


## Elkhorn1

Koa III.MP3 Here's the latest Elkhorn ready for varnish and french polish. Koa with a western red cedar one piece top. The combination makes for a deep rich tone. Enjoy!

----------


## Trey Young

Great looking and killer sounding, very nice Robb!

----------


## billhay4

Nice, Robb. 
Bill

----------


## Ed Goist

Jamie has it right...Everything posted here is gorgeous!
I just want to go on record that I am very impressed by all of the beautiful instruments being showcased in this thread.
They are all stunning! 
Hats off to all of the remarkable builders here on the Cafe!

----------


## usqebach

Robb,

Love the figure in the Koa, and the beautiful peghead inlay!

Will it keep the natural color, or will you stain it?

jim

----------


## Elkhorn1

Hey Jim, It's going to be a natural finish. Here's a picture of the backboard with just a light coat of french polish I applied just after I got done carving it. I just had to see what it was going to look like.

----------


## Skip Kelley

There is some incredible looking work on this thread! Brother Robb, I love that koa mandolin! That is some kind of sweet!!!

----------


## j. condino

Beautiful work Rob. I've been wanting to build a koa mandolin for several years....

j.
www.condino.com

coming soon:
www.blueridgeschooloflutherie.com

----------


## Max Girouard

Great koa back!

Speaking of koa, this is my first time working with it and wood binding in general.

----------


## Mando Tristan

Thought I would post a few pictures of my templates so far. I'm planning on at least starting the neck today.  A practice block made of 3/4" yellow pine. The real one will be a solid piece of Mahogany.   The template for the soundboard. I opted to use some 1/8" hardboard I had on hand to make the templates and make a separate template for the back, instead of the single template as describe by Roger Siminoff. The piece of hard maple for the neck is in the top right corner of this shot. 
-Tristan

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Can't wait to see how this maple finishes.  Amazing depth of curl --

This week!

Steve

----------


## oldwave maker

A style mandos ripening in the late winter sun, companion planting with lettuce and arugula helps with the weedy sound, and they'll be ready to pick way before the garlic can spice them up.....

----------


## oldwave maker

errr, woody sound

----------


## Mike Black

Bill, you almost have too much fun.  Better keep it up!   :Smile:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Bill,

I'm sure that you, like me, must really enjoy the benefits of a being in a warm mando growing region.  

Nice to be able to harvest the first A-styles by mid-February and see fully developed scrolls by the time mandos are just starting to bud-out in colder regions.



It is so warm this year, I'm thinking I might have a two-point harvest before the end of the month!

Steve

----------


## Bill Snyder

I want to know where I can purchase some of those seeds.  :Smile:

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Back to the beginning.
Here's my fret slot method. Never have had a table saw so this seemed to make sense. 
Makita used to make this 7 1/2" miter slider. I think the only way you can get it now is as a battery pack model. But with Stew-Mac's ground down 6 " blade, a table with a pin and fences, and a notched template it works pretty well. It has a depth of cut adjustment that makes it easy to get the slots just right. I made the octave template out of pickguard material.

----------


## Doug Edwards

Got'r done. One of my Armadillo A5's going to California.
Did  a quick MP3 with Thomastik lights &, Red Bear Tri-tip hvy.  More photos here

----------


## Jritter3

> Had a little side bending party tonight!



Love the sketch of David Grisman in the corner! classic garcia sketch.

----------


## Bill Snyder

Doug, what did you use for the black nut on the Armadillo?

----------


## Doug Edwards

Composit Graphite I believe.  I obtained some replacement saddles and nuts used on the CA guitars (Composit Acoustics) when the closed up shop.  I used one of the nuts on and acoustic guitar and liked it.

----------


## Stanley Cox

Hey Doug, You better bring one of them there "Amarillos"  :Grin:  up here to Argyle
in a couple of weeks. I hear there might be a mandolin player or two here.

Stanley  :Coffee: 
PS that Armadillo looks good>

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Playing with some colors other than brown . . .



Steve

----------


## amowry

Nice colors Steve!

Here's some work on an octave.

----------


## labraid

Awesome work, Andrew.

----------


## Pete Counter

> Playing with some colors other than brown . . .
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


Love the green....LOVE the green!

----------


## labraid

Mandolin in Progress:



Bud the Spud, from the Bright Red Mud:




 :Cool:

----------


## billhay4

Ah, Brian, you've become fully Canadian! Congratulations.
Beautiful bowlback, by the way.
Bill

----------


## labraid

Thanks Bill! Got the papers to prove it.  :Smile: 

Here's another that's just gotten underway.. They start out rough....

----------


## billhay4

"They start out rough...." and end up superb.
Bill

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Just a little peek for the *Mandos In Progress* crew -- Bearclaw Sitka ready for French Polish.



Steve

----------


## Mike Black

I like the green fingerboard   :Grin:

----------


## amowry

Sweet! Cool soundholes too.

----------


## Jared Heddinger

> Bill,
> 
> I'm sure that you, like me, must really enjoy the benefits of a being in a warm mando growing region.  
> 
> Nice to be able to harvest the first A-styles by mid-February and see fully developed scrolls by the time mandos are just starting to bud-out in colder regions.
> 
> 
> 
> It is so warm this year, I'm thinking I might have a two-point harvest before the end of the month!
> ...


Who said money...err mandolins dont grow on trees?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Mike - my guess is the ebony in the fingerboard will ripen to a nice deep brown just about the same time I finish French Polishing!

Jhedd - I realized some years after planting it that Mandolin Trees are a very different Genus and Species from the Money Tree.  Mandolin Trees seem to be most closely related to Happiness Trees - which can benefit from cash fertilization but will thrive in very tough situations where Money Trees would wither.

Steve

----------


## Ribak

> Just a little peek for the *Mandos In Progress* crew -- Bearclaw Sitka ready for French Polish.
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


I lurk more than I post but I have to say that is beautiful.

----------


## Bill Snyder

Steven S., that bearclaw in that Ocean burst gives the illusion of waves. Aptly named.

----------


## Kip Carter

> Just a little peek for the *Mandos In Progress* crew -- Bearclaw Sitka ready for French Polish.
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


Steve, ah.. is this one sold?  This Irishman is in a total state of lust!!!!
Kip...

----------


## Jake Wildwood

> Thanks Bill! Got the papers to prove it. 
> 
> Here's another that's just gotten underway.. They start out rough....


Is this going to be a "regular" bowlback with fluted ribs or is this one somehow special (dumb q, considering your work)? The bowl looks wider and shallower than norm to me.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Why maple sometimes makes my hear skip a beat --



Just finished scraping the bindings after sealing up the 'burst.

Steve

----------


## usqebach

Steve,

Wow!

Love the offset two-point.

Any chance of a frontal shot to complete the visual?

Thanks!

jim

----------


## buckhorn

here are the next three that i have been working on this winter..one is a custom for a friend that wanted a wider body for more bass... the A style is my first effort and am very happy with the outcome...i have made six more rims and am going to try a different type neck joint ....keith

----------


## oldwave maker

Great stuff here, a fine job, boys and girls! Once upon a time I got into a 12 step program to break my addiction to staring at stained curly maple mandolin backs, but when I looked down, even the stair treads were figured.........partial cure was to only look at fronts, like the chocolate and butterscotch about to leave home:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

> Steve,
> 
> Wow!
> 
> Love the offset two-point.
> 
> Any chance of a frontal shot to complete the visual?
> 
> Thanks!
> ...


Jim,

Here's the flipside.



Steve

----------


## Jill McAuley

> Great stuff here, a fine job, boys and girls! Once upon a time I got into a 12 step program to break my addiction to staring at stained curly maple mandolin backs, but when I looked down, even the stair treads were figured.........partial cure was to only look at fronts, like the chocolate and butterscotch about to leave home:


Absolutely gorgeous them two! Drooling here!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## Jim Hilburn

So I said to myself...how hard could it be?
Then I found out.

----------


## Max Girouard

Nice inlay Jim!

Had a form made up for binding those pesky pegheads.  I have to use a heat gun to get the binding in the slots in the upper left hand and lower right hand corner, but the rest is just pushed in.  Pop it in the oven at 150 degrees for 20 minutes, and then push out the bindings via little holes drilled on the other side.  No more fighting binding into place, it retains the correct shape.  I wish I could say this was my idea, but I stole it from Don MacRostie, he make something similar which I saw on another site.  This is a prototype, once I try it a few times, I'll have another made to correct any issues.

----------


## Jill McAuley

> So I said to myself...how hard could it be?
> Then I found out.


Oh, very nice indeed!

Cheers,
Jill

----------


## labraid

Haha, "face"!

Beautiful inlay, Jim. That's all handcut and assembled! Which is saying something in this day and age. Precision workmanship.

Jake, the form you see is indeed a new instrument. It was conceived specially for a client, and will be quite a bit bigger than the average mandolino. You might think of it as more akin to a lute, in fact.

----------


## Jake Wildwood

> Haha, "face"!
> 
> Beautiful inlay, Jim. That's all handcut and assembled! Which is saying something in this day and age. Precision workmanship.
> 
> Jake, the form you see is indeed a new instrument. It was conceived specially for a client, and will be quite a bit bigger than the average mandolino. You might think of it as more akin to a lute, in fact.


RE Jim's inlay -- I was thinking just the same thing.

RE your bowl -- can't wait to see more. I thought something was up.  :Smile:

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Just to be clear there was no assembly needed. It's all one piece of pearl but it did require drilling 15 holes.

----------


## Max Girouard

> Just to be clear there was no assembly needed. It's all one piece of pearl but it did require drilling 15 holes.


That makes it even more impressive!!  How many hours did that take?

----------


## amowry

I think that's the right way to do it, Jim-- I've tried doing those knots both ways, and getting all the little parts lined up again (not to mention keeping track of them) is a challenge.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I would have never contemplated tring to do individual pieces and put it together. That would be crazy. 
Those 1/32" carbide cutters Stew-Mac sells go right through the pearl so you do have to thread the blade through all of them but the cutting goes pretty quick. I had it all cut out in about 1 1/2 hrs. But then you scrape off the paper template and see how much filing you need to do to get it to look right. And getting into the little spaces isn't too easy.
 Then to get the cross-over look you have to engrave those lines and that's still something I'm trying to master.

----------


## maj34

Gotta love those Old Wave F4s! 

Bill:  Do you use the old Gibson-style brace or X-bracing on your oval-hole Fs?

----------


## GKWilson

Jim. That inlay is very nice. But, does KNOT look easy to do.
Ole W. The butterscotch and chocolate look yummy.
Steve. Your green Pacifica is very cool.
But, the Sprite is awesome. I must resist...... I must resist.......
Gary

----------


## kyken

> Jim. That inlay is very nice. But, does KNOT look easy to do.
> Ole W. The butterscotch and chocolate look yummy.
> Steve. Your green Pacifica is very cool.
> But, the Sprite is awesome. I must resist...... I must resist.......
> Gary


Here's a Fantasma I'm working on.

----------


## Max Girouard

First time binding a headstock with wood bindings.  I got these from stewmac.  I was afraid it would be much more difficult than regular plastic binding, but actually wasn't that bad.  The photo of the side is washed out due to the flash, which is hiding the nice curl on the maple.

----------


## Toycona

Me likey!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Inlay cutting time.

----------


## Steve-o

> Here's a Fantasma I'm working on.


Looks like you caught a tiger by the tail, Ken.  Nice.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Jim,

I'm worrying about the MOP dust heading towards your lungs with that fan.  Here is a stand design (I think I copied from Larry Robinson) with a built-in hookup to the shop vac.  Uses 2" sewer line curves.  One of the few good uses I've found for Gorilla Glue -- stuck the pipe halves to the wood and foamed up to seal the cracks quite nicely.



Works great -- most of the dust gets sucked away, but the MOP doesn't (usually).  Also lifts the work level up so cutting it is a little more comfortable.


Steve

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I'm not.

----------


## wwwilkie

This is an unusual one for me.  My customer hand picked the wood herself.

----------


## pjlama

> Jim,
> 
> Here's the flipside.
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


Wow, wow, wow!

----------


## Toycona

The inlay is beautiful, as is the quilting, but the asymmetrical sound holes are super cool. Any effect on tone with that? Would you characterized the tone in any genre (jazzy, etc.)?

----------


## GKWilson

Wowser Wyatt. She ought to love that. 
This is why I always check this thread.
The builders on these pages not only build fine instruments,
but beautiful works of art.
Gary

----------


## Bill Snyder

> The inlay is beautiful, as is the quilting, but the asymmetrical sound holes are super cool. Any effect on tone with that? Would you characterized the tone in any genre (jazzy, etc.)?


They look symmetrical to me.

----------


## Toycona

Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or are the sound holes not shaped alike?

----------


## wwwilkie

Thanks!  The soundholes are symmetrical, just a shadow in the photo.

----------


## Toycona

Well, I'm sure it's really, really beautiful in one's hand. I really like the inlay!

----------


## Bill Snyder

Toycona, if you click on the thumbnail it brings up a larger photo that clearly shows the shape of the soundholes.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Steve

----------


## Tavy

> Steve


Gulp!

----------


## Andy Miller

> Steve


Wow.  A great piece of wood has met just the right finisher, that is off the hook!

----------


## Kip Carter

> Steve


Simply breath taking!
Kip...

----------


## Randi Gormley

wow. And again, wow.

----------


## oldwave maker

'There's more pretty backs than one,
More pretty backs than one,
Any old thread that I ramble all around,
There's more pretty backs than one'
Great inspiration here, all y'all!

----------


## Chip Booth

Here are a couple that have just finished being french polished by Lawrence Smart.  There is an F style 'cello in this batch also.  I plan to try to take pictures of the finished instruments next week.  It looks like the F 'dola is going to be up for grabs!

----------


## Steevarino

Here's a shot of seven of our RedLine Traveler mandolins in various stages of having the finish applied to them.  Various wood species and types in this grouping.

----------


## Marc Berman

> Here are a couple that have just finished being french polished by Lawrence Smart.  There is an F style 'cello in this batch also.  I plan to try to take pictures of the finished instruments next week.  It looks like the F 'dola is going to be up for grabs!


Hey Chip,
How's it going? I bought my lottery ticket today. Who knows, I might be calling Lawrence about that dola  :Grin:  Can't wait to see the group shot.

----------


## Charles E.

> Here's a shot of seven of our RedLine Traveler mandolins in various stages of having the finish applied to them.  Various wood species and types in this grouping.


Steve, is the second from the right Poplar? Nice looking group!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Pleased with the way this is going --



Steve

----------


## billhay4

"Pleased with the way this is going --"
As well you should be.
Bill

----------


## Jim Hilburn

here we go again.

----------


## sunburst

Thought I'd better grab a snap shot of this black top, after buffing and before I get a chance to scratch it up! (Just ignore the dust specks...)

----------


## Ed Goist

John...Gorgeous!
How can one not love a blacktop?!  :Grin:

----------


## Mike Black

> Thought I'd better grab a snap shot of this black top, after buffing and before I get a chance to scratch is up! (Just ignore the dust specks...)


NICE!!!  :Grin: 

I've got one coming up hoping to look like that.

----------


## Max Girouard

Awesome John!

For some reason, dust is attracted to black tops along with fingerprints  :Smile:

----------


## lauri Girouard

Hi John,  That is incredible!  I can't tell if it is a mandolin top or a warp in the space time continuum.   I love it.

Here is a photo of one of our latest.   We have been using the finish schedule from Rolfe  at Phoenix mandolins using KTM-SV.

----------


## sunburst

That used to be my measure of buffing progress; when I could clearly read the wattage of the light bulb, I was done buffing. (I see yours is a GE, but I can't quite see the wattage in the image on my monitor.) I've got compact fluorescents in all my shop lights now, so...
The black is something else! It is so reflective that sometimes my eyes have trouble distinguishing the surface from the reflection, and though any slight scratch left behind shows up like a neon sign, sometimes I have to stare at the same place until my eyes find the surface!

----------


## Tavy

> Thought I'd better grab a snap shot of this black top, after buffing and before I get a chance to scratch it up! (Just ignore the dust specks...)


John that's amazing!  Great work... pity it won't last like that!   :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A _Sprite Two-Point_ ready to take flight.



Simply a joy to build at every step along the way.  Next one is a curly redhead. . .

Steve

----------


## Ed Goist

Beautiful, beautiful work Steve!
I love your peghead design, and that inlay is killer!

----------


## Kip Carter

Breath taking Steve!  Just breath taking!
Kip...

----------


## Bob Bronow

Beautiful Steve!

----------


## pfox14

Beautiful work. Suck a fine line up of custom mandos. Bravo

----------


## Mark Seale

Beautifully done Steve.  What do you reinforce the neck with if no adjustable truss rod?

----------


## Max Girouard

Decided to rework the graduations on #16, so I'm calling it 16.1  Lauri is doing all the re-finishing.

----------


## Max Girouard

Stringing this one up in the white next week!

----------


## Ed Goist

Max;
That's a gorgeous back on that A-style! Also, the stain and finish are spectacular! Congratulate Lauri for me.
I also really like the custom A-style in the white. Very cool custom peghead shape, and I like the slope to those shoulders. Oh, and those block inlays are sweet!
Impressive work.

----------


## oldwave maker

Can't quite figure out how all this garlic came up in the mandopatch, hope it doesn't affect the flavor. Here at Gopher Broke Farms we used to plant half a ton of California early white and never even got an F5 to germinate in the field........

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Love that shot, Bill!  I'll bet the light rainfall this year will get you some real dry-woody choppin' come harvest time.

Steve

----------


## tree

How tall is that deer fence?  Does it keep them out of your garlic, or are those scare-mandos?

Looking great, mine looks almost like that except there isn't nearly so much of it.

----------


## Bob Bronow

> Can't quite figure out how all this garlic came up in the mandopatch, hope it doesn't affect the flavor. Here at Gopher Broke Farms we used to plant half a ton of California early white and never even got an F5 to germinate in the field........


Wow, rarely do you get to see them growing in the wild!

----------


## fatt-dad

The full-frontal photo is a bit blurry, but my Cohen is complete and I love it.  I think somewhere in this thread there are pictures of his wacky braces and the plates in their "just-carved" stage.  It's walnut and redwood.  I asked Dave for the worm-under tuners and he drilled the peghead for the "restoration tuners" from stew-mac.  Here's the finished product.













f-d

----------


## JEStanek

Congrats, Fatt-Dad.  That is a really good looking mandolin.  I really love the colors (I know I would like the tone - love walnut instruments) and the headstock fleur di lies is a great take on the design.

Jamie

----------


## Dan Voight

Here is my first batch of work from Nashville, TN. Numbers 10-13. Two F styles, a new 3 point design, and an A.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

You haven't had fun till you do this.

----------


## Bill Clements

Awesome mando, f-d.
You've got a beautiful instrument destined to be an heirloom!

----------


## Mike Black

> You haven't had fun till you do this.


Jim, That's too much fun for me.  :Smile:   Great job!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I posted the pic of a bound F-hole but sticking with the "in progress' theme, here's one in the middle of the process.

----------


## Steve-o

> Here is my first batch of work from Nashville, TN. Numbers 10-13. Two F styles, a new 3 point design, and an A.


Dan, nice to see you back in the shop creating.  Looking forward to more build pics.  Hope you get a boost to your career down in Nashville, but also hope you remember your roots and root for the Red Wings in Round 1 over the Predators!

----------


## lauri Girouard

> That used to be my measure of buffing progress; when I could clearly read the wattage of the light bulb, I was done buffing. (I see yours is a GE, but I can't quite see the wattage in the image on my monitor.) I've got compact fluorescents in all my shop lights now, so...
> The black is something else! It is so reflective that sometimes my eyes have trouble distinguishing the surface from the reflection, and though any slight scratch left behind shows up like a neon sign, sometimes I have to stare at the same place until my eyes find the surface!


This mando you can see that it is indeed a 40 Watt bulb.   I should change it to a compact florescent soon.     The next one I have lined up for finishing is going to be a  custom A style black top.   Cant wait to see the reflections!

----------


## Jim Garber

> Here is my first batch of work from Nashville, TN. Numbers 10-13. Two F styles, a new 3 point design, and an A.


I don't see any 3 point mandolin -- am I missing something?

----------


## Tom C

> I don't see any 3 point mandolin -- am I missing something?


Yes, the left pic in middle row.

----------


## Jim Garber

> Yes, the left pic in middle row.


Huh? Looks like 2 std f shaped tops to me.




> Here is my first batch of work from Nashville, TN. Numbers 10-13. Two F styles, a new 3 point design, and an A.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

"Ocean 'Burst" finished.






Love the result on the Bearclaw Sitka Spruce top.

Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Wow to all the great work posted recently! Steven, I love your Ocean Burst! Everything about that mandolin is awesome!

----------


## Bill Snyder

With the bearclaw figure and the bluish green tint that top does look like an ocean pool with the light reflecting off of it.

----------


## Gregory Tidwell

> "Ocean 'Burst" finished.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Love the result on the Bearclaw Sitka Spruce top.
> 
> Steve


Ordinarially I am not a fan of non-traditional finishes on traditional instruments, but this one kind of takes my breath away.  I really love the way this looks.  I think you have done a fantastic job expressing your themes with every single part of this mando.

----------


## Bob Bronow

> "Ocean 'Burst" finished.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Love the result on the Bearclaw Sitka Spruce top.
> 
> Steve


Oh yeah, and it sounds as good as it looks! I know, I've played it!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Thanks, guys!

Steve

----------


## Jared Heddinger

Something about blue and/or green mandolins gets me every time!

That one really reminds me of the ocean.

----------


## Max Girouard

Excellent work Steve!!  Love that bear claw.

Here is a tourture device I've been meaning to make for a while to sand that impossible to sand spot between the scroll when getting the rim and maple cap block true for neck fitting.

----------


## Max Girouard

Also, here is a shot of us pore filling flammed Koa bindings.  Not sure if it was necessary to pore fill, but figured it couldn't hurt!

----------


## Mando Tristan

My first mando is underway! All I've got so far is the neck, which is just plain ole hard maple.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

For some reason, this shot I grabbed right after stringing up Bob B's mando explains why I love making these things.



Steve

----------


## Ben Milne

Love those hooked F-holes, Steve. Does the mandolin have an open scroll?

----------


## Kip Carter

> For some reason, this shot I grabbed right after stringing up Bob B's mando explains why I love making these things.
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


Steve,
  Your mandolins are nothing short of works of art.  Again a beautiful instrument.  One of these days i'm gonna find the budget to own one of these beauties.  Just breathtaking. 

Kip...

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Ben,
Here's the whole mandolin -



Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Max, nice looking binding! That mandolin is going to look great!!!

Steven, your sound holes really compliment the lines of your mandolins!!

----------


## GarY Nava

Hi Guys, here's the next one- cocobolo back & sides with a red spruce top and a cocobolo rosette.
Tomorrow I route!
Cheers Gary.

http://www.navaguitars.co.uk/mandolins.html

----------


## Max Girouard

Nice Cocobolo on that one Gary!

----------


## Max Girouard

Buffing this one out today......

A little bear claw in the grass, or what should be grass and not weeds.

----------


## Ed Goist

Steve, beautiful and unique design executed wonderfully!
Magnificent back and sides, Gary!
Max, that is beautiful! I love the contrast between the top and the Ebony of the fretboard and peghead overlay. Really nice.
This thread continues to be very dangerous territory for those of us particularly susceptible to MAS and its related afflictions.  :Smile: 
Keep up the great work all!

----------


## crazymandolinist

That two point is up my alley. Inspires me to start building again rather than messing about.

----------


## Max Girouard

Just got this one strung up yesterday.  Just a few more tweaks on the setup and she is done!  Modeled after the Ms. Griffith A5, but on the red side.

----------


## Steve-o

That A is a real beauty Max.  I'd love to play it or hear it.

----------


## Dan Voight

> I don't see any 3 point mandolin -- am I missing something?


The pics of the 3 point are on their way soon.

----------


## Charles E.

> Hi Guys, here's the next one- cocobolo back & sides with a red spruce top and a cocobolo rosette.
> Tomorrow I route!
> Cheers Gary.
> 
> http://www.navaguitars.co.uk/mandolins.html


That looks really nice. I am looking forward to seeing what binding you install and what the headstock design will be.

----------


## Ben Milne

> Ben,
> Here's the whole mandolin -
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


Looking good Steve... I'm impartial to well executed open scrolls and those hooked ff holes compliment it nicely.

----------


## Max Girouard

I hope I'm not posting too much!  Just doing my part to make this one of the longest threads on the forum!  We just stained an A5 that features a black top, bursty sides back and neck and flammed Koa wood bindings.  This one will be going to a repeat customer as his 4th order!  These photos were taken after a couple of coats of shellac where applied as a sealer.  The plan is to get it into finishing tomorrow, as long as I can figure out how to replace the bad bearings in my spray booth.

----------


## Ed Goist

Gorgeous Max! 
The contrast between the top/binding/rim is spectacular (especially as seen in pics 5 & 6).

----------


## billhay4

Lovely, instrument, Max.
Bill

----------


## HoGo

That's mighty cool Max! I made few with flamed maple bindings and it is major PITA to keep the color away from the binding. I wonder how did you aproach this... sealed with lacquer or masked, or both? Or color in the finish?

----------


## Max Girouard

> That's mighty cool Max! I made few with flamed maple bindings and it is major PITA to keep the color away from the binding. I wonder how did you aproach this... sealed with lacquer or masked, or both? Or color in the finish?


Hi Adrian, you are right, major PITA.

First we did a pore fill on the koa bindings as they had large pores.  Then Lauri masked off the whole instument and painted shellac onto the bindings.  I think she did three coats.  Then she took all the tape off and stained by hand as usual.  Unfortuanatly everywhere the pore fill (z poxy) touched maple, it also seeped into the wood rejecting the stain.  So out came the air brush with some dyed shellac, and that fixed the problem.  Next time I don't think we will use the epoxy pore fill and just brush on a heavy cut of shellac.  Once the staining was done, we scraped with a razor blade to reveal the bindings again.  Then we seal coated the instrument with a few coats of pure shellac.  It was our first time with wood bindings so we learned a lot from this experience.

----------


## Arnt

Here's a couple that is about done; a big leaf / sitka A-style, with cocobolo fingboard and appointments

 



...and a red maple / red spruce F-style

----------


## Arnt

Strung up in the white, to do the final work on the f-holes, neck etc

----------


## Bill Snyder

Nice Arnt.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Arnt,

Looking forward to seeing that pair with finish -- very nice work.

Steve

----------


## Max Girouard

Great work Arnt!  Can't wait to see the finished results!

Here is an inlay I'm doing for one of my current customers.  Seems there has been a lot of requests lately for fishing related inlays, first the mayfly, now the trout...........

----------


## Dan Voight

more progress

----------


## Keith Newell

I'll get some pictures of the octave strung up in the next few days. I'm having to much fun playing around and tweaking the action in now.[/I]

----------


## Kip Carter

> I'll get some pictures of the octave strung up in the next few days. I'm having to much fun playing around and tweaking the action in now.[/I]


Impressive piece of work!
Kip....

----------


## Max Girouard

Keith!!

That looks amazing!  Can't wait to see it strung up!  Will you have any sound clips?

----------


## Chris Oliver

> Just got this one strung up yesterday.  Just a few more tweaks on the setup and she is done!  Modeled after the Ms. Griffith A5, but on the red side.


Max, beautiful mandolin. I really like the 'red side'. Which features of yours are based on the Ms. Griffith's A5?

----------


## Mando Tristan

Wow Keith, that cool! I never realized how big an octave mando was until now. So I'm doubly impressed.
-Tristan

----------


## Max Girouard

> Max, beautiful mandolin. I really like the 'red side'. Which features of yours are based on the Ms. Griffith's A5?


Pretty much the overall shape, bridge and F hole locations and binding scheme.  I also regraduated the top and back according to the measurments that were taken off of the Ms. Griffith A5.

----------


## Charles E.

> I'll get some pictures of the octave strung up in the next few days. I'm having to much fun playing around and tweaking the action in now.[/I]


A one piece back!?  Keith, that looks pretty darn cool, can't wait to hear it.

----------


## Max Girouard

Somethings fishy here.....

----------


## Ed Goist

Max, that peghead/inlay is incredibly striking!
Well done.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

French polishing session completed as the sun goes down.



Steve

----------


## Max Girouard

Lauri finished up this burst yesterday, also shot the seal coats on.

----------


## Ed Goist

Great pics Max. That binding really 'pops'!
Oh, and I love the juxtaposition of the monkey-wrench next to the F5!  :Smile:

----------


## amowry

A color sampler...

----------


## Mike Black

> A color sampler...


Very cool Andrew!  Love that Red-burst, second from the right.

----------


## buckhorn

here are a few pics i posted on the builder site........keith

----------


## Max Girouard

Andrew, absolutly amazing work.  You've always been an inspiration!

Also nice work buckhorn, really dig the points!

Here is a wonderful piece of European maple I got from John Preston at Old World Tonewoods, will be used for a Benedetto inspired archtop mandolin that we are calling the Jazz Box Mini......

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A final sunrise before the bridge.



Steve

----------


## Max Girouard

Now here is something you usually don't see, quilt with flame.  This slice of nice came from "Spruce" Bruce over at Orcas Island Tonewood a while back and I did not realize how nice it was until now!

----------


## j. condino

First carving sessions for a few Brazilian rosewood backs from a 50 year old beam along with a  mandolin in the white. 'Gonna have some tired, stiff old hands at my gig tonight..... :Wink: 

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## nobullmando74

> Great work Arnt!  Can't wait to see the finished results!
> 
> Here is an inlay I'm doing for one of my current customers.  Seems there has been a lot of requests lately for fishing related inlays, first the mayfly, now the trout...........


Its a KEEPER.  :Laughing:

----------


## Arnt

Getting there...

----------


## billhay4

Yes you are, Arnt.
Nice looking instrument.
Bill

----------


## Jim Hilburn

The terminology is probably wrong but I call this a "bookmatched" neck. Easier to see on the octave than a mandolin.

----------


## OldGus

Yeah, it's pretty.... all the Hilburn's are pretty. Are you using a natural or blonde finish on this one? How about a few more complete photo's Jim?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

There you go.

----------


## OldGus

That is a nice looking neck! I bet it will play easy. Nice looking materials throughout... I'm sure that will be even more evident when finish is applied.

----------


## Arnt

Scraping bindings...

----------


## Graham McDonald

I decided I really like the Regal reverse scroll mandolins (aka smurf head) and thought I should build one. Never having actually seen the inside of an original I have worked out my own way of doing it. Essentially just some leftover pieces of spruce, maple and rosewood. It will have tortoise celluloid binding around the top. The neck just bolts on with a carbon-fiber bar in the neck which extends through the neckblock and supports the end of the fingerboard. The soundboard bracing is shaped to a 15' radius, so the section above the soundhole drops away a little which gives a couple degrees back neck angle.

Not many ever found their way across the Pacific, but I will have to get an original in some decrepit state and rebuild it some day. I have found a drum supplier who has sent me some small pits of modern pearloid drum wrap in various colours so for the next one I can have a pearloid fretboard and head overlay.

cheers

graham

----------


## JEStanek

Very cool to see a new take on that style, Graham!  Hope you're doing well.

Jamie

----------


## Skip Kelley

There is alot of nice work by all on this thread.
Graham, Nicely done on the Regal type mandolin! I haven't heard it called Smurf head before. Now that is the first thing I see!

----------


## Bill Snyder

I think I have seen them called Papa Smurf mandolins.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Sure is some impressive work folks are posting!  Guess it is time to throw a shot in the mix.

Some necks waiting for their bodies . . .



Steve

----------


## George R. Lane

I really like the second from the right. That full scroll is way cool.

----------


## Max Girouard

> The terminology is probably wrong but I call this a "bookmatched" neck. Easier to see on the octave than a mandolin.


Jim, I've never been one for terminology, so.............I'm calling it AWESOME!!!!!

Also, nice work everyone else!  I really dig the smurf esc mandolin!!

Here is a pile of rims I'm working on that are comming along nicely.  Should be stringing up the mandola (bottom rim in flamed birch) tomorrow.

----------


## Carleton Page

Hey Max.  It was great to see you guys at the McCoury show! Beautiful looking rims there! Is this the 1st mandola?

----------


## Max Girouard

Hey Carlton,    The first mandola ended up in the woodstove!   This one is the first completed that we are really happy with the build.   I'll have it done soon if you want to plan a vist.

----------


## Carleton Page

Yes sir. I'd love to come hear it. Will be in touch!

----------


## Andy Miller

> The terminology is probably wrong but I call this a "bookmatched" neck. Easier to see on the octave than a mandolin.


Jim, you should market this as a "green" neck - you're getting a spectacular neck out of a thinner board!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

For making laminated necks Bennedettos shows to get as many blanks as possible from your flatsawn board and mix and match, putting the curliest piece on the players side. I like the idea of matching them up better.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's that neck in the booth. It's basically a flatsawn board cut right down the middle and "bookmatched" which gives you a pretty close mirror image.

----------


## Dan Voight

Time for tone bars.

----------


## Max Girouard

Just strung this up earlier in the week.  When I build another I plan on using a longer scale length.  I built this one to the Gibson mandola scale lenght, and while it sounds OK on the C course, I bet it would sound a lot more punchy with a longer scale as well as tightening up the looseness of the string.  I've got the action at 0.060 at the 12th fret and I'm getting a little buzz due to the looseness of the C course.

----------


## Jim Garber

> I decided I really like the Regal reverse scroll mandolins (aka smurf head) and thought I should build one.


Very cool, Graham. I am always interested in builders who are off the beaten track. looking fwd to the MOP deluxe model.

----------


## Glassweb

sounds good to me, Max! mandolas are such a trippy sound... kinda like a cross between a mandolin, a guitar and a banjo... i dig 'em!
getting them to play without a buzz and in tune is, as always, a challenge. i think Kimble's 16" scale models are a good way to go.

----------


## Ed Goist

Sounds great Max! Congratulations. 
I bet the next one, on the longer scale, will be an absolute beast! Can't wait to hear that one.

----------


## Dobe

> I really like the second from the right. That full scroll is way cool.


Ditto,  kinda got an art-deco vibe !   :Popcorn:

----------


## Max Girouard

> sounds good to me, Max! mandolas are such a trippy sound... kinda like a cross between a mandolin, a guitar and a banjo... i dig 'em!
> getting them to play without a buzz and in tune is, as always, a challenge. i think Kimble's 16" scale models are a good way to go.


Thanks Glassweb and Ed!

The next mandola will be a 16 inch scale for sure.  I think Will has it right with the longer scale length.  I was able to work out some of the buzz with some crafty fret work and have it at 0.060 at the 12th with minimal buzz.  I'll post another video once finished.

----------


## Dan Voight

One more F to put tone bars in and its on to binding the peg heads and gluing these tops on.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A little 12th Fret detail just to keep things interesting . . .



Steve

----------


## Kip Carter

Love it Steve!
Kip....

----------


## Max Girouard

Nice inlay Steve!

Lauri stained these two today!  One is a carpathian topped, birch mandola (one piece back) stained amber and red, the second is a sitka topped, birdseye maple A5 with a brown burst.  These photos have a light seal coat on and need the binding scraped.  Once she gets going with the finishing, the grain will pop a little more on that birdseye.

----------


## Ed Goist

Max, those stains are striking! 
Congrats to you and Lauri.

----------


## Tavy

> Nice inlay Steve!
> 
> Lauri stained these two today!  One is a carpathian topped, birch mandola (one piece back) stained amber and red, the second is a sitka topped, birdseye maple A5 with a brown burst.  These photos have a light seal coat on and need the binding scraped.  Once she gets going with the finishing, the grain will pop a little more on that birdseye.


Can't wait to see those with some finish on - boy will that grain pop!!  Lovely work.

----------


## ColdBeerGoCubs

> First carving sessions for a few Brazilian rosewood backs from a 50 year old beam along with a  mandolin in the white. 'Gonna have some tired, stiff old hands at my gig tonight.....
> 
> j.
> www.condino.com


I got to play this one a few weeks back and I still haven't been able to get it off my mind. Nor do I posses the vocabulary to properly describe it. I literally could not put it down and I think it was the first time that I officially began thinking of things I could get rid of to own a mandolin. It had the sweetness and delicacy of Snow White but the authority of Thor. Not only that, but those pictures don't do it justice. Those are good pictures, but in the hand the thing was simply breathtakingly stunning. Everything on it was perfect, the wood, the craftsmanship, everything. I have the highest respect for those that build such quality and to hold something like that let alone play it just further strengthened that respect. I'm still in awe over that thing. Simply amazing is all I can really say.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

I must admit, I start looking forward to finishing when the wood looks like this after a quick wipe-down from a wet rag to raise the grain . . . 

  

Curly Redwood and Quilted Red Maple.

Steve

----------


## Steve-o

Wow, incredibly beautiful wood Steve.  Thanks for posting.

----------


## wwwilkie

Off to the Montreal Guitar Show in a few weeks and I'll have with me a new oval hole mandolin.  Also displaying a custom Northern Flyer guitar as well as a 7-string archtop.  I thought it would be something to have 6, 7 and 8 strings.

----------


## Bob Bronow

> I must admit, I start looking forward to finishing when the wood looks like this after a quick wipe-down from a wet rag to raise the grain . . . 
> 
>   
> 
> Curly Redwood and Quilted Red Maple.
> 
> Steve


Sweet! You gotta love that Quilted Maple!

----------


## oldwave maker

Final coats on Mark's octave, Elise's blacktop a, and a golden mandola. My first mandola with red spruce top and vermont hard maple back.

----------


## JEStanek

This is consistently one of my favorite threads to visit.  Wow!

Jamie

----------


## Elkhorn1

Here' the latest Elkhorn f-5 nearing completion. Next it's on to finish leveling and french polish. Enjoy!

----------


## OldGus

What an elegant and tasteful beauty, nice work Rob!

----------


## Glassweb

agreed... looks very nice!

----------


## hank

Some of this quilted maple is just outrageous.  Like holograms in a perceived visual texture of a smooth flat surface.  Always amazing wood and luthiery extraordinaire here.

----------


## Arnt

F5 finally done

----------


## Bill Snyder

Arnt, that is stunning, but everything I have ever seen you post here or at the MIMF has always looked wonderful even the a-style you built from the maple scraps of some home projects.

----------


## Arnt

Thanks, you are very kind Bill.

Here's how the A5 ended up

----------


## Arnt

...and, here's the whole batch together: A pair of dreads (red spruce / Honduras rosewood, red spruce / cocobolo), plus the pair of mandolins

----------


## billhay4

Very nice stuff, Arnt!
Can we hear them?
Bill

----------


## Arnt

Sure, just come one over  :Wink:    Oh I see, you mean soundfiles?  Sorry, I'm not set up for it at the moment, I'm working on it tho...

----------


## billhay4

You're welcome to come over instead.
Bring them on.
Bill

----------


## Geoff B

Arnt, that is beautiful!  As is everything above it.

Here is some amber waves of grain...

----------


## JEStanek

Very nice contours and flame there, Geoff.

Jamie

----------


## Dan Voight

Just finished this F peghead binding

----------

JEStanek

----------


## Dan Voight

and I just finished the tortoise bound F peghead tonight

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Buffing day.

----------

JEStanek

----------


## Ed Goist

*Gorgeous work Jim!!*
I am very glad there are eight holes in that headstock and not four...Otherwise I'd be having a serious attack of TGAS right now!  :Smile:

----------


## Max Girouard

Nice Jim!  What tuners are you going to put on this?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Wavs

----------


## GKWilson

OUCH Jim. That's so sweet it hurts my teeth. Love that headstock too.
Dan's also. Tortoise. WOW.
Gary

----------


## Max Girouard

> Wavs


Nice,  I was asking because I saw those nicely bored bushing holes.  Do you have piloted bores for other tuner sets?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

You can get infinite combinations of boring tools from suppliers like MSC, you just have to figure out what works. I have a pretty good selection, but the one Stew Mac supplies for Wavs also works pretty well for Grovers. They're a little loose when you first drill them but after finish they snug right up.

----------


## OldGus

Wow Jim, You have really got the mandolin building thing down. I bet it'll sound great! Good to see your on top of things as well, Dan, looking good. I know yours will sound great as well.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Gus, if you want to see who has mandolin building down go have a look at that latest Fletcher Brock F-5. That should have 3 pages of comments.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Ummm...quilt!
This is like one of those pictures where if you stared at it cross-eyed you could see a horse or ship or something. But here you have to look for the "inny" and outy" sides.
I did use Photoshop to up the contrast but when you use a plane on this stuff it really shows up good.

----------

JEStanek

----------


## Doug Edwards

wow, that quilt is crazy nice.

----------


## lauri Girouard

Sanding this one today...........

----------

Ed Goist, 

JEStanek

----------


## hank

Unbelievable depth like topographical maps of the trees interior.

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## lauri Girouard

I don't know if I should call that piece quilt or flamed.  Most unique piece of Big Leaf we have come across.  Here is another interesting detail of how the grain lines on the sides almost match up to the grain lines on the neck................

----------

JEStanek

----------


## Charles E.

Nice detail Lauri. You guy's are really putting out some nice stuff.

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Max Girouard

Thanks Charles!

Here is a mando we are about to finish up.  It will be a "house demo" mandolin so anyone in the area, feel free to give us a ring or shoot us an email to come give it a spin.  Sitka top and birdseye maple back sides and neck.  We also plan to bring it to Grey Fox this year.

----------

Ed Goist, 

JEStanek

----------


## Steve-o

That's some sweet looking birdseye.  Nice staining job.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Enjoyed Saturday night with three blondes and a redhead!



Steve

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## Kip Carter

I'm extremely partial to redheads...  :Smile:   See you turned their world upside down as well. Nice!
Kip...

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Here are some pictures of my latest project. A production optimized mandolin that will sell for a relatively low price, but still retain some important features. A couple of the odd or interesting things about the design are:

The sides are laminated out of three layers of the same wood as the back and neck with a maccassar Ebony center stripe. Sometimes a curly maple layer for contrast. This rim is very dimensionally stable and very strong. 

The rims also very easy for me to make using the strap winch and fire hose + compressed air contraption seen below.

The top and back are joined via the neck and heel blocks, which index positively together within a thousandth of an inch. 

Dovetails are tested and neck angles verified before any assembly. Then the sides are "wrapped" around the top and back. The top plate color coats can be sprayed before the neck is mounted if needed. 

Also, there is no kerfing. The plates have a smooth radius down to the rims. Makes it look really clean inside and, in theory, is beneficial to volume and tone. 
It does make my free-plate tap tuning frequencies a little different than usual but I do my important adjustments on false rim fixtures anyway.

More to come later this week as I finish the first two instruments.

----------


## Max Girouard

Nice, I really like that neck joint, and that stripe in the fretboard is way cool!

----------


## Jim Garber

Martin, I can see that you are an industrial designer. Your site is interesting beyond just instruments. Your Basilisk mandolin is certainly striking. Are there unusual structural aspects to that or to the building of it?

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> Martin, I can see that you are an industrial designer. Your site is interesting beyond just instruments. Your Basilisk mandolin is certainly striking. Are there unusual structural aspects to that or to the building of it?


Hah, I was pretty proud of that instrument, especially since Scott put a link to it on the front page of the 'Cafe in 2003. 

It was an experiment in making a graduated flat top. So it is a thick flat top which is then carved to have roughly the same thickness "map", but it is only carved on the top side of the plates. Also, it has tone bars. Weird, but that's all I knew at the time and it worked out just fine.

It has that nasal tone you expect from a flat top instrument, but it's really responsive and balanced. Too much sustain for a lot of styles. But awesome for British Isles stuff.

----------


## billhay4

Whoa! This is interesting stuff, Martin. I'd like to see way more details of the new production oriented instrument. In particular, I'd like to know how the bending machine works. Of course, I realize you're an industrial designer and may need to protect some of these concepts, so I won't be offended if you are reticent.
Some of the aesthetics are truly nice, especially the fretboard.
Can't wait to hear one of these.
Bill

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> Of course, I realize you're an industrial designer and may need to protect some of these concepts, so I won't be offended if you are reticent.
> Some of the aesthetics are truly nice, especially the fretboard.
> Can't wait to hear one of these.
> Bill


Yeah, I can't wait to hear one either. 

An affordable, playable, properly voiced, varnish-finish instrument made in the USA by an individual luthier. That's the goal. I can do that through extremely low overhead (self-built CNC machines, etc.) and thoughtful fixturing. Hopefully!

I don't care about the intellectual property... ideas shouldn't be hoarded.
I quit a profitable corporate and consulting career to focus on lutherie, I am trying to make mandolins, not big bucks. I don't have the capital to defend any claims anyhow, heh. Thanks for the interest.

----------


## Ted Eschliman

Can't wait until this custom Austin Clark JM5 gets here. Jazzbox 5-string acoustic mandolin. Next step, hardware and Kent Armstrong p/u.

----------

JEStanek, 

Max Girouard

----------


## Markus

Ted, that's lovely.

I get to play with a fellow with a great hollow body Gretsch guitar every week - seems like yours should have that same beautiful warm tone that his has. Nice old tube amp doesn't hurt either ... as I told him `tone as sweet as my wife's smile'. If it sounds half as nice as it looks yours sings like that too.


The maple backs people are posting ... just amazing beauty to the wood.

That maple back from Jim Hillburn looks almost like the rippled sand along the river bottom here, Max and lauri's maple back looks like a topographic map. That's quite a `secret side' of the instrument for the player to admire.

----------


## amowry

Nice work, Austin!

Making shavings...

----------

Carleton Page, 

JEStanek, 

Max Girouard

----------


## Jim Nollman

Ted,

Are you doing anything special to keep the fifth string (I presume its a C) properly intonated and playable? 
Also, if you don't mind me asking, what's the width of your fingerboard? Is it radiused? 

I'm asking such specific questions because I've just commissioned a local luthier to build me a 5 string, and we're discussing fan frets (first choice) and a separate extension on the bridge for the C string. We're talking about a scale length from 14 to 15 inches.

----------


## Kip Carter

Martin,
 hope you can give us a sound sample of these when you're done very intriguing!

Regards,
Kip...

----------


## OldGus

Ted, you aren't kidding around when it comes to jazzboxes, clearly you've made a very informed decision on this one, nice job!

----------


## Bill Snyder

> Martin, I can see that you are an industrial designer. Your site is interesting beyond just instruments. Your Basilisk mandolin is certainly striking. Are there unusual structural aspects to that or to the building of it?


Jim his posting of this mandolin back in 2004 is what prompted me to join the forum. I had started building my first mandolin and was *curious* about some aspects of this one (hence my handle being "Curious" for the first few years I was here).

----------


## Steve Sorensen

The luster of leveled and polished metal under the shop light's neon glow.



Steve

----------


## lauri Girouard

I just finished this two point.  Carpathian top with euro maple back, sides and neck.

----------

Ed Goist, 

JEStanek

----------


## Kip Carter

Lauri,
 Just beautiful!!  Take that back.. breath taking is more like it.  Sold yet?

Kip...

----------


## lauri Girouard

> Lauri,
>  Just beautiful!!  Take that back.. breath taking is more like it.  Sold yet?
> 
> Kip...


Thank you Kip.  I am glad you like it even though it may have caused you some momentary asphyxia.   I am loving red lately.     Not sold yet,   Max may have trouble tearing this one out of my hands to do that.

----------


## Kip Carter

> Thank you Kip.  I am glad you like it even though it may have caused you some momentary asphyxia.   I am loving red lately.     Not sold yet,   Max may have trouble tearing this one out of my hands to do that.


Good for you hon.... tell that man to back off mama wants to play!  :Wink: 
Kip...

----------


## Steve Sorensen

. . . and four to go!



Ready to pull off the hardware and get to finishing!

Steve

----------

JEStanek

----------


## Kip Carter

Cant wait to see!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Here's a little clip of the four mandos shown above out for a little test-drive before pulling off the hardware.




Many thanks to Randy Torno for helping me wring-out these babies before final tweaks and finishing.

Steve

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, alot of nice looking work on the bench there!

Lauri, Love the look of the red mandolin!

Steve, great looking and sounding group of mandolins!

----------


## Dan Voight

Here are some inlay shots. Getting close!

----------

JEStanek, 

josh a

----------


## dcoventry

> Can't wait until this custom Austin Clark JM5 gets here. Jazzbox 5-string acoustic mandolin. Next step, hardware and Kent Armstrong p/u.


Oh come on NOW!

I was just fantasizing about an L-5 style 8 string. Maybe a Lewis dealio. And then this....this.......beauty. And Ted, if I ever figure out how to get a 2 point JM, that'll be a happy day, too.

It's funny. I think of my mandos as Jazz instruments mainly, or at least that's what the sounds, and voices, in my head tell me!

----------


## pjlama

> Can't wait until this custom Austin Clark JM5 gets here. Jazzbox 5-string acoustic mandolin. Next step, hardware and Kent Armstrong p/u.


I'm in love, that's exactly what I've been wanting to round out the herd. What's the scale length? Will you send it to me for a test drive after the honeymoon, please!?!? I'm still kicking myself for trading off the Old Wave 8 sting jazz dola' but I got my GSOM for it, of course I added a Kent Armstong pu as well. I love the look of Austin's work, I have yet to play one but they look amazing. Congrats Ted, you must be like a kid before Christmas.

----------


## Glassweb

> Here are some inlay shots. Getting close!


boy, don't those look nice... yikes! great work Doctor! any of these on spec?

----------


## Dan Voight

> boy, don't those look nice... yikes! great work Doctor! any of these on spec?


Thanks! Sorry but what do you mean by on spec?

----------


## Glassweb

That would be "available"... unsold...

----------


## Dan Voight

An I thought so. All of these are spoken for.

----------


## Dobe

Finally got off my butt & made some progress on the next build. Full blown sister to the last Walnut mando I built a few years back (other than a few details). Koa bound instead of Maple; yada,yada,....:

 I'll keep ya posted !

----------

GarY Nava, 

George R. Lane

----------


## Dan Voight

getting closer

----------


## Doug Edwards

Nice going there Dan.  I work real hard at getting an hour or two a week on mine.  I have three I started in March, not very far along.

----------


## Tim W

> Just finished this F peghead binding


I really appreciate the attention to detail you have always shown in particular the tightness of your scrolls, I prefer that narrow gap you seem to favor.

----------


## Dan Voight

Doug: Thanks. I hear you. This is the first time in my life where I have been able to split my time between building and playing. Needless to say, I love it.

Tim: The narrow gap is a different look than the ferns where the peg head design seems to widen up there. I cant decide which look I prefer. I'll probably settle in a middle ground

----------


## Max Girouard

A few action shots of Lauri in the hood.  Quilted maple with a redwood black top and koa wood binding.

----------

Ed Goist, 

JEStanek

----------


## oldwave maker

Holy quilt Max! 
I'd have given this one 2 thumbs up but I was holding the camera......

----------

Ed Goist, 

JEStanek

----------


## JEStanek

Holy cow, Bill.  Make it three thumbs up.  Both of mine are up for that one.

Jamie

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## hank

No doubt about it,  this is a golden thread of dreams.  If you build it they will come.

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## Tavy

Holy quilt max - do you play that thing or just stare and drool ???  :Wink:

----------


## OldGus

> A few action shots of Lauri in the hood.  Quilted maple with a redwood black top and koa wood binding.


 Get it!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Amazing figure and a fine neck . . . even Audrey Hepburn would be jealous . . .





Steve

----------

alfie

----------


## pickngrin

> Amazing figure and a fine neck . . . even Audrey Hepburn would be jealous . . .
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


Yowza!! Just gorgeous! Love the quilted overlay on the back of the peghead.

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, Those quilts are awesome! Nice work!!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Next up for finishing -* F8* with Bearclaw Sitka Spruce top and Quilted Red Maple back --



Can't wait!

Steve

----------


## Kip Carter

Steve,
 I love that inlay work you've done on that head.
Kip...

----------


## pjlama

Too much fun stuff just on this page, beautiful quilt Lauri, two thumbs up to BB on the OWGSOM  :Wink:  and Steve, the Sprite is one of the best new designs in a long time. You guys rock!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

The other side of the headstock got some color today.



This mando is gonna be a bluegrass hamma -- the bearclaw in the Sitka is really hard which put the top right in between typical Sitka and Red Spruce.  Quilted Red Maple was also harder and worked more like hard curly Maple.  

Steve

----------


## Bob Bronow

> Amazing figure and a fine neck . . . even Audrey Hepburn would be jealous . . .
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Steve



Simply Stunning!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Bearclaw & Quilt *F8* after a bit of scrubbin' and a quick wipe of varnish.



Steve

----------


## Arnt

I was asked for sound files for the instruments I posted in this thread recently.




A couple of friends took some of my instruments into a studio, put up some nice mics, and did these recordings to compare them.  I am told there is almost no EQ, just a tiny bit to adjust for the room acoustics.  Andreas Aase plays, the sound guy is Jostein Ansnes in Øra Studio here in Trondheim (sorry, these guys don't do BG... :Wink: )

Here's the A mando
mandolin.mp3

The F-style
Mandolin f.mp3

The Honduras RW, RS dread
Dread 1 (Honduras RW , red spruce).mp3

And finally, the Coco RW, RS dread
Dread 2  (Cocobolo RW , red spruce).mp3

----------

JEStanek

----------


## DougC

Very nice. Is the mandolin tune a hombo?

----------


## Arnt

Glad you like it, Doug.  The tune is what we call a "Pols", similar to the Swedish Polska, or the Polish Mazurka.  It is a dance.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

OK everyone. Some updates from my shop. If you look closely, you should see some unusual details. When I get the first two from this batch done next week I will post more construction details, but for now here they are:

Did I mention these things have no kerfing, and the "rim" wraps around the top and back after they are joined? 

Turns out it's a really difficult thing to get working, but now I have it fixtured, it works great!

----------

Ed Goist, 

pickngrin

----------


## Kip Carter

Is that a rosette you're going to use in the last pic?  These will be interesting to see completed!
Kip...

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Quilt lovers unite!



Steve

----------

Ed Goist, 

Sid Simpson

----------


## Kip Carter

> Quilt lovers unite!
> 
> Steve


Nice quilt to cozy up to!

Kip...

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> Is that a rosette you're going to use in the last pic?  These will be interesting to see completed!
> Kip...


Kip, that's a vacuum fixture. All the air is pumped out from underneath the top and back plates, so atmospheric pressure holds the parts down while they are roughed out at very high speeds and to very tight tolerances. The parts come off the machine (homemade CNC) looking exactly as you see them... no sanding or scraping done to any of these parts yet.

----------


## Jim Garber

Very interesting, Martin, but it is unclear to me how the sides are attached. Is the rim made of one piece?

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> Very interesting, Martin, but it is unclear to me how the sides are attached. Is the rim made of one piece?


The rim is a 3-piece bent lamination. Mahogany, Maccassar Ebony (which is really stiff), and Mahogany. They are pre-formed and then glued around the top and back plates. Since they cover up all the end grain, no binding is necessary. Gives it a really clean look and is much faster than traditional bending, kerfing, gluing, and binding. Now it's just two steps instead of 4. At least, now that I have built the machine that does it. Which wasn't easy.
I think it has an elegant look, too. Not for everyone, of course. But traditional is not what I'm going for with this particular instrument.

----------


## billhay4

Martin,
This is fascinating and innovative stuff. What's missing here is a picture of the sides so we can see how this goes together. Your work is really creative.
One thing that will interest me is the weight the finished instrument will come in at.
Bill

----------


## Dobe

I love that neck joint Martin. In fact the whole design is a thing of beauty !

----------


## hank

Steve your definitely into some good wood.  Martin I used to do aerospace composite blade repair and some plastic interior parts with self made vacuum tools.  We used an old refrigerator pump with wooden fixtures similar to yours.  Am I correct in assuming you cut the back or front on a band saw to the outer edge pattern that fits within the outer fixture cutout. The actual vacuum is pulled in the center area within your inner caulk ring sucking the wood down firmly in your fixture.  As long as your top or bottom fits tightly in your fixture all twisting forces are prevented by the wooden cut out. Are you also using a similar vacuum fixture and Mylar sheeting to pull the rim tightly against the top and bottom without clamps when bonding?

----------


## billhay4

Martin, 
Since this is all CNC, is there a reason for a neck joint at all. Couldn't you just make the neck and block as one piece?
Bill

----------


## hank

Wow, I like that idea Bill.  There would be more room for error with defects and grain consideration, higher cost of larger wood slabs but what a beautiful notion!  An instrument made almost entirely of one continuous piece of wood.  Only the upper tap tuned plate and the rim vacuum close tolerance bonded.  This would be as close as you could get to one continuous piece of wood.  Even if the results (tone and sound wise) were only marginal improvement think of the advertising and sales pitches that could be generated from this kind of precision building!

----------


## billhay4

Hank,
I wish it was my idea, but classical instruments have been made that way for centuries.
The big drawback is that it creates issues if you have to take the neck off the instrument.
BTW, I'm thinking laminated necks is the way to go in the future. Much stronger than single pieces. some of the guitar manufacturers are doing it now  and it doesn't look bad, different, but not bad IMHO. It certainly allows the use of much smaller pieces of wood for the neck construction.
Bill
Bill

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Bill and Hank,
Orville Gibson was doing that with his early instruments, remember? The neck heel, back plate, and rim were all one piece. 

Making the back and rim all one piece is fine to do, since you tune the back plate attached to the rim anyway. Peter Mix did this with the Rigel mandolins, with great success. 

I personally wanted to make the neck separate so that I could french-polish the top without the neck attached yet. I really hate finishing around that fretboard extension. Additional material cost is not an issue, it actually would be less wasteful than making a separate neck block.

Hank, the parts are 100% roughed out on the CNC machine. So all the tedium is automated, leaving me with the voicing and tuning which is done traditionally. Compressed air is used to pull the sides into a good glue joint with the top and back.
I will post a detailed step-by-step process probably next week. Need to prove the concept works first, though! 

Yeah, there's a lot of cool stuff to do. Let me tell you, though, that getting the CNC machined parts working right is not a shortcut. Having built a dozen or so instruments with the traditional techniques, I can definitely say that it is harder. It's taken me a year to get this instrument to this point, and am only now refining the details. But once it's set up, it's repeatable. So my goal is to fill that hole in the market for a luthier-made instrument at a price that can compete with the Chinese-made brands. We'll see if it works.

