Possible Don Kawalek mandola project

[bigskygirl]

Nice, I'm currently in a build of Don's OM kit. Looks like another project in my future.....

[Luthier]

Well here she is in the white. There are some things I will change next time but I will begin to put on the finish.

[Nick Gellie]

Well here she is in the white. There are some things I will change next time but I will begin to put on the finish.

We can't wait to hear what she sounds like. Well done Don for completing her in such short time.

[Luthier]

...I will have the project done in about a month. I need nice weather in which to apply the lacquer. To make a long story short. I live in the Eastern Panhandle of WV just off of I 81 between Hagerstown Md and Winchester Va. I am looking for someone to come make some sound clips of the new instrument for me. I play a lot of other instruments but I am just not proficient enough on mandolin.
Don

[Luthier]

It is finished!!! I will post some pictures later today. I am happy with the way it turned out. I need to figure out how to make a sound clip of it.

Don

[Luthier]

Here she is!!!!

[Bernie Daniel]

Start with a 17" scale....

Definitely!

I'll suggest a 1 3/16" to 1 1/4" nut tapering to 1 13/16" to 1 7/8" at fret 15.

Offer f-hole and oval hole models?

edit: well I guess these "recommendations" came a bit late! LOL!

[Nick Gellie]

Well done Don,

She looks great!

She has a real classical look

[Luthier]

Bernie. I did 1 5/16" at the nut and 1 5/8" at the 15th and a 17" scale. I will try and get a sound clip soon.
Don

[bratsche]

Oh, wow, Don, I missed those last pictures until now, because I was out of town when you posted them. That came out absolutely gorgeous, and makes me want to build one. (As remote a likelihood that would ever be, under present circumstances. Sigh... Drool....) I can't wait to hear the sound clips!

Just curious... will you be able to find a case to fit it? I know mandola cases are hard to come by.

bratsche

[Luthier]

I need someone to do a sound clip for me. It really sounds AWESOME and I am real pleased with it.
Don

[Luthier]

It was just a flip cam but here is what she sounds like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr_n5...ature=youtu.be

[bigskygirl]

Sounds very nice!

[jlatorre]

Good to see that you're still around, Don!

As a matter of fact, I recently built a mandola much like that, with an 18" scale length and a body sort of modeled on the octave mandola design you sent me years ago, but with a depth of 2-3/4" and a neck that joined the body at the 12th fret. I used "H" bracing on the top and "X" bracing on the back. And to make it totally weird, I used a zero fret.

When will the kits be up for sale? And if anybody in my area buys one, I'd love to take a look at it.

[Luthier]

I hope to have the kits ready soon.

Don

[Rob Zamites]

I hope to have the kits ready soon.

Don

Will those be available as well at your March-April Workshop?

[Luthier]

I just need to do some modifications. The neck, fingerboard, and top need to be modified but I can have them available for the March workshop if someone wants to build that instead of the Standard, Octave, or banjo.
Don.

[Rob Zamites]

I just need to do some modifications. The neck, fingerboard, and top need to be modified but I can have them available for the March workshop if someone wants to build that instead of the Standard, Octave, or banjo.
Don.

As soon as I have full payment saved, I'll give ya a bump!

[Nick Gellie]

Well done Don,

You did well to only make one prototype to sound well. Sorry I took my eye off the ball. Maybe living in Spain distracted me a bit.

I hope your mandola kits do well and compliment your range.

[Pete Jenner]

Have you moved to Spain Nic?

[Luthier]

I have begun another tenor mandolin. There were some issues with the bracing in the first being placed too far back so the top's structural integrity was compromised. I was able to place an additional brace inside. The one I am working on now (#2) has better bracing placement. I shall keep all posted but I am hoping to make these available as kits in the near future.

Don

[Ron Cox]

Fell in love with the mandola recently.

Always wanted to build but was scared.

Now I can look forward to both, and am not scared. Don's kits look amazing and from what I heard are well made to go together well.

Can't hardly wait.

[Luthier]

Thanks Ron....Mandola kits will be out this Summer.
Don

[Nick Gellie]

Have you moved to Spain Nic?

From Sep to Dec last year I lived there for three months last year in a town called Orgiva in the southern Alpuharras in the southern Sierra Nevadas while my son learnt to speak Spanish. Loved it there. We lived in a Cortijo on the outskirts of Orgiva - had a goat herd living next door. Smell was overpowering at times but all part of the living experience. Back in Aus but would love to go back there. it reminded me of Australia back in the 1970s.

But back to Don's kits. Thanks for keeping us posted Don. I will be interested in how the new mandola sounds and looks like.