Mandolins
Updated 06/01/2015
After making violins a couple of years, I became more and more interested in the mandolin because I was listening to music featuring this instrument and was becoming drawn to its sound. But even more, the F-5 Mandolin is just a beautiful piece of woodwork with it's scrolls and arches, and the way the various wood elements and colors blend into such wonderful sound making sculpture.
I am constrained into making only two models of the mandolin; the F-5 and what I call a 2-Point, which has the same peghead as the F-5, and the box having a point on each side of the neck. To date, I've only made the 2-Point with side sound holes, but oval holes are an option.
Happily, I have sold three of the six mandolins built thus far, and two of them are in show business. But that leaves me with a shortage of subjects for pictures, so you will have to settle with just three to look at, with the latest, #6 "Sassy" at the bottom of this page.
Updated 06/01/2015
After making violins a couple of years, I became more and more interested in the mandolin because I was listening to music featuring this instrument and was becoming drawn to its sound. But even more, the F-5 Mandolin is just a beautiful piece of woodwork with it's scrolls and arches, and the way the various wood elements and colors blend into such wonderful sound making sculpture.
I am constrained into making only two models of the mandolin; the F-5 and what I call a 2-Point, which has the same peghead as the F-5, and the box having a point on each side of the neck. To date, I've only made the 2-Point with side sound holes, but oval holes are an option.
Happily, I have sold three of the six mandolins built thus far, and two of them are in show business. But that leaves me with a shortage of subjects for pictures, so you will have to settle with just three to look at, with the latest, #6 "Sassy" at the bottom of this page.
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"Sycamore Sling" is the first mandolin that I built, way back in 2004. I used quarter sawn sycamore for the peg head veneers, bindings, pick guard, which when combined with grey dyed curly maple really came together into an attractive instrument. So as for styling, I have been well pleased with this work.
Unfortunately, I left essential tone producing parts too heavy, which will not allow this mandolin to "pop", and that is one of the critical elements of a desirable instrument (remember: appearance, tone/volume, and playability). The neck is also a bit on the thick side, which many pickers would not prefer, though not necessarily all. However, over the years I have had the opportunity to repair and rebuild several violins, and with the experience and confidence I've gained from that work, I'm sure that I will one day redo the plates and neck of this mandolin, and bring it to it's fullest sound producing capability to equal it's stylish good looks. So be on the lookout for future postings on this one. |
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"Rhapsody in Red" is the second mandolin that I made, and the one that I decided to keep for myself. I tried to do some fun things with this instrument such as black-dyed sycamore bindings and peghead veneers, and a pick guard of sycamore dyed red (not shown). Where white material elements are desired or required, I used dogwood. What I want in my finishes is to see the wood grain, so instead of using opaque lacquers to shade and darken the rims and valleys, I worked with ever darker mixtures of dye to achieve the desired effect, and I was mostly satisfied with my efforts.
This has been a most satisfactory instrument tonally and in playability. It is fun to play and a real attention getter, which demonstrates a psychological difference between violinists and mandolinists or guitarists; violinists mostly desire a traditional appearance in their instruments, whereas a growing number of mandolinists and guitarists love the flash of a brightly colored, lacquered-up acoustic instrument. |
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"Sassy"
(Sold)
(Sold)
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"Sassy" is a sweet little mandolin, made with sassafras, walnut, red spruce, persimmon, and a wee bit of ebony. I ordered some persimmon from Hamsley Hardwood, and I will likely use it for fingerboards and some other accessory parts for all of my instruments in the future. I also of late have purchased the saw blade needed for cutting fret wire kerfs, so I will be making many fretted finger boards myself and I will be free to utilize locally available wood. The fingerboard on this mandolin is radiused, which has become more common with mandolinists, except for the diehard "If Bill Monroe didn't play one like that, then I'm not either" types out there. This is made similarly to "Frassy" the guitar, and plays easily with plenty of POP! SOLD.
"ALL THAT SASS"
$1,800.00
$1,800.00
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"All That Sass" is a follow-up to "Sassy", but instead is an F-5 model. A punchy mandolin and like the preceeding model, it features a quarter-sawn sassafras body with a red spruce top, a radiused fingerboard, peghead veneers, pick guard and bridge all of persimmon, a walnut neck and bindings, and ebony dots. I am now using my three initials on my pegheads, so maybe my older instruments with my last name spelled out or with only JD on them will be worth extra $$$$ in 300 years. Who knows? Priced at $1,800.00 plus shipping,
this is a great mandolin at a great price.
this is a great mandolin at a great price.
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