As small air conditioner in the workshop works well. The workshop is quite small but cleverly designed to be quite efficiently solar passive, so the air-con takes the edge off in the morning and if the sun is out gets comfortable quite quickly.
As small air conditioner in the workshop works well. The workshop is quite small but cleverly designed to be quite efficiently solar passive, so the air-con takes the edge off in the morning and if the sun is out gets comfortable quite quickly.
http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com
The Mandolin Project on building mandolins
The Mandolin-a history
The Ukulele on building ukuleles
The two mandolins for the quartet strung up today. A bit exciting! The mandola and the mandocello will get done next week. They sound quite similar, but with subtle differences. So far, doing what they are supposed to! King Billy pine soundboards, blackwood back and sides, Queensland maple necks, ebony 13 7/8"scale fretboards, head overlays are gidgee and flamed blackwood centre strips with ivoiroid binding all round.
http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com
The Mandolin Project on building mandolins
The Mandolin-a history
The Ukulele on building ukuleles
http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com
The Mandolin Project on building mandolins
The Mandolin-a history
The Ukulele on building ukuleles
Beautiful Graham, and the end of a big project. Is the top of the mandocello King Billy as well? It's hard to see clearly from the photo, but the dark streaks make it look almost more like Bunya or Kauri. Have you got 4 players for a recording?
Oh, and I forgot to ask what finish you used.
Beautiful suite. Looking forward to sound clips.
Not all the clams are at the beach
Arrow Manouche
Arrow Jazzbo
Arrow G
Clark 2 point
Gibson F5L
Gibson A-4
Ratliff CountryBoy A
The cello top is also King Billy, but not as clean as the other three, which all came from the one billet. Finish is Wurth semi-gloss rattle-can lacquer, which Gerard Gilet put me onto. I have several of the local mandolin community offering to try them out, and perhaps make a recording and maybe a video. I do have to try and sell the quartet now!
http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com
The Mandolin Project on building mandolins
The Mandolin-a history
The Ukulele on building ukuleles
http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com
The Mandolin Project on building mandolins
The Mandolin-a history
The Ukulele on building ukuleles
I think the Quartet looks beautiful, and much more dramatic in sunburst. Did you also use rattle cans to apply the sunburst?
Beauties all! I like that the two mandolins are different. I look forward to hearing them played. Maybe you need to issue a recording of various types of music played on these instruments.
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
Boy, aren’t they grand! Wonderful concept and workmanship.
Not all the clams are at the beach
Arrow Manouche
Arrow Jazzbo
Arrow G
Clark 2 point
Gibson F5L
Gibson A-4
Ratliff CountryBoy A
The sunbursts are stains in very thinned satin lacquer out of a touch-up spray gun. Golden Teak, Brown Teak and then Walnut which are the available colours to suit from local manufacturers. I will be videoing some playing on individual instruments on Tuesday and will edit that into a short video. I will then see if I can get four people together for a live recording of the quartet together.
Next up to to hopefully find a buyer for the whole quartet. I have had one nibble which is a bit exciting!
Cheers
http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com
The Mandolin Project on building mandolins
The Mandolin-a history
The Ukulele on building ukuleles
Graham,
When you posted the original finish on the quartet, I thought they looked beautiful and never would have questioned whether or not they should have a sunburst. Now that you have revealed them with a burst, I have to agree they look even better. To my eye the sunburst ties beautifully to the coloring in the headstock and makes a set of even more visually unified instruments. Such stunning work! I, like everyone else, can't wait to hear them!
Graham,
They are truely works of art, and like everyone else I can't wait to hear them.
Bob Schmidt
There is a link in the video picture etc forum to a short video demoing each of the quartet.
http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com
The Mandolin Project on building mandolins
The Mandolin-a history
The Ukulele on building ukuleles
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