That is incredible inlay work. How does the mandolin sound?
“Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.”
My Mandos:
1981 Lloyd LaPlant F5 #6
2001 Lloyd LaPlant F5 #57
2006 Lloyd LaPlant F5 #106
2017 Boeh F5 #27
2020 Boeh 2-point #31
2012 Grey Eagle 2-point #57V
I'd like to hear it, too.
Bill
IM(NS)HO
Thank you -- Harvey is a very talented artist.
The mandolin plays beautifully and I love spending time with it. In terms of sound, I wish I had a Gibson around for comparison purposes. I will post recordings when I am more comfortable with the instrument. Right now I am just practicing my scales and arpeggios.
Not my style, but it's gorgeous art none-the-less. I don't think I could bring myself to play that for fear of scratching it If it sounds half as good as it looks, you're set. congrats!
Not to hijack the thread, but do bound F holes make a large difference in the instrument's tone, sound, etc.? I don't see many of examples.
Music meets art, great eye candy!
John A. Karsemeyer
Lovely!
Steve
There's a very good reason for buying such an instrument. When we're much too old to play, we can just hang it on the wall and enjoy it's beauty. Just thinking, all I want is a pearl inlaid trussrod cover.
Kenny B. Playing on a Stelling S-5Q #144
Lakota Leathers strap
Blue Chip CT55 pick & SR-50
D'Addario J75 Strings
Virtuoso Premium Polish / Yes I clean & polish my mandolin
The inlay including the abalone around the body is beautiful. The various materials used in the inlay are very interesting. I recognize mother of pearl and abalone but what are those other materials used, like the humming birds feathers, the yellow beak and the red markings? You're off to a great start being relatively new to the mandolin.
Harvey is a great inlay artist and also a former fellow Vermonter who, like me, decided to head to Cali way back when. He supplied me with a NAMM pass a few years back and we had some chuckles …cheers on your mandolin!
Thank you. At first I intended to remove the pickguard to play the mandolin -- but in the end I decided to leave it on. The inlays are quite thick and if needed we can just sand off the surface for a fresh new look.
As for the bound F-holes, they are mostly time consuming and historically inaccurate -- but otherwise I doubt they have any impact on the sound at all.
Thank you. Time will tell whether it was worth the spending...
As per Harvey, materials for inlays include orange spiny oyster recon, corian, white and yellow MOP, awabi, agoya, green abalone, atlante, malachite recon and mahogany. The edging on the body would be paua.
Joe, Congratulations! That is a fine looking mandolin!
Thanks so much.
I'm still new to the instrument and my technique isn't up to par just yet but here's a quick recording of my Leach F mando -- my modest attempt at "Old Daingerfield":
http://youtu.be/1qnDMgQ8TNQ
Methinks you undersell yourself.
I was compelled to check out your work on youtube.
Beautiful guitar playing.
Where can we buy your recordings?
Les.
The best sounding inlays I've ever heard.
Thank you for your kind words.
I hadn't used a pick in many years and my usual repertoire isn't even remotely close to bluegrass -- but I was always fascinated by F mandolins so I just had to give it a shot.
For the time being my recordings are available on YouTube and SoundCloud. I love playing music but won't rely on it to afford inlays on my instruments...
Great playing -- both on mandolin and guitar! I sort of like the moody dark look of your video but might prefer a bit more light -- like the guitar ones.
Jim
My Stream on Soundcloud
19th Century Tunes
Playing lately:
1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1
So many directions you could head in with that Leach and your IQ on the fretboard.
Take a look at Mr. Stiernberg here and some of his other stuff.
Thanks for the encouragement. I agree with you that the video is a bit dark. I need to buy a new camera with wireless liveview so I can better gauge lighting. I make a conscious effort to be sort of consistent in my videos but it's quite tricky. A few degrees off here and there can have a dramatic impact on the results.
Thanks for posting the video. Don is a tasty player.
I only know how to use a pick because I used to play heavy metal in my teenage years. I still have so much to learn when it comes to traditional/bluegrass -- and I'm thankful that Harvey built such a fun instrument for me to play.
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