Search:

I have a jet 10/20 thickness sander. I try to get them under 2mm. I don't think it would be a problem going a little thinner.
This is such an easy method. If the wood is going to split...it will...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY7XHoKaPMA

Played here by Frances, one of just two or three players I know of, in a population of 60million.
Enigma is one of my efforts to "improve" mandolin...

I've previously done 7th fret (I think), this looked about right on the plan with a 12th fret straight, so I went with it, there doesn't seem to be a right answer. Yes it makes the bridge easier...

You need to split the angles as best you can: move the treble side as far towards the bridge as you dare, and still be able to get a decent break angle / and not have strings resting on the...

My approach has been to measure the modal frequencies of the free plates using chladni patterns and correlate that with the sound of the finished instrument. More recently, after reading the...

There are a few things about "stiffness" that always seem to get glossed over. What's somewhat discouraging about this is that the information is not new; it's been around - and available - for a...

A new style of instrument, for me at least. A European style Octave Mandola with a 45cm/17.75" scale length made for mandolin orchestra playing. Strung with Thomastik 174 mandola strings. Soundboard...

Giuseppe Pettine was one of the leading mandolinists in the United States during the first half of the twentieth century. A celebrated teacher as well as performer, Pettine also composed numerous...

Mandolino Napoletana. Tiger Myrtle and Rose Myrtle bowl, spruce top, NG Rosewood neck, Gidgee fingerboard and armrest. I think the mold is mostly accurate now, it could loose 5mm from the width but...

Just finished off this nice old Vega for a customer:

206256206257206258206259206260206261206262

Thanks, Tom. First off, it is strung with nylon so I can only compare it to some of the other Brescian mandolins that I have built. I guess what I notice most is the quick decay of the tone. It is...

Hey everyone! Long time lurker, first-time caller. I'm an American mandolinist and composer, and I wanted to share two of my more recent works for mandolin with all of you. One is for solo mandolin,...

A short video featuring the four instruments of my Australian Mandolin Quartet, each separately as yet. A recording of all four at the one time is being organised. Thanks to the wonderful Tony Hunter...

Here are some progress photos. The ribs are added one at a time starting with the one in the middle. The geared tuners are in for a trial fit. The scale will be 380mm 15".

205189

205190

I came across an interesting illustration from a book published in 1805. A young woman is seated playing a Bescian mandolin.

There are several things that intrigued me about this illustration: The...

I got to thinking that I didn't make something clear enough for the OP. As sunburst pointed out, the lowest normal mode in plucked string instruments is somewhat like what people think of as a...

The short answer is “I dont know” but am repeating what Ive been taught. Ive also been told about the evil of zero frets. All fruit for further exploration. There is a lot of tradition at play here.

Today was the last “build” day.

It was simple enough, add side dots, dress the fretboard and an all over scrape. The finishing will happen when I get back home. Im planning to French Polish before...

The tailpiece mounts are on and we have frets!

We are getting to the end of the build now. Firstly the end clasp is shaped to its final design. Simply done by either the chisel method or with a...

Yes. The idea is to make the braces stiffer so I can make the braces smaller and also can make the top a bit thinner as well. Carbon fiber gets you into another dimension as far as stiffness to...

More scraping, Then levelling the fretboard and slotting.

Forget your perfectly machined piece of stainless from your average lutherie supply house. The levelling beam is a foot long piece of...

Yep, 6 x 6 mm CF is real stiff and a lattice of it would be extraordinarily stiff, so don't do it. CF tow is supplied like a piece of string wound around a bobbin. It is not stiff until it is...

An interesting day,

Spent quite some time perfecting the headstock transition. Sorry no photo, imagine files on the back of the headstock. Then started scraping the bowl to reveal the pattern of...

Another big day in the workshop.

The first task today was to liberate the bindings, top and sides from the paper/hide glue matrix. This work proceeds with a rasp to start and a sharp scraper to...

When the instrument has been cleaned up. The practise is to leave all of these bits of paper on until the final clean up. Makes sense, only do any job once. Im sure it will be fine. The same process...