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Hey folks, today I decided to make my own endpins to use up the ebony scrap I have after making fingerboards and bridges. I hate to throw away usable pieces of wood.
I managed to do it using just...

Beginners to recording usually never listen to this advice once they get infatuated with the idea of a ribbon mic, but I'll post it anyway.

Don't buy a ribbon mic as your first mic.

First,...

Like all mics, ribbons can be good or bad depending on who made it. The really cheap ribbon mics that flood the market are not going to be a great option. many of the better ribbons are passive and...

i986, I think.

I think you're lucky that only $75 makes your $3000 mandolin sound like a million bucks!
Your analogy falls flat because fancy car rims are just for looks, not performance. The tonegard is exactly...

Dude..relax..why does it matter to you? Let people post what they want. If you don't approve, just move on..

If I played my sofa, that might be a meaningful analogy. :)

Maybe they will start making banjos again. Hey, it's a growth category for them now!!!

I'm not much into lists but some folks might want to visit this page. I see some names there that are appearing above.

Thanks to all of you. This has been a great read!:)

Just for fun, here is how the same mandolin I posted above looked brand new....

Reid,have fun on your varnish journey! Really interesting subject.
All I know about mandolin varnishes is that they can vary wildly in looks,durability,and consistency.

The difference between my...

I misspelled it. It’s supposed to be “craquelure”. Sorry.

Also forgot to mention that some violin makers attempt to produce craquelure on purpose. They do so just as Adrian says, by willfully...

That bad drying is common problem with all spirit varnishes (like I described above). Dissolved shellac can go bad in 6 months and I read that bleached clear shellac (or shellac that was chemically...

If the varnish takes fingerprint after 15 years it is way too soft IMO. The varnish on my mandolins is not hard like nitro but not rubbery as well. Actually the modern nitro I removed from F9 during...

Addendum: the only violin varnish I recall where the manufacturer actually tells you what’s in it is Behlen Violin Varnish. They state that it contains shellac, gum mastic, and gum sandarac. I note...

Adrian, that effect you get is exactly the same effect I have on my “good” violin! I would speculate that it was varnished in the same way with the same stuff or something similar. I call the surface...

That was clear varnish in small bottles (50ml or so I guess). I used it over shellac ground and french polished on top (straight shellac). I kept it thin (4-5 slightly diluted well brushed layers). I...

From pre-made violin varnishes I used Hidersine oil varnish on several mandolins. There is no list of ingredients on the package so I never knew how it would behave. Later when I switched to hardware...

Couple of interesting quotes from one of the articles:

In addition to Curleigh, Gibson has hired Cesar Gueikian as chief merchant officer, Kim Mattoon as chief financial officer and Christian...

News articles filtering out aplenty about the new CEO of Gibson, James "JC" Curleigh, who comes to them from Levi Strauss & Company. Saw he brought a small crew to Carter Vintage Guitars recently as...

If I wanted to make my own varnish for mandolins I would go for clear (uncolored) copal based varnish I described above above colored wood as is traditional. It makes the varnish resonably durable...

Long ago I used a local adaptation of the fulton varnish, using Pinyon pine sap (pinus edulis engelmanii) and linseed oil cooked to 275+ degrees outdoors, colored with crushed hematite from a...

You have lost perspective, in my opinion. These tiny marks (which can often be buffed out, if desired) absolutely pale in comparison to the typical scratches, gouges, and other marks left on the...

Sierra Hull shared this on social media. Thought it too good to not share here. I do not know if there's a video. All I know is what is posted below. There may well be other information floating...