View Full Version : Austin Clark F5 varnish ON FIRE
BlueMountain
Dec-13-2005, 10:32am
What do you think? New full-time luthier Austin Clark of Boise, Idaho, built this F5. He says it's number 3 or 4, but the guy I got it from says he thinks it's number 8, as I recall. It's SLIMMER than most mandolins and two inches longer, but has a standard length neck, big frets, radiused fretboard. In the wrong light it looks unbound and sort of Rigel-like. In the right light it's clearly bound with tortoise-shelloid, very pretty. To me it looks like burning coals in the night. Spirit varnish finish, Clark says (He writes: It is a spirit varnish made of Shellac flakes, mastic, sandarac and grain alcohol. (my first attempt at french polish) Pretty sturdy stuff, repairs easily too.) He no longer uses this elongated shape. He was experimenting with tones.
Clark plays jazz mando himself, and he wasn't aiming at a bluegrass sound. The sound from this mandolin is, in my experience, unique. I've never heard one like it. It's LOUD! The tone is strident, balanced but hard like a sledgehammer on a railroad spike. Definitely not soft and warm. But it has a pretty good chop, too, and I think it would cut right through with bluegrass. Great tone, certainly a mile above anything from the PacRim that I've heard, but also unusual. Definitely NOT run-of-the-mill. Definitely a luthier worth watching and bound for great stuff. Sorry about the dust specks on the instruments. The light was bright. I'd just dusted it, but the room was a bit dusty, I guess.
BlueMountain
Dec-13-2005, 10:33am
Top to bottom, long and tall.
BlueMountain
Dec-13-2005, 10:34am
Inlay.
BlueMountain
Dec-13-2005, 10:36am
Grover tuners.
BlueMountain
Dec-13-2005, 10:37am
Back of headstock.
BlueMountain
Dec-13-2005, 10:38am
Flames and coals.
BlueMountain
Dec-13-2005, 10:39am
Still burning.
BlueMountain
Dec-13-2005, 10:40am
Deep, rich sunburst.
mandopete
Dec-13-2005, 10:41am
Baby's On Fire!
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
BlueMountain
Dec-13-2005, 10:41am
More flame and Tortoise-oid.
BlueMountain
Dec-13-2005, 10:42am
Scroll wreathed in tortoise-coals--fire spreading up over the crest of the hill.
BlueMountain
Dec-13-2005, 10:43am
Like gazing into a lake of fire. And that's how it sounds, too. COLD fire.
mandolooter
Dec-13-2005, 3:25pm
wow, thats nice...sure wish it was mine! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif
man doh
Dec-13-2005, 7:01pm
BlueMountain,
I guess I gotta ask. MAS seems to hit pretty hard. How many you up to? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif or you own a shop or something?
BlueMountain
Dec-13-2005, 9:44pm
Man, I have it till it hurts, and there are more in the mail. Some are going to have to go, I'm afraid, but meanwhile I'm having fun and generally breaking even. You know what it's like. What I want to do is own one by every luthier, but that won't happen. What was it Nancy Reagan said? Just Say No? Are there pills for this? But this Clark DOES sound great, and it IS a beauty.
Professor PT
Dec-14-2005, 12:53am
BlueMountain,
I guess I gotta ask. #MAS seems to hit pretty hard. #How many you up to? #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif or you own a shop or something?
I was wondering the same thing. And my wife thinks I own a lot of mandolins( three of the four are worth little ). Maybe it's for the better; if I were single, I would have probably defaulted on the mortgage by now to fund the purchase of many mandolins. [B]
mandoman15
Dec-14-2005, 5:42pm
I would have probably defaulted on the mortgage by now to fund the purchase of many mandolins
now you got the idea!
Loren Bailey
Dec-15-2005, 7:16pm
Looks good. I am now the owner of Austin's #2. As soon as I get some time and the weather cooperates I'll try to get some pics up.
Loren
Loren Bailey
Jan-08-2006, 2:29pm
Ok, Weather is better. #Sun sorta washed the front out. #I'll try to get some more shots around sunset.
Here's my Clark F5V. #Sounds sweet and plays like butter.
http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/256/256653/folders/198184/1785208DSCF0077.JPG
Loren Bailey
Jan-08-2006, 2:30pm
Here's the cool "Fiddle" scroll:
http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/256/256653/folders/198184/1785210DSCF0078.JPG
Loren Bailey
Jan-08-2006, 2:31pm
Here's the flamey Back. #Pic really doesn't do it justice.
http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/256/256653/folders/198184/1785213DSCF0084.JPG