The birth of a voight [Archive] - Mandolin Cafe Forum

bradeinhorn

Jun-16-2007, 8:12am

Hey everybody,

here's some initial shots of the A-5 Dan Voight is building me. This is the first set of shots and I am finding it a little difficult to control the excitement...

Love his take on the f-hole

bradeinhorn

Jun-16-2007, 8:13am

Underside:

bradeinhorn

Jun-16-2007, 8:14am

and the top on the sides (with some neck):

pjlama

Jun-16-2007, 8:21am

Looks pretty, I like the unique f-holes.

dj9124

Jun-16-2007, 9:59am

Looks awesome so far, what kind of coloring are you wanting on it?
Dave

bradeinhorn

Jun-16-2007, 10:05am

Oh yeah. In tribute to the Sullivan I had to sell to get the Daley, this one will be a sleek blackface. The sides and back will be a rich brown violin-like finish with a subtle burst. It will be fully bound and the prospective back is a killer quilted one-piece from Spruce. French polished.

dj9124

Jun-16-2007, 10:15am

Sounds like a winner, I'm anxious to see the finished product. If it sounds anything like the soundclips of #2 you will definitely have a winner!

bradeinhorn

Jun-16-2007, 3:10pm

Thanks Dave,

me too. i'll be sure to keep you posted through the thread. it will also have a hamlett tailpiece, ebony tuner buttons and an abbreviated ebony pickguard.

bradeinhorn

Jun-29-2007, 6:15pm

here's a couple update shots from dan. so psyched. i think this headstock is super elegant.

bradeinhorn

Jun-29-2007, 6:18pm

sorry they are small...here's one with a brother F-5 in development as well. get a little neck action. I took measurements from an A-5 I played recently that a friend of a friend just got from Mike Kemnitzer (some other michigan builder):

bradeinhorn

Jun-29-2007, 6:19pm

From another angle:

bradeinhorn

Jun-29-2007, 6:20pm

and from the backside:

Lane Pryce

Jun-29-2007, 8:05pm

Brad those A's are addictive aren't they. Lp http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

Fliss

Jun-30-2007, 5:07am

Nice headstock design! I look forward to seeing more http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Fliss

Le7beda

Jun-30-2007, 8:35am

Love his take on the f-hole
I think Dan may have picked that up from his mentor, Grady Jones. I like it,too. Enjoy!

B. T. Walker

Jun-30-2007, 9:43am

Nice. I do like the f-holes. They are certainly not a common design. I could only see one other builder in the eye candy section using that squared-off design, Grady Jones. It seems to me that it makes the hole look "scriptier".

bradeinhorn

Jun-30-2007, 11:36am

Nice headstock design! #I look forward to seeing more # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif #

Fliss
yeah, me too!!!!

bradeinhorn

Jul-13-2007, 11:13pm

A little more progress...nicely bound headstock.

bradeinhorn

Jul-13-2007, 11:14pm

...

bradeinhorn

Jul-13-2007, 11:15pm

And with F brother:

Le7beda

Jul-15-2007, 8:18am

Even though the photo is a little blurry, it sure looks like Dan did a neat job on the F. Any ideas for the inlay, Brad?

bradeinhorn

Jul-15-2007, 8:22am

we are both getting flower pots, but again, it's dan's modern take on it, so expect something a little different.

bradeinhorn

Jul-17-2007, 6:00am

here's the headstock with the name and pot. dan told me it was just sanded to 80 grit and will pop considerably when engraved and shined.

bradeinhorn

Jul-17-2007, 6:02am

and with the batch brother:

bradeinhorn

Jul-31-2007, 2:57pm

Ta Da! The back. Just wait until this puppy gets some stain. Thank you Spruce!

tnpathfinder

Jul-31-2007, 3:49pm

Man that is fine! I'm excited for you! Wow.

Steve Cantrell

Jul-31-2007, 3:57pm

That back looks awesome--it's gonna be a killer with some stain on it. Very nice.

bradeinhorn

Aug-01-2007, 9:12am

thanks guys,

i just can't stop staring at that back photo...i think we'll need to get out the fishing boat for it.

cannot wait for this mandolin to be done!

