Latest Jacobson Nautilus w/ custom Koi inlay

[Marty Jacobson]

Here's the latest to make it through the obstacle course.

Sitka spruce top, quartered bigleaf maple back. Figured walnut neck and sides. This is lightweight instrument, extremely responsive and easy to play.

The inlay is lapis lazuli recon stone, Atlante synthetic pearl, and amber backed with gold leaf. Engraved Rubner tuners with Teflon bearings, which work like a dream and look amazing - hand-engraved black nickel plated brass with rosewood buttons, all for under $160.

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[Marty Jacobson]

Sound clips:
https://soundcloud.com/martyjacobson/jacobson-37-bach-prelude
https://soundcloud.com/martyjacobson/jacobson-37-pirate-john
https://soundcloud.com/martyjacobson/jacobson-37-reels

[Pete Jenner]

Lovely Marty. That Prelude is becoming very popular.

[Jim Garber]

Lovely as usual Marty and nice sounding. It is great that you work with an excellent musician (yourself) to make those recordings too. Keep up the good work. I haven't given up yet -- you know what I mean. ;)

[Jake Wildwood]

That's a hot tamale if I've ever seen one. Nice work, sir!

[Marty Jacobson]

Thanks gents ... Pete, I think the Prelude is a great piece to use for demonstrating an instrument.
Jim, making recordings of the instruments has been a good incentive to practice.

The tone of this instrument is interesting, since it sounds almost identical to my recent transverse-braced oval-hole instruments, despite the graduations and bracing being that of an instrument with f-holes. Definitely not a bluegrass machine, it's too glassy and clean for that. But it's not lacking in power and punch. Really a fun instrument to play. Tom Haywood commented that this instrument's ancestor sounded a bit like a bowlback and would work well in an orchestra. I think that's definitely true... it has a kind of midrange scoop to the tone which gives it a classical feeling.

[JEStanek]

Total package, Marty. Beautiful.

Jamie

[Sterling]

Thanks gents ... Pete, I think the Prelude is a great piece to use for demonstrating an instrument.
Jim, making recordings of the instruments has been a good incentive to practice.

The tone of this instrument is interesting, since it sounds almost identical to my recent transverse-braced oval-hole instruments, despite the graduations and bracing being that of an instrument with f-holes. Definitely not a bluegrass machine, it's too glassy and clean for that. But it's not lacking in power and punch. Really a fun instrument to play. Tom Haywood commented that this instrument's ancestor sounded a bit like a bowlback and would work well in an orchestra. I think that's definitely true... it has a kind of midrange scoop to the tone which gives it a classical feeling.

That's exactly the sound that I envisioned! Great!

[Steve Sorensen]

Nice!
Steve

[Markkunkel]

Obstacle course it may be, Marty, but wow... what unique and tasteful work you are doing. Persevere! The grateful custodians of your instruments are, indeed, grateful!

Mark

[Charles E.]

Beautiful! I'll bet that has someones MAS sensor tingling.

[Sterling]

It is at my post office in Marcellus, NY and I am at school until 3:10, then 30 minutes to get home. Can't wait!

[Tavy]

Very nice indeed - particularly like the Lapis inlay, and those Rubner's look amazing!

[Mark Wilson]

A work of art (again). As good as it looks it sounds even better

[Rush Burkhardt]

+1...exquisite, Marty! (And I don't use that word lightly!)
:popcorn:

[Pete Jenner]

Marty, I've just noticed this instrument features on the Rubner website in their gallery (http://www.rubnertuners.com/rubner-gallery/2014/11/19/marty-jacobson-custom-mandolin) section. Very nice.

[Michael Weaver]

Sounds like my baby. It does sound like this one has a touch more sustain though. And of course beautiful as always

[amowry]

Beautiful work, as always Marty! It sounds great. I like the term "glassy" that you used, as I've currently been trying to think of a word for that aspect of tone. I think all mandolins sound better if they have that character to some degree. Anyway, yours sounds fantastic!

[Sterling]

Hi Michael,
I just picked this mandolin up yesterday around 4:00pm. I've been trying to find a good block of time to play it but a band concert and private trumpet lesson last night and public school today is in the way. After school the family is travelling to Bethesda/DC area heading into the Noreaster storm for a 6 hour drive. Maybe I'll get snowbound and be able to practice! So far, though this instrument has a beautiful bell like ring on a two finger G chord. The shape of the neck and the fretboard are easy to get used to. It is certainly a clearer tone than my Eastman 615 or my #20 Crystal Forest Army/Navy mandolin and I like them both. (They might be in their cases for a while!) I am anxious get comfortable with this #37.

Lee Turner

[Michael Bridges]

Congrats, Lee! That is a beauty. Happy for ya, I KNOW you'll be in love with it. Also Congrats, High-fives, and POB's to Marty for a great instrument!

[Skip Kelley]

Marty, that mandolin is such a work of art! Nice job!!

[hank]

Great work Mr. Jacobson, congratulations. Seeing your minds eye manifest in reality in such a graceful way must be gratifying after all your hours of trial and error and hard work. Your breaking new ground, not only in your digital carving and design methods but your non inlay techniques of wood art linear design. You've created so many beautiful mandolins it's hard to pick a favorite.

