My new F

[sunburst]

I finally tried an oil varnish on a mandolin. This is about the same as usual otherwise, but I thought I'd post some pics of it because of the varnish, which makes it slightly different.

Hard maple back sides and neck, red spruce top, ebony radiused fingerboard.

These are just some quick snaps, I'll try to get some quality pics of this one later.

The "full frontal":

[sunburst]

The top:

[sunburst]

The back:

[sunburst]

The headstock:

[sunburst]

I didn't know if I could get a good gloss. I couldn't quite get it to show up in the digital picture, but this is a reflection of my bench lamp. I could read the 60 wat light bulb. That's glossy enough I recon.

[fmspinc]

Beautiful, very clean.

[sunburst]

Well, the letters and numbers on the bulb don't show up at all in the posted pic, but they are there.

[ShaneJ]

John, that looks incredible! Thanks for posting the pics. I like the inlay design too.

[mandopete]

Very nice indeed! The design and color remind me of the Collings MF-5.

[sunburst]

The design and color remind me of the Collings MF-5.

The design and color of a Collings remind me of one of mine!

I was actually a little dissapointed when Collings came out with an F and it looked so much like mine, but, it indicates a similar asthetic, I suppose.

[PaulD]

Very nice work indeed! The carving all looks impeccable (that's one of the things that impressed me with Chris' birdseye Arches I saw last weekend too). I like the modified flower pot... nice touch. Great finish!

There's some banding in the top... that's pretty typical of red and Adirondack spruce, isn't it? I ask because I never paid enough attention to instrument top woods before I started considering building. It seems like a lot of the red spruce I see is more stripy than the sitka and Englemann I see.

Paul Doubek

[Jim M.]

Beautiful! The flowerpot is great. Tailpiece is cool too. I don't recognize it; is it your own design?

[Scotti Adams]

Great Job John..really looks clean...Yes Jim the TP is one of Johns designs..

[Eric F.]

Wow. Very nice indeed, John.

[RI-Grass]

Wow, that's beautiful!

[Flowerpot]

Looks wonderful, John. Is this one going to make it to Galax this year? I'd sure like to try it.

[Stanley Cox]

Great looking in all aspects.My sincere thanks for all the help you have given this novice.
Stanley

[mandoryan]

Very nice. All adjectives have been used. Good work though.

[LKN2MYIS]

Really a sweet looking instrument.

[Bill Snyder]

Beautiful.

[Yonkle]

Looks awesome Sunburst! How do you do a oil varnish? In general. JD

[sunburst]

Thanks folks.

Paul, red spruce tends to be a little more unpredictable than the other spruces when you rub the burst right on the wood like I did on this one. That's one of the reasons some people spray the stains or seal the wood before rubbing the stains.

Jim, as Scottie said, that's my tailpiece design.

Mark, I'll have it at Galax unless somebody buys it first. It wasn't ordered and isn't sold. I'd kind of like to keep this one for a while, but a pay day might be nice if I get an offer I can't refuse.

Yonkle, I finished this one sort of like Gibson did on the Loars. Stain, sealer, (shellac in this case, I think Gibnson used something else) varnish, (I sprayed it, but you can brush it) then shellac top coat. (I sprayed it and hand buffed it, but you can French polish.)

[Spruce]

Beautious!

Does it have a home?

[sunburst]

It lives here so far, Bruce.

[Chris Baird]

That is a beauty. Wish I could play it. #