3 point peghead

[mandomaker]

Does anyone know what type of wire was used for the tendrils on the vine of the very beautiful peghead on the old 3-point Gibson mandolins? I am thinking of doing something inspired by that pattern. It seems that silver wire would eventually tarnish, even under varnish. Platinum wire seems better. It would be costly, but it wouldn't take much. Also, any tips on how to inlay it would be appreciated. Thanks

[Frank Ford]

Various makers used wire tendrils, and I've seen both silver and nickel. Platinum would not have been likely, for obvious reasons. Personally, I'd use nickel or aluminum.

[danb]

I believe the Gibsons are silver wire. Wire inlay technique is interesting- I've heard different builders give different opinions. Mike Kemnitzer (Nugget) has done some magnificent torch & wire replicas on his F5s.. I think it looks spectacular

[sunburst]

If you want the tendrils to be an even width, it's much easier to use strips of flat stock rather than round wire. That way the depth of the inlay doesn't matter.

You can get creative with round wire, and graduate the depth of the inlay from half the diameter (maximum line width) to shallower (narrower line). That can add a contoured look to the curves.