Popular Post mattharris75 Posted February 5, 2020 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted February 5, 2020 I filled all the tiny gaps and re-sanded everything up to 220 (There are still a few scratches in the scroll that I've got to take care of). Rough cut the nut, mounted the tailpiece, and here's my setup for fitting the bridge. I've drawn up a plan for the string spacing at the nut, and need to do the same for the bridge, then I can start slotting and both, and then I'll be able to string it up in the white and see what awfulness I have wrought upon this world... 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted February 5, 2020 Report Share Posted February 5, 2020 Such a beautiful instrument you're creating! It's been too long a hiatus for watching Jerry Rosa's videos, your work reminded me about the joy of those! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADFinlayson Posted February 5, 2020 Report Share Posted February 5, 2020 9 hours ago, mattharris75 said: and then I'll be able to string it up in the white and see what awfulness I have wrought upon this world... Looks more like a work of art to me bud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted February 5, 2020 Report Share Posted February 5, 2020 thing just grabs your eye. really looking fwd to hearing it so hope that's on the todo list. rock on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted February 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2020 Thanks all! I got the nut and bridge slotted and got her strung up in the white. Well, 7 out of 8 strings anyway... One of the C strings slipped off the loop and I cut it before I realized, and it ended up being too short. Regardless, it sounds surprisingly good! I'm very excited, as I now actually have a functional acoustic instrument! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted February 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2020 A quick sound file for those interested. It will sound a little different, a little more bass and volume, with the doubled C string and a little more pressure on the top. But this gives you a good idea of the sound. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted February 6, 2020 Report Share Posted February 6, 2020 6 hours ago, mattharris75 said: A quick sound file for those interested. It will sound a little different, a little more bass and volume, with the doubled C string and a little more pressure on the top. But this gives you a good idea of the sound. sounds good. some nice playing. man, I love the mandolin. actually john hiatt cry love playing in the background right now (has a prominent mando part). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted February 6, 2020 Report Share Posted February 6, 2020 10 hours ago, mattharris75 said: A quick sound file for those interested. It will sound a little different, a little more bass and volume, with the doubled C string and a little more pressure on the top. But this gives you a good idea of the sound. Soooo cool Matt! There needs to be a camp fire around somewhere whenever you bring that little beastie out to play. 3 hours ago, mistermikev said: actually john hiatt cry love playing in the background right now (has a prominent mando part). What a great album..... SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted February 6, 2020 Report Share Posted February 6, 2020 3 minutes ago, ScottR said: Soooo cool Matt! There needs to be a camp fire around somewhere whenever you bring that little beastie out to play. What a great album..... SR for a guy who's put out about as many as the greatful dead... I can't think of one that isn't great! or doesn't have LOTS of mandolin -esp on 'crossing muddy waters' 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted February 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2020 28 minutes ago, mistermikev said: for a guy who's put out about as many as the greatful dead... I can't think of one that isn't great! or doesn't have LOTS of mandolin -esp on 'crossing muddy waters' Speaking of... My favorite version of the song. I've seen this band twice, and they're amazing, just won a Grammy in fact. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted February 6, 2020 Report Share Posted February 6, 2020 21 minutes ago, mattharris75 said: Speaking of... My favorite version of the song. I've seen this band twice, and they're amazing, just won a Grammy in fact. will have to give this a listen at lunch. I assume it's a cover of john h? he's written so many knock outs for so many great artists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted February 6, 2020 Report Share Posted February 6, 2020 1 hour ago, ScottR said: There needs to be a camp fire around somewhere whenever you bring that little beastie out Yikes! At first glance I thought you were suggesting that the mandola should be burned! But yes, roasting sausages on a stick and having a beer or four while listening Matt playing that thing might make me offer to roast his sausage as well to free his hands to entertain the rest of us. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted February 6, 2020 Report Share Posted February 6, 2020 The build is looking and sounding excellent. That version of Crossing Muddy Waters is also excellent - very subtle playing and singing. Super. