View Full Version : Finally my mandolin is done and depicted!
Ok finally I have some pics. It's my first try and an IV kit with upgraded ebony bridge, bone nut, ebony strap pin and french polished. All the other stuff is original though I might change the tuners. Lots of mistakes on this one, number 2 can only be better! Thanks to all you helpers in here, you've rescued me many a time!
/Jonas in Sweden
mandopete
Dec-07-2005, 5:36pm
What mistakes?
Bad pictures unfortunately..
well congradulations, looks like youve made yourself something very special. enjoy the heck out of that instrument.
Mistakes... Well it seemed like every step i made could have been so much better. So much to learn! But considering I didn't even know you were supposed to sand along the grain at first, I think i have come a long way with this. I had a really good time building it, though the finishing almost drove me crazy!
Eric F.
Dec-07-2005, 5:53pm
Hey, very nice! I'm looking forward to seeing No. 2.
seththedude
Dec-07-2005, 6:21pm
Looking very nice. I think thats is the first burst I have seen on a kit. Most people tend to do a solid color.
How does it sound?
RJinRI
Dec-07-2005, 6:29pm
Very nice looking for all those mistakes ! The finishing on my IV kit is driving me nuts too..if only i'd have left it white.
Burner
Dec-07-2005, 6:45pm
Well done! That's about the nicest I've seen so far.
Well done Jonas, ain't french polish fun. It only gets better from here.
ShaneJ
Dec-07-2005, 7:49pm
Congrats, Jonas! That is VERY nice-looking. You should be proud!
mandoman15
Dec-07-2005, 8:03pm
that is without a doubt the nicest looking IV kit i've ever seen it dosen't even look like a kit, really smashing job! Wicked burst, nice finish... your label is upside down on the inside.. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif AWESOME
Lane Pryce
Dec-07-2005, 9:31pm
Damn Skippy!!!Sure is a killer #1!!!I would be proud too. Excellent. Lp
Thanks for all the kind words!
The sound is what I am most pleased with. It's real loud and after a month of hard playing the tone is starting to become a little rounder and sweeter. I don't own and have never really played a high-end mando so this will be the one I'm gonna play all the time. So I'm really glad it sounds good to my ears. My goal was that it would sound better than my old swedish made flattop Levin (hich has an ok sound I guess) and it sure beats the heck out of it both in volume and tone! Yay! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
About the label... I didn't know it was supposed to be the other way? Is it really?
Markelberry
Dec-08-2005, 7:45am
Really great looking mandolin congratulations! I really want to try this myself someday,something I can pass on down to my youngun,do you need many tools or do the come with the kits?
Bill Van Liere
Dec-08-2005, 8:13am
Jonas...The finishing almost drove you crazy. Yes I understand. That kind of finsih drives me crazy also, and makes my hand reach for my pocketbook.
Beautiful job
Beautiful burst and beautiful finish!
Darren Kern
Dec-08-2005, 9:07am
By far the best looking IV kit to date, especially the finish. Congrats.
Keith Miller
Dec-08-2005, 9:50am
Not a great fan of trad bursts BUT... I love that colour, great work, just wish I had the skill
Keith
arbarnhart
Dec-08-2005, 10:01am
That is outstanding! I hope I finish one that nice.
Your a natural Dude! I would be very proud of that!
I can only repeat what has already been said, you get the blue ribbon for IV kit construction. Do another, then start making them from scratch.
Steve Davis
Dec-08-2005, 3:46pm
Beautiful. I am wondering about the steps in getting such a great finish. I hope mine comes out well. How did you hold the binding in place while the glue dried?
dperry
Dec-11-2005, 3:34pm
Great job. I like the colors in the burst, I've never seen one colored like that before. Very nice inlay too.
Well thanks to all again. I've been away over the weekend that's why I haven't answered.
I have to tell you though, there are a bunch of issues with this mandolin that don't show in the pictures, even though I am very proud of it. I am just a 26-year old with no wood working skills or experience what so ever prior to this project, so naturally there are a lot of things on it that I wished I'd done more properly. But it came out better than I had expected. I am mostly proud of the sound and the finish, since I worked hard with that part.
About the inlays, they're not real inlays. It's just acrylic pearl paint under the shellac. It's cheating I know, but I don't have the tools nor workspace to get into MOP inlays right now. I hope to build more mandolins in the future, but I am not sure that I'll have the time during the spring. Maybe during the summer.
Steve Davis: The steps I went though during finishing can be read about here (http://www.milburnguitars.com/frenchpolish.html), though I did not follow this article exactly, but close enough. The binding was held in place using rubber bands, lots of rubber bands.
/Jonas
mandolooter
Dec-12-2005, 11:55am
A+!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Greenmando
Dec-12-2005, 4:54pm
Don't worry about the small mistakes, they are just learning steps.
looks great! you will have to let us know how it sounds.
WireBoy
Dec-13-2005, 7:45pm
Jonas,
#thanks for the link to the Milburn guitars french polish tutorial. faboulous info.