----------


## billhay4

Martin,
I see your reason for a separate neck, especially if you're going to fp. You could fp before the fretboard went on, though. Another pain.
You are going great guns here, and I can appreciate just how much work you've put into this. Let me know when you're ready to produce instruments. I'd like to try one.
Bill

----------


## hank

A channel precision cut down the center of the neck/back could give the strength and warp resistance of laminates or carbon fiber while retaining the energy transfer qualities of a continuous piece of wood.  The channel could also be used to adjust the mass at the peghead if wanted.  Most of us would agree a perfect fitting neck to body glue joint held together correctly in a controlled environment is fine and much more practical but I can't help but wonder how no breaks or stiffness changes across the grain from nut to tail piece would affect the energy transmission and node locations in the wood itself.  In rotorwing airframes and blades changes in stiffness from repairs often shifts the antinodes to new location causing new stress locations with potential for future cracking.  I know primarily our acoustic sound comes from the energy of vibrating strings with their shifting nodes and antinodes as we fret them but how well this energy is transmitted to the amplifying effect of the vibrating tone plates is the difference between average tonal and response charateristics and stellar. Sustain could be affected as well with this hypothetical junctionless neck but then again it may not have much effect at all to any of these characteristic.

----------


## hank

I wrote the above before reading your last post in reference to Bill's laminate suggestion. I think the point is moot now.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Thanks for the comments, everyone. I'm glad I'm not the only one excited about this stuff... :-)

Got the top machining process dialed in today! First instruments are being assembled next week!

----------

djweiss, 

JEStanek, 

pjlama

----------


## Eric Foulke

> Making the back and rim all one piece is fine to do, since you tune the back plate attached to the rim anyway. Peter Mix did this with the Rigel mandolins, with great success.


Just a point of clarification and to give credit where it is due, the Rigel mandolin was wholly designed by Pete Langdell, Peter Mix was his business partner when Rigel became a production shop.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## pickngrin

> Here's a little clip of the four mandos shown above out for a little test-drive before pulling off the hardware.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Many thanks to Randy Torno for helping me wring-out these babies before final tweaks and finishing.
> 
> Steve


You do beautiful work, Steve. Love your modern take on the curve, headstock and those sound holes! That F8's gonna be a monster.

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Here's the other side of the story.



Steve

----------

Ed Goist, 

JEStanek

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Four coats of oil varnish and many more to go . . .



Steve

----------

Ed Goist, 

JEStanek

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, that mandolin is looking awesome!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Londy

Wow Magnus, that is one awesome looking mando! Can you tell me more about it? Did you build it yourself? Your design?

----------


## pjlama

I keep trying to find reasons not to buy a Sprite, that design just kills. I hate this thread, way too much eye candy.

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## pjlama

> Thanks for the comments, everyone. I'm glad I'm not the only one excited about this stuff... :-)
> 
> Got the top machining process dialed in today! First instruments are being assembled next week!


I'm just dying to see one finished. I have great respect for guys coming from that industrial design background. I worked for Ned Steinberger for a couple years and was blown away by his ingenuity. Clearly you're throwing out the tried and true and blazing a new path here, awesome, very exciting! Do you have a pic of a completed prototype?

----------


## wwwilkie

Beautiful work Marty!

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> Clearly you're throwing out the tried and true and blazing a new path here, awesome, very exciting! Do you have a pic of a completed prototype?


PJ, thanks. Though I don't think I'm throwing anything out, or trying to be an iconoclast. I love traditional mandolin construction. But frankly, I am pretty ADD and there are lots of guys out there that are much better at making super-high-end instruments than I am. 
The departures I've made in construction aren't really visible when the product is completed, aside from the "sides as binding" detail. Should be visible in a pretty low price tag, though. 

Luthiers have been using sanding wheels and drill presses to help carve their tops for almost a century, I think of the CNC carving as a more fluid method of depth drilling with the drill press. All the important work of lutherie is still necessary to do by hand, though I do spend less time doing things like fitting dovetails, because I can automate that.

I hope to have the first prototype done this week.. I just have to stay off the Cafe so I get some actual work done... :-) Easy to get sucked in down here.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Another quilt-shot.  
Varnish is looking good, and we're just about ready for French Polishing with Shellac + Sandarac . . . 



Did you check out the figure on the neck?  Love it!

Steve

----------


## Max Girouard

Lauri shot 6 coats on today.  Lots of level sanding, then two more coats tomorrow!

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## Charles E.

Beautiful Max. Do you guy's have a disclaimer to " wear eye protection whan playing this mandolin"? Those are some pretty sharp points.

----------


## Max Girouard

> Beautiful Max. Do you guy's have a disclaimer to " wear eye protection whan playing this mandolin"? Those are some pretty sharp points.


The points are there to protect the player from being rushed on stage, and the mandolin also doubles as a grappling hook for escape later!

----------


## Kip Carter

> The points are there to protect the player from being rushed on stage, and the mandolin also doubles as a grappling hook for escape later!


<snicker>
Kip...

----------


## oldwave maker

Abandoned my holding fixture after the 1st build coat on the first mando this morning, a fine start to a vacation! Gotta love a planet that will support life like maple trees!

----------

George R. Lane, 

JEStanek, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## hank

Beautiful maple in almost every post and so much 3D quilting.  Are ya'll getting better at bringing this out or everyone is into some really nice wood lately? This is my favorite thread by far to see what you guys can do with these little pieces of wood.  Thank you all for sharing your artwork as it begins to come alive with coat after coat of finish and sanding.

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Max Girouard

Bill that one in the middle is just amazing!  Others are too but that middle ones back wood...wow!

Here is a custom F5 that we are working on for a fellow cafe member

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Mandos just flyin' outta here!



Steve

----------

Bob Bronow, 

Ed Goist

----------


## Skip Kelley

Max, really clean looking work there! Love that birdseye maple!

Steve, That bursted quilt back is amazing! 

Isn't it funny how us nerds get really excited over wood?! :Smile:

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

> Isn't it funny how us nerds get really excited over wood?!


Skip,

Luckily, my wife has decided that it's a mostly harmless addiction, as all-consuming obsessions go.

Steve

----------


## Gregory Tidwell

> Mandos just flyin' outta here!
> 
> 
> 
> Steve



That baby's got back!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## J.Sloan

It's always an inspiration to check over this category of the forum and see the incredible looking mandolins being built. Here's some pics of a F-5 that I've been working on for the past year. My spare time is very limited, but I'm getting a lot closer to stringing it up in the white. Just gotta bind, fret, and attach the fretboard...drill out the tuner holes and glue on the neck. Gonna play her for a while to make sure everything holds up.....and then do some peghead inlay and stain/finish the mandolin. 
  I would like to say "thank you" to all of the builders who post their pictures and comments. At 39 yrs old, I can safely say that this has been, without a doubt, the most challenging side project that I have ever taken on. And that includes the bathroom addition five years ago. The amount of time involved in researching, reading, watching videos, building forms, buying equipment, ...re-doing stuff(haha) ......can be exhausting, but worth it once things start coming together. Deep respect for all the serioius builders out there!!

----------


## J.Sloan

A few more....

----------


## Mike Black

See....I have been working!   :Smile:

----------

Ed Goist, 

Jim Garber

----------


## Mike Black

How about a couple of Virzi shots?   :Smile:

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## Jim Garber

Great stuff, Mike. Some details on your group portrait? It looks like there is a some variety of woods for the backs + sound port and Virzi?

----------


## Mike Black

> Great stuff, Mike. Some details on your group portrait? It looks like there is a some variety of woods for the backs + sound port and Virzi?


Jim,  How did you know the one with the side port has a Virzi in it?  

Yes, those are three different backs.  Sugar, Red & Big Leaf.

What, no comment about the little one in front?   That's the A4 Piccolo (w/ Virzi) for my daughter Molly.  I know she's only three weeks old now, but she's hounding me to finish it so she can start practicing.   :Smile:

----------


## Mike Snyder

You're a good Dad, Mike.

----------

Mike Black

----------


## Jim Garber

Sorry, Mike. I should have looked closer to notice that piccolo. What scale did Molly request?  I have a a feeling that her fistr word might be Virzi.  :Smile:

----------


## hank

Very nice Luthiery J.Sloan.  Mike you've got a whole Lotta Love there.  I gotta ask what you think of the effect a Virzi to your oval hole tone and if their effect is predictable?

----------


## GKWilson

Congrats Mike. I'm sure Molly will love that little piccolo. I really like the new A4 format. Hope I don't get a case of PAS.
Is that your personal A5 in the back. With no Virzi? And that big boy, Is it a mandola or an octave?
I look at that shot of your bench and I see a lot of happy people.
Gary

----------


## Mike Black

> Congrats Mike. I'm sure Molly will love that little piccolo. I really like the new A4 format. Hope I don't get a case of PAS.
> Is that your personal A5 in the back. With no Virzi? And that big boy, Is it a mandola or an octave?
> I look at that shot of your bench and I see a lot of happy people.
> Gary


Yes, that A5 (with John Sullivan woods) is going to be my personal mandolin.  And no, it will not have a Virzi.  I believe the Virzi works best in Oval Hole instruments.  You still get the warmth and roundness of the oval hole but with some of the projection of an f-hole instrument.

There is no mandola or octave.  That's Molly's Piccolo mandolin's insides showing the tiny Virzi next to a regular A4 for scale.

----------


## Mike Black

> Sorry, Mike. I should have looked closer to notice that piccolo. What scale did Molly request?  I have a a feeling that her first word might be Virzi.


Jim, Molly wanted it the same scale length as her big brother James has on his....  11".    It's basically the nut is the 5th fret of the fingerboard on a regular mandolin.

----------

JEStanek

----------


## J.Sloan

> Very nice Luthiery J.Sloan.  Mike you've got a whole Lotta Love there.  I gotta ask what you think of the effect a Virzi to your oval hole tone and if their effect is predictable?


Thanks Hank!! I'm not even worthy to be among these guys...but I just had to get these pictures out there. Wow Mike, you've got a "stash" going on there!! I had a custom F-4 one time with a Virzi in it and it sounded great...I'm with ya on the oval hole/ virzi thing...it works quite well togther!!

----------


## burt50

That's gonna be a nice mando...good work

----------


## GKWilson

"There is no mandola or octave. That's Molly's Piccolo mandolin's insides showing the tiny Virzi next to a regular A4 for scale" - Mike Black

It must be an optical illusion. In the shop picture the A on its side behind Molly's seems larger than the rest.
Gary

----------


## Mike Black

> It must be an optical illusion. In the shop picture the A on its side behind Molly's seems larger than the rest.
> Gary


Yes, it must just be an optical illusion since it's next to the piccolo.

----------


## Ron McMillan

Mike, I think you're making some of the best looking A4 and A2 mandolins on the market. I wish I lived a few thousand miles closer to Lawrence, Kansas.

No, strike that - I wish I was *passing through* Lawrence once in a while  :Smile:

----------


## sgrexa

> Bill that one in the middle is just amazing!  Others are too but that middle ones back wood...wow!
> 
> Here is a custom F5 that we are working on for a fellow cafe member


Nice and clean Max!  Can't wait!

----------


## Chip Booth

Some Fletcher Brock octave customers are going to be happy in a month or so.

----------

JEStanek, 

Mike Black

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Lines and curves.



Steve

----------


## Max Girouard

All polished up and on her way home this morning, guess it is no longer in progress!

----------

Ed Goist, 

Markus

----------


## Kip Carter

Max that is right purdy!! Sounds good just lookin at it!

Kip...

----------


## Gregory Tidwell

> See....I have been working!


Hey Mike, didn't you have a carved out guitar-body octave too?  How's that one coming along?

----------


## snoopymandolin1112

Jason you're mandolins are looking really good. I am sure with your playing ability and emphasis on tone, you will turn out a great project!!! It is nice to see your passion being utilized! Keep at it!

----------


## Nick Gellie

I am posting three images of my Mike Black #17 A-4 mandolin in its current state of progress.  Pictures sent to me by Mike.  It will have ivoroid binding on the front and none on the back.

The colour will be a reddish sunburst colour similar to what Mike has done in the past.  Nut width will be 1 3/16".

Progress has slowed somewhat because Mike and his wife have a new bub on board.  I am happy with progress though.

----------


## Dan Voight

Almost there!

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> Almost there!


You might make the best f-holes in the biz, sir. Looking good.

----------


## GKWilson

NG53. You'll be happy you got one of Mike's A's. They are great mandolins. The wait is worth it and you'll have a long time to play and enjoy it.
ADM. Dan makes nice scrolls too.
Dan. Is that Joseph's two point. He's going to love that.
Gary

----------


## Geoff B

One of my students came by for some help with a sunburst.  Here's where we got after a couple sealer coats...

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## Dan Voight

> NG53. You'll be happy you got one of Mike's A's. They are great mandolins. The wait is worth it and you'll have a long time to play and enjoy it.
> ADM. Dan makes nice scrolls too.
> Dan. Is that Joseph's two point. He's going to love that.
> Gary


Yup this one is going to Joe down here in east Nashville

----------


## roady43

> You might make the best f-holes in the biz, sir. Looking good.


Absolutely my favorite. I couldn't imagine to choose any other mandolin than one of Dan's. Because of the f-holes in first place - they're the most elegant, coherent, well-balanced I've seen so far; just beautiful! Would Stradivari have done better on a mando?

Combined with a strong quilt back. I don't know if I could resist to order one immediately...

roady43

----------


## jmagill

> Yup this one is going to Joe down here in east Nashville


Hey, Dan, how long is your waiting list for a new F5?

----------


## Dan Voight

> Hey, Dan, how long is your waiting list for a new F5?


I sent you a PM.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Ok, so here is my progress. I will be stringing the first one up tonight, as soon as I can make a tailpiece for it! Can't wait to hear how it sounds. This one has tone bars, and a Sitka top. 

I have parts for 5 of these mandolins in the works to be done by the end of the month. Two curly maple, two mahogany (one khaya, one swietenia), and one bubinga. Slight variations in graduations and bracing, and I think I'm going to do one with a transverse brace just for kicks. This design is more like an A-4 than an A-5, so it might be interesting. 

I have a year into building this production process, so hopefully it's appealing to enough people to build a few of them.

Would be glad to know if anyone thinks it looks awkward -- the design is not nailed down by any means.

----------

djweiss, 

Ed Goist, 

Jim Garber, 

Mike Black

----------


## Leroy

Martin,

those are going to look stunning! I love the forward thinking construction and design. Post more pictures when you can.

----------


## Charles E.

Martin, I really like your contemporary style. It is bound to raise a few eyebrow's but I don't think it looks awkward at all.

----------


## Jim Garber

Very nice, Martin. Hmmmmm... transverse brace....

I like the overall style and I think that bass-side soundhole would almost work as a sound port as well allowing a fuller wood top. I am not sure acoustically how the lower treble soundhole would work.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> I am not sure acoustically how the lower treble soundhole would work.


Me neither! But I guess we'll know tomorrow when I string it up. 

Benedetto made some instruments with a similar soundhole configuration (not oval holes, but the same opposing offset sound hole placement). I don't see why it's much different than having two F holes, it's an experiment at this point. There will be others made with different sound hole configurations.

----------


## billhay4

Nice, Martin.
Bill

----------


## hank

The look is very clean and precise, could we call it 21st Century Art Nouveau.  Your original dragon and any similarly art inspired apertures could be as special to your look as scrolls are to our classic F5.
  Aside from visual appeal once players move into the intermediate stage of playing they are more sensitive to a more sonically active instrument often forsaking their beloved scroll to afford one.  We all know the experience, you play a new to you instrument and it seems to come alive the way it vibrates and sings in comparison to your stiffer less sonically active instrument you've become accustomed to.  If your instruments can do that in a new and interesting way you'll be a very busy builder.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

So I got the "beta prototype" of the Nautilus design strung up in the almost-white today... just a light coat of sealer to keep the dirt out of the pores while I play with it for a while. It definitely has flaws, it's been through a lot, including two sets of sides, a few sets of tone bars, etc. And the heel cap isn't installed yet.

This baby is _light_... weighs in at 1lb 11oz with all the hardware.

It definitely has "oval hole" tone... more than I would have thought with the tone bars. Though apparently that doesn't make as much difference as we have all thought for a long time... Great sustain, dark balanced tone. Though I do want to play with trying to get the E string a little more "bell-like". Probably needs adjustments to the sound holes, I haven't played with them much yet. 

Sorry for the "spatula" tailpiece... just the quickest thing to knock together. The final tailpiece will have wood accents and an inlaid opal-fossilized ammonite (which look like a nautilus shell). They're pretty, and the mass will help to damp the tailpiece. What's cool is that no tools are needed to remove the tailpiece. The "strap button" is a 1/4-20 threaded knob. Comes off really easily, but stays put.

Thanks for the comments. Now on to the other variants.

----------

GarY Nava, 

Max Girouard, 

Mike Black, 

pjlama

----------


## billhay4

Okay, Martin. Now we need to hear it.
It's very nice looking. How deep is it? Looks shallow in the pictures.
Lots of very creative design elements.
Good job.
Bill

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Thanks! I'll try to record something tonight after tweaking the setup a bit. 
The sides are a little over 1.375" deep. But the arches are higher... the back is about .75" deep, the top is a little less.

EDIT: Here are some sound samples. I am posting them before I listen to them and decide not to. Feedback on the tone appreciated. Unfortunately I don't have a real recording rig, so it's just computer microphone quality.

http://martinjacobson.com/nautilus_recording_1.mp3

http://martinjacobson.com/nautilus_recording_2.mp3

----------

mandolinlee

----------


## billhay4

Martin,
Thanks for the sound clips and the explanation of depth. Must be the high arching that makes it look thin to me.
Sounds pretty good for a brand new instrument; still a bit thin, but the sound is there, especially on the classical stuff.
Why did you choose a high arch?
Bill

----------


## hank

I agree, Martin you've done really well.  You said it sounded like an oval to you but I would have guessed it was an F hole by the recordings.  Kind of a F hole fundamental tone with a oval hole longer sustain.

----------


## Charles E.

> So I got the "beta prototype" of the Nautilus design strung up in the almost-white today... just a light coat of sealer to keep the dirt out of the pores while I play with it for a while. It definitely has flaws, it's been through a lot, including two sets of sides, a few sets of tone bars, etc. And the heel cap isn't installed yet.
> 
> This baby is _light_... weighs in at 1lb 11oz with all the hardware.
> 
> It definitely has "oval hole" tone... more than I would have thought with the tone bars. Though apparently that doesn't make as much difference as we have all thought for a long time... Great sustain, dark balanced tone. Though I do want to play with trying to get the E string a little more "bell-like". Probably needs adjustments to the sound holes, I haven't played with them much yet. 
> 
> Sorry for the "spatula" tailpiece... just the quickest thing to knock together. The final tailpiece will have wood accents and an inlaid opal-fossilized ammonite (which look like a nautilus shell). They're pretty, and the mass will help to damp the tailpiece. What's cool is that no tools are needed to remove the tailpiece. The "strap button" is a 1/4-20 threaded knob. Comes off really easily, but stays put.
> 
> Thanks for the comments. Now on to the other variants.


Martin, it looks great but that bridge sure looks cranked way up. Are you going to make a custome bridge for it?

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Actually, I haven't decided. I changed the thickness of the fretboard to simplify part of the process, and that changed the bridge height by a tad. Then I brought the Stew-Mac bridge way down to see if making it full-contact made any difference in tone. So it's about 1/8" higher than I had originally intended, all told. It is definitely something I will have to address on future instruments.

----------


## Steve Hinde

Next batch in progress. F Dola, 2 Maple F's , Rosewood F and a Koa F.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Three in a row.



Steve

----------


## Don Grieser

Martin, congratulations! That is one seriously cool mandolin and it sounds great. Very intriguing as are all the designs on your site.

----------


## GarY Nava

Thought that you might like to see this one whilst its in the white!!
This is my new Standard Plus. A design based on my popular Standard model but with an upgraded specification throughout. The neck is wenge with Indian rosewood back & sides and a red spruce top.
Hopefully Ill be offering it for sale at the end of September.
Cheers Gary

http://www.navaguitars.co.uk/forsale.html

----------


## Tavy

Interesting figure on that Wenge Gary: it'll be fascinating to see how it looks with some finish on.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Gary, I think that is probably the best-looking neck heel I have ever seen. The transition is sculpted but very subtle. Awesome. What are you filling the wenge pores with? Pumice?

----------


## Max Girouard

I have to agree with Martin, that is one nice neck heel Gary!  Great job!

----------


## hank

The way the grain turns to match the rim grain is what I'm amazed at.

----------


## GarY Nava

Thanks for the great comments, much appreciated! As for filling the neck's grain- it's so deep,but the wood itself has a wonderful texture- I think I'm going for an oil finish on the neck and the body will be French polished.
Cheers Gary

----------


## amowry

Beautiful work, Gary. The whole instrument is quite elegant.

----------


## oldwave maker

Two months away from halloween and already the bug eyes are out on the freshly buffed:

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Max Girouard, 

Mike Black

----------


## Clicker

> It definitely has flaws, it's been through a lot, including two sets of sides, a few sets of tone bars, etc. And the heel cap isn't installed yet.


I thought the neck joinery was very intuitive. -Harry

----------


## Clicker

Glitch of the day: The printing department at the office supply store couldn't retrieve either of the .dwg/.dxf CAD files I had stored on the flash drive. Since it's 30 miles one way, I went ahead and established some key landmarks on the design and just printed the pattern sheet out on about 6 sheets. I lined up the sheets on a thin cutting board and positioned the sheets with straight pins, and glued it up. Once the glue is dry I'll try transferring the pattern sheets to the plexiglass. 

-h

----------


## Max Girouard

Just finished binding 2 F5 mandolins today, Lauri bound the cedar F5.  Boy our thumbs are sore. Still rough and need lots of clean up.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Max and Laurie,
Nice team work!
Steve

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Dangerous curves ahead!



Steve

----------


## Clicker

The first cut. A piece of scrounged plastic glass cut a little bigger than the body 
outline.

I roughed up the plastic with some sandpaper to give it some "tooth" to hold the paper pattern firmly. A bit of rubber cement and...

I roughed out the pattern with the small saw wheel and then began to shave until I got pretty close to the pattern outline. 

It's as close i want to get.

----------


## Jake Wildwood

> This is my new Standard Plus. A design based on my popular Standard model but with an upgraded specification throughout. The neck is wenge with Indian rosewood back & sides and a red spruce top.


Classy!!!

----------


## Goodin

> The first cut. A piece of scrounged plastic glass cut a little bigger than the body 
> outline.
> 
> I roughed up the plastic with some sandpaper to give it some "tooth" to hold the paper pattern firmly. A bit of rubber cement and...
> 
> I roughed out the pattern with the small saw wheel and then began to shave until I got pretty close to the pattern outline. 
> 
> It's as close i want to get.


Just a friendly suggestion Clicker, this job is MUCH easier on a band saw with a thin high TPI blade.  With some practice you can cut right on the line and not have to do any secondary shaping.  If you do need to clean up the edges just some sandpaper on a dowel will do (but a spindle sander is handy).  

Another suggestion...it's a good idea for your pattern to be clear so you can see the wood as you trace it out.  This will allow you to see any imperfections in the wood you may want to leave out.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Transverse-braced prototype top, and a pile of backs and tops for 5 more. Birdseye "rock" maple, ribbon mahogany, and bubinga.
This is the first true oval hole I have done.... the graduations are so different, I didn't believe it could possibly work. But it is one of the most responsive tops to date.

----------

Clicker

----------


## Clicker

> Just a friendly suggestion Clicker, this job is MUCH easier on a band saw with a thin high TPI blade.  With some practice you can cut right on the line and not have to do any secondary shaping.  If you do need to clean up the edges just some sandpaper on a dowel will do (but a spindle sander is handy).  
> 
> Another suggestion...it's a good idea for your pattern to be clear so you can see the wood as you trace it out.  This will allow you to see any imperfections in the wood you may want to leave out.


Hello Goodin. I used to have a band saw and the red-headed ogre of fate got it in the settlement. Everything will be fine. -Harry

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Martin,

Nice clean work AND cool jigs!  The trees would be proud.

Steve

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Heron inlay for the transverse braced prototype's fretboard...

----------

Carleton Page, 

JEStanek, 

Jim Nollman

----------


## billhay4

Martin,
Your work continues to amaze.
Bill

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Ken

Martin,
Really like the design of the heron where you've used sawn cutouts for detailing.  Very nice.  
Ken

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Skip Kelley

Martin, Nice work! Love the heron inlay!

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## amowry

> Two months away from halloween and already the bug eyes are out on the freshly buffed:


Ha! Googly eyes are the best invention ever.

----------


## amowry

...

----------


## Steve-o

Beautiful.  Excellent photography which just complements your fine woodwork Andrew.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Andrew,
Great shot!
Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, That is an awesome picture! Looks like you could be a photographer as well!!

----------


## amowry

Thanks guys-- you know what they say about giving a monkey a typewriter, or a digital SLR.

----------


## Dan Voight

Words cannot describe how excited I am about the tone of this mandolin after only being played for a few days. Clips will be up soon!

----------


## Clicker

I finished cutting out the pattern and schmoozed the curves a bit to be more appealing to my eye. There was one transition that was too radical for what I know would be a difficult time when it came to setting the rim. 

I found a nice wide piece of mahogany. It came off an old table that had been in the neighbors storm shelter for about 40 years. There is a crack developing and I'm just going to rip it and add a piece of maple. I haven't decided on a three piece back but it's tempting with this piece. -h

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, that is an awesome looking A model!

----------


## lauri Girouard

I just started finishing this custom A mandolin.   I just can't get enough of this red.  I just applied the finish.  Next, sand, cure and then buff to a glasslike shine.  The wood is big leaf maple and wide grain sitka spruce top from Spruce Bruce.

----------


## Steve-o

Dan, 
Sweet.  Looking forward to sound clips.

Lauri,
Gorgeous red stain and nice wood grain.  Keep up the good work.

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Skip Kelley

Lauri, Awesome job on that A model! I love the color! It really brings out the figure nicely!!

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Here's an update on my transverse braced instrument prototype... still basically in the white. It's a more traditional variant, but very similar construction process. Just has color and a couple sessions of french polish on the top, since I really didn't want to have to apply the color after the fretboard was installed.



The tone is a good improvement over the last prototype. Sounds more like a traditional oval hole, to my ears, but not just "tubby", nice clear highs. Never was happy with the high end of the last prototype, this is much better. Better sustain and overall responsiveness, too. Will try to get a sound clip up.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Clips from the transverse-braced prototype above: 

http://martinjacobson.com/heron.mp3
http://martinjacobson.com/heron2.mp3

Same (cheapo) recording setup as the last prototype, if you care to compare.

----------


## Pete Jenner

That sounds fantastic to my ear Marty. Nice playing too.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## billhay4

Sounds very good, Martin. This is coming along nicely.
Bill

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## hank

SHUT THE BACK DOOR!  This thread is what keeps me coming back to take a peak at the Cafe..  New baby mandolins being born and singing right out of the crib. They should name this the Mandolin nursery.  I listen forward to hearing your classy A model Dan.  Those F holes seem to mirror the larger lower area of an A models pear shape.  It really pulls that ones look together to my eyes. Bravo! Martin Your Nouveau look and construction have broken the mold. Thank you all for sharing.

----------


## Kip Carter

> SHUT THE BACK DOOR!  This thread is what keeps me coming back to take a peak at the Cafe..  New baby mandolins being born and singing right out of the crib. They should name this the Mandolin nursery.  I listen forward to hearing your classy A model Dan.  Those F holes seem to mirror the larger lower area of an A models pear shape.  It really pulls that ones look together to my eyes. Bravo! Martin Your Nouveau look and construction have broken the mold. Thank you all for sharing.


It is very engaging to be sure!  More Octaves though please!! 
Kip...

----------


## Dan Voight

Here is a short clip of the A style in the white. After about 4 days, it is starting to clear its throat. I cant wait to hear this one in a year from now. Engelmann top and red maple two piece back. The recording was done with a pair of stereo condensers and there is no EQ or reverb in the clip. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the 3-point sometime this weekend.

#12 clip.mp3

I'll record better clips soon and try to be more broad stylistically. This was just a quickie.

----------

Steve-o

----------


## Clicker

> After about 4 days, it is starting to clear its throat.


It's hard to put what I appreciate about sounds into words but whatever is better than good is what I heard. -Harry

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Fitting the final piece on a new "Fancy Floral" inlay for the next F8 . . . 



Steve

----------

JEStanek

----------


## hank

Dan I got computer script on your sound link.  Anyone else having trouble playing Dan's mp3? I'm using an IPad is this the problem?

----------


## Bill Snyder

hank, I don't have an IPad or any Apple products for that matter but I do remember 2 or 3 years ago some Mac users were having some problems with some mp3's. For some reason when the files were downloaded some extraneous characters where being added to the file suffix. You might check to make sure the file name is correct. It should be #12clip.mp3, if it is not then change it and try it again.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Dan, that's an awesome sounding mandolin. And quite competent playing, too...

Would be interested in talking shop with you sometime. We luthiers under 30 gotta stick together!

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Here's my tailpiece that I am probably going to go with.... 
0.050" 6061 aluminum or 360 brass. The strings hook onto #4-40 screws, I think I got the idea from Gary Nava (I think Corrado Giacomel uses threads as string posts, too). Thanks, Gary. For extra security I use little threaded finger nuts as well.

The upper black part is Garolite XX (phenolic, bakelite), which is stronger and lighter than ebony in this application. It has a little rubber gasket embedded which acts like a Wood Nymph, but integral to the tailpiece and easier to use.

I can make five in an hour. It costs $1. Can't argue with that.



(obviously, this one hasn't been formed into an angle yet.)

----------

JEStanek

----------


## Jake Wildwood

Super cool tailpiece!!!

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## davidmonk

thats awesome

----------


## J.Sloan

Nice tailpiece Marty! That opens up a whole new can of worms that I haven't even considered yet....awe forget it! This first one has been tough enough without even going there! Here's a pic of #2. Gonna fit the bridge and try and string it up this weekend. This is actually my first one....#01 is put away for now...the neck joint did not wanna cooperate!
I'm using my wife's Kindle and hope I can get the pics to load.

----------

JEStanek

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, love the sound and tone you are getting out of your mandolin! Awesome playing too!
Steve, I love the floral inlay; that is as nice as I have ever seen!!
Marty, I like your tailpiece design! That will look perfect on your mandolins!!
JSloan, Nice work on #2! Lets see a picture of the back!!

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## billhay4

Nice design, Martin. Very nice.
How hard will it be to slide strings past the gasket when you're changing strings?
Bill

----------


## Glassweb

> Dan I got computer script on your sound link.  Anyone else having trouble playing Dan's mp3? I'm using an IPad is this the problem?


i had to change the file to read #12 clip.mp3

then it played fine. by the way... that mandolin sounds spectacular and Dan's playing is superb. Hat's off!

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Thanks, Bill. I was concerned about that, too, so the rubber is slightly undersized. E and A slip right through, slight resistance on the G and D. Lets you know it's engaged, but doesn't make the strings kink or anything. The smaller strings are snugged against the gasket by the slight upward pressure from the break angle.

Same design works for ball end strings, just remove the screws that serve as string posts.

----------


## wwwilkie

Marty- Beautiful design work all round.  Congrats!

----------


## GarY Nava

> Here's my tailpiece that I am probably going to go with.... 
> 0.050" 6061 aluminum or 360 brass. The strings hook onto #4-40 screws, I think I got the idea from Gary Nava (I think Corrado Giacomel uses threads as string posts, too). Thanks, Gary. For extra security I use little threaded finger nuts as well.
> 
> The upper black part is Garolite XX (phenolic, bakelite), which is stronger and lighter than ebony in this application. It has a little rubber gasket embedded which acts like a Wood Nymph, but integral to the tailpiece and easier to use.
> 
> I can make five in an hour. It costs $1. Can't argue with that.
> 
> 
> 
> (obviously, this one hasn't been formed into an angle yet.)


Hi Marty,
Thanks for the acknowledgement! Looks a really good design.
5 in one hour! You’re right I can’t argue with that. I take it that you have a CNC mill for this sort of work. It literally takes me 5 hours to make one tailpiece by hand!
Building in some method of dampening the strings is a good idea, I find that the passing the strings through a hole in the wooden part of mine has that effect.   That said, you really only need to worry about dampening them if length of string between the bridge and tailpiece is too long.
Look forward to seeing a completed one.
Cheers Gary
http://www.navaguitars.co.uk/mandolins.html

----------


## Nick Gellie

On a slightly different tack here is my Silver Angel A-5 economodel in the white and strung up and ready to play.  It won't be long before she is being played at my place.



Here is what Ken Ratcliff says about her:

"Nic, your mandolin is strung "in the white". Here's a picture of it. As for the sound, I'm very pleased with it. It is powerful and has all the ingredients you could want in an instrument, bass, mids and highs. I really enjoy playing it. I wish I had the knowhow to send a soundclip. Maybe I can, I think about it."

It has only taken Ken two months to make her.  I have yet to give her a name which is the protocol among Silver Angel players.

----------


## Dobe

[QUOTE=ArtDecoMandos;1084734]Heron inlay for the transverse braced prototype's fretboard... 

So, is that the board before slotting ? Really fine inlay BTW !

----------


## GarY Nava

The client whose mandolin I’m currently working on, ordered an armrest from Doug Edwards, inlaid with a tree motif. So I thought that it would be nice to do a matching one in the head.

Cheers Gary

----------


## Kip Carter

Very cool!
Kip...

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Seconded.. the "tree of life" thing is very cool, Gary.
Now you just need to make three more, and you could have a mando quartet with the same tree represented in each season . :-)

----------


## Tavy

> The client whose mandolin Im currently working on, ordered an armrest from Doug Edwards, inlaid with a tree motif. So I thought that it would be nice to do a matching one in the head.
> 
> Cheers Gary


Nice work Gary!

----------


## GarY Nava

Thanks guys! :Redface: 
Nice idea Marty, if only someone would commission them!!
Cheers Gary

----------


## Skip Kelley

Gary, nice inlay! Great looking!!

----------


## Max Girouard

Wow, so much great stuff in this thread lately.  Really wonderful stuff everyone!

Lauri buffed this one out for me today!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Max, That is one awesome looking A model! The figure in the back looks like it runs across the sides too!!

----------


## OldGus

> Wow, so much great stuff in this thread lately.  Really wonderful stuff everyone!
> 
> Lauri buffed this one out for me today!


 You guys have really got it down, I can tell how well the frets are placed, I bet the intonation is spot on!

----------


## Nick Gellie

More pictures of my Silver Angel in the white, pictures courtesy of Ken Ratcliff.  The back is a one-piece red maple.



She is currently being sanded ready for staining.

----------


## Clicker

> More pictures of my Silver Angel in the white, pictures courtesy of Ken Ratcliff.


It seems as if the muse has attached herself to this one already. -Harry

----------


## Nick Gellie

Yep, and according to Ken she is as good in the sound department as she looks.

----------


## Skip Kelley

NG53, that is one sweet looking A model! I love the one-piece back!

----------


## Nick Gellie

Ken's philosophy on making mandolins is that you need to have full and vibrant highs. mids, and lows sounds in a mandolin, like you would have in a band - otherwise it is not a complete instrument.  I too like the one-piece back - came out exceptionally beautiful.
The headstock veneer is made from a walnut burl so it has some beautiful wood features too.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Some new ones finally glued into their ebony homes -







Now, back to the musical end of the stick.

Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, those are some awesome looking ladies! The pegheads look great!

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Been looking at some old Rolls Royce emblems, Steve? Sweet ideas.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Here's what was going on in my shop today... 

Nautilus #3, with Sitka top and birdseye sugar maple back and sides. Parallel braced. This one's going to be a huge improvement over the first parallel braced prototype.

You can see how the sides are applied... they stand proud of the plates when they are wrapped around the body. A few strokes with a block plane gets them flush, and I chamfer them off at a slight angle so there's no sharp corner, and to reveal the contrasting layers of wood in the sides.

Also, a yellow cedar top for Nautilus #4 (my #16). It varies between 50 grains per inch and 65 grains per inch. Pretty incredible top. Transverse braced, and the bracing is yellow cedar as well. This piece of yellow cedar is actually more like red spruce than cedar, but with a little more cross-grain flexibility than red spruce. So I'm really excited to hear it. I have enough for six more tops from this board.

Also, the back and heel cap of Nautilus #2. Sweet ribbon mahogany on that one.

EDIT: the telecaster ukulele is something my son is working on... heh.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Martin, that is some great looking work! That is a tight grained top for sure!

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## GarY Nava

Nice work Marty. I like the use of same design motif in the sound hole, tailpiece and fingerboard end. It is always so refreshing to see some original design work here.
Cheers Gary

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## hank

Martin your design and joinery are nothing short of CNC Alchemy. You weave that rim rap like your walking on Cake, dancing in the icing.  Very, Very nice work.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Max Girouard

Fun project about to wrap up and go into finishing.............

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## Kip Carter

> Fun project about to wrap up and go into finishing.............


Can just imagine Hayseed/DC buying this for there work! 

Good stuff!

Kip...

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Hehe, that's cool, Max. I kind of like the look of the James tailpiece without the cover.
Are you making a different cover for it, or just leaving it off to keep dings off it before it's finished?

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Max Girouard

> Hehe, that's cool, Max. I kind of like the look of the James tailpiece without the cover.
> Are you making a different cover for it, or just leaving it off to keep dings off it before it's finished?


Yep, I'm going to inlay a mother of pearl tiger into an oval piece of ebony which I'll attach to the top cover of the tailpiece.  Should be interesting!

----------


## Charles E.

uh-oh, Ed is going to want a tenor guitar verson of that.

----------

Ed Goist, 

Max Girouard

----------


## Skip Kelley

Max, those are the coolest sound holes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Max Girouard

Thanks Skip!  Looks like it may be a little scary on buffing day!

----------


## Max Girouard

Just machined out a prototype for our new inlay script.  Those "tendrils" coming off the G are only 0.015 thick!  We hid two scroll buttons, a part of an F hole and an eighth note in there.

----------

djweiss, 

Ed Goist, 

George R. Lane, 

Jim Garber

----------


## George R. Lane

Max,
It looks very elegant.

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Kip Carter

> Just machined out a prototype for our new inlay script.  Those "tendrils" coming off the G are only 0.015 thick!  We hid two scroll buttons, a part of an F hole and an eighth note in there.


Max,
 That is just too cool for school!   Very nice.  Laura going to tag her works with these as well?

Regards,
Kip...

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Skip Kelley

Max, your pearl script looks awesome!!

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Charles E.

I would go blind. Nice work.

----------


## Jake Wildwood

Dang, close tolerances there!!

----------


## Eddie Blevins

<Moderator's Edit: Posting personal transactions for business or self-promotion is prohibited. Please review Posting Guidelines.>

----------


## Markkunkel

> Heron inlay for the transverse braced prototype's fretboard...



What a treat it was for me today to visit Marty Jacobson (http://martinjacobson.com/id/) ("ArtDecoMandos") at his shop!  He's as passionate and bright and enthusiastic and pleasant in person as his posts would suggest, and my, what a combination of art and technology.  He surely knows his CNC stuff, but showed me his ability with a sketch pad and pencil, and with a scraper blade on an in-progress top.  

I got the chance to play, and more enjoyably listen to Marty play, this Dragon prototype, and it's very very impressive (as were the other finished instruments he had on-hand).   He's for real, folks, and I was pleased and honored to get in line for one of the builds he has underway.  Watch for them all before the year is out...

Thanks for taking the time, Marty, and it's so nice to see good things happening to you who has worked so hard to make them happen.

Mark

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve-o

----------


## billhay4

Glad to hear a first-hand report. Martin's posts and pictures have impressed me, too. He's innovative, has a great design sense, and gets stuff done.
Look forward to seeing and hearing more of his instruments.
Bill

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Thanks for the visit and kind words, Mark! I really appreciated comparing notes and getting your thoughts. Feel free to swing by any time, and I'll keep you posted on the bubinga/redwood instruments in the works.

----------


## Markkunkel

> I got the chance to play, and more enjoyably listen to Marty play, this Dragon prototype...


and as any student of Linneaus or myth will know, that isn't a picture of the Dragon prototype, but rather the heron prototype. They both sounded splendid...

MK

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A little hand-work to help keep the fingers strong --

 

Steve

----------


## Max Girouard

Some final shaping today, then off to Lauri for sanding and finishing early next week!  The person ordering this mandolin wanted the peghead and pickguard made from a pen turning blank that he sent me.  It is amboyna burl.  Peghead is actually 5 pieces as the pen blank was not big enough to make a peghead.  Pickguard will be finished next week.

----------


## Tavy

> It is amboyna burl.  Peghead is actually 5 pieces as the pen blank was not big enough to make a peghead.


Amboyna is something else isn't it?  The pickguard in my avatar is amboyna veneer, if you think yours looks fancy now, wait till some finish is on it!  Which reminds me, I still have another piece left over, never have found the right project for it though...

----------


## Steve-o

Wow, real beautiful wood on that one Max, especially the amboyna burl.  I bet you have one happy customer.

----------


## rb3868

OK, I am trying very hard to find the seems on that peghead.  What a work of art

----------


## pickngrin

> OK, I am trying very hard to find the seems on that peghead.  What a work of art


I can't either. With strings on, who can tell? Really cool idea. Can't wait to see what the pickguard looks like.

----------


## Tavy

> I can't either. With strings on, who can tell?


Looks like 3 pieces - lower left and right, and top.  One join down the middle of the lower part (mostly hidden by the inlay), and one running across about 2/3 of the way up the peghead.  But you're right, with strings on no one will ever know!  BTW you can get amboyna veneer that's just about large enough for a whole peghead, just be prepared for a lot of filling during finishing - this stuff is full of holes!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, great looking mandolins!

Max, you've got some incredible wood in that F5!!

----------


## Max Girouard

Thanks everyone!  I did a quick drawing of where the seams are.  At first I was hesitant to do a peghead like this, but the wood is so busy, and with the binding, inlay, tuner pegs and strings, there will be so much going on that I don't think anyone will notice.  The points are also of the same wood.  We had wanted to do a bridge, but there are too many holes and voids in the wood.  I'll probably do an epoxy pore fill on the peghead as there are some voids that are probably too big to fill with finish.  Below is also a shot of the blank the pickguard will come from.  Tavy, that pickguard looks great!  Do you have a closeup?  How thick was the veneer?

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Tavy

> Tavy, that pickguard looks great!  Do you have a closeup?  How thick was the veneer?


Here's a closeup I took during construction:



My first build, so I put this together as "binding practice", not bad, but I'd like to get it a touch neater now.

I filled with just shellac, and 18 months on there is some sinkage into the larger fissures - so I think you're right to use epoxy.  However it is a pickguard, complete with scratches now, so one can hardly be too precious about it.

The pieces I got were the usual 0.6mm thick and a little smaller than A5 in size - with a fair bit of non-burl wood round the edges - I gather this is normal for amboyna and it never gets that big.  Also interesting that when the veneer arrived it looked pretty horrible - like a raggedy bit of cardboard really - it's only when you get it flattened out and finished that it comes alive.

HTH, John.

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Well, I goofed around in New Mexico in a week, but I'm back at it now.

# 15 and #16 are the first two production Nautilus instruments. Some final scraping and sanding and they'll be ready for final assembly. Making head plates and fretboards today. 

With a little help from Jack Jacobson...

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Pete Jenner

Very fine Martin. Did you achieve your goal of making them cheaper and quicker to build?

----------


## Jim Garber

Martin: I like that one with the amoeboid soundhole -- the same one that Jack obviously liked. What are the plans for bracing and finish on these two?

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Whew, those pictures came out really pink, didn't they? Better calibrate the monitor.

Peter, they are quicker to build. I can build two or three of these a month working by myself. Could build more, but I have a part-time teaching job as well. So maybe 30 hours apiece. 3 hours of that is machining, the rest is all the hand work. I used to spend more like 60-100 hours for an A model.

Jim, thanks! #16 is the Alaskan Yellow Cedar top with super-tight grain. It is transverse braced, same top as in post #6291 of this thread. Bracing Here. Sugar birdseye maple back and sides. It's getting an Art Nouveau vine inlay on the fretboard. I am very, very exited to hear how it sounds, hopefully strung up in the white by the end of this week. The tap tone is the most promising of mine to date.

I think I am going to finish these in a "cognac" color... something like this.

----------


## Jim Garber

> I think I am going to finish these in a "cognac" color... something like this.


That is a gorgeous finish. Gets me drunk just looking at it.  :Smile:

----------


## Dan Voight

Almost done french polishing my first 3 Point

----------

JEStanek

----------


## GKWilson

That's beautiful Dan.
By the way. Joe wants you to send it to me to play in. :Grin:  :Grin:  :Grin: 
Gary

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Peter, they are quicker to build. I can build two or three of these a month working by myself.


Wow Martin that's crazy ....good crazy of course.


Dan, are you just using shellac for the FP?

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Skip Kelley

Really cool mandolins, Martin! Love the sound holes!

Dan, Great looking finish on your three pointer!

----------


## Dan Voight

Thanks everyone. Yes just shellac with my FP

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Got #16 inlaid today.... just gotta drill some holes and press in some frets before stringing it up in the white.

----------

GarY Nava, 

Jim Nollman, 

Max Girouard

----------


## Ron McMillan

> With a little help from Jack Jacobson..


Lovely work as usual Marty. Are you aware that your name is mis-spelled on your avatar? (Or so I assume since Jack's surname is spelled with an 's')

ron

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Max Girouard

> Got #16 inlaid today.... just gotta drill some holes and press in some frets before stringing it up in the white.


Looks great Martin, love the green in that inlay!  What material is that?

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Thanks, Max... it's reconstituted stone. Similar to Corian, but with a much lower resin content... it's about 90% stone IIRC.

----------


## Max Girouard

Nice Martin, cool idea on the stone.

Here is a peghead I finished binding today, it has our new script inlayed.

----------


## George R. Lane

Max,
That is one beautiful inlay and script.

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Finally making good use of the Bachelor's Degree in Plant Science - 



Steve

----------

Bob Bronow

----------


## Marty Jacobson

This is headstock week, huh?

----------

Mike Black

----------


## amowry

Beautiful work, everyone!

Getting close...

----------

Carleton Page, 

Mike Black

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Andrew, 
You prove, again, that one can get past excellence to reach perfection.  Dang.
Steve

----------


## Kip Carter

All, 
  Recent postings to this thread create such 'madolust' it is unreal.  Great work folks!
Kip...

----------


## Skip Kelley

There is some great looking work on here!!!!

----------


## f5loar

It still baffels my mind as to who is buying all these wonderful handmade F style mandolins.  There can't be that many mandolin pickers in the world to satisfy that amount of production.

----------


## billhay4

> It still baffels my mind as to who is buying all these wonderful handmade F style mandolins.


fatt-dad.
Bill

----------


## Dan Voight

Almost there...

----------


## jmagill

Hi folks,

I have a mandolin currently being built for me by Steve Holst. It's a modern re-imagining of an F-4, incorporating some of my own design ideas, and I started a build thread for it on the Cafe in August. 

I wasn't quite sure where to post it, and wound up putting it under the "Builders and Repair" section, but I thought the readers of this thread might be interested in it, too. You can find the full thread here. 

We're a few weeks away from completion now and it's really starting to take shape nicely. Here's a shot of the neck fitted to the top/sides assembly:



Jim

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## hank

Good Morning Luthiers extrodinare. I always look forward to catching up on the artistry and comments here since my last visit.  It's still amazing to me that these gorgeous little wooden sound boxes decorated with bits of shell and binding can infatuate me so and drive this many meticulous artist to even greater perfection. Beautiful creations all. So far as who buys um and at what cost you could ask the same question about all art.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

So, since my fretboards are cantilevered, almost like a violin, here is a shot showing the carbon fiber fretboard extension support. The channel above the support indexes the fretboard so it's always on center and dead straight. 
And then some random shots of other stuff going on in my shop, some more fretboards (making two with the stylized vine inlay) and the grain in some bubinga backs which will be machined tomorrow.

----------


## Glassweb

As always, so great to see these hand-made beauties! Ah, but beauty is only skin deep... feel and sound are ultimately what makes the musical instrument. How about all these amazing luthiers getting together to hold a yearly "Mandolin Luthiers Weekend" where all of us fans can fly in for a few days and "taste" the goods that tantalize us so mercilessly here on the Cafe? Good for the builders, good for the players!

----------


## pumpdogg

couple shots of my new Wiens to be finished next year

----------


## pumpdogg

top

----------


## Pete Jenner

> How about all these amazing luthiers getting together to hold a yearly "Mandolin Luthiers Weekend" where all of us fans can fly in for a few days and "taste" the goods that tantalize us so mercilessly here on the Cafe?


Interesting idea but to be fair to all luthiers, the venue for such a meeting would have to be somewhere in or around Mongolia. I'm sure the good people of Ulaanbaatar would welcome such an event.

----------


## bernabe

A couple new ones being finished

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Jim Garber

> How about all these amazing luthiers getting together to hold a yearly "Mandolin Luthiers Weekend" where all of us fans can fly in for a few days and "taste" the goods that tantalize us so mercilessly here on the Cafe? Good for the builders, good for the players!


I am heading to the Woodstock Invitational Luthiers' Showcase this weekend. It looks like there are only a few mandolin makers there but it should be fun in any case. I started a thread here. I will report back on any mandolin news from that event.

I have been thinking that an event like that one above but maybe smaller and devoted to the many mandolin makers out there would be a wonderful thing. Another alternative would be to establish a network of people willing to host a sort of house gathering for a luthier to show his or her wares. A number of years ago Lawrence Smart was out east and a local bluegrass org here in New York hosted a gathering. Players got to hear Lawrence talk bout his instruments and players go to try them. I know for a fact that he got at least one order from that event, possibly a few.

----------


## j. condino

Beautiful color saturation on those 'bursts James!

'A little teaser of what is in the works here in Asheville-  a matched set of 3 mandolins and an octave  mandolin out of Ted Davis red spruce & 50 year old Brazilian rosewood, along with Bob's Striped ebony / red spruce F5 in the corner....'dig that red Brazilian racing strip headstock, backcap and matching ribs!!!!

j.
www.condino.com
new website is live today!

----------

Charles E.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Gorgeous wood, and an awesome headstock design. The new site is cool, too.

----------


## P Josey

pumpdogg, that is one beautiful looking top. Love seeing the grain pattern like that. I'd be a happy puppy...a..er..dogg, seeing that coming my way.

----------


## Skip Kelley

James, great looking bursts on those F5's!! Really nice coloring too!!!

James C, love the Brazilian mandos and the new website!!!

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Continuing the theme...

----------

GarY Nava, 

Jim Garber, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## hank

I like that a lot Marty.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Very nice Deco Marty!
Steve

----------


## Jim Hilburn

New one.

----------

Don Grieser

----------


## bernabe

Some front shots ..still finishing

----------

Don Grieser, 

lauri Girouard, 

rb3868

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Here's something else that didn't come from the Stew-Mac plans...




The whole thing will be that cognac color. Probably. :-) The blonde back is looking pretty hot to me, though...

----------

Don Grieser, 

Jim Garber

----------


## Markkunkel

Wow, what gorgeous work here.  And as someone who is a big fan of your work, Marty, it's nice to see these unconventional and wonderful builds.  

MK

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## lauri Girouard

> Some front shots ..still finishing


Beautiful work James.  Lovely bursts.

----------


## rb3868

I think the best thing about the cafe, besides learning about playing, is seeing all this incredible craftsmanship

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## Texas

> A couple new ones being finished


As a woodworker my eyes are drawn to the beautiful bench holding the mandolins which are nice too.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Just got the color coats done, and was so excited about how it looks I had to post these.

----------

GarY Nava, 

JEStanek, 

Jim Garber, 

Steve-o

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Just got the color coats done, and was so excited about how it looks I had to post these.


I think you made the right choice. Can't wait to hear a clip.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Martin, your mandolin looks awesome!

----------


## hank

Marty I think Cognac was an excellent choice.  Is she modeling in an old Corvair?

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Thanks everyone. Hank, good eye, that's my '64 Corvair Monza coupe.

----------


## hank

Sweet!  Finally Porch weather!  I just came inside it's a beautiful day with our Fall colors at their peak. I'm headed back out there with a cold one for further appreciation after our firepit of a Summer this is good at an amazing 70 degrees.

----------


## Jim Garber

I love that color, Marty. Keep up the great work!

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## DougC

My first car was a '64 Corvair Monza coupe. 

No mandolin though. I had a Gibson J41 guitar.

I like the mandolin color too. Great job.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Good fun at the Sorensen place last night -- An in-the-white all-mando jam with one guy is whisking off instruments to finesse tone while the other guys just grabbed another mando and keep jamming!

 

Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, nice looking group of mandolin! Great work!!
Love the bridge on the Sprite!!

----------


## pjlama

Those Sorensen's sure are sweet looking.

----------


## pumpdogg

Went to see Jamie last weekend and saw my neck get joined onto the body, pretty cool stuff indeed!


> pumpdogg, that is one beautiful looking top. Love seeing the grain pattern like that. I'd be a happy puppy...a..er..dogg, seeing that coming my way.

----------


## pumpdogg

Neck fit done

----------


## pumpdogg

Neck glued and fingerboard set in place for photo

----------


## Max Girouard

OK it's not a mandolin but it is tuned like one, just an octave lower, and missing 4 strings, oh and looks like an electric guitar.........

----------

Ed Goist, 

Jim Garber

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Very cool, Max-- cool blade humbucker, too. Is it coil-tapped? Is it one of Pete Biltoff's or a more mainstream manufacturer (looks like it might be a SD)? Clever idea to just remove the outer strings from the tune-o-matic.

----------


## Jim Garber

Nicely done, classic look but not a copy.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Really nice clean design, Max.  That's got Ed's tenor written all over it!

----------


## Max Girouard

Thanks guys!  Yep this one is for Ed.  It has the SD cool rails.  I worked with Ed on the design of this one.  I'd do a drawing, then send it over to him and he would make his changes, then I'd incorporate those into the drawing.  It was a fun project.  Hope to have the electronics in today.

----------

Carleton Page, 

Ed Goist

----------


## Skip Kelley

Very cool, Max!

----------


## Max Girouard

Thanks guys!

Lauri just finished up this one, it is our first satin finish......

----------

Ed Goist, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice looking F5 all the way around! Max, you and Lauri are really turning out some fine looking mandolins!!

----------


## Kip Carter

Beautiful Max!  Just beautiful!
Kip...

----------


## billhay4

Max and Lauri,
Nice looking instrument. Very clean headstock inlay job.
Bill

----------


## GarY Nava

Thought that you might like these shots of my next twin-point; this one has a three piece cocobolo back that I've simply bound in ebony so nothing detracts from the beauty of the wood.
Cheers Gary

----------

Ed Goist, 

Max Girouard

----------


## Skip Kelley

That's some nice cocobolo, Gary!

----------


## DougC

Wow, Gary that is a very good looking mandolin. Do you have others we can see?

----------


## oldwave maker

You youngsters have raised the bar so very high, I hesitate to add my folk art to your fine art thread, but curly maple is magic, and woe the day I get to the bottom of the 1999 ex-Rivinus red bucket:

----------


## Markkunkel

"Folk art."  Ha!  I am among many many others who is very grateful for the visual and auditory beauty you bring to the world, Bill!

MK

----------

hank, 

Trey Young

----------


## GarY Nava

> Wow, Gary that is a very good looking mandolin. Do you have others we can see?


Thanks Doug, you might like this page on my website
http://www.navaguitars.co.uk/twin_point_gallery.html

Cheers Gary

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Surfin' in the wake of that fine Old Wave.  Two coats of varnish into the game on these kids . . .



Steve

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, awesome looking mandolins! Nice work!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Rick Jones

Wow, what spectacular sunbursts!!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Ted's Sprite Two-Point after cleaning the binding and the first coat of oil varnish.  We're in the home stretch!



Steve

----------

hank, 

Rodney Riley, 

shortymack

----------


## Eddie Blevins

Love the blue, Steve.

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Pete Jenner

*Pagan Mandolins number one and a half.*

Progress at last.



Ribs: Red Maple
Linings: Reverse kerfed mahogany
Soundhole linings: Sydney bluegum
Horns (points): River red gum
Tail and horn blocks: Queensland maple
Head Block: Triple laminated Queensland maple

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, I love the blue burst! Awesome!!  :Smile:

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## shortymack

Steve, drop dead gorgeous! Wow.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

And a nice warm glow to start the day in sunny CA.



Zen and the art of scraping bindings.

Steve

----------

Mike Black, 

Sid Simpson

----------


## nanaimo

Just beautiful! One day I hope to be in line for one! (still early on in my learning) One question - I know that there is a difference in density in the quilted and flamed maple - How is the sound different between the different woods?

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## billhay4

Nanaimo,
BC, I presume.
I don't think you can sum up any specific sound differences because so much depends on design, construction, the builder's preferences, the specific boards (tremendous variety even within a species), and many other factors. Besides, the top is much more important to the sound of an instrument than the back, and, even there, generalizations are not very reliable.
Bill

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Nanaimo,

Bill's response hits upon the key point - wood is organic and highly variable.  I hand-graduate each top (including tone bars) and back to get the type of response appropriate for the instrument.  I also mix the type of wood used in the tone bars with different top woods to pull the top's response in the desired direction.  For example, it is amazing to hear the impact Red Spruce tone bars can have on a curly Redwood top.

An important step is playing the instruments "in the white" before finishing when there is still a lot of room for adjustment of the top and back graduations and the way the top and back work together to create the desired response of that instrument.

While using the same types of wood (from the same sources) really helps improve the predictability of the results, getting the best from the wood does not come from using the cookie-cutter approach used in most production instruments.  That's why you see so much attention to the little details of the build process here!

Steve

----------


## nanaimo

Thanks for the information. As a newcomer to the instrument, I have a lot to learn concerning construction and it's impact on the sound that one can get from the mandolin. There are a number of threads here on the Cafe that indicate that different woods affect the 'brightness', 'woodiness' or volume of the sound.

----------


## Max Girouard

Made some new side bending jigs today.

----------

Diamondback_Jack, 

Ed Goist, 

GarY Nava, 

Mike Black

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Slick, just for truing up the sides or are you using silicone heating blankets with those?

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Max Girouard

> Slick, just for truing up the sides or are you using silicone heating blankets with those?


Thanks.   I bend with the blanket but leave them in these forms to cool overnight.   Making some new forms to go with these tomorrow.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Clean bindings and a first coat of varnish - gettin' closer to being a full-grown mando.



