#1 Build..Please be gentle

[Robbie McHone]

Well its finally finished. This is the first instrument I have ever built. I followed the Siminoff book pretty much. I visited this site for mando songs and never knew there was a builder section if I would have known all this info was available here the learning curve would have been alot easier. I found alot of info after I was almost finished that will just have to be addressed on # 2 Any advice on improvements are welcome.

[sunburst]

Not bad, for #1! I'm sure you're proud of it! Congrats!

How does it sound? Is it easy to play? Does it feel "right"?
These are the things to ask yourself as you evaluate it as an instrument.

Advise on improvements?
If you plan to keep building mandoins, build a couple of A-styles with little adornment, and in the process learn the basics of mandolin lutherie; carving, arching, graduation, fret work, neck shaping, all the things that make a good instrument, without the distraction of points and scrolls, sunbursts and inlays. When you can make instruments that sound, feel, and play great, then get into the fancy stuff.
I understand the temptation to make your early efforts fancy, most of us have done that, but it can slow down your lutherie education because the time spent on decoration could be spent learning lutherie.

[HogTime]

Beautiful! I hope mine turns out looking that good.

[swampy]

Not bad, for #1! I'm sure you're proud of it! Congrats!

How does it sound? Is it easy to play? Does it feel "right"?
These are the things to ask yourself as you evaluate it as an instrument.

Advise on improvements?
If you plan to keep building mandoins, build a couple of A-styles with little adornment, and in the process learn the basics of mandolin lutherie; carving, arching, graduation, fret work, neck shaping, all the things that make a good instrument, without the distraction of points and scrolls, sunbursts and inlays. When you can make instruments that sound, feel, and play great, then get into the fancy stuff.
I understand the temptation to make your early efforts fancy, most of us have done that, but it can slow down your lutherie education because the time spent on decoration could be spent learning lutherie.

I couldn't agree more. I spent a lot of time building an "A" style and can't imagine all the extra effort required of an F style. John you are always supremely helpful.

[Mark Walker]

Looks good to me! (I can't even cut a 2x4 square!) Great effort for #1!

[FredR]

Robbie, Looks great! Congrats on a fine first build!

[billhay4]

Very nice job.
As for improvements, look at the details and see where there are flaws. These don't exist in nice instruments.
Second, how does it play? How does it sound?
These are the paramount considerations IMHO for evaluating the instrument.
If the sound is a little off, tweak this instrument before you do #2. Change strings. Change the action a bit. Make sure the intonation is spot on.
And play it so it breaks in. Then, you'll be able to really evaluate it.
Looking forward to #2.
Bill

[crazymandolinist]

That looks like a factory job to me!

[sunburst]

That looks like a factory job to me!

I'm not sure how that was meant, but if it was meant as a complement that's great.

For the information of those who don't build, however, that comment is seldom seen as a complement by a hand builder. It sounds more like; "your carefully considered design and expert execution of that design are no better than a factory produced item" than it sounds like a complement. It's like telling the cook that his/her home baked bread is as good as bread from the grocery store deli.

[laddy jota]

It looks better than my tenth. I was wondering if you tap-tuned the plates and tone bars as Roger describes.

[Robbie McHone]

Sunburst this mandolin far exceded my expectations. The volume seems to increase daily. To me the tone is wonderful. The playability is very near to what I wanted. It's headed to a pro this weekend for a setup. This project started I guess like most everyone one else. I was only going to build just this one to have something to play. I started it about 5 years ago. Soon afterwards my house burned down and I lost everything. I had the parts for my mandolin in a tote in the only part of the house that did not get destroyed. All of my notes on the graduations were lost along with all my tools. I had never had my hands on a F model before mine was finished, so the hardest part was the visual aspects of the curves. I had found Daryl Wolfe's pictures on his great site so thats how I got any visual clues. I based my mandolin more on the shape of the July Loars (I think that is correct) they have very little recurve. Daryl can correct me if I wrong, but thats the way they looked to me. I didn't get into the tap tuning a whole lot. After the fire I finished most of it up with a piece of glass as a scraper(works very well and is always sharp) and sandpaper. The only reason I am building another one is that I know I can do alot better on the finer details. I can stop at any time. My name is Robbie and I'm an addict.

