The Most Elegant f-holes I’ve Ever Seen

[Mike Buesseler]

This was yesterday’s Featured Builder. Some unusual design here, but it looks to be exceptional workmanship.
I love these f-holes!

https://guitaresguesdon.com/project/...t-fond-sculpte

[billhay4]

Straight out of the violin world. Nice!

[milli857]

It's got an interesting body shape too - almost like a cutaway guitar. Never seen a mandolin like that.

[marbelizer]

A beautiful mandolin to be sure. Elegant is a good word for it. I wonder about the uncompensated saddle though. It could be a tuning nightmare.

I had a cheaper mandolin in my beginner days that had an uncompensated saddle. Setting the intonation was impossible no matter how I angled it. It would need to be tuned after every 5 minutes. On the advice of an experienced player I bought a bridge with a compensated saddle. Problem solved.

[MikeEdgerton]

They remind me of a more refined version of the early 30's Gibson second lines F holes.

[pops1]

Very nice design all over. Kind of a cutaway A style, but stylish.

[Jeff Hildreth]

There is style, and class, and elegance, this has all three.
Three cheers for not being "normal" .

The "f" holes seem to be somewhere between Strad and Guarnari.

[JiminRussia]

I like it too! Yes, I’m not too sure what that body style would be called, maybe a half two point?

[pops1]

Or simply a one point.

[Dave Hanson]

Shame about those awful F holes IMHO

Dave H

[Billy Packard]

Elegant F holes indeed.
Many other beautiful details and features.
I don't like the shape.

Billy

[Franc Homier Lieu]

I love the tailpiece--four posts for eight strings is very clean and elegant. Is there any functional reason why more tailpieces aren't simplified like this? Sure seems like an improvement over the twelve hooks for eight strings on many of my mandolins!

[Franc Homier Lieu]

Right after I posted that I thought about it a little more and realized there must be issues with tuning--if you adjust the tension on one string in a course, it must affect the other more than if they each had their own post/hook.

[Drew Streip]

Right after I posted that I thought about it a little more and realized there must be issues with tuning--if you adjust the tension on one string in a course, it must affect the other more than if they each had their own post/hook.

Related consideration: On my Eastman tailpiece, I had a post snap clean off while in my case. Apparently that was a known issue with some batches, and they obviously replaced it at no charge.

Although that’s rare, it demonstrates the tension the string posts are under. It could be troublesome to double that tension without an equivalent (or greater) strength increase on the post. And that size / shape adjustment could possibly interfere with the usability of the posts. I’m not an engineer by any means — just my thoughts.

The mandolin in the OP is amazing though! Great overall aesthetic and originality.