Steve

----------

Ed Goist, 

Sid Simpson

----------


## Tavy

> Clean bindings and a first coat of varnish - gettin' closer to being a full-grown mando.
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


Ooooo, got to love that binding... and the maple!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Skip Kelley

> Clean bindings and a first coat of varnish - gettin' closer to being a full-grown mando.
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


Steve, that mandolin is awesome! The coloring really make the figure stand out!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Chip Booth

> Clean bindings and a first coat of varnish - gettin' closer to being a full-grown mando.
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


That is some nice looking tortoise binding.  Where are you getting it from? Most of the stuff I have seen lately is very dark with very little "figure".

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Chip,
I scour the globe for Tortoise binding!  I think this was from Bill Allen at Axiom.
Steve

----------

Chip Booth

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Steven, you are killing it! Hot stuff you've posted here.

----------

hank, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## labraid

A mandolin just off the form. This one's being built for Chris Acquavella.

----------

Bob Clark, 

Ed Goist, 

GarY Nava, 

hank, 

Kip Carter, 

Larry S Sherman, 

Max Girouard, 

Pete Jenner, 

roady43, 

Steve Sorensen, 

Steve-o

----------


## Pete Jenner

Brilliant Brian!
...and a nice change...

----------


## roady43

Last week I was searching for the latest posts from Brian - nothing since february. Now this, fantastic! Looks rather "classical" to me (Vinaccia 17xx?). Wood pegs, gut strings?
Actually I'm looking for such a period instrument - either old original or new build...


roady43

----------


## roady43

Another mandolin just off the form...
It's a special order I made. No metal parts except for the frets... 

roady43

----------

hank, 

labraid

----------


## Harrison Withers

nowhere near the craftsmanship of others here, but here's my electric mandocello in progress.

----------

Ed Goist, 

hank, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## hank

Nice grain placement and layout on your electric snakehead mando cello Harrison.

----------

Harrison Withers

----------


## Charles E.

> Another mandolin just off the form...
> It's a special order I made. No metal parts except for the frets... 
> 
> roady43


Roady, that looks great, what type of wood are the staves made of?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Ted's sanded and at the mid-point of varnishing --



Steve

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## Pete Jenner

Great going Harrison.

----------

Harrison Withers

----------


## Dan Voight

doing some binding

----------


## Skip Kelley

There is alot of nice looking work on here!
Beautiful bowlback Roady43!
Steve, I love the blue stain!
Really clean lines, Dan!

----------

roady43

----------


## Jim Garber

> Another mandolin just off the form...
> It's a special order I made. No metal parts except for the frets...


Wooden pegs for tuners? It looks like a German-style bowlback without a canted top. I am looking fwd to more pics.

----------


## amowry

Here's a soundport on an octave mandolin I'm building.

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## roady43

> Wooden pegs for tuners? It looks like a German-style bowlback without a canted top. I am looking fwd to more pics.


Wooden pegs - very challenging for steel strings, I know. But I will definitely not only put steel strings on. Already testing the new Aquila Nylgut mandolin strings on one of my bowlbacks and I like them. There will be options for several tuning modes (e.g. a 6 string mandolin) by changing bridge, nut and the windows of the head containing the pegs (even possibility to put on modern metal mechanic).
The top is not flat (as on my flamed apple mandolin http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...78#post1068278 ), the canting is just carved (not visible on the picture). I told the builder to try this - I'm very curious how all this turns out...

roady43

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> Here's a soundport on an octave mandolin I'm building.


Very cool. I love how you built up the sound port with laminations, that will make for a much more finished appearance and add durability over the years. Best I've seen.

----------


## amowry

Thanks Marty-- it seemed like it needed a little structural support with an opening that size. The instrument will have koa binding, so  the middle layer is koa to match.

----------


## G. Fisher

> Chip,
> I scour the globe for Tortoise binding!  I think this was from Bill Allen at Axiom.
> Steve


It's actually Bill James that runs Axiom.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Greg - Yep.  For some reason Randy Allen and Bill James' names are forever mixed up in my brain.  Made this mistake more than once!
Steve

----------


## Pete Jenner

Andrew - very tidy work as usual.

----------


## Max Girouard

> Here's a soundport on an octave mandolin I'm building.


Cool!!!!!

----------


## Steve Hinde

My first H5 style Mandola. Not quite finished yet but taking it to show some folks this weekend.
Adirondack top, Grovers, James tailpiece, tone bars.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Frog plate -AKA Top frog

----------


## roady43

Latest state.

Headstock and scratch plate after my drawings.
Waiting two weeks now for the glue being completely hardened...

roady43

----------

GarY Nava, 

labraid

----------


## Steve Sorensen

French Polishing a Sprite Two-Point for Dennis at The Mandolin Store.



Love the perfect tight curl on the Maple of this one!

Steve

----------


## Tavy

> Latest state.
> 
> Headstock and scratch plate after my drawings.
> Waiting two weeks now for the glue being completely hardened...
> 
> roady43


Love the look of that bowl: nice work!

----------

roady43

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Well, here's #15 strung up. Unfortunately, the varnish is still imprinting a month after application. I may have gotten a bad batch, and will probably have to refinish this instrument anyway. It was fun to bring it to Thanksgiving with the family and play it in a bit, though. Can you hear the undamped tailpiece ringing at the end? Got too rushed to finish the tailpiece before the holiday. It's a fun little instrument.




Or just the MP3, which is higher quality than the video's audio track: http://www.martinjacobson.com/NautilusNo15_Audio.mp3

----------

GarY Nava, 

Harrison Withers, 

lgibjones

----------


## Tavy

> Well, here's #15 strung up. Unfortunately, the varnish is still imprinting a month after application.


I feel for you, I've had to refinish one instrument about 3 times this summer for exactly that reason  :Frown: 

Cold, wet, rainy, 100% humidity (or near enough) all year, nothing's hardening up properly.  Changed shellac and still the same issues...

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Or just the MP3, which is higher quality than the video's audio track: http://www.martinjacobson.com/NautilusNo15_Audio.mp3


It sounds fabulous and looks stunning Marty. I want one!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

French Polishing is giving that blue-note glow to Ted's Sprite Two-Point -

 

Love the way the blue to black 'burst changes in different light and from different angles.

Steve

----------

JEStanek

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, that is one sharp looking mandolin!

----------


## Harrison Withers

> 


Really nice work and I wish I could play like you!

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Markkunkel

Wow, Marty!  VERY cool looking and even better sounding.  Well built, well played.  Thanks for bringing beauty to the world!

MK

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Bluejay

SteveS    More,more,more!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Marty, your mandolin looks great and sounds great too! Nice work!!

----------


## Mandolinshockandawe

> Beautiful color saturation on those 'bursts James!
> 
> 'A little teaser of what is in the works here in Asheville-  a matched set of 3 mandolins and an octave  mandolin out of Ted Davis red spruce & 50 year old Brazilian rosewood, along with Bob's Striped ebony / red spruce F5 in the corner....'dig that red Brazilian racing strip headstock, backcap and matching ribs!!!!
> 
> j.
> www.condino.com
> new website is live today!


 :Smile:  You know I havent been lurking enough when a picture of my mando in progress shows up and I take a month to coment.  Looking good James.  Bob K  :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Can you think of a better way to spend a cold and rainy night than with three Sprites in the white?  



Steve

----------

Soundfarmer Pete

----------


## Kip Carter

Nice!

Kip...

----------


## Pete Jenner

> three Sprites in the white?  
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


It looks to me like the same three you posted on the 6th of November.

----------


## shortymack

> It looks to me like the same three you posted on the 6th of November.


Not me. Take a closer look, the middle one has black neck/headstock binding. I believe those from the 6th have been posted again showing finishes applied since.  Your consistency has em fooled Steve!  :Cool:  Looking great as usual.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Really? Seven mandolins strung up in the white in 3 weeks? Gee he must have a factory going.

----------


## billhay4

> Gee he must have a factory going.


If he does, it's a high quality one. Nice work, Steve.
Bill

----------


## Glassweb

not only can these guys build, they can play!!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

As my old boss used to grouse when I was heading home after 12 hours, "So you're working a half day today?"  

The other great jab (I think he picked up from Jeffery Katzenburg during the Disney years) was, "If you're not working Saturday and Sunday, don't worry about coming in on Monday."

There are seven Sprites in this set - four wrapping up French Polishing and three that are ready for some color and shine.  Amazing what one can do when working full-time!  

The only down side to running a one-man shop is that I don't have anybody to share the curmudgeonly digs with . . . and, for some reason, when I'm goofing off on MandolinCafe, all work seems to stop in the shop.  :Confused: 

Steve

----------

Bob Bronow, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Pete Jenner

> . . . and, for some reason, when I'm goofing off on MandolinCafe, all work seems to stop in the shop. 
> 
> Steve


Given your prolific input to this thread I'm surprised you get any work done in  that case  :Wink:  

Just kidding.  :Smile:

----------


## Max Girouard

Working on joining some tops and backs this week.

----------

roady43

----------


## oldwave maker

Sure sign of too much binding, wishing there was a reuse for tape.

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## tree

> Working on joining some tops and backs this week.


Nice plane! I have their low angle jack plane, I'm guessing that is the jointer . . .

----------


## Max Girouard

> Nice plane! I have their low angle jack plane, I'm guessing that is the jointer . . .


Yeah, I love it!  It is the 5 1/4 bench plane.  I also have thier block plane, smoothing plane and jack plane.  All of them are great.  I'm thinking of getting the new mini block plane as well.

----------


## roady43

> Wooden pegs for tuners? It looks like a German-style bowlback without a canted top. I am looking fwd to more pics.




Getting closer...

Maybe the canted and slightly arched top is visible on the pictures.
Fretboard very  discreetly curved.

roady43

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Beautiful work Roady!  The idea of fitting those bent staves is mind-boggling to me!

Here's one of the three shown above with some color and a quick seal coat.  Glad I went ahead and used this bit of flat-sawn 1 x 6 -- really some nice figure and very good tone in the white.



Steve

----------

roady43

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Stack o' backs and tops....

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Kip Carter

Marty... it appears you are missing a top there! <grinz>

Kip...

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Pete Jenner

Marty - I can't see them properly from here. Send them all to me so I can get a better look.  :Grin:

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Marty Jacobson

I should be able to close up some boxes this week...

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Max Girouard

Nice Marty!  How are you holding down that block?  Also, just out of curiosity, how do you hold down your plates for machining?

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Thanks, Max. The block is super glued down. Holds like a champ, but one lateral knock with a mallet breaks it free. I use super glue as a fixture frequently. 

The plates are held using vacuum fixtures. There's a buck that goes inside the "second op" fixture, which holds down the blank for the first op. You can see that in the previous page's posts. So you throw your blank down on the "first op fixture", pull your vac, and run the first op. Then you remove the buck and drop the part into the second op fixture, and run the second op. Quick and easy.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Marty,
Love the Superglue idea for small pieces!

Did a couple of 'bursts today. One quite traditional - 



And the other a little off the beaten path - 



With a coat of varnish, the black is already slightly transparent showing the red under the whole top.

Note -that's pin-striping tape on the binding  . . . not red binding!

Steve

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

roady43

----------


## Skip Kelley

Marty and Steve, Nice looking work from both of you guys!!

----------


## Max Girouard

> Thanks, Max. The block is super glued down. Holds like a champ, but one lateral knock with a mallet breaks it free. I use super glue as a fixture frequently. 
> 
> The plates are held using vacuum fixtures. There's a buck that goes inside the "second op" fixture, which holds down the blank for the first op. You can see that in the previous page's posts. So you throw your blank down on the "first op fixture", pull your vac, and run the first op. Then you remove the buck and drop the part into the second op fixture, and run the second op. Quick and easy.


Thanks for the tips Marty.  I'm designing a vacuum fixture as I've had marginal sucess with the screw to the spoil board method, so it's helpful to see how others are doing it.  Thanks!!

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## TDMpicker

A few photos of my current Army-Navy build.
I am using engelmann spruce for the top and curly
maple for the sides and back.

Inside view of the top and rim assembly with the back adjacent.


Routing the edge for the binding. I like to put binding on both the top and back of my mandolins.


The binding installed and the body complete.


Cutting the pearl inlay for the peghead.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

The Hellboy thing is wicked, Steve!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Here's a look after cleaning up the binding and a couple coats of varnish.  I think this one is destined be a bit of a treble-maker.



Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, the staining of those mandolins are awesome!

----------


## Bob Clark

> A few photos of my current Army-Navy build.
> I am using engelmann spruce for the top and curly
> maple for the sides and back.


Hi Terry,

I was just sitting here playing my Crystal Forest mandolin when I saw this post by you.  I'm glad to see that my mandolin's latest sibling is coming along nicely.  I sure do love this one!

Best wishes,

Bob

----------


## Dan Voight

Here are some scroll shots. This is my second tortoise binding mandolin that I have done. I tried to highlight the side of the scroll with the more figure sections of binding I had. Its still a little rough from sanding and shaping but you get the point. Also attached is some shell that I cut from a mollusk that I found while canoeing the Duck river here in TN. I have about 25 lbs of this stuff! Anyone have any better ideas for cutting it up into useable sizes?

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

roady43

----------


## Bill Burch

Hi Dan,

Question for you. How do you restore the polish to the tortoise binding after all the scraping and sanding?

Bill Burch

----------


## Dan Voight

Sand to 300 or so and then take a paper towel dampened with acetone and wipe the binding lightly to melt away remaining scratches.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Nice clean binding work, Dan.  No easy feat!
Steve

----------


## Tavy

> Sand to 300 or so and then take a paper towel dampened with acetone and wipe the binding lightly to melt away remaining scratches.


Nice trick!  If the finish goes over the binding then there's no real need to remove the scratches anyway - the finish will hide them just as it does the scratches in the wood.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, nice work on the scroll binding! It isn't easy to get it that clean!!

----------


## Steve Hinde

Nice work Dan. Really clean. And that is tough to do.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Glam shot after first French Polishing session. 



Steve

----------

GKWilson, 

rb3868, 

Sid Simpson

----------


## Kip Carter

> Glam shot after first French Polishing session. 
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


Oh! Wow! So warm! How does it sound?
Kip...

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Kip,

That one has and Englemann Spruce top with Red Spruce tone bars . . . and sounded really warm and full from the first moment it felt strings (when we were checking it out in the white before finishing).  

I'm really pleased with the results from the current batch of Englemann that I've been working with -- two of this set of seven use Englemann, the rest are Red Spruce.

Here's a less artful, but more revealing shot of that top --



Steve

----------


## bernabe

A new one of two just strung up

----------

Carleton Page, 

John Duncan

----------


## bernabe

> A new one of two just strung up


Well..I guess its actually two of one for now

----------


## Skip Kelley

James, That mandolin looks awesome!

----------


## Max Girouard

> A new one of two just strung up


Nice color James!  Looking great!

----------


## Carleton Page

Awesome color!

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Version #13 of the side application jig. Not perfect, but it works consistently and is not panic-inducing to use like the previous versions. The "daisy petals" are progressively clamped into place. After the glue initially sets, the whole body is flipped over to check for any areas that need a little extra pressure.

----------


## billhay4

Martin,
You're a whiz. Why not make the strap a heat element and bend the side at the same time?
Looks like there's a layer of something else under the sides. What's that? You're laminating these sides on the instrument, aren't you? Cool.
Does the top already have finish on it? Or something to make it easy to get glue off?
Bill

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Bill, whether using heat or laminae, the sides really should be pre-formed as a separate operation. Sometimes cracks develop as a result of the bending operation, and it's good to check them before committing them to an instrument. There's a LDPE compression strap around the body when applying the rim, but you're also seeing a contrasting stripe of curly maple between the bubinga rim and the back/top. That stripe acts kind of like binding, visually.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Marty are those flowery stem inlay thingies purfling?

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> Marty are those flowery stem inlay thingies purfling?


I guess it's not really purfling because it's not right over the linings. But I intended it to look like purfling that had come alive.. or something.

----------

hank, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## billhay4

Martin,
Thanks for the reply. Can you take a top off of your instruments after it's been completed without damaging the rims?
Bill

----------


## bernabe

And another strung up today

----------

GKWilson, 

John Duncan

----------


## rb3868

> Glam shot after first French Polishing session. 
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


excuse me, that is so gorgeous i passed out for a minute.  The TS is so perfect I'd be afraid to touch it

----------


## bluemoonofky

Wish I had that much talent...I can't make 'em so I just buy 'em.....but I buy 'em cheap!!!
I'm not crazy........Beautiful work...very beautiful.....

----------


## Cheryl Watson

Very beautiful!  I love the coloring.




> And another strung up today

----------


## Pete Jenner

> I guess it's not really purfling because it's not right over the linings. But I intended it to look like purfling that had come alive.. or something.



It looks alive for sure - I really meant to ask is it inlaid or drawn on?

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Heh, cool. It's inlaid ebony dust.

----------

hank

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Finally getting this one to Ted -

   

Steve

----------

GKWilson, 

hank, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Sid Simpson

----------


## Skip Kelley

To all, thanks for the inspiration! You are putting out some awesome looking work!!

James, that is another awesome looking F5!

Martin, I love your jig! That in itself is a work of art!

Steve, really digging that blue mandolin! Makes me want to try something other than the traditional color!

----------


## TDMpicker

Here are some photos of my latest Army-Navy project in the works. An Engelmann spruce top, red-curly maple back sides and neck rosewood fingerboard and peghead overlay. Body bound front and back Nut width 1 1/8", overall length 24 1/2", Body width 9 1/2", Body Depth 1 1/2", induced radius top and back (96"), standard mandolin 13 7/8" scale length, adjustable steel truss rod.

----------

hank

----------


## Skip Kelley

Terry, that is a great collection of pictures! I love seeing how other guys do things!
The mandolin is looking great!

----------


## Dan Voight

Nice bridge Steve

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Thanks, Dan.  That's the Sorensen "Killer Bridge" TM/Copyright/etc. using Desert Ironwood.  Thinking about offering them as part . . . someday.  Here's a version on an archtop guitar --



Steve

----------

Steve-o

----------


## billhay4

Steven,
That's one fine looking guitar, not to mention the bridge.
Bill

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## rb3868

both are simply gorgeous.  Is that ironwood as tough to work with as I've heard?

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Oh yea, the tasty, tasty, Californian guitar.... I really don't need a new car, the old '95 Saturn only has 215,000 miles on it....

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

rb - Desert Ironwood behaves a lot like ebony.  Love working with it . . .  and am starting to get used to the manure-like smell of the sawdust.

Steve

----------


## GarY Nava

Hi Guys
Thought that you might like to see this photo of my next twin-points back (3 piece cocobolo) now that its had some French polish applied.
Cheers Gary

----------

Steve-o

----------


## Skip Kelley

Gary, That cocobolo back looks awesome! Nice work on the french polish!!!

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Max Girouard

Gary, that is really really nice.  Wonderful job.

Here is an F5 I have ready for final sanding today.  My real camera died so these are photos from my phone.  Hopefully Lauri will get some stain on later this weekend.

----------

bernabe, 

GarY Nava, 

GKWilson, 

roady43, 

sgrexa, 

Steve-o

----------


## billhay4

Nice piece of birdseye there, Max.
Bill

----------


## Skip Kelley

Max and Lauri, that is one sweet looking F5! Love that birdseye! Is it going to be blonde ?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Gary,
Beautiful work!
Steve

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Max Girouard

> Max and Lauri, that is one sweet looking F5! Love that birdseye! Is it going to be blonde ?


Thanks Skip, this one is a burst.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Now that Ted has his mandolin in hand, I guess it's fair to show the full picture - 

 

Quite pleased with the look, tone and feel of this build.

Steve

----------

Bob Bronow, 

hank, 

Jim Nollman, 

Steve-o

----------


## shortymack

Wow, all I can say is one day......one day. I love the f hole design, classy and distinct. The fret markers really work well and that finish is other wordly. Speaking of that, is that an alien face I see on the back?  :Laughing:

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Steve, I am pretty sure Jethro is looking jealously down from heaven at that blue Sprite.

----------


## Glassweb

> Hi Guys
> Thought that you might like to see this photo of my next twin-points back (3 piece cocobolo) now that its had some French polish applied.
> Cheers Gary


Love that... beautiful!

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Dan Voight

Getting pretty close on this one. I hope to have some strings on it to do the fine tuning within a few days.

----------

roady43

----------


## Harrison Withers

Attachment 95566Attachment 95567Attachment 95568 

finally took some decent pics of the finished mandocello

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Now that Sid has his mandolin in hand, here are a few shots from the last few moments before she headed his way -

    

Englemann spruce top, curly maple back and JazzMando JM-11 strings added up to a really sweet, rich and full tone from the first seconds of tuning her up.  

Can't wait to hear where Sid takes her from here !

Steve

----------

Clicker, 

hank, 

Marty Jacobson, 

roady43, 

Sid Simpson, 

Steve-o

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Here's my number 17 in the white... in the red? It was pretty muddy, as I had made the body significantly deeper on this one. Adding a side sound port balanced it out. Still has some final sanding and cleanup to do.



And here's a video... feel free to skip past my verbal intro with this link.

----------

Clicker, 

djweiss, 

GarY Nava, 

hank, 

j. condino, 

Jim Garber, 

Jim Nollman, 

Larry S Sherman, 

lgibjones, 

Pete Jenner, 

roady43, 

Steve Sorensen, 

Steve-o

----------


## Jim Garber

Fantastic, Marty, I'll take it...  :Smile:  Nice tone and nice playing, too. Keep up the good work.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Thanks, Jim. I was a little worried about the tone until I cut the sound port, but as it settles in and I refine a few things I am getting happier and happier with it. This will be the first Nautilus I sell, and it was built with another Cafe member in mind. I guess you'll have to wait for the Jim Garber signature model, which comes complete with vintage-size frets. :-)

----------


## Steve-o

Marty,
You hit #17 out of the park.  Exquisite woods, and very tasteful and unique design elements.  I love your artistry and experimentation with different designs.  Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Pete Jenner

Stone the flamin' crows Marty - all the years of hard work have paid off big time. That's really fantastic.
What scale length is it? It looks longer than the Gibson standard of 13 7/8ths in.  Lots more questions ...so little time ..*sigh*.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## roady43

Just aririved! Yesterday I picked up my new German bowlback: black rosewood ribs with flamed maple linings, arched spruce top (cant is NOT kinked but carved from solid wood) with rosewood scratchplate, slightly curved fretboard (lower on E-string) fluted between the frets, V-shaped neck, special "construction kit" of exchangeable pegs, nut and bridge for different stringing and tuning. Now strung up with Thomastik G D A and Hannabach E strings. Sound is very loud, direct, brillant with stunning sustain.





roady43

----------

GarY Nava, 

Max Girouard

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Cool tuner-options!  Beautiful.
Steve

----------

roady43

----------


## Max Girouard

The elves have been busy...............

----------

sgrexa

----------


## rb3868

> Wow, all I can say is one day......one day. I love the f hole design, classy and distinct. The fret markers really work well and that finish is other wordly. Speaking of that, is that an alien face I see on the back?


If you look at it as if it were upright, it is very clearly the Lone Ranger

----------


## Don Grieser

Marty, congratulations on #17. It looks and sounds wonderful.

Max, those are some hard-working elves you have. Looks like a beautiful batch.

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Max Girouard

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A few quick shots before this one heads over to *MandoDan* - Danny Clark in Essie, KY.  Englemann Spruce top and a neat bit of slip-matched Curly Maple for the back.

    

Steve

----------


## Steve Davis

Nice!

----------


## rb3868

I am deeply jealous of those who are getting these lovelies and the people with the skills to make them

----------


## Pete Jenner

My first attempt at a compound dovetail neck joint went pretty well. While it's not perfect, it is a nice tight joint and the neck is perfectly aligned with no shim required.

Now to try and take it apart for neck shaping ...uh oh :Whistling:

----------

Altar, 

Marty Jacobson, 

roady43

----------


## John Kelly

Fine job!

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## shortymack

Interesting sound holes.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Sprite Two-Point Mandola - checking that everything fits together - getting ready for binding.  Got a few sets of D'Addario J76s ready and waiting!



Steve

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Interesting sound holes.


Yes I thought I'd see how having a large area in the middle uninterrupted by soundholes would affect the volume and/or tone.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Looking great, Peter! Those soundholes came out well.

Steve, I'd love to hear that mandola some day.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Thanks Marty. The soundholes went well thanks to the zero clearance throat plate you suggested. Lining them was a nightmare however.  :Wink:

----------


## Dan Voight

Here is my latest F in the white. I'll post a video clip tomorrow with an overview and some playing.

----------

roady43

----------


## usqebach

Well, it's now "tomorrow" and I want my clip!

Great looking mando.

I'm looking forward to seeing you this summer at Swannanoa Mando Week.

Jim

----------


## jmagill

> Here is my latest F in the white. I'll post a video clip tomorrow with an overview and some playing.


Beautiful work as usual, Dan. Can't wait to hear the clip.

----------


## roady43

Here a comparison of my 3 "Germans"




#1 "The Blonde" flamed maple with Thomastik "stark" steel strings
#2 "The Ginger" flamed apple with Thomastik "medium", Hannabach E steel strings
#3 "The Ebony" with Thomastik "medium", Hannabach E, steel strings
#4 "The Ebony" with Aquila Nylgut Mandolin strings

Just recorded in my living room unplugged.
More pics see here:
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...84#post1115684

The pictures show the headstock option with the wooden pegs:

----------

Bob Clark, 

GarY Nava

----------


## John Hill

Thanks for that roady. I think #3 speaks to me the best but they're all beautiful instruments.

----------


## Austin Clark

Nothing special, I just thought it was an interesting shot.

----------


## Bob Clark

Hi Roady,

Wonderful in all aspects.  I particularly liked the sound of #2 and would love to be able to give #4 a try.  Congratulations, you are doing outstanding work.

----------


## Dan Voight

Let me know what you think!

----------

Cheryl Watson, 

GarY Nava, 

Glassweb, 

hank, 

j. condino, 

Jim Garber, 

roady43, 

robert.najlis, 

Sid Simpson, 

Steve-o, 

wildpikr

----------


## JohnMandocaster

I'm so busy remodeling my kitchen that I may never get to try luthier work but I keep thinking I'm working with a wood that would be great for instruments.  The wood is kumaru, or Brazillian teak and is VERY dense.  If you read up on it, some folks say it doesn't glue well because it's an oily wood.  I am joining with Gorilla glue and I think it bonds as strong as the wood.  It is a fairly coarse-grained wood but is unusually heavy and takes a very nice shine with 2,000 grit sandpaper.  The wood is typically sold as 3/4-inch thick planks for flooring and decks.  I seriously doubt it could be bent and I think it's too heavy for resonant surfaces but I think it would make beautiful fretboards and necks.  

Here is a photo of a bar surface that has been sanded to within an inch of its life and then wiped with a thin coat of tung oil.

----------


## palosfv3

Dan , Nice work. I had the pleasure of playing one of your first mandolins several months ago and after listening to the clip , all I can say is WOW !!!!!, And your still a youngun ...The future is yours .

----------

Dan Voight

----------


## billhay4

Dan,
Very nice sounding and  looking instrument.
Bill

----------

Dan Voight

----------


## roady43

> Hi Roady,
> 
> Wonderful in all aspects.  I particularly liked the sound of #2 and would love to be able to give #4 a try.  Congratulations, you are doing outstanding work.


Thank you Bob.

Remember, I'm only playing them. After I had bought the "Ginger" I asked the builder (who wishes to remain anonymous) to make me another instrument with special features: black rosewood bowl, arched spruce top (cant is NOT kinked but carved from solid wood!), scratchplate after my sketch, slightly curved fretboard (lower on E-string), V-shaped neck, special "construction kit" of exchangeable pegs, nut and bridge for different stringing and tuning. It was this option, I was specially looking for. And I'm very happy how well it works and how stable the headstock construction is. As the ribs are so dark, I call it the "Ebony" which is #3 & #4 in the clip.
The "Blonde" (#1) is a "La Gioiosa" by Klaus Knorr from 2009.

roady43

----------

Bob Clark

----------


## Steve-o

> Dan,
> Very nice sounding and  looking instrument.
> Bill


Ditto!  Nice tone coming out that new mando, Dan.  You've really got the right stuff, as a Luther and a player.  If I was in the market for a custom mando, I'd certainly be considering a Voight.

----------

Dan Voight

----------


## Glassweb

> Here a comparison of my 3 "Germans"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> #1 "The Blonde" flamed maple with Thomastik "stark" steel strings
> #2 "The Ginger" flamed apple with Thomastik "medium", Hannabach E steel strings
> #3 "The Ebony" with Thomastik "medium", Hannabach E, steel strings
> #4 "The Ebony" with Aquila Nylgut Mandolin strings
> ...


I like the tone of #2 the best but over-all for volume, tone and the sound of the final strummed chord I'd have to choose # 3.

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Let me know what you think!


Wow Dan - that thing sounds superb!!! Not to mention the great playing.
I've not heard an f5 style instrument sound like that. Is it X braced?

----------

Dan Voight

----------


## Glassweb

> Let me know what you think!


Superb on all fronts... great work Dan and great playing too!

----------

Dan Voight

----------


## roady43

> I like the tone of #2 the best but over-all for volume, tone and the sound of the final strummed chord I'd have to choose # 3.


#3 has been strung up for only 2 weeks now, so it is still very fresh. #4 is the same instrument with nylon strings which makes it a completely different instrument. I like the sound very much though it is not as loud as with steel strings. #2 has a warmer sound and the character is definitively different because of the flat top and the bowl of apple wood.
They all are played in big opera halls and carry extremely well from the pit. Here is a sample from last June with the #2 playing the upper part:

----------


## kyken

Hey Dan, this is Ken Ratcliff here,  fine sounding mandolin there, and the palying is great too.

----------

Dan Voight

----------


## Skip Kelley

Everyone is showing off some great looking work!! Very inspirational!
Steve, love the look of your Sprite!
Austin, cool looking picture!
Roady, those are some great sounding mandolins!
Dan, Love the F5! Sounds great and great playing as well! It's everything it should be!

----------

Dan Voight, 

roady43

----------


## Bill Burch

Dan,

Beautiful mandolin, great even tone, and masterful playing.  I really like the tortoise binding, too.  What are you planing for the finish?

Bill

----------

Dan Voight

----------


## hank

This thread never fails to please does it?  Wow! Dan you've got a whole lota sustain going on for an F5. Nice balance and ring.  I think you've built another amazing mandolin that someone is going to be very, very happy with! The silver wire and the trick magnetic TRC attachment are a great Voight signature touch. Does the finish dampen volume or tone?

----------

Dan Voight

----------


## Dan Voight

> Wow Dan - that thing sounds superb!!! Not to mention the great playing.
> I've not heard an f5 style instrument sound like that. Is it X braced?


Nope. Tone bar braced.




> Dan,
> 
> Beautiful mandolin, great even tone, and masterful playing.  I really like the tortoise binding, too.  What are you planing for the finish?
> 
> Bill


I'm going to do something very light and most likely in the "blonde" spectrum of coloring. French polish over that.




> This thread never fails to please does it?  Wow! Dan you've got a whole lota sustain going on for an F5. Nice balance and ring.  I think you've built another amazing mandolin that someone is going to be very, very happy with! The silver wire and the trick magnetic TRC attachment are a great Voight signature touch. Does the finish dampen volume or tone?


Actually, I think the finish refines and focuses the tone. I always like them better after finishing.

----------

hank, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's a new A style. I've had this wood since the mid 90's.

----------

lauri Girouard, 

Steve-o

----------


## Don Grieser

Very, very nice, Jim. Is that wood any relation to the back on your next one?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Not even close!

----------


## usqebach

Dan,

The new mando sounds as good as it looks!

#13, Eh?  That's a really steep learning curve for so few instruments.  Can't wait for #113!

----------

Dan Voight

----------


## lauri Girouard

Here are 6 out of 7 that have been strung up in the white and are now going into final sanding and finishing.   I have my work cut out for me over the next few weeks.

----------


## George R. Lane

Lauri,
Are the two dark tops cedar?

----------


## lauri Girouard

The one on the left is cedar and the right is redwood.   The other tops are carpathian and red spruces.     For backs, they are euro and red maples with a birch one thrown into the mix.   I'll post pics once finishing gets under way.   Some very highly figured woods.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Carving this red maple is like carving Mt Rushmore with a Barbie doll.

----------


## Skip Kelley

> Carving this red maple is like carving Mt Rushmore with a Barbie doll.


 :Laughing:  That is a great comparison!

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Pete Jenner

Apologies for the rush of posts but it's getting close and I'm getting excited ....and a bit drunk......................... :Cow:

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Looking great. I know you weren't drinking when you did that inlay. It's quite hard to get it that clean without excessive visible filler, especially on such a light-colored overlay. How are you going to jig up your peghead drilling? Don't underestimate that part of it.

----------


## Pete Jenner

I'm a bit nervous about that Marty. Any suggestions would be welcome. I'm thinking of using the basic model of the Rubner tuners because they have no embossing or engraving on the plates and I think that would suit this mandolin.

The inlay channel I cut with a hobby knife - very tricky - there are a few gaps I have to fill too.
I broke 7 of those little jewellers saw blades cutting the pearl (glad they come in packs of 12) - must have been doing it wrong. :Smile: 

The bite in the peghead was done with a forstener bit and came closer to the inlay than I had planned - just glad it didn't hit it.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Do you know any machinists? If you could get them to drill 4 1/4" holes in a chunk of steel or aluminum at the correct spacing (29/32 is standard), you could get a peghead drill jig on the cheap. Otherwise you could make your own with a drill press. It may take a few tries to get the spacing dead on, but once you have a metal or thick plastic jig with the holes in the right place, it's not too hard to clamp it in place and drill the holes. Stew-Mac sells a jig here which is a fair solution. It's not exactly easy to line up or to get both sides parallel, but it works all right. The ideal solution is to have a metal template exactly the same size and shape as the peghead. 

I happily don't have to do any of that anymore -- scariest part of the process, to me.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Yeah I was going to get the stewmac one with my last order from them but forgot.
I have a baseplate from a cheap set of tuners - might try using that as a template.

----------


## Max Girouard

Nice headstock Peter.  It's hard to cut nice circles like that freehand.  Great job.


We had a few pieces of wood that had some "defects" in them.  One was a redwood top with a discoloration on one side, then a birch piece with what looked like the start of a branch growing out of it or a pitch pocket that actually went all the way through the piece.  Instead of becoming kindling for the wood stove, we decided to pair them up into a mandolin that we would keep.  We do love wood with character and beauty marks.  Here are a couple of photos of the mando unstained, then stained.

----------

roady43

----------


## lauri Girouard

Just a note, the mando above has no finish on it, just stained and sealed.  Cant wait to see what it will look like with some finish on it!

----------


## lauri Girouard

Next up for staining....

----------


## GarY Nava

> Yeah I was going to get the stewmac one with my last order from them but forgot.
> I have a baseplate from a cheap set of tuners - might try using that as a template.


You might find this blog post of mine interesting;

http://guitar-maker.blogspot.co.uk/2.../batching.html

Cheers Gary

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Pete Jenner

Thanks Max.
Gary and Marty, I'm going to start a new thread in B&R to show what I ended up doing.

----------


## AaronVW

Peter, I love the contour you carved in the back.  The raised areas really accentuate the points in a good way!

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Don Grieser

Max and Lauri, that's the wildest birch I've ever seen. WOW! Thanks for not burning it.

----------


## mtolley

Greetings everyone! Im a long time looker and a first time poster. I just managed to get mandolin #20 strung up in the white. Ive been building mostly archtop guitars, A style mandolins, and 2 point mandolins and this is my first go at a F style mandolin and the first instrument with inlay/logo. Off to the spray booth for this one. Thanks to everyone for making the Mandolin Cafe such an invaluable resource!

----------

Rodney Riley

----------


## GKWilson

Very nice Matthew. Love your two point.
Gary

----------

mtolley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Red getting ready for hardware --

  
 

Steve

----------

Bob Bronow, 

Ed Goist, 

Sid Simpson

----------


## Max Girouard

Lauri has been going crazy with the finishing.  These are what she is calling modern red and modern amber.  The first and third mando are actually much more red than the photo dictates.  Next week she will be staining and finishing three others that will have a traditional hand rubbed sunburst.

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## Pete Jenner

Gee - I might have to borrow Lauri. How does she feel about a trip to Oz?  :Wink:

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## lauri Girouard

> Gee - I might have to borrow Lauri. How does she feel about a trip to Oz?


I'm game, but you'll have to feed me and I get to wear the ruby slippers, not you.

----------

Ed Goist, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Pete Jenner

Ok:-)

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Just about ready to make some serious treble -



Steve

----------


## Pete Jenner



----------


## Dan Voight

#13 all sealed and ready for more varnish.

----------

roady43

----------


## Charles E.

Good Lord, that scroll is beautiful!

----------

Dan Voight

----------


## Skip Kelley

Matthew, that is a great looking F5! Can't wait to see the finished mandolin!
Max, you better hang onto that little bride of yours! She does an awesome job of the finishing!
Steve, that is one wicked looking Sprite! Your work is one of my favorites!!
Peter, that is such a cool design! I don't have enough of creativity to come up with something so cool!
Dan, that is one clean looking F5!!! Nice work!

----------

Dan Voight, 

Max Girouard, 

mtolley, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## oldwave maker

Mixing my way to the knob creek single barrel reserve, hope it ends up looking as good as it tastes!

----------

CaseyMullen, 

JEStanek, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Marty Jacobson

If you can get the cask strength, you can just add shellac flakes.... :-)

----------


## Marty Jacobson

I haven't been slacking, guys... honest...

----------

Jim Garber

----------


## Jim Garber

> I haven't been slacking, guys... honest...


Martin: I can't believe that you just build part time. 5 at once plus a mandocello -- or are there even more projects in the works?

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Actually, I'm building 7 right now... :-) Two are getting French polished. To try to sell instruments for under $2,000, you really have to make more than one at a time. Making 5 mandolin necks at a time takes about as long as making 2 necks separately. There's a point in the process where it's helpful to focus on just one -- final sanding and setup. But right now I'm just making "kits" for myself. It's actually really fun, now that the two years of brain-twisting initial development is behind me.

----------

Jim Garber, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## brunello97

Nice photos, Martin.  Are you CNC milling the necks tops and then flipping and remilling the backs?  If so, how are you registering them in your 'cradle'?   What step are you using the router table for?

Not looking to steal trade secrets  :Wink:  just seeking to understand the work flow. We have a (fairly new) 5 axis mill here in the shop and I find the sequencing of the cutting operations to be an enjoyable bit of the learning curve.

Mick

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Mick, that 5-axis must be fun. A rotary table, mounted on a lathe, mounted on a mill! 
You are right on the money. It's a "two-op part". I am actually doing a write-up on the neck construction for my Web site, including explanation of how to program the CNC paths -- wood isn't like metal, and you have to be careful or you will tear out all the parts you wan to keep. There's a lot of climb cutting on this side, conventional on the other. Every time the shape changes direction, your cut has to change direction. I have dozens of failed necks to prove it. 

But the process is basically: 
A. Mount the blank
B. Cut the truss rod slot
C. Roughing with a 1/2"x2 end mill, then profiling with a 1/2" ball-end. Roughing at 250 inches per minute, profiling at 350!
D. Flip the part onto a fixture. The truss rod slot indexes the part, and a 5/16-18 bolt through the dovetail secures it.
E. Roughing and profiling, same as before. The fixture establishes the correct angle for the dovetail.
F. Neck comes out ready for some light scraping and final sanding. No messing around worrying about neck angles.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## billhay4

Nice job, Martin. Isn't it awfully wood-intensive, though?
Bill

----------


## brunello97

Thanks, Marty, those are a really clear sequence of images and I think I understand your steps.  (The guys here in the shop looking over my shoulder...) I can only imagine the issues working with grain direction.  We have only just recently been working with anything other than plywood, MDF, foam, resins, etc. BTW, the fellow who runs our digital shop is out of Georgia Tech.

Is that the final profile for the neck joint? Do you mill your neck blocks as well?

I look forward to reading your website summary.

thanks,

Mick

----------


## Dan Voight

Getting shiny....

----------


## Pete Jenner

Thanks for sharing the process Marty. Very edifying.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## GarY Nava

Hi Guys,
Thought that you might like these backs- the maple one has just had a few coats of shellac sealer and the English walnut one is awaiting routing for purfling and bindings.
Cheers Gary

----------

bernabe, 

Dobe, 

Marty Jacobson, 

roady43, 

Steve-o

----------


## Tavy

Some very nice bits of wood there Gary!

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## billhay4

Ah, Gary, you're tearing it up again.
Nice work.
Bill

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## oldwave maker

Final finish coats on quilt ovals, stain and shellac sealer on flame goms, loving the trees that grow on this planet, and the people who work hard to supply them already cut up:

----------

CaseyMullen, 

GKWilson, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Max Girouard, 

Rodney Riley, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Just sealed up the sunburst on this Sprite mandola.  Tomorrow brings the zen of pulling tape and scraping bindings.



Steve

----------


## sgarrity

I love that color Steve!

----------


## Jake Wildwood

Seeing all of this new stuff with classy wood is good for the eyes... especially when working day-in, day-out on all the old stuff that (even on the high end) seems rather drab in comparison!

Those guit-octaves are stylin'!

----------


## wwwilkie

Doing some final sanding on this new 10-string.

----------


## amowry

Beautiful work everyone!

Mathew, it's great to see you posting some of your work here. It's looking fantastic. Hopefully I'll see you at Wintergrass (?)

----------

mtolley

----------


## billhay4

Wyatt,
Nice looking instrument. Mind if I ask what the small shapes are the appear behind the soundholes? Is there a virzi-like attachment inside this?
Thanks,
Bill

----------


## wwwilkie

Here's another one I've been working on. A 16" scale mandola.

----------


## wwwilkie

thanks Bill.  That's a carved "step-down" and not an insert.  Purely ornamental.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Those are some really nice instruments, Wyatt. That recessed ledge is very clever. Sometimes those arc soundholes look like a jack-o-lantern's eyes, but completing the arc underneath is a really nice touch.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Nice work Wyatt. Do you have to leave the soundboard of a 10 string much thicker than an 8 string?

----------


## wwwilkie

Hey thanks you guys.  I think the top might be a bit thicker than usual but that's more because of the wider body than any thought of extra string tension.  I go by flexibility so it's not something I measure.

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## billhay4

Thanks, Wyatt, very nice design element on a lovely instrument. Hope we get to hear it.
Bill

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Sprite Two-Point mandola glam shot from the finishing table - 



Steve

----------


## Pete Jenner

Mandolins look so much more like 'proper' objects when the are all stained and shiny.

----------


## buckhorn

here is a pic of my next two Buckhorn mandolins...one has a light strip running thru its' centerline, and it is douglas fir.....I think it looks cool,but some might not like it...both have traditional maple and the other has engleman spruce for the top....the fretboard is ready to glue on,but it is just too cold in the shop...

----------


## buckhorn

here are the next three that are in different stages of build,two F5s and an A5....do have three F5 rims and necks, and three A5 rims and necks ready to start but may just offer them up for sale to other builders...

----------

Pete Jenner, 

roady43

----------


## buckhorn

a little different take on the neck...I used walnut strips to make it look different...might have been cool if I would have used a strip down the centerline of the back.......

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## mtolley

Hi Andrew,
I'll be at Wintergrass this year. Look forward to seeing you and your creations!

----------


## Pete Jenner

Lots of woody goodness there Buckhorn.

----------


## Tavy

> a little different take on the neck...I used walnut strips to make it look different...might have been cool if I would have used a strip down the centerline of the back.......


"Go faster" stripes?  Must be a speed neck?  :Smile: 

Great work, I'll look forward to seeing that one finished!

----------


## Harrison Withers

Some progress on my latest electric mandocello. 25.5 scale, rosewood fretboard, african mahogany chambered body and trussed neck. Spalted maple drop top. GFS Lipstick humbucker. Stacked pot for Volume/tone control

----------


## D18dave



----------


## Steve Sorensen

Who knows when these two will meet again . . . 



Little 'Lin gets one last goodbye hug from Big 'Dola before heading out on that long, lonely trip to The Mandolin Store.

Steve

----------


## OldGus

Those are some sweet backs!

----------


## D18dave

My dad's Christmas present is starting to come to life.  I hope to get it to him by St Paddy's day

----------


## Marty Jacobson

I like the Dearstone influence there... don't feel bad about it -- my boys are still waiting for their nylon string mandos I was building them for Christmas 2011!

----------

D18dave

----------


## Pete Jenner

That looks great Dave - some Dad's are very lucky.

----------

D18dave

----------


## Pete Jenner

#3 underway.

----------


## Pete Jenner

oops duplicate post.

----------


## rb3868

> a little different take on the neck...I used walnut strips to make it look different...might have been cool if I would have used a strip down the centerline of the back.......


i like the look of that neck

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Feels good to be able to build an instrument without having to build all the fixtures, eh?

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Pete Jenner

Yeah  :Smile:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

First Shellac French Polish session -



Steve

----------

Ed Goist, 

Perry Babasin, 

Steve Hinde

----------


## amowry

Nice work, all!

----------

Ed Goist

----------


## amowry

Here's an octave I'm working on, headed for Italy. It's evolved into a bit of a homage to John Monteleone.

----------

Charles E., 

Dan Voight, 

Ed Goist, 

GarY Nava, 

GKWilson, 

j. condino, 

jasona, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Mike Black, 

Steve Hinde

----------


## Don Grieser

I believe you should call that model the OMG.

----------


## GKWilson

Andrew. I saw the headstock for your Octave on your FB.
I wasn't sure if I liked it. Now I see the rest of the package.
WOWZER!!

----------


## Steve Hinde

Scraping binding on a Sunday afternoon.

----------


## Steve Hinde

Color on a grey burst 2 point.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Digging that gray, Steve!

----------

Steve Hinde

----------


## Steve Hinde

Mandola finished up and out the door last week.

----------


## Steve Hinde

Now that is really cool Andrew!

----------


## Harrison Withers

Custom built to order. Chambered mahogany body, mahogany neck, Spalted maple top. Randy Bretz ebony and bone bridge. GFS lipstick humbucker. Golden gate mini button tuners, stacked pot for vol/tone

----------

Dobe

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Rock on, Harrison. Looks great! Is it another 'cello?

----------


## Harrison Withers

Yes it is Martin. I gotta do a cigar box mando for a customer next than a have a solid body octave started.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Now that I have built some Nautilus mandolins that sound good, and some that look good (not always the same instrument), I need to make sure they will all look good and sound good. I spent the last two weeks rethinking my fixtures. Now my back and top plates can be made on the same fixture, and I can rough out up to four at a time. Final finish passes are done individually, and I adjust the tool paths for each part depending on its properties. Final voicing is done by hand.  
Bubinga, Khaya mahogany, and curly maple.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Beautiful Marty.

----------


## amowry

Very cool!

----------


## Dobe

[QUOTE=Harrison Withers;1133675].... Spalted maple top......
Nice Harrison, I love the look of Spalt, pictures never seem to do it justice.

----------

Harrison Withers

----------


## lauri Girouard

I just stained and sealed this quilted maple.   I'll be applying finish tomorrow.  Not having worked too much with quilted bigleaf, I was amazed how easily it was to hand rub stain.    I really like the wide grain of the sitka top too.

----------

Carleton Page, 

Ed Goist, 

Perry Babasin

----------


## Tavy

> I just stained and sealed this quilted maple.   I'll be applying finish tomorrow.  Not having worked too much with quilted bigleaf, I was amazed how easily it was to hand rub stain.    I really like the wide grain of the sitka top too.


Oh my!

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Perry Babasin

Beauty, I love the quilted maple! Nice staining throughout!

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Steve Hinde

Not so happy with the stain on the back on 16 so took it off and reapplied. A lot closer to what I wanted. Nice thing is the darker stain is in the figure. Was after a very subtle burst. Flame is very strong and the hologram affect is visible under the seal coats. On to the finish coats.

----------


## GarY Nava

This one may have a long way to go before completion, but I love the photo! :Wink: 
Cheers Gary

http://www.navaguitars.co.uk/mandolins.html

----------

bernabe, 

j. condino, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Max Girouard, 

Mike Black, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## billhay4

Nice shot, Gary!
Bill

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## mtolley

Digging in on a new batch of mandolins, an A model and a 2 point. Plates are prepped and ready to carve!

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Top-notch wood you got there, Matthew.

----------

mtolley

----------


## mtolley

> Top-notch wood you got there, Matthew.


Thanks! I've been sitting on these billets for quite a while waiting for that "special" batch of instruments to come across my bench.

----------


## wwwilkie

Finishing the 10-string with oil varnish.

----------

Larry S Sherman, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Pete Jenner

Nice Wyatt.

Here's mine.
Water stained and first coat of Tru-Oil on.

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## oldwave maker

Lauri- that quilt looks good enough to eat!
Blackheathen- I like that tru-oil for personal mandos and muzzleloaders.......
I see faces here, even before pulling on the Knob, graciously provided by  wise customer as a color swatch!

----------

GKWilson, 

lauri Girouard, 

robert.najlis

----------


## Jim Garber

> I see faces here, even before pulling on the Knob, graciously provided by  wise customer as a color swatch!


There is an alien there, Bill. You are near Area 51, right?

----------


## Bob Clark

> Nice Wyatt.
> 
> Here's mine.
> Water stained and first coat of Tru-Oil on.


Looks great.  I hope you're bringing it to the US when you come so some of us get to see it in person!

----------


## amowry

Bill, you've got a good thing going there. The only color swatch I've ever received was a horsechestnut. I guess I should start promoting my "20-year single-malt burst" in a more prominent location on my web site.

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Looks great.  I hope you're bringing it to the US when you come so some of us get to see it in person!


Thanks Bob. Yes I'll have it with me for sure

----------


## John Kelly

That instrument is looking really good, Peter.  Love the figuring and the finish you are getting,

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Bill, 

Reminds me of the lush Tony Rice _Californian Autumn_ lyrics - 

"_Autumn leaves look like they'd be sweet as bourbon whiskey_."

Hmmmm.  A "vintage Cabernet Sauvignon" burst might be in the works . . .

Steve

----------


## lauri Girouard

I haven't had any Knob (yet) and I see the famous 'grumpy cat' in your mando.  Great color!

----------


## Charles E.

That's too funny.

----------


## Pete Jenner

> That instrument is looking really good, Peter.  Love the figuring and the finish you are getting,


Thanks John - it's not a great photo it looks much better in real life.

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Blackheathen- I like that tru-oil for personal mandos and muzzleloaders.......


Your opinion has been noted.

----------


## lauri Girouard

Some great work going on here...
Peter, I love that brown your getting.   
Matthew, I cant wait to see them stained and finished.
Steve,  Amazing wood figure there.   Love it!

I just stained and applied finish to these two mandolins today.  These are both hand rubbed stain.    The western red cedar takes stain so nice and evenly.  Very different from spruce and handrubbing.

----------

Ed Goist, 

mtolley, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## shortymack

WOW! You'd have to wear oven mits to play those so you dont get burned by all that flame. Spectacular.

----------


## Tavy

Wow Lauri, those are almost too much - almost  :Wink:

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Got my kits all machined for the next two batches. When everything's working, you run as many parts as you can! 
Now if I can just find my scrapers, I can pretend to be a luthier for a while, and get some callouses back on my hands.

3 straight redwood tops, 2 curly redwood, 1 yellow cedar (70 grains per inch!), four Sitka. Five curly maple, three figured mahogany, four bee's wing bubinga.

----------

Charles E., 

JEStanek, 

Rodney Riley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Not too shabby for an afternoon's work, Marty!
Steve

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Heh, it's really about two week's work. Now for the hard part...

----------


## Pete Jenner

Sheesh - way to go Marty.

----------


## Tim W

I had the honor of going to see Marty's setup since I'm local and a tool freak. He's a very productive individual and obviously thinks a lot! Thanks for the tour and I don't know if it matters to all you folks but, this is one of my favorite threads in this whole forum.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## billhay4

Martin is a whiz!
Bill

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## j. condino

That looks like the makings for one heck of a logjam in the finishing stage...'careful what you wish for!!! :Wink: 

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## billhay4

I'll bet Martin has a plan.
Bill

----------


## Pete Jenner

Yes he's going to open a can of elves.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Thanks everyone. 
I actually do have elves -- three of 'em - but since I can't get them to stop looking out the window long enough to learn some fiddle tunes, I think it'll be a bit longer before they're any help in the shop.



The actual plan is to assemble and finish two mandolins at a time. It's just nice having the grunt work done, so I can focus on the really fun parts... fitting tone bars, assembly, inlay, setup, and playing them!

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Cuttin' f-holes. Or ff-holes. Or viking-ship-prow holes...?

----------

Charles E., 

GKWilson, 

j. condino, 

Jim Garber

----------


## Pete Jenner

They are quite obviously plough shears.

----------


## Jim Garber

I love that modern look, Marty and those soundholes are unique. Keep the pics coming. Is this an official production run now or are these still prototypes?

----------


## oldwave maker

Great stuff- in the next life I hope to not do everything the hardest and most time consuming way!

----------


## billhay4

Cool, Martin.
Bill

----------


## pumpdogg

My former mandolin in progress is now done.......Woo Hoo, picking her up next week!

----------


## pumpdogg

Finished product....Wiens #38 F-5p. more photos on the archive

----------


## pumpdogg

Mine is the one dead center, 4 more F-5's, 2 mandoloas, picollo up front

----------


## pumpdogg

More

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Jim Garber

It is nice to see that Jamie is back on track.

----------

pumpdogg

----------


## Randi Gormley

Pumpdogg -- incredible work, there -- what a stunner.

----------

pumpdogg

----------


## j. condino

A 16" K5 in 1987 Ted Davis red spruce....

j.
www.condino.com

----------

Mark Seale, 

Mike Black, 

Steve-o

----------


## Bernie Daniel

> A 16" K5 in 1987 Ted Davis red spruce....j.
> www.condino.com


Yummy!  I sure hope you keep us updated on this one!

----------


## Skip Kelley

There's alot of great looking work on here guys!!!

----------


## GarY Nava

Here's my take on an electric mandolin- still a lot to do, but it's the first day she's look respectable enough to appear here  :Wink:

----------

GKWilson, 

Jim Nollman, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner, 

Soundfarmer Pete

----------


## Ron McMillan

VERY nice, Gary. I look forward to seeing more shots of the finished item.   :Smile:

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Marty Jacobson

I figure if nobody ever sees the inside of the top, might as well have fun with it. 
Maybe these'll give Frank Ford's great-great grandson a chuckle in 90 years...

----------

hank, 

j. condino, 

KristinEliza, 

Mike Black

----------


## sunburst

How does that affect the sound??? Would a different color ink sound different? How much mass does the ink add? If you use black ink on the underside, does it sound better with varnish or lacquer on the outside? What about sepia ink?  :Wink:

----------

JEStanek, 

mandolinlee, 

rb3868

----------


## JEStanek

John brings up some valid questions.  I'll check wikipedia!


Those look very cool.  I like the whimsy and sense of humor.

Jamie

----------


## Pete Jenner

> How does that affect the sound??? Would a different color ink sound different? How much mass does the ink add? If you use black ink on the underside, does it sound better with varnish or lacquer on the outside? What about sepia ink?


I hear the black on the underside doesn't affect the sound nearly as much as a blue fingerboard.

----------


## HoGo

> i hear the black on the underside doesn't affect the sound nearly as much as a blue fingerboard.


lol !!!!

----------


## Ron McMillan

'Bill Monroe never played this, but if he did, he would've loved it......'

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

My first electric with a Floyd Rose vibrato.....routing finished today.....
Body is sapele with a North American maple neck, rosewood board. Pickups will be a humbucker at the bridge and a P90 style single coil in the neck position wired to a 4 position switch.
Next job is to seal the body then it`s off to the auto repair shop for a spray job......I hate doing white  :Whistling:

----------

GarY Nava, 

Harrison Withers

----------


## labraid

The finished peghead for a Lyon and Healy mandolin.

----------

Charles E., 

GarY Nava, 

hank, 

JEStanek, 

KristinEliza, 

lgibjones, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner, 

roady43, 

Steve-o

----------


## mandolinlee

Martin -
In post 6728, #18 looks like it has a tapered cleat glued at the end of the "f" hole. What is it and what does it do?
I like the idea of the info written on the underside of the top.
Thanks,
Lee

----------


## GarY Nava

Just finished the tail-piece for the electric mandolin-  yep decided upon ball-end strings!  :Wink:

----------

j. condino, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner, 

Soundfarmer Pete

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Sprite Two-Point Mandola . . . Frettin' and Neckin' --

 

Steve

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Sprite Two-Point Mandola . . . Frettin' and Neckin' --
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


Is that the one for Lee Roy?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Peter - Yes.   This is #2 of 3.  

The first went to Robert Bruen of the dynamic Western duo *Walking Rain*.  

Trying to get this one to Lee in time to slip in few tracks on the CD that they're currently working on.  

Also doing one for The Mandolin Store that is a couple of steps behind this one.

Nice to see mandolas getting some love.  The world needs more of 'em!

Steve

----------

Bob Bronow

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> Nice to see mandolas getting some love.  The world needs more of 'em!


Amen! I'm sure a few more Sprite mandolas will make the world just a bit of a better place.


Gary, that tailpiece/tail plate design is brilliant. Well done, sir.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Feelin' well-heeled today - 



Steve

----------

GKWilson, 

JEStanek

----------


## mandopete

> My first electric with a Floyd Rose vibrato.....:


Congratulations, I have been waiting to see someone try this.  Those Floyd Rose tremelo's are a b*tch to set up.  Was this one a customer request?

I'm curious if anyone has ever tried a Fender Stratocaster type tremelo on an electric mandolin?

----------


## Jeffff

Or better yet a Kahler. Not nearly as finicky as the Floyd.

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

> Congratulations, I have been waiting to see someone try this.  Those Floyd Rose tremelo's are a b*tch to set up.  Was this one a customer request?
> 
> I'm curious if anyone has ever tried a Fender Stratocaster type tremelo on an electric mandolin?


Definitely.....customer request....perhaps I`m stupid...perhaps I like a challenge......maybe a bit of both  :Laughing: 
This is the first tremolo I`ve done on a mando but I did scratch build a 4 string Strat style trem on a tenor guitar.....
Those Brazillian luthiers are streets ahead when it comes to electrics (Guitarra Baiana) and many are fitted with tremolos of all shapes and sizes......worth investigating  :Wink: 

Have fun!

