For the adventurous builder

Transparent wood, so who will be the first to build a transparent mandolin?

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/scie...lass-1.5902739

Rats! I already have enough difficulty just relocating lost transparent picks.

Possibly good for guitar and/or mandolin pickguards?

Heck yea! I don’t have one on my mandolin but my Gretsch Penguin would look much better with a clear gaurd.

Quote:

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Starting with planks of wood a metre long and one millimetre thick

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that is pretty thin for a mandolin top. And if they need to add epoxy then why not use plastic for the pickguard? There must be some use. I wonder if they can process thicker pieces.

1mm is plenty thick enough for a pickguard depending on the style. I don't actually think anyone will try building an instrument with this yet but it is a clever idea. Insulates better than glass is stronger but I wonder what glass was used to compare it to. It could make a good window not as clear as glass but in some cases that isn't an issue. Where I live it gets cold, very very cold and a better insulator than glass is appealing. Then again a neck that was clear might be a cool novelty.

I guess it sort of would look like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cfS7qSMvyc

Now that is cool! I like what I heard but I wonder what it sounds like in person.

Not for the type of person who leaves their mandolin lying on the couch!

Well it sure would be easier to do repair work, being able to see inside from the outside.