Applying paper labels

[Dave Hicks]

I was looking at Steve Carlson's signature inside my old Flatiron. and it occurred to me to wonder how labels are put inside instruments. Are they put on before the top is glued on, or are they worked in through the soundhole? I'm fairly sure that Steve didn't reach in with his ballpoint to sign it. (No mandolinic thought too trivial! )

D.H.

[Captain Kirk]

I occasionally make cajon drum boxes and I glue on the inside label before the back is attached. Surely luthiers do the same. That is my guess.

[sunburst]

Interesting question.
They are done different ways. Many people place signed and dated labels in the completed instrument through the sound hole(s) and apply then to the back with tools of one sort or another.
I glue the label right before gluing the back to the rim, closing the box.
So, sometimes the label date indicates when the instrument was completed (if placed inside after completion) and sometimes the label indicates when the box was closed.
(There have been times when an instrument of mine was not completed until months after the label date!)

As for Loar labels, in order for Lloyd to sign and date as many labels as he did on certain days, the labels must have been inserted through the hole(s). Whether the instrument was completed at the time or just nearly completed I'll leave to others who might know.

[kjbllc]

violins are put in after through the ff hole, use archival paper if you want it to last a while.

[MikeEdgerton]

The modern Gibson labels are self stick and applied after the instrument is built as far as I can tell.

[sunburst]

...use archival paper if you want it to last a while.

...and archival ink to sign and date. Something always seems to get splashed in through the sound hole(s). (DAMHIKT)

[Tavy]

Yep, archival paper applied through the sound hole. Haven't sorted the archival ink yet though...

[Dave Hicks]

So, could be either way.

Thanks for satisfying my idle curiosity on a random Thursday.

Next: How do they get 8 great tomatoes into that little bitty mandolin?

D.H.

[GMorgan]

When Tom Ellis was building my F5 Special mandolin in 2021, he affixed the signed label on the inside surface of the back before the instrument was fully assembled. Tom also signed the raw wood on the inside surface of the top,, just on the treble side of the left hand tone bar. We were lucky enough to see both signatures in place before the instrument was closed up and sealed.

[Kenny]

Audey Ratliff signs then affixes the label through the soundhole when the instrument is complete and ready to pack for shipping. That’s sorta necessary since the serial number string of characters includes the completion date … a date that’s hard to discern at the time you glue the back on. I’ve seen others do likewise.

[Charles E.]

So, could be either way.

Thanks for satisfying my idle curiosity on a random Thursday.

Next: How do they get 8 great tomatoes into that little bitty mandolin?

D.H.

[Dave Hicks]

https://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question137770.html