More wood

[mandolinquent]

I need some help with a decision. I had choosen a back wood, but now that it has been carved there seems to be a green streak in it which when stained, may appear as a brown streak. Not pretty. So now I have been sent pics of a new wood choice. I'm not very fond of the way this wood looks, at least before its carved. After it was carved I think it looks ok, but I'm concerned that if I choose it, it will come out looking like a toad! I'm having the hardest time making this decision, so whaddya ya'll think? The pics are here and are labeled new wood and old wood. Thanks!
http://www.geocities.com/marie429/

[thistle3585]

I like the old wood.

[mandolinquent]

thanks, but the old wood could have a streak down the center. I dont think I want that.

[Tom C]

<span style='color:darkgreen'>I'd use that new wood. Have Ben make your headstock in the shape of a toad's head. Toad footprints as markers. Baby toad as pickguard.....</span><span style='color:darkblue'>I think we have a new theme here.</span>

[mandolinquent]

well, i told ben no to both woods and he sent me some other options im considering. theyre on my website, which for some reason doesnt seem to be working for me right now, but theyre on there!

[mandoJeremy]

I really like the first option that you have listed there. It looks better than the old wood to me. Good luck.

[mzbanjo]

I like this one: other_options_15_3.jpg

[Nicholas]

I'm new to mando pickin but I'm long in the tooth at givin my opinion. Use that new wood!

[Gail Hester]

I agree with the, other_options_15_3.jpg, that’s a great looking piece of quilt. Sometimes the quilt figure seems to disappear a little during the carving but it always seems comes back when it’s being finished.

[mandolinquent]

wow, i really didnt think it would be this hard to make a decision! At this point, I'm leaning towards mandolin_wood3 (previously 15_3), like most of you, but still I'm uncertain. Anyway, thanks for your opinions and advice!

[Scotti Adams]

..Marie...does this mean your mando is running behind?...mines supposed to be done by the end of July...next to yours....whats up?

[Bill Snyder]

Don't let this decision worry you. I think that any of them will make a stunning back. No wrong way to go here.

[Tom C]

<span style='color:slateblue'>Carving a new back probably isn't a big deal but I would think the finish would need a couple of weeks to cure.</span>

[J. Wiens]

You seem to know what you don't want your mando to look like, but what about what it sounds like? As a mandolin builder, I'd personally steer clear of quilt maple. Yes quilt looks amazing but I find it usually comes up a bit short in tone.

Quilt maple is always very soft compared to the more common tiger or flame pieces of the same species and the resultant tone is usually very soft and doesn't have alot of bite or sustain.

Ask your luthier to use his ears & experience to choose your wood, not the message board's eyes.

Having said that, I'd take mandolin_wood_unused1.jpg ...it looks the least quilted and I'd expect it to have decent bite if left thick enough.......Jamie[I]

[mandolinquent]

Thats a good point, about the tone of the wood. I thought about that too and I have discussed it with Ben. As far as comments on a message board, I'm just getting opinions, but I'll be making the decision I want. But since it was brought up, does anybody know if Ben (or any other builders) have made a quilted F? If so, how do they sound?

P.S. Scotti, I have no idea about how long this may push back production, I'm guessing not by too much (maybe a week or so). I leave on the 31st, so I know mine will have to be done by that time if that helps.

[Spruce]

"Ask your luthier to use his ears & experience to choose your wood, not the message board's eyes."....

Good point, Jamie...

But also keep in mind that this your experience with quilted, and there may be luthiers out there (and Ben might be one of them) who have had good results with quilted maple. #I have played some awfully nice sounding quilted maple mandolins with plenty of bite and sustain.

I remember building with Engelmann spruce, and just not getting any tone out of it at all. #But that was just me. #

I've heard gobs of great sounding Engelmann mandos (Smart and Brock come to mind), so that kinda blows a hole in that whole theory... #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

But Jamie's right on on this one...
Ask the maker how he or she would get the tone you're after, and let them make the wood call.