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Cooking along -- #17 (take 2) and #18 are boxed up and waiting for fretboards.



I use a block plane to trim the sides after they're applied.. in this case, the old way is definitely the best way.

----------

j. condino, 

JEStanek, 

Jim Garber, 

Mike Black, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## billhay4

Nice, Martin.
Bill

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Looking forward to hearing how the redwood plays, Marty.
Steve

----------


## Pete Jenner

What's the body width on those Marty?

----------


## Harrison Withers

I know these things aren't super highly thought of around here, but this one was built as a commision for a customer with a vested business interest in cigar box based insturments. I scraped out a saga am-10 mandolin kit for most of it.



I'm not a great player but here is a video of it:

----------

j. condino, 

Jim Nollman, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## sunburst

Everything here looks so neat and clean! Are you sure this is "progress", or are these just demo pieces? Wait until there's a good, photogenic stopping point and then post the pic... 
C'mon, people, lets see a _mess_ once in a while!  :Smile:

----------

Andy Miller, 

Geoff B, 

Ken, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Max Girouard, 

Mike Black, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve-o, 

testore

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Everything here looks so neat and clean! Are you sure this is "progress", or are these just demo pieces? Wait until there's a good, photogenic stopping point and then post the pic... 
> C'mon, people, lets see a _mess_ once in a while!



Oh a rebellion eh? I'm in.  :Smile: 

I could post some _really_ mucky ones.

----------


## Jim Garber

Yes, that is for the Ugly Side of Luthierie thread.  :Smile:

----------


## JEStanek

I actually am thankful for that photo, John.  So many of our builders post (expertly composed and exposed) photos of immaculate instruments perfectly finished and completely drool worthy (like yours), tis refreshing to see one in progress looking like a work in progress!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

"_. . . so, you're saying your mandolins AREN'T available with fingerboards in 'Frog Tape' green with matching frets ? ? ?_ "     :Disbelief:

----------


## Pete Jenner

Here are some more in progress.

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Rick Jones, 

Rodney Riley, 

Steve Hinde

----------


## sunburst

A little scraping, filing and sanding later...


...or was it all just Photoshop?...

----------

Jim Garber, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## shortymack

> A little scraping, filing and sanding later...
> 
> 
> ...or was it all just Photoshop?...


More like David Copperfield. Nice work! Now for your next trick.......

----------


## sunburst

> "_. . . so, you're saying your mandolins AREN'T available with fingerboards in 'Frog Tape' green with matching frets ? ? ?_ "


What rock have you been under?? Green is soooooo last week!
Here we have a "tarp" blue fingerboard with matching frets. A stunning accent to a soon-to-be stained spruce top.

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Steve Hinde

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Just for John -- Bench _au natural_, flat daylight balanced neon lighting and crummy shot layout -- just slapped some strings on this mandola and ready for a test ride.



Ever since I put a mandolin top-down on a screwdriver, that's about as messy as I let it get.  My Mom would be so proud . . .  

Steve

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Just for John -- Bench _au natural_, flat daylight balanced neon lighting and crummy shot layout -- just slapped some strings on this mandola and ready for a test ride.
> 
> 
> 
> Ever since I put a mandolin top-down on a screwdriver, that's about as messy as I let it get.  My Mom would be so proud . . .  
> 
> Steve



That's a disgrace Steve. The towel isn't even straight.

----------


## Steve Hinde

Ready to sand and buff then out this weekend.

----------

hank, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## rb3868

that blue one is stunning!

----------

hank

----------


## Steve-o

Not sure if its dark blue or black, but I agree, "stunning" is the word.  Reminds me of Hans Brentrup's "blackburst."  Gorgeous flame on the right too.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Sprite Two-Point mandola out for a test-ride in the white.  For some reason, the Facebook video player squashed the picture . . .






Here's the same mandola after color, scraping the bindings and two coats of varnish --



Interesting birdseye that looks like bubbles meandering up through a soda.

Steve

----------

Bob Bronow, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Max Girouard

Big ole pile of wood destined to become a batch of mandolas............

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Mandobar

batch of mandolas......boy, Max, you are very ambitious.

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Max Girouard

Joining tops with hide glue.  A quick pass over the jointer, then a little hand planing, inspection for a light tight joint then glueing the plates with the rubbed joint technique.

----------

GarY Nava, 

hank, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve-o

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Is this ugly enough for you, John?

----------


## sunburst

Nah, you can do better than that! (...worse than that?)
No glue squeeze-out, no gouges or sanding scratches, no blood spots...  :Whistling:

----------


## Sitka

Martin, 

would you mind explaining how you attach your top/back to the sides? I've heard that end grain doesn't make the strongest glue joint. Are you using some sort of support inside other than the end blocks?

Micah

----------


## Max Girouard

I purchased a CNC a little over a year ago.  After 300 hours of learning cad and cam programs as well as machine operation and hold down methods, I'm at the point where if I can think it I can make it.  First shot is my outside carving vacuum fixture.  Next is the vacuum pump I'm running to pull the plate to the fixture, next the roughing pass, then a "finishing" pass.  The jig is switched out to one that will hold the plate upside down and level, and the inside is hogged out.  I leave the plates on the thick side to allow for final shaping by hand and hand graduation.  This is actually the top profile I'm cutting on a piece of maple that I'll be using for a top secret experiment later in the year.

----------

GarY Nava, 

hank, 

j. condino, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Max Girouard

Next I hand graduate the plate using finger planes followed by a sanding.  Then I'll check the plate flexing it and seeing how it feels.  I'll then continue on with the scrapers until the plate feels right.  I'm not even concerned with graduation numbers at this point, just getting it until it feels right depending on the piece of wood I'm using.  Next I'll stick the plate in my tonebar fitting jig I made.  I'll cut some bar stock, then band saw it to approximate shape.  I then use a bearing and a pencil to get accurate plate profiles drawn on the bar and saw and sand close to shape.  Then the bar is loaded into the jig.  Pony clamps hold the bar from sliding back and forth and rubber bands provide just enough pressure to hold the bar stock down.

----------

GarY Nava, 

hank

----------


## Max Girouard

I'll then take some 80 grit stikit, with a paper backing applied and run it under the bar.  After a few passes I get close, but not close enough.  There can be no gaps at all.  The next pic shows the bar after it has been sanded to 220.  The plate is also sanded to 220 in just the spot that the tone bar meets.  After I'm sure I've got a good fit, I'll rotate the jig to the next tonebar position and repeat.  I glue up the tonebars with hot hide glue in a go bar deck.  The second to last photo with the go bars just shows a dry fit to ensure I don't have any gaps.  The last photo is of my go bar deck with the jig I made to hold the plate upside down and flat along with the go bars, my glue pot and a heat gun to warm the parts prior to glueing.

----------

GarY Nava, 

Patrick Sylvest

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Slick work, Max! Nice fixtures, and great refinement of the Tom Ribbecke tone bar fitting technique.

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Steve Hinde

My first electric mandolin. Hollow body. Maple top and back. Rosewood sides and neck. 14 inch scale. Cumberland acoustics bridge and James tailpiece. Bill and Becky Lawrence twin blades humbucker. Quiet enough unplugged for some private practice that will not disturb. (my wife thanks me) Loud enough to rattle the windows plugged in.

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Cool electric, Steve H!  Looks rockin' good!
Steve

----------


## rb3868

love it

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Sprite Two-Point mandola top with varnish.  Gettin' there . . .



Steve

----------


## Max Girouard

Looks good Steve and Steve!

I've got my tone bar's glued to my plates, now time to shape them.  I split off most of the bulk with a chisel, then use my finger planes to get it the rest of the way.  I go back to the chisel to get the area the finger plane misses, then they are finished up with some sand paper.

----------


## Max Girouard

We cut our F holes on a pin router.  They are cut slightly undersized, and hand sanded to final shape.

----------

sgrexa

----------


## Max Girouard

Time to make some new forms for the rim assembly.  I like these forms.  Simple, cost effective and easy to use.

----------


## Max Girouard

Time to cut out some blocks.  Still haven't found a good way to cut these on the machine yet without wasting too much wood or blowing out the corners.  Many hours of learning to go, but for the mean time, I'll cut them out on the bandsaw.  I then finish them up on the belt sander or spindle sander.

----------


## Max Girouard

I cut out all my own templates as well.

----------


## Max Girouard

Time to bend the rim.  One of my favorite parts of the build.  If I build many more of these, I'll go towards using a heat blanket bending rig like I use for my A5's.

----------


## Max Girouard

Next I glue in the kerfed linings.  They are glued a little proud of the rim and need to be leveled.  I take the bulk off with the small hand plane, then pass it through my drum sander to level everything perfectly flat.  I further sand the mating surfaces of the top plate and the rim to 220 grit just prior to gluing.  Tops are glued to the rim with hot hide glue.  This last photo is for John Hamlett.  Hope it's messy enough!  A considerable amount of cleaning up the inside will need to be done before gluing the back on.

----------

Pete Jenner, 

Randolph, 

rb3868

----------


## rb3868

that was very cool to "watch"

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## G. Fisher

posted in wrong forum

----------


## GarY Nava

Hey Max,
All of the photos are really interesting; thanks for taking the time to post them. Always great to see how other luthiers work- makes you reflect on your own techniques. Feeding the rim through the sander- you're a brave man!
All the best Gary

----------


## sunburst

> Feeding the rim through the sander- you're a brave man!


I do it, but only with a "spreader" holding the rim tightly in the form.

----------


## GarY Nava

> I do it, but only with a "spreader" holding the rim tightly in the form.


Making flat backs (induced arch) as I do, the back edge of the rim has to be shaped in a dish to match the curve of the back, so I guess this looks a little weird to me.
Cheers Gary

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Slowly but surely...

----------

Charles E., 

GKWilson, 

j. condino, 

Max Girouard, 

Mike Black

----------


## Mike Black

> Slowly but surely...


Looking good!

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Charles E.

> Next I glue in the kerfed linings.  They are glued a little proud of the rim and need to be leveled.  I take the bulk off with the small hand plane, then pass it through my drum sander to level everything perfectly flat.  I further sand the mating surfaces of the top plate and the rim to 220 grit just prior to gluing.  Tops are glued to the rim with hot hide glue.  This last photo is for John Hamlett.  Hope it's messy enough!  A considerable amount of cleaning up the inside will need to be done before gluing the back on.


Looking good Max. I see you have a "little Victor" plane from Lee Valley, I love mine.

----------


## Max Girouard

> Hey Max,
> All of the photos are really interesting; thanks for taking the time to post them. Always great to see how other luthiers work- makes you reflect on your own techniques. Feeding the rim through the sander- you're a brave man!
> All the best Gary


Thanks Gary!

Your the second builder to commend me on my bravery!  I've done it this way for all my previous builds without a problem.  I'm sure that now I said that I'll run into an issue!  Probably a good idea to use something additional like a spreader as John uses or a wedge between the blocks as suggested on my face book page by Mike.  One of the reasons I like posting photos of how I do things is that I can get a lot of good ideas from other builders on how to do things differently, so it works both ways!

----------


## Max Girouard

> Looking good Max. I see you have a "little Victor" plane from Lee Valley, I love mine.


Thanks Charles,

Yes I have the little victor and it is a great all around small job plane.  Plus, you can flip the iron over and use it as a small scraper plane.  I'm a big fan of the Veritas planes and own a few.

----------


## Max Girouard

Here is my Veritas smoothing plane in action getting neck laminates ready for glue up. Also shown is cutting from the block and fitting CF fords.  I route the slot in the neck on a router table.

----------


## mtolley

Building up rim sets for the new batch of mandos. This is one of my favorite parts of the building process. Thanks everyone for all the great building posts/pics...they're inspiring! Cheers!

----------


## Pete Jenner

Great FB page Matthew.

----------

mtolley

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Some inlay ugliness...


And the result.

----------

Charles E., 

j. condino, 

Rick Jones

----------


## Pete Jenner

That's a lovely bit of filth Marty.  :Smile:

----------


## Tavy

> That's a lovely bit of filth Marty.


Indeed!

Marty, do you think those inlay dots will be easily visible on the final instrument?  I ask because on some of mine I've found the dots to be less visible that I would have liked when playing in low light (typical pub jam session).  Nothing beats MOP on ebony for visibility, I just don't like the aesthetics so much as something more subtle like yours (but harder to see).

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> ...Nothing beats MOP on ebony for visibility, I just don't like the aesthetics so much as something more subtle like yours (but harder to see).


Thanks, guys. The position markers are aluminum, and polished so they reflect light well. There are also shiny aluminum position markers on the bass edge of the fretboard. That, combined with the reference provided by the decorative inlay pattern, seems to do the trick just fine.

----------


## GarY Nava

Hey Marty,
Love the inlays- they really do look art deco! Out of interest, do your treat the light wood inlays with something to keep them clean.
Keep up the good work!
Cheers Gary

----------


## billhay4

Beautiful stuff, Martin.
Bill

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> Hey Marty,
> Love the inlays- they really do look art deco! Out of interest, do your treat the light wood inlays with something to keep them clean.
> Keep up the good work!
> Cheers Gary


Indeed, the maple is soaked in CA before and after inlay. It ends up basically being acrylic-stabilized maple... they won't trap gunk in the pores like the old Fender fretboards.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Getting to the point -



Steve

----------


## Rick Jones

> Slowly but surely...


Absolutely lovely - especially that curly redwood top. I have some of that from Spruce, drying downstairs - can't wait to get into it.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Tavy

> Thanks, guys. The position markers are aluminum, and polished so they reflect light well. There are also shiny aluminum position markers on the bass edge of the fretboard. That, combined with the reference provided by the decorative inlay pattern, seems to do the trick just fine.


Polished aluminium is a great idea - not least because it neatly sidesteps the US restrictions on importing anything with shell on it!  :Smile:

----------


## j. condino

> Polished aluminium is a great idea - not least because it neatly sidesteps the US restrictions on importing anything with shell on it!


Several of the  large US production facilities use a very cheap aluminum welding rod for all of the side position markers on the fretboard. When you compare it side by side, the aluminum looks better than the real mother of pearl, it is cheap, easy to use, and passes all customs issues. They tend to keep it quiet; "cheap aluminum welding rod" isn't a great marketing slogan...

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## Marty Jacobson

So it's OK to say that I use pop rivet mandrels for my side position markers? :-)

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Marty,

After one pop-rivets the top and back to the sides, what else are those pesky mandrel stubs good for?  They sure don't make very good toothpicks!  

Steve

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Gosh I love seeing this --



Steve

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Max Girouard

Made a new jig to cut that spot for the riser block or whatever that part is called!

----------


## Max Girouard

Here are some fretboard blanks, followed by a shot of the end mills I use to slot the boards.  Ladybug for size reference.  I stole this idea from a GAL article, just machine the fret slots shy of the edge of the fretboard, that way you don't see the fret tangs from the side.  The dots are such a tight fit, I have to tap them in with the hammer.  I hand radius the boards because I can do it much faster than the machine.  A touch to the buffer after sanding and the board is ready for fretting.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Max Girouard

Here is my fret setup.  I cut the tangs off on the frets to go into the boards, then tap in with a hammer to seat, then press in with the arbor press.  My friend who also builds looks at me like I'm crazy when he watches me level my fret ends, but it does it in about 5 seconds and I get a nice bevel.  Can't beat that!

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Max Girouard

Just a quick shot of carbon fiber rods before and after.  I route the slots on a router table, then clean up with a chisel to get a good fit.  I also clean up rod with naphtha to dissolve any manufacturing oils.  I have a much more detailed picture tour on my facebook page if anyone is interested.  Also figured I'd add a few photos of the shop.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Max Girouard

Time to fit the dovetail.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Max Girouard

dovetail continued...........

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Max Girouard

dovetail finished, and ears glued on........

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Max Girouard

Now for machining some inlay.  Doing a design of this complexity would have taken me about 4 hours each script, but with the machine I can do it in under 15 minutes.  Just some background on what is going on here.  I glue the inlay to wood scrap, then glue the scrap to my spoil board.  I machine the inlay, then pry off the scrap and drop the whole thing into a bath of acetone to dissolve the adhesive that I used to secure the shell to the scrap.  The last photo shows the script just sitting in the acetone dissolving glue prior to installation in the peghead overlay.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Jim Garber

> Now for machining some inlay.  Doing a design of this complexity would have taken me about 4 hours each script, but with the machine I can do it in under 15 minutes.  Just some background on what is going on here.  I glue the inlay to wood scrap, then glue the scrap to my spoil board.  I machine the inlay, then pry off the scrap and drop the whole thing into a bath of acetone to dissolve the adhesive that I used to secure the shell to the scrap.  The last photo shows the script just sitting in the acetone dissolving glue prior to installation in the peghead overlay.


Max: what is this marvelous machine you are using. CNC?

----------


## Max Girouard

Fitting inlay in peghead overlays.  No filler required.  It took a lot of messing around with, but I was able to get the inaly and the pocket to match up nicely with no filler.  I flood the area with thin cyoacrylate, then sand flush.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Max Girouard

Hi Jim, yes it is a CNC made by Shopbot down in NC.  Programed by yours truly!

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Wow, gorgeous work and design ideas all around, Max. You must be using, what, a .023" cutter for those inlay pockets? Same one you cut your fret slots with? Anyway, bravo... I know how hard this stuff is.

----------


## Max Girouard

> Wow, gorgeous work and design ideas all around, Max. You must be using, what, a .023" cutter for those inlay pockets? Same one you cut your fret slots with? Anyway, bravo... I know how hard this stuff is.


Thanks Marty,  yes I use the same cutter for the inlay pocket as the fret slots, a 0.023 from precise bits.  The tendrils on the G are 0.015 at the thinnest part.  I use a 0.020 cutter for the shell itself.  The bits are about $20 a pop and I busted quite a few getting my feeds and speeds right!

----------


## mtolley

Just finished up the fingerboards for the new batch of mandolins. Both are ebony, the ivoroid bound board being for a standard A model and the ebony bound with the maple purfling for a 2 point mandolin.

----------

mandolinlee

----------


## amowry

Nice work guys! Max, I'm envious of your shop space.

----------


## Max Girouard

> Nice work guys! Max, I'm envious of your shop space.


It's a great shop.  One of the main reasons we bought the property all those years back, well plus the fact that there is a 5 stall barn on the property for Lauri's critters.  Those pics are only half the shop, here is the other half.  The shop was built in the 70's by a blacksmith who also did logging on the side.  The tall ceilings were so he could put his logging truck and crane in there.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Mandola topside after three French Polish sessions --



Steve

----------


## GarY Nava

Hey Max, Many thanks for posting all these extremely interesting photos. So, when does the book come out?
Cheers Gary

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Should be able to string up a couple more instruments this week.. here's number 18.
No fancy inlay on this one... whoever made that ebony is a much better artist than I'll ever be.

----------


## mandolinlee

Max -
I like how you cut the d on your name to look like a musical note. Little details like that make your instruments interesting.

Thanks,
Lee

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Markkunkel

> No fancy inlay on this one... whoever made that ebony is a much better artist than I'll ever be.


Well, maybe so, but based on the artistry I witnessed in my visit to your shop today, you are a passionate and gifted artist indeed.  Thanks for letting me stop by...it was a gift to see the works in progress, to play a tune or two, to hear your fine playing singing on your wonderful instruments.  Oh...and sweet to hear you make some music on my present mando, one of Max and Lauri's fine creations (that blacktop rippling maple A-style!)....

Looking forward to giving #17 a home!

Mark

----------


## Steve-o

> Well, maybe so, but based on the artistry I witnessed in my visit to your shop today, you are a passionate and gifted artist indeed.  Thanks for letting me stop by...it was a gift to see the works in progress, to play a tune or two, to hear your fine playing singing on your wonderful instruments.  Oh...and sweet to hear you make some music on my present mando, one of Max and Lauri's fine creations (that blacktop rippling maple A-style!)....
> 
> Looking forward to giving #17 a home!
> 
> Mark


Mark,
So you are acquiring #17, eh?  What a beauty.  I have #18 on hold, waiting to hear what it sounds like in the white.  I was totally smitten by the wood figure and Marty's artistry.  I'm happy to read your post, since it gives me a window into Marty's shop and instruments, and I respect your good tastes.   I can't wait to see how his current batch turns out.  Thanks for posting.

----------


## Markkunkel

> Mark,
> So you are acquiring #17, eh?  What a beauty.  I have #18 on hold, waiting to hear what it sounds like in the white.  I was totally smitten by the wood figure and Marty's artistry.  I'm happy to read your post, since it gives me a window into Marty's shop and instruments, and I respect your good tastes.   I can't wait to see how his current batch turns out.  Thanks for posting.


Hi, Steve... Marty is doing work that is automated yet hand-crafted, unconventional yet traditionally anchored, aesthetically elegant yet conceptually founded, eminently artistic and firmly technical.  His approach seems unique and intriguing to me... he can talk at one moment about CNC programming and the nuances of replicability, at the next about some esoteric Japanese artist who brings nature into his art, and at the next get a particularly fond glint in his eye as he picks up a finger plane or flexes a piece of wood.  It has been my privilege to be in my share of luthier shops, and it was  a particular treat to visit his. 

And that #18 looks spectacular!  The curly redwood top is of course striking, and the whole thing just rings and sings when you pick it up and give it a little tap.  Marty (as someone who may be termed rightly a perfectionist) has high hopes for that instrument...I bet you can share those hopes... enjoy!

Mark

----------


## Steve-o

> ... he can talk at one moment about CNC programming and the nuances of replicability, at the next about some esoteric Japanese artist who brings nature into his art, and at the next get a particularly fond glint in his eye as he picks up a finger plane or flexes a piece of wood.
> Mark


Now there's an elegant description of a modern luthier if I ever heard one.  I always enjoy your posts Mark.  Thanks for the insight on #18 and Marty's creative process.  I wish I lived closer and could make a visit to his shop.  My hats off to him for designing and building unique and artful instruments at an attractive price.  I expect we'll see more and more of Jacobson mandolins in the coming days.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Uh-oh, my ears are burning. Thanks for the kind words, gentlemen... I hope the finished instruments will be good enough to deserve them.

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Sprite Two-Point mandola with some "fizzy root beer Birdseye" finally gets her strings --



Steve

----------

Steve-o

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Should be able to string up a couple more instruments this week.. here's number 18.
> No fancy inlay on this one... whoever made that ebony is a much better artist than I'll ever be.


She worn no jewels, nor costly diamonds
No paint nor powder, no none at all...

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Video of #18. Strings had been on it about 8 hours.

----------

JEStanek, 

Max Girouard, 

Rick Jones, 

Steve-o

----------


## Pete Jenner

Another winner Marty.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Marty,

The curly Redwood is really helping warm and add complexity to the tone of that one.  The more traditional placement of the holes may also be freeing up parts of the top to be a bit more responsive in the highs and high-mids.  

Steve

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## billhay4

Nice sounding instrument, Martin.
Bill

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Markkunkel

NICE work, Marty...can hardly wait to see that one (and its soon-to-be finished sibling #17 mk. II) under finish...

Mark

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve-o

> Video of #18.


Delicious.  It sounds as good as it looks Marty.  Nice picking too.  I'd say you hit a home run on #18.  I can't wait to see the final product either.   :Wink:

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Thanks, everyone. Redwood is very different from spruce, but after having carved seven or eight tops, I think I am getting the hang of it. 
Here's a preview of Mark's #17 mk II -- I scrapped the first one because it wasn't right. This one is much better. The tops on these redwood instruments are about .300" thick! It will be interesting to see how the tone matures over time.

----------

Jim Nollman, 

Rodney Riley

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Some cool stuff hanging out on the old clothesline...

----------

GarY Nava, 

j. condino, 

Max Girouard, 

Steve-o

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Marty,
Lovely - from design to execution!
Steve

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Markkunkel

Marty, those are just gorgeous.  I love the way that you allow wood itself to be the aesthetic in your builds, and that you use contrast (for example, in the neck laminate and heel cap and in those very cool purfling lines/vines!) to allow it to (yes) shine.  Thanks for sharing your work with us...

Mark

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Steve-o

----------


## Max Girouard

Time to stain the mandolas!  Lauri in the booth doing her thing.  When she sprays dies she starts with the darker colors first, if doing a hand rubbed stain she starts with the lighter colors first.  These stained shots have one coat of shellac sealer on and are going into finishing today.

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner, 

Rodney Riley, 

Steve-o

----------


## Eric Foulke

Ok, ok, it's not a mandolin, but it is small, that counts right? :Whistling: 
Selmer style tenor uke, sapele top, back, sides and neck all taken from the same board.

----------

Dobe, 

Larry S Sherman, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A future F8 --



Steve

----------


## Jake Wildwood

That Selmerite is really cool. I'd love to have a 4-string mando of that style with a longer scale (14-15") and really light strings for that zingy tone.

----------


## wwwilkie

Setting up the new 10-string with pickguard and custom pickup.

----------


## GarY Nava

> Setting up the new 10-string with pickguard and custom pickup.


What a great looking archtop. Are the"F"holes adjustable? Nice work.
Cheers Gary

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

LOVE the new pick-up and tailpiece designs!

Steve

----------


## wwwilkie

Thanks Gary and Steve, the "f"-holes are not adjustable.  What an idea!  The design is bandolim inspired and is for a Choro player.
I've been using that tailpiece on my Northern Flyer mandolins but it seems to go with just about anything.

----------


## Jim Garber

Wyatt: do you have back shots of these? The soundholes do look like they would be adjustable due to the small piece on the lower inside which I assume is primarily decorative. I have a feeling that Gary gave you an idea for a future model, possibly influenced by D'Aquisto. Speaking of JD, are your bridges similar to his?

----------


## wwwilkie

I'd love to try the adjustable f-hole idea but it sounds like a lot of work. I like how my designs seem to get simpler over time.

I found a photo of the back during finishing.  I used the so-called Stradivari 1704 oil varnish recipe.
Couldn't find a close-up bridge photo but it's just a standard thumbwheel bridge which I whittled out of African Blackwood.

----------


## billhay4

Wyatt,
Lovely instrument and design work.
Bill

----------


## jmagill

Wyatt,

Beautiful design and execution. Congratulations!

----------


## Jim Garber

> I'd love to try the adjustable f-hole idea but it sounds like a lot of work. I like how my designs seem to get simpler over time.
> I found a photo of the back during finishing.  I used the so-called Stradivari 1704 oil varnish recipe.
> Couldn't find a close-up bridge photo but it's just a standard thumbwheel bridge which I whittled out of African Blackwood.


Simpler is always better in my book. Those do look beautiful. Sorry, I looked at the bridge again and hadn't noticed the thumbwheels the first time. I thought it was one of those all-wood adjustable bridges that D'Aquisto designed. I guess I was thinking of this guitar when I looked at the soundholes (adjustable) and bridge.

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Sprite Two-Point mandola backside reflecting springtime from the French Polishing table --



Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Great work to all! There are some really inspirational work of art on here!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Hinde

F and the 2 point finished up. Delivered the F last weekend. 

Steve Hinde
Hinde Custom Instruments
[URL="http://www.hindecustominstruments.com"]

----------

GKWilson

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Oh man, Steve, that two-point gray-face is something else. (The F-5's nice too... but you know.. we see those every day. :-)

----------


## Pete Jenner

> ]F and the 2 point finished up. Delivered the F last weekend.


They are quite beautiful Steve but not exactly 'in progress'.  :Wink:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A future F8 in the shadow waits.



Steve

PS - Guess its time to yank off the hardware and get cracking on finishing this bad boy.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Steve Hinde

> They are quite beautiful Steve but not exactly 'in progress'.


Well Pete I don't consider an instrument truly complete until the new owner is 100% satisfied and the approval period is over. Sometimes minor tweeks are necessary for personal preference. Other ones that are not sold may get further attention if the tone is not right or cosmetic fixes from handling. But I do understand what you mean.
So here is an 'in progess' picture or 2. 3 F rims in the molds for the next batch. Adirondack with Maple. Sorry Marty, this is what gets the most requests. Traditional stuff. That smoke burst does some interesting things in different light. Goes from purple to blue to grey to black. This is the third one I have done with the color. The water based varnish gives off a slight blue tint.
2 sets of guitar backs and sides to get thicknessed. Cut out some sides and necks while I'm at it. Have the 3/4 blade in the bandsaw ready for the big stuff. Then over and over in the thickness sander. Nice cold rainy day to be out in the garage. :Coffee: 

Steve

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Pete Jenner

That's more like it Steve. :Wink:  Is that rosewood in the middle shot?

----------

Steve Hinde

----------


## Steve Hinde

Yes Peter. 2 sets of Indian for a couple of 'shhh guitars'. One gets a Maple neck and binding. This mandolin player just likes the look and feel of a Maple neck. I have to agree. Should look pretty nice. Will have an Adirondack top, Rosewood back and sides, headstock cover, bridge, fingerboard.  :Coffee:

----------


## oldwave maker

Companion planting: susanville garlic and engelmann, 'lutz', and adirondack tops. The spruce matures later.....
jammed last week with lady with 1 yr old lutztop oldwave- a loud box!

----------


## GKWilson

Beautiful work Steve H and Steve S.
The best part of this thread is watching chunks of wood turn into works of art.
Seeing the finished product is the cherry on top.
Especially if you also get to hear them. [Sprite mandola. Please!!! :Grin: ]
Gary

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Gary,

Adam, at The Mandolin Store, is scheduled to do a "Video of the Week" for the Sprite Mandola in a couple of weeks.  I'm looking forward to hearing where he goes with it too!

Steve

----------


## lauri Girouard

Dolas and Dogs

----------

Dan Voight

----------


## Toycona

> Adam, at The Mandolin Store, is scheduled to do a "Video of the Week" for the Sprite Mandola in a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to hearing where he goes with it too!


...if it lasts that long.

----------


## GKWilson

Lauri. You and Max have some nice looking mando's there.
But, I must say a couple are real dogs. :Grin: 
Gary

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Jim Garber

> Dolas and Dogs


I like the sunburst beagle.

----------

GKWilson, 

Max Girouard

----------


## Dan Voight

It has been a while since I've been in here. I've been busy! I'm looking to string this up in the white before the weekend. Maybe I'll do a little recording and post it next week. Enjoy!

----------

GKWilson, 

Michael Weaver

----------


## billhay4

Nice work, Dan. Is this for a guy with four arms?
:-)
Bill

----------

Dan Voight

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Dang nice workmanship, Dan!  
Steve

----------

Dan Voight

----------


## Steve Hinde

Hey Bill, That's forearms!!!! Big ones.  :Laughing: 

Beautiful work Dan.

Steve

----------

Dan Voight

----------


## jmagill

> It has been a while since I've been in here. I've been busy! I'm looking to string this up in the white before the weekend. Maybe I'll do a little recording and post it next week. Enjoy!


Looks great, Dan. Can't wait to hear it!

----------


## mtucker

> Dolas and Dogs


Nice belly shot...especially, the corgi!  :Grin:

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Going plane wild late last night at the Tone Bar - 



Steve

----------


## Dan Voight

Here is a video of my latest mando as promised. It had strings on it for a few days at this point.

----------

hank, 

Rush Burkhardt

----------


## Steve Davis

Nice sound and nice picking!

Now I really am going to leave the computer and practice.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Dan,
New and a little green-tight . . . but loaded with the potential for an amazing growth curve from here!
Steve

----------


## jmagill

Dan,

It's a real beauty and you make it sound great. What serial number is this one? What color and kind of finish will it have?

Is this a commissioned instrument, or will you have this one at Swannanoa?

----------


## usqebach

Dan,

Great look and great sounds!

What were the "2013 revisions" as portrayed in the title on the clip?

----------


## Dan Voight

Jim,

Thanks so much. This will be a sunburst and varnish mandolin. This is my 13th instrument but technically this is #10. The owner of this mando lives about 20 minutes from Swannanoa so he is going to bring it by that week.

And to the other Jim (two Jim questions),

I made some adjustments to my tone bar placement and back plate graduations.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Well, I haven't made my new thumbscrew-less bridges yet, but the parts are mostly the same for these.



Man, I have new respect for the Stew-Mac oompa-loompas. Holding on to the bridges so that every surface ends up machined, and without wasting a ton of time, is pretty tricky.

First thing is to plane down some stock. These are ebony, grenadillo, and Wenge.
Next, the contour is machined (to match the curve of my tops pretty closely, they just need a little fine-tuning by hand). This takes one minute.



The second operation is done with a smaller cutter, and makes the upper contours. This takes six minutes. Then an orbital drilling operation makes the holes for the posts.

----------

amowry, 

hank, 

Jim Garber

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Marty,
Nice!
Steve

----------


## mtolley

A few shots of the neck making process for the current batch of mandos. Tapering pegheads, gluing overlays, and final profiling of the pegheads.

----------


## amowry

Nice work, everyone. Marty, thanks for that timely info. I was just wondering last night (when I should have been sleeping) about the best way to hold those bridge bases while machining.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Glad I could help out! Soft jaws are the way to go. I machined the arch into the soft jaws, pulled them out, and sanded the moving face down a hair to give it a few thousandths of an inch to move. Works great. 
Here's a post on how I machine the saddles, if you're interested.

----------


## Eric Foulke

Neat stuff Marty.
Funny, I always assumed that you would use the post holes as locating pins for the process. Shows what I know.

----------


## Chip Booth

Lawrence Smart applying a coat of french polish to a mandocello.  I can't wait to take some real photos when this is done, the wood on this instrument is crazy! This will be part of another mandolin quartet that Lawrence is building.  This time it will include an F style mandolin, mandola and 'cello, and an oval hole A mandolin.

----------

GKWilson, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## sgarrity

How many quartets has he made now?  I'd love to spend some time with a set of those.

----------


## Chip Booth

Shaun, I think this will be the fourth.  I can tell you it is a blast to have them all in one room and see how they work together.  These instruments have several little tweaks from Lawrence's normal designs, with the intention of making them work better as a unit.

----------


## Dan Voight

Getting ready for color this weekend by doing the final scroll sharpening.

----------

GKWilson, 

JEStanek

----------


## vwfye

Sweet!

----------


## Soundfarmer Pete

A brace of mini Flying Vees......

The black `68 style 8 string is a customer order but I thought it might be fun to make a `58 style spec` build in parallel. The `58 is built from Idigbo, a close relative of Limba (the wood Gibson used for the original).

----------

GarY Nava, 

Larry S Sherman, 

Mike Black

----------


## j. condino

A new batch of Brazilian rosewood "sharkfinz" for the Brazilian rosewood mandolins.... :Wink: 


j.
www.condino.com

----------

bernabe, 

GarY Nava, 

Jim Garber, 

Mandolinshockandawe, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Max Girouard, 

Soundfarmer Pete, 

Steve-o

----------


## GarY Nava

Very nice work- look forward to seeing this one complete.
Cheers Gary

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Here's a comparison of the first few shippable Nautilus mandolins.
Some final setup tweaking needed, but hopefully it gets the idea across.

----------


## Pete Jenner

They all sound great from here Marty but I particularly like #3 and #5 comes a close second.
You'll have to give me some playing lessons when I get to Atlanta Marty.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve-o

> They all sound great from here Marty but I particularly like #3 and #5 comes a close second.


I agree with Peter.  Good thing #3 is coming my way.   :Smile:   I thought the atypical oval ports sound quite pleasing.  While sound clips fall short of capturing the full sonic experience, it's a good way to compare the voicings and is a nice tool for customers who are trying to decide on tonewoods and hole configuration.  Thanks for posting, Marty.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Pete Jenner

Congratulations Steve! Great choice.

----------


## Mandolinshockandawe

> A new batch of Brazilian rosewood "sharkfinz" for the Brazilian rosewood mandolins....
> 
> 
> j.
> www.condino.com


James, those look great.  :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Oh foul fiend French Polish... this is one battle you _shall not win!_

----------

JEStanek, 

Jim Garber

----------


## Charles E.

> They all sound great from here Marty but I particularly like #3 and #5 comes a close second.
> .


My impression too. I really liked #3.

----------


## Markkunkel

> Oh foul fiend French Polish... this is one battle you _shall not win!_


Peace to you and to that instrument, Marty!  And thanks for the sound comparison.  I'm a bit partial to #2 of course....

Mark

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> My impression too. I really liked #3.


That seems to be the consensus. I never expected a curly redwood mandolin to sound that good, or have that much presence and power.

----------


## Don Grieser

It's great to see you getting these designs into production, Marty. I'm very impressed with your work. They all sound great!

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Max Girouard

Ummm, Marty, are you flying the bird at that finish!?!?  Speaking of birds, nice birdseye on #16.  I've got some birdseye in the works as well.

----------

bernabe, 

Larry S Sherman, 

Steve-o

----------


## billhay4

> I've got some birdseye in the works as well.


You sure do, Max! Nice, very nice.
Bill

----------


## Jim Garber

> Here's a comparison of the first few shippable Nautilus mandolins.
> Some final setup tweaking needed, but hopefully it gets the idea across.


Nice to hear the fruits of your labor (strange conceptual language, I know). I have to listen a few more times but I do like the cedar  and redwood topped ones. I assume you picked the string set for each one based on what the tonal qualities would be? Keep up the good work. I would love to hear one in person someday. I do have a good friend who lives in Atlanta... hmmmm, maybe a road trip is in store some time.




> Comparison of Nautilus mandolins recently completed. In order:
> #15 - parallel braced, tone bars, spruce top, J74's
> #16 - transverse braced, yellow cedar top, Thomastik Mittels
> #18 - parallel braced, curly redwood top, JS74's
> #20 - transverse braced, spruce top, J74's
> #21 - paralell braced, spruce top, FW74's

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Markkunkel

> Peace to you and to that instrument, Marty!  And thanks for the sound comparison.  I'm a bit partial to #2 of course....
> 
> Mark


I mean, of course, I'm partial to #17 mkII, that apparently wasn't recorded as part of the sound comparison.  It's the one Marty's working on that features a gorgeous French polish with a strikingly obscene gesture as the centerpiece accent on the top.

MK

----------


## Jim Garber

> A new batch of Brazilian rosewood "sharkfinz" for the Brazilian rosewood mandolins....


James: did you post pics of these BRW mandolins?I would love to see them.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Another 'frog' plate.


111 grams braced.. Rings out at F4.

----------


## j. condino

> James: did you post pics of these BRW mandolins?I would love to see them.


No public appearances yet; 'not sure if I want to. When was the last time you could say you had a matched set of two carved Brazilian rosewood / Ted Davis red spruce mandolins and a 16" L5 guitar bodied Brazilian rosewood octave mandolin, from the same few boards of 25-50+ year seasoned materials all to yourself???? As soon as I show them off, guys like you will want them!!! I'll be keeping one of them for myself.

I've been lusting after having a new titanium bike custom made by Mike Lyndskey ($$$) over in Chattanoogaaaaaahhhhh, so the others will be available eventually. 

j.
www.condino.com

----------

Jim Garber

----------


## Mark Seale

> I've been lusting after having a new titanium bike custom made by Mike Lyndskey ($$$) over in Chattanoogaaaaaahhhhh, so the others will be available eventually. 
> 
> j.
> www.condino.com


Good choice James.  My tri bike is a Lynskey and my old Litespeed is from when the family was still welding them.

----------


## j. condino

> Good choice James.  My tri bike is a Lynskey and my old Litespeed is from when the family was still welding them.


Same here- I've got an old titanium Litespeed that Mike built new for me and I think I've logged in over 40,000 miles of singletrack on it. No question about who I'd get to build me another with that kind of track record!

j.

----------


## mtolley

A few shots of carving plate exteriors for the current batch of mandolins. The 2 point mando is Englemann spruce/bigleaf maple and the standard A model is Adirondack spruce/red maple. Now to flip 'em over and carve the interiors.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I imagine if you asked the average non-builder what they thought was the hardest part to bend on an F is they'd say the scroll but this is by far the one that will test your will and patience.

----------

Austin Clark, 

Dan Voight, 

GKWilson, 

roady43, 

Steve Hinde, 

testore

----------


## Joe Mendel

I just got this octave strung up, I don't even have a label in it yet. It's figured Tzalam 
b & s, Adi top, maple neck.

----------

Jim Garber, 

sebastiaan56, 

Steve-o

----------


## Jim Garber

Nice, Joe. I never heard of that wood. It sort of looks like koa. What is the sound like?

----------


## billhay4

Lovely instrument, Joe. Do you mind if I ask where you get luthier grade Tzalam? It's quite stunning.
I'd love to hear a soundclip of this one.
bill

----------


## Joe Mendel

I bought it from Hibdon Hardwoods in St. Louis. http://www.hibdonhardwood.com/index.htm 
When I first saw it I thought it was black walnut, I had never heard of Tzalam before either. Up until I started finishing it everything about it reminded me of black walnut, the grain, pores, the way it felt & worked, but the figure was more intense than any black walnut I've seen. I filled the pores with epoxy and and then sprayed a pale amber shellac and it started to get the golden Koa look. I used EM6000 lacquer over that and I think it turned out really well, even prettier than I thought it would look with finish on it. 
 I'll try to get a sound clip later tonight or in the morning. It sounds good already, usually it takes a little while for the sound to warm up, but it sounded good as soon as I got it tuned. It should sound even better with a little playing time.

----------


## Markkunkel

GORGEOUS instrument, Joe...I like everything about your work. Thanks for sharing it with us!

Mark

----------


## billhay4

Thanks, Joe. You sure brought out the beauty in it.
Bill

----------


## Joe Mendel

Thanks for the compliments.

Here's a quick sound clip, I hope no one was hoping for a Grammy performance, it wasn't happening this morning.
 It was recorded straight into a DR-07.



DR000138.mp3

----------


## billhay4

Thanks, Joe. 
Nice oval sound.
Bill

----------


## sunburst

Nice head stock, Joe. A nice design, not just different to be different of asymmetrical to be asymmetrical, but a coherent idea.

----------


## Joe Mendel

Thanks, John & Billy. I'm not one to over-think things generally, but I did try to make it different without making it look like I was trying real hard to make it different. I also tried to echo the shape of the headstock with the end of the fingerboard, and the tailpiece.

----------


## billhay4

> but I did try to make it different without making it look like I was trying real hard to make it different. I also tried to echo the shape of the headstock with the end of the fingerboard, and the tailpiece.


This is the kind of thing good design is made of.
Nice.
Bill

----------


## Dan Voight

I should be french polishing in a week or so after this varnish base coat dries. Getting excited...

----------

j. condino, 

roady43

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Dan,
Nice shot!  Love this part of the home stretch!  Enjoy . . . you're almost there!
Steve

----------


## usqebach

Lovely work, Dan! More pics, please!

----------


## Max Girouard

Nice Dan!

Lauri got some staining and finishing done over the past couple of days, here are two interesting pieces............

----------

roady43, 

sebastiaan56

----------


## rb3868

> I imagine if you asked the average non-builder what they thought was the hardest part to bend on an F is they'd say the scroll but this is by far the one that will test your will and patience.


I always assumed doing the points would be tough.  especially matching up the parts.  always wanted to peak under the binding to see how they are put together

----------


## billhay4

Here you go, RB3868: 
Bill

----------

rb3868

----------


## Charles E.

> Nice Dan!
> 
> Lauri got some staining and finishing done over the past couple of days, here are two interesting pieces............


#1- Quilted chevron!!! Holy crap.

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## AaronVW

Both of those pieces are proving to be a significant challenge for me at the moment.  Nice work, Jim!

----------


## Pete Jenner

Dovetail layout time again.

----------


## Cheryl Watson

> Oh foul fiend French Polish... this is one battle you _shall not win!_


Funny!   But, really, I cannot wait to see this instrument finished.  It's looking beautiful!

----------


## Dlchap

Aleyas mandolin #11 

Working on french polishing the one piece sugar maple back.  There have been to many guitars going through the shop and not enough mandolins...

----------

roady43

----------


## Dan Voight

I suppose I'll add to the continuing french polishing theme...

Awesome work to you guys above!

----------

GKWilson, 

roady43

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Here is the progression from -
  Bare wood  Hand rubbed sunburst base  Additional airbrush  Scraped bindings and first coat of oil varnish.



Steve

----------


## terzinator

Steve, I like your take on the traditional F-style headstock. Very cool.

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

And the next few chompin' at the bit for their share of the attention --



Based on the way my fingers and carpal tunnels are feeling, I think they are getting their due!

Steve

----------


## bernabe

Finishing up a couple

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Mid-way through the varnishing on this F8 -



Even though it requires a lot of hand-work, I sure enjoy seeing this happen!

Steve

----------

Steve-o

----------


## D18dave



----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## lauri Girouard

D18Dave,  Looks great, you're getting some nice colors there.   Love the headstock shading, very unique.  

I am doing something a little different from normal and doing a blonde finish on this A5.   It is birdseye maple sides, back and headstock overlay, flamed maple top binding, red maple neck and red spruce top.   I just applied a seal coat here and will be applying finish tomorrow.

----------

GarY Nava, 

George R. Lane, 

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Markkunkel, 

sgrexa, 

Steve-o

----------


## lauri Girouard

> Finishing up a couple



James, I can't wait to see what you do to these!    :Popcorn:

----------


## Markkunkel

I LOVE my blonde/blacktop Girouard, Lauri....you guys are doing such wonderful work.  Thanks!

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## lauri Girouard

> I LOVE my blonde/blacktop Girouard, Lauri....you guys are doing such wonderful work.  Thanks!


Thanks very much.   I really loved the one you have.   Glad you are enjoying it.

----------


## lauri Girouard

One more picture with inside light.....

----------

houseworker, 

Karl Hoyt, 

sgrexa

----------


## billhay4

Pretty darn nice, Lauri.
Bill

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## D18dave

Looking good,  Lauri!  That's one pretty A model

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## rb3868

> [ something a little different from normal and doing a blonde finish on this A5.   It is birdseyATTACH=CONFIG]103278[/ATTACH]


that wood is all kinds of wow

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## fscotte

This thread has more delicious than a Krispy Kreme donut.

----------

lauri Girouard, 

rb3868

----------


## Jake Wildwood

> that wood is all kinds of wow


Seconded! Lauri, I love natural finishes on modern instruments. That's a looker!

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## bernabe

Brushed on the first coat of varnish

----------

GarY Nava, 

Jim Garber, 

lauri Girouard

----------


## usqebach

Niiiiice, Jim!!!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Varnish complete; ready for Shellac French Polish on this one --

 

Steve

----------

GarY Nava, 

rb3868

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Third French Polish session complete for the top --



Steve

----------


## Denny Gies

Very nice peg head design.  Thank you for posting.

----------


## lauri Girouard

I looking forward to buffing this out to a shine in a two days.  The black mother of pearl really reflects the colors of the rainbow.

----------


## wwwilkie

10-string and Northern Flyer ready to finish.
lauri- incredible inlay!!

----------

hank, 

Jim Garber, 

lauri Girouard, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Max Girouard

----------


## Steve Sorensen

I always look forward to Wilkie photo posts.
Steve

----------


## lauri Girouard

We have been picking up some really great wood from our local mill lately.   Two unique pieces of them here.  One is  figured walnut and the other is a figured birch sinker log pulled from Moosehead lake in Maine.    The birch may be over 500 hundred years old and it is large enough for one piece backs (that's rare).    Also,  we have a large piece of Sitka spruce that will soon become an octave top.  That piece is from Spruce here on the café.

----------

hank, 

houseworker

----------


## Marty Jacobson

I decided my work looks a lot better when it's not right next to posts from Steve, Wyatt, Dan, Max and Lauri, and everyone else... so I'm posting updates for the Summer 2013 batch here: http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/gr...081&do=discuss

Thought this would be of general interest, though... a better way to hold onto my necks. More detail at the link above.

----------

hank, 

j. condino, 

Max Girouard, 

Michael Weaver

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Marty,
Even your holder is a work of art!
Steve

----------

hank, 

Markkunkel

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's a new one.

----------

bernabe, 

Bigtuna, 

GKWilson, 

JEStanek, 

Steve-o

----------


## Ron McMillan

> I decided my work looks a lot better when it's not right next to posts from Steve, Wyatt, Dan, Max and Lauri, and everyone else... so I'm posting updates for the Summer 2013 batch here:


You're far too darn modest, Marty.

----------


## oldwave maker

I've decided my work looks best (like me) by campfire light, far from Marty's! Stuff moving forward in the dim dawn light:

----------

JEStanek

----------


## Don Grieser

Bill, only 17? Slacker!

Jim, beautiful fern. 

Marty, looking forward to seeing and hearing the next batch.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Wow, Bill . . . you must have a passel of elves popping in during the dark of night to cut all that wood!
Steve

----------


## Jim Hilburn

You know Bill is in southern New Mexico. He employs a lot of illegal aliens to build mandolins. I think from Roswell.

----------

Rodney Riley

----------


## Eric Foulke

The alien heads are even mandolin shaped- thats what I call getting into your work.

----------


## Ron McMillan

> The alien heads are even mandolin shaped- thats what I call getting into your work.


Custom *A*lien models, necks joined, I believe, at the 14th clavicle

----------


## Mandobar

I played that birdseye Girouard yesteryday. It is bewitching.  It only goes to show that you can marry adirondack and birdseye and get a full sound right out of the gate.

----------

hank, 

Max Girouard

----------


## Ben Cooper

> that wood is all kinds of wow


Loved seeing that one in person!

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Mandobar

> Loved seeing that one in person!


It's staying in the area.  :Wink:

----------


## Toycona

> I played that birdseye Girouard yesteryday. It is bewitching.


Can't wait to hear it. Can you provide some more narrative detail, or better yet, an audio sample?

----------


## bernabe

Got the first French polish coat on ok despite the humid wet weather

----------

hank, 

j. condino, 

Jim Garber, 

sebastiaan56, 

sgrexa, 

Steve-o

----------


## Mandobar

Tom, I should have some time this weekend.

----------


## usqebach

Georgeous wood there, Jim.

I'm a "Demon Deacon," and just begging for Wake's football team to give me a reason to come back to WSNC and check out your work in person.

Go Deacs!

Jim

----------

bernabe

----------


## bernabe

and another getting some FP

----------

hank, 

j. condino, 

JEStanek, 

Jim Garber, 

Max Girouard, 

sgrexa

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Emerald beauty, James!  Magic!

----------

bernabe

----------


## Eric Foulke

Building one of each type.........Moe, Larry and Curly.

----------

Larry S Sherman

----------


## Roin

> and another getting some FP


While I'm normally a big fan of natural looking instruments I have to say: this looks simply amazing I'm totally fascinated *_*

----------

bernabe

----------


## rb3868

> and another getting some FP


AWFULLY pretty.  I love how, on your gallery page, there's a line that says "Some text..."
your beautiful mandos really need little more than that

----------

bernabe

----------


## Tavy

> and another getting some FP


Oh my, that's going to be a killer beauty!

----------


## kidgloves2

> and another getting some FP


That greenburst is breathtaking. I hope you post more of this instrument.

----------

bernabe

----------


## Skip Kelley

James, I have to agree with everyone else, that is the most amazing looking mandolin I have ever seen!

----------

bernabe

----------


## Steve Sorensen

The current set of Sorensen TrebleMakers hanging about waiting for a little color and a shine --



Steve

----------


## hank

bernabe could this be your AGF-5(Absinthe Green Fairy)from the early Expressionist table in Europe? A bit of Nouveau Inlay and a fancy Absinthe spoon for a tailpiece cover?

----------

bernabe

----------


## wwwilkie

Beautiful work Steve!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## billhay4

Lovely, Steve. The f-holes are exquisite.
Bernabe: Beautiful color on that one.
Hank: What is the instrument above the lamp? I know it's a separate image, but of what?
Thanks all.
Bill

----------

bernabe

----------


## Bill Snyder

Bill, I am not Hank but a quick google Search By Image came up with this. http://www.alangoldblatt.com/gallery...eauViolin.html

----------


## hank

Yea that's it.  Thanks Bill.  The luthier plays it lectrik with octave strings seems the heavy finish coat mutes his creation but it sure is cool no matter.  They spell it Noveau in the link though, hmmm?  I really like both those finishes bernabe, thanks for sharing.

----------

bernabe

----------


## billhay4

How cool! Thanks guys.
Search by image, huh? New one on me. I'll have to try that.
Bill

----------


## mtolley

Just wanted to share a few pics of the current batch of Tolley mandolins "in the white", ready for color and finish. Cheers!

----------

bernabe, 

Charles E., 

GarY Nava, 

Jim Nollman

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Nice f-holes on that asymmetrical two-point, Matthew. I know it is difficult to come up with viable variations on f-holes.

----------

mtolley

----------


## hank

I agree very nice lines with the scallop inward.  Almost begs for matching lines on the finger rest to curve like a sickle under the strings mimicking the cool aperture openings.  The Tolley Vulcan Axe.

----------

mtolley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Set to 'burst here.



Steve

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Some crazy stuff going into this next batch.. this isn't even the craziest.

----------

bernabe, 

hank

----------


## Jake Wildwood

Turq!

Don't see that too much.

Next, let's see a mica pickguard... :D

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Set to 'burst here.
> 
> 
> Steve


Hey Steve - no fair - you stole John Hamlett's blue fingerboard idea but I do like the green edging even if it a bit wonky.

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## hank

Great inlay Marty. Now how to figure the area of the apertures in Rune or Celtic symbols in place of oval or f holes.  Maybe in place of f holes weaving these symbol apertures together with your burned in vines and leaf just inboard of the recurve area. Looking forward to seeing your latest ideas.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## kyken

Here's a couple of Silverangels coming into the world, both cedar topped. Both have a very deep sound with all the other ingredients.

----------

GKWilson

----------


## wildpikr

Nice, Ken...looks like some nice inlay on the fretboard to the right.  Will they be distressed models?

----------


## kyken

> Nice, Ken...looks like some nice inlay on the fretboard to the right.  Will they be distressed models?


  Yes, they will both be distressed models. They both have cedar tops from very old wood.The one does have some inlay on the fingerboard.

----------


## Steve Hinde

Laquer finish, final setup, in the bag. Out to a special friend next week. 17 inch Octave. Rattles the windows.

Steve :Mandosmiley:

----------

Ed Goist, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Hanging about.



Steve

----------

Bob Bronow

----------


## billhay4

Beautiful, Steve,
What's that they're hanging one. Very Green & Green.
Bill

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Bill,
Murphy Bed in the guest/finishing room.  You nailed it with Greene and Greene -- the room is California Arts & Crafts style.
Steve

----------


## billhay4

Thanks, Steve,
Lovely backdrop for your lovely instruments.
Bill

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice work to all!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Marty Jacobson

..

----------

GarY Nava, 

hank, 

j. condino, 

Larry S Sherman, 

Mike Black, 

Steve-o

----------


## usqebach

Marty,

I've wondered how you can be so productive.  Now we know!  :Grin: 

Cool video!

Jim

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## oldwave maker

A foray into 4 A necking, since my last pic here  65,000 acres of headwaters of our narrow canyon burned in the Silver Fire, so I'm splitting shop time between mandolins and the Ark!

----------

Ed Goist, 

GarY Nava, 

hank, 

Larry S Sherman, 

Max Girouard, 

Nick Gellie, 

Steve-o

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Glad the fire was smart enough to keep a safe distance from the shop!
Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, I'm glad you are safe and okay! Great looking bunch of pegheads by the way!

----------


## Pete Jenner

> A foray into 4 A necking, since my last pic here  65,000 acres of headwaters of our narrow canyon burned in the Silver Fire, so I'm splitting shop time between mandolins and the Ark!


Good luck with that Ark. My Pagan understanding of the subject tells me you must take 2 of each type of instrument with you on the voyage. I assume it's for some sort of copy carving.

----------


## Marty Jacobson



----------

Bill Clements, 

hank, 

Jim Garber, 

Larry S Sherman, 

Max Girouard, 

Pete Jenner, 

Rush Burkhardt, 

Steve-o

----------


## Charles E.

Marty, that video is great.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve-o

I love the time lapse videos you do Marty.  It's fascinating to see how you create these beauties.  The music score fit that one perfectly.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## mtolley

Fun with finish! This batch of mandolins should be ready for final rubout in a few days...finally hitting the home stretch.

----------


## usqebach

Marty,

Perhaps you can make your next one wearing a Red Bull t-shirt and snag some endorsement money!

Great video!

Jim

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Jake Wildwood

[QUOTE=mtolley;1187249]Fun with finish! This batch of mandolins should be ready for final rubout in a few days...finally hitting the home stretch.

Black on blonde... a personal favorite.

----------

mtolley

----------


## Charles E.

Matthew, nice looking L&H style two point. I hope you will post more pic's as they progress.

----------

mtolley

----------


## Tavy

> 


Boy you work fast !  :Wink: 

What glue are you using to fix in the inlays there?  Seems like you're scraping back almost immediately afterward, but I don't see any stuck fingers so I guess it can't be CA  :Smile:

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Marty Jacobson

John, string inlay is pretty quick in real life, too! At least as long as you don't have to cut the channels by hand. That was about 45 minutes. 
It is indeed CA glue I'm using there.. between the redwood dust gap filler and a couple shots of accelerator, it was fully cured in about 20 seconds. I always use a little kicker, otherwise, it might keep grabbing your fingers for an hour.

----------

hank

----------


## Ron McMillan

It certainly is great. I love it.

ron

----------


## Pete Jenner

Marty - the music is hilarious.  :Smile: 
Are those thick scrapers any good? I'm thinking of getting one.

----------


## billhay4

Pete,
I've got one of the thick scrapers and love it.
Bill

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Tired fingers after fine sanding the varnish on this *F8* destined for _The Mandolin Store_.  Just a few French Polish sessions with Shellac before adding the hardware . . . and she'll be ready for the world.  

 

 

I think this baby's gonna be a Bluegrass Bombshell!

Steve

----------

bernabe

----------


## Pete Jenner

Here is my latest in the white. Pagan Mandolins #3.



Picture of the 'bow'.



Having a moment with it's sibling, #2.

----------

sebastiaan56

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Killer, Pete. Cocobolo binding? How do they sound?
Btw, I love the thick scrapers for scraping inlays, CA glue and plastics. I do not like the thick scraper as much for scraping wood. A card scraper with a good burr is still better on figured wood. Also the thick scraper is lapped, not burnished, so it's a little more work to sharpen.. more like a plane blade. But it stays sharp longer.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Thanks Marty. Yeah Cocobolo binding but next time I'll go without the pre-laminated B&W at the bottom of it.
I'm hoping to do a video next week - having trouble with the built in mic on the laptop because it picks up the fan noises. I'll have to get a separate one. 

