New carbon fiber mandolins

[Chinslip]

Most people prefer the feel of a wood FB. Plus it adds a proper look to the instrument. It's a matter of preference I suppose. Some mandolin purists would never buy a cf mandolin. Some have even suggested I paint mine to hide the cf. My fretboards are epoxied to the neck and will never distort due to humidity or lack there of. I cant imagine having to fret a cf fretboard. CF is very brittle and would be a nightmare to fret. A nightmare I don't want.

[Marty Jacobson]

How about a G-10 micarta fretboard? I've used white paper micarta (Richlite) for fretboards, it works beautifully and holds the frets very securely, but I believe the linen or canvas micarta is more dimensionally stable. Also a delrin fretboard would work well, and buffed up, would feel very nice under the fingers. You'd have to attach it with screws, but they can be covered by pop-off pearl or metal caps doubling as fret markers.
Or if wood is really the way to go, you could use acrylic stabilized curly maple, or stabilized burl, or whatever makes you happy.

[carbonpiou]

My answer to Marty's question:

The idea of using carbon fibers alone (non-woven) starts from a very good deduction, compared to the fibrous structure of the wood.
However, there are two problems:

Implementation will be extremely delicate. It is necessary that the fibers remain perfectly parallel and jointed.I propose, to have used this during the realization of pieces of aviation, to leave some weft threads (the good word in English?) In place so as to keep the wires of On the other hand, how to master the thickness, if not by proceeding layer by layer and allowing to polymerize the resin between each?

For information, I use only unidirectional fibers and carbon tubes for the manufacture of necks and obtain excellent résults.

Since I speak of necks, my opinion corresponds very well to the reflection of JeffD on this subject.

Making a mandolin (or other instrument) out of carbon and depriving yourself of this material for the neck is a bit of a shame! It is not me who will say this is silly, since .... I have done this twice. But, indisputably, the incontestable stability of a 100% carbon instrument is destroyed, completely destroyed.
I just advise to keep the pickguard in wood (ebony, rosewood, etc ...) for the touch, the comfort and the ease of refrettage (carbon key = bonded frets required!)

On the other hand, the realization of the body, the neck and the carbon head makes it possible to realize a monolithic assembly. These are the same carbon fuses that go from the tip of the head to the bottom of the body, towards the fixation of the strings support.

But, as I want to say every time, this is only my opinion and I respect too much of other people to want to convince anyone!

And sorry for bad english !!

[Willie Poole]

I just now came across this thread and since you asked for opinions on the sound here is mine....It don`t sound to me like the mandolin was tuned up to the standard tuning, sound a little like it is about one ore two notes shy ...Now I know computers don`t give a true sound quality so hearing one in person would be the way to give an honest opinion...

I do believe they would sell if offered with a nice price...Not all buyers are after a mandolin for bluegrass so it may be attrative to some other forms of music players...good luck...

Willie

[Chinslip]

thanks for your input Willie Poole. This mandolin has a copper thread in the soundboard thus giving this instrument a softer, mellow tone. this may give the appearance of sounding under tuned. But trust me, it's in tune.

[Barry Wilson]

Love the look of the Sparrow Arrow