[profcuervo]

That is a beauty. I recently finished my first and took it to my luthier for set up. He also builds so I asked him to give me a critique and told him not to worry about my feelings.

He complied and it was really worthwhile. None of us can see the mandolin close up, hold it, play it, etc.. But your luthier may be able to give you some great feedback (plus, you can always borrow his tools for the next one if you get him interested in your projects )

Marc

[sunburst]

Good advise from Marc!

Getting feedback from players is good, but many times players will praise your instrument even if there are things about it they don't like, because they don't want to hurt your feelings or burst your bubble. Here's this budding luthier all puffed up with pride in his/her first instrument and anxious to hear it played by great players, and the player just doesn't want to criticize.
So, take the mando and show it to experienced builders and make it clear that you want constructive criticism. Some builders can be brutally honest in that situation, but 'it's for your own good' that they are doing it, so don't slink away with your tail between your legs, take the advise; it's some of the best advise you can get on building.

[Jerry Haynes]

First let me say... I wish my first one looked that good ! I still have it , but human eyes shall not see it again. Good advice from Marc and John. After many years of building I still take each one to a great friend/picker who knows that I want his honest opinion, even if it hurts. Believe me, it has hurt in the past. I usually leave each one with him to play a couple of weeks, then he lets me have it ! Once , years ago , he told me that I must have had my mind on something else on my mind ,because this one just wasn't up to par with some of the others I made. He said the workmanship, sound, and playability was just not very good. I could fix the playability, but not the sound and workmanship. I kept it about a year, playing it ever now and then, hoping that it would begin to look and sound better...it didn't ! I removed the hardware and sawed it up in the bandsaw. Lesson well learned.
Thinking about all the times he's hurt my feelings, I really don't like him anymore! JK, be taking him one in a couple of weeks. Jerry

[ShaneJ]

First of all, great job! That's impressive for a #1 for sure.

Next, there are loads and loads of great people on the Cafe and the amount of wisdom here is 2nd to none. But if the only person ever posting useful info was Mr. Hamlet, this would still be THE place to visit on the web. Great guidance, as always.

[herbsandspices]

Wow, beautiful job, Robbie!
Nice pattern in the wood, and a cool, mellow sunburst.
Hot!
john

[Bernie Daniel]

Excellent job for a first build or any build for that matter.

Must be a great satisfaction to play the mandolin you built yourself.

Wonderful!

[j. condino]

Rob and I spent the entire day today telling stories, laughing, and nerding out on mandolins while I gave him a one-on-one private clinic with everything we could cover about setup and mandolins in a ten hour session and went through it completely. Amazing first build considering he had never seen or held an F5 before and both he and the mandolin lived through a house fire during the build. He is already working on the next one. 'Great fellow to spend the day with- very low maintenance and easy going.

I wish I could say that after we got it all setup and running great we hung out and played for a couple of hours; instead we just barely got it done and he headed back home to the Saturday night jam session to show it off to all of his buddies and think, thunk, thunk the night away

For anyone who wasn't there today, the Ashley Broder Cover issue of Mandolin Magazine last year gave a fairly detailed overview of my "set up by the numbers" approach and how we tackled her Apitus F5 and Flatiron Mandolins that she tours with. Feel free to call me at the shop and we can chat it up if you're looking for the same help that Rob got.

j.
www.condino.com
www.mandolinmagazine.com

[Robbie McHone]

Sunburst, during the day I spent with James he gave the very same advice about building a couple of A models. I guess thats what I'll do since you and James are like minded. Sunburst , does that mean in the future we'll see your mandolins painted green and named after a bug?