Bowl back building

**amori** · Feb-20-2017, 9:20am

Hi, Murray here. I have made a few dozen violins and quite a lot of guitars (murraykuun.com) but am very keen to make a bowl-back mandolin and would be in need of instruction, plans and probably templates for the "ribs". Can anyone point me in the right direction please. BTW I have designed and made a few modern mandolins.

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**mandroid** · Feb-20-2017, 3:01pm

I suspect you need a form of a bowl to assemble the back into.. or a positive form to assemble them onto..

Might be nice to travel to Italy and study under a Master Luthier to learn what you are asking..

**August Watters** · Feb-20-2017, 3:28pm

Carlo Mazzaccara teaches an occasional course:
http://carlomazzaccara.wixsite.com/o...ses-and-stages

NFI

**amori** · Feb-21-2017, 1:10am

Bit long in the tooth for that :-)

**MikeEdgerton** · Feb-21-2017, 9:10am

You might want to take a look at the forms in this thread.

Take a look through these threads. The applicable subjects should jump right out at you.

Let us know how this goes for you.

**Jim Garber** · Feb-27-2017, 9:35pm

Murray: You are obviously a very talented and experience luthier. I would consult the Lundberg book for basic structural techniques of working off a mold etc. I also believe that Franz Jahnel's book has a section on bowlback mandolins as well as lutes. I don't have my copy in front of me so forgive me if I am mistaken about that. There is definitely a section on lute construction.