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Ken Sager
Jul-27-2006, 8:23am
A little preview of good things to come:

Custom Arches F5 with birdseye maple, red spruce, ebony/maple/ebony binding, three-piece neck, slightly wider (and radiused) fretboard. The coolest part is that I get to play it like this to provide feedback to Chris he can use for final neck shaping and top and back graduations.

He's quite a craftsman.

http://kensager.com/images/ARCHES.JPG

Ken Sager
Jul-27-2006, 8:24am
The other side:

http://kensager.com/images/ARCHES_Back.JPG

Stay tuned,
Ken

Kevin K
Jul-27-2006, 8:25am
I like that look. Very clean. What tuners are those?

Ken Sager
Jul-27-2006, 8:27am
Waverlies.

JEStanek
Jul-27-2006, 8:35am
I hope you're gonna keep the stain low key to show off that birdseye. I would like a honey blonde finish on that with the brown binding. That looks great. Chris is a wonderful builder.

Jamie

pickinNgrinnin
Jul-27-2006, 9:52am
Very nice. Love the Birdseye. Are you going to have any inlay on the headstock?

Skip Kelley
Jul-27-2006, 10:51am
Sweet! Very clean!

PaulD
Jul-27-2006, 11:16am
Congrats Ken... that's gorgeous! I can't wait to see the closeups or see it in person. I love birdseye and I'm sure Chris will do it justice with the finish. Very cool!

pd

kyblue
Jul-27-2006, 11:51am
Very nice!

Paula

amowry
Jul-27-2006, 1:16pm
Nice! I love the birdseye and the binding.

sgarrity
Jul-27-2006, 1:20pm
Stunning!! What color is it gonna be?

BradB
Jul-27-2006, 1:23pm
I second the recommendation for a light finish. Blonde top with honey amber back & sides would look great.

Arnt
Jul-27-2006, 1:54pm
Oh, what a beauty! I'm piling on here, I think it would look nice as a blonde.

G. Fisher
Jul-27-2006, 4:11pm
That is a great looking mando. I agree that a lighter color would be nice with that wonderful wood.

tjg
Jul-27-2006, 4:13pm
I have an old antique dresser that has wood just like that back. Hmmmm.....

man doh
Jul-27-2006, 5:06pm
Ken,

Real nice look. I love the 3pc neck. Is the Arches inlay Wood or MOP?

Chris' work is top notch. I love my A-5.

Ken Sager
Jul-27-2006, 5:21pm
Thanks friends. It'll be a light colored varnish. Originally I asked for blonde, then amber, then asked Chris to do what he likes.

I'm betting the inlay is MOP, but I can't be certain. I also don't know what Chris has planned for any further inlay, or if there will be. I asked him to do what pleases him. He has a unique eye and creative sensibility which I trust completely.

I'll know more tomorrow when I find Chris showing it off around Rockygrass...

I'll post more when I know more.

Thanks all,
Ken

Darren Kern
Jul-28-2006, 1:06am
Ken, that's absolutely gorgeous, congrats!! Chris' work is awesome. If I had the money, he's one of the 2 builders I'd contact immediately to get on their waiting list.

good_ol_al_61
Jul-28-2006, 3:17pm
Ken:

Impressive! (nuff said)

I am glad to see yours well along, because that one more out of the way of mine. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

I am really looking forward to enjoying the building process and eventually the playing. I am sure Scott will need more bandwidth and storage on his system to hold all of the pictures I'll be forced to upload.

Chip Booth
Jul-28-2006, 4:47pm
I've been waiting for these pics for a while. I saw this mandolin with the back off some months ago, and have been checking this pic section almost daily waiting for it to pop up. I am sure it will be stunning, especially after talking with Chris.

Chip

Ken Sager
Jul-31-2006, 3:49pm
Oh, it's better than the pictures could show. It was a real treat to get to put 8 or so hours of play into this weekend. Chris has done some amazing things to it that I should let him explain here sometime. I was floored by it, truly. It's going to be a fantastic tool (Chris' term) and I'm lucky it'll be mine.

To answer a couple questions more clearly...
Color: light -- somewhere between blonde and amber. We'll see what happens.
Finish: not sure exactly yet what will be done. Chris is still experimenting.
Inlay: The Arches logo is MOP, and this is it, there won't be any more headstock inlay and I think it's stunning as it is

Questions not asked...
1) There are skinny micro-dots on the fretboard that don't show up in the photos, and are invisible from more than 5 feet. Chris wanted my students to be able to see them. Works for me.
2) The fingerboard is bound with a slim maple strip and ebony outside. It's flawless.
3) The peghead has a binding-like inlay of the same size maple strip, but it's inlayed, not bound
4) The nut is wide 1-3/16" and the radius is somewhere between 10-12"
5) Chris is a genius, and a bit of a mad scientist
6) I'm extatic

That's all. I'll post more when I have more.

