Friday, June 26, 2009

mando #51

neck fretted & attached, heel block glued on.....

Photobucket

then after a bunch of final sanding, a few coats of varnish.....

Photobucket

Photobucket

and then a bridge.....

Photobucket

Thursday, June 25, 2009

#49 Mandola is done too......

Mahogany neck, Back & sides,
spruce top,
maple binding,
rosewood fretboard
maple bridge

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket
# 50 is done!!

my mate & former collegue Paddy who is a semi pro player with a stable of guitars to DIE for was in for a days supply teaching today.

I invited him down to have a look as he's never played a fanned fret guitar and was intreagued.

He LOVED it

far more bass than he'd expect from a small body, and apart from a few fret buzzes that are only to be expected as I hadn't done any set up on it, & the stings had only been on it for half an hour, he got some great music out of it.

standing in front of it there was no difference from what you'd expect from a guitar with a soundhole, and Paddy said that playing it the tone was great from the sound ports.

I spent a bunch of time on the setup this afternoon, and I just WISH I could play the blasted thing!!!!

ah well, maybe by the middle of the summer......

of maybe after we get back from France in mid August.......

then, this evening I had another user report on it. Al who leads opposite me in church (and a Lowden & Takamine owner) dropped by earlier.

on opening the case "oh my word"

on seeing the twin soundholes "Oh my WORD"

on playing it for 10 minutes... "that's got really crystal clear tone and loads of bass. that's incredible"

yup, I'm REALLY looking forward to being able to play it myself!!!!



Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket
dread mando progress:

neck carved

Photobucket

fretboard profiled & dotsa added

Photobucket

neck mortice opened up

Photobucket

and this wont be glued til the frets are in and the body is sanded, but this is how it looks.......

Photobucket

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

busy few days on various bits & pieces.

Mandola #49.......

varnish complete, tuners in, tailpiecs in, bridge rough cut, nut rough cut then strings on. once its sat a day or two under tension I'll do final set up.

Photobucket

#50, the tuners on,

Photobucket

and then after a lot of humming and haaing, I got the bridge sorted and glued in place. the preamp will go on the top edge so I was able to use that hole to reach in with the clamp.

Photobucket

and the two mandos are now bound (with walnut)If I get the mandola & guitar finished before the end of term I'll be delighted.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Mandols #49 had the heel cap shaped then a whole bunch of sanding before starting on the finish coats.

Photobucket

Photobucket

and then #50..... OK, OK, I said I was going to leave it.....

I didn't!!

lots of sanding and the neck is glued in place.

Photobucket

Photobucket

and the cherry mando is ready to have the binding channels cut, but I'll maybe wait til the dread shaped one is at the same stage and do them together......

Photobucket

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

two weeks til the end of term......

I'm not going to get #50 done for then, and even if I did, my finger wouldn't be up to playing it anyway, so I'm putting it on hold....... well, sort of. I might do bits & pieces......

anyway, other work.....

the mandola needed a new neck. the one I had made died as I was carving it and went too deep and found myself looking at the trussrod from the underside.......

ah well, the new neck is carved, fretted and fitted.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

a maple heelcap is on, so a load of sanding before varnish.

the mandos.... well I got a back braced, attached to the sides, then a rosette fitted to the top, the top beaced and fitted.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Monday, June 15, 2009

the walnut/cedar dread is in the post and gone.

HOPEFULLY Simon will like it as much as I do. the tone is lovely, both acoustically and through the Ibeam. Unfortunately I didn't get to play it properly because my injured finger still sisn't right, but such is life!!

Photobucket

Photobucket

the volume control for the Ibeam....

Photobucket

I've started a pair of mandos, both cherry with spruce tops, mahogany necks & rosewood fretboards.

one dread shaped one.....

Photobucket

and a mandonaught S

Photobucket

fretslots cut......

Photobucket

and ears on the headstocks....

Photobucket

Thursday, June 04, 2009

the zouk is in the post, so no more pics of it!!

slope dread has the strings on and settling under tension.

some set-up still to do, then fir the Ibeam pickup, and it's done too.

Photobucket

Photobucket

lots of sanding done on the mandola.....

Photobucket

and a bit of sanding on the body of #50 and a bit of work on the neck too.

Photobucket

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

#50

top braced....

Photobucket

and fitted

Photobucket

neck planed flat on top.....

Photobucket

slots milled for carbon fibre supports on cantilever section....

Photobucket

and epoxied into place

Photobucket

trussrod slot cut (and headplate glued on (ovangkol from the back offcuts)

Photobucket

and fretboard glued onto the neck

Photobucket

binding slots cut....

Photobucket

leopardwood bindings glued in and soundholes cut.

Photobucket

I LOVE this time of year!!!

loads of free time in school, and the heat dries the glue really quickly!!

Blog Archive

About Me

Married with 4 kids, Christian, worship leader, luthier