Scroll Question for Builders

**slaminsam** · Jun-06-2023, 2:48pm

I have a technical question on the scrolls. Why do some Mandolins look like the top of the scroll and sides so not match and others look like they do? I assume that this more related to construction technique? More if curiosity question as I know the scroll is wider than the sides at this point. Picture added:

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**Bill McCall** · Jun-06-2023, 3:08pm

The sides are straight. What you are seeing is the unbound end grain of the top and back in the scroll. I got a good lesson about that from Tom Ellis.

How that was done had never occurred to me either.

**sunburst** · Jun-06-2023, 3:24pm

Some builders start the sweep of the scroll "too early". Looking at the front of a mandolin with the neck straight up, the old Gibson scrolls began to ramp up at about an 11 o'clock position or so. Some builders start it more like 9 o'clock, and the top and back edges are much more visible as a result. Coloring can also be used to "hide" the inevitable exposure of top and back edges when using the usual construction methods. It is also possible to use side material that widens and covers the situation, but that is not the norm (nor is it easy).

**Marty Jacobson** · Jun-15-2023, 11:52am

Originally Posted by sunburst

Some builders start the sweep of the scroll "too early".

Definitely the case here with the top picture. Or possibly, the correct geometry, but a thicker than normal plate was used, resulting in more end grain being visible.
Additionally, these pictures are taken from different angles and would look much more similar if they were taken from the same angle.

**HoGo** · Jun-15-2023, 12:02pm

Originally Posted by Marty Jacobson

Definitely the case here with the top picture. Or possibly, the correct geometry, but a thicker than normal plate was used, resulting in more end grain being visible.
Additionally, these pictures are taken from different angles and would look much more similar if they were taken from the same angle.

Agree, the first one seems to depart the sides well before 9, the other one is Loar.

**sunburst** · Jun-15-2023, 12:58pm

I started the ramp up at about 11 o'clock on this one, and with the judicious use of an airbrush and dark brown dye mostly eliminated the visibility of the end grain.