Three piece back?

[ndy9691]

Hey everyone,

Has anyone seen or built a mando with a three piece back? or is this a bad idea?
The mando I'm working on has a three piece neck(maple-walnut-maple) and the backI have been carving has shown a defect right at the glue line (bookmatched maple back).. So to save this back I was going to rip about 3/16 in out of the center and replace with a strip of walnut , to match the neck.
Any thoughts, or should I just start a new back.


Thanks Dale

[Wudwerkr]

go for it , u should be fine

[JEStanek]

Brian Dean has done 5 piece backs with several species mixed in there. I think it depends on your intentions. If you want a traditional looking instrument, the 3 piece may not look "right". If that isn't your aim then put it together and see how it looks....

Jamie

[grandcanyonminstrel]

Has anyone seen or built a mando with a three piece back?

Here is an 18 piece back; 'nuff said.;)

http://www.condino.com/cricket.html




j.
www.condino.com

[Rob Grant]

With multipieced backs you might want to consider the degree of seasoning and the difference in expansion rates of the timbers you use. Where there are radical differences, it is possible get cracking or joint separation.

[RobAlan]

Dale,

I'm the proud owner of a 1929 Martin Style 20 with a four piece curly maple carved back. It is in perfect condition and it is beautifully bookmatched. No seam separation after all the years. It plays and sounds as good as it looks.

I second the motion Dale.............................................G o for it!

[buckhorn]

here are two of my latest, made for family members....both have three piece backs.....the wood came from Home Depot...two pieces of 1" by 4" that were 12' long....the figure was just to good to pass up...from what i have read on Cafe lots of old Gibsons were multi-piece backed....all of my necks are also either 2, 3, or 5 piece ..... it makes forming the truss channel so easy...i've used walnut and mahogany to form the channels......keith

[Rob Grant]

Keith,

Nice looking pair of mandos. How about a shot from the front?

[buckhorn]

rob...go to 'post a pic' and find the Buckhorn post...there are more pics and a little rambling....keith

[Jim Rowland]

Dale,the walnut strip shouldn't be a significant problem if the joints are tight and true. My solutin would be to simply rip the 3/16ths out and rejoin the halves. That would leave your back 1/16th shy of the outermost edges of the ribs...a distance easily covered by the binding.
Jim

[Jim Rowland]

Sorry,that would be 3/32nds shy.
Jim

[ndy9691]

Jim, I might try that first, the problem I see with that could be around the scroll area where the binding raises above the rim, everywhere else it might work. I dont actually need the 3/16 width, thats just what would match the neck.

[MikeEdgerton]

Here's (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=757&highlight=piece+back) one previous thread on the subject. Here's (http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29568&highlight=piece+back) another. I can't lay my hands on it right now but somewhere here there are pictures of early Gibsons with 3 piece backs.

[Magnus Geijer]

This is a guitar, obviously, and a different approach, but none the less a three piece back. I'm quite happy with how it turned out.

/Magnus

[Spruce]

Has anyone seen or built a mando with a three piece back?

Yep.
Here's one....

Seems to be an OK mandolin... ;)

[Mario Proulx]

My very first mandolin has a 3 piece back, with the center piece being a wedge(like a Martin D-35), all from the same piece of maple that was otherwise too narrow. It's perfectly fine, still.