Blonde Bodied Mandolins

[Soupy1957]

So for those of you who have been observing my posts, and contributing to them (thank you) I guess you already know that I'm a "newbie" to the Mandolin world.
I have been progressing (progress report) with my learning and have almost mastered, (choke) "Arkansas Traveller" at 70% of standard tempo (using "Trascribe!") and am working on my chords and octaves as well.
Arpegio's are fine, (because of my guitar background) and my Tremelo's are ugly (lol) but I'll get there!
I'll include a pic of my KM 620B here if I can figure out how to do it, and am starting a savings account for a "blonde bodied" (dunno which brand yet, but am looking at a Gallatin for starters,made by Weber), and over time, I'll save up enough to buy one.
Anyone know how the blonde-bodied Mandolins play/sound?
I like the idea of having a unique-looking instrument, (naturally I'd like it to play well, and hold tune).
Best wishes to all my fellow Mando players out there!!
-Soupy1957

[ab4usa]

soupy, color makes no difference in sound. Color is all about what you think looks best. Any of the custom builders will make you a blond if you like. Some of them may say that blonds are less forgiving in hiding any imperfections.

[Soupy1957]

Agree,
It is not so much about the "color" (although distinctive)but the wood that is used.
Obviously, most wood, (except perhaps for Walnut or other more exotic woods) is "blonde" before it is stained so I was more curious about the sound/performance factors.
Guess I didn't express that well enough.
Sorry,
-Soupy1957

[sunburst]

If I build a blonde mandolin, I use wood from the same "pile" that I normally would. That means the sound will only be as much different as one mandolin is from the next normally.

Wood has to be chosen from the "pile" very carefully for a blonde mandolin, however. There can be no blemishes or discoloration that would normally be covered by the stain, and it's not uncommon to have to reject a piece that is nearing completion because of carving into a blemish that was hidden earlier. The luthier has to be on his/hes best behavior throughout the building process, because every detail of construction and trim will be displayed, and not hidden beneath a stain. You can expect to pay a extra for a blonde mandolin from many makers because of the extra time spend selecting blemish free wood for color match, and extra time spent on the details of construction, but you can expect the sound to be similar to what that builder will normally produce.

[Soupy1957]

John,
Thanks so much! That was DIRECTLY what I was fishing for, and the things you stated were what I would have suspected.
The only thing I would add, is that I suspect that without the dark staining process, the clear-coat application might not be as resonate, and potentially not as protective against stresses and fracturing to the wood, depending on the clear-coat used. Your thoughts on this?

Regards,
-Soupy1957

[Bill Snyder]

Why do you think the staining process would help resonance? If anything (which I am not saying the proper stain would have any discernable effect) I would suspect stain would be more likely to dampen the sound than enhance it.

[Bob DeVellis]

I don't think staining would have any discernable effect at all on sound. The acoustic properties of the finish, I'm quite sure, are determined primarily by the mode of application, secondarily by the material used (e.g., varnish vs lacquer), and not at all by pigmentation. Also, Soupy1957, remember that many blonde instruments have some pigment, e.g., yellow, to give them that golden, vintage look. The pigment typically would be mixed in with the finish rather than rubbed into the wood separately, though. John, have I got this right?

[Big Joe]

Well, maybe the stain would be in the finish. It depends upon what look you want. Some will put the stain on the wood directly and then put whatever finish material over it. Some will use a sealer base coat and then put the color on before clear coating. Some will mix the color with the lacquer and do it that way. Each has its own effect and gives a different look. I don't know that the stain itself will affect tone to any discernable degree, but the kind of finish will. I suppose the type of stain could make a difference. Water based stains should not be a problem though.

[Ken Sager]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We all know blondes are more fun, but nobody else has the guts to say it.

Blondes are more fun! They may sound just like those common brown and bursty mandolins, but people stare at blonde mandolins. They get more attention.

Love to all,
Ken