As soon as I'd strung up #3, I thought it sounded exactly like #2 - which is strange because the arching and graduations are so different.  Now I think it has a bit of an edge on #2. More volume and lots of sustain on the D string. It's hard to really compare though because the strings on #2 are quite old. The neck angle didn't turn out to be a problem. Also, it's only been strung up for about 3 hours.


Thanks for the info on the scraper.

----------


## hank

#3!  Whoa! Very nice design Mr. Pete.  I'm with Marty on a listen to those  rib riding apertures on that fat soundboard.

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Max Girouard

Jig making day!  The first jig is to cut out the exact length of our sides on an A model.  Next is the jig we made to bend solid linings.  We got the heating controller from Rolfe.  Thanks Rolfe!  The next shot is just the 3/16 thick Port Orford cedar cooking in the jig.  We got the idea from James Condino.  Thanks James!  The mandolins will smell great from here on out.  Next shot is the linings bent free of the jig.  Shot after that is the clamping cauls I made to clamp the linings it to the rim.  The goal here is to glue the blocks and top linings in all at once.  After we get this proof of concept down, Lauri will tear the jigs apart and apply finish to all the glue mating surfaces so we don't glue a rim into the jig.  Looking at the last shot, it looks like everything will go together real nice!  In that photo it is the plywood form, next is the experimental walnut rim slats, followed by the Port Orford cedar linings then the plywood clamping caul made of mahogany.

----------

Avi Ziv, 

Ben Cooper, 

bernabe, 

Ed Goist, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## amowry

Very cool, Max and Laurie! Nice work.

----------


## mtolley

> Matthew, nice looking L&H style two point. I hope you will post more pic's as they progress.


Thanks Charles! I'll certainly post some more pics as things move along. Cheers!

----------


## Eric Michael Pfeiffer

Not sure if some of you have seen my other thread but here are some of the latest photos of the F-5 mandolin that Eddie Blevins of Tennesee is building for me....just a few more weeks of work left, so I'm pretty excited see delivery of this mandolin and start playing the mandolin again :Smile:

----------

hank

----------


## amowry

Here's an octave I'm working on, inlay and headstock designed by my customer.

----------

Charles E., 

Dale Ludewig, 

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Max Girouard, 

Mike Black, 

Steve-o

----------


## Mike Black

> Here's an octave I'm working on, inlay and headstock designed by my customer.



I like the headstock design.

----------


## amowry

Thanks Mike. I like working with customers because they're generally much more creative than I am  :Wink:

----------

Mike Black

----------


## red7flag

I am so fortunate to have an octave mandolin made by Andrew Mowry.  We worked together on the design.  The final product is a lovely walnut guitar shaped (like a 00 Martin) octave.  The sound of that baby is simply awesome.  I strongly recommend Andrew as a builder.  He is easy to work with and delivered before the agreed to time.  Attached are some pics from the day I received the GOM.

----------

GKWilson, 

hank, 

Jim Nollman, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Steve-o

----------


## Steve-o

Very nice Andrew.  What's the scale length on that GOM?

----------


## rb3868

Eric, that looks sharp, as do the Mowrys

----------


## amowry

Thanks guys. Steve, it's a 22" scale on most of these.

----------


## Eric Michael Pfeiffer

> Eric, that looks sharp, as do the Mowrys


Thanks I'm excited about having a mandolin again!

----------


## buckhorn

here are pics of my two latest builds...the F5 has a little different neck ...

----------


## buckhorn

here is a pic of the backs

----------


## Steve-o

Wow, did you have to time travel to take those pics (10/4/13)?  Seriously now, thats a fine looking pair of mandos.  Interesting laminations on the F5 neck.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

The summer batch is coming along... started these in June.

----------

bigbendhiker, 

Charles E., 

Ed Goist, 

hank, 

Jim Garber, 

Nick Gellie, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve-o

----------


## Markkunkel

VERY nice, Marty!  What a cool thing it is to bring creativity and uniqueness to such an efficient process...

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Charles E.

Marty, you have the best looking, non traditional "F" holes of any maker I have seen. Can't wait to hear them if and when you post sound clips.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## hank

Charley, Old Sausage's links have some outstanding professional quality video/audio examples of his mastery of the one he bought and I believe there may be more in the Jacobson mandolins in groups.  Marty has definitely created a sweet spot in affordable stringed instruments.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## pelone

Marty--I take inspiration from your designs.  In particular, I like the off-set sound hole.  It has always seemed to me that such a configuration would likely contribute to a greater strength through the longitudinal axis of the body and increase strength over all.  I know that many makers in the guitar world have used this type of look and they seem to have found something that is dynamically functional.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A pair of Sprite Two-Points preparing to take flight --



Steve

----------

Bob Bronow, 

William Smith

----------


## Nester

These are beautiful! Are you selling them yet, Daryl?

----------


## rb3868

> The summer batch is coming along... started these in June.


the third from the right makes me want to do something foolish

----------


## Steve-o

rb - Yeah, the porch line up got me during the last batch - I pulled the trigger on #18 after seeing it in the "white."  Made me a happy fool.

----------


## wwwilkie

Been working on this birdseye maple Northern Flyer.  Shipped it out yesterday and realized I didn't manage to get a shot of the back.  I'm an idiot

----------

f5joe, 

hank, 

j. condino, 

Larry S Sherman, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve-o

----------


## billhay4

Quite lovely, Wyatt. The soundholes are exquisite.
Bill

----------


## wwwilkie

Thanks Bill!

----------


## sunburst

Fine looking mandolin, Wyatt!
I like the understated, coherent design with the elegant details.

----------


## amowry

Yes, beautiful work all around, Wyatt!

----------


## Ron McMillan

> Yes, beautiful work all around, Wyatt!


Agreed! Gorgeous mandolin.

----------


## mandolinlee

Hey Hank, now that's funny!   "Old Sausage's links"  Post #7066.

Lee

----------

hank

----------


## fhaz

Bill Bussman sent me this photo of the Southwestern mandolin he's building for me. Mesquite back and sides, redwood top, ironwood fingerboard, Arizona sycamore binding, turquoise rosette and dots. Patience, I keep telling myself.

----------

GarY Nava, 

Steve-o

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Wyatt,
For all the pictures taken, it is always amazing how that happens.  Crazy but true.
Steve

----------


## amowry

Some 'bursts.

----------

Avi Ziv, 

Ed Goist, 

GKWilson, 

hank, 

Mandobar, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Max Girouard, 

Mike Black, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve-o

----------


## wwwilkie

Thanks John, Andrew, Ron, Bill and Steve for all the kind comments.  I really appreciate it.  Love seeing all your great work on here.  
Wyatt

----------


## j. condino

> Some 'bursts.


 :Disbelief:  :Disbelief:  :Disbelief: 

A+ Andrew.

j.
www.condino.com

----------


## Mandobar

> Some 'bursts.


Ohh, mine is in there!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Beautiful 'bursts, Andrew!
Steve

----------


## Glassweb

Will "Big Wheel" Kimble has been working on a new, 2-point oval hole mandolin for me and he's just applied the stain. Here's an image as of yesterday...

----------

Ed Goist, 

GarY Nava, 

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Jim Garber, 

Mandobar, 

Marty Jacobson, 

rb3868, 

Steve-o

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Ready for strings.



Steve

----------

GarY Nava, 

Steve-o

----------


## Steve Sorensen

And now with strings attached - 

 

  

 

Steve

----------

Bigtuna, 

Bob Bronow, 

hank, 

Tommcgtx

----------


## rb3868

> Bill Bussman sent me this photo of the Southwestern mandolin he's building for me. Mesquite back and sides, redwood top, ironwood fingerboard, Arizona sycamore binding, turquoise rosette and dots. Patience, I keep telling myself.


I don't know how true it is, but I've heard that ironwood is a bear to work - but it looks great

----------


## rb3868

Just the inlay work would be daunting to me.  Steve, that looks amazing

----------


## John Kelly

This is a 2 point flatback I began last year in September then abandoned over the winter as other things took precedence.  have been working on it for the past 2 weeks and it is at the stage now of just needing the bridge and nut fitted and tailpiece added.
Top is spruce, back and sides mahogany (reclaimed) with a centre stripe of purpleheart and fingerboard is oak.  The tuners are Rubners.

----------

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Pete Jenner, 

Tommcgtx

----------


## billhay4

Nice, John,
I'd like to hear that one when you get it strung up.
Bill

----------


## Marty Jacobson

You been hanging out with Gary Nava, John?

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Pete Jenner

It look gorgeous John. Glad to see more people going with zero frets. It just makes sense.

----------


## John Kelly

Thanks, gents.  Got it strung up today and have been fine-tuning it this afternoon.  Hope to record something quick and will post it when I can.
Pete, I am a fan of zero frets (getting the string height correct at the nut is so much easier apart from the possible tonal benefits of always having the note coming from a fret).

----------


## John Kelly

A quick recording of the new mando. Done straight into Reaper with Red5 Mic and no effects.  The tune is "Nathaniel Gow's Lament for the Death of his Brother"!
Test of new Mando.mp3

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## John Kelly

Just remembered the widget for mp3s, so trying it here:


Your browser does not support the audio element.


Sorry, can't edit the post above so have to leave it there too.

----------


## Timothy S

This thread is endlessly enjoyable. I'm proud to say I'm going to have a Kimble F5 commissioned within the next month. Time will tell if I survive the wait. Will is an awesome guy, I hope to be able to share build photos with y'all!

----------


## Max Girouard

We got a really nice piece of birch that had sunk into Moosehead Lake in Maine between the years 1776 and 1800.  This piece is estimated to be around 600 years old so that puts this tree as a sapling about 40 years before Columbus set sail for America!  Here is a shot of the board, and the carved back.  Sides and neck will also be made with the same stock.  There is some really nice subtle figuring going on that will be more apparent once sanded and finished.  This one is being built for a local musician.

----------

Ben Cooper, 

bernabe, 

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Rush Burkhardt, 

Tommcgtx

----------


## Ben Cooper

And it looks fantastic!!!!

----------


## hank

Amazing piece of wood Max.  Wow! 600 years old.

----------

Ben Cooper, 

Max Girouard

----------


## Mark Marino

My Siminoff h-4 mandola kit.  Strung up in the white.  This is my second kit build and went far easier than my first.  Carefully graduated the top and backup near the thin end of the specs and it sounded great from the first note.  Gonna try to do a loar era sunburst on it.

----------

f5joe, 

GKWilson, 

hank, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Nice work, Mark!
Steve

----------


## hank

Very nice, Mark the headstock inlay choice shows your confidence.

----------


## GarY Nava

Hi Guys,
Im currently working on a double commission for a matching pair- an octave mandolin and a tenor mandola. You can see the progress so far.
Cheers Gary

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Max Girouard, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Dobe

Pancake was a pleasant surprise, and yet another Stella GBOM conversion:

----------

hank, 

Stephen Porter, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Chuck D

Here's the start of "Tailgate Mandolin"... since I'm building it on the tailgate of my truck.

----------


## Bill Snyder

See below. Posted twice.

----------


## Chuck D

really enjoyed your playing. you make it look easy.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

That's more than a start, Chuck! I see you are using maple (or cherry?) for the top and bracing, rather than spruce. You will get better tone from spruce in those applications due to its higher strength to weight ratio, but don't let me slow you down..... rock on.

----------


## Bill Snyder

Chuck is this your own design? You don't usually see bracing on the back of a mandolin like that. Am I correct that you are not done paring down the braces on front or back? Top and back both hard wood and flatsawn?

----------


## Chuck D

Bill, yes this is my own design. I put an x on the back to match the top because the bracing is curved and I wanted the top and back to have the same arch. I've chiseled them down as much as I feel comfortable with. The top and back are very thin, not carved and I want to strengthen them a bit.

----------


## Chuck D

Good eye Marty. That's cherry. I know everybody likes spruce but I like to be different. It has a very nice tap tone.

----------


## Steve Hinde

Winters coming. Ready for the next group. 
Tops and backs off of the duplicarver yesterday.

Steve

www.hindecustominstruments.com

----------


## Steve Hinde

Backs.

----------


## Chuck D

I'm glad Home Depot had a sale on clamps. .99ea  :Smile:

----------


## billhay4

That works. What's that wood?
Bill

----------


## Chuck D

It's Cherry. Back and sides.




> That works. What's that wood?
> Bill

----------


## billhay4

Nice piece of wood.
Bill

----------


## labraid

Hello all,

Here is a new Roman mandolin I am in the process of completing. 



Best wishes,

Brian

https://www.facebook.com/l4braid

----------

Avi Ziv, 

GKWilson, 

hank, 

j. condino, 

JEStanek, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner, 

sebastiaan56

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Stunning craftsmanship, Brian.
Steve

----------

labraid

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Hello all,
> 
> Here is a new Roman mandolin I am in the process of completing.


Ha - a friend of mine just posted that pic to my facebook page.

----------

labraid

----------


## Chuck D

Brian, very cool. Hope you post some more pics.

----------

labraid

----------


## billhay4

Brilliant, Bryan, but we expected that.
Bill

----------

labraid

----------


## Chuck D

Using a castor wheel attached to a 2X4 for a fence on my table router. Works great for binding around curves.




my workshop

----------


## Max Girouard

We were local wood shopping which doesn't usually turn up much, but found this nice piece of birch that was sunk in Moosehead lake in Maine.  Back in the day they would use the lake to transport logs and some of them would sink to the bottom.  There is a company called Dead Head Lumber that pulls them off the bottom.  The sunken logs are called dead heads.  Here is a link to their site:  http://deadheadlumbercompany.com/?page_id=6  NO FNI BTW,

We ended up purchasing the sinker birch and a local fellow was on the prowl for a new mandolin.  After visiting the shop and letting his son sand some instruments while we talked, he decided to go with the birch for a custom build.  It is really great being able to build a custom instrument for an individual you can meet in person and converse and become friends with.  

Here are a few teaser shots of the build as we shoot some sealer on it.  It will go into finishing tomorrow!

----------

Ben Cooper, 

GarY Nava, 

hank, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve-o

----------


## Ben Cooper

> We were local wood shopping which doesn't usually turn up much, but found this nice piece of birch that was sunk in Moosehead lake in Maine.  Back in the day they would use the lake to transport logs and some of them would sink to the bottom.  There is a company called Dead Head Lumber that pulls them off the bottom.  The sunken logs are called dead heads.  Here is a link to their site:  http://deadheadlumbercompany.com/?page_id=6  NO FNI BTW,
> 
> We ended up purchasing the sinker birch and a local fellow was on the prowl for a new mandolin.  After visiting the shop and letting his son sand some instruments while we talked, he decided to go with the birch for a custom build.  It is really great being able to build a custom instrument for an individual you can meet in person and converse and become friends with.  
> 
> Here are a few teaser shots of the build as we shoot some sealer on it.  It will go into finishing tomorrow!


Absolutely incredible!!  And she sounds as good as she looks!

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Max Girouard

Oh, and it is estimated that this piece of wood is between 560 and 600 years old!  We made the back sides and neck pieces out of it.

----------

Ben Cooper, 

cayuga red

----------


## Charles E.

Max, are you leaving a violin edge on that mandolin? If so, are you adding purfling?

----------


## Max Girouard

Charles,  it does look like violin edges in the photos now that I look at it.  The back and top are trimmed flush to the sides, but there is a radius carved into the edge.

----------

Ben Cooper, 

GarY Nava

----------


## amowry

Nice, Max!

----------

Ben Cooper, 

Max Girouard

----------


## Max Girouard

More wood from a galaxy far, far away.............

----------

Avi Ziv, 

Ben Cooper, 

hank, 

Happy gnome, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Randi Gormley, 

Sid Simpson, 

Steve-o

----------


## J.Sloan

> More wood from a galaxy far, far away.............


Absolutely stunning!! Beautiful work Max!

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## J.Sloan

An F5 & A5 under way! Ive only built one F5 so far, but I can say these A5's are so much easier on the nerves! ! I could get used to this!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Carving up a top and back for a guitar-bodied mandocello --

 

Gonna have a 25.5" scale.  For those times when you just need a Bigger Hammer.

Steve

----------

Avi Ziv, 

Bob Bronow, 

hank, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve-o

----------


## Chuck D

After a couple weeks of slacking I got back to work on Tailgate Mandolin. Today I installed the truss rod and the fretboard.
I'm building this from scratch using StewMac A-5 plans as a guide.

----------


## oldwave maker

Guitar shaped octave and parlor archtop guitar f holes, and you know you've sniffed too much acetone (or bound too many at one time) when the binding tape monster comes after you......

----------

amowry, 

GKWilson, 

Marty Jacobson, 

TheMandoKit

----------


## Charles E.

The binding tape monster! Hahahahaha. Thats too funny.

----------


## oldwave maker

Southwestern/northwestern style- curly redwood/mesquite, with arizona sycamore binding, ironwood fretboard, turquoise rosette. And a birdseye C# back with the most amazing eversharp scraper I've ever used, available at stewmac, and I think metropolitan or international violin is having a sale on them.

----------

Steve-o

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Southwestern/northwestern style- curly redwood/mesquite, with arizona sycamore binding, ironwood fretboard, turquoise rosette. And a birdseye C# back with the most amazing eversharp scraper I've ever used, available at stewmac, and I think metropolitan or international violin is having a sale on them.


Good idea on the fretboard locating pin.

----------


## Brly

Hi Folks,

First of all, I just have to say I love this thread.  I've looked through every single page.  Amazing work!
I'm right in the middle of my first build; first instrument ever and I decided to go the scratch built way.
Here's a few pictures of my progress.  I'm just finishing up the body binding now and then I'll move onto the peghead.  Binding, by far, has been the most challenging thing for me so far.  But, it's already getting easier.  
I'll get some better pictures eventually, just snapped a few with my cell phone for now.
Ben

----------


## billhay4

Brave man, to do an F on your first build. Looking good so far. Can't wait to see the finished product.
Bill

----------


## TheMandoKit

> Guitar shaped octave and parlor archtop guitar f holes, and you know you've sniffed too much acetone (or bound too many at one time) when the binding tape monster comes after you......


I know this is the "Mandolins in progress" thread, but I could do with a full pic of the parlor archtop guitar in progress. What a cool idea! Must have something to do with the binding tape monster . . .

----------


## Pete Jenner

Brly. Great looking work so far.

----------


## amowry

> Guitar shaped octave and parlor archtop guitar f holes, and you know you've sniffed too much acetone (or bound too many at one time) when the binding tape monster comes after you......


Thanks Bill- I'll be having nightmares for weeks now :Wink:

----------


## Brly

Bill, Pete,

Thanks.  I'm done with the body binding. It just didn't come out as good as I'd hoped.  Some of it is lack of experience, some is stupid mistakes.  Onto the peghead next.  Hope that goes better.

Ben

----------


## sebastiaan56

That's the attitude! The next one will be better! The quest for excellence is never ending.

When it's done and lots of people are going ooh ahhh.. You will understand that this is an internal journey. Keep aspiring!

----------


## oldwave maker

Ezra stopped in to spank the latest unfinished furniture made from 30 yrs in a tin shed in the desert Maine birdseye.

----------

hdismal, 

j. condino

----------


## oldwave maker

Mandokit- NMC- that parlor archtop, just 2 strings short of a full deck! made from the same Colorado Engelmann spruce and Vermont maple as many mandolins!

----------


## fhaz

If you don't mind, Bill, I'll add the link for #527 (also seen in post 7139 above). The pics and video have me feeling like a kid on the day before Christmas.

----------


## GarY Nava

Making progress with my matching Octave and Tenor. As you can see both of the instruments now have their necks and fretboards fitted and both have been fretted. The tenor’s neck has been roughly carved and will get its final shaping next week, whilst the octave’s is still square.
Cheers Gary

----------

Pete Jenner, 

wwwilkie

----------


## Pete Jenner

I can hear the music already Gary.



Here is my #3 hanging in the local music shop. If it doesn't sell before I get back from my travels, it will be a gift for my brother.

----------

GarY Nava, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Bill Snyder

Gary, what are the respective scale lengths on the octave and tenor?

----------


## GarY Nava

> Gary, what are the respective scale lengths on the octave and tenor?


Hi Bill,
The tenor is 434mm and the octave 546mm; as these two are commissions, the choice of scale was driven by a combination of the client’s need and my available fretting jigs.
Cheers Gary

----------


## Bill Snyder

For those of us that are not so enlightened as to use the metric system very often that would be just over 17 1/16" and just under 21 1/2". 
Another question. The octave is obviously one octave down from a mandolin's gdae but what you refer to as a tenor is it the same as what us yanks call a mandola at cgda, one fifth below a mandolin?

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Pete Jenner

A mandola is sometimes called a tenor mandola in the British isles Bill.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Bill Snyder

Thanks Peter. 
Being aware that the use of the name mandola denotes a different instrument in different parts of the world and Garry only said tenor I was just trying to confirm the tuning to satisfy my curiosity.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## GarY Nava

Hi Bill and Peter,
I think that you got the nomenclature sorted out between you.  So it’s tenor mandola  (UK) or mandola (USA) and an octave mandolin ( which of course some, in the UK, call an octave mandola!). Interestingly, the client who has commissioned these two is thinking of adding a bouzouki to the line-up….just to confuse things further!
Cheers Gary

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Rich Michaud

NEW DUDE TO BE-
I hope that this is the right topic to post a new mandolin in progress albeit not Darryl's. 
I am super excited about a new mando that Lynn Dudenbostel is making for me. Here is a picture of the front unfinished:

----------

JEStanek, 

Roin

----------


## Brly

Nice Dudenbostel.
More progress on #1.  Peghead bound and logo inlayed.  I don't think I'll do any other inlay on this one.  I'll save the pearl for the next one (and more).  Let me know what you think.


Thanks,
Ben

----------


## Marty Jacobson

It looks great.. though the stylized script is not very legible. Does it say "Qyne"?

----------


## Brly

Haha, no, it's "Lyne", my last name.
Guess I'll play some more with the lettering on the next one.

Thanks for the honesty,
Ben Lyne

----------


## billhay4

I thought it was a "T". But who needs to read it? You'll have a label inside wont' you?
Good job so far.
Bill

----------


## Bill Snyder

I thought it looked like Lyne but I can see how it could cause a bit of confusion. Sure looks like nice, clean work.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A little bit of fine-tuning on the drivetrain for the SXS prototype.  Swapped out the nut, bridge and tailpiece for this little hotrod . . .



Amazing how small, specifically targeted changes can help focus the horsepower on these sweet babies!

Steve

----------

Bob Bronow, 

GarY Nava, 

Happy gnome, 

j. condino, 

John Eischen, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## George R. Lane

Steve,
Is that a James tailpiece?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

George,
Yes.  Been waiting for this one -- love it!
Steve

----------


## oldwave maker

Nice redwood, Steve!
Thankful to live on a planet where curly maple grows, always reminded of that when the stain and shellac sealer coats are finally on......

----------

Mike Black, 

Randolph, 

sebastiaan56, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## oldwave maker

Most of todays stain and seal, that 40 yrs in a tin shed birdseye cleans up nice:

----------

Randolph, 

Steve-o

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Dang, Bill, THAT is birdseye ! ! !  Lovely bookmatch pattern!
Steve

----------


## Ron McMillan

> A little bit of fine-tuning on the drivetrain for the SXS prototype.  Swapped out the nut, bridge and tailpiece for this little hotrod . . .



I love this and really respect how you are successfully reinterpreting the F5 design, instead of slavishly following it the way most makers do.

----------


## P Josey

A photo of my latest mandolin build.  All the goodies...hide glue, red spruce top, hard sugar maple back, sides,and neck. Cumberland Acoustic Bridge, Engraved James Tailpiece,Spirit Varnish finish. With matching colors in the background. :Smile:

----------

GKWilson, 

Jonathan James, 

Rush Burkhardt, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Skip Kelley

There is alot of great work on here!! Nice work guys!!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Brly

I'm back again.  Here it is in the white, should have it strung up tonight if everything goes ok.  Let me know what you think.  Please ignore the filthy bench.... 

Thanks! 





Ben

----------

Jonathan James

----------


## Steve-o

> I'm back again.  Here it is in the white, should have it strung up tonight if everything goes ok.  Let me know what you think.  Please ignore the filthy bench.... 
> 
> Thanks! 
> 
> Ben


That's your first build?  Nice!

----------


## Bill Snyder

Now comes the hard part, putting a finish on it.  :Smile:

----------


## Charles E.

> A photo of my latest mandolin build.  All the goodies...hide glue, red spruce top, hard sugar maple back, sides,and neck. Cumberland Acoustic Bridge, Engraved James Tailpiece,Spirit Varnish finish. With matching colors in the background.


Beautiful mandolin! I see that it was custom ordered for "Thing" from the Adams Family.   :Wink:

----------


## Brly

I'm looking forward to finishing actually, although that might change once I actually get to doing the work.  
I have one small problem that I haven't decided on yet.  I have transtint dyes and intended to mix with alcohol, rather than water, to avoid raising the grain.  But I will also be trying a spirit varnish finish, and I have no spray equipment.  So my worry is that I'll smear the dyes when I brush on the varnish.  I've read mixed opinions regarding spraying a laquer coat on before varnish and I don't want to take any chances.  Also read about using a can of the spray shellac sealer, but that got mixed reviews also.  The easiest way to go is to just mix my dyes with water and deal with raising the grain.  I'll try it on some scrap peices and see what happens.

Thanks,
Ben

----------


## P Josey

:Smile:

----------


## GarY Nava

Hi Guys,
Some more progress with my mandola and octave mandolin. That's all the construction done- bridges and tailpieces next!
Cheers Gary

----------

Jake Wildwood, 

Jim Nollman, 

Rush Burkhardt, 

Steve-o, 

wwwilkie

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Finished up ebony binding on this guitar-bodied mandocello.  Can't wait to hear strings on this one!

  

Steve

----------

GarY Nava, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Marty Jacobson

That is very attractive, Steve. Well done.

----------


## oldwave maker

Cool F holes Steve!
Last stringups for Santa's workshop this season- f holer has engelmann spruce/birdseye
ovalhole is curly redwood/quilted maple

----------

Lord of the Badgers, 

Steve-o

----------


## Pete Jenner

You are all doing  very well. Keep calm and carry on.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

They may be fewer and farther between but they're still comin'.
Been smelling the flowers lately although last week it was raking the leaves.

----------

Larry S Sherman, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Steve Sorensen, 

Steve-o

----------


## Don Grieser

Looking mighty fine, Jim.

Love the 2 points, Bill.

----------


## Jake Wildwood

> Finished up ebony binding on this guitar-bodied mandocello.  Can't wait to hear strings on this one!


I love me them f-holes.

----------


## GarY Nava

Here are the last few components for my mandola and octave mandolin build. The bridges have removable bone saddles.
Those with keen eyes will notice that although the tailpieces look similar, the octaves is slightly longer in both directions. For the side that anchors the tailpiece, this is entirely aesthetic and for the string side, this is to reduce the amount of open string between the saddle and tailpiece. Both the nuts are bone too.
Cheers Gary

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Max Girouard, 

Pete Jenner, 

wwwilkie

----------


## cayuga red

> Here are the last few components for my mandola and octave mandolin build. The bridges have removable bone saddles.
> Those with keen eyes will notice that although the tailpieces look similar, the octave’s is slightly longer in both directions. For the side that anchors the tailpiece, this is entirely aesthetic and for the string side, this is to reduce the amount of open string between the saddle and tailpiece. Both the nuts are bone too.
> Cheers Gary


Gary - Your work is nothing short of exquisite.  Thanks for posting!

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A little block inlay action for a Pacifica . . . keeping with the aquatic theme --

 

Steve

----------

Bob Clark, 

GKWilson, 

hank, 

j. condino, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve-o

----------


## Chris Oliver

I finished a little mando this weekend. It turned out pretty good. Sitka top, black walnut back/sides, walnut/maple 3 piece neck with CF core, African blackwood fretboard and headstock veneer, macassar ebony back veneer, African blackwood bridge, MOP nut, curly maple bindings with some end grain purfling with shell mixed in, all hide glued and hand rubbed finish.  It has a great tone and with volume. I was really surprised by the sustain.

      

I put together a little medley in D. I couldn't get it uploaded to youtube but I think this link will get you there on fb:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=2&theater

----------

Cheryl Watson

----------


## billhay4

> It turned out pretty good.


I'd say.
Bill

----------

Chris Oliver

----------


## roberto216

Beautiful work on those Old Waves! I like the aesthetic of the two point with the simple headstock shape. The f-style scroll is too ornate and delicate for my taste.

----------


## Charles E.

Chris, that is a stunning mandolin. Your top carving in the head block area, at the end of the fingerboard, is quite something. I don't think I have seen anything like it.

----------

Chris Oliver

----------


## Chris Oliver

Thanks Charley, I borrowed that profile from Graham McDonald, although, there are several changes in the bracing.

----------


## Chris Oliver

Thanks Charley, I borrowed that profile from Graham McDonald, although, there are several changes in the bracing.

----------


## Chris Oliver

I think that link above to the video on fb doesn't work properly if you are no already logged in to fb. Here is another link that will hopefully work for those not using fb.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...ages_video_set

----------


## TDMpicker

My second F5 is coming along. I've been building Army/Navy style for a couple years.
Raw plates from Dave Smith @ Smith Creek Mandolins.

----------

hank, 

lauri Girouard

----------


## lauri Girouard

I am always amazed at what nature offers up to us for carving mandolins.   Well,  I guess it was actually Spruce Bruce.     :Wink:

----------

Ben Cooper, 

GarY Nava, 

Pete Jenner, 

sebastiaan56, 

Sid Simpson

----------


## Max Girouard

Nice score at the local saw mill, blister maple destined to become a guitar bodied octave mandolin prototype.......

----------

sebastiaan56

----------


## oldwave maker

Stained and shellac sealed backs of those C sharpies:

----------

j. condino, 

Randolph, 

Steve-o

----------


## fhaz

Bill Bussmann sent me pics of my almost-ready-to-deliver mando today. I could not be more pleased. Redwood top, mesquite back and sides, ironwood fretboard, turquoise inlay. I told my wife she can put a bow on it and save herself all that time in a mall.

----------

Jim Garber, 

roberto216, 

Steve-o

----------


## Kip Carter

Truly lovely!  Lucky man you are!
Kip...

----------

fhaz

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Ready for frets and bringing the pieces together on this Sorensen _Big Hammer_ guitar-bodied mandocello.

  

1-1/2" Nut width
25-3/8" Scale
Ebony binding and fingerboard on Curly Maple neck, back and sides.

Steve

----------

hank, 

Tommcgtx

----------


## Graham McDonald

> Thanks Charley, I borrowed that profile from Graham McDonald, although, there are several changes in the bracing.


And I adopted that carving approach from Steven Owsley Smith  :Smile:

----------

hank, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Kip Carter

Steve, your art/work is nothing short of breathtaking! 
Kip...

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## GarY Nava

Here are the beginnings of the next two mandolins; I like to prepare my wood and leave it for awhile before working on it.
We have bubinga and red spruce for one and English walnut and Western red cedar for the other.
Cheers Gary

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Rush Burkhardt, 

Steve-o

----------


## rb3868

> Cool F holes Steve!
> Last stringups for Santa's workshop this season- f holer has engelmann spruce/birdseye
> ovalhole is curly redwood/quilted maple


I want them both

----------


## rb3868

Steve, those "aquatic theme" inlays look almost like Paua shell

----------


## sunburst

> ...English walnut and Western red cedar for the other...


Never tired it for a mandolin, but one of my favorite combinations for guitar is walnut and cedar.

----------


## Lord of the Badgers

> Cool F holes Steve!
> Last stringups for Santa's workshop this season- f holer has engelmann spruce/birdseye
> ovalhole is curly redwood/quilted maple


those are lovely!

----------


## GarY Nava

> Never tired it for a mandolin, but one of my favorite combinations for guitar is walnut and cedar.


Have to agree with you there John!

----------


## Michael Bridges

Gary, those pieces are beautiful. Can't wait to see what they look like when they come together and make music!

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## roberto216

Gary,

Are the spruce and cedar the same thickness? I thought, at least for carved tops, that cedar is usually slightly thicker.

----------


## GarY Nava

> Gary,
> 
> Are the spruce and cedar the same thickness? I thought, at least for carved tops, that cedar is usually slightly thicker.


They will both be around 3mm, but the cedar one will have stiffer bracing.
Cheers Gary

----------


## Lord of the Badgers

Well here's the first fortnight of my new one, being built by Phil Davidson



I know it's early days... but it is all very exciting

----------


## Geoff B

I'm not sure the last time I posted here, but it's been a while!  Currently I am working on 2 tenor ukes and 2 F-style mandos...

----------

cayuga red

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Sure is exciting when the big pieces start to come together.  Final check of dovetail fit and neck alignment before setting the neck --

 

Steve

----------

Kip Carter, 

Lord of the Badgers

----------


## GarY Nava

You can imagine my surprise when I walked into the workshop this morning and found these guys hard at it!

Merry Christmas!
Cheers Gary

----------

cayuga red, 

Pete Jenner, 

rb3868, 

Rush Burkhardt, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Lord of the Badgers

StevenS that's a real nice shape there, and I'm not a big fan of F style! Wow!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Jake Wildwood

> Bill Bussmann sent me pics of my almost-ready-to-deliver mando today. I could not be more pleased. Redwood top, mesquite back and sides, ironwood fretboard, turquoise inlay. I told my wife she can put a bow on it and save herself all that time in a mall.


Ah, man, the colors on that sucker me in. What a treat!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice job to all the good work demonstrated on this thread!
Here are two pictures of an A I am finishing. The back is some quilt I have been saving for the right mandolin and this is it. To quote the incredibly talented and funny Bill Bussman, "I am grateful to live on a planet that has this wood!"The top is a one piece California redwood from Bruce. I have been wanting to do a blonde for some time.

----------

Rush Burkhardt, 

sebastiaan56, 

Steve-o

----------


## billhay4

Nice, Skip. 
Bill

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Skip, 
Really tasteful and elegant.  Looks more like a redhead than a blonde!
Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Thanks guys! Steve, you are right! Maybe I should call it a strawberry blonde! :Smile:

----------


## Markelberry

that is gorgeous!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Gluing and glued.

 

 



Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, nice work! I love the block inlays!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Pete Jenner

> You can imagine my surprise when I walked into the workshop this morning and found these guys hard at it!
> 
> Merry Christmas!
> Cheers Gary


It seems you'll get that Uke finished after all Gary.  :Wink:  Merry Christmas from jolly Éire.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Lord of the Badgers

More bits of wood....
*excited dance*

I don't know how long it'll all take - but nice progress from Phil  :Smile:

----------


## Brly

As always, I'm humbled by the work I see here.  I posted some photos awhile ago of my first build.  I finally got it finished up last week.  It's loud and has good tone (IMHO) and plays well.  I learned an awful lot building this one and should be able to make some noticeable differences in the next.  This was the first time I've used shellac. Learned an awful lot about that too!  Anyway, it's far from perfect, but I'm happy with it.  Can't wait to get started on the next (going to pick up a whole bunch of nice maple today!).
There are a lot of small cosmetic issues, but let me know if you see something that jumps out.
Thanks for everyone's help!

----------

Pete Jenner, 

Rush Burkhardt, 

sebastiaan56, 

Steve Sorensen, 

Tommcgtx

----------


## Brly

Oh, almost forgot, my Dad braided the strap from Kangaroo leather.  Has a flat section for the shoulder area and the rest is round braid. It's a dandy!

----------

JEStanek

----------


## JEStanek

Great work there.  Some nice looking tonewoods to boot!

Jamie

----------


## amowry

Some more koa...

----------

GKWilson

----------


## Don Grieser

Oh, my...that's a bit of an understatement.  :Disbelief: 




> Some more koa...

----------

hank

----------


## rb3868

> As always, I'm humbled by the work I see here.  I posted some photos awhile ago of my first build.  I finally got it finished up last week.  It's loud and has good tone (IMHO) and plays well.  I learned an awful lot building this one and should be able to make some noticeable differences in the next.  This was the first time I've used shellac. Learned an awful lot about that too!  Anyway, it's far from perfect, but I'm happy with it.  Can't wait to get started on the next (going to pick up a whole bunch of nice maple today!).


that's your first???

i'm certainly no expert, but it looks great to me. The finish somehow looks old and new at the same time

----------


## billhay4

> Some more koa...


Check out Andrew's Facebook page for more pictures of this lovely instrument. I'd like to see the other two in the set.
Bill

----------


## oldwave maker

My jaw continually drops seeing the 'fine' art of Steve, Andrew, Brian, Jim, and others.
Some 'folk' art finally heading  up the Hudson river:

----------

rb3868, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## GarY Nava

> Some more koa...


This looks an interesting one; look forward to seeing it complete!
Cheers Gary

----------


## Jim Garber

> My jaw continually drops seeing the 'fine' art of Steve, Andrew, Brian, Jim, and others.
> Some 'folk' art finally heading  up the Hudson river:


Hudson River... Hey, Bill, that might be my neighborhood... or a few hours away.

----------


## oldwave maker

Jim- its headed to Ira in Beacon.
 You know one might be going to an archeoastronomer when he requests a chacoan moonspiral petroglyph on the peghead:

----------


## Jim Garber

> Jim- its headed to Ira in Beacon.
>  You know one might be going to an archeoastronomer when he requests a chacoan moonspiral petroglyph on the peghead:


Ah, great... that means I may get to see and play it. I may order a Polar Vortex model from you one day when it warms up here.

----------


## Max Girouard

Really nice work everyone.  This page is always a source of inspiration!

Decided to design a new Fleur de lis for a couple of our mandolins.  This is cut out of mop shell and is not wire.  Cut not by human hands but a robot that lives in a corner of the shop that I spent quite a bit of time convincing to cut these pieces for me while I was hand graduating some cedar octave mando plates.

----------

Galileo

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Nice work, Max. Break any cutters? :-)

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Pete Jenner

Don't sneeze Max!

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Max Girouard

> Nice work, Max. Break any cutters? :-)


Thanks Marty!  

I actually was able to use cutters that I'd spent quite a bit of time dialing in a sweet spot for on both the shell cutter and the inlay cutter which is actually a fret cutter from precise bits.  I think I've been using the same shell cutter for the last 20ish script inlays.  Finally paying off after two years of breaking $20 bits every other job!!!

----------

amowry

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Yeah, I hear you. I used to break two on each inlay, and now they actually get dull.

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## oldwave maker

Working on a new flu cure based on inhalation of steam emanating from superheated thin slats of maple- tried birdseye, quilted, and flamed so far, none seem to be working.......

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Bill,
Try a quick swill of Everclear + Ultrablonde Shellac + Sandarac!  It'll seal up what ails ya!
Steve

----------

hank

----------


## roberto216

Really nice on those Old Waves! I like the shape of those f-holes.  Flat board on the upper and radiused on the lower?

----------


## bernabe

Tryin' to finish up a few

----------


## GarY Nava

OK, its not a mandolin but a guitar! But I thought some of my fellow mandolin aficionados would appreciate the shape/construction!
Cheers Gary

----------

Jim Garber, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## billhay4

Very cool, Gary.
Bill

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Bridge-building.



Steve

----------

billhay4, 

Bob Bronow

----------


## Pete Jenner

That's a pretty sexy instrument Steve. Octave?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

25-5/8" scale mandocello.
Steve

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## GarY Nava

Some really nice details there.
Cheers Gary


> Bridge-building.
> 
> 
> 
> Steve

----------


## Kip Carter

As usual Steve you consistently impress me with your artistry. One day I will will own a Sorensen. One day!   Come on lotto!!
Kip!!

----------


## Jake Wildwood

> OK, it’s not a mandolin but a guitar! But I thought some of my fellow mandolin aficionados would appreciate the shape/construction!
> Cheers Gary


That looks "sharp" in more than one way... :D

----------

GarY Nava, 

hank

----------


## yankees1

> OK, it’s not a mandolin but a guitar! But I thought some of my fellow mandolin aficionados would appreciate the shape/construction!
> Cheers Gary


 Cool ! You must be rubbing shoulders with Bill Bussman !  :Smile:

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Mandoborg

Show a close-up of that headstock Steve !! Hubba-Hubba !!!!   :Wink:

----------


## oldwave maker

Engelmann excavation. As Wayne Henderson said, just cut away everything thats not a mandolin! or octave.......

----------

amowry, 

Charles E., 

hank, 

Steve-o

----------


## amowry

We all know there are alien life forms in the New Mexico desert, but who knew they were luthiers?

...and who knew they make googly eyes that big?!!

----------


## billhay4

Some antlers on that one.
Bill

----------


## Jim Garber

> OK, it’s not a mandolin but a guitar! But I thought some of my fellow mandolin aficionados would appreciate the shape/construction!
> Cheers Gary


Yikes. I would have to wear goggles and protective headgear to prevent injury while playing! Very cool, Gary!

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Mandoborg

How'd you get your hands on my Halloween costume from last year ?? And how'd you get the fake blood off the apron ??  

Bill your a nut, and we all love you for it !!!!

Your posts always keep everyone from tacking this stuff all too serious !!!!

----------


## sunburst

> We all know there are alien life forms in the New Mexico desert, but who knew they were luthiers?


I thought everyone knew lutheirs were alien life forms.

----------


## sunburst

...and while I'm here anyway, and despite the title of this thread containing the word "progress", and despite this thing fighting me tooth and nail to ever get finished, and despite the winter weather causing all manor of finish problems, I guess there has been some marginal progress on this tenor guitar.

----------


## oldwave maker

Mando top carving seems to go easier when you warm up on a mandycello top

----------


## D18dave

Currently working on a three point mandolin.

----------


## Dan Douris

My 2nd attempt at an A-style mando. More wood on the way so stay tuned. Before and after pics. Still need a few more coats on this one.

----------


## Austin Clark

However tedious scraping ff hole binding can be, I love the reveal!

----------


## Dan of SC

Darryl, where did you find that awesome piece of maple for the back? Do you know what species it is? I'm in Greer SC, so we're practically neighbors.   Danny Gray

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

> Darryl, where did you find that awesome piece of maple for the back? Do you know what species it is? I'm in Greer SC, so we're practically neighbors.   Danny Gray


I really do not remember.  I got it off ebay long ago when wood was dirt cheap on there

----------


## Larry Simonson

I have started my 2nd 'from scratch' mandolin. If the photo posting works you will see that it is an asymmetric 2 pointer.  Just ordered the neck wood today from Hill Mandolins. Back and belly are from Spruce.

----------


## Charles E.

> ...and while I'm here anyway, and despite the title of this thread containing the word "progress", and despite this thing fighting me tooth and nail to ever get finished, and despite the winter weather causing all manor of finish problems, I guess there has been some marginal progress on this tenor guitar.


John, that looks really nice, what model is it? Or is it your own design?

----------


## oldwave maker

Always fun to finally get sealer coats on toys on a planet where maple trees have gone forth and multiplied!

----------

lauri Girouard, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## sunburst

> John, that looks really nice, what model is it? Or is it your own design?


Thanks. It's the size and shape of a Martin 0. I took the snap shot too close to the subject, so the shape is somewhat distorted in the photo.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Yeah it looks like the bouts are 'bout the same size.

----------


## lauri Girouard

I just stained David Surette's new mandolin to look like an old Gibson pumpkin top.   I photoshopped a Gibson for comparison.  It still rough and hasn't been buffed yet.     Max used a modern voicing compared to our standard model.   A bit more emphasis on the bass and midrange without any loss on the high end.

----------

Ben Cooper, 

j. condino, 

Mike Black, 

roberto216

----------


## sunburst

What did you end up using for the pumpkin color? It looks pretty authentic in the picture!

EDIT
Oh, just noticed the PM. Thanks for the info!

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Pete Jenner

> What did you end up using for the pumpkin color? It looks pretty authentic in the picture!


Curry powder.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Just sealed up "Big Red" -- a fun Sprite Two-Point build for an adventurous 84 year-old who picked up mandolin at 82 . . . and sure knows how to stay plucky!

 

Steve

----------


## Vernon Hughes

My latest A-5 build with the top done in an "organic textural rendering" aka camo. I posted a crummy vid on youtube,hope to get a better quality studio sound recording done this week. It's not really representative of how it sounds in person but you get the idea. It's been strung up for 4 days now and I played it on our set at the spbgma convention in nashville saturday evening. I was happy how it came across the PA system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwqwU...ature=youtu.be

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Sure is nice to see 'em with the binding cleaned-up and varnish going on!

 

Steve

----------


## John Eischen

Yeah man!

----------


## Lord of the Badgers

So wanna show you mine... but you have to wait ! the headstock inlay is done by the looks of a small pic. Have a think what it is if you don't know already!

----------


## rb3868

> My latest A-5 build with the top done in an "organic textural rendering" aka camo. I posted a crummy vid on youtube,hope to get a better quality studio sound recording done this week. It's not really representative of how it sounds in person but you get the idea. It's been strung up for 4 days now and I played it on our set at the spbgma convention in nashville saturday evening. I was happy how it came across the PA system.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwqwU...ature=youtu.be


That is very cool looking. I love it when builders do unique finishes

----------

Vernon Hughes

----------


## rb3868

> Currently working on a three point mandolin.


very nice

----------


## D18dave

> very nice


Thanks!   I took some styling cues from Mario Proulx and Steve Sorensen.   Hope they don't mind too much.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

We took this baby out for a test-drive in the white last night.  You might have felt the rumble . . .



Steve

----------

billhay4, 

jasona, 

Steve-o

----------


## Steve-o

Wow, that's a beauty Steven.  Have you done any octaves or zouks in that style?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Steve-o  - Not yet . . .
Steve

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's my latest.

----------

jasona, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## GKWilson

That's sweet as nectar Jim.

----------


## Kip Carter

Beautiful!!
Kip..

----------


## Don Grieser

Amazing inlay, Jim! Wow!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, that is one killer looking octave!

Jim, love the hummingbird and flower inlay!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Lord of the Badgers

Shiny wood thanks to Mr Davidson... she's on her way  :Smile:

----------


## Kruno Glas

Collage about whats going on in my little workshop at the moment. One flat back and two german bowlbacks.



www.glasguitars.com

----------

billhay4

----------


## bernabe

first coats of varnish

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Looking stunning . . . as usual, James!  

Steve

----------

bernabe

----------


## bernabe

Thanks, Steve. I always enjoy lookin' at your work.

----------


## Skip Kelley

James, that's a fine looking pair of F5's! Nice work!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Starting to put down a little color on this "Big Hammer" mandocello . . . 



Steve

----------


## Kip Carter

Sir you amaze me!
Kip...

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## bernabe

Just brushed the first coat on this one

----------


## Steve Sorensen

I'll admit, I am embarrassingly proud of how this one is coming together -- 

 

Steve

----------

Denman John, 

hank, 

John Eischen, 

Lord of the Badgers, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner, 

sebastiaan56, 

Steve-o

----------


## sebastiaan56

Fair enough too Steve!

----------


## Kip Carter

> I'll admit, I am embarrassingly proud of how this one is coming together -- 
> 
>  
> 
> Steve


Steve, that is nothing short of beautiful!!! Both images are gorgeous. Same one? cuz I love the wight on black over the right one.  But that is just me.  Both images are stunning.
Kip...

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Kip,
Same mando before and after staining.
Steve

----------


## Kip Carter

Count me odd... I prefer the unstained version ... <sigh>  Still both are awesome.
Kip...

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's a perfectly cut f hole ready to go.

----------


## Andy Miller

> Here's a perfectly cut f hole ready to go.


Nice - I see you're using tone facets in your f-holes these days - most premium.

----------


## Mandolindian

> I'll admit, I am embarrassingly proud of how this one is coming together -- 
> 
>  
> 
> Steve


You sure deserve to be!

----------


## Ken

Steve, a gorgeous mandolin, and a piece of fine art.

----------


## Lord of the Badgers

Update on my mandolin's progress with Phil Davidson. 
Engraving by another Phil. Duffil, this time. Prior to plating.

----------

sebastiaan56, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Geoff B

Badger that is some impressive engraving!  I am envious of that skill set.
Steve and James, holy cow, you guys are doing great!

I have to say I am very motivated by the intense curl in these sides that I bent tonight and didn't screw up...

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Geoff,
That kind of curl is easy to crack and hard to replace.  Well done!  You know that we all have kindling piles from the bits that didn't make the bend.
Steve

----------

Geoff B

----------


## Geoff B

Indeed.  Lucky for me it is just an A-style based off a teens Gibson.

----------


## HoGo

> Here's a perfectly cut f hole ready to go.


Jim, I see you have a well trained beaver for apprentice there LOL!

----------


## Rob Beck

> Update on my mandolin's progress with Phil Davidson. 
> Engraving by another Phil. Duffil, this time. Prior to plating.


Correct me if I'm wrong Lord Badger, but that looks like a Great Western Railway logo engraved on your tailpiece! (I'm not a railway fanatic by the way, just a commuter!)

----------


## Lord of the Badgers

yup  :Smile:  it's gonna be green burst too

----------

Rob Beck

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I thought I had it on that f hole but I found room for improvement.

----------

Steve-o

----------


## Pete Jenner

Very good Jim. Is that just a B/W purfling you have lined it with or something more complicated?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

It's .09 pre-lam ivoroid although I thinned the outer white part a bit or it just looks too big in the f holes.
I made a template to cut the f holes but it sizes them for no binding. So the first picture I posted was from when I was slowly enlarging the opening to accommodate the binding.

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Eric Hanson

Steve and Jim,
  Works of art! Both of you deserve high praise. 
Thank you for sharing!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Some variations on the "sunburst" theme currently getting lots of TLC --

 

 

 

Steve

----------

hank, 

Jan Viljoen, 

Ken Olmstead, 

Pete Jenner, 

Tommcgtx

----------


## lauri Girouard

I found this incredible piece of figured walnut last summer at a local lumberyard.    It took us a while to get it going but here it is heading into finishing with just a seal coat applied.    I decided that a black top would be the best to bring out the beauty of the walnut.  We used a red maple neck with it and it took quite a few test pieces to get the stain to match the color of the walnut.   I have some  black Grover tuners that Rolfe Gerhardt modified to go with it.   We named this mandolin "The Espresso Bean".  I  fell in love with the sound of it when  it was strung up in the white.

----------

Bob Clark, 

GKWilson, 

hank, 

Jim Garber, 

Ken Olmstead, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve-o

----------


## shortymack

> Some variations on the "sunburst" theme currently getting lots of TLC --
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Steve


Steve, your aquaburst( is that what its called? ) is amazing. It looks like a wahoo that was transformed into an instrument as if its alive.

Gorgeous, simply gorgeous, love them all but _that_ is a thing of sheer beauty.

----------


## Ken Olmstead

> Some variations on the "sunburst" theme currently getting lots of TLC --
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Steve





> I found this incredible piece of figured walnut last summer at a local lumberyard.    It took us a while to get it going but here it is heading into finishing with just a seal coat applied.    I decided that a black top would be the best to bring out the beauty of the walnut.  We used a red maple neck with it and it took quite a few test pieces to get the stain to match the color of the walnut.   I have some  black Grover tuners that Rolfe Gerhardt modified to go with it.   We named this mandolin "The Espresso Bean".  I  fell in love with the sound of it when  it was strung up in the white.


OMG!! Those are all insanely beautiful!! "The Espresso Bean" is the only name for that mandolin! Incredible you guys!!!!

----------


## Kip Carter

Steve!!! Ooooh My Irish eyes are smiling... Love this green lady!!
Kip...




> Some variations on the "sunburst" theme currently getting lots of TLC --
> 
> 
> 
> Steve

----------


## Pete Jenner

Excellent - it's on again. Those involved know what I'm talking about.  :Wink:

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Jim Garber

> I found this incredible piece of figured walnut last summer at a local lumberyard.    It took us a while to get it going but here it is heading into finishing with just a seal coat applied.    I decided that a black top would be the best to bring out the beauty of the walnut.  We used a red maple neck with it and it took quite a few test pieces to get the stain to match the color of the walnut.   I have some  black Grover tuners that Rolfe Gerhardt modified to go with it.   We named this mandolin "The Espresso Bean".  I  fell in love with the sound of it when  it was strung up in the white.


Walnut is one of the woods I would love to have in a mandolin. Not too common. That is beautiful, Lauri.

----------


## lauri Girouard

> Walnut is one of the woods I would love to have in a mandolin. Not too common. That is beautiful, Lauri.


Thanks Jim,  I finally have MAS after hearing this one.     I thought I was immune.

----------


## Jim Garber

> Thanks Jim,  I finally have MAS after hearing this one.     I thought I was immune.


So, are you keeping it for yourself?

----------


## hank

Lauri I'm still amazed at the huge differences in feel, response, sustain, tone and volume of these little instruments.  About the time I think I've got a fairly good grip on what to expect when trying out new instruments(basic design and woods used)I pick up one that just seems to defy my expectations. Could you elaborate on the qualities you find reinfecting you with the dreaded MAS virus?
  My friends that play mountain dulcimer love the rich thick tone of walnut to compliment their other dulcimer playing friends with the more crisp and aggressive maple or cherry tone.  Fat Daddy has a Cohen C  with redwood and walnut backing that really sparks my interest as well.  I seem to remember Skip Kelly building a customer ordered deep bodied walnut rib and back F-5.  I bet that one's a hoot too.  Are there any of you Cafe members out there that can chime in on that one or their experience with walnut as a tone wood?

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Steve Sorensen

For Pete - 

 

Steve

----------

John Eischen, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve-o

----------


## BlueMt.

> Lauri I'm still amazed at the huge differences in feel, response, sustain, tone and volume of these little instruments.  About the time I think I've got a fairly good grip on what to expect when trying out new instruments(basic design and woods used)I pick up one that just seems to defy my expectations. Could you elaborate on the qualities you find reinfecting you with the dreaded MAS virus?
>   My friends that play mountain dulcimer love the rich thick tone of walnut to compliment their other dulcimer playing friends with the more crisp and aggressive maple or cherry tone.  Fat Daddy has a Cohen C  with redwood and walnut backing that really sparks my interest as well.  I seem to remember Skip Kelly building a customer ordered deep bodied walnut rib and back F-5.  I bet that one's a hoot too.  Are there any of you Cafe members out there that can chime in on that one or their experience with walnut as a tone wood?


Hank,  I don't have a walnut mandolin but I do have an Evergreen Mt. walnut /cedar guitar and a walnut / spruce Lazy River Weissenborn.  Both sound great with the walnut warming up the sound as compared to the more traditional examples I've owned.

----------

hank, 

lauri Girouard

----------


## lauri Girouard

I won't be keeping it for myself. It was planned to make it's debut at the March Mandolin Festival this weekend and to then send off into the world for someone to enjoy.    As for the sound,  I will be able to give more of a review once it is strung up and set up tomorrow.   When I heard it strung up in the white I noticed it had a little something extra that I liked every much, especially in the mid range.   This piece was black walnut and native to New England.  When Max first started building, we used some nice claro walnut but I don't remember it sounding as nice but I think my ears are more trained at this point.   I hope to do more work with it in the future.  I think it is an exceptional tonewood.  I also had a dulcimer  made from  it years ago.

----------


## oldwave maker

The only email message I ever got from the legendary Charlie Derrington was a request years ago that I quit using the Gibson flowerpot peghead inlay on my mandos, since their legal advisor had determined that it was a proprietary design. My very next peghead had an arizona pipestone flowerpot like this fresh one. Alas, this one does not feature the cryptic message  to Henry J on the pot rim!

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Ken Olmstead

> The only email message I ever got from the legendary Charlie Derrington was a request years ago that I quit using the Gibson flowerpot peghead inlay on my mandos, since their legal advisor had determined that it was a proprietary design. My very next peghead had an arizona pipestone flowerpot like this fresh one. Alas, this one does not feature the cryptic message  to Henry J on the pot rim!


Now THATS a flower pot! Classic!  :Smile:

----------


## Pete Jenner

> The only email message I ever got from the legendary Charlie Derrington was a request years ago that I quit using the Gibson flowerpot peghead inlay on my mandos, since their legal advisor had determined that it was a proprietary design. My very next peghead had an arizona pipestone flowerpot like this fresh one. Alas, this one does not feature the cryptic message  to Henry J on the pot rim!


At last! A flower pot that looks like a flower pot.

----------

sgrexa

----------


## GarY Nava

Here's a rosette that I've just completed. Hope you like it!
More details about how I made it on my blog. http://guitar-maker.blogspot.co.uk/2...te-design.html

Cheers Gary

----------

hank

----------


## billhay4

Nice, Gary, and nice blog article.
Bill

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Larry Simonson

A little progress.  I decided that the top above was too thuddy and that I had carved it too thin in places so I made a new top that for whatever reason is much more "ringy".  I have no idea if that is important but it seemed to me it was.   I now have glued it to the rim and trimmed the edges.  Next I will cut a neck notch (Siminoff joint) and begin working on the neck.

----------


## Lord of the Badgers

And here's the final shots before the bridge & first stringing....

Nearly in my... er... paws... 

and...

----------


## Kip Carter

> 


I love that tail piece!
Kip...

----------

Lord of the Badgers

----------


## Lord of the Badgers

done by a gun engraver from Birmingham (UK) called Phil Duffill, Kip. It's sort of a nod to my Dad's love of slaughtering pheasants  :Smile:  Dad's main gun is beautifully engraved too, and almost certainly from Birmingham. Shame Dad's unable to use it now in his advanced years.

----------


## oldwave maker

Lutz F4 on Engelmann cello, waiting on cello rosette spec, but ready for more cello shots!

----------

hank

----------


## oldwave maker

Things start to flow once that F5 obstruction is passed. Colorado engelmann/birdseye 16" scale 4 string guidola-thing w/armstrong pickup, Soldier Mtn Idaho engelmann/curly map A5, Co engelmann/birdseye A4 with ironwood appointments and turquoise rosette:

----------

hank, 

Jim Garber, 

Jim Nollman, 

Max Girouard

----------


## Magnus Geijer

The current batch of oddballs.
Will be four-stringers too, just to really limit the market.

----------

hank, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Max Girouard

----------


## GKWilson

Hey Bill. Just saw a video of Ted Eschliman playing one of your guidola-thingy's for the first time yesterday on a 
You-Tube video. I had never seen one and was wondering if you still made them. Now I know. Very cool.
Magnus, your mandolins always look like rock stars should own them. Also very cool.
Gary

----------

Magnus Geijer

----------


## RW-F5

Here's the back of Tedder F-5 #1, and the peg head....

