New Josh Humphrey five-course multiscaled redwood over walnut

[Markkunkel]

Some have noted the beautiful work coming out of Josh Humphrey's shop:

I love five-course instruments but have had issues in the past with intonation and tunings (hard to get CGDAE to work, hard to get GDAEB to work, and I want to stay in fifths). It occurred to me that a multiscale design (with longer functional scale length on the bottom courses) might be a possible solution...I LOVE my Steve Sheriff (Edwinson) multiscale guitar:


and so thought to approach Josh (whose work I have admired) with a build possibility. So I am pleased and grateful to share with you this one that he is building for me: (sorry for the rough pencil sketch)

with description as follows:

• A five-course, carved top, multi-scale octave mandolin
• something like 24" (GG) to 22.5 (bb) or 23" to 21.5" TBD, or something not involving multiples of .5" (!)
• Port Orford over figured koa body
• Teardrop shape, oval-hole, soundport TBD
• Spanish cedar/rosewood/spanish cedar neck
• Wood binding on top/bottom/sides, with purfling and wood variety TBD
• Fingerboard wood TBD with "fan-fret" position markers...very cool
• Slotted headstock with Gilbert slot-head tuners
• Rosette, any extra inlay TBD

So far there's this (already pretty cool), the soon-to-be-carved but already musical port orford cedar:


I'll pass along pics as I receive them...THANKS, Josh!

[Eddie Sheehy]

Ultra-cool, Mark.

[Markkunkel]

Here's a pic from today, top carving. Josh says he loves PO cedar, "makes the whole shop smell like perfume, or incense." Great stuff. And sweet to see the shape emerging from that wood, Josh....

[Markkunkel]

This, today, from Josh's shop. He notes, "The carving is very enjoyable, and I am adjusting the shape of the body to match the angle of the bridge; it will be slightly assymetrically arched, which I think will be subtle and cool, and get the best tone out of that angled bridge situation."

Subtle and cool, indeed.

[Lord of the Badgers]

oooh. What a cool thread. Lovely looking beast it's shaping up to be too. Keep them photos coming Mark!

[allenhopkins]

Multi-scale, fanned frets is cool. Here's the mandolin/dola Bernie Lehmann built for me:



It's Sitka over koa. Back to playing it soon as my broken wrist heals (hopefully).

[tmsweeney]

waaay cool

[Markkunkel]

waaay cool

Yep. Wow.

[Markkunkel]

Ah, and I should add, Josh let me know that he uncovered two whorls or pitch pockets in the process of carving the PO top, so it's back to the top drawing board. At this point we're thinking of redwood over walnut, maybe... blessings all over artists who take pains (!) to do their work beautifully, functionally, and with integrity!

Mark

[Markkunkel]

Here's that walnut and redwood, after they were trees and before they will be a cittern... thanks again, Josh!

[Markkunkel]

Updates from the last couple of days on top carving:



and a little more like a top:



Josh notes, Tomorrow approach to within 0.5mm of final arch and then onto hollowing out the inside and graduating!

The ridges leading up to the fingerboard ramp won't be quite so tall after the final shaping- I leave them tall until I get the actual fingerboard on there to feather up to.

Looking forward, and will continue to share if interested...

Mark

[Markkunkel]

Pics from Josh today, of the more-or-less completed top:



(with a cool sketching-in of the theme and location of the rosette)... and that walnut back:



Very cool, to see art unfolding.

Mark

[Markkunkel]

Over-the-weekend (rainbow?) pictures from Josh, the koa binding:


rosewood fingerboard blank:


and VERY nice tiled rosette of maple, madagascar rosewood, and the top:



thanks, Josh...

[Ben Vierra]

That's going to look great, Mark!

[Markkunkel]

thanks, Ben, maker of cool stuff yourself! Nice to see you around these parts. Here are today's pictures from Josh, with the braces on and shaped:


an in-process full top view:


and the cool slotted fretboard:


Grateful again and again...