Joy to all,
Ken

Lane Pryce
Jul-31-2006, 7:22pm
Ken you have a very nice mandolin there. Hope Chris goes with a very thin oil varnish of your choosing. Are you going with an unfinished neck or stained with a coat or two of tung oil to slicken things up? Lp

Ken Sager
Aug-01-2006, 12:01am
The finish is up to Chris. He's all about making the best mandolin possible, so I trust his judgement. We haven't talked about how to finish the back of the neck, but I'll defer to his judgement again. I don't mind leaving varnish on the back of the neck, so I'm happy either way. Besides, that is something that should be easy to adjust later if I want it to feel any different.

Another question not asked:
The truss rod cover is expertly cut out of the headstock veneer so it is flush with the face of the headstock, sitting in its own pocket. Very cool detail.

Chris Baird
Aug-01-2006, 12:08am
Hey, it was a real treat hearing Ken spank some mojo into this thing. All soft naked mandos should get thrown into some dirty late night jams prior to receiving their finish.
Don't know what I'm going to put on it yet. And, it doesn't have any inlay because it doesn't need it.

Gail Hester
Aug-01-2006, 12:35am
I've been collecting some Birdseye maple in hopes of making something like that someday but that wood is just of the chart. I agree, there is elegance to that mandolin that doesn’t need any more inlay. Beautiful work Chris and congrats Ken.

Ken Sager
Aug-01-2006, 11:16pm
It did get a bit spanked in a couple dirty late night jams. One jam in particular was quite memorable. I met a fellow named Louis (Lou-eece) from Spain who picked a mean banjo (who knew bluegrass has taken hold in Spain) and a great flatpicker from Durango named Kevin. Kevin was playing a terrific sounding '48 D28. It was a great weekend at Rockygrass made better by being able to play my new mandolin.

Thanks for the kind words everyone,
Ken

berkeleymando
Aug-08-2006, 11:33am
Looks great Ken. This one has been in the woks for a while now, great to see the fruit on the vine as it were. Please follow up with more pics once the finish is on and dry and you have it in your hands.

thiggins
Aug-08-2006, 1:13pm
Love birdseye maple too. I have a 5-string electric in birdseye. Like the ebony strip on the neck and the dark binding too.

Not TOO different from my new Baby. (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=15;t=36637)

Tim

man doh
Aug-10-2006, 9:01pm
Ken,

This looks like the Big Brother to the A I own from Chris. I think you played that one. It is opening up quite nice. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Ken Sager
Aug-13-2006, 3:03pm
Ken,

This looks like the Big Brother to the A I own from Chris. #I think you played that one. #It is opening up quite nice. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Yours was the mandolin that convinced me to give Chris the deposit. Thank you!

c3hammer
Aug-15-2006, 11:15am
When it arrives I'd like to hear it. Let me know when you're ready to show it off http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Cheers,
Pete

Ken Sager
Aug-16-2006, 11:37am
Some new photos to show off:

Ken Sager
Aug-16-2006, 11:38am
Chris is an artist.

JEStanek
Aug-16-2006, 11:41am
Drop
Dead
Gorgeous.

Jamie

Ken Sager
Aug-16-2006, 11:42am
Yes, I agree.

Ken Sager
Aug-16-2006, 11:45am
When it arrives I'd like to hear it. #Let me know when you're ready to show it off http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Cheers,
Pete
Pete, I'll let you know when I have it, absolutely.

JEStanek
Aug-16-2006, 11:57am
There is something about the color and lines on that old pleather kitchen chair that make that mando look amazing. Choice of color is perfect in every way.

Jamie who can't stop drooling.

kyblue
Aug-16-2006, 12:09pm
Mmmm, very nice.

Paula

Ken Sager
Aug-16-2006, 12:18pm
There is something about the color and lines on that old pleather kitchen chair that make that mando look amazing. #Choice of color is perfect in every way.

Jamie who can't stop drooling.
I think it's the other way around, the mandolin makes the chair look good.

Amazing coincidence, I used to play in a band called Faded Pleather!

I can't wait to get my hands on this thing. Having played it I knew it was a reality, but now it's feeling even more real just seeing the stain on it. It'll probably look just like this when it's done, as Chris mentioned wanting to do a matte/satin varnish.

You see why I trust his instincts. Completely.

What's more, the sound of this instrument is going to surprise folks. The clarity, richness and strength of each note was amazing. The COOL thing about that, it'll only get better as it gets played. It'll get played.

Thanks for letting me share this with you, and thanks for the comments.

Love to all,
Ken

Fliss
Aug-16-2006, 12:29pm
Ken, may I just add my admiration to that above. I love the colour of that mandolin, it positively glows.

Congrats on a beautiful mando.