----------

GKWilson, 

Max Girouard, 

Tommcgtx

----------


## Geoff B

Here's some quilty quilt from my favorite supplier, Bruce (Spruce)


And then, when the light hits the bench just right...

----------


## Kip Carter

> 


Gonna be pretty for sure!

Kip...

----------


## GarY Nava

Just completed a small batch of my handmade tailpieces.......

Some more pictures on my blog
http://guitar-maker.blogspot.co.uk/2...fore-they.html
Cheers Gary

----------

Dobe, 

hank, 

Max Girouard, 

Tommcgtx, 

wwwilkie

----------


## Kip Carter

Spiffy!
Kip...

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Dan Voight

Here is a teaser for two mandos that will be done soon.

----------

Dobe, 

hank, 

Max Girouard, 

Steve-o, 

Tommcgtx, 

Zissou Intern

----------


## Max Girouard

Been a while since we built any A5's with the squirrel tail and cat ears upgrades.  This one even has eyes.............

----------

Pete Jenner, 

Steve-o

----------


## Pete Jenner

Looking good Max. Are they all going to have Waverlys?

----------


## Mandoborg

That sure looks like our native N.E. Birds-eye !! Some beautiful wood if there ever was some. Cedar top ??

----------


## Max Girouard

Hey Peter, no the other four F5's will have Grovers.    

@Mandoborg, The top is Western Red Cedar.  Some of the best I've ever used.  This is also the craziest piece of birdseye I have ever seen, and it's a one piece back!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Some people use a CNC for this job but I use a CNA. A cramped numb arm.

----------

GarY Nava, 

roberto216

----------


## Kip Carter

Sooooo what is that the back for there Jim... get me all giddy and tell me it is a bouzouki-guitar back.
Regards,
Kip...

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Oh, yeah.

----------


## buckhorn

gotta remember that one Jim......................

----------


## Kip Carter

In case you thought I was smokin dope...
http://www.maartinallcock.com/bouzar.htm

... I tried to pull the picture from the web site, but I think it is a great setup.
Regards,
Kip...

----------


## wwwilkie

Been looking forward to using this piece of Claro Walnut.  It's going to be a mandola.

----------

bernabe, 

Galimando, 

hank, 

j. condino, 

Jim Garber, 

Johnno, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Steve-o

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Gotta love the Claro-English graft wood.  They used to just pile up the stumps and burn 'em in great heaps when replanting walnut orchards in central CA . . .

Steve

----------

hank

----------


## billhay4

Wow! Do the grafts present any structural issues?
Bill

----------


## Andrew B. Carlson

> Here is a teaser for two mandos that will be done soon.


Dan, you should teach a course on scroll binding. Seriously, how do you get it that precise? Got any process photos?

----------

billhay4, 

Dan Voight, 

hank

----------


## billhay4

Andrew,
There was a recent article by Andrew Mowry, another binding wizard, in a recent American Luthiery that was full of great photos and ideas on how to get this process just right.
Bill

----------


## hank

I agree, you expose perfection in a scroll like this in the white, gaplessly perfect binding and ridge volute. Detail to dimension and shape in a very clean precise way. Add to that a great eye behind the camera.  Thanks for sharing Dan, make signed numbered prints.  Great Wall art divergent creative outlet.

----------

Dan Voight

----------


## kyken

here's a redwood topped mandolin from wood back in 1850. Got a sound.

----------


## Kip Carter

Ken,
 That is just flat out purdy!  I'm not into F's but that's one sweet looking one!
Kip...

----------


## sgrexa

> Been a while since we built any A5's with the squirrel tail and cat ears upgrades.  This one even has eyes.............


Ah, cedar and birdseye, beautiful! I believe that is for Mary, right? I will be interested in seeing how this turns out. I was just reading about a guitar made for Eric Bibb that paired very soft, lightweight cedar with very dense and heavy ebony back and sides. It made a very nice pairing according to Mr. Fylde:

http://www.fyldeguitars.com/custom_g...-macassar.html

Sean

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Getting Eddie's Pacifica ready for strings -- 

 

Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice work to all! You guys are inspiring! Ken, that is an awesoem looking F! Steve, I'm loving that Pacifica! That is such a classy design!

----------


## testore

trying a new varnish and I also have a new air filter. Both are HUGE improvements. This is Pratt & Lamberts 38, and I am sold!!!

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Mandoborg

Testore, that looks really nice....... Are you spraying or brushing ??? What were you using before ?? You're finishes were really good before, i'm curious what prompted the change !

----------


## testore

I used Epiphanes and Behlens rock hard. Behlens is unavailable but both of them formed a film in the can and too much went to waste. This is thinner in the can and I THINK will last longer. It needs to be thinned just a little to spray. I brushed on the first two coats then sprayed the others. This is the 6th coat. A few more should do it.

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Store the can upside down.
Mandolin looks great!

----------


## testore

Jim I'm so stupid! Of course! Thanks

----------


## sunburst

...or fill it with marbles to displace the air.

----------


## testore

I tried that, I didn't like that so much.

----------


## amowry

Fun with fanned frets!

----------

billhay4, 

JEStanek

----------


## GKWilson

MMMMM. A fan just in time for the hot weather.
Gary

----------


## Larry Simonson

Here are a couple of shots of my 2nd mandolin that has been in progress for about 5 months, I'm about 1/2 way there.

----------


## billhay4

Ah, Larry, you forgot the scroll. :-)
Looks good.
Bill

----------


## Larry Simonson

Thanks Bill, I don't think my skills are ready for a scroll yet, if ever.  I had noticed that some players have reported that they like the f model because of the "knee rest" knob so I thought I would add it, and subtract the 2nd point of a regular 2 pointer. I have looked a bit to see if anyone had posted a picture of such a combination without seeing one.  Anyhow this is mainly an exercise in my learning and a nice way to keep a retiree active.  It has a couple of other oddities.  The top is 4 pieces of glued up sitka that I had left over from the sailboat spars I made. The point protectors are dogwood milled from very dry firewood.  The neck and corner blocks are doubled up 3/4'' Okoume marine 13 ply plywood (no voids nice stuff!).  The neck joint is pinned mortice and tenon ala Siminoff.   I think when it is done it will look like a mandolin and not implode when strung up to pitch, but I have no idea what it will sound like.  I kept wishing that one of our renown builders would drop in and advise me on the plate carving, but none did.

----------


## Bill Snyder

Not quite the same Larry, but Rigel did build the Q-95 and Q-200 series. They were more or less A-styles (done Rigel's way) with a lower point added. Manning Lutherie builds a mandolin very much like yours. 
Then of course there was John Duffy's Duck.  :Smile:

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Hey Larry, in the absence of a reknowned builder, send me a PM and I'll talk your ear off about plate carving... The mandolin is looking good. The points are a cool interpretation of the classic forms.

----------


## Larry Simonson

Thanks Bill, I did know about the Rigel but not about Manning's instruments.  And Thank you Marty also, I will PM you and we will talk about carving while I got a nice blister on my right index finger from the Ibex plane.  I didn't get a such a blister on my first instrument because I couldn't get that plane to work very well, but after tweaking it with "Sunburst" 's advice it was a real work horse (Thanks John).

----------


## Dan Douris

mandolin #3 progress

----------


## billhay4

Is that a three piece top, Dan?
Bill

----------


## Dan Douris

No billhay4.  2 piece bear claw sitka spruce top. There were some blems in the wood has I was carving but seeing this is only my third build I will finish and see how it turns out in the end. Hope to sunburst most of them out!

----------


## billhay4

Thanks, Dan, looks good. I wasn't being critical. In my view, a three piece top would be an interesting experiment.
Bill

----------


## Dan Douris

Thanks billhay4! Here is another pic with the fingerboard I just put the dots on.  the bottom board is the wood for the back.

----------


## blauserk

A couple photos of Dude #74 (a model 1-A) in the white.  Being finished now.

----------

sgarrity

----------


## oldwave maker

Bout done with progress on these, new home bound this week: 1980 harvest Soldier Mtn Idaho Engelmann spruce top A with Coos Bay Holly bridge, rural electric 4 string guitdola from that Varnum estate 10 cents a board ft birdseye:

----------

GKWilson, 

hank, 

Larry S Sherman, 

lauri Girouard

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Love that body shape, Bill!  (Bet you hear that all the time when you're out on the town. . .)

Steve

----------


## lauri Girouard

> Bout done with progress on these, new home bound this week: 1980 harvest Soldier Mtn Idaho Engelmann spruce top A with Coos Bay Holly bridge, rural electric 4 string guitdola from that Varnum estate 10 cents a board ft birdseye:


Beautiful work, just amazing birds eye. 

I am working with some too.   This is an F mando stained with seal coat applied.

----------

Ben Cooper, 

hank, 

Jan Viljoen, 

Mandobar, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## hank

Looking at the grain lines In Lauri's  amazing finish has me pondering how birdseye maple blanks are cut to best bring out the birdseye effect.  It looks like a slab cut on this one as opposed to the usual quarter cut top plates.

----------


## Bill Snyder

Slab sawn backs are not unusual. Depending on the figure you are trying to show off you might have to go with slab sawn material for your back and sides.

----------


## Pete Jenner

One piece backs make a lot of sense to me. One less plate you have to joint.

----------

Ben Cooper

----------


## hank

I did some Web Surfing on birdseye maple last night and found that flat sawn(slab cut) is the preferred method of cutting.  It's interesting to find out that the cause of birdseye effect in primarily Sugar Maples and the few other woods that display it is still not known.  It's believed to be the young buds that didn't developed into limbs and were later covered by annual growth.  The fact that most birdseye maple comes from around the Great Lakes area of the U.S. and Canada might be a hint to the cause of this effect. From my reading I found that birdseye maple is very hard and difficult to work without our modern tooling and methods and that it was often culled from early turn of the century sawmills.

----------

Ben Cooper

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Hank,
The idea that the birdseyes are aborted lateral branch buds makes great sense.
Steve

----------

Ben Cooper, 

hank

----------


## Max Girouard

The eyes on birdseye show up best on the slab.  When viewed on the quarter, they don't look so much like the eyes.  I have read a while back that they are failed branch attempts which seems to make sense.  I have a board that has lots of bark inclusions inside the eyes, and the eyes go all the way to the bark of the tree suggesting that they are formed by the cambium layer each year.  Perhaps it is caused by wild fluctuations in the trees hormone system that allows the tree to start budding, but never allows it to actually form a branch?

----------

Ben Cooper, 

hank

----------


## dan in va

i wonder if these trees get infected with something like a pox virus, and if there's any relation to the cause of flame and quilting.  Not that it can be known.

What a beautuful F!  Is that one of the new F's you and Lauri have been working on, Max?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Finishing . . . but not finished . . .

 

Getting that deep-varnish glow.  Check out the bearclaw figure in that Sitka Spruce top!  

Steve

----------

chaztoo, 

hank, 

Jan Viljoen, 

Steve-o

----------


## Mandoborg

Steve, is that sprayed or brushed ?? Lookin really nice !! I know better than to ask what varnish, but your obviously getting great results !!! Great Job on that !!!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Brushed.

Steve

----------


## Pete Jenner

*Some mandolins in progress.*

Here they are being fitted with cross-propagating timbral enhancement spatial phase nodules, also know as spatial propagation interphasal node actuating contraplexity handlers (SPINACH). But I just like to call them pretty interesting tone and timbre seducers (PITTS) for the sake of simplicity.






Here is a cluster of PITTS in progress, cut from a very nice and very old lump of River Red Gum.

----------

Jim Garber, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Michael Bridges

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Nomenclature cuts right to the point, Pete.

Steve

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## oldwave maker

Hope you'll be able to pop-eye that maple, Pete. 
Heres a shot of slab and quarter birds-eye on a bassneck fer meself, sometimes the quartered birds look like flame, but thats mostly figure already in the slab.

----------

Steve-o

----------


## Pete Jenner

I've always wanted to be a drummer.
Here's a rimshot.

----------

AubreyK, 

lauri Girouard, 

Michael Bridges, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## chaztoo

This is a beauty. I like the simplified scroll.

----------


## chaztoo

> Here is a teaser for two mandos that will be done soon.


Mercy, that is pretty work.

----------


## fscotte

#5 stained, and shellac'd.  Ready for scraping.  This is my second sunburst.

----------


## Pete Jenner

That's a good looking #5.

----------


## Michael Bridges

Nice progress, Pete! Those are gonna be great. Happy to see you getting your build on.

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## pelone

Wavemaker---could you expand on your term "popeye" in relation to the photo of the slab with birds eye figuring?  
As a newbie, what process might I use to further enhance the beauty of the maple neck?

----------


## Pete Jenner

I think it's a spinach reference.  :Wink:

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Today's project, octave size spool clamps. Slices of a 2" dowel, 2" self adhesive furniture pads and 1/4" carriage bolts.

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Max Girouard

Blister maple back for a "soon" to be mandolin.  Also making a 10 string mandola out of this stuff.  I've only seen figure in sugar maple like this just one other time in 2011, and I haunt the saw mill weekly!

----------

hank

----------


## Elkhorn1

Here's the latest Elkhorn F-5 ready for finish. Love the wood on this one!

----------

hank, 

Jan Viljoen, 

Larry S Sherman, 

Rush Burkhardt

----------


## Mandoborg

Always inspiring to see the works in progress !!! That's a beautiful looking back on that  Elkhorn. Super clean binding work as well !! Heres my little guy, 9 years old, having his way with a Englemann top.

----------

hank, 

sgrexa, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## sunburst

9, huh? By that time I was already cutting myself with chisels and knives. I was making wood chips too, but nothing of any value until later (and that's still subject to debate...). Good to see some youth involved!

----------


## Mandoborg

My Dad started me really young as well so i guess it runs in the family !!! Here's one he helped with a while back, I think he was 7 at the time. Started him on a Redwood top to get the hang of it !!  Sometimes he's not in the mood to work on this stuff, so he builds little wooden robots on the bench next to me !! I keep a VERY keen eye on him at all times so don't get nervous with him around sharp tools folks , he's under constant surveillance, but I try not to make it look like i'm hovering !!  Sure beats video games or the boob-tube !!!

----------

amowry, 

billhay4, 

hank

----------


## Skip Kelley

Max, that is one fine looking piece of birdseye! It will look great!

Robb, nice job on that F5! Exceptionally clean work! Nicely done!

Mandoborg, love the pictures of the little guy!!

----------


## AubreyK

> Here's the latest Elkhorn F-5 ready for finish. Love the wood on this one!


That is so pretty - I love the watercolor effects in the maple.  What is the finish to be?

----------


## Pete Jenner

It's going to be a long month ...or two.

----------


## Mandoborg

Here's a Cocobolo head-plate i've been playing around with lately to go on a two-point i'm working on.The binding at the end of the headstock is double the thickness right now to make up for the angled cut once it's glued onto the neck. That are will be the same thickness as the rest when it's finished out. I have plenty of 'generic' looking Cocobolo but I like using parts of the wood that are a little differant !!

----------


## Mandoborg

Here's an A-style I put together just as a guinea pig to try my hand at brushing Epiphanes varnish and not spraying laquer. Because it's an experiment, I didn't want to use ' the good stuff ' so this is maple culled from trips to Home Depot that i've used to make little side projects. The top is nothing fancy Sitka,....the headstock is a piece of scrap Cocobolo. The only really nice piece of wood on here is the veneer on the back of the headstock that you can't see too good in the picture. It's a nice piece of really tight  flamed Koa that was a gift from the great Frank Ford of Alembic fame.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Scraps or not Jim, it looks very nice.

----------


## GarY Nava

Here are the next two of mine, "in the white". Both with English walnut back and sides, one ceder, one Adirondack.




Hope that you like them :Smile: 
Cheers Gary

----------

billhay4, 

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Steve-o

----------


## Kip Carter

> Hope that you like them
> Cheers Gary


Gary,
 ??? What is not to 'like'?   :Mandosmiley: 
Regards,
Kip...

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## GKWilson

Very nice work Gary. Your two points always knock me out.
Is that a new inlay design on your headstocks? Very nice.
Gary

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## GarY Nava

> Very nice work Gary. Your two points always knock me out.
> Is that a new inlay design on your headstocks? Very nice.
> Gary


Thanks for the kind comment- the inlay is the same, but might look different!!
I cut out each logo shape freehand (no CNC used here   :Wink:  )with the intention that although they look the same, they are all different. I did  a blog post on this....
http://guitar-maker.blogspot.co.uk/2...ogo-inlay.html

Cheers Gary

----------


## Pete Jenner

Looking good Gary. When are you going to finish that uke?  :Wink:

----------


## GarY Nava

> Looking good Gary. When are you going to finish that uke?


Cheers Pete. Well, Jacob (our grandson) has just turned 1, so I figure I have awhile yet!

----------


## Pete Jenner

Get 'em started early Gary.

----------


## Dan Douris

Mando progress. Still lots to do!

----------


## Mandoborg

Had a chance to throw down some color on the guinea pig mando from above post #7435. I left the top natural color . The binding on the back is actually Curly maple with a single line of Padauk, but when scrapping, i found it looked better when i scaped into the maple back a little to give it that fine line. More contrast. It took some time to get a pretty consistent line thickness, but it looks good. Kind of cheatin in a way !! :Laughing:  

Now it's onto a Epifanes, a brush, and lots of time.....Might even fire up the glue pot during finishing, to get the hide glue/ varnish smell in the air so i feel 294 years old !! Inspired to try something new this time around.

----------


## Geoff B

Building Tru-Oil coats...

----------

hank, 

Jan Viljoen, 

Mickey King, 

Tim W, 

Toycona

----------


## Michael Weaver

Wow.....that is beautiful Geoff!!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Awesome looking quilted maple, Geoff!

----------


## Denny Gies

Geoff, one beautiful back.  Hope it sounds half as good as it looks.

----------


## Skip Kelley

There is a lot of good looking work on this thread! Just wanted to add what I hve been putting varnish on. I built this for myself. This one goes out to all who have used green stain! Thanks for the inspiration!!

----------

GKWilson, 

hank, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Mike Black

Two A4s and an A2z that are starting to look like mandolins.

----------

GKWilson, 

hank, 

oldwave maker, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Mandoborg

Geoff, nice looking back on that one !!!...... I definitely love the green Skip !! Have a soft spot for non-traditional builds and colors !!
Mike, I like those mandolins, but I LOVE the artwork behind them !! My shop wall has more letters/drawings from my son than any instrument related stuff !!

Jim

----------

Mike Black

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Lookin' good Skip!
Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Thanks guys! Nice work Mike!!

----------

Mike Black

----------


## fscotte

> #5 stained, and shellac'd.  Ready for scraping.  This is my second sunburst.


And the final product.  Waiting a while before stringing it up.  Funny thing about the neck... I did a "booboo" with my buffer and burned a small area of lacquer down through the stain right in the middle of the neck.  So instead of repairing it, I decided to do a distressed neck.  Had no idea what I'm doing but I think it turned out OK.  That must be an art in itself, creating a good looking, crappy looking neck...

----------

sgrexa

----------


## fscotte

More in the shade of the Ol Cherry tree...

----------


## Mandoborg

fscotte, that's a really nice looking mando as well !!! We've all experienced that buffer problem before i'm sure !!! I found slowing it  waaay down helped a lot. On the neck, I've found that if you feather the edges, where the black meets the 'worn' part, it will look more natural. A neck will not wear a really sharp edge. I hope you take this right and that it is *NOT* a critique !! That'a a beauty !

----------


## fscotte

I tried fading it but it just wouldn't do it with the lacquer.  I think the edge of the lacquer was keeping it from fading properly.  I seem to like the look and perhaps will make #6 with a properly distressed neck.  It adds some character I think.

----------


## Skip Kelley

fscotte, That is a great looking mandolin! I love the colors and the burst! Nicely done!

----------


## Skip Kelley

fscotte, That is a great looking mandolin! I love the colors and the burst! It looks just as good with no stain on the neck! 
Nicely done!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I'm a real advocate for this method of clamping a fingerboard. The idea came from Don McRostie on the Stew-Mac mandolin video. No clamp weight and it really gets good pressure on the edges.
And yes, this instrument is taking a long time. Too many fun things or work around the house things to do. But not much longer.

----------

hank, 

Pete Jenner, 

tom.gibson

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Here's another.

----------

Jim Nollman

----------


## PJ Doland

> My Dad started me really young as well so i guess it runs in the family !!! Here's one he helped with a while back, I think he was 7 at the time. Started him on a Redwood top to get the hang of it !!  Sometimes he's not in the mood to work on this stuff, so he builds little wooden robots on the bench next to me !! I keep a VERY keen eye on him at all times so don't get nervous with him around sharp tools folks , he's under constant surveillance, but I try not to make it look like i'm hovering !!  Sure beats video games or the boob-tube !!!


That's adorable. It's almost as cute as those pictures you see of little Chinese kids putting together iPhones or making sneakers.

----------


## amowry

Beautiful inlay, Jim!

----------


## Pete Jenner

> I'm a real advocate for this method of clamping a fingerboard.


Someone was talking about this method a little while ago but I can't remember who for the life of me. Do you rely on it to self centre (no pins)  Jim?

----------


## hank

I like it a lot too, Jim.  Beautiful wooden waves of grain rippling behind finely made binding borders.  A Hummer and vine headstock Deco top it nicely.  Is that surgical tubing,etc. or leather used with the clamp?  After you clamp can you still nudge the fingerboard with a light tap if it's slightly off?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

I use brads as locator pins. That's a long rubber band. When I went to order some heavy rubber bands from Stewmac I didn't notice it was a bag of extra extra long bands, like when you cut one it's 6 feet long. Works good for this though.

----------

hank, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## M. Montgomery

3/8" wide elastic also works well to glue on fingerboards

----------


## Pete Jenner

A profusion of pretty Pagan pegheads in production at Jacobson Fine Handmade Acoustic Instruments.



There's nothing like a good international collaboration.

----------

hank, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Michael Weaver, 

Perry Babasin, 

rb3868

----------


## Geoff B

The work posted here is so inspiring.  Good work all!

Here is something I never, ever, ever in a million years thought I'd do.  Inlay my iii's with pure gold from the Bering Sea.

----------

hank, 

Jan Viljoen, 

Marty Jacobson, 

rb3868, 

sgrexa

----------


## fscotte

Uhhhhhhhhhh.... 

Can you send me the leftover gold scraps laying around the the truss rod cover there?   Obviously you don't need them.

----------


## Kip Carter

I love the green stained mandolins I've seen here!  This one is no exception Skip... Be still my Irish heart!

Regards,
Kip

----------


## J.Sloan

Here's a few pics on my first A5 that I just finished. Carp. spruce/ red maple. I have since stained and oil varnished this one. Once it's completely dry and strung up, I'll post some more pics. As always, thanks to all the builders here on the Cafe for sharing the knowledge. A special thanks to Johnathon McClanahan and Johnny Gray for help and support.

----------


## J.Sloan

Here's one of the back.

----------


## J.Sloan

Here's a few more pics with mandolin fully stained and oil varnished. I used the Colortone dyes mixed in denatured alcohol..hand rubbed and shaded edges with airbrush. The oil varnish is a quick dry mixed with mineral spirits. The top coat is True oil thinned with pure turpentine. I plan to rub down the whole instrument with a satin sheen wood conditioner in about 10 days to give it an older varnished look.

----------


## Skip Kelley

J.sloan, great work! The burst really brings out the figure in the wood!

----------


## Pete Jenner

Great work J.Sloane.

----------


## J.Sloan

Thanks Skip & Pete! I spent the better part of today carving out my next A5 back on my little home made carving duplicator. She's simple, I know, but works good if you pay close attention and take your time. I finish up the router bit grooves with an orbital sander and also do a little shaping in the recurve. I love the "wavy" flame in this back.....wish I could get a better shot of it. It should show up good when stained though.

----------


## Nick Gellie

I have finally managed to draw up enough courage to post two pictures of my Arches F-5 mandolin kit  which is nearing completion in the white.  The fingerboard is resting on the neck so it looks slightly askew in the first picture. 

I am half way through the binding for the headstock.  I am really pleased with the mitres - all done with a single sided razor blade and an Exacto knife.  

I am still working out a design for my name and logo on the headstock.  Any ideas would be gratefully appreciated for the logo engraving.

----------

GKWilson, 

hank, 

sgrexa

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Looking great, Nic!

----------


## hank

Sweet!

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Tried to catch my point of view while scraping the binding except less cross-eyed. I taped it off but I don't even try to get it perfect, but it leaves a lot less to clean up in the end. It's done up close but still to be done further up and on the f-holes.

----------

Jim Garber, 

Perry Babasin

----------


## Mandoborg

Super clean as always Jim !! Ellis, Mowry,and Hilburn are where I turn for inspiration when it comes to cleanliness of work .

----------

Jan Viljoen

----------


## Jim Garber

Impressive, Jim (and many others). This is one of my favorite threads!

----------


## Nick Gellie

A small update.  I have put onto the fingerboard extender.  Messed up the first one so I made one out of Huon Pine just to be different. Plane of top of finger board and extender are flat as a die.  Now onto binding fingerboard and installing frets.

----------


## rb3868

> The work posted here is so inspiring.  Good work all!
> 
> Here is something I never, ever, ever in a million years thought I'd do.  Inlay my iii's with pure gold from the Bering Sea.


tell the truth - it came from a bottle of Goldschläger, didn't it?

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Had to delay spraying for 3 days due to high humidity but today was the day.

----------

Glassweb, 

hank, 

JEStanek, 

sgrexa

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Jim,

SOLID GOLD!  Wow!

Steve

----------


## Glassweb

> Had to delay spraying for 3 days due to high humidity but today was the day.


Love that approach to a blonde instrument... great work!

----------


## oldwave maker

Jim- that back looks good enough to eat!
Current ovalating trio topped with engelmann, lutz and subalpine fir, and a personal 6lb 7oz 32"scale 88% pjazz bass, knotty engelmann body, fretboard from elderly friends childhood birdseye bedframe, pickguard from groovy Duke Ellington stereophonic record!

----------

JEStanek, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## GKWilson

Jim. Bill is right mmmm tasty.
And, Bill those mando's are looking good as usual.
But that PJ is way cool. Might have to recycle an old Dorsey LP.
Gary

----------


## Nick Gellie

Another update on my Arches F-5 kit.  I have pretty much bound the fingerboard, tiny bit left to do.  I pretty much used the technique for binding the fingerboard outlined in a previous thread on the café where one clamps the board down on a piece of waxed paper on top of a flat table top.  One good aspect is that it flattens the fingerboard after the binding on both sides have cured off.



This is what the headstock will look like.  The logo will be in gold MOP rather than silver to make it in keeping with the gold MOP inlay:

----------


## Nick Gellie

I managed to do some colour enhancements on my mock-up of the headstock inlay and logo.

It resembles more closely how ithey will look when they go on.



I wanted to get away from the standard white MOP look and to tie in more with the colour of the wood on the headstock.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Nice, Nic. Curly maple also works well for the shimmery golden look.

----------


## Nick Gellie

> Nice, Nic. Curly maple also works well for the shimmery golden look.


Thanks Marty, One's options are limited with available inlays and logo scripts in MOP.  I am looking forward to doing some inlaying once I get the inlays.  It is pretty wintery outside and now is a good time to do some indoor handiwork.

----------


## Pete Jenner

It's been snowing here Nick.

----------


## Nick Gellie

> It's been snowing here Nick.


Hi Pete, I used to work there with NPWS for 13 years in Blackheath back in the 80s and 90s.  We had our share of snowfalls during winter.  How cold is your workshop?

----------


## Pete Jenner

Bloody cold Nick. There's no heating in it. I've been wrapping up warm for carving plates.
That's incredible that you worked in Blackheath. My brother in law lives in Blackheath and until recently was a chief superintendent with the RFS. Just a fire connection there.

----------


## D18dave



----------


## Skip Kelley

Jim, love that golden stain! It looks incredible!

Bill, nice looking group of instruments! Love the Duke Ellington record pickguard!

Nic, keep up the good work you are almost there!

Dave, Love the looks of your mandolin! That's going to look awesome!

----------

D18dave

----------


## Nick Gellie

> Jim, love that golden stain! It looks incredible!
> 
> Bill, nice looking group of instruments! Love the Duke Ellington record pickguard!
> 
> Nic, keep up the good work you are almost there!
> 
> Dave, Love the looks of your mandolin! That's going to look awesome!


Thanks Skip for your encouraging words.  I have to say thanks to Chris Baird for his helpful comments and also to Andrew Mowry for his great article on binding and how to install faux frets.  I am sure he has some other pearls of wisdom that one day he will share with us.  It is great to have such a supportive builders' community out there so willing to share their thoughts and ideas.

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Pete Jenner

Nic,

Andrew had a great article in American Lutherie last year on binding an F5.

----------


## oldwave maker

Always fun to splash first grog on freshly ground gom backs:

----------


## GKWilson

Like neapolitan octaves. One of each flavor. Yummy.
Gary

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Got the final coats on just in time to enjoy the weekend.

----------

GKWilson, 

hank

----------


## amowry

Sweet! Love that color.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Just finished carving a few plates. My hands are really sore... from all that button-pushing... :-)

----------

hank, 

Jan Viljoen, 

Michael Weaver, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Steve Sorensen

We always have pictures of instruments getting made, but not much of the progress they make after the hardware goes on and they head out into the world.

Sending instruments off is like having your kids leave for college -- you hope you raised them right and they will have wonderful adventures with great people.  But you never know . . .

So, I was tickled as can be to hear that the _Big Hammer_ mandocello that I built for Lee Roy this winter made the mix in the title track for the *The Roys* new CD . . . and the cover of the album! 

Pretty cool progress so far for that big ol' 8-string!



Steve

----------


## Nick Gellie

I have managed to install the frets.  Next task is to finish off the frets and then glue the fretboard onto the neck.

----------

GKWilson

----------


## billhay4

Looking good, Nic.
Bill

----------


## Charles E.

> Just finished carving a few plates. My hands are really sore... from all that button-pushing... :-)


Wow, its like the Baskin Robbins of mandolin backs! What flavor do you want?

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Brly

Man, as always, nice work everyone!
I finished my first build last year and immediately started two more.  Engelmann tops and red maple for backs, sides and necks.
I got both to the point of binding and then focused on getting one finished up.  This one has a one piece top and back.  Coming along pretty well and I hope to string it up in the white soon.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Ben

----------


## Nick Gellie

Fantastic work Ben.  Well done.  You are at the same point as I am in the build.

----------


## Brly

Thanks Nick.  I'm having a lot of fun building.  Just wish I could spend more time at it.
Good luck with your build!

Ben

----------


## Nick Gellie

Here is mine strung up in the white.



I have recorded her this morning.  I will see if I can create a file in soundcloud or equivalent.

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Nick Gellie

Here is the link to my soundcloud clip:

https://soundcloud.com/nic-gellie/tu...straw-billy-in

----------

billhay4, 

Brly

----------


## oldwave maker

I've visited thirty-one inhabited planets in the universe, and I have studied reports on one hundred more. Only on Earth is there any talk of figured maple.. Attributed to Vonnegut, 1969

----------

George R. Lane, 

GKWilson, 

Jan Viljoen, 

Jim Nollman, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Mike Black, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## billhay4

Bill,
I see the Apaches attacked recently. Shot up your headstocks pretty badly.
Nice instruments, too.
Bill

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Eric Foulke

Fresh from the forges, a couple of Selmer-style sides.

----------


## Eric Foulke

Building flat-top instruments is a bracing experience. :Grin:  



Also answering the question: "How do you brace a Selmer-style mandolin?"



There will be a lot less wood here when I am done.
Time to start carving.

----------

alfie, 

AubreyK, 

billhay4, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Brly

Can't let _Mandolins in Progress_ fade to page 2....


The bindings are cleaned up and a couple seal coats of shellac are on.  Getting close now!
Ben

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Hey, here's a time-lapse of a ziricote back on which I just inlaid a curly maple "Celtic River" knot and a couple of abalone fish. Fun times.

----------

AubreyK, 

hank, 

Mark Wilson, 

Max Girouard, 

Mike Black, 

Pete Jenner, 

Randi Gormley, 

Steve-o

----------


## billhay4

As I said to you over the weekend, Marty, these are fun and very informative videos. Quite creative work, too.
Bill

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## amowry

Very cool, Marty! Interesting to see how many hand motions are involved in a task like that...

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Nick Gellie

> Can't let _Mandolins in Progress_ fade to page 2....
> 
> 
> The bindings are cleaned up and a couple seal coats of shellac are on.  Getting close now!
> Ben



Ben, What is your formula for shellac?  I am about to do the same.  What finish do you propose to put on her?

----------


## Brly

Nic,
Nothing special with the shellac.  I use the platinum blonde shellac flakes from Stewmac dissolved in Behlen Behkol.  I mixed about a 1.5 pound cut, sprayed that on with an airbrush, scraped the bindings, then dumped some more shellac flakes into the mix.  It's probably about 2.5 or 3 lb cut now.  Brushing on a few coats now to build, then I'll level, pad on a couple thin coats and buff.  I'll be using shellac entirely for the finish.
Ben

----------


## Dan Douris

Few coats of polish.

----------

GKWilson, 

JEStanek

----------


## Pete Jenner

I hate having to decide how far back to circumcise the soundboard. I may have pushed it a bit far back on this mandola in an attempt to get the bridge a little further back. It should be ok but in future I may abandon the archaic idea of fret marker pieces and go uncircumcised.

----------

GKWilson

----------


## Steevarino

I've been knocking out our intrepid RedLine Traveler mandolins for the past several years.  Here's our first crack at an A-Style mandolin, shown here with its first couple of coats of lacquer on it.

----------

GKWilson

----------


## Marty Jacobson

More craziness along the lines of "purfling that came alive"...

----------

amowry, 

AubreyK, 

billhay4, 

GKWilson, 

GreenMTBoy, 

hank, 

Jan Viljoen, 

Kowboy, 

Russ Donahue, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Astro

Great video. 

Marty you are an artist.

And man do you work fast.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## wildpikr

And I like the tunes that go along with the videos.  Thanks Marty!

----------


## Dan Douris

French polish almost complete.

----------

GKWilson

----------


## Russ Donahue

Can you believe 300+ pages of drool-worthy mandolins and still going?  Love this thread!

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Eric, don't call the loony bin. They say you have to hit rock bottom...

----------

AubreyK, 

billhay4, 

GKWilson, 

hank, 

j. condino, 

Pete Jenner, 

sgrexa

----------


## Jim Garber

MJ -- "the mad genius"

----------


## Bill Snyder

Shouldn't that be MJ -- "the mad jenius" ? :Whistling:

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Eric, don't call the loony bin. They say you have to hit rock bottom...


...and I thought I was nuts.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> ...and I thought I was nuts.


I don't see how this changes that. :-)

I posted tap tones for 14 tops over on my blog, if anybody's interested. It's kind of fun to hear them all together.
http://martinjacobson.com/id/?p=1760

----------


## Pete Jenner

> I don't see how this changes that. :-)


It's a matter of degree.  :Wink: 

Love the tap tones. I wish I'd recorded mine. My tops are all glued to the rims but don't sound too dissimilar to some of yours.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Here is a picture of a flat-top I have been building. Got the top and back routed for binding and now it is installed in place.

----------

GKWilson

----------


## Pete Jenner

These tuners are a perfect fit thanks to my custom Jacobson precision tuner hole drilling jig.





A mandolin peghead in the rough.


It's cold in the workshop.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Love the level of detail and precision.  Glad I won't be alone in that loony bin!



Steve

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Michael Bridges, 

sgrexa

----------


## Michael Bridges

Steve, I'm always impressed with your work. That is just gorgeous!

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Love the level of detail and precision.  Glad I won't be alone in that loony bin!
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


It's going to be a crowded looney bin.

----------


## Pete Jenner

It may not be rocket science but it's still quite tricky.

----------

sgrexa

----------


## Steve Sorensen

August morning light dancing on a Sprite -- 



Steve

----------

Pete Jenner, 

sgrexa

----------


## billhay4

Nice shot. Isn't it interesting how the light suddenly changes character in August?
(In the Northern Hemisphere, Peter)
Bill

----------


## Mark Wilson

> I don't see how this changes that. :-)
> 
> I posted tap tones for 14 tops over on my blog, if anybody's interested. It's kind of fun to hear them all together.
> http://martinjacobson.com/id/?p=1760


That was interesting. Thx Marty. Would also be fun to hear a finished  open string strum clip to go with the tap files.

----------


## jefflester

> It may not be rocket science but it's still quite tricky.


E (string) = mandolin cafe^2

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Pete Jenner

Haha - very good.

----------


## Timothy S

If I read the headstock correctly, looks like I'll be the owner of Kimble #220. Just got the photo from Will today.

----------

GKWilson, 

sgarrity

----------


## Killian King

I am currently waiting on Jacobson #34 and Hilburn #65. All I can think of to describe how I feel about it is embarrassment of riches. Here are a few photos of Hilburn #65. If you read Jim's thread about wood imperfections you will be familiar with the back of my mandolin. That blonde OM's loss was my sunburst A's gain.  :Smile:

----------


## Pete Jenner

Miters well do some binding.

----------

GreenMTBoy, 

Johnno, 

sebastiaan56

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice miters, Peter!

----------


## Pete Jenner

Thanks Skip.

----------


## Graham McDonald

Just acceptable         :Smile:  :Smile:  :Grin: 

[QUOTE=Pete Jenner;1320686]Miters well do some binding.

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Pete Jenner

High praise indeed from a master Mr Mac.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

I like building in sets of five.  This set ran amok and kept multiplying.

Steve

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## kyken

Here's a redwood one in progress, killer sound. For Dominic Orrico.

----------

GKWilson, 

Sola

----------


## wildpikr

Hi Ken,

Does he make the Orrico tailpieces?

----------


## kyken

> Hi Ken,
> 
> Does he make the Orrico tailpieces?


yep, he's the one. I'll have one of his on it too as soon as he sends me one.

----------


## Dan Douris

Latest mandolin build. My 3rd mandolin build, 1st F style. Sold now onto #4!

----------

GreenMTBoy

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Shot from the studio of mandolin (and mandola) progress.  From the dusty shop, it makes all those long days and sore fingers feel fairly well-spent!



Steve

----------


## Max Girouard

Hey Dan, great job on your build.  I followed most of it on facebook.  Have fun with the next build!

We received an interesting set of maple from American Specialty Hardwoods.  It is a book matched piece of maple that has gone through a torrefication process.  I have purposely not read a whole lot about it as I don't want to develop any preconceived notions of how this wood will sound in a build.  I'm simply going to build it as I would any other mandolin, feeling how it flexes and graduating as necessary.  I'm going to be pairing it up with some wonderful western red cedar that Spruce Bruce over at Orcas Island Tonewoods has.  He has some of the greatest cedar in at the moment and I wish I could buy it all up.  I'll also be binding this in regular flame maple so that the contrast between regular and roasted maple will be really interesting to look at.  Finally, the hardware will be a gold James tailpiece and a set of Robson tuners.  In the second photo, I wet it down so you can see the color when wet.  We will be finishing it "blonde" so that color in the photo will be the approximate color once finished.

----------

GreenMTBoy

----------


## Dan Douris

Thanks Max! I find this building thing very addicting and I real enjoy the process except all the wood removal by hand on the plates :Crying: . I am actually building a duplicarver before I start my next build to take some of the stress of my hands from gouging and grind out so much of the wood. I know you use a CNC which I would like to acquire someday. Bruce Harvey has some real nice tonewoods. The mando I just finished is all from wood I received from him.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Max does that golden colour go all the way through the wood or is it a surface effect?

----------


## Max Girouard

> Max does that golden colour go all the way through the wood or is it a surface effect?


It is the same color all the way through.  I've got a couple of pieces of ash that were done with the same process only longer.  Those pieces are almost as black as ebony and the color runs through the whole board.  From what I heard, they put the wood in a chamber and pump all the oxygen out of the chamber.  They then heat up the chamber somewhere around 400 degrees for several hours.  Also smells like bacon.  Sanding should be fun.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Make sure you have bacon sandwiches handy or you'll be hungry all the time.

----------


## darrylicshon

My 5 string OM Solidbody
http://darrylicshon.4t.com/cgi-bin/p...w_album/261351

----------


## Steve Sorensen

As the summer comes to a close, it's almost harvest time here in California and the maples are once again loaded with ripening mandolins.



Steve

----------

hank

----------


## oldwave maker

The hot green chile/mandolin gene splicing program is proceeding quicker than the chile/octave, but we're working on it. Wishing there were true maples here and not just the box elders.

----------

alfie, 

GKWilson, 

goddard, 

hank, 

j. condino, 

Randolph, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Charles E.

Now that's funny right there.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Absolutely perfect French Polishing weather.  This is a one-piece sugar maple back after the first session of shellac (+sanderac) over an oil varnish base.



Steve

----------

Steve-o

----------


## kyken

here's one I'm building for Orrico.

----------

GKWilson, 

Sola

----------


## testore

[ATTACH=CONFIG]124404[/ATTACH

Love this part

----------


## Joey Anchors

Very cool picture and spruce top!

----------


## oldwave maker

Gary- I'll show you my knife if you'll show me yours! 
Stolen soundholes from Lawrence, customer wants (C) sharp mando:

----------


## testore

Very nice Bill. Here's a different knife, but it's sharp!

----------


## Mandoborg

Hey Bill, what are your thoughts/ experiances on having such a sharp point on those sound-holes. I tried it once, and this is what happened with light pressure  while flexing the top. Luckily it never made it onto the instrument. I made another top with 1/8 rounded corners and didn't have a problem. I always thought a point just focused all that tension straight in line with the grain making a perfect recipe for a crack, if that makes any sense....Maybe a little brace on the inside across the grain at that point would have helped....

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Tops are pretty fragile whenever you have sound holes near the edge until they're glued up to the rib garland. I've had the same thing happen with an elliptical soundhole about the same distance from the edge. Now I refrain from all but the most gentle cross-grain flexing after sound holes are cut.

----------


## testore

This is just too much fun.

----------


## Dan Douris

Latest build pics and audio.

----------


## Magnus Geijer

The "life happens" batch. Four years into these four mandos by now. Getting close, though.

----------

GKWilson, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Starting to get the proper varnish shine.



Steve

----------


## Pete Jenner

Is that my room?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Yes, Pete it WAS your room.  As with my daughter's room . . . absence leads to mandolin invasion!

Steve

----------


## Pete Jenner

I can't go away for five minutes...

----------


## Steve Sorensen

French polishing in the morning,



French polishing in the afternoon.



Steve

----------


## oldwave maker

Mandoborg- I cut those soundholes after joining the top to the rim, I'd never use that f hole shape on my personal mando, but the customer is always right.
Other fresh stuff almost ready for the balsamic vinegar/olive oil finish, including the C# of that roasted maple

----------


## Frank Russell

Wow Bill.  Whoever is getting that f-hole A must be a really handsome, cool guy.  Frank

----------


## Tom Haywood

In the white.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Tom, looks cool. What's the story with this one... Is that Baltic birch?

----------


## Tom Haywood

Indeed, Marty, it is Baltic birch and I'm impressed with the sound. May be the loudest instrument I've built, and the sustain on the D course measures around 18 seconds. The tone is sweet, especially with Bach and classical pieces, and it has pretty good bass with J74 strings on it. Actually chops well. Don't know if any of this relates to the bracing modifications I designed for it. A nine foot radius in the top and back projects really well. By far the easiest playing instrument I've built, which I attribute to a more guitar-like neck angle. The bridge is a piece of Bradford pear from my yard. It may be a tad bright. There is a sound sample on my Facebook page, made right after it was strung up. Will play it this week against some good guitars, banjos and fiddles, and see how the tone holds up and how it mics.

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Kent Barnes

Well...   after a 5 year hiatus (and a move to Michigan, and a divorce, and a re-marriage) it's time to start building again.  I'm going with an A-Style this time -  need to ease into it!  :Smile: 

My first package arrived today!

----------


## bernabe

Good to see you back, Kent

----------


## Skip Kelley

Kent, glad to see you back!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Decided it was about time to start going green around here.



Steve

----------

GKWilson, 

hank, 

j. condino, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Tommcgtx

----------


## Kent Barnes

I guess I haven't completely forgotten everything! (and I decided to go ahead and build an F-style, since I still have all the parts for one of them...)

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## hank

Whoa! Nice finish Steve, wood grain like elvish braids of hair.

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Pete Jenner

A bold move Steve.

----------


## TDMpicker

Thought I would post a few photos of my recently completed F5 (in the white).
It features an "old Growth" California redwood top with maple back, sides and neck.
The fretboard is ebony with EVO gold frets. Nut width 1 1/8" with a Cumberland Acoustics bridge. The redwood billet came from Oregon Wild Woods  I wanted to build a redwood topped F5 because I own a redwood top Dearstone F5 which has a great tone. I am very pleased with the tone on this build. I'll play it a couple weeks before I break it down for finishing.

----------

Bob Clark, 

Charles E., 

hank

----------


## Jim Hilburn

Much the same as the last one but this is better.

----------

GKWilson, 

Mike Black

----------


## Bill Snyder

Some mandolins have tiger striped backs. That one would appear to have the rare zebra striped back.  :Smile:

----------


## Pete Jenner

I think he used striped paint.

----------


## oldwave maker

Stained and shellac sealed maples, half of Santa's seasonal sweatshop supply: roasted, red, blister, birdseye, bigleaf

----------

Larry S Sherman

----------


## Frank Russell

Beautiful, Mr. B.  Come on Christmas.

----------


## Bob Clark

> I'll play it a couple weeks before I break it down for finishing.


Looks beautiful, Terry.  What are you going to use to finish it?  Keeping it light, going with a burst, uniform stain?  And what's the neck profile like on this one?  Is it similar to your A/Ns?  I find the neck profile on your A/N to be really comfortable.  Congratulations on another really pretty build.  I look forward to seeing the finished photos.

Best wishes,  Bob

----------


## Killian King

He used striped paint to match my wavy striped playing style.

----------


## harryclark

Bernabe #33 in the white.

----------

GKWilson

----------


## Killian King

Here is another shot of the striped mandolin Jim posted above.

----------

GKWilson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Just wrapped-up the test drive on these three.  On to finishing!



Steve

----------


## Mandoborg

Was sanding out to 320 and thought I was in the clear when i got a little careless and up popped this lil critter !

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Cleaning up the binding on this fairly traditional sunburst over Engelmann spruce and Red maple --

  

Yep, both top and back are one-piece!  

Just about ready for some varnish to add that deep deep glow.

Steve

----------


## Larry S Sherman

> Stained and shellac sealed maples, half of Santa's seasonal sweatshop supply: roasted, red, blister, birdseye, bigleaf


I LOVE the birdseye!

Larry

----------


## oldwave maker

Trying to get those drunken elves to finish up before mallwart gets the valentines day decorations up,  not sure how the big one got strung up missing 2 strings. Must be a rawlings thing....No birds had their eyes plucked in the production of these!

----------


## D18dave



----------

billhay4, 

hank

----------


## John Hill

> 


Love that design!

----------

D18dave

----------


## D18dave



----------


## oldwave maker

Couldn't find any plain maple for the backs of that litter above, so went with the squiggly stuff, shot a bit of color and shellac sealer on blister, quilt, red, quilt, and sugar. Hoping to do some fall foliage photobombs of finish figure before the cottonwood yellow and sycamore orange is gone from the canyon.

----------


## craigw

I thought I'd post a progress shot of two symmetric 2-point mandolas I have in the works, targeted to take up to Wintergrass in late February. One will be quarter sawn white oak topped with some really nicely figured bearclaw sitka spruce I got from Johann Brentrup in a visit to Minneapolis about three years ago. The other is a one piece WVA red maple back, sides and neck from John Preston and a red spruce top from Old Standard. Will start carving this week.

----------


## Pete Jenner

10 points for your 2 points. ...but then I'm a 2 point fan.

----------

craigw

----------


## bernabe

stained, sealed, and scraped

----------


## Pete Jenner

“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

 ...cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.” 
_― Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space_

Here are some Pagan Sagan fretboards. Sanding still required obviously.

----------

GKWilson, 

Mando-Mauler

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Noice, Pete!

Steve

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Pete Jenner

Fretboards are finished and they're out of this world.

----------

lauri Girouard

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Just cleaned up the binding and am starting to varnish this Sprite Two-Point with a really cool one-piece Sugar Maple back (and matching sides and neck) --

  

Steve

----------

bernabe

----------


## Kent Barnes

I never realized how much faster building an A-style was compared to an F-style!

----------

GKWilson

----------


## Austin Clark

Just starting to French polish this octave.

----------

bernabe, 

GKWilson, 

hank, 

Max Girouard

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Love that 'burst Austin!

Steve

----------

Austin Clark

----------


## Marty Jacobson

So Killian asked me to make this fretboard with a Claddagh at the 12th fret. That's a pretty tiny Claddagh, but it came out very nicely. Well, I botched the first fretboard, but the second one came out great.


Here's the maple inlay. The knotwork elements about the width of five sheets of copy paper.


And then I noticed that I had gotten off target when I was cleaning up and sealing the inlays. Drat. So I'll make a new one. I could plane it and fix it up, but it's already set up and I'll feel better knowing it's as I planned it.



The maple stripes are glued to the board with West System epoxy, which I have used to make the fretboard stick together even if it has to come off. It's still very much intact. Pretty cool.

----------

billhay4, 

G. Fisher, 

hank, 

Killian King, 

sgrexa

----------


## tree

Somehow I'm not getting the "off target" part . . . where was the issue?

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Yes, you won't see .020" of deviation in the radius geometry in a photo, but it makes the instrument unplayable unless the fretboard is planed (at the very least).

----------

tree

----------


## Steve Sorensen

French Polish #2 bringing a bit of maple-glow to a gray and gloomy day.



Steve

----------

Charles E., 

sgrexa

----------


## Mandoborg

That's looking great Steve !!! Marty, even though your work is in an entirely different universe , it's still inspiring to see your works in progress !!

----------


## Killian King

I must be one of the luckiest mandolin enthusiasts ever to have two, soon to be mine,amazing instruments featured on the same page in this thread. I cannot wait to hear them and play them.

Here are some more pictures of Hilburn #65 to go along with Jacobson #34.

----------


## Don Grieser

2 stunningly good looking mandolins, Killian. Congratulatios!! I'm sure they'll both sound as good as they look!

----------


## Pete Jenner

Pagan #5 is approaching completion. 6 and 7 are not far off. Henry Ford had nothing on me.

----------

Jim Garber, 

Max Girouard, 

Michael Bridges

----------


## Max Girouard

Started some work on a couple experimental 10 string mandolas.  Here we have an ebony board and a figured purple heart board.  I've been climbing over wood piles at our favorite saw mill for a couple of years and this was the first figured purple heart board I ever ran across.  We are looking forward to stringing these up!

----------

Pete Jenner, 

sgrexa, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice work to all!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Parting shots before boxing her up for Brighton --

  

 

Steve

----------

hank, 

Steve-o

----------


## Michael Bridges

> Parting shots before boxing her up for Brighton --
> 
>   
> 
>  
> 
> Steve


What a beauty! The Sprite is just a killer design, Steve. Nicely done.

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## misterc

Finally got a chance to do some finish work on our Neild A-5 prototype. Here she is with the base color.

----------


## misterc

... and here with a couple coats of varnish.

----------

GKWilson

----------


## billhay4

Nice.
Bill

----------


## Pete Jenner

Pagan #5 in the white.

----------


## derbex

I like the look of that Pagan, look forward to a sound clip in due course. Shame you are in the wrong Blackheath  :Smile:

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Pete Jenner

I'm working on a sound clip - the main limiting factor being my playing ability.
My brother has  Pagan 3 in Herts if you ever get over that way.

----------

derbex

----------


## Ron McMillan

> Parting shots before boxing her up for Brighton --
> 
> 
> Steve


That is a beauty. Some lucky guy is going to walk into TAMCO and fall in love with that one.

----------


## Astro

> Pagan #5 in the white.


That looks like a happy mandolin.

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## oldwave maker

If I'd only known there was going to be a 3rd 2 point mandocello, I'da bought one of those fancy giant robots to carve it like you younguns use, instead of scraping off evidence of  the latest texas chainsaw massacre. If you don't use up your elbows by the time you kick the bucket, they will surely have gone to waste..........

----------

billhay4, 

GarY Nava, 

JEStanek, 

lauri Girouard, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Randolph, 

sgrexa

----------


## atbuckner21

This is beautiful man. I am an A5 guy and you are doing great work. Lovely headstock  :Smile:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Yes, tops do burn through the recurve first.



Steve

PS - AAA Adirondack Spruce with a couple of pitch pocket surprises at final graduation.

----------

hank, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Pete Jenner

Looks like an emulation of the immolation in the Condino avatar.

Shouldn't this be in 'Mandolins not in progress'? ....now there's an idea for a thread.


Oops - 3000 posts in 3 and a quarter years - I'd better shut up for a while.

----------


## amowry

Here's a paua abalone rosette on an octave top.

----------

atbuckner21, 

billhay4, 

GarY Nava, 

GKWilson, 

Jim Garber, 

Kennyz55, 

lauri Girouard, 

Pete Jenner, 

sgrexa

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Beautiful, Andrew!
Steve

----------


## Marty Jacobson

That is just sick, Andrew.

----------

atbuckner21, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Tavy

> Here's a paua abalone rosette on an octave top.


Wow, got to love that stuff!

----------


## lauri Girouard

Shooting finish on this one today.....





This is the one we did last summer using its sister wood....

----------

atbuckner21, 

Ben Cooper, 

billhay4, 

Charlieshafer, 

George R. Lane, 

Jim Garber, 

Kennyz55, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve-o

----------


## Jim Garber

[QUOTE=lauri Girouard;1362735]Shooting finish on this one today.....

I think I can see some pre-historic sea creatures swimming in that back, Lauri.  :Smile:

----------


## Pete Jenner

I'll have what Jim's smoking.  :Wink:

----------

Rob Zamites

----------


## Skip Kelley

Andrew, that is a beautiful rosette! You have the cleanest work of anyone!!

Love the finish on your A model, Lauri! Nice work!!

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Andrew, that is a beautiful rosette! You have the cleanest work of anyone!!


I agree Skip, Andrew sets the benchmark for clean work.

----------


## juneman

A5 #51 and 52 both x-braced ,one englemann,one adirondak,flame ambrosia maple for back,sides and neck. Paduak trim on one and flame claro walnut the other. Both sound great. Very,very happy with the sound. Strong solid mid range,strong ring to the e and a strings and a woody bottom end. Both have off white binding. Not sure yet of my color combinations but will most likely do a redder burst to go with the redder paduak trim and a yellow ,golden burst to go with the walnut trim.

walter   "june" mandolins and guitars

----------

atbuckner21, 

David Houchens, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## billhay4

Nice, juneman. Can't wait to hear them.
What is "ambrosia maple"?
Bill

----------


## juneman

Hi, from what i gather ambrosia maple is nothing more than flame sugar maple that has been infested by the ambrosia beetle. Its what causes the streaks and small beetle holes.(black specks). The wood had a clear tap tone and rang like a bell so i decided to use it. A lot of it may not be as visible or not be as apparent depending on my staining choices. I was almost tempted to do one as a blonde. I still have five one piece backs left out of the board so maybe down the road on a future build.

----------

billhay4

----------


## Rodney Riley

> Oops - 3000 posts in 3 and a quarter years - I'd better shut up for a while.


No no no Pete. Love your posts. Either get mad, laugh or learn something from your posts.  :Smile:

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## billhay4

Thanks, Walter. It is striking wood. Blonde would be nice.
Bill

----------


## amowry

Here's the octave again, with the F5 Tone Producer installed  :Wink:

----------

Charles E., 

George R. Lane, 

GKWilson, 

hank, 

Jim Nollman, 

Kennyz55, 

Mike Black, 

Rob Zamites, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Marty Jacobson

You should patent that. Of course, a patent ends up costing $25k or more now, I'm guessing it was a lot less when the Virzi was patented...

----------


## TDMpicker

Some photos of my latest mandolin project ready for some stain. This mandolin has an Adirondack red spruce top and maple back, sides and neck. 1 1/8" not width on an ebony fretboard and peghead overlay. A M.O.P. Celtic spiral inlay at the base of the fingerboard. The tuners are vintage style.

 Photos of recently completed mandolins here.

----------

hank

----------


## J Caldwell

A few in the white of my first foray into the mandolin world. I had it strung for about 6 weeks and played with it quite a bit, making tweaks here and there, unstringing, restringing, etc.,etc. I'm in the process of putting the finish on now, so hopefully in a month or so, it will be all done.

----------

Bob Bass, 

Charles E., 

GarY Nava, 

GKWilson, 

hank, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## wildpikr

With that violin-style construction, looks like you and Joe Campanella think alike...would sure like to hear a sound clip when it's finished.

----------


## juneman

A5 #51 AND #52  WE HAD A BREAK FROM THE COLD HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA SO I DECIDED TO LET THE MANDOS HANGOUT IN THE SUNSHINE FOR A WHILE        


WALTER   "JUNE" mandolins and guitars

----------

David Houchens, 

GKWilson

----------


## Skip Kelley

Jimmy, that is a cool looking two-pointer! Nice inlay!

Walter, I love the color of your bursts on those A models!

----------


## Charles E.

> A few in the white of my first foray into the mandolin world. I had it strung for about 6 weeks and played with it quite a bit, making tweaks here and there, unstringing, restringing, etc.,etc. I'm in the process of putting the finish on now, so hopefully in a month or so, it will be all done.


Very nice. I thought "this guy's a violin maker for sure because he even installed an Ebony saddle under the tailpiece!" But then, one cannot install a mandolin tailpiece over a overhang, good job.

----------


## GarY Nava

I think this one is going to be a beast!



Cheers Gary

----------

hank, 

lflngpicker

----------


## lflngpicker

Howard Morris strikes again!  Look at the woods, finish and attention to detail-- he hasn't even buffed it yet, but it looks amazing--

----------

GKWilson, 

Rob Zamites

----------


## oldwave maker

Didn't even believe in the existence of reg'lar mandocellos till I got my first elderly, or was it mandobros(?) stocklist, now this.....liking the rubner 5 on a plate tuners with rosewood buttons.

----------

alfie, 

hank, 

Jim Nollman, 

lflngpicker, 

Rick Schneider, 

sgrexa, 

Steve Sorensen, 

Steve-o

----------


## billhay4

Tres cool, Bill.
Bill

----------


## Pete Jenner

> I think this one is going to be a beast!
> 
> 
> 
> Cheers Gary



Why Gary?

