Lawrence Smart new batch Spring 2011

[Chip Booth]

I took these photos of Lawrence's latest batch yesterday. What a blast it has been watching these come together and then finally being to play them all! I'll reserve some detailed thoughts about them for later but I want to get the picture posted now.

[Chip Booth]

Marc's wonderful F style mandolin. This is a remarkable, flexible instrument that will sound as sweet as can be playing pretty much any style of music.

[Chip Booth]

A very unique 10 string mandolin with snakewood binding. This is Lawrence's first oval hole 10 string.

[Chip Booth]

Mike Marshall, Chris Thile and John Reischman, among others, seem to feel that Lawrence makes the finest F hole mandola out there. Who am I to argue? This instrument is nothing short of amazing.

[Chip Booth]

This is the "Chip Booth" signature model, as we like to jokingly call it. Lawrence found himself without a buyer for this instrument early on in the process and was kind enough to let me twist his arm and design a mandolin that some are sure to find way too "out there" for their taste. I think it's absolutely gorgeous though, and has truly wonderful, unique tone. This is definitely a jazz players dream come true! It breaks my heart to say I won't be able to buy this one for myself, so it's still available.

[Chip Booth]

A few more of the two pointer. That's it for now, though I will try to get a sound clip posted eventually.

[mtucker]

oh my! some wonderful shots there, chip. That tuxedo twin do have that 'new yorker look to it with blocks, headplate inlay and guard, yowzer...

doesn't get much better than those...genius..

thanks for posting them.

[Ed Goist]

This is the "Chip Booth" signature model, as we like to jokingly call it...snip...I think it's absolutely gorgeous...snip...

Huge +1! You're right Chip, I absolutely LOVE it.
Oh, and I'd love to see this model with an oval hole. I really like the appearance of the body of the 10 stringer you have pictured above, but, I must admit, that variable scale thing really freaks me out.

[mtucker]

but, I must admit, that variable scale thing really freaks me out.

you can read all about it...from the guy who's been at the forefront of it.

http://www.novaxguitars.com/info/concept.html

[SternART]

Woo-hoo........ go Lawrence.......Love the oval hole 10 string!

[Tavy]

Simply stunning!!

[Ted Eschliman]

Outstanding! Love the Chip Booth 2-point, especially.

[Pete Martin]

Beautiful, congratulations Lawrence!!!

[Spruce]

Guess there's been some good buildin' weather over there....

[blauserk]

This is definitely a jazz players dream come true!

How so? How does it sound? Certainly a spectacular-looking instrument.

[pjlama]

Wow, beautiful work. So many mandolins, so little money

[Paul Busman]

A very unique 10 string mandolin with snakewood binding. This is Lawrence's first oval hole 10 string.

Beautiful instrument, but I keep wanting to reach into the photo and straighten that bridge... :-D
Apart from sheer funkiness, any musical/acoustic reason for the angled nut, frets and bridge?

[SternART]

[QUOTE=Paul Busman Apart from sheer funkiness, any musical/acoustic reason for the angled nut, frets and bridge?[/QUOTE]

So the C strings don't sound funky.

[Chip Booth]

Beautiful instrument, but I keep wanting to reach into the photo and straighten that bridge... :-D
Apart from sheer funkiness, any musical/acoustic reason for the angled nut, frets and bridge?

Paul, here is my laymen's explanation: the instrument is a hybrid of a mandolin and a mandola. The mandolin usually has a scale length of about 14" and the mandola about 16". This allows for proper string gauges to makes tension across the strings even and playable without being too loose or too tight, and generates enough power to drive the top of the instrument so it sounds good. If you make an 14" scale length manolin and put a low C string on it the C string just isn't long enough so it feels loose and floopy. It doesn't generate much power and sounds weak. To get a high E string on a 16" mandola you would need to use an eight or nine gauge string, and it would likely feel very tight and sound weak as well. The fanned fret system allows a compromise so that the E string has 14" scale and C string has a 16" scale. This allows both ends to work well and have consistent string tension and power across the instrument.

I have been playing a Smart fanned fret 10 string for the last year and I can tell you that the system works incredibly well. Tension and tone is very even across the instrument, and the intonation is perfect. The angles of the frets and the bridge do take some getting used to, and it does require some changes to your technique. I found that playing melody only took a tiny bit of adjustment, and I felt fairly comfortable within minutes of first playing it. Chording is where I find the most difficulty, especially with barre chords near the nut. This can be made easier by making the angle of the nut straighter, wich has the effect of making the bridge angle larger.

Lawrence has experimented with at least 3 different angle combinations that I know of. Mike Marshall has had his Smart 10 string modified so that the nut is pretty close to straight. The downside to that is that the sharper the bridge angle gets the more the right hand must compensate by moving back and forth to stay in the sweet spot of each string. My instrument has a moderate bridge angle, and the new oval hole above has a slightly straighter angle at the nut. Based on my experience I felt that you could get a little straighter nut angle than my instrument has without compromising the right hand. I have compared the two 10 strings and found the difference to be very subtle, but I have also found that it takes some time for these kinds of differences to become obvious and meaningful, so I have not made any firm decision as to which angle I prefer.

Does that help, or just confuse the issue?

[Chip Booth]

How so? How does it sound? Certainly a spectacular-looking instrument.

It's nice to see several people appreciating the 2 pointer. I think it's a really classy instrument. I shouldn't pigeon hole it as a jazz instrument because it is really very versatile. The reason jazz comes to mind when I play it is mainly three things: though it is an F hole instrument (technically they are S holes) it has an incredible amount of sustain. It still has the pop you would expect from the attack of an F instrument but the notes just linger out here. Second, the individual notes are extremely clear and distinct from one another. Chords just ring out, and you can hear every note. Extended chords don't get mushy at all, and when playing single note melody you don't have to worry about playing notes a half step away from thje root, they sound clean and clear, something I experince usually when an instrument has very little overtones. This one, however, has nice overtones and sounds harmonically rich, yet they don't get in the way of note clarity. I think the secret to this is that is has a failry high peak frequency, allowing the notes cut through without mushy low mids getting in the way.

And third, it look good with a tux!

Talking about it doesn't do much to enlighten you though so I will try to get a sound clip posted some time soon. It's an extremely busy week, so it may take a while but I'll do my best.

[sgarrity]

Every Smart I've played has been a wonderful instrument. I got to spend a little time with Mike Marshall's mandola at the Symposium last year and it is everything you'd ever want in a mandola. One of these days I'm going to have to add a Smart to the stable.

Like PJ said, "So many mandolins, so little money!"

[mandopete]

2-point 10-string

awe-some!

[Tom Smart]

Nice job on the photography, Chip.

[Ed Goist]

Thought those following this thread might enjoy this:

[Phil Goodson]

It's nice to see several people appreciating the 2 pointer. ....

Are you kidding? That 2 point caught my attention immediately. Classy looking. I'd love to hear it. If I were in the market, the check would already be in the mail!