View Full Version : A must read: Luthier Lawrence Smart
Scott Tichenor
Jun-04-2005, 10:51am
Congratulations to Lawrence Smart on a nice article in this week's issue of Boise Weekly (http://www.boiseweekly.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A3886).
SternART
Jun-04-2005, 11:45am
And guess who's mandolin it is in the photo? Yeehah.......getting close.
I posted some photos recently under "Mandolins in progress" in "Post a Picture of your Mandolin"
Jim Garber
Jun-04-2005, 8:43pm
Art:
Is that the once secret new design? Looks great!
JIm
SternART
Jun-04-2005, 9:20pm
It isn't under wraps anymore......I'm trying to see if I can get up to Idaho to carry the mando back,
but looks like I'll have both the mando and dola in time for the Mandolin Symposium.
Very, very nice to see Lawrence get some richly deserved press! He's truly a wonderful guy, a joy to work with and is building some of the best instruments around ... just ask Mike Marshall or Chris Thile or John Reischman or Ricky Simpkins or ... well you get the idea http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
Jim Garber
Jun-04-2005, 10:00pm
It isn't under wraps anymore......I'm trying to see if I can get up to Idaho to carry the mando back, but looks like I'll have both the mando and dola in time for the Mandolin Symposium.
Car eto elaborate on the details of the new design. I see the "radical" soundholes and peghead and two point design. What else?
Jim
SternART
Jun-04-2005, 10:17pm
Lawrence is an incredible luthier, I'm lucky to have him as a friend. We both enjoy working together. I tried to create a design where all the elements worked together, all the curves & shapes. The F5 is a beautiful design....one that has stood the test of time, it is a classic...partly because of the way the vocabulary of shapes work in harmony.....like the way a Ferarri looks good from any angle.....I tried to design a forward looking 2 point....that would look good from every view...I've always been inspired by John Monteleone's willingness to update the F5, he paved the way, and there are numerous luthiers experimenting with the fundamental design of the instrument today. Like Monteleone's Radio Flyers, this mandola and mandolin have more contemporary sound holes and floating wood tailpieces.....the tailpieces are courtesy of luthier Neil Dean. I'm a designer and I love mandolins, but this collaboration is like 90% Lawrence Smart & maybe 10% for my inspiration. Lawrence wrote me that with first stringing the mandolin sounded "more than very good"
Jim Garber
Jun-04-2005, 10:49pm
Excellent, Art. I am looking fwd to hearing more about these mandolins when they are born.
Jim
Scott Tichenor
Jun-05-2005, 7:56am
Art, you're killing me. First that knockout new Heiden and now a Lawrence Smart. I'd say life is good around your house for marvelous instruments. Congratulations!
SternART
Jun-05-2005, 11:10am
I KNOW IT....Scott......I've been doing something right to have these cool instruments coming my way, but it isn't just one Smart it is TWO, a matched pair dola & mando!
SternART
Jun-05-2005, 11:13am
Here is one of my design drawings.....Lawrence had this wild piece of Koa, that is used for the peghead vaneers and the pickguards will also be Koa, to balance out the design.
Mando Medic
Jun-05-2005, 12:38pm
Art, you're killing me now. I love Koa and your Cat's Eye design is reminescent of some of the old Gretch archtops. Lawrence is one of the great mandolin luthiers and just the most down to earth artist in America. Good to see him get this publicity. Kenc
Jim Garber
Jun-05-2005, 4:37pm
I'd say overall these are modernistic versions of D'Angelico's which were themselves modernistic versions of Lyon & Healys. Very exciting!
Jim
cgwilsonjr
Jun-06-2005, 4:58pm
I feel lucky to be on Lawrence's waiting list.....just two more years to go http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
mandopete
Jun-06-2005, 5:01pm
Yes, three cheers for Lawrence Smart. Thanks for posting the link Scott!
stevem
Jun-07-2005, 3:14pm
I was surfing Lawrence's website and came across this mando:
http://www.smart-instruments.com/cgi-bin/img?Mando-body.jpg
Very cool.
SternART
Jun-07-2005, 7:25pm
Lawrence built a second "Bearclaw".....it has another sound hole, on the top of the side, facing the player and BTW it sounded great. The owner of that one uses it for Chamber Music.
SternART
Jun-14-2005, 7:58pm
Some updated photos of the dola/ mando matched pair that Lawrence is just completing.
SternART
Jun-14-2005, 7:59pm
one more
Jim Garber
Jun-14-2005, 8:21pm
Art:
I think you better wear protective eyewear when playing those babies. Lots of points. Very nice. I am looking fwd to the report when you get them.
BTW what is the scale on the mandola?
Jim
SternART
Jun-16-2005, 4:37pm
Jim...Scale length on the dola is 16 3/8"
They will be in my hands tomorrow!
Eric F.
Jun-16-2005, 4:41pm
Arthur, they're gorgeous. And they'll look so great with your other Smart mandos. What a nice herd you have. I, too, am looking forward to hearing a report on them. Enjoy!