----------


## Magnus Geijer

Finally, getting close. Based on tap tone, this seems like it's the best of the batch, much to my surprise.

----------


## GarY Nava

> Why Gary?


It's a very big boy- 10 string mandocello.
Cheers Gary

----------

hank, 

lflngpicker, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner, 

Rob Zamites

----------


## Pete Jenner

> It's a very big boy- 10 string mandocello.
> Cheers Gary


I see.

----------


## Tavy

> It's a very big boy- 10 string mandocello.
> Cheers Gary


Good to see progress on your monster Gary - here's mine, a little ahead of yours at present, but as I need to concentrate on other things for a while I suspect you'll soon overtake me!

Not so much braces as girders on this one:



Variable scale fretboard to go with it:

----------

GKWilson, 

hank, 

lflngpicker, 

Rob Zamites, 

sgrexa

----------


## Pete Jenner

Mandobeasts are taking over the world.

----------


## GarY Nava

> Good to see progress on your monster Gary - here's mine, a little ahead of yours at present, but as I need to concentrate on other things for a while I suspect you'll soon overtake me!
> 
> Not so much braces as girders on this one:
> 
> 
> 
> Variable scale fretboard to go with it:


Blimey Tavy! There’s a lot going on there! Are those braces laminated with carbon-fibre?
I don’t know about overtaking you, I seem to be spending more time thinking about it than building. I remember Fred Dibnah (that will confuse our American cousins!) saying that it took him 25 years to restore his steam engine; 23 years talking about and 2 years work. I feel a bit like that with this build!
Cheers Gary

----------


## Tavy

> Blimey Tavy! There’s a lot going on there! Are those braces laminated with carbon-fibre?
> I don’t know about overtaking you, I seem to be spending more time thinking about it than building. I remember Fred Dibnah (that will confuse our American cousins!) saying that it took him 25 years to restore his steam engine; 23 years talking about and 2 years work. I feel a bit like that with this build!
> Cheers Gary


Yes there is a lot going on in there - main braces are spruce and walnut laminates - just thought I'd try it really  :Wink: 

For the record, I planned this one 2 years ago, finally just got started and now that I'm within touching distance of stringing up in the white, have to put it to one side for other things!  Still, it'll let me research string choices a bit more...

----------


## TheMandoKit

> Didn't even believe in the existence of reg'lar mandocellos till I got my first elderly, or was it mandobros(?) stocklist, now this.....liking the rubner 5 on a plate tuners with rosewood buttons.


Liking the tuners, too. Also the matching headstock top, fingerboard end and tailpiece crosspiece (is that the right term?). Can't wait to see it finished up. And, of course, to play it.

----------


## Steevarino

I'm giving our Traveler Mandolins a rest for awhile, and concentrating on some A-5 style builds.  Here are two that are on the bench right now...

----------

lflngpicker

----------


## Steevarino

Here's the current herd, in various stages of the coloring/finishing process...

----------

atbuckner21, 

lflngpicker, 

Rush Burkhardt

----------


## Paul South

> Howard Morris strikes again!  Look at the woods, finish and attention to detail-- he hasn't even buffed it yet, but it looks amazing--


Hey Dan, that looks pretty sweet...........happy for you my friend!!!!

----------

lflngpicker

----------


## Rob Zamites

> Mandobeasts are taking over the world.


Why yes, yes they are:

  

 :Whistling:

----------

lflngpicker

----------


## Bill Snyder

> Howard Morris strikes again!  Look at the woods, finish and attention to detail-- he hasn't even buffed it yet, but it looks amazing--


Does Howard Morris make an oval hole with the hole shaped more traditionally?

----------


## lflngpicker

> Does Howard Morris make an oval hole with the hole shaped more traditionally?


Bill, I think that he has typically used this distinct shape on all the ones I have seen pictured.  He seems willing to make an instrument to meet the interests of the buyer, if at all possible.  He gave me a number of options as I went along, though the shape of the instrument and the hole weren't mentioned.  The headstock shape was a choice between two types.  Thanks Bill!

----------


## lflngpicker

> Hey Dan, that looks pretty sweet...........happy for you my friend!!!!


Thanks SwervynMervyn99--BTW: Howard mentioned that you had contacted him about a future project.  :Mandosmiley:  I appreciate your encouragement.

----------


## Rob Zamites

Zamites #1 with the first coats of teak oil finish (think Tru-oil, but Watco branded):

----------


## Kent Barnes

Got some lacquer sprayed on #7 last night.

----------


## oldwave maker

Thanks to the Labrot & Graham and Knob Creek Distilleries for the fine color swatches!

----------

GarY Nava, 

Randolph, 

TheMandoKit

----------


## billhay4

Beautiful work, Bill.
Bill

----------


## GarY Nava

Coming together..........slowly!


Cheers Gary

----------

Pete Jenner, 

Rob Zamites

----------


## TheMandoKit

> Thanks to the Labrot & Graham and Knob Creek Distilleries for the fine color swatches!


Wow, just wow! Exactly right!

----------


## lflngpicker

My custom built Morris A4 is going to arrive late this week.

----------

GKWilson, 

Jim Nollman, 

Michael Bridges

----------


## Bill Clements

Here are the latest photos of my Classical 2-point mandolin Dr. Dave Cohen is building for me.  Details to date include an Engelmann Spruce top, Quilted Maple 1-piece back/sides Macassar Ebony peghead top plate and fingerboard.

----------

hank, 

Jim Garber, 

lflngpicker

----------


## lflngpicker

That is a great looking 2 point mando in progress, Bill.  The back is stunning!

----------


## Mark Wilson

> My custom built Morris A4 is going to arrive late this week.


It's now later this week.  :Mandosmiley:  Are you out back playing that new Morris?

----------

lflngpicker

----------


## Pete Jenner

So I had the frets on number 6 powder coated black to blend in with the fingerboard.

----------


## Jim Garber

> So I had the frets on number 6 powder coated black to blend in with the fingerboard.


What does that mean, Pete? How is that done? And does it wear off?

----------


## Pete Jenner

Sorry Jim, I was just kidding. It's black felt marker pen in preparation for levelling.  :Smile:

----------

John MacPhee

----------


## Jim Garber

> Sorry Jim, I was just kidding. It's black felt marker pen in preparation for levelling.


Duh!

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## lflngpicker

> It's now later this week.  Are you out back playing that new Morris?


Hi Mark, Well, the USPS 2 day priority was delayed.  It will be here today or tomorrow.  I am looking forward to getting it and plugging in to my Fishman Loudbox in prep for this Sunday.  I have been playing my J Bovier and Mid-Mo, though.  Love them!  Thanks Mark!

----------


## Mandoborg

Pete, Kudos, that looks like some super clean binding work !!!!  I really like the look of that ...

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## J.Sloan

A few pics of my next A5. Carpathian spruce, eastern red maple, satin finish.

----------

GKWilson, 

sgrexa

----------


## Randi Gormley

very nice -- is that a green tint on the front, or is my monitor off?

----------


## J.Sloan

Randi
it does show a green tint in these pics....not sure why. I didn't use any green...don't even have any green dye. This same picture in my profile album pics shows a more "real" look.

----------


## Magnus Geijer

It's getting interesting.

----------

GKWilson

----------


## billhay4

> It's getting interesting.


Yes it is! Nice work.
Bill

----------

Magnus Geijer

----------


## George R. Lane

> Randi
> it does show a green tint in these pics....not sure why. I didn't use any green...don't even have any green dye. This same picture in my profile album pics shows a more "real" look.


J.Sloan,
Do you have a fluorescent light in that room? I ask because as a retired photographer the green tint is usually associated with that type of light fixture. Same holds true of incandescent lights giving off a yellow hue. It is always best to take photographs in natural light. Just my $.02 worth of knowledge.

----------


## oldwave maker

Must be retired, only a handful in this litter, instead of 2 handfuls.... The nifty red cafe safety helmet prevents scarring from collisions with overhead mandobeasts!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Well, this should become interesting . . . 



Steve

----------

Bob Bronow, 

John MacPhee

----------


## Pete Jenner

Pagan 6 in the white.

----------

hank, 

Rob Zamites

----------


## Rob Zamites

Cedar top and black limba back bookmatched and glued up for 'La Balafenn' and the male mold (ala Leroy Beal):

  
I'm addicted to building, thanks to the cafe.

----------

hank, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Hey Rob, looks good. Can you weigh the rib/male mold assembly for us?

----------


## Rob Zamites

> Hey Rob, looks good. Can you weigh the rib/male mold assembly for us?


13.5 ounces:



1/4" Baltic birch ply for the top and bottom with aspen tail and neck blocks and stanchions.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Tavy

Mando-beast getting ready for a test stringing - still some work to do yet though - not least make that pesky tailpiece...



Not much room on the back:



Surprising how much mass these tuners add, inspite of being open-backed and individually fairly light.  Suppose I'd better make a nut too...

----------

hank

----------


## Pete Jenner

That looks good enough to eat Tavy.

----------


## GKWilson

John. If this turns out like your mandolins or mandola this will be one nice instrument.
Can't wait to hear it.
Gary

----------


## hank

Would that be called a fanfret crochead? Needle nose fanfret?  Very way cool and differentish in fact.

----------


## oldwave maker

The thing I miss most about the Wintergrass festival is the opportunity to rummage thru an anonymous white van in the parking lot for fantastic figured farwood from the godfather of quality quilt!

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## lflngpicker

My Morris A Oval with the K&K pickup is finally home.  It sure was worth the wait.  More pictures are available in Post a Picture section, but here is one:

----------


## labraid

Getting ready to add some support to a couple bowl interiors, with some freshly planed strips of Carpathian spruce.

----------

hank, 

Ken, 

lflngpicker, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner, 

usqebach

----------


## GKWilson

It's great to see your work again Labraid. Always a pleasure.
And your photography is next to none.
A new photo always means new wallpaper for my computer.
Gary

----------


## Pete Jenner

Good to see you back Brian. How thick do those spruce strips have to be?

----------


## labraid

A pleasure, I'll try to post more often, cheers guys. I aim for .003"/.08mm in my lining strips. Not too thick, just flexible enough.

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## JeffD

> Mando-beast getting ready for a test stringing - still some work to do yet though - not least make that pesky tailpiece...


Tavy, that is stunning. Beautiful. While modern and boldly new, its got a very ancient vibe. It is evocative of all those lute like instruments of the Renaissance. 

In my humble untrained and bumping around blind opinion you should enter that instrument in a general aesthetic design competition. I have read articles about these competitions, where the judging is based on the look of the designs - everything from kitchen appliances, musical instruments, garden tools. Depends on the rules but what I have seen the objects have to be useful for their primary function to even qualify, and then its the aesthetics that are judged. 

At the very least your completed creation is very very poster worthy.

----------


## Tavy

Thankyou Jeff!

First I need to finish the darn thing though....

----------


## labraid

Installed...

----------

David Houchens, 

DougC, 

GKWilson, 

tom.gibson

----------


## GKWilson

Amazing.

----------


## Tavy

> Amazing.


Ain't that the truth!

----------


## GarY Nava

Hey Tavy,
You're still ahead of me!
Cheers Gary

----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Installed...


Lovely.

----------


## Tavy

> Hey Tavy,
> You're still ahead of me!


Well as it happens, I've taken the back off mine again - as well as refining the voice a bit - I've found that with 10 strings:

* The truss rod will just about get the neck straight when maxed out, though I'm hoping this will improve when the action is down a bit (currently sky high, need to adjust the neck angle as well).  I always thought that both CF and a truss rod were total overkill... now I'm not so sure!
* There's some noticable forward neck rotation when stringing up, it's manageable, but I'm putting some more CF "neck thrust defenders" in anyway  :Smile:    I suspect I didn't get the main CF rod near enough to the top of the neck, so there's some pivotting about their end points going on.

Just a warning as you haven't got to this stage yet... I knew there was going to be a whole load of string tension to manage, but until you string up you don't realise just what that amounts to!

----------

GarY Nava, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Kent Barnes

Harlan # 7 was strung-up last night.  I think it sounds great - nice and loud!

----------

sgrexa

----------


## Tavy

Pickguard in progress - some scrap plus 99 pence worth of veneer:

----------

GKWilson

----------


## Marty Jacobson

I'll see your birdseye and raise you a few, Tavy. :-)

Some Sunday afternoon finish sanding and dyeing.

----------

sgrexa

----------


## Michael Bridges

Nice, Marty! Knew when I saw that birdseye "in the raw", that it was gonna look great! It does. Great work, as always.

----------


## David Houchens

New batch. A 3 point mandola, An F and an A.

----------


## Charles E.

Wow, looking forward to seeing the three point mandola. Oval hole or F?

----------


## David Houchens

I decided to go with an F on this one. I remember seeing a Hutto F45 ( I think thats what he called it ) and liked the idea. This one won't have the original looking 3 point scroll. More standard H5 scroll. This has been on my back burner for a long time. Kinda excited to finally get it going.

----------


## David Houchens

Oldwave, I saw that octave in the classifieds. Inspired me to start drawing one up to build later this year. What strings did you use? This one will have a 21" scale I think. I see yours is 21 1/2".

----------


## Bill Clements

Here are the latest photos of the Cohen Classical Dr. Dave is building for me.
In an earlier post I inadvertently identified the wood used for the headplate, bridge, and fingerboard as Macassar Ebony, when actually Dave is using African Blackwood for these components, which looks much the same.  Darn those senior moments of mine.

----------

GarY Nava, 

GKWilson, 

hank, 

Kowboy, 

Steve-o

----------


## Tavy

Nice!

----------


## Tavy

One last look inside my 10-stringer before the back goes on for the last time, new sound port in place and some more "thrust protection" (which was working well when I had the back tacked on for a test stringing):

----------

GarY Nava, 

GKWilson, 

hank, 

j. condino

----------


## Dick Hutchings

I noticed you switch to an inside mold for the A model. Care to elaborate on that. I'm thinking of doing the same thing with my upcoming A build.

----------


## GarY Nava

Just completed the abalone rosette on my carved top mandocello........



Cheers Gary

----------

GKWilson, 

hank, 

Jim Nollman, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Max Girouard

----------


## Dick Hutchings

> New batch. A 3 point mandola, An F and an A.


Bryce, this is what I was talking about.

----------


## billhay4

That's a beauty, Gary.
Bill

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Tavy

> Just completed the abalone rosette on my carved top mandocello........


Lovely stuff, should be a monster!

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## hank

Great looking blue abalone rosette Gary. Did you have to fit it together between the rope segments.  The narrow blue line looks sleek and balanced with the rope bindings.  How are you gonna finish this masterpiece?

----------


## David Houchens

> I noticed you switch to an inside mold for the A model. Care to elaborate on that. I'm thinking of doing the same thing with my upcoming A build.


 I have an outside A mold as well. It had another project in it. I like both inside and outside for different reasons. I made my first inside one after one Ward Elliott had. Small drop of hide glue to the blocks hold them right in place.

----------


## GarY Nava

> Great looking blue abalone rosette Gary. Did you have to fit it together between the rope segments.  The narrow blue line looks sleek and balanced with the rope bindings.  How are you gonna finish this masterpiece?


Hi Hank,
Thanks for the comment. Here it is before the shell went in; as you guessed. 

It will be French polished, but the client wants it satin instead of gloss.
Cheers Gary

----------

hank

----------


## Clinton Johnson

#5 scratch build...I now have a box

----------

billhay4, 

GKWilson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Working on a prototype for a new design -- The FX Blade.



Color is on and varnish is going on . . . so more to follow.

Steve

----------

GarY Nava, 

GKWilson, 

hank, 

Pete Jenner, 

Terry Sebastian

----------


## Pete Jenner

How many wheels does it have Steve?

----------


## Skip Kelley

Clinton, nice looking work! Can't wait to see more pictures!

Steve, that is one sweet looking peghead! Come on, quit teasing us and let's see more!!!
What kind of tuners are those?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Skip,

Alessi tuners -- bought them used from the 'Cafe Classifieds. Really very nice and smooth even without the bushings installed on the top.

Steve

----------


## Ron McMillan

> Working on a prototype for a new design -- The FX Blade.
> 
> 
> 
> Color is on and varnish is going on . . . so more to follow.
> 
> Steve


Does it require a Concealed Carry Permit?  :Smile:

----------


## j. condino

> Working on a prototype for a new design -- The FX Blade.
> 
> 
> 
> Color is on and varnish is going on . . . so more to follow.
> 
> Steve


#&@% YEAH Steve!!!!!!!!!!!!!

j.


www.condino.com

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## oldwave maker

Nice inlay, Steve! used to have a truck with a rear bumper sticker- 'if guns are outlawed, can we use swords?'
No idea how this scrolly thing got into my oval and octave littering.....

----------

GKWilson, 

McIrish, 

Mike Black, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Mandoborg

Bill, that's about as close as you can get to the perfect piece of backside splendor !!!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, that is some killer maple!

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Working on a prototype for a new design -- The FX Blade.
> 
> 
> 
> Color is on and varnish is going on . . . so more to follow.
> 
> Steve


That really is thinking outside the box.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

FX - first French Polish session completed - 



Steve

----------


## terzinator

pics of the front or it didn't happen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Ha!  Not 'til she gets strings Chris.

Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, can't wait to see more!

----------


## terzinator

> Ha!  Not 'til she gets strings Chris.
> 
> Steve


 :Popcorn:

----------


## craigw

I thought I would post some shots of the two 2-point mandolas I have going. #19 has a one piece West Virginia red maple back, sides and neck and a very exotically figured bearclaw sitka spruce top. It is currently curing in varnish. #20 has quarter sawn white oak back, sides and neck with a walnut burl veneer underlay on the peghead and Sitka spruce top. I just got the oak parts stained today after two applications of black pore filler. The top is Sitka and will have a clear pumpkin color stain. Both have been strung up "in the white", are quite strong and should make fine instruments. I should have them available at my luthiers booth at the Grass Valley (CA) festival this June..

----------

hank, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Wow Craig!  Love the way both are coming together!

Steve

----------

craigw

----------


## Skip Kelley

Craig, that is a wild looking bearclaw top! I love it! That oak is really cool looking!

----------

craigw

----------


## Geoff B

Here's a piece of torrefied maple I'll be making into an A-style... Bigleaf, quilted, and cooked... smells like molasses... next to it is Engelmann spruce for the top.  I'm very curious to see how it works!  The last A-style I built in just about 2 weeks for the online video I did with Robbie O'Brien, hoping to match that time frame this time.

----------


## Bill Clements

Here's the latest update photos from Dave Cohen of my Classical 2-point:


On to the "finish line"!

----------


## pianoman89

I really like that ebony tailpiece cover. That is what it is right?

----------


## Bill Clements

> I really like that ebony tailpiece cover. That is what it is right?


Thanks.
It's _African Blackwood_.

----------


## hank

Very nice Bill.  Can you tell us your and David's thoughts behind using the slotted headstock and other leading particulars like sound chamber, wood, bracing, etc. for your "Classical mandolin" design?  I notice Dave's bridge base shape and footprint seems to reflect the size of string guage above in the saddle.  The neck inlay pattern is understated but outstanding in it's eloquent utility.
  To be honest , I'm not sure I understand what to look/listen for in a classical instrument.  The headstock makes me think classical guitar, nylon strings, etc. playing classical music mostly solo.  The term classical makes me think of a concert instrument like Loyd's F5 that Bill turned into a Bluegrass axe but most advertisements for classical/concert mandolin are anything but that.  Am I confusing the term Classical with Concert?

----------


## Tavy

Top coats of EnduroVar going on.  After level sanding 320 grit, these are wiped on with a cloth about as thin as I can get them.  When you get right round the instrument the first parts are set hard and can be wiped over again.  This is 3 times round.  I think for a satin finish I would be done, but this will be rubbed out one more time and buffed.



Faux-TortoiseShell binding has gold leaf behind for a bit of added glow:

----------

GarY Nava, 

GKWilson, 

hank, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## pianoman89

Man Tavy, aint that purdy!

----------


## Dave Cohen

> Very nice Bill.  Can you tell us your and David's thoughts behind using the slotted headstock and other leading particulars like sound chamber, wood, bracing, etc. for your "Classical mandolin" design?  I notice Dave's bridge base shape and footprint seems to reflect the size of string guage above in the saddle.  The neck inlay pattern is understated but outstanding in it's eloquent utility.
>   To be honest , I'm not sure I understand what to look/listen for in a classical instrument.  The headstock makes me think classical guitar, nylon strings, etc. playing classical music mostly solo.  The term classical makes me think of a concert instrument like Loyd's F5 that Bill turned into a Bluegrass axe but most advertisements for classical/concert mandolin are anything but that.  Am I confusing the term Classical with Concert?


The single strongest influence on modern lutherie is the classical guitar design evolution of Torres, Bouchet, Hauser,..., etc.  That is the main reason why you see the design elements you do in Bill's mandolin.  Regarding "sound chamber": that mandolin has a fairly conventional arch top oval hole mandolin body.  Bracing design is unique, but I don't claim any special sonic advantages from the design.  Wood choices are unremarkable; Engelmann spruce and quilt big leaf maple.  What I want in all of my wood is a high ratio of stiffness to density, or put another way, a low ratio of density to stiffness.  That gives instrument parts that are more easily set in motion.  There is nothing sonically special about the bridge design.  I started using it when I thought there might be something to it, but I no longer think that.  The advantages of my  bridge are (i) that the width of the foot on the G-string side counteracts the tendency of the bridge to tilt or tip over as the strings are tightened, and (ii) lower mass.  Bill's bridge has a mass of about 10 grams.  Typical Gibson-type adjustable bridges have masses between 14 and 18 grams.

The slotted headstock has the advantage of lower mass, as well as a look that I think complements that of a classical guitar (albeit a simplified, "modern" one) in a duet.  I have found that my necks w/slotted headstocks tend to weigh about 30 or more grams less than post-through headstocks for the same instrument, other things being equal. I have reasons, first theoretical and more recently experimental, to think that lower (neck + headstock) mass is a good thing.  That, and mandolins tend to be headstock heavy anyway, principally from the mass of the tuning machines.

The ff-hole type archtop mandolin is not really dominant in classical mandolin music.  If you go to a CMSA convention, or to something similar in Europe or Asia, you will see many different types of mandolins.  To be sure, some players that have migrated to classical music from bluegrass have brought their ff-hole archtop mandolins with them.  Still, the Neapolitan or bowl back has a strong presence in the US, and an even stronger one in Europe and Asia.  There are many serious classical players who think that the Neapolitan sound is the one best suited to classical music.  The sound of the ff-hole archtop type mandolin is the farthest from that of the Neapolitan.  Oval hole flattops and archtops don't sound like Neapolitans, but they are less different from Neapolitans than are ff-hole type mandolins.  One thing I am going for in my classical mandolin is low mass, which gives me some (though not all) of the brightness of a Neapolitan.  That brightness is better heard in a mandolin orchestra than is the percussive midrange "pop" of an ff-hole type archtop.  The other thing is balance.  Neapolitans can be somewhat anemic on the lower strings.  I think that oval hole archtops  have more fullness in the lower end.  So, I am trying for more bandwidth, i.e., better compromise of both the high end _and_ the low end response.

----------

Bill Clements, 

Glassweb, 

hank, 

Jim Garber, 

Rob Zamites

----------


## Mandoborg

Hopefully the worker  on the left doesn't get fined for not wearing a hard hat.......... 

Jim

https://www.facebook.com/jimmy.combra

----------

GarY Nava, 

GKWilson

----------


## Clinton Johnson



----------


## Dick Hutchings

Brings back memories of going to the shop to work on one of mine and saw a mouse looking out of one of the f holes. There was a whole family in there. I stopped building for a while after that.

----------


## terzinator

> Brings back memories of going to the shop to work on one of mine and saw a mouse looking out of one of the f holes. There was a whole family in there. I stopped building for a while after that.


It's not a mandolin, it's a house. Think of it as Habitat for Humanity: Rodent division.

----------


## Bill Clements

> Top coats of EnduroVar going on. After level sanding 320 grit, these are wiped on with a cloth about as thin as I can get them. When you get right round the instrument the first parts are set hard and can be wiped over again. This is 3 times round. I think for a satin finish I would be done, but this will be rubbed out one more time and buffed.


Very pretty, John!

----------


## Bill Clements

> The single strongest influence on modern lutherie is the classical guitar design evolution of Torres, Bouchet, Hauser,..., etc. That is the main reason why you see the design elements you do in Bill's mandolin.


Thank you, Dave, for this eloquent insight into your design concepts for this mandolin.
I look forward to sharing more photos with our friends here as we near completion!

----------

hank

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Installed some frets this weekend...seems I'm moving at a snails pace on this thing. Oh well it is what it is

----------


## Pete Jenner

Slow and steady wins the race. Nice work, well done.

----------

Clinton Johnson

----------


## Dick Hutchings

Been I while, but I'm finally starting my fourth, and this one will be my first A5. All the wood came from Bruce at Orcas Island Tonewoods. Fantastic looking wood. I started right out hand planning the highly quilted maple for the back. Of all my hand planes, the old Stanley #5 did the cleanest work. I'm not sure what the top material is. I'm sure Bruce told me but I forgot. I told him I wasn't too fussy but I think he sent a real nice block of wood. 
Here's som pics of this Hutch mandolin in it's infancy.

----------

GKWilson

----------


## Pete Jenner

Nice lump O' wood.

----------


## Clinton Johnson

That is some beautiful wood Dick..should make a good one!

----------


## Dick Hutchings

Thanks, I see no reason to go through all this work and not have beautiful wood to look at when it's done. I've used so so wood before. Never will again. The side wood is so densely flamed, I'm glad I'm making an A. I've broken quite a few pieces of this quality trying make F models. I get it done though. Pics of side wood and neck wood to come.

----------


## labraid

A new Baroque mandolino started recently.

----------

billhay4, 

Bob Clark, 

DougC, 

GKWilson, 

sgrexa

----------


## John Kelly

That looks like a fascinating piece of construction!  Love the inlays.

----------


## hank

As graceful as nature building a Nautilus.

----------


## D18dave

Applying my first hand finish.  Using tru oil over shellac and really like the results so far, as well as the ease of use.

----------


## Clinton Johnson

That's looking real good D18...how many coats of shellac did you apply before Tru Oil?

----------


## Dick Hutchings

I have a friend that uses tru-oil and his finishes look great. The only issue I have with it, it takes quite a while for the smell to go away. I'll have to try it some day, it sure is easy and looks great.




> Applying my first hand finish.  Using tru oil over shellac and really like the results so far, as well as the ease of use.

----------


## Clinton Johnson

> I have a friend that uses tru-oil and his finishes look great. The only issue I have with it, it takes quite a while for the smell to go away. I'll have to try it some day, it sure is easy and looks great.


I've used Tru Oil in the past but never over shellac..I do like the finish it produces but have to agree on the smell issue

----------


## D18dave

I put three thin coats of spray shellac and sanded it lightly.  Had to sand the headstock a little more becase flat surfaces coat so easily.  

I hardly smell the tru oil.   I was hoping it would smell a little more like a gunstock but I'm not following the bottle instructions.   I'm applying very thin coats (over shellac) and wiping them off quickly.   there's probably not much tru oil to smell and it's not penatrating the wood.

----------

Clinton Johnson

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice work Dave! I love your mandolin design!

----------

D18dave

----------


## Tavy

> A new Baroque mandolino started recently.


OMG - beautiful as ever!

----------


## Rob Michalski

Nice use of depth of field in the photo of the bowlback.

Rob

----------


## billhay4

Brian is as good a photographer as he is a luthier, which is to say quite good.
Bill

----------


## oldwave maker

Inspiring as always, Brian!
Until further notice, I'm using this as the excuse at to why the garden sucks........

----------

GKWilson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

The Wave may be Old, but it's on a roll!
Steve

----------


## oldwave maker

#559 leaving home this week, not on a roll, but a cowboy hat that won't blow off in the wind!

----------

Charles E., 

D18dave, 

GKWilson, 

Jim Garber, 

Kennyz55, 

Rush Burkhardt, 

Theo W.

----------


## JimKo

> Inspiring as always, Brian!
> Until further notice, I'm using this as the excuse at to why the garden sucks........


Bill, Don't tell me you were working so hard you missed National Naked Gardening Day on May 2nd this year! Jim

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Playing in the white..so far so good..needs a little more wood off the neck, it's a little bulky. The air chamber emits a C# when tap so I believe the F holes need to be opened up

----------

GKWilson

----------


## Dick Hutchings

OK so it's a little more than lumps of wood now. After sorting out some issues with plane blades, adding a back bevel to my #6 I got them glued up. On to the next step which is to make an inside A5 mold. Don't hold your breath waiting but I'll continue adding things as I find time to get em done.

----------

Clinton Johnson

----------


## amowry

Beautiful work everyone! Here's what's hanging in my shop today...

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

GKWilson, 

Glassweb, 

j. condino, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner, 

tom.gibson

----------


## billhay4

They don't need to be hanging around, Andrew. Send them on to me.
Lovely work.
Bill

----------


## pianoman89

> Beautiful work everyone! Here's what's hanging in my shop today...


Some fine work there, my friend! May I ask were you obtained the wood for the mandocello? I'm about to start on one myself, and I think Ive located my back/sides. But I'm having some trouble finding spruce for the top. Is a traditional cello wedge generally thick enough to accommodate the thickness of the scroll? Also, did you find planes for your, or draw your own?
Thanks, and again, absolutely gorgeous work!

----------


## amowry

Thanks! That one is atually an octave, but it's close to 'cello size. I drew the design myself, but it's basically my F5 design scaled up. I believe the top came from Old Standard back when they had some Engelmann, and the back came from Northwest Timber, here in Oregon. Sometimes I use archtop guitar wood if I have trouble finding wood in octave size.  I'm not sure about the dimensions of cello wedges, but I would guess they would work.

----------


## GKWilson

Sweet.    Honey, carmel, and molasses.
Beautiful stuff as always Andrew.
Gary

----------


## Pete Jenner

Get dressed number seven.

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

tom.gibson

----------


## wildpikr

Interesting sound hole shapes on that one.  What color[s] will you stain it?

----------


## Pete Jenner

I'm not sure yet Mike. I might keep it blonde.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

French Polishing a Sprite Two-Point mandola.  Getting close . . . 

 

Steve

----------

GKWilson, 

hank, 

j. condino

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Dang Steve that's beutiful. Now if I could make instruments like that I'd quit my day job!

----------


## D18dave

Finished one up and got to hear it on stage on Saturday.

----------


## Clinton Johnson

D18 that's awesome. Bet it sounds terrific!

----------

D18dave

----------


## D18dave

also finishing up an F

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Man that is super nice bro! I can only hope my finish turns out that nice

----------

D18dave

----------


## Dick Hutchings

One small step for mankind... I'm slow but I finally got 45 minutes in my shop to glue my cutting plans on the top and back. Originally I did this. You can see there isn't quite enough figure to go around.



So, I changed the orientation which leaves the figure radiating upwards. I'm OK with that.





This one shows the top and the back with the back the way I was going to make it. I don't know why it's an attached thumbnail. I did something goofy.

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Lookin good Dick..that's definitely going to make a fine looking instrument!

----------


## pianoman89

Dick, where did you get that spruce? Looks like its got a little bear claw in it. I like that look...

----------


## Dick Hutchings

I got it from Orcas Island Tonewoods. I see no reason to look elsewhere.

----------


## Dick Hutchings

That bear claw is just planing marks.



> Dick, where did you get that spruce? Looks like its got a little bear claw in it. I like that look...

----------


## Dick Hutchings

Got some work done on the top this morning. Got to try out my new holdfast. They work great for this.

----------


## Tavy

Tailpiece under construction:



This is mark 3, having rejected 1&2  :Frown:

----------

GKWilson, 

tom.gibson

----------


## fscotte

Just finished my first blonde top.

----------

D18dave, 

hank, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Northwest Steve, 

Pete Jenner, 

tom.gibson

----------


## Dick Hutchings

Love it! What kind of tailpiece is that?

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Beutiful piece Fscotte!

----------


## fscotte

Thanks! That's an Ashton Bailey tailpiece - kinda like a cheaper version of the Allen tailpiece.  First time trying it, they are heavy and die cast, don't know about the lasting quality...

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Man all you guys are experts at finishing technique ..that's the part I seem to go south on though I've watched sunburst and condinos video over and over lol. I'm attempting a honey amber burst using the natural wood color on the top on #5 but wouldn't dare post the results until at least some top coats are on. I sware I'm about half color blind and just can't seem to match stuff very well

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Well after working on it in my garage several hours tonight I guess I'll go ahead and be a sport and post a couple (in progress)before topcoat pics. Why the heck not

----------

D18dave, 

GKWilson, 

Randolph

----------


## GarY Nava

> Tailpiece under construction:
> 
> 
> 
> This is mark 3, having rejected 1&2


I like this Tavy, very elegant. I take you're going for ball-ended strings on your monster?
Cheers Gary

----------


## Dick Hutchings

Is that a brushed finish or shiny. I can't really tell from the photo.



> Thanks! That's an Ashton Bailey tailpiece - kinda like a cheaper version of the Allen tailpiece.  First time trying it, they are heavy and die cast, don't know about the lasting quality...

----------


## D18dave

Tavy, 
Killer tail piece!  

Clinton,
Looking good!

----------

Clinton Johnson

----------


## fscotte

> Is that a brushed finish or shiny. I can't really tell from the photo.


Shiny.

----------


## Tavy

> I like this Tavy, very elegant. I take you're going for ball-ended strings on your monster?
> Cheers Gary


Yep.  I may or may not put pins in to hide the holes - you don't need them as the string just hooks into the slot.

Now I need to go and re-do the finish on this, as I sanded through when level sanding  :Frown:

----------


## Vernon Hughes

Been a while since I had a chance to work on anything since taking a new job but I have one in the finishing stages now. Coming along.

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

David Houchens

----------


## Pete Jenner

Polishing.

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

D18dave, 

David Houchens, 

GarY Nava, 

hank, 

tom.gibson

----------


## D18dave

Finished just in time for Weiser!

----------

Clinton Johnson

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> Polishing.


You make it look peaceful and meditative. (I am not fooled.)

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

hank, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Pete Jenner

> You make it look peaceful and meditative. (I am not fooled.)


Shhh ...that's why I didn't show the top where I burned through the varnish.  :Wink:  Only set me back a week or so.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Happens so easily. Enduro-Var all the way for me, now. Five coats and buff it two days later. It's still shrinking at that point so it looks like wood rather than plastic after the rest of the week-long curing phase is done.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Yeah I think this stuff is pretty similar to enduro-Var.

----------


## Tavy

> Shhh ...that's why I didn't show the top where I burned through the varnish.  Only set me back a week or so.


I feel your pain, I have one small dull spot on mine, trying to decide whether I can live with it or not  :Frown:

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Dick Hutchings

> Happens so easily. Enduro-Var all the way for me, now. Five coats and buff it two days later. It's still shrinking at that point so it looks like wood rather than plastic after the rest of the week-long curing phase is done.


Marty, I'm so accustomed to shiny plastic looking finishes, I almost take offense at your remark. When Martin started making lower priced guitars with a satin finish, I assumed it was because it was a cheaper and easier process. Now I see mandolins like this and I'm starting to appreciate them a little more. Give me shiny, I'm too old to change.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Oh, it is shiny, it's just not dead flat. It shows some of the texture of the wood underneath while being mirror glossy. Kind of like a lacquer finish that's decades old and has really and truly cured. It's not like a satin finish at all (which I also dislike).

----------


## Dick Hutchings

Now that I like.

----------


## GarY Nava

Hi Marty,
Out of interest, do you spray the Enduro-Var?
Cheers Gary

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Hi Gary, I brush the first 2 seal coats so that I have pores filled and everything leveled nicely. Then the rest are sprayed, usually in one day. It's ready to buff two days later.

----------

tom.gibson

----------


## GarY Nava

> Hi Gary, I brush the first 2 seal coats so that I have pores filled and everything leveled nicely. Then the rest are sprayed, usually in one day. It's ready to buff two days later.


Thanks Marty- always like to keep my options open!
Cheers Gary

----------


## Tom Haywood



----------

Marty Jacobson, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Bill Snyder

Tom, it looks like you have done a fine job on that. Is it laminate or solid?
FWIW, I watched the video (I think of this instrument in the white) on facebook and enjoyed it.

----------


## Tom Haywood

Bill, thanks. Laminate is too nice a word. It is thin 3 ply Baltic birch plywood radiused with sitka spruce braces. The neck is maple. This is the first full body I've done in lacquer. Definitely a learning curve there. My instruments are known for being loud, and surprisingly this one is the loudest and has a pleasing tone. It should hold up to any travel conditions. The next one will likely be be solid curly maple with spruce top.

Marty, I'm trying to have it together to bring Wednesday.

Pete, it's not a Pagan but it's pretty neat.

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Pete Jenner

As long as it is a sun worshipper Tom.

----------


## Pete Jenner

Speaking of Pagans, number 7 will be out the door in the morning to hang among the Chinese mandolins at Katoomba Music.

----------

GarY Nava, 

sebastiaan56

----------


## sunburst

Nothing in progress to report here, I was just catching up on this thread and felt compelled to mention this:

A high quality, dead flat, mirror gloss finish over a well prepared surface looks great.
A high quality less-than-full-gloss (call it satin, flat, whatever) finish over a well prepared surface looks great.

A poor quality, dead flat, mirror gloss finish over a poorly prepared surface looks like ****.
A poor quality, dead flat, less-than-full-gloss finish over a poorly prepared surface looks like ****.

We tend to paint finish types with a broad brush (poor pun intended), and when we see a cheap gloss finish we decide we don't like gloss finishes. When we see a cheap "satin" finish we decide we don't like "satin" finishes. In most cases, what we really don't like is a cheap, poorly done finish over a poorly prepared surface. 

Quality of surface, quality of finish material, and most of all _skill of the finisher_ are what determine the quality of the finish.
Before you decide you don't like a less-than-high-gloss finish, look at a cheap pac-rim mandolin beside a Nugget or similar. See the difference? Same for high gloss.

Now back to progress posts...
Looking good folks!

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Nothing in progress to report here, I was just catching up on this thread and felt compelled to mention this:
> 
> A high quality, dead flat, mirror gloss finish over a well prepared surface looks great.
> A high quality less-than-full-gloss (call it satin, flat, whatever) finish over a well prepared surface looks great.
> 
> A poor quality, dead flat, mirror gloss finish over a poorly prepared surface looks like ****.
> A poor quality, dead flat, less-than-full-gloss finish over a poorly prepared surface looks like ****.
> 
> We tend to paint finish types with a broad brush (poor pun intended), and when we see a cheap gloss finish we decide we don't like gloss finishes. When we see a cheap "satin" finish we decide we don't like "satin" finishes. In most cases, what we really don't like is a cheap, poorly done finish over a poorly prepared surface. 
> ...


 :Smile:  ...but having said that, I don't like satin finishes - well done or not.

----------


## Tom Haywood

> Speaking of Pagans, number 7 will be out the door in the morning to hang among the Chinese mandolins at Katoomba Music.


Really nice!

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## Tom Haywood

About to call it done.

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Thanks for letting me play it today, Tom. It sounds great, just like a Flatiron type instrument should. I guess we'll have to add model aircraft plywood to the list of available tonewood species.

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Vernon Hughes

Got this one strung up today,letting it settle in overnight before I go to wailing on it..They always sound better after 24 hours though i'm impressed an hour in.

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

David Houchens

----------


## Magnus Geijer

Just the very last little bit left now, and this batch will be done.

----------

GKWilson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

"Big Dog" octave peghead -



Steve

----------

Baron Collins-Hill, 

D18dave, 

Jim Nollman, 

Steve-o

----------


## Skip Kelley

That's just too cool, Steve!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## GarY Nava

These two; 10 string mandocello and mandola, have just been set-up "in the white". Next week sees them taken apart again and the finished applied.
Cheers Gary

----------

billhay4, 

GKWilson, 

Mandocarver, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## John Kelly

Two fine instruments, Gary.  Elegant!

----------


## oldwave maker

mandoweeds in the cowpea patch

----------

GKWilson, 

Mike Black, 

Steve Sorensen, 

Teak

----------


## Dick Hutchings

They appear to be almost ready for picking. :Laughing:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Bill, nice work! You have a great sense of humor! Picking time!!!

----------


## GarY Nava

Thought that you might find this interesting! The last touch on the 10-string 'cello.

Did a whole blog post about my version of pin point capos here.

http://guitar-maker.blogspot.co.uk/2...int-capos.html

Cheers Gary

----------

sgrexa, 

tom.gibson

----------


## Tavy

> Thought that you might find this interesting! The last touch on the 10-string 'cello.
> 
> Did a whole blog post about my version of pin point capos here.
> 
> http://guitar-maker.blogspot.co.uk/2...int-capos.html
> 
> Cheers Gary


Fascinating - be really interesting to see those in action at a gig and see how well the idea works in practice!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

The whole shop smelled like warm maple syrup while I was bending quilted maple binding for this build.  What a sweet benefit as this one comes together!



Steve

----------


## Pete Jenner

> The whole shop smelled like warm maple syrup while I was bending quilted maple binding for this build.  What a sweet benefit as this one comes together!
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


That's some pretty thick maple you're bending there Steve.

----------


## oldwave maker

Some fresh hanging maple mandomeat in the spray locker, the New Horizons probe can travel another 5 billion miles and it won't find a life form like this stuff!

----------

Charles E.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Love #4s maple-icious figure.
Steve

----------


## Charles E.

> mandoweeds in the cowpea patch


Sounds like the name of a fiddle tune.    :Wink:

----------


## Magnus Geijer

And now for something completely different...
Something ES335ish, except 5-string and 19" scale. Probably.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Neckin' again.


Big Dog Octave

Steve

----------


## Steve Sorensen

And, finally --



Steve

----------

Charles E., 

GKWilson, 

Jim Nollman

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, I'm loving the looks of that Big Dog Octave! Nicely done!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Dan Douris

Latest build progress.

----------

GKWilson, 

JEStanek

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, that is progressing nicely! I like the looks of that recurve!

----------


## Dan Douris

Thanks Skip!

----------


## Kevin Stueve

> And, finally --
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


very cool

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## oldwave maker

First of the C#'s and big boys group, Maine birdseye, desert ironwood, turquoise, and compression red spruce I got from John Arnold at the Nashville ASIA convention 15 yrs ago, these are more fun to spank in the white than a bowl of vanilla ice cream on a hot day.....

----------

billhay4, 

GKWilson, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Dan Douris

still lots more to do but pretty psyched on the progress so far.

----------

GKWilson

----------


## Clinton Johnson

You the man Dan! Watching your progress is giving me inspiration bro

----------


## Dan Douris

Thanks Clinton! Are you thinking of building? If so this is the best forum for help from other builders.

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Dan I've recently completed my # 5...but watching your work makes me want to start another already lol. And yes this is a great forum, I've been gleaning valuable info here for years. :Mandosmiley:

----------


## GarY Nava

Latest mandolin coming along nicely :Wink: 
Cheers Gary

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

GKWilson

----------


## oldwave maker

Progressing right out the door to fedex later this week:

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

Larry S Sherman, 

sgarrity

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Test string-up for the first CaliMando - 

 

13-7/8 scale; Curly Redwood and Curly Claro Walnut with Quilted Maple binding and details; Rubner tuners; Killer Bridge and new Killer MandoTail.

Looking forward to getting some shellac on this baby for sure.

Steve

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

Steve-o

----------


## sgarrity

That looks jazzy!

----------


## Ron McMillan

> Progressing right out the door to fedex later this week:


These are so handsome. I applaud makers like yourself who are continuing the great tradition of the A4/A5 instruments of another era.

----------


## Ron McMillan

> Looking forward to getting some shellac on this baby for sure.


I look forward to *seeing* that  :Smile:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Strung up this one in the white for a little test-drive before finishing.  



Steve

----------

hank

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Beautiful Steve as usual

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, very nice! I love your inlay on that one!

----------


## hank

A sudden clash of thunder, the mind doors burst open, and lo, there sits old man Buddha-nature in all his homeliness.  
                                                             CHAO-PIEN

----------


## Dan Douris

Still lots to do but here is mando #4 progerss.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Thanks guys!  I'm really looking forward to having this one completed.  

The inlay work was a fun collaboration with the client (from Beijing) and features a branch of plum blossoms reaching up from the pickguard to the headstock where a stylized version of the character for "Dancer" flows between the tuners.  The designs are based upon her amazing tattoos.  I used stabilized camphor for the "branch", black MOP for the character and pinkish Abalone for the flowers.

Here's a closer look --



I love doing the creative inlay work, but it makes me even more aware that the tone and playability for these "fancy" ones has to be really superior.  I used the graduations and tonebar tweaks that I worked out with Randy Jones this spring, and I'm really pleased with how the bearclaw Sitka Spruce and Bigleaf maple back work together on this one -- really woody but powerful and balanced.  

Steve

----------

billhay4, 

hank, 

sgarrity

----------


## Bill Snyder

> A sudden clash of thunder, the mind doors burst open, and lo, there sits old man Buddha-nature in all his homeliness.  
>                                                              CHAO-PIEN


What does this mean?

----------

Dick Hutchings

----------


## hank

"What does this mean?"
Bill this is a Zen writing that came to my mind viewing Steven's plum tree inlay.  Much of my exposure to oriental art is thru Spiritual literature decorated with similar art forms.  Thanks for sharing this one Steven.

----------


## Dan Douris

mando #4 progress.

----------


## Dan Douris

weird...didn't mean to repost my mando progress.

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Looking great Dan, bet you can't wait to hear that puppy bark!  :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Dan Douris

Thanks Clinton! Hope to string it up in the white after I finish graduating the back plate. I am kinda cheating here since the back isnn't really attached yet! lol!

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

GKWilson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Absolutely perfect weather for French Polishing today.



The CaliMando is starting to shine!

Steve

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

Steve-o

----------


## Dan Douris

Wow truly amazing Steve!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## testore

New Vessel F5 finished today

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

OldGus

----------


## hank

WOW!  I don't know if it's the tree or your artistry but that is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.

----------

testore

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Hanging around this weekend -- 



Steve

----------


## John Kelly

My two latest projects, one with spruce top and mahogany back and sides and the other with cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides.  Both 360mm scales.  On the cedar mandolin I modified the tailpiece (identical to the spruce top) by gluing on a piece of the rosewood to the reshaped tailpiece cover.  Just a personal touch!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, I'm loving that A model!

John, those mandolins look like they would be fun to pick on!

Here is a picture of an F model that is quilted maple/california redwood. I love that tonewood. this one rings like a church bell already.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Skip,
Looks like we've got another Redwood fan!  Beautiful clean work!
Steve

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## John Kelly

Hey Skip, another Kelley, though I have a letter less in my spelling!  That Redwood body looks great.

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Dan Douris

Mando progress.

Sitka top
Big leaf maple back, neck, and sides
Ebony fingerboard
Wenge peghead veneer

----------


## Dan Douris

Hey Skip that F looks like it's coming along real nice! I had a chance to pick one of your F mandos (can't recall the #) at a bluegrass fest in Wind Gap, PA about 7-8 years ago. The sound and playability was awesome! Hope to get a chance on another sometime!

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, thanks for the kind words! Your A model is looking good! I love the figure in the maple!

----------


## Dan Douris

Thanks Skip! Maple is from Bruce @ Orcas Island. That guy has some killer stuff!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, I think Bruce has some great stuff! The F5 I have pictured is from redwood and quilt that I bought from him.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

*Big Dog* octave back before and after color.

 

Nice bit of wood, huh?

Steve

----------

Clinton Johnson

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, that's a fine looking piece of maple!

----------


## Dan Douris

Strung up in the white.

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Nice Dan...how is she sounding?

----------


## Dan Douris

Not bad Clinton, even with a half ass set up! lol!

----------


## Clinton Johnson

> Not bad Clinton, even with a half ass set up! lol!


Yeah man...tis better to have a "half" arse than no arse atol..great work  :Mandosmiley:

----------


## Dan Douris

Here is a short vid of my 4th mando build progress. Still a newbie at this building thing but still enjoying every minute and still lots to learn. Please excuse the sorry  pickin'... :Confused: !

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

hank

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Dan,
That's progress you can be proud of!
Steve

----------


## Dan Douris

I appreciate that Steve! thanks!

----------


## Dan Douris

Oh and Steve I am hoping someone that owns one of your mandos shows up out here in PA so I can try it out! They just look so amazing!

----------


## Dan Douris

So I bumped into the very talented Bryce Milano at a festival over the weekend and he took my latest build for a test run. He gave me some really nice compliments and also some great ideas on set up which is what I wanted to hear. He made it  sound really nice!

----------


## Dan Douris

Part 2 of Bryce Milano pickin' mando #4.  Funny how he makes it sound good even though it is only 6 days old with a really bad set up! The nut is just a tad too high and I threw on and old set of Schaller tuners just to string it up. They don't stay in too so good anymore as you can hear in the vid. I have a new set on order. Overall I am pretty happy with the sound. Now its time to clean it up for stain and polish!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, your mandolin sounds great! Nice work!

----------


## Dan Douris

Thanks Skip! Ready to finish this one up and move onto building another!

----------


## labraid

A new Roman mandolin getting started. Stained glass finial.

----------

billhay4, 

DataNick, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Magnus Geijer

#13 underway. 18", 5-string octave. I have high hopes.

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Dan Douris

Finished staining last night. Still need a lot more experience under my belt on the staining process but still pleased I got to this point! Looking forward to getting a shine on this one!

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Looking good Dan

----------


## Dan Douris

> Looking good Dan


Thanks Clinton! Just need to tighten up on my craftsmanship. I can sand and sand but still seem to find a small spot where stain just doesn't adhere the best   :Frown: . I guess this will come with more experience I hope...

----------


## Clinton Johnson

You and I are pretty much in the same boat Dan, the finishing process is definately one of my weakness. But it's fun

----------


## John Kelly

That's a fine-looking instrument, Dan.  I really like the headstock and the inlay pattern too.

----------


## Dan Douris

> That's a fine-looking instrument, Dan.  I really like the headstock and the inlay pattern too.


Thanks John! Started the varnish last night. Hope to get a mirror finish on this one!

----------

JEStanek, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Man that burst is popping! Awesome bro

----------


## Max Girouard

Finally getting around to finishing off this 10 string fanned fret mandola.  First and last time I'll use purple heart on an archtop instrument.  Too hard on the tools and joints.  The top is a piece of wide grain cedar, from Orcas Island Tonewoods.

----------

JEStanek, 

sgrexa, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Max Girouard

Also have this one getting strung up today in the white.  Red spruce top, Peruvian walnut back / sides / neck.  Neck has center stripe of ebony.  Lauri had come up with the idea a few years ago of having an owl chasing some mice for the headstock overlay, as well as mice scurrying around the fretboard.  We have an adventurous client who thought that it would work on his custom build.

----------

Jim Garber, 

John Kelly, 

Karl Hoyt, 

Seattle, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Dan Douris

> Man that burst is popping! Awesome bro


Thanks Clinton! Looking forward to the finished product.

----------


## Dan Douris

Wow Max that its real nice! Looking forward to seeing it finished!

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Wow Max, whoever Lauri is must be among the genius minds, the Owl chasing mice? How cool is that! Who would've thought?

----------


## Max Girouard

> Wow Max, whoever Lauri is must be among the genius minds, the Owl chasing mice? How cool is that! Who would've thought?


Lauri is my wife, AKA finish sander, color department and finishing department!

----------

Clinton Johnson

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Awesome builds, Max.  Cool all around!
Steve

----------


## Tavy

> Also have this one getting strung up today in the white.  Red spruce top, Peruvian walnut back / sides / neck.  Neck has center stripe of ebony.  Lauri had come up with the idea a few years ago of having an owl chasing some mice for the headstock overlay, as well as mice scurrying around the fretboard.  We have an adventurous client who thought that it would work on his custom build.


Fantastic: love the cheese - nice touch!

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Jim Garber

> Also have this one getting strung up today in the white.  Red spruce top, Peruvian walnut back / sides / neck.  Neck has center stripe of ebony.  Lauri had come up with the idea a few years ago of having an owl chasing some mice for the headstock overlay, as well as mice scurrying around the fretboard.  We have an adventurous client who thought that it would work on his custom build.


Love the inlays! Also that Peruvian walnut looks like swirled ice cream. Does it sound similar to American walnut?

----------


## Dan Douris

Hangin' out to dry.

----------


## Max Girouard

> Love the inlays! Also that Peruvian walnut looks like swirled ice cream. Does it sound similar to American walnut?


I've only built one other mandolin with black walnut (_Juglans nigra_), and two others with Claro walnut (_Juglans hindsii_), but that was so long ago, and my arching and carving is different now from when I did those that there are too many variables to make a judgement on how the woods differ.  I carved this piece similar to how I would have carved a piece of maple with similar stiffness.  However the density of this walnut was significantly less than most of the maples I work with.  The sound when strung up is very strong in the fundamental without a lot of overtones, or what I like to call dry.  Would make a fantastic bluegrass mandolin or ensemble instrument. It has exceptional volume and cut, but without sounding brittle or harsh.

----------


## bernabe

Mandolin #35. Time to start the final sanding process. 1 piece Engelman top, sugar maple for the rest.

----------

Mike Black, 

PH-Mando, 

sgrexa, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Dan Douris

James, I know I have already commented on FB but again that is freakin' amazing!

----------

bernabe

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Love the aperture design..awesome

----------

bernabe

----------


## billhay4

Nice design; I agree about the soundholes.
Bill

----------

bernabe

----------


## Skip Kelley

Magnus, that 5 string is looking great!

Dan, nice work on the stain! That maple figure looks great!

Max, I love that walnut mando! The owl and mice inlay are really cool!

James, I'm loving those sound holes! Can't call them f holes, can we? That is a really wide grain top; I love it!

----------

bernabe, 

Magnus Geijer

----------


## wwwilkie

Here's a mandolin I'm building which is part of the "One Tree" project put on by the Robert Bateman Gallery in Victoria, BC.  They've invited 40 artists from around Vancouver Island to create pieces using wood from the same Bigleaf Maple tree.
It was not easy finding usable pieces in such a small amount of wood but I'm happy with the end result.  I cheated a bit and used sitka spruce for the top and an ebony fretboard (with bigleaf maple inlays).
I'm in the process of french polishing it right now.

----------

hank, 

Jim Garber, 

Ron McMillan, 

Steve-o, 

tom.gibson

----------


## billhay4

Beautiful work, Wyatt, as usual, especially that fretboard. Are the soundholes adjustable?
Bill

----------


## wwwilkie

Thanks, Bill.  Not adjustable, I like to keep things simple!

----------


## Marty Jacobson

So glad to see you making mischief, Wyatt. Beautiful instrument. The soundholes are masterful.

----------

wwwilkie

----------


## bernabe

Wyatt, I assume that's just recessed being the grain matches. Is that reinforced underneath? Flared thicker to keep that area less fragile? Interesting.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Wyatt, that mandolin is a fine work of art!

----------

wwwilkie

----------


## Dan Douris

Gettin' there.

----------


## Dan Douris

That is some seriously fine craftsmanship Wyatt!

----------

wwwilkie

----------


## wwwilkie

Yes the soundholes are carved and it's purely stylistic.  I didn't reinforce them underneath, didn't think it was necessary and (good eye!) they are flared out thicker.  I just thought it would look cool.  I'll post a photo when it's done, there are some other parts like the truss rod cover, pickguard and bridge which I made using the same bigleaf maple.

----------


## tom.gibson

> I just thought it would look cool.


And it sure does.

----------


## Dan Douris

Pretty happy with how this one turned out. Still a newbie at building but looking forward to starting another! Will post a vid/sound clip once I fit it with a new CA bridge once it arrives.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, you should be proud! Your mandolin looks great! Nice burst!

----------


## Dan Douris

> Dan, you should be proud! Your mandolin looks great! Nice burst!


Thank you for the encouraging words Skip!

----------


## Dan Douris

So here is my 4th mandolin build. Still tweaking the setup but pretty happy with how it turned out. Let me know what ya think.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Dan,
Still sounding new-tight . . . but heading in the right direction!  Play it hard and work that box!
Steve

----------


## Dan Douris

> Dan,
> Still sounding new-tight . . . but heading in the right direction!  Play it hard and work that box!
> Steve


I figure it will take me a lot more builds to fully understand how to get that worn-in sound right of the bat. Taking it out tonight to a jam to get others pickers to see what they think. Thanks Steve your input really mean a lot!

----------


## PlaneSimple

I do things the hard way it seems. Here is a shot of the neck of my just completed f5, in progress; the slow way.

----------


## Max Girouard

I was able to snap a few shots of Lauri doing a burst on one of our mandolins.  She does such a wonderful job.  I'll admit, I still get a little freaked out when she first puts on that darker stain and it is all streaky, but she always makes it look great in the end.

----------

Charles E., 

ninetynine, 

Pete Jenner, 

PlaneSimple, 

Ron McMillan

----------


## Mandoborg

Looking good Max/Lauri !!

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Skip Kelley

Dan, your mandolin sounds great! Keep up the good work!

Max, Lauri does a great job with the sunburst!

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## oldwave maker

Like most luthiers here, I'm wondering if Lauri has a similarly talented twin sister looking for a job in santa's southwest mando workshop? Don't know how that parlor archtop guitar snuck in here.......

----------

Max Girouard, 

Randolph

----------


## Skip Kelley

Wow, Bill you have been busy! There's a lot of hard work right there! Looking good!

----------


## bernabe

Sugar Maple, stained, sealed, scraped and a coat of finish

----------


## TheMandoKit

> Like most luthiers here, I'm wondering if Lauri has a similarly talented twin sister looking for a job in santa's southwest mando workshop? Don't know how that parlor archtop guitar snuck in here.......


Dang it, Bill, now you're going to get me jonesing for a GBOM. Or an archtop parlor. Or both. 

I can't stand it! :Grin:

----------


## oldwave maker

Kit- planning the doubleneck archtop guitar/octave as soon as I finish my doubleneck  electric mando/upright stick bass, should be around the first of April!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## bernabe

1 piece Engelman

----------

Charles E.

----------


## hank

Beautiful design bernabe. Looking forward to seeing this one completed.

----------

bernabe

----------


## GarY Nava

Just started to French polish this Pau Ferro mandolin.
Cheers Gary

----------

cayuga red

----------


## Ron McMillan

Holy Moly Gary, that is gorgeous. You may have told us about this before, but if so I missed it. I'd love to see a video clip about this one.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## GarY Nava

> Holy Moly Gary, that is gorgeous. You may have told us about this before, but if so I missed it. I'd love to see a video clip about this one.


