New mandolin project

[peter.coombe]

This is a project I have been working on over the last 18 months or so. It has been a lot of fun and has certainly presented a few challenges along the way, but the end result has been very pleasing and I thought some of you might be interested. I have called this new mandolin my “Classical” model.

Some background. In the early part of the 20th century from around 1917 to around 1935 the Lyon and Healy Company, later know as Washburn made a series of unique arch top mandolins. At the time Gibson was the dominant maker of mandolins and thousands were churned out by the Gibson Company. Lyon and Healy/Washburn on the other hand made smaller numbers of arch top mandolins, as well as bowl back mandolins. They came in 3 models, the A style, B style and C style. The A style was the top of the line, beautifully made with a scroll headstock and all models had a patented design engraved tailpiece. The arch top mandolins are quite different from the Gibsons and have quite a different sound. These mandolins are very popular amongst classical music players because they have a lovely sweet delicate sound, and due to the low neck angle and unique designed pick guard are an absolute delight to play. The pick guard was made from vulcanised fibre, and this was also used as neck reinforcement and the veneer on the headstock.
I have wanted to make a mandolin based on the Lyon and Healy/Washburn mandolins for around 12 years (after playing 2 in the USA in 1999), but was never able to because I did not have an original to refer to. These mandolins were made very different from the Gibsons of the same period, and many of the differences can only be appreciated by closely examining an original. They are built much lighter, and sound quite different. The impression I get from closely examining the originals is that the Gibsons were designed to be easy to build in mass production, whereas the Lyon and Healy mandolins were designed to show off the Luther’s skills. My original Lyon and Healy is around 4mm thick in the centre of the top, but my Gibson which was made around the same time is around 6mm thick in the centre of the top. This is a huge difference. Lyon and Healy reduced the neck angle which reduced the bridge height by about 5mm. The body size is also smaller than the Gibsons. A combination of these factors allowed the mandolins to be built lighter and to also be stable and not collapse. I have seen modifications such as Banjo frets, higher neck angle and removal of the pick guard done to these instruments, but frankly the people who do these modifications do not understand what these mandolins are all about. The pick guard is an essential part of the playability of the instrument. There are also quite a few mandolin makers who make a mandolin claimed to be "based on" or "influenced by" Lyon and Healy, but in fact they are actually based on Gibson construction principles and about the only thing they have in common with the Lyon and Healey mandolins is the body shape. My "Classical" model is actually based on a Lyon and Healey and has very little in common with my standard model mandolin which is based on a Gibson oval hole mandolin.

Here are a couple of pictures of the original. A bit beat up, but it sounds great.

[peter.coombe]

About 18 months ago I imported a 1918 type A Lyon and Healey mandolin into Australia (long story) and have been working on a mandolin based on this instrument. This mandolin is the culmination of this work. It was tempting to make an exact copy of the original, but the time and expense involved in accurately reproducing everything would have made the mandolin so expensive very few people would be able to afford to buy it. So, a few difficult decisions had to be made in order to reduce costs. The Lyon and Healy mandolins are popular particularly amongst the classical music players because of their unique sound and playability. So anything that influences sound and playability needed to be preserved and if possible improved. Thus the body, arching, graduations, neck angle and pick guard are the same as the original. The neck has a carbon fibre rod as reinforcement so the big fat neck that is on the original was slimmed down a bit. The fingerboard is radiused instead of flat. The originals were finished with an oil based varnish and then french polished and that process has been retained, although nobody knows exactly what oil varnish was used. Modern tuners will not fit the scroll headstock, so the headstock had to be simplified to save costs on custom tuners and the labour of carving the complicated scroll headstock. Likewise the tailpiece. The tailpiece is a Gibson style of tailpiece, but with a custom made cover that was beautifully made by an Australian silversmith. Thus the mandolin does have an endpin so the leg pin is not necessary and that saves the cost of getting a leg pin manufactured. The pick guard is carved from Ebony and finished with Danish oil. Bindings are Ebony, and at one stage I thought I was a masochist choosing Ebony, but I really like the end result. The top is X braced because I have always preferred the cleaner sound I get with X bracing, and that has been born out in practice because this mandolin does have a slightly cleaner sound than the original Lyon and Healy. Over all I am extremely pleased with the final result, the looks, the playability and also the sound. The sound has the sweet and delicate sound of the original, but is significantly more lively and responsive, and has more ring and sustain. It is close to being my all time favourite oval sound hole mandolin.

Here are some pictures

[peter.coombe]

Now the important bit. Some sound clips.

http://petercoombe.com/Classical_sound/ ... hiquin.mp3
http://petercoombe.com/Classical_sound/Beg_Si.mp3
http://petercoombe.com/Classical_sound/Hornpipe.mp3
http://petercoombe.com/Classical_sound/Swaltz.mp3

[needsmorecowbel]

Bloody hell these are fantastic. Love the etched tailpiece...

Keep Em Coming

Stu

[J.F. Custom]

Just bloody gorgeous Peter.

Now that is a mando I want to own.

Perhaps one day...

Love it. Congrats on your efforts having paid off.

Jeremy.

[Allen]

Hands down the nicest one I've seen of your work to date Peter. And quite the endeavour to undertake with lots to think about on the way.

[Nick]

Well done Peter, a work of love and nicely executed and a brilliant tribute to the original.

[P Bill]

Nice work Pete! Good vintage look as well. The only time a scroll looks right, to me, is on a fiddle. Have you beefed up the bracing to suit the 4mm top?

[jeffhigh]

Looks and sounds great Peter
I prefer your headstock to the scroll of the original too.

[steve roberts]

Hi Peter
Beautiful work as always looks and sounds fantastic
Regards Steve

[Kev3]

Stunning Peter, a beautiful creation. Ditto on the comments for the headstock - much prefer yours.
Thanks for sharing.

[peter.coombe]

Have you beefed up the bracing to suit the 4mm top?

No. The originals do not have beefed up bracing and time has proven them to be stable. The reason why they have not folded in is because the neck angle is quite low for an arched top mandolin (~ 1.5deg) so the bridge is around 5mm lower than the Gibsons. Thus the break angle over the bridge is lower and there is then less downwards force on the top. The body size is also smaller (thus less leverage) and the full contact bridge instead of a two footed bridge also helps. It seems to be quite stable, it stays in tune and the action height does not change as I tune it up to pitch. The Oregon X brace should be stronger than the cross brace just behind the sound hole that is on the original. It works, I (and the better half) prefer the sound of the new mandolin over the vintage L&H. I weighed it and the competed mandolin comes in at 880gm, exactly the same as the original, so I fluked it.

[DarwinStrings]

Beautiful shape and colour Peter. That original headstock looks heavy.

Jim

[John Hart]

Congratulations Peter - that's a spectacularly beautiful mandolin.

John

[Clancy]

Really nice work Peter.

I too looked for inspiration from the Lyon & Healy design when I made a mandolin a while back, though I went for an offset design and certainly didn't get as deep into faithful replication as you.

[sebastiaan56]

Love the sound clips Peter, the whole idea and execution is brilliant!

My favourite YouTube player, Marissa Carrol, plays an original and I reckon you have got that sound just right.

Are you going to sell plans?

[ozwood]

Nice Stuff Peter,

Love the whole thing , the tail peice is a nice touch .

Congrats