Kevin Briggs

Aug-15-2007, 3:21pm

Looks saweet, Brad. I recently have played a very nice A, and I'm starting to understand how life could be poossible with just an A. You should be stoked knowing you have a killer F, and what looks to be a killer A.

bradeinhorn

Aug-15-2007, 3:42pm

thanks kev-

dan just sent me some pics of the fancy screwless TRC he is working on. check it out (this one is on the F-5 he is doing). mine will have the same one:

bradeinhorn

Aug-15-2007, 3:42pm

here tis:

bradeinhorn

Aug-15-2007, 3:44pm

magnets!

Kevin Briggs

Aug-15-2007, 4:22pm

crazy cool! :cool:

bradeinhorn

Aug-31-2007, 6:44am

top bound:

bradeinhorn

Aug-31-2007, 6:45am

on quarter:

bradeinhorn

Aug-31-2007, 6:46am

back bound:

bradeinhorn

Aug-31-2007, 6:49am

full back:

Mark Walker

Aug-31-2007, 7:44am

What keeps the TRC in place? Those pins on the back?

Inquiring minds want to know! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

bradeinhorn

Aug-31-2007, 7:45am

they are magnets!

dj9124

Aug-31-2007, 9:25am

Looking good Brad, nice crisp clean work.
Dave

Dan Voight

Aug-31-2007, 12:24pm

That is a prototype trc. The magnet is attracted to the truss rod. The pin at the top keeps it from sliding around. I just need to find smaller, stronger magnets.

craigmurray

Aug-31-2007, 1:21pm

Hey Dan
Try Lee Valley. (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&cat=1&p=42363). These rare earth magnets are both small, and strong.
Craig

bradeinhorn

Sep-07-2007, 6:05am

Ok - with the help of rare earth magnets (thanks Craig), here is Dan Voight's ingenuous new TRC design on my fortchcoming a-5. According to Dan it does not wiggle, vibrate, slip or fall out what-so-ever. due to the four very small but much higher powered magnets, the trc is also much slimmer than the prototype:

bradeinhorn

Sep-07-2007, 6:07am

A look on the inside:

bradeinhorn

Sep-07-2007, 6:09am

and the underbelly of the trc:

craigmurray

Sep-07-2007, 8:40am

Glad the magnets worked out. They are definately strong! Lee Valley is a great a store (and Canadian, so I am a little biased). I think that using magnets for the TRC is a great idea. It is nice to not have any screws on the TRC. My Heiden's TRC is friction fit, so it too is screwless. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the instrument completed.

bradeinhorn

Sep-07-2007, 10:07am

lest anyone is wondering-these magnets are known as the strongest of the "permanent magnets". they typically do not lose any force, and if they do it is very minimal.

Andrew Lewis

Sep-07-2007, 5:19pm

Those magnets are a great idea! How easy is it to get something like a pick underneath it to get it off? I was just thinking about the long term and how, over time, necessary adjustments to the truss may lead to some wear on the edges of the TRC or on the peghead veneer. What about a little hidden lip underneath that concave part near the nut so you could more easily slip something underneath. Just some thoughts....

Dan Voight

Sep-07-2007, 7:05pm

There is a spot I made to stick your fingernail or pick underneath of it. It is under the bottom left corner. As to the wear, I've been messing with it (it's strangely fun, I've snapped it in 100 times more than you would ever need to adjust the trussrod) and the only way you can scratch the peghead is if you set the trc any-old-where on the pedgead and let it snap into place. The magnets are very strong so it will draw the trc from a ways away. The best way to snap it in is to hold the cover from the bottom, put the top magnet in, and rotate the trc into place. The only place that would tend to get scratched is right around the magnet seats and that area is covered by the trc. All around, I think it works perfectly.

