Mandolins in progress

**neal** · Oct-01-2003, 6:26pm

John, that's some scroll! I like it.

**WJF** · Oct-04-2003, 1:03pm

Wow!!!!

John was kind enough to send me the Scottish to check out and I am blown away by it. Volume, punch, tone city, the thing pretty much plays itself and looks like a museum quality work of art. I was really impressed by one of his previous efforts but this one leaves it in the dust!

I'll say it here so I can be among the first to climb firmly on the bandwagon. You may not have heard a lot about John at this point in time but if he keeps turning out instruments like this, that will change *very* soon! Hey kids -- keep your eyes (and ears) on this guy!!!!

WJF

Disclaimer ... I have no financial interest in John or his mandolins besides being on the waiting list for one ... can't wait

**Jim Hilburn** · Oct-05-2003, 4:15pm

Here's a new look I'm trying. This instrument will be amber-honey-blonde with all black highlights ,tailpiece cover ,tuner buttons ,etc.

**Jim Hilburn** · Oct-05-2003, 4:19pm

Wow ,that came out big! I think Scott's increased the allowable size. Here's another angle. I inked in the loops and dot on my name. I have to engrave and ink that yet.

**Darryl Wolfe** · Oct-06-2003, 12:00pm

My now defunct peghead overlay/inlay

**f5loar** · Oct-06-2003, 12:56pm

Defunct? I would think you fall into the "grandfather" clause in legal terms since you did this years ago before
the new copy laws were made public to you. You can always have two peghead overlays. One for the privacy of your
own pleasure, pop it out and put on your second one for
public appearances with the "Wolfe" logo at the top. Make
it so it's as easy as changing a pickguard.

**Magnus Geijer** · Oct-06-2003, 9:33pm

Doing my best to get in over my head here.
#2 (poplar with mahogany blocks)
#3 and #4 (curly maple)

**Darryl Wolfe** · Oct-07-2003, 9:17am

Looks like my shop..just a little dust and spider webs missing

**ira** · Oct-07-2003, 10:12am

http://www.kennaquhair.com/sn174/sn174_page3.htm
check it out.
the binding is on the body and it looks maaaaaaaaaavelous.
thinking of leaving it natural as it looks so nice.

**John Bertotti** · Oct-07-2003, 12:13pm

Mandoluthier1 The Scottish looks great! How do you keep the maple so white? Is this one of your deflection tuned models? If so the review states much about your process. Innovative and incredible, I wonder whats next on your R&D journey. John

**Mikey2** · Oct-07-2003, 2:47pm

Jim Hilburn

Your new inlay is such nicer and more artistic than the so called gibson "flowerpot" that any buyer/customer would opt for it, in my opinion. Don't look back and regret not ever doing the old flowerpot, which to me, was nothing special to begin with. Your mandos show real craftsmanship.
Mike in OR

**johnhgayjr** · Oct-13-2003, 2:16pm

I don't have pictures but I do have a mandolin in progress.

Sim Daley (www.simdaley.com) is building his Standard model for me. Its similar to the F5G as far as binding, inlays, etc...

Sim invited me up to check it out while its "in the white" before he finishes it. I went up to his shop in Nashville (actually Goodlettsville) from Memphis and gave it a test drive Saturday morning.

Its a fantastic mandolin. Great chop, awesome low end (which is what I was really after), great tone and volume.

Sim couldn't be easier to work with and has made sure that the mandolin winds up being just what I want.

Also had a great time jamming with Sim and his wife Missy later that day at a festival in Ridge Top, TN.

It was really a great Saturday - I'll try to post pics as soon as I get it.

John Gay
Memphis

**ira** · Oct-18-2003, 12:59pm

getting toward the home stretch-check it out!

http://www.kennaquhair.com/sn174/sn174_page3.htm

**bobz** · Oct-18-2003, 11:21pm

Thought you would like to see my method of cutting the mandolin neck dovetail. This photo shows the modified cutters for my three cutter moulding block used on my saw bench.

**bobz** · Oct-18-2003, 11:31pm

Here is the neck jig. The jig is used both ends to cut both neck shoulders. This is not my invention, it can be attributed Don Macrostie, as he demonstrates it on his Making a mandolin video set.

**bobz** · Oct-18-2003, 11:40pm

Here are a couple of test pieces. I`ve made the body routing jig and the neck in the foreground is the right size but has a little too much taper. I can rectify this by reducing the layers of masking tape on the jig. The curve of the neck shoulders are spot on. I had to creep up on the profile in three grinding sessions making tests after each grinding.

**Chris Baird** · Oct-19-2003, 4:03pm

bobz, Where did you get the cutters and how much $?

**bobz** · Oct-19-2003, 10:02pm

Hi Chris,
The cutters came with the moulding block set, ( they were originally straight rebating cutters ), but I`ve reground them myself. I purchased this cutter block about 15 years ago when I was building furniture but never used it because I had a two cutter block with many more profiles, so I kept using that instead. I now have a use for this block after all these years, and the three knife block is better for cutting across the endgrain of a mando neck.
Incidently, we can`t buy a block like this in the UK anymore because of EU ruling that does`nt allow moulding blocks to be mounted on saw benches, deeming it an unsafe practice. Sawbenches sold in this country now have too short an arbor to mount a block.

Bob Deacon