Prototype

[testore]

I'm not joking....get on his list now.

[sgarrity]

If it sounds as good as it looks.....I'm gonna order two! You nailed the vintage vibe for sure.

[markishandsome]

Yeah, that wood sure is an eyesore, just dump your whole junk box by the curb....heck, I'll even take it off your hands for you

[Mark Franzke]

I hope you don't wait 30 years to build another one. Stunning work!

[Skip Kelley]

Practice run??!! That mandolin is awesome! That is one of the best looking mandolins I have ever seen! Perfect work!!
Time for another!

[Brain]

I searched the web but couldn't find anything about his bows. Can you provide more info?

Brian

[Jerry Byers]

Ditto.

[Bill Halsey]

Sorry for the lack of web presence. Always been word of mouth. I own the domain, www.billbows.com, but have yet to do something with it. Should happen soon -- will try to include some mando content as that progresses.

[testore]

just put up a pic or two here. I've seen a lot of his bows and his work is nothing but perfect all the time. Makes me sick.

[Bill Halsey]

Okay Gary... this is stretching the mando content a bit, but this one's for you.

I also do floors & windows, weekends only...

[Bill Halsey]

Absolutely beautiful! more pics??

Okay, here are a couple more...

[Bill Halsey]

Dovetailed points...

[Bill Halsey]

Enough bandwidth for now.

[Flowerpot]

That looks absolutely spot-on. Wow, that's a stunner.

[mrmando]

I'll take one bow each for fiddle, viola and bass. Couldn't that flowerpot get you in trouble with the big G?

[testore]

STOP BUILDING MANDOLINS !!!!!!PLEASE

[Spruce]

Yeah, don't let the "aw shucks" routine fool ya....

Mr. Halsey is a ringer, and is (obviously) very knowledgable about what makes the F5 tick...

"Less than great wood"

Gee, thanks....
Looks "right" (and familiar) to me....

[Bill Halsey]

Yeah, don't let the "aw shucks" routine fool ya....
Mr. Halsey is a ringer, and is (obviously) very knowledgable about what makes the F5 tick...
"Less than great wood"
Gee, thanks....
Looks "right" (and familiar) to me....

Aw shucks, Bruce -- that ain't your wood. Saving your good stuff for mandos without flowerpots...

[Bill Halsey]

Great lookimg mando. Did you build using Adrian's plans? How's the sound ?

The sound… this is some scary. Been a recovering BG’er for over 8 years now, but this one just may knock me off the wagon for good.

For fresh out of the box, I think it sounds very good. Hard to argue tone without a demo, but it has that punchy, rich response, with a woody bottom, ringing highs and good sustain. Won’t bottom out or go <splat> -- just gets louder and richer. Focused & present, not hollow. (Does any of this make sense?) More tonal choices than I’m used to, picking from the bridge on up.

Never know until you hammer on it on stage, but for now it’s kind of hard to lay it down. We’ll see where it goes this summer. The scary part will be trying to improve upon it. Sounds like work, but I am confident that I can at least duplicate it.

Yes, I refer regularly to Adrian’s fine drawings. We’ve been in constant touch hashing this stuff over for the last couple of years, which began ostensibly as a pre-publishing proofread & factual review. But I can tell you that I’m the one who has learned the most from our exchanges.

Thank you all so much for your kind posts on this thread – and to Scott, Dan, Darryl, et al, for giving us the resources to study these old dogs. I’ve been a Loar-head ever since they were going for $900, but never felt more like building them than now.

[Bill Halsey]

I'll take one bow each for fiddle, viola and bass. Couldn't that flowerpot get you in trouble with the big G?

You may wish to ask them. Actually, this mandolin does not exist... I photoshopped it together and put my name on it. I'm just a bowmaker.

Would that bow trio include a French or German style bass bow?

[Spruce]

"For fresh out of the box, I think it sounds very good."

What's the top wood, Bill? Knowing you, I'm guessing Red....?

So how many mandos did you build back in the day?

My guess is that you're really itching to move on to an F4....

[Bill Halsey]

[quote=Spruce,June 08 2007, 16:58]"For fresh out of the box, I think it sounds very good."

What's the top wood, Bill? Knowing you, I'm guessing Red....?

Right, Bruce. Actually, the top is a fabulous piece of old red spruce that I had joined up years ago. It had a stain down the center that didn't show up under the finish. It's the best piece of wood on this mando. The rest of it is fine acoustically, just a bit pedestrian.

"So how many mandos did you build back in the day?"

I don't know how many mandos I made -- not very many. These guys from nosbiG used to bring me parts to put together and finish out for them, and would barter stuff like tuners, buttons, etc. Beyond that, I've made only a few of my own. Certainly nothing bearing a flowerpot... or that dreadful BS (bell-shaped) trussrod cover. No...

"My guess is that you're really itching to move on to an F4...."

I have plenty of those. Really, one of my fav's is a sweet little 1916 A that I picked up off e##y. A real player.

[HoGo]

I'm a bit late here, but I think I have $.02 to add.

I was fortunate enough to be "virtually" present at birth of this mando (thanks Bill!) and I can tell you Bill included all known (at least to me and Bill) details of Loar construction in this machine. Right from the choice of the woods right to the coloring and finish.
You should notice the ivory point protectors (IMO Loars with ivoroid binding used ivory). The headstock is not only done with pearwood veneer on top, but also done the original way when the thin pear venner was inlaid first (the pearl held in place with paper tape) and then applied to the laminations.
He also went into trouble of making homemade colors (as used in 20s) similar (if not identical) to what was used at Gibson back then. And of course the right kind of oil varnish with french polish. And one important thing, not a single maker I know of has more authentic body shape than Bill does have. Really.
He failed on one thing though.... His work is way too precise to be Loar-like. #The inside of the rim of this instrument was so cleanly done that my jaw dropped down to the floor.
The only nicer mandolin that I can imagine is the next one to leave Bills workshop.
BTW: I've seen just a few pics of Bills bows and they are in the "Rolls Royce of bows" category. I hope he will make more mandolins like this.

[Bill Halsey]

I've been on the receiving end for years, and would gladly share anything I've learned in exchange for a little of Ken's & Laura's creativity. For me, originality is the hard part and I admire makers with their own ideas.

[Timbofood]

Hey, get in line, after the wolf at the door has pups I am selling them for one of Bills Mandolins! I have had the honor of knowing him since about 1970(maybe a little earlier) and a finer person I don't believe I have ever known. Bill and I have "chatted" about this project for many years. My wallpaper is an early shot of this piece in the "white". I hope to have an opportunity to try this little gem out in the next month or so!
See you soon Bill,
T