View Full Version : Post a pic of your Cedar or Redwood topped mandolin family axe
Jim MacDaniel
Jul-03-2009, 8:25pm
I'm thinking about ordering a new build with a Redwood or Cedar top over some sort of rosewood back and sides. So, for inspiration, I was hoping those of you out there with red-topped instruments would be so kind as to post a pic of them, and/or post your thoughts and experience about Redwood or Cedar as a top wood.
To start things off, here is a pic of a recent build from Gary Nava, of his Redwood over Cocobolo "Red Mandolin", which got me wondering about, and intrigued by a similar combination of tonewoods.
Steevarino
Jul-06-2009, 8:30pm
Hi Jim,
Here's a recent RedLine Traveler I built from Curly Redwood I got from Jonathan Mann. I tried to match the back and sides with equally grain-active maple.
This one will be going to the U.K. soon, but I have enough wood to make a couple more, and more Curly Redwood coming from a different source.
Susan H.
Jul-06-2009, 8:33pm
My picture under my name is of my Weber SE with a cedar top. :grin:
Chris Biorkman
Jul-06-2009, 8:40pm
My brother had a cedar topped koa dobro that was gorgeous. One of the prettiest wood combinations I've ever seen. Sounded nice too.
Doug Edwards
Jul-06-2009, 8:46pm
A couple of red cedar tops.
Jim MacDaniel
Jul-06-2009, 8:57pm
Hi Jim,
Here's a recent RedLine Traveler I built from Curly Redwood I got from Jonathan Mann. I tried to match the back and sides with equally grain-active maple.
This one will be going to the U.K. soon, but I have enough wood to make a couple more, and more Curly Redwood coming from a different source.
That looks great Steve -- how does she sound compared to your spruce over maple Travelers?
...To start things off, here is a pic of a recent build from Gary Nava, of his Redwood over Cocobolo "Red Mandolin", which got me wondering about, and intrigued by a similar combination of tonewoods.
I wish people wouldn't post pictures like this, it's making me want one.... I would love to hear how that beauty sounds :)
I'm guessing warm and resonant.
Fliss
That beautiful Redwood Traveler is soon to be mine! Just waiting for Steve and his team to re-engineer the case I bought so it fits properly, then it will be on it's way to the U.K.
I can't wait to try it out.
Neil Scully
Gerry Cassidy
Jul-07-2009, 6:07am
My Sobell Octave Mando had a redwood top over EIR back & sides. I sold it last year, but it had a very mellow and warm tone for an OM.
Steevarino
Jul-07-2009, 7:16am
Jim,
About the sound of the redwood vs. spruce on my Traveler mandolins, this is the first one I have topped with anything but spruce (usually Sitka or Carpathian) so I don't have any history to call on besides this one axe. Fliss's suggestion of "warm and resonant" sound about right to me. I would also add, without any perceivable loss in volume or overall power.
I finished this mandolin just in time for Merelfest, a couple of months back. An accomplished Swing Style player flogged this one for about an hour, with some of his regular swing playing pals, and none of us in the circle could believe how well this style of instrument fit in with this style of music. This players main axe is a Gil F-5, so I know his standards were pretty high!
Neil, I am happy to report that our "Engineering Staff" HAS successfully reworked that flight-style case you sent us. I have been meaning to send you pictures, but I had some camera/pc/software issues that got in the way. Actually, my wife Carol was the Engineering Staff here. I figured out how to get the main form out of the case, and she had recently bought a Styrofoam cutter at a craft store, so she was ready to tackle the project!
I don't know what this case was originally designed for, but most likely something with a longer neck and a very short peghead. Carol was able to peel back the fabric, cut away the offending Styrofoam underneath, and somehow put it all back together, with a perfect fit, and it looks like nothing ever happened there. Way to go, Carol!
I'll include a couple of pictures to show the final result...
Steve,
Absolutely brilliant, please pass on my thanks to Carol for a job very well done. It looks nice and snug in there and should be well protected for it's trip across the pond.
If you can drop me the final weight and dimensions I will arrange for our carrier to collect.....and I suppose you better send me the final invoice!
Once again many thanks for all your help.
Neil
oldwave maker
Jul-07-2009, 10:56am
Spruce's shingle factory redwood over new mexico black walnut over trout lake, sounds a lot like an ovalhole mandolin, maybe a bit more high and low and less mid, like a smile eq.....
Steve- where would we be without box cutters and hot glue guns? someday I might make a mando using just those tools!
Cohen C# mandocello & mandolin
They're really great ! Now I just need to save up for the 'dola ...
billhay4
Jul-07-2009, 11:18am
A mandolin by C.C. Stapleton of South Carolina (anyone every heard of him? I haven't.) that I rebuilt a few years ago. Top, fingerboard, and binding were in bad shape, so I re-did all of them. The top is from an old redwood beam I got from Bruce Harvie (though neither him nor I remember the transaction).
I has a lot of punch and was a hard piece of wood for redwood.
Bill
Steve-o
Jul-07-2009, 8:45pm
Mmm. Mmm. Love those redwood tops, especially the curly redwood Steve and Bill. Here's my redwood topped Morris.
Jim MacDaniel
Jul-10-2009, 2:52pm
Lovely instruments everyone, and definitely inspiring, as I'll soon be joining the red-top club: I just pulled the trigger and ordered a redwood over rosewood Traveler from Steve. But please keep those pics coming, and I'll post pics of mine once I receive it (as well as pics of the work in progress work I am sure, right Steve? ;) ).
PseudoCelt
Jul-10-2009, 4:07pm
Here's a pair of cedar-topped Fyldes: a flattop Octavius mandolin I no longer have and my (pressed) archtop bouzouki. Both have sapele back/sides.
Patrick
Jill McAuley
Jul-10-2009, 8:31pm
Looking forward to seeing your Traveler, Jim, and you'll have to post soundclips too - really interested to hear what the redwood/rosewood combination sounds like!
Cheers,
Jill
Jim MacDaniel
Jul-10-2009, 8:43pm
Me too Jill! Maybe we can have a Traveler tasting & A/B comparision once I get my hands on it.
I opted for all black binding, with rosewood overlay on the peghead, a scalloped tailpiece, and radiused ebony fretboard. Now I just need to find a source for black tuner buttons for Grover 309's, and I'll be set. That, and I need to decide between matte or gloss finish, but I'm leaning towards matte.