Fliss

Jim M.
Aug-16-2006, 12:47pm
That is beautiful for sure. I'd love to compare it to my F4. Arches-fest, anyone? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Ken Sager
Aug-16-2006, 1:03pm
That is beautiful for sure. I'd love to compare it to my F4. Arches-fest, anyone? #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Arches fest, yes. Moab, San Francisco, or New York?

bluegrassplayer
Aug-16-2006, 2:59pm
Why not meet in the middle and come to Tulsa, OK. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

berkeleymando
Aug-16-2006, 3:16pm
That is beautiful for sure. I'd love to compare it to my F4. Arches-fest, anyone? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Arches fest, yes. Moab, San Francisco, or New York?
Well F4 #1 lives in Berkeley and #2 over the hills a few miles to the east of here...

Lee
Aug-16-2006, 4:14pm
Good score, Ken.
Congrats!

mandoJeremy
Aug-16-2006, 9:58pm
These builders just continue to amaze me! That is gorgeous!

F5G WIZ
Aug-16-2006, 11:57pm
With the black binding, gold waverlys and sandwiched neck and James tail peice, it looks very similar to my new POE. Very nice. Don't cover any of that birdseye with a sunburst.

Ken Sager
Aug-17-2006, 12:28am
It's Chris who should be congratulated for his fine work. I simply placed an order with a terrific builder. BTW, the Waverly tuners and James tailpiece are silver. There won't be any burst.

Thanks for the comments. I'm thrilled that I'll get to play it every day.

Best,
Ken

F5G WIZ
Aug-17-2006, 1:04am
Sorry must have been the reflection. Looked gold in the first picture. That is some beautiful wood. When are you expecting it and what kind of finish will it have?

Ken Sager
Aug-17-2006, 7:50am
Sorry must have been the reflection. #Looked gold in the first picture. #That is some beautiful wood. #When are you expecting it and what kind of finish will it have?
I thought the photos made the hardware look gold, too. It must be the luster of the wood, or perhaps the pleather chair. I'm not expecting it on any given date. Chris hasn't given a delivery date, and that's fine with me. It'll be done when it's done. The finish will be varnish. I'm not sure exactly what type of varnish Chris will use, but I do know it will be varnish.

Lane Pryce
Aug-17-2006, 8:16am
Chris is an artist.
Dang Skippy!! That is one of the most beautiful mandolins I have ever seen ---- congratulations Ken. Lp

Ken Sager
Sep-08-2006, 12:50pm
Another photo to share.

kyblue
Sep-08-2006, 2:18pm
Really nice, Ken.

When is someone going to bring one of Chris's mandos to IBMA so I can hear one?

Paula

Lane Pryce
Sep-08-2006, 4:49pm
Stellar! I have to say Chris has set a new milestone with this one. Will you be passing out cigars and brandy? Lp

Tom Smart
Sep-09-2006, 10:41am
Chris, Ken, you guys are killing me. Will I ever get to see this thing for real?

Chris Baird
Sep-09-2006, 11:03am
Thanks for the compliments. I think I'll actually have it done in a week or two. I've been trying out a new, all hand applied, finish and it is requiring a lot of time and elbow grease.

Ken Sager
Sep-11-2006, 12:17pm
Chris, Ken, you guys are killing me. Will I ever get to see this thing for real?
It's all Chris. I'm just the lucky recipient. You'll get to see it Tom, I'm certain.

Ken Sager
Sep-11-2006, 12:18pm
Thanks for the compliments. I think I'll actually have it done in a week or two. I've been trying out a new, all hand applied, finish and it is requiring a lot of time and elbow grease.
Looking forward to seeing and playing it again, Chris. It's beautiful. Thank you.

PaulD
Sep-11-2006, 12:36pm
That's one great looking mando... I can't wait to see it up close. You do marvelous work, Chris, I'm looking forward to working with you when our number comes up.

pd

Tom Smart
Sep-11-2006, 2:32pm
Chris, Ken, you guys are killing me. Will I ever get to see this thing for real?
It's all Chris. I'm just the lucky recipient. You'll get to see it Tom, I'm certain.
You're the one posting the beauty shots, and that's what's getting me all hot and bothered.

oldwave maker
Sep-11-2006, 6:58pm
Yum! thats just how I'd have him make mine! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

Breakfast
Sep-14-2006, 9:10pm
Ken, It's beautiful. I can't wait to hear it.

S

dave waite
Sep-16-2006, 10:24am
Ken,
That's just plain spectacular! If I was to design a mandolin that would be it. By the way I am the one that bought your Pomeroy & I am really enjoying it. I had some fret work & setup done to it to fit my likes & it really has grown on me. A real value. You sound pretty nonchalant about delivery time on your new mandolin, but you can't fool me! It's gotta be killing you. Fess up!!
Dave

Ken Sager
Sep-19-2006, 2:43pm
Hi Dave,

Glad to hear you're enjoying the Pomeroy. I knew someone would be getting a fine mandolin, and a good value, too.

The wait isn't that bad, truly. I know I'm in for a treat so it would only be a waste of time to sweat any waiting. If I weren't ecstatic about getting it I'd be simply overjoyed. I gave Chris all the lattitude he wanted to build it knowing that it would be fantastic. He'll deliver when he delivers, and I'll get to play the snot out of it for years. A few months of waiting is nothing.

True.

Best,
Ken