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I'm building an octave mandolin with 22.5" scale length. The last one I build was 21" scale length. I found that it required very heavy bass strings. I need to choose a set of strings for the longer...

Thanks Graham. I'm following your mandolin project book and scaling based on other octave mandolin dimensions. I guess I'll find out in time if it will work. My mandola turned out okay and I followed...

Scale length 22.5", body width 14", body length 16", body depth 2.5". Top is carved sitka, back is carved maple. I'll follow up when I string it up. X bracing top and back.

Hi folks. I'm building an octave mandolin based on a scaled up mandolin design from Graham MacDonald. I have the top and back carved and would like to refine the top before assembly. Has anyone...

Thanks guys. These are all the arguments that are rolling through my head. No matter how I've done it I have had to level frets. Even when I think I have everything right something always goes wrong....

Which is the easiest, installing frets before or after you glue on the fret board? I've done it both ways but, because the interval between builds can be as long as 2 years I don't remember which...

If you are doing a reset you should install an adjustable truss rod. I tried a carbon fiber stiffener in an o.m. and it moved over the first year. I replaced it with a truss rod from lmi and it's...

I'm planning to build a carved top and back mandola this winter. It will be based on a Graham MacDonald #3 mandolin but scaled up and with a carved back. I'm using big leaf maple and sitka. I built...

My son had a bouzouki built by Jack Spira several years ago. The body is blackwood. It sounds amazing.

Bruce, do you know if guitar tab is available, including the base line for finger style?

Hi Fred. Not much going on . This winter I built a cheap classical guitar kit with the intention of learning to finger pick. I think it's going to take a while.

I've used carbon fibre in two necks. The first one failed because I stacked two 1/4" pieces on top of each other. The neck moved over a matter of weeks. I took it out and put in a truss rod. I used...

This is for S.A.W. social group.

It worked quite well for me pretty much as the drawing shows.

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=57465&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1220976814

I don't see why you can't rout it out. You can saw the stuff so you should be able to rout it. I'll be interested to hear how it goes.
You could try heating it to soften the glue also.

Thanks for this David. I'm able to play it on my playbook.

This tab is similar to the video but different in the B part.

In my youth I worked for a boat builder. The glue he used was a dark brownish powder that you mixed with water. It was very strong and dried very hard. If I could only remember what it was called, I...

I have one. Works great.

I carved my last top entirely using a finger plane and drill press. Other than a couple blisters It worked great.

I have an old Black and Decker 9" bandsaw that I use for detail work. It works well.

For me it is more about the pick hand. I find that the radius is easier to pick. Besides it looks nicer. To me anyway. :)

I usually start with a bone from the butcher shop. I let the dog chew on it for a few days and, if I'm lucky and she doesn't bury it, I take it back and boil it in water for a couple hours to whiten...

X:1
T:Pelagias Song
C:
N:Edited by James Baker
L:1/8
Q:240
M:6/4
K:G
z6 D2 B2 A2 | c6 D2 c2 B2 | d6 d2 e2 g2 | \
M:4/4