my carbon fiber mandolin: the pictures

[carbonpiou]

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[Ron McMillan]

Very interesting! Please tell us more about it. Did you make it or did you have it custom made? How does it sound compared to wooden bowlbacks?

ron

[carbonpiou]

Hello Ron ! You can read several answers at your questions in the forum (sorry for bad writing ! i am french..) in manufacturers an repair section. Look at "my carbon fiber mandolin" You can also write me with pleasure (in french or english)

[carbonpiou]

Ron...
Now, you can see 30 pictures of building session in the other part of forum " builders and repair"
As writed, sound is very clear, without color of wood specifications. On G and D stings sound is not coloured by "duck" loundness. Many nice harmonics. Particulary on A and E strings, sound has a little natural chorus effect (all other instruments i built in composite matérials - acoustic, electric guitars and harp - are same)
Why ?
I think it's absolut rigidity of carbon...

[Michael Weaver]

Very cool design thanks for posting.

[Peter Mix]

I am delighted to see this mandolin! We certainly have thought about building a bowlback, but the cost of prototyping is significant and the market is not enormous. I'd love to play it!

[Ron McMillan]

Interestingly, the maker seems to have made even the fretboard from carbon fibre, which addresses a question another member had on another thread, where he asked why fretboards were still of wood on a c-f instrument?

ron

[carbonpiou]

200 hours for making this. In the process of composites strats, it's not possible to using machines. Alll handmade !!! The price ? For built matérials, carbon, resin, aceton, tuning pegs, frets, etc... perhaps 400 €...
Price of time ?
Boff !!
Pleasure had not price............. (sorry for language, i'm french..)

[carbonpiou]

if i good understanded your question (wy wood and not carbon fiber fretboard ? it's that ?)
1) I think wood is more pleasant with touch (fingers pleasure)
2) Time of manufacturing (no machines, no automatic tools for carbon fiber process)
3) Price (i think best wood, like ebony, is less expensive that carbon fiber)

[carbonpiou]

Hello, Peter !!
I am extremely and agreeably touched that Peter Mix answers me on this forum. Contrary to you who has an exceptional and mundial reputation, I am right an french and enthusiast amateur of music and also of stringed-instrument trade. I on the other hand assert to know composite materials perfectly to have made 20 years of my professional career in their design, their manufacturing, their implementation and their use.
For these reasons, I was very surprised that you use Kevlar. Do you know one of the main features of the Kevlar?

[tmsweeney]

This is very cool