Mando Detour

ap404 · Post by **ap404** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:45 pm

Just making this hijack into a real detour so we can rave about mandolin makers/players for a bit ...

Mr Graytay said ...

sorry to hijack this topic and turn it into a monsters of mandolin thread but...I really like this guy
Chris Thile

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=XAtfDv5pW7o

as far as CNC's and lutherie your always listening for the sound that says .................duck

Thile is astonishing. I had to eat my words and start believing the hype on this guy. I love the Gillian Welch cover ( in overdrive ) too.

re CNC : I'll take your word on it, G, I know you've worked a big woodshop before, I only have to dodge things that I throw myself when they don't do what I want. It's been about 4 years since I 'shaped' the back of a NG Rosewood tenor guitar neck til I hit truss rod channel ... it became a lesson in applied aerodynamics.

Re Dean Mandolins, Sebastian, I was a bit confused at first, because I love this guys work ...

http://www.neiljdeanmandolins.com/mandolins.html

He's in Virginia, a long way from Canada last time I checked, but equally shmick, I love the look of his work ( especially the two point ).

Cheers, AP

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:01 pm

I don't know squat about mandolins, but love the look of these things. I've even got some nice wedges for carved tops and back. So I'm sitting back and enjoying the inspiration. Keep it coming.

ap404 · Post by **ap404** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:23 pm

... how's this one for inspiration Allen ?

AP

ap404 · Post by **ap404** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:29 pm

... and this guy ( another Canadian ).

I'm intending to make an electric 8 string for my mando player one of these years.

everything he's done has blown me away ... check out his L00 inspired acoustics ( especially the koa one ) ...

http://www.yanuziello.com/index.html

he hasn't updated his site for years but I keep going back to look at the same pictures again and again.

AP

Bob Connor · Post by **Bob Connor** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:10 pm

ap404 wrote:

... how's this one for inspiration Allen ?

AP

Looks familiar.

ap404 · Post by **ap404** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:11 pm

Have you heard how it performed on tour Bob ?

AP

Bob Connor · Post by **Bob Connor** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:18 pm

Tony was very happy with it and he had a lot of interest from others mando players.

The only problem he had was the transition from playing in tents in Demark at 30 degrees celsius and then flying to Wales the next day where it was pissing with rain and the humidity was high.

He said it took a few days for the mando to settle down. (which is what I would expect)

ap404 · Post by **ap404** » Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:33 pm

The only problem he had was the transition from playing in tents in Demark at 30 degrees celsius and then flying to Wales the next day where it was pissing with rain and the humidity was high.

Ouch. Now that's a big ask for an arched instrument that's still in it's settling in period.

Cheers AP

gratay · Post by **gratay** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 10:13 am

I like the look of those Mandolins , AP..

Iguess firstly I'd like to mention a fellow countryman who is one of the leading authorities and has an artist roster that reads like a who's who..

Steve Gilchrist

this is a bit of a blurb about him.
http://www.mandozine.com/resources/CGOW/gilchrist.php

his webite looks like its under construction
http://www.gilchristmandolins.com/

theres even one currently on ebay although you won't get much change from US$25000
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0268545018

ap404 · Post by **ap404** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 10:33 am

his webite looks like its under construction

ha ... what can i say - this guy needs an un-website.

Some kind of black-hole to scare away customers.

I'd love to handle ( maybe even strum ) one, he's truly an inspiration.

AP

gratay · Post by **gratay** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 10:46 am

on the player front.
I recently discovered this guy.
Peter Ostroushko

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=L9JORlzQ8 ... re=related
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=TRGb1hH12d0

http://www.peterostroushko.com/

jeffhigh · Post by **jeffhigh** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 11:08 am

I think I have a banjo mandolin being given to me next week (needing some restoration?)
I will probably start learning some early rod stewart like "maggie May"

ap404 · Post by **ap404** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 9:52 pm

I think I have a banjo mandolin being given to me next week (needing some restoration?)
I will probably start learning some early rod stewart like "maggie May"

I picked up one of these ...

... a Dobro Model 250 mando ( 1936ish ) and it certainly needs 'some restoration' ... that's not it above.

I've re-necked it and it's awaiting a new fretboard ( when the bulk-buy ebony lands ) I reckon it'll make a hell of a racket when it's back together.

Jeff, re-Maggie May : I'm a big early-Rod fan ( not everyone understands

), mostly the Faces stuff, I'm an even bigger Ronnie Lane fan. Maggie May is a fine place to start I say, the guy from Lindisfarne who played on it is great, not to mention the bass line ... pity 'bout the lyrics.

Cheers, AP

jeffhigh · Post by **jeffhigh** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 5:44 am

Wow, Bet that will be loud with the size of that reso cone.

sebastiaan56 · Post by **sebastiaan56** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:26 am

I cant wait to see it AP, any progress pics?

ap404 · Post by **ap404** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 8:41 am

I've never heard a good reso mandolin in person, it scares me a little to think what noise will come out of it, these things are like their own PA system!

I'll take some pix, I'm warning you tho, it ain't pretty ...

AP

Nick Payne · Post by **Nick Payne** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 1:49 pm

When I was last in London I visited the Victoria & Albert museum and had a pretty good look at their collection of musical instruments. They're been busy digitizing their collection and you can now see some of the instruments online. Here's the carved back from a mandore - predecessor to the mandolin:

sebastiaan56 · Post by **sebastiaan56** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 2:43 pm

Ive never seen the Green Man on any instrument before, WOW! isnt it fabulous,

pity someone had to write the catalogue number on it.....

DarwinStrings · Post by **DarwinStrings** » Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:30 pm

Nick Payne wrote:When I was last in London I visited the Victoria & Albert museum and had a pretty good look at their collection of musical instruments. They're been busy digitizing their collection and you can now see some of the instruments online. Here's the carved back from a mandore - predecessor to the mandolin

Interesting back, it's like the old school version of having a leggy blonde airbrushed onto your electric guitar pick guard.

Jim

sebastiaan56 · Post by **sebastiaan56** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 4:57 pm

Some more mando....

thanks for the blackwood Tim!

I tried a burl fretboard, interesting, it really wants to chip out.

I'll leave them for a week and then clean up, add hardware and see how they sound. Its amazing how the gloss shows every little gap.

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 5:24 pm

Good looking instruments that you have there Sebastian. Are they designs from Grahams newest book? Blackwood neck as well?

Now you've got an idea of why so many instruments come with a matt finish. High gloss is just so unforgiving of any imperfections at all. I'd estimate that putting a good gloss finish doubles the amount of time and care to the prep and finish job.

sebastiaan56 · Post by **sebastiaan56** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 5:09 am

Thanks Allen, plan is from Graham's Mandolin Project, Blackwood from Tim Spittle, neck is NGR bindings are ivoroid and wenge.

Stephen Kinnaird · Post by **Stephen Kinnaird** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 3:15 pm

Sebastiaan, is that fretboard (the red one) Cooktown Ironwood? (Do I have that right??) And what is the burl on your peghead? That's fabulous!

Cheers,

Steve

sebastiaan56 · Post by **sebastiaan56** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 5:26 am

Yes Steve, also known as Red Ebony although it is more open grained than ebony. The burl is Brown Mallee I made a lazy susan for SWMBO from it and this is an offcut I got a veneer slice off. The bloke who let me use his bandsaw wasnt so happy, but it is pretty.

Stephen Kinnaird · Post by **Stephen Kinnaird** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 2:06 pm

Thanks. P.S.--fine lookin' mandos!

Stk

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