Hi Ron, Glad you like, you haven't missed anything about this one. I've had it playing in the white.......

.....but there's still away to go before it's complete. It's part of a double commission that I'm working on for a classical composer so hopefully there will be some good recordings at some point in the future.
Here's a back view guitar that goes with it.

Cheers Gary

----------

Ron McMillan, 

wwwilkie

----------


## John Kelly

Lovely instruments yet again, Gary.  Is the guitar back walnut?  It looks really lovely.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## GarY Nava

> Lovely instruments yet again, Gary.  Is the guitar back walnut?  It looks really lovely.


Thanks John. Yep, the guitar is English walnut- there's a thread about its build on the acoustic soundboards forum if you're interested.
Cheers Gary

----------


## Skip Kelley

Looking good, Gary!

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## GarY Nava

Thanks Guys, and here's the next one!
European spruce top, quilted maple back & sides and a black walnut neck.
Cheers Gary

----------


## labraid

34 figured maple staves plus 2 large side ribs in cherry, for a Roman mandolin, just off the form.

----------

billhay4, 

cayuga red, 

wwwilkie

----------


## wwwilkie

Finishing up this mandolin today.

----------

billhay4, 

cayuga red, 

labraid

----------


## Kip Carter

Gosh so beautiful!

----------


## oldwave maker

Could have saved time by putting both the guitar and octave neck on the same body, but its easier for 2 folks to play with separate instruments, a Trevor octave and Louie Louie archtop geetar in the white

----------

amowry, 

Carleton Page, 

cayuga red, 

George R. Lane, 

hank, 

Mandocarver, 

Patrick Melly, 

Randolph, 

red7flag, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## hank

Whoa! Bill nice chord dicing in the white.  I'm in if the happy little Blue birds lead the way.

----------


## bernabe

Ready to clean up the fretboard and finish dressing frets

----------

hank, 

j. condino

----------


## Skip Kelley

James, that mandolin looks awesome! I love the wide grain top!

----------

bernabe

----------


## bernabe

Thanks, skip. Heard you moved from T-ville.

----------


## Max Girouard

The bench after shaping tone bars on eleven different mandolin tops.......

----------

Karl Hoyt

----------


## Charles E.

Nice Max, looks like that little victor plane is earning it's keep. I love mine.

----------

Max Girouard

----------


## Skip Kelley

> Thanks, skip. Heard you moved from T-ville.


James, I heard that rumor a while back too! I'm still here in Thomasville.

----------


## oldwave maker

Jim's 2 point, the morning after it was spanked at the Campfire session, ready to final sand and finish. Quilted/engelmann/desert ironwood, fresh coffee....

----------

JimKo

----------


## Eric Oliver

Oldwave, I like all of these lines in your 2 point. And it appears that it was not scorched by the young oldwave makers on their butane guitars!

----------


## GarY Nava

Here's the next one: body together and waiting for its walnut bindings. Maple and walnut!One of my favorite flavors!
Cheers Gary

----------

billhay4, 

cayuga red, 

Mandocarver

----------


## TheMandoKit

> Kit- planning the doubleneck archtop guitar/octave as soon as I finish my doubleneck  electric mando/upright stick bass, should be around the first of April!


Hey, excellent, should be about the time I get to NM in the spring!   :Whistling:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A couple of AXes getting their shine on.



One-piece sugar maple and one piece red maple backs.

Steve

----------


## Steve Sorensen

French Polishing an AX.

  

Steve

----------

Beanzy, 

Bigtuna, 

hank, 

j. condino

----------


## Skip Kelley

Looking good, Steve! That's going to make someone very happy!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## oldwave maker

The JK C# and ET oval settling in before heading out, sure liking the James shell tailpiece on the C#

----------

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Randolph

----------


## oldwave maker

569 and 570 settling in, ironwood and tortoise over engelmann/curly, ebony and ivoroid over same, the most fun that can be had with a pick in your right hand.......

----------

hank, 

Randolph, 

tmsweeney

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Beautiful, Bill.  Those sweet babies just need to be making music!
Steve

----------


## Jackson84

My White #4 is almost ready! It took me a little over a year to complete, working on it on and off. I've found it very difficult to do these from scratch and be time efficient at the same time. Maybe one of these days...
Tyler

----------

bradlaird, 

Carleton Page, 

Mike Barber

----------


## Bill Snyder

Tyler, judging from the photos that is a beautiful instrument.

----------


## billhay4

I agree. Let's hear it.
Bill

----------


## Kirk Albrecht

> My White #4 is almost ready! It took me a little over a year to complete, working on it on and off. I've found it very difficult to do these from scratch and be time efficient at the same time. Maybe one of these days...
> Tyler


Beautiful work for only #4 Tyler!  Yes, let's hear how it sounds!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Tyler, your mandolin look awesome! Nice work all around! I love your take on the flowerpot! :Grin:

----------


## Andrew B. Carlson

Wow. Very nice work Jackson! If you said that was #400, I'd have believed you.

----------


## Jackson84

Thanks for the kind words! When I list it in the classifieds, I'll be sure to post a video in the link.

----------


## Bigtuna

> Tyler, your mandolin look awesome! Nice work all around! I love your take on the flowerpot!


I second that!

----------


## Ron McMillan

> My White #4 is almost ready! It took me a little over a year to complete, working on it on and off. I've found it very difficult to do these from scratch and be time efficient at the same time. Maybe one of these days...
> Tyler


That's one of the most strikingly handsome F5s I've seen in a long time. Beautiful work.

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Definitely awesome work and skills Jackson! Beutiful instrument bro

----------


## Jackson84

Here is a short video! I've been able to find some consistency in tone by using engelmann spruce. This one is very similar in sound to my #3, but maybe a little more punchy. I have the action set really low so the chop is a little weak, but it has more to give with higher action. Thanks again for the generous comments!

----------

bradlaird, 

Carleton Page, 

hank, 

Kevin Stueve, 

Mike Barber, 

Nick Gellie, 

Randi Gormley

----------


## billhay4

Nice sounding instrument.
Bill

----------


## Rick Jones

Sounds and looks great!

----------


## Brian George

Hello Guys
I am a new member to mandolin cafe.
I started building mandolins in 2014 and now have completed 9 instruments.
The following link http://www.flickr.com/mandolinmann/albums
will lead you to pictures of my work.
I build as a hobby, in the UK and  design my own instruments (except from the first one which was from plans)
I would welcome your feedback
Brian George

----------


## billhay4

Nice looking variety of instruments, Brian. I wondered on Number 6 why you glued the kerfed lining in like that. I always do it before the top is attached and use clothes pins to hold it on while the glue dries.
Bill

----------


## tmsweeney

Darn it now my shirt is soaked, I was drooling at those octaves for along time before I realized it........

----------


## John Kelly

Welcome, Brian, and congratulations on your achievements so far.  I have been building part-time since 2004(ish) and have made 25 mandolins, 13 octaves and a few others such as guitars, a bouzouki and a couple of tenor guitars.  

Your instruments look very well made and designed, and the bracing patterns are very interesting.  I too was fascinated by your method of adding the kerfing - I too use clothes pegs to hold my linings in, as Bill mentions above.  i look forward to hearing some sound files of your creations at some time soon.

----------


## oldwave maker

Circle will be unbroken, Rawlings old epiphone inspired, stain and shellac sealer, looks too dark to be my 'golden age'!

----------

billhay4

----------


## GarY Nava

Do not adjust your sets! It's a lefty!
Cheers Gary

----------


## Tavy

> Do not adjust your sets! It's a lefty!
> Cheers Gary


Nice!

----------


## lflngpicker

> Here's a shot of seven of our RedLine Traveler mandolins in various stages of having the finish applied to them.  Various wood species and types in this grouping.


Hi Steve, I have a Red Line Traveler and would like to invite you to join the social group which is for Traveler fans.  I would appreciate you adding your important name this list.  Thank you, Dan

----------


## jmagill

This Northfield is a premium woods custom F4, due to ship tomorrow from Michigan. Should be here by early next week.

----------

hank, 

Northwest Steve

----------


## Mandoborg

Here's one that's just about ready to put together. Big Leaf, Bear Claw Red Spruce , and Bubinga.

Jim

https://www.facebook.com/jimmy.combra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DUGTTuoRPs

----------

billhay4, 

hank, 

hobotom, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Skip Kelley

Mandoborg, that is a beautiful blonde! Nice work!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Here's the latest off the bench. Typical looking F5. Red spruce top, European maple back, sides, and neck. Hide glue assembly. Matte varnish to look old. Has the sound already; very close to a friends 22 Loar.

----------

billhay4, 

hank, 

jasona, 

Jim Garber, 

Northwest Steve

----------


## cayuga red

Beautiful instrument.  Thanks for posting!

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## billhay4

Nice, Skip. Your work continues to be exemplary.
Bill

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Mandoborg

Thanks Skip !!!! I have a thing for Blondes that carries over from Arch-top guitars !!! That's one fine instrument you built there yourself !!!!

Jim


https://www.facebook.com/jimmy.combra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DUGTTuoRPs

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Test drive in the white for this 10-string Sprite Two-Point mandola.



Looking forward to doing some picking and adjusting on it Monday.

Steve

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, that is super cool looking! I love that shape! Nice work, brother!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Tavy

Headstock in progress - EnduroVar over Amboyna:

----------

hank

----------


## Pete Jenner

> Headstock in progress - EnduroVar over Amboyna:


Loovlee.

----------


## Skip Kelley

> Headstock in progress - EnduroVar over Amboyna:




Nice work; it looks great now!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Never get tired of seeing this -- binding scraped and first coat of varnish wiped-on this Sprite Two-Point mandola -- 

 

AMAZING silking on the one-piece Sitka top.  Thank you trees!

Steve

----------

hank, 

Karl Hoyt, 

Ron McMillan

----------


## trevor

> Headstock in progress - EnduroVar over Amboyna:


John, that is gorgeous, what is it? It looks like a Sobell?

----------


## Tavy

> John, that is gorgeous, what is it? It looks like a Sobell?


It's the neck for an electric mandolin... just need to finish the body off... should have been done by now really but some finishing SNAFU's meant stripping the top and starting again  :Frown:

----------


## GarY Nava

> It's the neck for an electric mandolin... just need to finish the body off... should have been done by now really but some finishing SNAFU's meant stripping the top and starting again


Look forward to seeing it!
Cheers Gary

----------


## Skip Kelley

Just got some stain on this mandolin today. As Bill Bussman has said, "I'm glad I live on a planet where this stuff grows!".

----------

hank

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Skip,
LOVE that warm 'burst!
Steve

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## lflngpicker

I don't build 'em, but I try to buy good ones from guys who can!  :Smile:  
Here is my J Bovier F5 S  Black Top crafted by Jeff Cowherd in all its naked glory:

----------

DataNick, 

Michael Bridges

----------


## Tom Haywood

Getting varnished.

----------

Michael Bridges, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> Getting varnished.


Looks good, what are you using for varnish?

----------


## Tom Haywood

Thanks, Marty. I'm using the Behlen's Violin Varnish again, but spraying this time on a hand rubbed sunburst stain.

----------

hank

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Well let's schedule a picking party for when the finish is cured...

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A little in-the-white test driving for these two beauties.  



Both have red spruce tops and are throwing down that focused new Adirondack power!

Ready for clean-up and finishing, I think.

Steve

----------

hank, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Ron McMillan

> A little in-the-white test driving for these two beauties.  
> 
> 
> 
> Both have red spruce tops and are throwing down that focused new Adirondack power!
> 
> Ready for clean-up and finishing, I think.
> 
> Steve


Lovely, Steve. I hope you put up photographs of the finished items.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Looking good, Tom! Please post pictures when it is done!

Steve, Those are two fine looking mandolins!

----------

Tom Haywood

----------


## Tom Haywood

> Well let's schedule a picking party for when the finish is cured...


Great idea!

----------


## DavidKOS

A completely different style of mandolin:

Fischbach mandolin, as of last week:





The fingerboard will have at least 27-29 frets, too.

----------

Charles E., 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Michael Bridges

> I don't build 'em, but I try to buy good ones from guys who can!  
> Here is my J Bovier F5 S  Black Top crafted by Jeff Cowherd in all its naked glory:


Lookin' Great!

----------

lflngpicker

----------


## Michael Bridges

> Getting varnished.


Likin' that a lot, Tommy! (Am I gonna get to pick it?)

----------

lflngpicker, 

Tom Haywood

----------


## Jackson84

My number 5 is almost ready for varnish! First time using Carpathian, but will definitely not be the last. Such a great tone wood.

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

hank, 

Northwest Steve, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## HoGo

> My number 5 is almost ready for varnish! First time using Carpathian, but will definitely not be the last. Such a great tone wood.


Those tonebars are really small! How does it sound?

----------


## Jackson84

> Those tonebars are really small! How does it sound?


Yeah they're definitely less traditional. When I first started building these, I was given some advise from a high end builder and he recommended not overbuilding the tone bars. I've always sized and shaped them in a similar fashion to what I've seem him do and so far I've had good, consistent results in terms of tone. I do usually go a tad bigger, but this piece of carpathian was extremely stiff so I took them down a little. 

I'll attach a video to give you a sound sample... 

Thanks,
Tyler White

https://www.youtube.com/audio?v=snAAXSrJfWU

----------

hank

----------


## oldwave maker

More GDAE for this 4g world:

----------

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> https://www.youtube.com/audio?v=snAAXSrJfWU


Just fixing the link for you.

----------

bradlaird, 

Clinton Johnson, 

Don Grieser, 

hank, 

JEStanek, 

michaelcj, 

Northwest Steve, 

Rick Jones

----------


## Jackson84

Yeah, not sure what happened there. Thanks, Marty!

----------

Marty Jacobson

----------


## Tavy

Can't believe this thread dropped off the first page !

Electric mandolin just getting some EnduroVar:



Based on the pattern, I'm tentatively calling this one "the evil one"  :Smile:

----------

GarY Nava, 

Pete Jenner, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Sick!

----------

Pete Jenner

----------


## GarY Nava

I've not used herringbone for a while- pleased with way it's come out.
Cheers Gary

----------

billhay4, 

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Tavy

That looks awesome: especially round the soundhole - very nicely (and tastefully) done indeed.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## John Kelly

Tasteful and beautifully done, Gary.

----------

GarY Nava

----------


## Dan Douris

Thought it would be cool to post this mandolin 8 months laster for a comparison. I think the tone definitely has changed. What do ya think?

----------


## Dan Douris

> Thought it would be cool to post this mandolin 8 months laster for a comparison. I think the tone definitely has changed. What do ya think?





> So here is my 4th mandolin build. Still tweaking the setup but pretty happy with how it turned out. Let me know what ya think.


Thought I would post a quick vid of this mando 8 months after pickin' it. I have noticed it opening up a little at a time. What do you think?

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Yep Dan , seems like she's opening up quite nicely. Nice mando man!

----------


## Dan Douris

> Yep Dan , seems like she's opening up quite nicely. Nice mando man!


Thanks Clinton! Hope to have #5 completed by the end of July.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

The joys of French Polishing.

 

Steve

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, that mandolin looks great! Love the burst!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## terzinator

> Steve, that mandolin looks great! Love the burst!


yeah, that burst is great, and all, but do you have any bursts on the bench that are more orange-y? Just curious.  :Popcorn:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Well, Chris . . . since you asked . . . 

 

Steve

----------

hank, 

Randolph

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A couple of heads ready for hardware (including the one for the mandolin shown above).

  

Steve

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

John Eischen

----------


## Jr Brown

Here my first mandolin, Its not quite done it just has a few base coat of varnish on it and it needs final set up
but Im pretty happy with it so far
AAA Red spruce top
AAA Red maple back and sides
Rosewood binding 
Palo Escrito headstock and accents.
X braced

----------

billhay4, 

General Johnston, 

hank

----------


## Jim Garber

[QUOTE=Jr Brown;1497214]Here my first mandolin, Its not quite done it just has a few base coat of varnish on it and it needs final set up
but Im pretty happy with it so far
AAA Red spruce top
AAA Red maple back and sides
Rosewood binding 
Palo Escrito headstock and accents.
X braced

Sounds very nice, James!

----------


## Skip Kelley

James, that mandolin sounds great! Nice job! A very impressive first build!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

James,
Nice clean build and tone.  You're making it look easy!
Steve

----------


## Ron McMillan

Looks beautiful and sounds great.

----------


## John Kelly

Lovely instrument and beautifully built; it sounds great too and you can certainly play.  Great first effort, James.

----------


## oldwave maker

Three on the floor, colorado engelmann, harvie and old standard maples, ebony and desert ironwood appointments, if I worked any slower folks would think the shop was  a wax museum exhibit!

----------

JEStanek, 

sebastiaan56, 

Steve-o

----------


## Eric Oliver

Those three are lovely!
The "f-holes" are exquisite, and I love the flying finger rests.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Nice octaves, Bill!

----------


## oldwave maker

The fourth octave, so to speak, Old Standard curly sold to David Rivinus in 1999, and an Orcas Island quilty C# back, with stain and sealer coats, basking in the summer morning sun

----------

JEStanek, 

Jill McAuley, 

Northwest Steve, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Love those backs, Bill.  Those maple trees would surely be happy to know that this is their reincarnation!

Steve

----------


## GarY Nava

Here are the rims of the next few.......

A mahogany carved top, rosewood and cedar OM and cocobolo twin-point.
Cheers Gary

----------


## Andy Miller

Looks like this thread could use a bump?
I started this octave mandolin in 2011.  Life got weird for a while but eventually I got back to it and it's gonna happen soon now.

----------

hank, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Custom F8 ready for finishing.  "Bears"

 

Steve

----------

hank, 

JSanta, 

Skip Kelley, 

Steve-o

----------


## Kip Carter

Amazing Steve!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## hank

Nice headstock design Steve.  I always liked those fantasy drawings of bears dancing around a campfire and even got a bear on my wildlife truck license plate.  Why I'd say your mandolin is bear-ly finished.

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, nice mandolin! I love the Bears! Impressive as always, brother!!!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Kip Carter

My first mandolin is an electric and I'm now about two sandings away from beginning the finish phase. Beginning to look the part.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Color and first coat of varnish on F8 quilt -- 



Steve

----------

Charles E., 

John MacPhee

----------


## Mark Gunter

Really impressive Steve, the dark color on that quilted figure, the tortoise binding, the detail on fretboard end, bear claw fret markers, headstock - wowzers!

Not sure if the return ridge on that scroll might be a little much, but super impressive execution!

----------


## fscotte

Happy to finish my first blacktop.  Inspired by Tim O'brien's old Nugget.

----------

hank

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Wes,
That reflection tells it all . . . well done!  Not an easy task to be sure ! ! ! 
Steve

I'm very glad to NOT be doing a gloss black top.  Here's the first French Polish session for the current F8 build -- 

 

Steve

----------

hank, 

John MacPhee

----------


## fscotte

Thanks Steve!  That's a gorgeous back as always!  Wish I could get the flame to look like that!

----------


## amowry

Getting the strings on--always an exciting day!

----------

hank, 

Northwest Steve

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Parting shot for this F8 before it headed out to North Carolina.



Steve

PS - Yes, that is an Airloom case.  
PPS - Yes, the Airloom case is an option for new Sorensen mandolin builds.  
PPPS - Yes, I am very excited to be able to offer Airloom mandolin cases too.  Many thanks to Peter and Adrian for helping make it possible.

----------

John MacPhee, 

Northwest Steve, 

Ron McMillan

----------


## Ron McMillan

> My first mandolin is an electric and I'm now about two sandings away from beginning the finish phase. Beginning to look the part.


It certainly is looking good, Kip. I look forward to seeing the finished item.

----------


## Craig Norconk

Just finished a Irish Bouzouki, Red and White Cedar soundboard, Curly Maple back, Cherry sides, Carbon reinforced Maple neck, even a Petoskey stone inlay on the fret board.
Really please with the warm big resonant sound, all the strings are sweet

----------


## Jim Garber

Wow, Craig, that is very unusual. Any reason you wanted to make top and back using strips like that?

----------


## Craig Norconk

It looks good.  I've have like 30$ invested in the back and the soundboard!  The soundboard is made with A quality 2x4s cedar Super cheap! Takes like 5 mins to glue, Epoxy and duck tape rocks.   I've done this before and have stood the test of time, 15 yrs on one of my instruments, plus it looks cool.  I hope the soundboard holds up, Cedar is soft and its planed down to about .11 in, used H brace for that, the joints though help stiffen it up across,  the week part is the wood!  The back is High quality curly maple but cut from a small block of wood I bought for a Mandolin I made several years ago, bought that for like 30$

----------


## bernabe

Time for clear coats

----------

hank

----------


## Clinton Johnson

Beautiful burst! Teach me  :Grin:

----------


## Skip Kelley

Looking good, James! Nice burst!

----------


## hank

Just back from a peek at you website Bernabe Mandolins.  Wow!  Your gallery really shows your talent at building a beautiful mandolin.  Great camera work and presentation of your work.

----------


## Gregory Tidwell

> Just finished a Irish Bouzouki, Red and White Cedar soundboard, Curly Maple back, Cherry sides, Carbon reinforced Maple neck, even a Petoskey stone inlay on the fret board.
> Really please with the warm big resonant sound, all the strings are sweet


Interesting.  Makes me think of something a jester would play in the king's court, or something.  

Is that Petoskey stone polished?  I do a lot of that kind of work; cabbing and polishing of stone and other materials.

----------


## Dan Voight

A rare grouping. The two on the right are being prepped for finish and the A is my first oval hole. Big sound!

----------

Atlanta Mando Mike, 

Jill McAuley, 

Joey Anchors, 

Skip Kelley, 

Steve-o

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Sprite Two-Point mandolin basking in the sun between French Polishing sessions -- 



Steve

----------

Skip Kelley, 

Tavy

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Parting shot -- 



Steve

----------


## Tavy

EnduroVar going on a 5-string electric neck:

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Kent Barnes

It's been a while since I've been here.  Local mandolin/fiddle/guitar player David Mosher purchased a Siminoff kit over 8 years ago.  After seeing and playing a couple of my Harlan mandolins, he asked me to assemble and finish the kit for him.  I think it turned out pretty well!

----------

hank, 

Northwest Steve, 

Skip Kelley, 

Steve-o

----------


## Dan Douris

Latest mando build and my second attempt at a F5 and first time using tortise binding. Pretty excited so far but still lots more to do. I also have 2 A5's I working on. Hope to have all 3 finished up next month.

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## fscotte

My first pickguard will go on my gretsch hollow body orange scheme, with bound f-holes.  Still not sure what color to make the pickguard.

----------

hank, 

Joey Anchors, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Dan Douris

[QUOTE=fscotte;1554829]My first pickguard will go on my gretsch hollow body orange scheme, with bound f-holes.  Still not sure what color to make the pickguard.


[/QUOTE

Nice work! looking forward to see this one all stained and polished.

----------


## sebastiaan56

I'll publicly register my jealousy of your jointer.






> Just finished a Irish Bouzouki, Red and White Cedar soundboard, Curly Maple back, Cherry sides, Carbon reinforced Maple neck, even a Petoskey stone inlay on the fret board.
> Really please with the warm big resonant sound, all the strings are sweet

----------


## kyken

Here's my latest model in the white, called "El Toro". Don't have the logos yet, pearl script.

----------

hank, 

jasona, 

Joey Anchors, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Kip Carter

> Here's my latest model in the white, called "El Toro". Don't have the logos yet, pearl script.


That is beautiful just as she stands!   What is the plan for the fininish?

----------


## Lord of the Badgers

Uh huh... Mandola...

----------

hank, 

jasona, 

Mark Wilson, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## kyken

> That is beautiful just as she stands!   What is the plan for the fininish?


I'm thinking a blacktop, oil varnish, with a medium brown color for the rest of it to show off the tortoise binding.

----------

bbcee, 

Joey Anchors

----------


## Skip Kelley

Ken, that's a cool design!

----------


## Dan Douris

Still very rough but getting there.

----------

hank, 

Jim Garber, 

Tavy

----------


## Dan Douris

Shaping some maple finger rests. Binding and stain to follow.

----------


## dschonbrun

> Time for clear coats


Really Nice, James.  The subtlety in your burst is really quite something.

----------


## dschonbrun

Great take on a traditional inlay.  Nice engraving into the pearl as well.

----------


## oldwave maker

It's been a while, but always fun to get to final rubout stage: blister, curly, quilt, curly. I doubt if those newly discovered earth sized planets have a similar life form!

----------

Don Grieser, 

hank, 

Joey Anchors, 

Randolph, 

Skip Kelley, 

Steve-o, 

TheMandoKit

----------


## fscotte

First all hand rubbed sunburst, dye + water.  Will probably never go back to spraying, and water does seem to soak into the grain better.  But definitely more challenging with more variance in shading.

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

hank, 

j. condino, 

Randi Gormley, 

Skip Kelley, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## TheMandoKit

> It's been a while, but always fun to get to final rubout stage: blister, curly, quilt, curly. I doubt if those newly discovered earth sized planets have a similar life form!


Bill, that C# looks great in the picture, but when I saw it in person a couple weeks ago, it was truly breathtaking!

Just wow!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Got a fun mix hanging around the shop . . .



Steve

----------

hank, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

3D binding on a Sorensen VX in progress -- 



Steve

----------

hank, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## oldwave maker

The weather has warmed enough here in Fort Stinkindesert to blow some shoe polish and bug secretions on some maple candy. Still trying to find some ancient colors in that modern transtint.........

----------

hank, 

MontanaMatt, 

Randolph, 

Skip Kelley, 

Steve Sorensen, 

TheMandoKit

----------


## Tavy

> The weather has warmed enough here in Fort Stinkindesert to blow some shoe polish and bug secretions on some maple candy. Still trying to find some ancient colors in that modern transtint.........


Looking great, can't beat those bug-secretions!

----------


## fscotte

Just finished #11.  This was my first attempt at hand rubbing the whole thing.  Very difficult to get smooth color transitions and balance.  But I'm happy enough...  More pics on my Facebook page.

----------

hank, 

Joey Anchors, 

Marty Jacobson, 

Matt Harris, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Working on a special FX in this build set -- 



Steve

----------

fscotte, 

hank, 

j. condino, 

Matt Harris, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## fscotte

What kind of glorious wood is that?

----------


## TheMandoKit

> The weather has warmed enough here in Fort Stinkindesert to blow some shoe polish and bug secretions on some maple candy. Still trying to find some ancient colors in that modern transtint.........


Hmm, might that one OM be headed northward when finished? Looks a bit familiar....  :Smile: 

John

----------


## Steve Sorensen

> What kind of glorious wood is that?


American Sycamore which I have been patiently letting dry and stabilize for about 6 years . . .

Steve

----------

Charles E., 

hank

----------


## Matt Harris

> American Sycamore which I have been patiently letting dry and stabilize for about 6 years . . .
> 
> Steve



I saw some of this at a local lumber yard recently. The owner said it was also called 'American Lacewood'. It's beautiful stuff. I wish I'd bought some then, and now I may have to go back and pick some up...

----------


## Jim Hilburn

You know, I've kind of stepped away from the shop quite a bit in the last year or so but you can't stay away forever.
I thought I had used all the maple backs I had for octaves but discovered I was mistaken, so I got started on a neck.
This is all just to clamp the binding to the edge of the fingerboard. It will have a black highlight line and I feel it's pretty important that it be very straight.

----------


## oldwave maker

John- to the north country indeed, there seems to be some kind of glowing stuff growing on it, maybe to protect from the intense cold?
Steve- interested to hear your take on sycamore- I like it for binding and pegheads, the Arizona stuff (platanus wrightii) seemed to lack brilliance in the few I made long ago. Wish I could get more of this fossil sycamore from the big tree in Oregon....

----------

j. condino, 

Joey Anchors, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Bill,
I'm doing a dark finish on the sycamore which should fit the way it stains . . .

Meanwhile, in the theme of tree-love, man I'm smitten by the wood combination on this Big Dog Octave mandolin build -- Curly Claro Walnut back and sides, Bearclaw Sitka Spruce top and Bubinga binding. Gonna give this one nothing but shellac!

 

Steve

----------

Joey Anchors, 

Skip Kelley, 

Steve-o

----------


## Skip Kelley

fscotte, that is a fine looking sunburst! 

Bill, you have been busy; you sure have nice looking wood in those!

Steve, I love the look of that sycamore! That's going to look really cool with finish!

----------

hank

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Some more body building progress shots for those of us obsessed with wood to tone wood transformation --

 

  

Steve

----------

hank, 

Joey Anchors, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Steve Hinde

Octave 1 and 2 finished up.

----------

hank, 

Matt Harris, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Steve Hinde

A blonde F.

----------

hank, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Skip Kelley

To Steve Sorensen and Steve Hinde, nice work guys!!!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Tom Haywood

Nothing fancy. Ready for clear coats.

----------

hank

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Looking good, Tom.

Just varnishing some pink foam for the first stage of my new mandolin build, which is a completely logical thing to do.

----------

hank, 

Joey Anchors

----------


## Matt Harris

Making a mold, Marty?

----------


## Tom Haywood

Marty, that is intriguing. A poured mandolin?

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> Making a mold, Marty?


Yep. Or more specifically, a plug.




> Marty, that is intriguing. A poured mandolin?


More like... layered.

----------

hank

----------


## Matt Harris

Carbon  fiber, ehh? Interesting...

----------


## j. condino

Day one of a new build. 75 year old Brazilian rosewood back and ribs going with Ted Davis 1989 red spruce....

j.
www.condino.com
www.kaybassrepair.com
on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Condino-Str...6588557518578/

----------

Don Grieser, 

GeoMandoAlex, 

hank, 

Matt Harris

----------


## fidlplr1979

This is being built by David Houchens in North Garden, Virginia

----------


## amowry

> Marty, that is intriguing. A poured mandolin?


Intriguing is definitely the word for it! I look forward to see what this becomes!

----------

hank

----------


## amowry

An F5 with K&K (made right here in Oregon) installed, ready for the back.

----------

hank, 

Matt Harris

----------


## Don Grieser

[QUOTE=grandcanyonminstrel;1575779]Day one of a new build. 75 year old Brazilian rosewood back and ribs going with Ted Davis 1989 red spruce....

Wow! Please post more pics of the build.

----------


## HoGo

> An F5 with K&K (made right here in Oregon) installed, ready for the back.


Wow, back with f-holes and tonebars!!!! 



Or is it lefty?

----------

hank

----------


## amowry

Correct, I even put the pickup on the back for good measure  :Wink:

----------

hank, 

Joey Anchors

----------


## pelone

Andrew---any chance for a contact number for the K & K pickups---if only Stewart Mc Donald had them available.

Love your work...just fantastic!!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

K&K's website is -- http://www.kksound.com

They sell online directly and through most online retails sites.

Steve

----------


## Ron McMillan

> Looking good, Tom.
> 
> Just varnishing some pink foam for the first stage of my new mandolin build, which is a completely logical thing to do.


I'm intrigued to hear what's going on here  :Smile:

----------


## Skip Kelley

I haven't posted any pictures in a while so I thought I'd show what I have been working on. Here's an A model and a two-point.

----------

billhay4, 

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Lane Pryce, 

Mark Wilson

----------


## amowry

> Andrew---any chance for a contact number for the K & K pickups---if only Stewart Mc Donald had them available.
> 
> Love your work...just fantastic!!


Thanks! Yep, you can order from their site. I'm also a dealer, if you're near me in OR.

- - - Updated - - -




> I haven't posted any pictures in a while so I thought I'd show what I have been working on. Here's an A model and a two-point.


Looking great, Skip! I love that "fishbone" back!

----------

JEStanek

----------


## Skip Kelley

Thanks Andrew! I like the fishbone for sure! It looks even better now, with some varnish on it!

----------


## Matt Harris

Well, it's certainly in progress... Guitar bodied mandola. Redwood top, cherry back and rim. Five piece laminate neck, cherry/walnut/flamed maple/walnut/cherry. Macassar ebony headplate/backstrap/finger rest/heel.

----------


## Skip Kelley

> Day one of a new build. 75 year old Brazilian rosewood back and ribs going with Ted Davis 1989 red spruce....
> 
> j.
> www.condino.com
> www.kaybassrepair.com
> on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Condino-Str...6588557518578/



James, that is going to look awesome

----------

j. condino

----------


## Skip Kelley

> Well, it's certainly in progress... Guitar bodied mandola. Redwood top, cherry back and rim. Five piece laminate neck, cherry/walnut/flamed maple/walnut/cherry. Macassar ebony headplate/backstrap/finger rest/heel.


Matt, that octave looks cool! Nicely done!

----------

Matt Harris

----------


## kyken

Here's a birds eye back that I thought looked pretty cool.

----------


## billhay4

Yes it does.
Bill

----------


## Skip Kelley

> Here's a birds eye back that I thought looked pretty cool.


Ken, that back is killer!

----------


## Luna Pick

> Here's a birds eye back that I thought looked pretty cool.


Ken, that birds eye back is stunning. Is that a varnish finish?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Preparing to fret -



and fretting resolved -



Steve

----------

Tavy

----------


## kyken

El Toro in progress

----------

hank, 

Jake Wildwood

----------


## hank

Can you elaborate on the leading particulars of your creation Ken?  I zoomed in on the tailpiece to see if you had engraved a bulls flared nostrils.  For some reason I'm hearing old Herb Albert & the Tijuana Brass songs in my head.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Ken, I love the burst on that El Toro! It looks perfect!

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Making some progress...

----------

hank, 

Matt Harris, 

Steve Sorensen, 

Steve-o

----------


## fscotte

Gotta ask Marty, are you just "winging" it on the stiffness/mass?  What criteria are you using for the carbon fiber top and back?

----------


## Marty Jacobson

I made a few test lay-ups to check stiffness and frequency response. This is my first attempt at working with composites, so I had to prototype the process anyway. Still lots more refinement to go. There are a lot of parameters to control, like thickness of weave, weave pattern, pliability of the different weaves, and biasing layers at different angles to get the stiffness correct in each axis.
But I think I got a plate that responds well enough to go forward with a build.

It sounds not entirely unlike a mandolin top should sound. I had one at 33 grams which was almost there, but the top end response just wasn't there. This one is 85g, which is perfect for a mandolin top. It might be a little too stiff, but I hear a lot of harmonic complexity so I think it'll be fine if I go light on the bracing. I've had some redwood tops that sounded almost exactly like this, which is encouraging since I really like how those sounded.
Tap tones: https://www.dropbox.com/s/o3h2wbi5il...raced.mp3?dl=0

There is no information anywhere online about how people have constructed their tops on previous builds. When I get this one done, I'll publish the particulars so other people have at least a starting point.

The cool thing about this process is that if I tell you how I make a CF mandolin, you can make one that sounds EXACTLY the same just by following the process and geometry specs. Something you can't do when you're starting off with wood instruments, since every piece of wood is different and the necessary adjustments are essentially impossible to make until you've built quite a few.

----------

hank, 

Matt Harris

----------


## hank

That's an amazing looking top plate Marty.  Your approach and professionalism are trademark.  The shape looks like it might be made with an adjustable inflatable bladder protruding through the shaping tabletop for the lower mold.  Are you using a vacuum bag over the layup and infra red cured epoxies? The light curing gives more control over the setup time.  We used to use old refrigerator compressors to pull our vacuum on composite rotor and airframe repairs many years ago before vacuum sets were available.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

Hi Hank, I do need to experiment with resins. For now I'm using West System 105/206, and I like the long working time as well as the acoustic properties. I bag it up on an HDPE mold.

----------

hank

----------


## Don Grieser

Looking forward to see and hear how this develops, Marty!

----------


## Matt Harris

Marty, thanks for posting the tap tone sound file. Very enlightening! I would love to hear some other files from various woods if you have them (redwood in particular, as I'm in the midst of carving a top right now). It would be a great way for some of us amateurs to wrap our ear around things a bit. It seems the only way to get this knowledge is extensive trial and error, and having some sort of reference that allows you to compare and say, "Hey, maybe I am heading in the right direction here" would be invaluable.

----------


## Marty Jacobson

I sent Matt an email with a DropBox link to a bunch of plate tap tone samples including top unbraced, top braced, and backs. Most of the instruments are complete and can be correlated with sound samples of those instruments available on YouTube. If anyone else is interested, send me a PM or email.

----------

Matt Harris

----------


## amowry

Very cool, Marty, looks like a big undertaking! Is this a one-off, or a new product line for you?

I'm finishing up some inlays this week...

----------

Carleton Page, 

George R. Lane, 

Joey Anchors, 

Steve-o

----------


## Marty Jacobson

> Very cool, Marty, looks like a big undertaking! Is this a one-off, or a new product line for you?
> 
> I'm finishing up some inlays this week...


Very pretty, Andrew.

I plan to make more carbon fiber instruments. It's an interesting technique, and as a skill set, has much more commercial potential than musical instruments. A good year for me is doing slightly better than breaking even. If I'd spent as much time and effort developing medical devices or, as Charles Fox says, owning a liquor store, I'd have made much more money. Of course, money isn't everything. But I have three boys, and I am supposed to save over a quarter million dollars for college in the next ten years. Not happening at the current rate.

----------


## amowry

I hear ya, Marty! I have precisely the same conundrum.

----------


## Skip Kelley

Looking good, Marty!

I love that peghead, Andrew!

----------


## GarY Nava

Hi Guys,
Here are my next 3-
Brazilian mahogany and sitka (with a touch of herringbone) Standard mandolin
Cocobolo and Adirondack twin-point
Ash and maple e-mando.
Cheers Gary

----------

hank, 

Joey Anchors

----------


## kyken

here's a finished El Toro

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Ready to give these necks to their bodies.  Love it when a plan starts to come together --



Steve

----------

hank

----------


## Ron McMillan

> Ready to give these necks to their bodies.  Love it when a plan starts to come together --


Great to see such strict adherence to _The Sorensen Formula*_ in evidence here. 

*There is no formula

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Less of a "formula" and more of a philosophy.  However, if you look closely, the philosophy is fairly formulaic.

My goal with each build is to answer these questions --

What do I have to add to the conversation?  (Historical excellence is the starting place, not the destination.)Can I create interesting variety without unnecessary complexity.  (Cohesive design, refined.)Will the design, form, and voice of the instrument delight, engage, and excite the projected player for an extended period of time?  (It must.)
Steve

----------


## Ron McMillan

> Less of a "formula" and more of a philosophy.  However, if you look closely, the philosophy is fairly formulaic.
> 
> My goal with each build is to answer these questions --
> 
> What do I have to add to the conversation?  (Historical excellence is the starting place, not the destination.)Can I create interesting variety without unnecessary complexity.  (Cohesive design, refined.)Will the design, form, and voice of the instrument delight, engage, and excite the projected player for an extended period of time?  (It must.)
> Steve


Admirable aims, beautifully achieved. Just for the record, in my own ham-fisted way, I was celebrating how you do *not* stick to rigid formulae observed by the vast majority of makers. The Loar-era F5 is a wonderful thing, but I love to see interpretations such as yours. That they push the design while delivering fantastic sound is a credit to your creativity and craftsmanship.

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Ron,
Thank you so much for your kind words and consistent support.  I absolutely understood what you were saying and wanted to highlight the approach I am taking for creating "riffs on the theme" of the modern arch-top mandolin.

This past couple of weeks, I got to spend time with each of the original four Pacifica mandolins from my first attempt at re-thinking the basic form of the Gibson F.

   

It has been so cool to see these instruments after they have been out in the world for years.  Really keeps me motivated and excited to make more!

Steve

----------

MontanaMatt, 

Ron McMillan

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Before she headed back home, this was my parting shot after getting to spend a little time refreshing ol' Sorensen Pacifica #003. So glad she is busy and getting played every day!



Steve

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Front and back of a Big Dog octave headstock in the home stretch -- 

 

And the first pass of French Polishing on the Curly Claro Walnut back -- 



Steve

----------


## kyken

I thought this looked nice out in the natural light.

----------

Tavy

----------


## Brad Weiss

Hope Andrew doesn't mind my posting this octave in the white. Looks so wonderful!

----------

Carleton Page, 

hank, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve-o

----------


## Steve Sorensen

I've fallen in love with stainless steel frets . . . AFTER they are installed . . .

  

Steve

----------


## Frankdolin

Happy 14th anniversary to this thread... :Mandosmiley:

----------

hank, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Gibsonman

Looks great what are you doing for the top coat?

----------


## Maysey

That's awesome Mike, beautiful job on the scroll and love the color.  Does it have the matching headstock with scroll?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Final checks for the Sorensen summer class of 2017.

 

This has been a really interesting and challenging build-set because every instrument is different -- 5 mandolins of different body styles plus a Big Dog octave.  Neck widths vary from 1-1/16" to 1-3/16", custom inlays, varied voicing, and even some American Sycamore in the mix . . .

Steve

----------

Carleton Page, 

hank, 

Pete Jenner, 

Steve-o, 

Tavy

----------


## kyken

one of my Fantasma's.

----------

hank, 

j. condino, 

Pete Jenner

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Varnishing --



Steve

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Side view -- 



Steve

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Ninth coat of varnish and a love affair with the delightfully lovely variations shared by the maple trees -- 



Steve

----------

Carleton Page

----------


## Tavy

> Ninth coat of varnish and a love affair with the delightfully lovely variations shared by the maple trees -- 
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


Wow!

----------

hank

----------


## j. condino

There are times when the natural beauty of the wood outweighs my disruptive tendency to adorn it with the ego of my logo... so I leave the canvas naked...

j.


https://www.facebook.com/Condino-Str...6588557518578/

----------

Carleton Page, 

hank, 

sebastiaan56, 

Skip Kelley, 

Steve-o

----------


## Walt

> There are times when the natural beauty of the wood outweighs my disruptive tendency to adorn it with the ego of my logo... so I leave the canvas naked...
> 
> j.
> 
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/Condino-Str...6588557518578/


Absolutely beautiful, James. I don't know if you plan to leave it that way, but I love love love the look of the headstock without the tuner bushings. I was in Danny Ferrington's shop a couple of months ago, and he had this guitar's twin on hand. I fell in love with the simplicity of the bare tuner posts.

----------

j. condino

----------


## hank

Very nice simply stated headstock design and veneer James.  Are those shoulderless bushings or part of the tuner shaft protruding up showing the headstock taper?

----------


## j. condino

Those are custom Alessi; what you are looking at is the string post. I have not installed the bushings yet.

----------

hank

----------


## tree

Looks kinda persimmon-y, I like it!  Plus, the holes are a clue to the maker, right?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Setup and fitting the pickguard on this Big Dog -



Steve

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Not quite finished . . . but finishing . . .

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

----------

Mike Scott, 

Rush Burkhardt, 

Skip Kelley, 

Steve-o

----------


## hank

Thanks for sharing Steve.  Your maple bouquet from the dark of night to morning bursting into Golden Maple Rays!  :Cool:  :Cool:  :Cool:

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

From the Sunburst to the black moment before the dawn.

----------

hank

----------


## Skip Kelley

My oh my Steve those are some beautiful mandolins!!!

----------


## Tavy

Nearly there....

----------

derbex, 

hank, 

Randi Gormley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Not really a picture of Christmas cheer.  

But, sometimes it is better to start anew and not try to "fix it." A key part of build progress, I've learned, is to know that point and not ignore it.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

Steve

----------

hank, 

j. condino, 

Markkunkel, 

Marty Jacobson

----------


## sebastiaan56

Well it's been a while since I've built an instrument. Still has a bit of finessing to go, the finish could be rubbed out, the bone work refined, a replacement E (on order from Aquila) but it plays well and has met the design ideas.

Sitka spruce top, Tassie blackwood B&S and bindings, 4 strings by Aquila. Im calling it "Luce di mandolina a quattro corde". Synthetic strings are better for me as the dermatitis and psoriasis keep robbing me of finger pads. Design wise it meant lightening the whole design and putting the saddle onto the soundboard. I have really missed building instruments...

----------

hank, 

Markkunkel

----------


## j. condino

Wrapping up the finish details, but it is close enough to show off a little. Macassar ebony, Ted Davis red spruce, one piece 20 year old Michigan maple back, hollow scroll bound in curly maple....

j.

https://www.facebook.com/Condino-Str...?ref=bookmarks

----------

hank, 

Markkunkel, 

Marty Jacobson, 

sebastiaan56, 

tree

----------


## oldwave maker

Been a while, but nice windy weather for outdoor woodbutchering and mandomandala making....

----------

bigbendhiker, 

billhay4, 

hank, 

j. condino, 

Randolph, 

sebastiaan56, 

Skip Kelley, 

Steve Sorensen, 

Steve-o, 

Tavy

----------


## Ian Cunningham

Reminds me of one of those "Diversity" motivational posters. I love wood variety

----------


## Steve Sorensen

It is always a relief when all the little pieces for a complex inlay are finally safe in each of their pockets!



This "Fancy Floral" Sorensen F8 with 3D Binding was no easy feat, I'll admit.  Perhaps closer to 'slightly insane'.

Steve

----------

Clinton Johnson, 

hank, 

Jill McAuley, 

Skip Kelley, 

Steve-o, 

Tavy

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, that looks like a lot of hard work! It looks great!

----------


## Skip Kelley

Here's a couple of pics of a sunburst I just completed. It looks so dull at this stage.

----------

Drew Egerton, 

hank, 

Jill McAuley, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## buckhorn

here are a few things that are on my work bench.. I have a couple of F style mandos and one A style mando along with about fifteen F rims and eleven A rims and makings for twenty three piece necks..  I've worried about glueing with the cold weather, but spring is finally here.. there has been a lot of saw work and lots of bending over a hot pipe.. I hope I have a good start with warm weather coming on....

----------

hank

----------


## Lane Pryce

Skip that’s a fantastic one piece back. Lp

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## buckhorn

the mandolin on the top right has a lacewood back plate..  the top is cedar  from an 80 year old power pole.. a friend works for a power company and removes old poles .. this was before they started coating their poles.. he gave me a 5ft by 30in piece milled into 2in slams.. there has been a lot of waste to avoid flaws but there are still dozens of top plates left in the pile..  the few I've used have a nice warm sound.. they do have to be a little thicker thu for strength

----------

hank

----------


## oldwave maker

Spring winds are great for outdoor final sanding before staining, but it was fun to test drive in the white....

----------

hank, 

Randolph, 

Skip Kelley, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Lord of the Badgers

Shippey "Tone" Octave mandolin:
580mm (22.8") scale
34mm nut 
fingerboard 9" radius at nut
Engelmann top
English Sycamore back and sides
Braz mahog neck
Ebony body binding,
Ebony fingerboard....bound with ebony

And a soundport!  :Mandosmiley: 

Dark brown gloss when finished. This is "in the white"

----------

hank, 

Skip Kelley, 

Tavy

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Waiting for Waverlies . . .



Steve

----------

hank, 

Jill McAuley, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Dan Douris

Douris A5 #11 in progress.

----------

hank, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Northwest Steve

Steve, I really like how you continue the inlay into the truss rod cover. Not sure if I have ever seen that but it looks great. The whole mandolin looks terrific.


Amazing work by all, I appreciate the pictures.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Three of a kind.



Test drives complete and ready for finishing.

Steve

----------

Ron McMillan, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Ron McMillan

> Three of a kind.
> 
> 
> 
> Test drives complete and ready for finishing.
> 
> Steve


I love the block inlays and the custom tailpiece shape. Will they get traditional sunburst finishes?

----------


## Steve Sorensen

> I love the block inlays and the custom tailpiece shape. Will they get traditional sunburst finishes?


Ron,
Yes, all three are going to be in fairly traditional sunbursts.
Steve

----------

Ron McMillan

----------


## kyken

moving right along......

----------

hank, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

With the turn from spring to summer, the current Sorensen mandolin crop is ripening nicely . . .



Steve

----------

oliverkollar, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## craigw

This is my latest mando family build, Wilson WH-5 #23 mandola ready to be shipped tomorrow to a client in Georgia. This took a lot longer than I anticipated due to a lot of travelling last year and an unanticipated surgery I had earlier this year. This is Sitka topped with figured eastern maple back, sides and neck, Waverlys, Cumberland Acoustics bridge and James tailpiece. The vintage style truss rod cover is in maccasar ebony and the repro pick guard includes a replica date stamp. It includes EVO gold frets, MOP nut and a multi coat hand rubbed Truoil finish.

----------

Bogle, 

hank, 

masa618, 

oliverkollar, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Bogle

Hey Cuz--that is a a truly stunning 'dola!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Real connoisseurs know that the freshest new designs, and tastiest early summer varieties, may only be harvested from the most carefully tended Mandolin Orchard.  



Tucked away, in the quiet corner of a sunny California's temperate Santa Susanna mountain valley known to locals as _Santa Clarita_, the Sorensen crop is allowed to mature and ripen without the rushed urgency of stressed production quotas and impatient executive oversight.

Steve

----------

hank, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Skip Kelley

Steve, those are sweet!

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## hank

Steve you and Bill over at Waveland amaze me with your drying methods.  if you hung one outside from a tree in this part of the country you would get bird droppings, pollen and insect signatures.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Thanks, Skip and Hank!  

Looking forward to hearing how these two sound for pickers at the California Bluegrass Association's Father's 
Day Festival next week.  Lot's of experimentation which has to prove itself under harsh jamming conditions.

Steve

----------

hank

----------


## Bill Clements

Here's some photos of my mandolin in progress by Brian Dean.
This is his German Flat-back, which I have requested he build with a fluted back.
More to follow!

----------

hank

----------


## hank

That’s gonna be beautiful Bill.  Keep us updated.

----------

Bill Clements

----------


## GarY Nava

> Here's some photos of my mandolin in progress by Brian Dean.
> This is his German Flat-back, which I have requested he build with a fluted back.
> More to follow!


Thanks for posting these photos Bill, they're really interesting. So, are the flutes carved into the back?
Cheers Gary

----------

Bill Clements

----------


## Bill Clements

Gary, Brian Dean carves those flutes.  Wonderful work.  This is his traditional Flat-back German:

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Just about ready for hardware --



Steve

----------

John Soper

----------


## GarY Nava

> Gary, Brian Dean carves those flutes.  Wonderful work.  This is his traditional Flat-back German:


Thanks Bill, that's quite something! I'll look forward to seeing the completed mandolin.
Cheers Gary

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Steve

----------

hank, 

Johnny60, 

Mark Wilson, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Don Grieser

Steve: Neon!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

From the player's Point of View --

Attachment 169500

Steve

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Skip Kelley

> Steve


Steve, that is some kind of SWEET! Where did you get that binding? It looks cool!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Player's POV (Take Two) --



and a nice back shot --



Steve

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Bill Clements

Latest photos of the Dean German (not so)  flat-back.  Getting close.

----------

cayuga red, 

GarY Nava, 

hank, 

Mark Wilson, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Bill Clements

Found this video on the San Diego Classical Mandolin Camp website which depicts Brian Dean fluting staves.  The background music doesn't fit this unhurried delicate process but the video is captivating  nonetheless.

----------

DougC, 

GarY Nava, 

j. condino, 

John Bertotti, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Jim Garber

[QUOTE=Bill Clements;1668148]Found this video on the San Diego Classical Mandolin Camp website which depicts Brian Dean fluting staves.  The background music doesn't fit this unhurried delicate process but the video is captivating  nonetheless.

Yes, mandolin music would have been nice, too. Oh well. Maybe the videographers could not find any mandolin players?  :Smile:

----------


## Charles E.

Ahh....the beauty of a well sharpend scraper.

----------

j. condino

----------


## GarY Nava

Looking good, Bill!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Taking this VX out for a little test-drive in the white before finishing --



Steve

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

And now the flip-side with color -- 



Steve

----------

Don Grieser, 

masa618, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## lauri Girouard

Max just finished up these builds.  I spent the weekend staining and sealing.    I was able to have some fun and do a dragon themed mandolin that I had been thinking about for a while.   We had some beautifully figured wood that could benefit from a black stain.

----------

amowry, 

Blues Healer, 

Don Grieser, 

hank, 

j. condino, 

Jill McAuley, 

John Kelly, 

masa618, 

Randi Gormley, 

Randolph, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Charles E.

Hey Lauri, you and Max are just killing it! That dragon is awesome.

----------

Don Grieser, 

lauri Girouard

----------


## Bill Clements

Hello everyone:
Some final pics of the Brian Dean mandolin due to arrive Friday.

----------

DougC, 

GarY Nava, 

hank, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Jim Garber

Exciting, Bill. I look fwd to your report when it arrives.

----------

Bill Clements

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A VX for IBMA 2018 --

First coat of varnish 


After first French Polish session 


I love how perfectly the grain lines on this flat-sawn back work as topographical lines for the arch.

Steve

----------

Don Grieser, 

John Soper, 

Skip Kelley, 

yankees1

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Just brushed on the second coat of varnish on this custom VX with 3D tortoise binding.  Amazing what trees can do.



Steve

----------

AMandolin, 

Jim Garber, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## yankees1

Beautiful !!

----------


## Skip Kelley

> Just brushed on the second coat of varnish on this custom VX with 3D tortoise binding.  Amazing what trees can do.
> 
> 
> 
> Steve


Steve, your mandolin looks amazing! Yes, wood is a wonderful thing!

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Just about done varnishing this first full foursome of Sorensen 2020 X-Series mandolins.
Now, they get some hanging time to harden, then, French Polishing.



Left to Right -- AX - Sprite2X - VX - SX

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Old Growth

Almost looks like a snake crawling around...frightening cool Steve.

----------


## Darryl Wolfe

It's nice to see this thread still alive after nearly 16 years

----------

hank, 

sgarrity, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Steve-o

> It's nice to see this thread still alive after nearly 16 years


And coming up on two million views! It’s been a fun one. Thanks for kicking it off Darryl.

----------

hank

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Love that moment when the binding is all cleaned and the color is sealed --

 

Steve

----------

Johnny60, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

. . . and another new Sprite 2X Two-Point with the color sealed and ready for the home stretch --

 

Steve

----------

JEStanek, 

Jim Garber, 

sgarrity, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## oldwave maker

There will be mandolins in progress as long as there are untreated mandolin addicts and chronic luthiers. Those look good enough to eat, Steve!

----------

DougC, 

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Jim Garber, 

Nick Gellie, 

Rick Jones, 

Skip Kelley, 

TheMandoKit, 

tree

----------


## hank

Well said Master OldWave and a nice bouquet of bodacious string tensioning real estate.

----------

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Hank,  
Can't tell you how much I've appreciated your positive props over the years.  
Thank you.
Steve

Here's one more to top off the string.  They call this "Angel Step" quilt.  I wish I could find more . . .



Steve

----------

hank, 

JEStanek, 

John Soper, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## hank

You “chronic luthiers” are amazing not only in your artistry but in your patience humble suggestions and help when questioned about methods and materials.  Steve that’s truly an appropriate name for this pattern after you made it so.  Stay well my Cafe Brothers!

----------


## Skip Kelley

> Hank,  
> Can't tell you how much I've appreciated your positive props over the years.  
> Thank you.
> Steve
> 
> Here's one more to top off the string.  They call this "Angel Step" quilt.  I wish I could find more . . .
> 
> 
> 
> Steve



Steve, that’s the nicest looking quilt I have ever seen! Your sunburst is perfect and it really highlights the figuring!

----------

FLATROCK HILL, 

hank, 

Steve Sorensen

----------


## Steve Sorensen

A couple of quick cell phone shots after the first Session of French Polishing --

 

Steve

----------

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Randi Gormley, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Here's one more to add to the French Polishing progress collection --



Steve

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

One more -- a Sprite 2X Two-Point that was supposed to come with us to the Father's Day Grass Valley Bluegrass Festival --



Nice flat-sawn back with those perfectly concentric topographical grain lines.

Steve

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## hank

Beautiful burstworks Steve.  Stay well!

----------


## Steve Hinde

Engelmann/Birdseye finished up and ready to go home.

----------

Chuck Leyda, 

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Skip Kelley, 

Steve-o

----------


## Steve Hinde

German Spruce/Torrefied Quilted ready to meet the new owner.

----------

cayuga red, 

Chuck Leyda, 

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Skip Kelley, 

Steve-o, 

Tom Haywood

----------


## hank

Beautiful Steve!

----------

cayuga red

----------


## John Soper

This thread is so much mandolin pornography!  My hat's off to you creative gents.

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Old Growth

Work in progress off a local buddy's bench.

----------

JEStanek, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Old Growth

Don't belong to me, but love'm still..

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## hank

Those are all amazing wood and skill of artistry.  Your buddy has it going on in a big way.

----------


## Old Growth

Yes, he surely does. Exciting to see everytime.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Some French Polishing back shots --

 

 

Steve

----------

CES, 

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Skip Kelley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

And some tops for the other side of the story --

 



Steve

----------

CES, 

hank, 

JEStanek, 

Randi Gormley, 

Skip Kelley, 

Steve-o

----------


## Skip Kelley

I did this one today. Hand rubbed burst, scraped binding, and sealed. It was a good day.

----------

CES, 

hank, 

Randi Gormley, 

Steve-o

----------


## Bill McCall

> I did this one today. Hand rubbed burst, scraped binding, and sealed. It was a good day.


Very pretty.

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## addamr

Boy, that's going to be a beaut. Love that tortoise binding.

Adam

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Classic beauty, Skip!
Steve

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## hank

You hit it out of the park on this one Skip. I like how the white lamination can be seen through the tortoise brightening the side view as well as the definition it gives to the top where it joins the dark perimeter of the top. I’ve been playing with this effect on tortoise binding with a white or red inner lamination.

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Skip Kelley

Thanks guys for the kind words! I’ve always like tortoise binding.

----------


## Lane Pryce

Redwood top? It’s beautiful.

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## CES

Damn, y’all! Loving my Kelley A5 (with tortoise binding :Laughing:  Steve, what’s the wood on that figured top? That’s ridiculously pretty!

----------

Skip Kelley

----------


## Skip Kelley

> Redwood top? It’s beautiful.


Lane, it’s topped with 100 year old red spruce.

----------


## Lane Pryce

Looking to hearing that one when it’s complete.

----------


## Steve Sorensen

Lane, 
Curly redwood.  This top is very soft and needed to be carved about 25% thicker than spruce.  The result, in the white was a really warm gentle response -- it'll will never be a jam banjo-killer, but sure sounded nice to me.  Looking forward to hearing it finished!

----------