Dan Voight

8STRINGR

Sep-07-2007, 8:38pm

Wow! #It all looks great, especially that solid back! And that screwless TRC is an awesome idea (using the magnets) and design! Can't wait to see it all stained! Both A and F models are looking great! Well Done! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

Andrew Lewis

Sep-07-2007, 9:37pm

There is a spot I made to stick your fingernail or pick underneath of it. It is under the bottom left corner.
Of course you already thought of that. Great design, Dan. That's the kind of subtle innovation that may one day become tradition. I can imagine reading it one day on the cafe in the year 2107.
New guy: "Hey, does anybody know why mandolins always have magnetic truss rod covers."
Cafe vet: "It's just a tradition. I think they first started appearing on the early Voights..."

bradeinhorn

Sep-16-2007, 7:58pm

and here's the newest shot. sharp looking fretboard, huh?

sgarrity

Sep-16-2007, 8:04pm

Very very nice!! So much talent around here http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

bradeinhorn

Sep-16-2007, 8:44pm

that's the truth - here's a closeup:

bradeinhorn

Sep-19-2007, 7:57pm

strung up in the white (sorry about the blur in these):

bradeinhorn

Sep-19-2007, 8:00pm

a couple details:

bradeinhorn

Sep-19-2007, 8:01pm

head

bradeinhorn

Sep-26-2007, 7:25pm

here's a cool quarter angle shot of the back after final sanding. woowee:

bradeinhorn

Sep-30-2007, 8:54pm

i'm psyched. the mandolin is stained and varnished. the french polish is all that is left, but i wanted to share these shots. first the front. all business:

bradeinhorn

Sep-30-2007, 8:56pm

sorry for the small pics. they were huge files that needed to be shrunk. now the back- all pleasure.

bradeinhorn

Sep-30-2007, 8:59pm

here's another on with less glare.

bradeinhorn

Sep-30-2007, 9:01pm

here's another. i love the side contrast with blackfaces:

bradeinhorn

Sep-30-2007, 9:03pm

flipside:

bradeinhorn

Sep-30-2007, 11:52pm

this might be a bit bigger:

Chris Biorkman

Oct-04-2007, 10:44am

Looks pretty sweet, Brad. When will you have it?

bradeinhorn

Oct-04-2007, 10:56am

The french polish is done, and then it is curing over the weekend. Shipping out monday, so hopefully tuesday or wednesday!!!

jjboone101

Oct-04-2007, 11:07am

Sweet. It has sort of a Nugget/Collings Tim O'Brien vibe to it...Enjoy!

Chris Biorkman

Oct-04-2007, 11:54am

I think Dan needs a new digital camera to show off his work.

Dan Voight

Oct-04-2007, 12:36pm

I think Dan needs a new digital camera to show off his work.
I do for sure. I'm looking around.

bradeinhorn

Oct-04-2007, 12:39pm

Sweet. It has sort of a Nugget/Collings Tim O'Brien vibe to it...Enjoy!
cool,

that's what we were going for.

as to the pics-yeah- dan's left a bit to be desired on the photography end. luckily that's not what i'm paying him for...at the same time, as this thread shows, he's been awesome about sending updates at each little development. it's made the past few months go by much quicker.

i'll be sure to put up some good pics just as soon as i can.

b

Chris Biorkman

Oct-04-2007, 12:46pm

I really like the fretboard extension and the back wood.

bradeinhorn

Oct-04-2007, 1:38pm

The extension is dan's design, and that wood came from the cafe's own, Spruce (Bruce Harvie). I gave him an idea of what I was looking for and he sent me several good options. Pleasure to deal with him.

bradeinhorn

Oct-06-2007, 5:23pm

here are some pics post polish. we're all done baby!!! Dan's photo skill have improved a bit, but the files came to me really big again so sorry for the small pics. once i get it here, i'll take some more.

bradeinhorn

Oct-06-2007, 5:26pm

Some details. Blackface's are hard to shoot. any advice?

bradeinhorn

Oct-06-2007, 5:29pm

and:

bradeinhorn

Oct-06-2007, 5:31pm

and the headstock.

bradeinhorn

Oct-06-2007, 5:32pm

and:

bradeinhorn

Oct-06-2007, 5:38pm

and last but not least:

Chris Biorkman

Oct-06-2007, 5:53pm

Congrats, Brad. She's beautiful.

JeffD

Oct-06-2007, 6:19pm

sound clips?

bradeinhorn

Oct-06-2007, 10:48pm

this thread (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=15;t=47193) has a soundclip that dan recorded when the mandolin was in the white. check it out, sounds pretty nice. woody but very sweet.

bradeinhorn

Oct-09-2007, 8:39pm

Mando is in the MAIL!!! Due to Arrive by noon tomorrow. Only glitch is a big real estate finance midterm at 130-4 followed by another class from 6-830....

pick in bryant park - 415 - Jpeck?