About 3 months ago I decided to build a mandolin. Actually, my brother challenged me. He was showing a friend of his some pictures of other stuff I had made, and the friend - a musician - asked my brother if I could build a mandolin. "Of course he can build a mandolin!!" my brother says. Then he calls me from Texas and asks if I can build a mandolin, cause he has a buyer for one.
Some of you may recall that I sought help here with bending the sides, and got some great advice. I tried to find some spruce for the top, but ended up using a really nice piece of western red cedar instead. The sides are walnut, primarily because I had the greatest success bending it around the hot pipe. The neck is hard maple, and the back is mahogany. The fret board and the veneer on the headstock are some made of some very old rosewood that came from my father's shop and has been saved for the right project for about 40 years. The truss rod in the neck is a 3/16" rod with a hook bent on the lower end and threaded on the top. The "points" on the rim are made of Corian, and the nut, or piece that holds the strings at the top of the neck is made of bone.
I used Roger Simonoff's book and drawings as the basis for the project. He has great detail on some aspects of construction, and other areas are left to the builder's imagination. (or to research on YouTube)
Finishing was done with cans of spray paint. Actually, spray lacquer. I used three shades of Mohawk toner lacquers (available at Klingspor) to achieve the color gradation. Then about 12 coats of Behlen musical instrument lacquer, followed by sanding with micro mesh to 12,000 grit, and finally polishing with Behlen's deluxing compound.
Now that I look at the finished project, it is hard to believe that I actually made it. For a first shot at a mandolin, I am pretty happy with it.
Even though I am left handed and this is a right handed mandolin, my brother's friend isn't getting this one. He can have the second one I make, but I have spent too much time on this thing to part with it.
Some of you may recall that I sought help here with bending the sides, and got some great advice. I tried to find some spruce for the top, but ended up using a really nice piece of western red cedar instead. The sides are walnut, primarily because I had the greatest success bending it around the hot pipe. The neck is hard maple, and the back is mahogany. The fret board and the veneer on the headstock are some made of some very old rosewood that came from my father's shop and has been saved for the right project for about 40 years. The truss rod in the neck is a 3/16" rod with a hook bent on the lower end and threaded on the top. The "points" on the rim are made of Corian, and the nut, or piece that holds the strings at the top of the neck is made of bone.
I used Roger Simonoff's book and drawings as the basis for the project. He has great detail on some aspects of construction, and other areas are left to the builder's imagination. (or to research on YouTube)
Finishing was done with cans of spray paint. Actually, spray lacquer. I used three shades of Mohawk toner lacquers (available at Klingspor) to achieve the color gradation. Then about 12 coats of Behlen musical instrument lacquer, followed by sanding with micro mesh to 12,000 grit, and finally polishing with Behlen's deluxing compound.
Now that I look at the finished project, it is hard to believe that I actually made it. For a first shot at a mandolin, I am pretty happy with it.
Even though I am left handed and this is a right handed mandolin, my brother's friend isn't getting this one. He can have the second one I make, but I have spent too much time on this thing to part with it.
