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Thread: Flatback German Mandriola restoration project (prequel)

  1. #1

    Question Flatback German Mandriola restoration project (prequel)

    Hello! I've been spending some weeks gathering information, absorbing videos, mopping up every resource I can find about mandolins, restoration and general luthiering work. I bought a mandriola off of eBay after visiting in person (amazing collection) that needs some TLC, but I'm already in love and super excited to get to work and hear it sing. I bought it for £35, intending to learn how to restore in an instrument I've always wanted (always wanted a mandolin... I guess I never knew it was a mandriola I wanted after all ;p), as opposed to buying one. I figure giving an instrument it's voice back is pretty cool, rather than have it lay about unloved.

    New to mandolins and repair, hence the troves of research. I was wondering if it would be ok to list out my plan so far, so it can be critiqued and pointed out for me to avoid doing something potentially very dumb and damaging / sacrilegious. My intended outcome is to repair the instrument so it is playable again, with a good finish that will help it last for years to come. I don't wish to completely reinvent it, or do something crazy with the finish just for aesthetics - from my point of view, the mandriola will look good as long as it works and plays (although I do have some aesthetic preferences).

    I didn't want to just go for it since I am aware there are many amazing luthiers here and I don't want to be rude by demanding that much energy out of you, as the plan so far is quite long and detailed (and within that plan I also list things that are / appear to be issues and what is not an issue). I am currently reading through the Mandolin Cafe restoration challenge thread, and have gained a lot of my information from Mandolinluthier.com too, as well as other tutorials and guides online (such as the Rob Meldrum setup guide, though I am quite far from set-up at the moment). I'll include a few images (main issues are some cracks [none have much give], shrinkage to inlay around the sound hole [which may be causing/ contributing to the cracks] and damage to the finish), and if all is well will post my plan later. Thanks!

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  2. #2
    Registered User Tavy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Flatback German Mandriola restoration project (prequel)

    There are two things you need to know about mandriola's:

    1) they always fall apart.
    2) they really do always fall apart

    The good news is that one looks like it's in really rather good condition: if you're not worried about the finish then I would just glue and cleat the cracks, sort the fretboard out, set it up and call it done. The fissures round the neck join in the last photo don't look like anything to worry about BTW - just the usual shrinkage round the join - as long as the neck angle is good you're fine there.

    Also notice that one is Octave strung - now those are really fun, and mad, I mean completely bonkers For your amusement, here's one I did earlier:


  3. #3

    Default Re: Flatback German Mandriola restoration project (prequel)

    Ooh, yours is one of the first videos I watched when I brought it home, and why I'm so excited to get it playing. I did imagine the extra tension would be bothersome...

    With the finish, I was just worried that having it exposed would reduce the lifetime of the mandriola, or overall just be a bad thing since it's likely to get more scratched up as I play it too. On a scale of 1-10 how risky would it be? Is there something less drastic I could do - such as re seal it maybe?

    Good to know about the neck join though!

  4. #4
    Registered User Tavy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Flatback German Mandriola restoration project (prequel)

    Quote Originally Posted by Juular View Post
    With the finish, I was just worried that having it exposed would reduce the lifetime of the mandriola, or overall just be a bad thing since it's likely to get more scratched up as I play it too. On a scale of 1-10 how risky would it be? Is there something less drastic I could do - such as re seal it maybe?
    The finish on those old German instruments tends to look horrible and flake off in big lumps.... and yet it's also hard as hell and pretty difficult to sand back. I guess the easiest way to touch up / seal the top would be to sand all over say 320 grit: just enough to key the surface and get the worst of the muck off, then wipe just enough TruOil over the top to seal the bare patches and fill the sanding scratches. 3 or 4 wipes should do it: you can either use the "wipe on wipe off" method where you slap it on and then immediately wipe off the excess, or else put the tiniest amount on a cloth and spread it as far and thin as you can get it to go. Search the forum for TruOil and you'll find lots more information.

    BTW once you have it stripped down, the other main thing to check, is that there are no loose braces. Either get a mini-torch inside along with an inspection mirror, or else get hold of one of those cheap USB inspection cams you see on eBay and follow the line of each brace and make sure it's tight to the top right to the ends. If in doubt use either the "poke test" (try and push something thin between the top and the brace), or the "thumb test" (figure out where the braces run, then squeeze the top with your thumbs right on top of the brace and feel for anything that moves - start with a good brace so you know what that feels like, then move on to the suspect one).

    And finally.... it's early to think about setup, but make sure you use really light strings - figure out gauges that'll give you the same tension per string as the GHS ultra-light set and you should be OK (Eagle Newtone offer a custom gauge mandolin set which is a lifesaver for stuff like this). Then if you string in Octaves, make sure the thick strings are lower down in the bridge saddle so that the tops of the strings are all level at the bridge, if you don't do this, it's next to impossible to get your pick through cleanly. Of course at the nut end, it's the bottoms of the strings that have to be level. More complicated than you might think!

    Have fun, John.

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