[Marty Jacobson]

Thanks to everyone for the kind words. Sounds like Lee is enjoying the instrument. It was a fun one to build, and had some unique challenges (inlaying lapis and amber into the thin, compound curved maple back). Now I'm back from a visit with the family for Thanksgiving, so I'll be wrapping up a few more before Christmas.

[Tom Haywood]

"Custom Koi Inlay." I just put a net over my Koi pond to protect them from the new craze! Marty this mandolin is beautiful in every respect. The bridge/saddle design is particularly elegant and interesting. The sound files have all the instruments in my office singing along. It does have that bowl back type of sound that is very clear and direct, and it really pops. Can't wait to see what else is in store.

[Jim Garber]

Marty: I am just curious about the design of your tailpiece. I did notice that it is longer than most mandolin tps the the after-saddle length looks shorter than other mandolins. This design also has the strings anchored further away from the endpin. Can you tell us how all that contributes to the overall tone and sound output?

Many years ago a violin maker showed me that everything on that instrument contributed to the tone that that included how tight the tailpiece gut was tightened and that string length behind the bridge.

[Marty Jacobson]

Jim, I have done a lot of experimentation with these tailpieces, with two months of time and fifty or sixty prototypes invested in this. That was mostly focused around usability, manufacturing details, and design elements, but I did play with mass, size and string spread to see how they affect tone.
As you pointed out, it is longer than many tailpieces on the market by 3/4 of an inch or so, but it is also more flexible. It is a single sheet of .030" brass or .050" aluminum, and gets most of its rigidity from the wood frame, which also spans the back of the tailpiece. So it is not like a string which is mounted to a rigid post, it has more in common with a violin tailpiece, which was the original inspiration for the design.
The current design hits the right combination of providing some harmonic suppression for the afterlength, providing secure attachment for the strings, providing a way to easily customize the engraving on a per-instrument basis, and being feasible to manufacture.

In a nutshell, with this long but flexible design, I don't use it to control any aspect of tone, I see it as quite transparent. The only variables I change are material (aluminum or brass which are silver or gold in color to match other appointments) and angle (to match arch height and neck geometry).

[Sterling]

Hi Marty,
I've had this mandolin for a week now and am still discovering new aspects of this instrument. What I notice the most is how long an single note or chord sustains and how bell like each note is. There is not a tubby note on it. The neck shape is very comfortable and the fret board, beside being beautiful to look at, is easy to get around. I've been trying out Joplin Rags, Contra dances from the Portland Collection, and Bach Cello Suites. I haven't had my Eastman 615 or my Crystal Forest Army/Navy out of the cases so eventually I will have to have them all out together to compare and contrast. When the FW 74 strings wear out, I have a set of Thomastik medium strings to change to. I have it at school right now and will be playing it during my lunch duty. Students are quite curious about each mandolin I bring in. This will be a treat!

[Dale Ludewig]

Really nice Marty!

[JeffD]

Oh my. Very nice.

[Pete Jenner]

I love the depth and detail of your research Marty.

[JeffD]

I love the blue. Really striking.

Blue seems would be hard to use. Most mandolins, fiddles, guitars, etc., use the range of "warm" colors - the browns and tans and reds and oranges. Not many incorporate "cooler" colors - the blues and greens etc. Its dicey because too much blue and the design loses its seriousness and becomes a novelty. A blue fiddle, for example. The novelty effect is nice, (I loved the pale blue denim colored Weber Aspens) but its not always the effect you want.

Just a wonderful design. That blue line to imply the water or flow in which the fish is at home - just brilliant.

I have often thought about what unique figuring I would order, like the koi or clown fish on that one. Seems it would have to both be literally rendered, and also abstract enough that it can be seen as a design element. One can get so tired of a picture of a duck, or that tattoo of a skull with a cowboy hat.

[Pete Jenner]

Blue rocks dude.

[Marty Jacobson]

Yes, they are.

[Sterling]

I think that the Lapis and the amber Koi work well because they are on a dark surface and the body of the mandolin is pale. It's a nice contrast.

[Michael Bridges]

It all just works together beautifully!

[darrylicshon]

That's a really nice looking mandolin, Marty

[Marty Jacobson]

This is a video I made showing the inlay process for the back of this instrument... thought some of you would like to see it.
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[Sterling]

The back of this mandolin is just fun to stare at. It looks great in the video but the finished product is a work of art. The purfling is so fine that it looks drawn on. I have to take a break from playing just to look at the back! I am also finding the Lapis fret markers are a really big help finding my way around the fretboard. Thanks again!

[trevor]

Stunning!

[tburcham]

Beautiful mandolin Marty! Really a work of art! Love the video of the back detail.

[Sterling]

You should see the matching leather strap that Marty's wife made for it! Thanks Monica! I get just as many compliments on your artwork!

[dusty miller]

Another great looking build Marty. Glad you are enjoying it Sterling, hard to put down I'm sure! Didn't take me long to need new strings after I got mine.

[Sterling]

Another great looking build Marty. Glad you are enjoying it Sterling, hard to put down I'm sure! Didn't take me long to need new strings after I got mine.

Thanks Dusty. I have a set of Thomstik mediums ready when the FW74s wear out. They still sound great after a week and a half.