Can anyone recommend a builder to me?

[Chris Marsh]

I've been thinking I'd like a custom mandolin built to my specs. Can anyone recommend a luthier that can build me a mandolin for a reasonable price?

[MandoHog]

John Gathright in Forman AR is who I would use. he is in the database. I have two of his mandolins. good luck!

[Chris Marsh]

Thank you.

[Bill McCall]

Reasonable is in the wallet of the requestor. Audie Ratliff and Tom Ellis could meet the criteria, albeit at different price points.

[Jim Garber]

What is your price range? That helps?

[Bob Clark]

Also, tell us a little about the mandolin you would like to have built. Some details would get you better advice.

[Green Player]

I've also been struggling with this as a novice player. I am intimidated by the prospect of seeking a quality used instrument out there in the world, but am nowhere near skilled enough to justify something like a Collings quite yet. Rocking an Eastman 305 right now. Only really playing celtic music alone and have been looking at getting an oval hole from a builder under $3k in the next few years. I'll probably end up following TME or TMS and asking for their help.

[Richard Watts]

Randy wood. Bloomingdale ga

[Chris Marsh]

I spoke to a luthier last week who told me he would build me a premium F5-style for 6K.
The photos I've seen of his mandolins look beautiful, and both he and his instruments have an excellent reputation.
To me, 6K seems like a reasonable price for a custom-made mandolin.
Of course, people can slap whatever price they want on their product, but I am free not to purchase it.
The problem for me is that I don't want an F5, but rather an F4.
A real F4-style -- with a 12-fret neck and bridge back on the body where it belongs.
But with the modern improvements of radiused fingerboard and larger frets.

[JeffD]

I've also been struggling with this as a novice player. I am intimidated by the prospect of seeking a quality used instrument out there in the world, but am nowhere near skilled enough to justify something like a Collings quite yet..

I know what you mean. But my approach is different. I hope to always be a playing a mandolin much better that would be "indicated" by my skill level. I want always to have a mandolin to grow into, and never be able to blame my inability on the inadequacy of the mandolin.

I would say to always shoot for the best mandolin you can appreciate and afford, regardless of how you play. And keep it for a long time.

[Green Player]

I know what you mean. But my approach is different. I hope to always be a playing a mandolin much better that would be "indicated" by my skill level. I want always to have a mandolin to grow into, and never be able to blame my inability on the inadequacy of the mandolin.

I would say to always shoot for the best mandolin you can appreciate and afford, regardless of how you play. And keep it for a long time.

Definitely would love to do that, I just have to swing it with my other hobbies and saving for a house. Haha. I am also a better ukulele and guitar player than Mandolin but your money goes way further with guitars and ukuleles than mandolin...

[Denny Gies]

If you want a firs class instrument give Randy Wood a call. He made me an F 5 back in 1993 and it has turned out to be all the mandolin I every wanted or will need.

[LM33]

Don Paine at Pomeroy Instruments: www.pomeroyinstruments.com

He built an A-style oval hole mandolin last year for me with Irish music in mind. It is perfect.

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

Another alternative: If what you really after is a traditional F4, have you considered getting an old F4, and then finding someone to put a new radiused fretboard and bridge on it? It may end up getting you closer to what you're really after.

[John Bertotti]

My instrument is an OldWave. An A style oval hole sounds amazing. I don’t know if he is still building but suspect he might be. Another worth checking out.

[Chris Marsh]

Another alternative: If what you really after is a traditional F4, have you considered getting an old F4, and then finding someone to put a new radiused fretboard and bridge on it? It may end up getting you closer to what you're really after.

I actually considered that. But only for a moment. With antiques, I feel a responsibility to preserve their original condition as much as I can -- that I am only a temporary custodian. For example, when I refretted my 1914 Gibson F2 (pictured above), I used the same small fret wire as the original.

[Green Player]

Don Paine at Pomeroy Instruments: www.pomeroyinstruments.com

He built an A-style oval hole mandolin last year for me with Irish music in mind. It is perfect.

I've been watching him after hearing about him last year on the forum and have bookmarked his page. I am very tempted. I did play a flat top Northfield Calhoun and was not too excited about it, so I am worried that I might not love oval holes. I did love Northfield's Model M I played at a shop.

