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Lot of old mandolins have the tail block bulging out from the top, or bottom, or both. On this one I'm pressing in the sides and tail block back in line with the back.

Kay, "Old Kraftsman" mandolin for repair.

https://i.ibb.co/DbVYtmf/OC-clamp-1.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/cYwS9v8/OC-clamp-2.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/wccrrjn/mandolin-with-cloud.jpg

So the back at the tail needs attention, as almost every cheap Mando of this age. Turn away if wacky schemes for gluing hurt your eyes.

https://i.ibb.co/DbVYtmf/OC-clamp-1.jpg...

So I paid the man, and I have another project. Everything is present and accounted for. Neck will be reset and new frets, and probably a new fretboard.
I may sell off the cloud tailpiece, it is in...

Dragon Plate still has the best price for carbon fiber rods, but if you only need a little bit, that resource is great.

Yep, if you read the linked thread about Sweet Gum, you'll see the guitar I built, back & sides, of Sweet Gum.
I would say, if the wood is like mine was, it is "stripey pretty" and a exact drop-in...

Bluestown L-0 neck glued. Getting close!

http://davidnewtonguitars.squarespace.com/storage/bluestown/L0%2012-30-16%20neck%20on.jpg

I would like to change the title of this thread to "The Brilliance of Stradivari Violin Might Rest with the maker, Antonio Stradivarius"

Why is it so hard for the "world" to understand that the...

Hi, thanks for your kind words.
It was just an experiment, because I can.
The wood was a very old board that was salvage, tight grain and fairly heavy for Doug Fir. I left it about .130" on the...

It "came out" awesome!
http://davidnewtonguitars.squarespace.com/storage/12-7-16-o-size/o%20size%20finish%202.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1481157671585

Wouldn't you agree, in finishing, that there are several ways that seem to work for other builders?
When trying a finish that others have used successfully, you can quickly find some reason to not...

A little coil or two of beer-can aluminum will do the trick.

Oh, I spent plenty of time sorting through the lumber stack at Lowe's, picking out the piece of wood that I built this guitar of:
...

Get an old uke, something disposable, and take it apart. You should be able to figure it out from that.

Well, just off the bench.

http://davidnewtonguitars.squarespace.com/storage/a-new-dreadnaught/bw%20fin%204.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1438287238642

And this one.
...

Good on you!
How else is your repair guy going to pay his boat note?

Emmett, I will be your outlier and steer you away from Bald Cypress for top wood, unless you can source some old and hard wood. What you can get at the yards is going to be soft and not very...

You said "fellow luthiers", are you a luthier? Make some white-glue/filler mix with some matching wood dust and rub it into the binding gap. That is all.

If you are just starting out, the first guitars that you think are good enough to sell, it doesn't matter if you give a written warranty or not.
What matters is, if you sell something, and it later...

"Blowing Wheat" fret board design. For a Bluegrass guitar no doubt.

http://davidnewtonguitars.squarespace.com/storage/post-images/blowing%20wheat%20fretboard.jpg

Yes Clark, here it is:

http://davidnewtonguitars.squarespace.com/storage/red-gum/red%20gum%20fin%203.jpg

http://davidnewtonguitars.squarespace.com/storage/red-gum/red%20gum%20fin%206.jpg

Just finished. Size-1 Euro Spruce & Red Gum.

http://davidnewtonguitars.squarespace.com/storage/red-gum/red%20gum%20fin%201.jpg

You can order direct from the Gotoh importer,
http://www.japarts.ca/Gotoh/Gotoh-Products-UPT.asp
they communicate well by email, and I'll bet they can answer your question with authority.

My wife & I attended the Symphony of Southeast Texas this evening and saw and heard Jeff Midkiff perform his "From the Blue Ridge" his Mandolin concerto in 3 parts.
Our local symphony is never...

A couple of years ago, U-Beaut Hard Shellac was introduced. It had some sort of chemical additives to toughen it.
Now this Royal-Lac is introduced.
I don't know how these 2 compare, but the U-Beaut...