Honest distressing

[UnityGain]

Hey there, I was just looking around at some pics of mandolins and they all see so squeaky clean, shiny and flawless. Then I looked at my mandolin, and well, its starting to get that oh so coveted distressed look to it. And I love it. Its got a lot of scratches, a couple little dents and plenty of gods honest play wear. So lets see some pics of some honest distressing and battle scars that people's mandolins have accumulated. Pic marks, fret divits, dents, neck wear, gastly gashes and the rest... I'm sure that bill would approve.

[Doug Edwards]

Plenty more parts, but this is the best one.

[mandolooter]

my avatar shows a little of the wear on my mando...but i still like it!

[jjboone101]

Here's a shot of my '02 Newson F5 with some honest scroll wear...

[jjboone101]

and the neck, thanks to my sweaty hands!

[Fred Keller]

I've got a couple I'll try to send. The first--a bit difficult to see--is the back wear and crazing. The instrument is a Brentrup 23V Maestro--prototype built in 2004; red spruce top, hard maple one-piece back.

Lots and lots of honest wear on this baby

[Fred Keller]

Here's my neck wear--it's nice and smooth on my left hand now.

[Fred Keller]

Strap wear

[Fred Keller]

...and finally the arm wear along the body and how my body chemistry eats away at shiny metal (James) tailpieces

[MikeB]

A little known, but true fact: Whistlepigs actually CHEW on wood. I guess you knew that, eh, Fred?

[gh_mando]

Here's a Gilchrist distressed by it's first owner. (I'm the third)

[Joe F]

I had a chance to play Fred's Brentrup at the recent MBOTMA festival. Despite the distressing, it's still a killer mandolin.

[G. Fisher]

86' Duff

[G. Fisher]

Scroll

[G. Fisher]

Point

[G. Fisher]

Peghead

[carleshicks]

here is my 2002 master model. It was like this when I bought it

[carleshicks]

here is the the F hole

[Rick Crenshaw]

Refer to pics of my Daleys #21 and #56.

[uncle ken]

1922 H4, 80 some years worth of playing.

[uncle ken]

arm wear

[uncle ken]

the neck is very smooth with no finish left

[Doug Edwards]

arm wear

And people are worried about an armrest leaving marks.

[Gutbucket]

Here's some good old fashioned distressing. If you want more distress, stick around and listen to me play it.

[Gutbucket]

No fireplace poker was harmed in the making of this mandolin.