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craigw
May-30-2015, 1:53pm
I just got these two new Wilson 2-point mandolas strung up yesterday and ready to take to the Fathers Day Festival in Grass Valley, CA in two weeks. Number 19 is wildly figured bearclaw sitka spruce with traditional sunburst and a one piece red maple back with red maple sides and neck. Number 20 is a pumpkin colored sitka spruce top with quarter sawn white oak back, sides and neck. Both are equipped with Gotoh tuners, James tailpieces, Siminoff bridges and bound ebony finger rests. Both are strong instruments but with distinctively different personalities. I'll be in the Luthier's Pavilion during the festival and will be happy to have folks demo these two along with two or three mandolins that I have in stock.

F-2 Dave
May-30-2015, 2:17pm
Nice work. Love the pumpkin.

Pete Jenner
May-31-2015, 12:47am
What scale length are they Craig?

craigw
May-31-2015, 11:44am
Hey Pete, they're close to "Loar" scale at 15.574". The shorter scale makes it easier to play but harder to find string sets beefy enough. I like at least a .053 for the C strings and D'Addario FT76 FlatTops are the only sets I've found to do the job. I'd actually like to find a set with at least .038 3rds and .054 4ths and see how they might work.

Skip Kelley
Jun-01-2015, 6:51am
Craig, nice work! I love the look of the bearclawed top and the pumpkin/ oak combination!

Bogle
Jun-01-2015, 8:54pm
Hey Cuz,

Stunning work!! If the oak 'dola is anything like your 2-point oak mandolin I played the tar out of at Wintergrass, someone is going to get one amazing instrument.