[grassrootphilosopher]

I actually considered that. But only for a moment. With antiques, I feel a responsibility to preserve their original condition as much as I can -- that I am only a temporary custodian. For example, when I refretted my 1914 Gibson F2 (pictured above), I used the same small fret wire as the original.

I understand. But since an old fretboard is glued to the neck with hot hide glue, you can steam it off and replace it with a fretboard of whatever specs you´d want and keep the old one to go with the instrument, when it leaves you.

If you have a "player´s grade instrument" (some sound exceptional) it might not feel as invasive to keep it original.

Bill Bussman (Old Wave) makes nice instruments indeed. I played one in Brighton UK years ago. It was a dandy.

Mike Black builds nice A-4 style instruments. He may build an F-4 style to your liking. If traditional appearence is necessary, I´d strongly consider him.

[Mandobart]

Tom TJ Jessen at Cricketfiddle builds great quality, great sounding instruments for far less than the better known builders. I have my main player - a western red cedar, walnut and maple F5 from him, a western red cedar and maple F4 octave mandolin and 3 custom built 10 stringers. You should contact him through his web page.

Howard (Sonny) Morris is known to many here on the cafe. He built my hybrid F4 in 2010 for me. His instruments are an incredible value for a hand built American instrument with great tone and playability. He's a little harder to contact but well worth the effort. There are Social Groups here on the cafe for fans of both these builders.

[Mandobart]

I actually considered that. But only for a moment. With antiques, I feel a responsibility to preserve their original condition as much as I can -- that I am only a temporary custodian. For example, when I refretted my 1914 Gibson F2 (pictured above), I used the same small fret wire as the original.

You probably know that any Stradavari instrument being played today has been highly modified? Completely different necks and fingerboard. Hasn't hurt their value or tone. My opinion is if an instrument is to be played vs collected, anything that enhances playability is good.

These instruments were built to be taken apart and rebuilt as needed or desired. I have a 1930's Regal resonator mandolin that had a broken tailpiece, worn out tuning machines and lousy intonation. And a sticky glossy neck. I fixed all that, which included modifying the spider and cover plate to put the bridge in the right place. Just for fun I added an internal pickup and 1/4" output jack. It's not original - it's better because now it's playable, and I play the neck out of it. Someday when I'm gone someone will still be playing it.

[Chris Marsh]

You probably know that any Stradavari instrument being played today has been highly modified? . . . These instruments were built to be taken apart and rebuilt as needed or desired.

No, I did not know that. But when I pick up my F2, I feel the vibe of the world it came from -- a direct experience, unlike a book or photographs. That is, the Victorian aesthetic values which are so far removed from our present age as to be almost beyond recapture. This is of value to me and I would not make any modifications to the instrument to impair this. It plays and sounds great, anyway, with super-low action and 100 year-old tonewoods. And if I tire of the flat board and little frets, or want a different sound, I simply pick up one of my modern mandolins.

[CES]

Mid range/great value: Ken Ratcliff (Silverangel).

Very reasonable but a little higher up the food chain: Skip Kelly.

I owned a SA that was a great mandolin, especially considering the price. Replaced it with my Kelly, which was better up the neck (not that the SA was bad up there). Skip’s been doing some hybrid 13 and 14 fret join F2/4s, and he seems to like building things outside the F5 box. Worth an email or call. By all accounts he’s also great to work with. Good luck!

Oh, yeah, and Gail Hester if she’s still at it.

[oldwave maker]

No longer taking orders, except from my recently retired lovely wife, but I dig those old oval hole designs updated with x braced Engelmann and radiuses boards. No woods seasoned more than 40 years under a hot tin roof at Fort Stinkindesert. Check the Cafe ads in a couple of months. Morning mug shot:

[John Bertotti]

You got those bad boys and girls in that scratchy loader! I would be worried a critter would run in knock them over and scratch them all up. That is the way my luck goes! Looks great!

[Mandobar]

No, I did not know that. But when I pick up my F2, I feel the vibe of the world it came from -- a direct experience, unlike a book or photographs. That is, the Victorian aesthetic values which are so far removed from our present age as to be almost beyond recapture. This is of value to me and I would not make any modifications to the instrument to impair this. It plays and sounds great, anyway, with super-low action and 100 year-old tonewoods. And if I tire of the flat board and little frets, or want a different sound, I simply pick up one of my modern mandolins.

Only one Strad remains that has its original neck- The Sleeping Beauty (this information courtesy of a Strings Magazine article from a few years back).