2nd F style Mandolin build

[arnelson]

Hello all. This here is my second F mandolin. The first one I built a few years ago now. I normally build guitars and have been since 2008. While I was resawing some ziricote for guitar parts, I ended up with a chunk that would work perfectly for a mandolin. So, now, two years later, it was time to figure out what I could do with that chunk. My guitars for the past few years have been incorporating carvings, so I wanted to try and do the same with this project. I wanted to experiment a bit with neck carvings, and I designed this to have more visual appeal and also not hinder speed on the neck. So here's what I've done so far. All that's left is to do is make the tailpiece, bridge, and install tuners and nut. It's been a fun project and I hope you enjoy.

[David Houchens]

Very cool. Looks like armor plating.

[Pete Jenner]

I assume this is an instrument for looking at and not playing?

[Skip Kelley]

Wow! Impressive detail!! Nice lines!

[Mandobart]

That's really nice looking. Finish is gorgeous. Never tried playing a scaly neck, but it looks cool.

[Michael Weaver]

Nice attention to detail. When you get her strung up I would love to hear it.

[Joseph Baker]

"I wanted to experiment a bit with neck carvings, and I designed this to have more visual appeal and also not hinder speed on the neck."

Please elaborate on the carving on the neck and the scroll.
I'd like to hear how you did that.
It really looks neat !

Joseph Baker

[jso]

Reminds me of an armadillo, or perhaps the tail of a pangolin
(see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangolin)

[fscotte]

Yeah, you can call it a mandillo!

[arnelson]

Thanks guys. Pete, I'm rather hoping that it'll be a player. Not sure how the ziricote will contribute to the sound, since I've never seen or heard of one made from it.
Mandobart, the neck actually feels incredibly comfortable, and it doesn't seem to hinder speed at all.
Michael, I'll make sure to post a video when it's done, but I'll have to find a mandolin player that is way better than me.
Joseph, for the carvings, I started with the lines that run the length of the neck, and along the scroll. With those, I made ridges and valleys, like a zigzag basically. Then I drew in all of the scales on the ridges and carved them. This was all done with a carving knife. The scroll, I based on the scroll of a violin head, which extends higher than a typical mandolin scroll. The neck and scroll are both maple. The maple scroll was inlaid into the top.
Jso, that is incredibly similar. I had no idea that a pangolin looked that similar.
Fscotte, either that or a pandolin or mangolin

[Marty Jacobson]

Ziricote... mmmm... beautiful stuff. I just joined plates for a couple ziricote mandolins. It should make a great mandolin, the trouble is working around the cracks that are so prevalent in ziricote stock.

[Charles E.]

An interesting mandolin for sure. I am not sold on the neck however. The first impression when one picks up a stringed instrument will be the neck. The shape of the neck will make or break the sale of an instrument regardless of how good it sounds. Why would you spend hours of time carving scales into the neck and have that be the first hurdle for the player to get over?

[tom.gibson]

Not a hurdle if you like playing scales...

[fscotte]

For every instrument, there is a buyer.

[Dobe]

Ziricote... mmmm... beautiful stuff.....the trouble is working around the cracks that are so prevalent in ziricote stock.

Nice work ARNELSON !
Yeah, I built a tenor uke out of it a while back and it gave me fits with cracking. It came to the point that I rubbed epoxy on the inside as a preventative before closing up the box. No luck. I eventually had to strip it back down and pore filled/repair with super glue. Likely I just got a lower grade lumber, I've seen plenty of folks building with it. Gorgeous stuff, sounds fine, a little nasty to sand. My biggest problem wouldn't be the neck, but that scroll. Bye bye tremolo sweet spot. I suppose you'd get used to it in time. Looking forward to hearing it.

[arnelson]

Marty, have you worked with ziricote before for mandolins? I've used it in three guitars and working around cracks is definitely an issue. Surprisingly though, I didn't have any issues with this back.
Charles, when I started this project I wanted it to have some experimental things in it. I wanted to add something unexpected to it. I agree that the neck feel is incredibly important to an instrument and it's potential sale, and I was a little worried about that when I first started the carving. But, when I was finished with it, and could hold it, I was pleasantly surprised with how it feels. If you were closer, I'd invite you over to see what you think of it in person, but I see that you are in NC.
Tom, thanks, I appreciate the wit.
And fscotte, I hope there will be for this one, but if not, I wouldn't be that upset with keeping it for myself

[arnelson]

Dobe, when I work with ziricote, I always pore fill with ca glue. It works most of the time, but there are some stubborn places sometimes with it. I feel your pain with having to strip finish back down because of a crack. I don't think it had much to do with your lumber specifically, but the entire species is very prone to cracking. I've heard it called Mexican crackwood many times from different people. It is incredibly important to keep it at a constant RH to help prevent cracking in it.

[Zissou Intern]

This is really cool. I like the scroll and headstock shape. I wonder if the carved neck would be a problem. (I guess it only matters to the guy playing it.) Carving scales on the back of the headstock could've been an option if one didn't want to do the neck.

[Charles E.]

However I happen to feel about the neck, I will say you are doing a very fine build. It is nice to see such an original mandolin. I look forward to hearing it when done.

[Kennyz55]

I played a guitar with a Z-Glide neck it was very fast and patent pending.

Thanks,
Kenny

[Denny Gies]

Beautiful, your creative juices are really flowing. You should be proud.

[arnelson]

Kenny, that's really similar to mine. I wonder what could actually be patented on that? That design seems to have a dimple inside a diamond, so I think mine is at least safe. Thanks for the info on that.
Thanks Denny, I am proud of it, and it's been a really fun build. I get bored easily with building things that look like everyone else's, and things like this build are what make it still fun.

[JEStanek]

I love what you've done with the F shape. With regards to the neck being so unconventional, I would like to try it out before I weighed in on it. Bill Bussman has used zircote for some mandolins if I recall correctly. I bet it's going to have a cool voice.

Jamie