[Mandobart]

Excited to see and hopefully hear the finished mando. I also love 5 course instruments; have a 5 string fiddle and a five string mandola-lin. Working on another fiddle conversion right now. I love cedar as a tone wood; I like western red but have heard good things about port oroford too.

[Mike Floorstand]

Great thread thanks for posting the build photos. I can only admire you for choosing a 5-course slot-head, can't wait to see the finished item!

[Markkunkel]

Great thread thanks for posting the build photos. I can only admire you for choosing a 5-course slot-head, can't wait to see the finished item!

You're welcome, Mike. As for the slotted peghead, that's the artist's idea...in addition to the aesthetic contribution he feels that there is some positive contribution to the sound, and I'm inclined to trust him about that.

The slotted peghead instruments I've had have required a bit getting used to at string-change time, but with good tuners (and these will be very good) string changes are not that much of an issue. Same with tuning up...just need to remember which way to rotate the tuning peg!

I'll keep you all posted....

Mark

[Markkunkel]

Starting to look more like a musical instrument now:

with the top glued to the rim. I think that combination of redwood and walnut, with koa bindings, is going to be spectacular.

Lots of clamps (Josh uses solid, not kerfed, linings):


and a spanish cedar/black walnut laminate that wants to be a neck, when it's time:

[Bernie Daniel]

Ah, and I should add, Josh let me know that he uncovered two whorls or pitch pockets in the process of carving the PO top, so it's back to the top drawing board. At this point we're thinking of redwood over walnut, maybe... blessings all over artists who take pains (!) to do their work beautifully, functionally, and with integrity!Mark

This is a massively interesting thread but could you expand on just what happened (or what you discovered) here? I take it the POC to be used as the top board had some flaws? But why did you have to change both top and bottom woods? For example choose another piece of POC -- I know it has been successfully used in the past? Thanks!

[Markkunkel]

This is a massively interesting thread but could you expand on just what happened (or what you discovered) here? I take it the POC to be used as the top board had some flaws? But why did you have to change both top and bottom woods? For example choose another piece of POC -- I know it has been successfully used in the past? Thanks!

Morning, Bernie, and thanks for asking. The problem with wood, I guess, is that it's, well, wood. As Josh was carving the apparently fine top he discovered this whorl, or pitch pocket:

in the upper treble bout. It wasn't a big deal to me, given that I am also imperfect (!), and appeared to diminish a bit as he graduated the top further, but then there was this in the lower bass bout:

and he suggested starting over. It's what artists do, I guess. So we decided on redwood, and also decided to change the back/sides to walnut, instead of koa (the koa bindings are going to be sort of an homage to that original idea). I've always liked walnut and redwood, and Josh figured it would be a better match.

I think Josh could have found another piece of Port Orford, but redwood is fine with me and so far the build is going splendidly.

Thanks again for your interest...will keep you all posted.

Mark

[Bernie Daniel]

Morning, Bernie, and thanks for asking. The problem with wood, I guess, is that it's, well, wood. As Josh was carving the apparently fine top he discovered this whorl, or pitch pocket:

in the upper treble bout. It wasn't a big deal to me, given that I am also imperfect (!), and appeared to diminish a bit as he graduated the top further, but then there was this in the lower bass bout:

and he suggested starting over. It's what artists do, I guess. So we decided on redwood, and also decided to change the back/sides to walnut, instead of koa (the koa bindings are going to be sort of an homage to that original idea). I've always liked walnut and redwood, and Josh figured it would be a better match.

I think Josh could have found another piece of Port Orford, but redwood is fine with me and so far the build is going splendidly.

Thanks again for your interest...will keep you all posted.

Mark

Redwood and walnut are both good!

[Markkunkel]

Sometimes the only thing to say is "wow."






and of course, "thanks."
MK

[Markkunkel]

Fingerboard glued to neck...check out that little purfling line, and the fingerboard end treatment (I'm betting it will wind up echoing whatever happens at the top of the peghead). Cool work, Josh...

MK

[Markkunkel]

Today's pics:







Words fail.

Mark