Mandolins in progress

[crazymandolinist]

You've gotta come to Canada. J'ai besoin d'apprentis.

??? No habla el Frenchy, someday.

[MLT]

Brian,

Love the Head design for Classical #4. I am sure that it will find a great home in California just as mine did in Washington state.

[Dan Voight]

scrolls

[mandozilla]

Gosh Dan, your work is impeccable...how old are you and how long have you been building? In your photo you look like a little kid!

[Doug Edwards]

I'm stoked! My first scratch build is starting to look like a mandolin. I have two in progress, but this one will get finished first. I cut and inlaid my logo today.

[JEStanek]

Wow, that looks great, Doug. Any significance to the mountain and lake?

Jamie

[Doug Edwards]

I'm in Kerrville now, heart of the Texas Hill Country with the Guadalupe river running through it.

[Dan Voight]

Gosh Dan, your work is impeccable...how old are you and how long have you been building? In your photo you look like a little kid!

Thanks Mark. I've been building for about 3.5 years. I'd like to think my stubble makes me look a little older than I am but alas I am 21...

[Skip Kelley]

Dan, nice work on the mandolin tops! The scrolls look great!

Doug, very nice mandolin! I like your inlay and the wide grain top is awesome!

[Kent Barnes]

Finally got some stain on # 6, then spent a couple of hours yesterday scraping the bindings.

I'm convinced that you haven't truly lived until you've had to scrape the bindings on an F-style mandolin!!

Hopefully I can spray some lacquer on it this week.

[crazymandolinist]

Looks great!

[Stephanie Reiser]

That is a nice spray stain job, Kent.
Here is my latest, will be my first with a sprayed sunburst and finish.
Nervous, but still have lots of sanding to do.

[Kent Barnes]

Thanks Stephanie. I've tried to hand-rub a sunburst and they come out looking terrible. I've been airbrushing since my first, and it gives a much more even graduation, in my opinion.
Post pictures when you've got yours stained!

[Doug Edwards]

Looking good Kent. I got mine strung up today. Lots of detail works left to do before finishing it out. Sound pretty good for just a couple of hours.

[mandozilla]

Wow! Kent , Stephanie, and Doug good work. I was wondering, does building interfere with your picking? I mean do you play less now than Before?

I'd like to give building a try but I wouldn't want building to overtake my playing. You see I'm a bit anal (oops, can I say that) when it comes to things like that and I'm afraid I'd build to the exclusion of pickin'.

Gee Doug, I hope building mandolins doesn't keep you from building your wonderful armrests!

[Stephanie Reiser]

As for myself, I only build maybe two instruments a year. It's only a hobby that pays for itself, plus some extra. I practice 2 hours a day.

[Doug Edwards]

I think I'm down to the hardest part, waiting for the finish to cure out.

[Trey Young]

Doug,
I really like the pick guard cut away with the oval hole, nice job!

[Doug Edwards]

It's Cherry to match the back/sides and headstock overlay. I did five miters on the binding. I have a Cherry armrest on the back burner to go with it.

[Skip Kelley]

Doug, your mandolin is awesome! Beautiful color and the pickguard is cool!

[Mike Black]

I just thought that I'd share some pictures of the 1923 A4 snakehead that I'm copying. I just put a sealer coat on it tonight. It looks pretty darn close. Except I put a Virzi in mine. I just wish I would have gotten a little more red in the middle.

[Mike Black]

Here is a picture of the label too!

[Chris Keth]

I just thought that I'd share some pictures of the 1923 A4 snakehead that I'm copying. I just put a sealer coat on it tonight. It looks pretty darn close. Except I put a Virzi in mine. I just wish I would have gotten a little more red in the middle.

That is impressively close. I actually like the tone in the middle of your burst better than the Gibson. I bet with a little bit of UV coloration it matches it even better, though.

[Skip Kelley]

Mike, Very nice indeed!! I like your sunburst better than the original! Very cool label. I think you are onto something!!!

[Skip Kelley]

Mike, Please give us an update when you get it strung up. I would like your opinion of the virzi.