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted February 7, 2020 Report Share Posted February 7, 2020 10 hours ago, mattharris75 said: Speaking of... My favorite version of the song. I've seen this band twice, and they're amazing, just won a Grammy in fact. very nice take on it indeed. thanks for sharing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted February 7, 2020 Report Share Posted February 7, 2020 this turned out great Matt. I dont know why I had it in my head (without re-reading beginning of your thread)- but somehow I had it in my head this was an octave mando -hell if I know why. did you build one of those before(?) maybe I am getting other builds on youtube in my head mixed up. regardless- the volume appears to be LOUD on that puppy. NICE. nice work as always. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted February 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2020 9 hours ago, Mr Natural said: this turned out great Matt. I dont know why I had it in my head (without re-reading beginning of your thread)- but somehow I had it in my head this was an octave mando -hell if I know why. did you build one of those before(?) maybe I am getting other builds on youtube in my head mixed up. regardless- the volume appears to be LOUD on that puppy. NICE. nice work as always. Thanks! I got the second C string put on today, and it's even louder and fuller! I own an octave mandolin, which I think I mentioned early in the thread, so that could be part of the confusion. Also, across the pond they call an octave mandolin an octave mandola, which just clouds things more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted February 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2020 So, I 've been playing the mandola for a week or so. It's settling in nicely, holding tune, sounding good, etc. Before I break it back down for final sanding (and a little tweaking of the neck profile) and finishing, it's time for a little 'voo doo'! For the next week the mandola will stay locked in our guest bedroom, laying on a quilt, with a Tonerite running at full blast. This thing theoretically replicates many many hours of playing by constantly vibrating the strings. Essentially rapidly breaking the instrument in and causing it to sound like an older more mature instrument. Does it work? No clue. But a friend had one and let me borrow it, so I figured it was worth a week... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted February 14, 2020 Report Share Posted February 14, 2020 There's a luthier named Henneken building archtops and acoustics in an old school (=lots of rooms and space). One room is dedicated for breaking the instruments in: The guitars are on stands and big loudspeakers are blasting. The music style doesn't matter, it's only for making the wood vibrate. Nothing new there, he's been doing that since the last millennium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted February 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2020 I've heard of mandolin builders doing the same. This method is slightly less obtrusive. No idea if either method works, but based on watching some Tonerite videos, something is happening! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted February 14, 2020 Report Share Posted February 14, 2020 The logic behind those "external sound" methods is solid so basically it should work. The only thing it doesn't do is to crystallize the remaining cell sap which further will improve the sound. What it does, though, is to shake and spread the cell sap against the cell walls instead of them pooling on the bottom of each cell which in part may speed up the crystallizing process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted February 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2020 This method gives off an audible buzz, but the coolest thing is that you can put your hand on the top and feel some significant vibration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted February 15, 2020 Report Share Posted February 15, 2020 On Rosa Stringworks' videos Jerry Rosa has told about a man who had tried to do the similar thing with a firecracker - which actually had been a hefty fistful of them! The result was a guitar case filled with match size splinters of which the guitar had to be rebuilt for sentimental reasons. Not something a repair shop luthier would fancy doing! Needless to mention that the idea brewed among a band of merry men with some alcohol involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted February 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2020 So, the mandola spent a week on the Tonerite. Then it was time to break things down and do some work. After playing it for a while I decided that the neck was just too large. I wanted to have a chunky vintage neck, especially considering that there is no truss rod, just a graphite stiffening bar. But it was like playing a baseball bat... So I spent a few hours yesterday re-profiling the neck. The trick is that I had designed it where the backstrap seamlessly faded into the back of the neck. It looked cool, but because of the amount of wood I needed to take off it just wasn't going to work. So I had to create a little volute. I'll probably mess with it a bit more before I go back and re-sand everything before starting the finishing process... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattharris75 Posted August 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2020 The finishing process has begun! I finished re-sanding and tweaking, and now this is with two coats of orange shellac and a coat of Tru Oil. So far so good... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted August 19, 2020 Report Share Posted August 19, 2020 9 hours ago, mattharris75 said: The finishing process has begun! Yayyyyyyy! SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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