DONE!!!!

no rambling, let the pics here, and the soundclip from the links to the right there speak for themselves.

Hi folks, no progress as I've been off sick for a week.

nightmare of a tummy bug, but HOPEFULLY I'll be back at work tomorrow and get the strings on.

Mandola progress.

OK the first one is NEARLY done.

tuners are on, nut is cut and on, bridge is fitted and bridge pins holes are reamed to 5 degrees to accept the pins.

ball end strings are in the post so hopefully I'll get the fret dressing done and intonation sorted on the saddle by the end of next week.......

HOPEFULLY!!!!!


The OTHER mandola has gone slightly adrift.

I was trying to get a really smooth neck/cutaway join. Sadly it's TOO smooth and the neck would actually overhang.

I've fitted the neck anyway at a slight angle, and thrown on a few coats of lacquer. and I'll bung on a bridge to see how it sounds.

I COULD tell a pack of lies about how it was deliberate to allow more bass response........

but that's not my style......

It MIGHT be useable, and I'll ebay it for the cost of parts........ or maybe less :o(

Worst case scenario is I take off the neck and use it on a later build.

Busy wee day today......

a LOT of sanding, then the heel plate cut & stuck.

MORE sanding then the first "show the glue splodge" coat of lacquer.

As well as showing up any places that need more sanding to lift out any glue squeeze out that I've missed (and this time there isn't much :o)) it also lets the wood show itself off a bit too. The bear claw on the top is YELLING out!!!

Tuner holes drilled & checked for alignment....... frets fitted and fretboard cut to match curve of soundhole.... though not necessarily in that order!!

some tidying of the neck joint to do and then a LOAD of sanding before finish coats.