Re: Bow in bowl back neck (joint?)
Jim, we were just discussing bowlback mandolin fretboards in another conversation here.
That's why I enjoy the Cafe vibe of the MC.
It's like you're in one conversation and you overhear another conversation at another table and.....
That is a substantial fretboard.
Along with the neck / bowl joint--and date--my hunch would be American made. Is that correct?
It is an interesting, if frustrating, problem, because for all the (many) bowlback neck problems I have seen,
I have seen very few with actually bowed necks such as yours.
In my experience, typically if the neck is out of whack it is due to some slight, but meaningful, rotation at the neck block / bowl area likely due to
some top sinkage north of the soundhole. It doesn't take much.
Folks often call it a "bowed neck" as the fretboard attached to the top usually stays in alignment with the top. It appears bowed.
Yours, indeed, looks like it is actually bowed.
I'll leave proper repair advice to the experts here.
I know what I'd do given how thick that fretboard is....but it's super true:
the subtle geometries of action, bridge height, string break angle, not to mention the art of fretwork are crucially important.
Please post some more photos of your mandolin, if you will, for we bowlback wonks.
And keep us updated on your repair process!
I hope you work things out so you can play this (again?) merrily.
Mick
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
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