View Full Version : H-5 Style Mandola
Gail Hester
Oct-02-2005, 11:52pm
Here are the finished pictures of my first H-5 mandola. I used western big leaf for a one-piece back and sides, a piece of ancient Sitka for the one-piece top, red maple for the neck and macassar ebony for just about everything else and a James tail piece. It's all hide glue construction and finished with varnish and shellac French polish.
Thanks for looking.
Gail Hester
Oct-02-2005, 11:53pm
Here's the back.
Rob Zamites
Oct-02-2005, 11:54pm
Gail, that's a beautiful mandola!
Gail Hester
Oct-02-2005, 11:55pm
The headstock.
Gail Hester
Oct-02-2005, 11:59pm
Last one. (Thanks to Bruce Harvie for providing me with some great wood.)
jasona
Oct-03-2005, 12:35am
Yeow! Beautiful work Gail!
I love it, It's Fantastic, The quilt is beautiful, it looks like the surface of the sun! Very cool burst on the top! Nice work Gail!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
PCypert
Oct-03-2005, 2:28am
I'll play it in for you if you want.
Paul
Antlurz
Oct-03-2005, 3:13am
The whole thing is absolutely beautiful, but that out of norm but extremely tasteful headstock inlay is great!
Ron
Stephanie Reiser
Oct-03-2005, 5:31am
Great work as always! I really love that finish. Your inlays are flawless, the scrolls are perfect. How is it opening up?
Skip Kelley
Oct-03-2005, 11:39am
Beautiful work Gail! You did an awesome job! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
mandoryan
Oct-03-2005, 3:59pm
Very, Very nice! I'll bet that thing growls. I'm curious what a chop on a that mandola sounds like.
BlueMountain
Oct-03-2005, 7:12pm
I love the iris inlay on the headstock. Ever so much lovelier than that boring urn or flowerpot or whatever it is.
Stephanie Reiser
Oct-03-2005, 7:51pm
Gail, is that a Mother Of Pearl nut?
I am planning on using MOP for the nuts on the current 2 that I am building, so I just wondered.
It looks great!
Gail Hester
Oct-03-2005, 9:55pm
Thanks for the supportive comments everyone. #I really enjoyed building this mandola to traditional Loar H-5 specs yet taking some liberties with the appearance. #My photos don't really capture the colors of the inlay as there is a lot of blue shell from New Zealand. #The nut is MOP but it looks a little different in the photos because I had a piece big enough to put the shinny side up. #It looks good in person but is just a glare in the photo. #
I'm not set up to post MP3 sound files and I'm hesitant to try to describe the sound of an instrument of mine (we're all proud of our intriments and tend to say the same things). #Like other mandolas it tends to have a full, well balanced fill up the room sound rather than the percussive, mid range pop of the higher pitched mandolin. I'll have it with me at Wintergrass in February and will happy to let any of you take it for a ride.
OlderThanWillie
Oct-03-2005, 9:59pm
Gail: I don't mean to be crass, but is that beautiful instrument for sale? What would it cost to get one just like it? Do you have a website? Thanks.
Skip Kelley
Oct-04-2005, 6:31am
Gail, I love the peghead veneer! Great job on the binding! Real clean!
sprucetop1
Oct-04-2005, 8:47am
Gail, that's a fantastic instrument. Can you elaborate a little on your finishing methods please? Which parts were varnished, and which french polished? Did you use an oil or spirit varnish. Did you use a hand-rubbed french polishing technique? thanks......John
Gail Hester
Oct-04-2005, 9:36am
John, the finish involves applying a number of very thin coats of oil varnish, sanding between coats until everything is perfectly smooth and then French polishing with shellac flakes dissolved in alcohol to shine everything up.
sprucetop1
Oct-04-2005, 10:42am
Gail: thanks for finishing information. I'll try that method on my current project.....John