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One key piece of information you left out is the scale length. I had to chime in and say something about the misinformation that’s been spread about J72’s. It’s madness to think that the same string...

I think the true answer to this question is “it depends”. For example, on many a pre-war Martin, well repaired cracks are almost expected. You would be suspicious of such a guitar if it did not have...

Right from the very beginning, when it was announced that Two Old Hippies was “merging” with Weber, I said that this was the beginning of the end for Weber mandolins. They actually called it a...

I think it depends on whether you’re Canadian or not...;)

I’m surprise no one mentioned Avi Avital’s Kerman mandolin. I think it’s a flat back. Unfortunately I don’t think you can get a new Kerman anymore.

Sitka vs Adirondack is a debate that has been hashed over many times, with no real resolution. There are so many variables when it comes to individual tops that is is close to impossible to make...

Maxr that is truly a million dollar idea! People spend huge amounts of money on instruments that have been heavily “relic-ed”, so why not a heavily relic-ed case as well to go with it? Scratches,...

Many thanks to those who replied and recognized that I had my tongue firmly in cheek. :)

Hank’s was my favorite. Of COURSE the case cover should be protected by a hard case!

It kind of makes...

There have been a few posts about cases lately, and they have got me to thinking. I have a million dollar idea, but no capital, so if someone wants to take this and run with it, you have my...

I am not impressed by the case. It may be very protective but to my eyes it does not look like a “hard case”. More like a glorified gig bag. In their specs they call it a soft/hard case. Or is it a...

You don’t show a picture of the screw on plastic plate on the back of the neck joint. I’m curious about this, even Zeta doesn’t really explain it. They say it’s a bolt on neck. Is the cover to access...

I am sorry to say that I think the problem is in your basic design. I’m thinking that there has to be some kind of wood blocks to support those scrolls, am I right? Those could be acting to dampen...

I’ll bet that’s the way all the Mitchells are built. This is no one off. Cheap, easy, and stable, at least until something goes wrong.

Put ‘em on the classifieds here! With the quality of your instruments, I’m sure you would find eager buyers if they’re priced fairly!

I think offering him some cash to use for an upgrade is a great idea. That Mitchell is not a terribly good mandolin. That neck joint is a case in point. Your friend would be substantially better off...

Chris, that John Pearse set was specifically designed for your instrument! You will like it a lot! And yes, the terminology is confusing. I don’t know why they choose to call it octave Mandola but...

I just wanted to clarify a bit on the string question. Why would one use mandola strings on an octave mandolin? The answer to the question lies in the scale length. There is no standard octave...

Check it out on Elderly’s site! That is one gorgeous mandola! If it sounds half as nice as it looks, it’s probably worth twice what they’re asking. Nice work John! For those who may not know, maker...

In my experience a good luthier never does any work without the express permission of the owner. If you are able to document conclusively everything that you have laid out above, you might be able to...

Bob, I’ll bet you remember when Weber made piccolo carved top mandolins. They were a neat idea, but one of the first things that went when Two Old Hippies took over and started cutting things from...

Keep in mind, if you use solid strings for the 2nd course, that will affect the way you cut the compensation on the bridge saddle. That is one fault I find with the typical entry level OMs, like...

Is there a reason you are going with solid strings for the second course? Most OM’s use wound strings there. I believe D’Addario’s J80 set would be good for your scale length. Those are .012, .022w,...

Rigel seems to have gone out of business around 2006, then came back in 2011. Then they were reported out of business again by some here around 2015. If you do a search you will see that there is...

+1. Mr. Condino has nailed it! A screw in end button is far superior to a tapered push fit one. Especially if you are going to use it for straps. The push in tapered ones were never designed for...

Really nice job there Bob! It doesn’t seem like there are many people making fine quality flat tops anymore. If I saw one like yours for sale I would be tempted to buy it! The elongated body shape...