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I hate working on Celtic Cross instruments. Just about every one of them that comes to me (I work for a school that has a couple dozen of them) has a bowed neck and a cracked neck heel. Sheesh! ...

I recently played one, and wasn't impressed with it at all. The sound was okay, but it seemed kind of uncomfortable to play. Personally, I feel my sister's $500 Epiphone is a much better mandolin,...

Thanks, that's the advice I needed.

Dan

Hey all, I am seriously considering saving up some money for a Harmony Batwing mandolin, but since it seems eBay is the only place I can get one, and I hate buying any instrument unplayed, I was...

I have been looking for quite a while now, but I keep hitting brick walls. Anyhow, I am looking for the music for Jody's Tune played by the Dillards. Here's a YouTube link to the song for those of...

Larry, I actually used a mix of MAAS and some dry buffing compound (black). First, I squeezed some MAAS in there and turned them both ways with the drill. It helped, but didn't seem like enough. ...

I used that stuff to turn a pen once on my lathe. My shop smelled really citrusy for more than a week. Pen sure looked pretty though.

Dan

I posted about dang near the same issue last week. Here's my post. Look at Post #11, and he explains how to get the tuning machines to work better. It improved mine. Hopefully you can save yours...

well, I went ahead and performed the trick using a drill and abrasive buffing compound, and it did make a really nice improvement on the tuning machines. However, the post holes do seem to be a we...

Thanks for all of the good advice. As for the post just above this one, I will definitely try that first. I would prefer to keep the original tuning machines if I can, and your idea makes sense. ...

Sorry, I forgot to mention that the posts are larger. They fit tightly in the post holes with the original bushings removed, so unfortunately, the Harmony bushings won't work, and I would hate for...

Hey all. I have a couple of questions on modifying my 1972 Harmony mandolin.

Background first. I am having some semi-major financial issues. I was saving for an F-style, so was playing a Rogue...

I had an issue with a mandolin just last week with a bowed neck. After removing the fretboard, I routed out a channel to accept a carbon fiber rod, glued it in and clamped it down flat, and after...

Cannot agree with you on this one. I purchased one of those for when I go fishing as I hate that spray stuff, but between walking from the car to my favorite spot on the lake, I got three misquito...

I currently have a couple mandolins in my shop that suffered heat damage, and total carelessness. The case on the most severe one suffered as well as the vinyl shrunk and pulled away from the...

I've been successful soaking some old Harmony tuning machines in Marvel Mystery Oil which you should be able to get in any hardware or automotive store. The tuning machines barely moved, so I soaked...

If you can find some ebony, rosewood, maple (or whatever the bridge is made out of) veneer, that would give you a less noticeable repair. Just use a little wood glue, glue it to the bottom of the...

I've removed a few ebony nuts, and for the most part, they come out relatively clean using the Ivan's trick. One thing I do differently though is I use a 4" long piece of scrap hardwood at the width...

Good morning all. I have just been given 4 Celtic Cross campfire style mandolins to repair. All four of them have had heavy gage strings on them since they were new in 2002, so all four of them...

I'm sure it would work, especially using hot hide glue. I guess my biggest concern is that these are going to remain student mandolins, and I just worry about the abuse these poor instruments will...

Nope, doesn't matter too much at all. I still blame the students, or at least, my sister does :)

Dan

I would think that if you sanded that area down at all, you would end up making the top too thin in that area. Maybe you can steam it out first:...

If you are talking about the repair with a light guage guitar string, or a piece of fishing line that ties onto a ball-end and goes through the cleat and the top, and clamps from there, I know that...

I know the cleating you are talking about. I have a couple of "clamps" where it's basically an L shaped piece of maple with a guitar tuning machine on it with a small hole drilled in the bottom part...

I look at Frank Ford's site religiously, but haven't seen much except for that buildable clamp he has. I don't have the money for anything like that yet, but it's on my wish list.

Also, good...