My New Williamson Mando - It's Bonified

[thiggins]

This thing is just beautiful.

[thiggins]

Here's the front...hoo rah !

[thiggins]

...and the gorgeous quilted maple back...

[thiggins]

...and the headstock...

[John Flynn]

Great looking instrument. I am not familiar with the builder. Can you tell us more? Also, what are the woods? How does it sound?

[thiggins]

Lon Williamson is the builder. This is his website Williamson Mandolins (http://gatorbone.com/).
This will be the second mando I've had him build for me.

I don't physically have it yet. I'm in Georgia, and the mando is still at his shop in Florida, and he JUST finished it. I'm going down to pick it up in 3 weeks. Informed musician friends that have played it say it's one of Lon's best sounding yet, which means alot to me since the last one of his I played sounded awesome, loud, well balanced, and very responsive. Didn't take much to get good volume out of it.

I can't wait!

It is all quilted maple, with tortoise binding, ebony accents, and a high quality red (Adirondack) spruce top.
It is also finished with Varnish, and french polished.
It has Waverly tuners, and an engraved Monteleone tailpiece.
It was all custom woods, color, setup, everything. Oh, the
fingerboard has a 10" radius, and a 1 1/8" nut, ala the Sam Bush model by you-know-who, and the truss rod cover is a custom ebony "arrow head" by Lon also.

Tim

[F5G WIZ]

Wow! Looks beautiful! Love the quilt. How about a better picture of the back with less glare? I go to St. Augustine about every year. Will have to try out the creekside resturant and give them a listen.

[HarmonyRexy]

Hey... We're going to St. Augustine tomorrow for a workshop. I just checked the calendar at the Creekside Restaurant and they're playing on Friday night. I think that I can finagle a way to hear them.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[JEStanek]

Lovely design! I love the scroll and the peg head is neat. That quilt looks awesome.
I hope it plays as good as it looks for a long long time.
Jamie

[Darren Kern]

Very nice, unique... I dig it. The finish on the back looks liquid! Congrats.

[thiggins]

I'll see about getting more pics.

Tim

[Jason Kessler]

A beaut!

[thiggins]

Here's another of the back without glare.

[Mark Walker]

That is one PRIMO piece of wood! Congrats! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[thiggins]

Yeah, Lis and Lon spent a bunch of time doing lots of research finding the wood. The top is some of the tightest and straightest spruce I've ever seen, and perfectly quarter sawn.

If you can see the Driftwoods play, be sure to ask about Lon's mandos. Their mandolin/guitar player, Gabe Valla, plays a Williamson mando also, and it sounds great.

Tim

[thiggins]

Ok ok, I'm going nuts, but here's yet another pic. This one
shows the quilted maple Lon used on the dang NECK. (Check out those Waverly's...) http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Skip Kelley]

Sweet! Incredible quilt and that finish is slick!!

[Lane Pryce]

The tuners look like the Collings Gotohs; IMO have a vintage look. The ivoroid buttons look very nice too. Super mandolin! Lp

[Fliss]

Elegant is the word that springs to my mind - congratulations Tim!

[Burner]

That is lovely, the quilt is like an alien sea! I like the design also. (The top looks englemann'esque to me.)

[HarmonyRexy]

Tim, you're a blessed man!

We had a nice experience tonight as a result of this topic.
We went to the Creekside Dinery and heard the Driftwoods. #They were really good and the audience appreciated them very much.

The luthier who made thiggins's beautiful new mandolin, Lon Williamson, played upright bass and sang.... Elisabeth Williamson sang and played rhythm guitar/ banjo... Gabriel Valla handled guitar and mandolin... and Eric Searcy on dobro and banjo.

Here's a pix of Lon with another of the mandolins that he built... and our 8 year old son. #The mandolin had a great sound... #(In the background, you can see Gabe, their talented mandolin player on the left.)

[HarmonyRexy]

Here's Lon Williamson with the upright bass that he plays. It is a fabulous looking/sounding instrument.

[F5G WIZ]

You better start feeding that bass a little more, looks a little skinny! haha Thanks for the glareless picture of the back. I love the quilted maple. My new POE mandolin will be in my posession next week and it has a very similar quilted back (see "Poe #5 in Progress" thread for pics) Beautiful mandolin with unique design. Congrats and happy pickin'!

[thiggins]

Really glad you got to meet Lon, Lis, Gabe and Eric. They are wonderful people, and play really great music.

Yeah, Lon's bass is way cool, and sounds awesome.

Tim

[thiggins]

Hey, I'm going down to Lis and Lon's place to pick up the new baby this weekend.
I'll give a report on my return. Cain't wait !!!

Tim
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[bradeinhorn]

love that arrowhead truss rod cover. think he'll sell those individually?

[bluegrassplayer]

So... who had to get hit by a train?

Anyway, That is really nice!

[B. T. Walker]

I love quilted backs, and this one is beautiful. Wow.

[bradeinhorn]

i want an arrow head TRC!!!!

[Hoosierpred]

Beautiful honey color...I agree with the person who said it looks elegant, like it wants to play some Bach right away. Question---does the grain go side to side on the top, or is that an artifact of the sawing?

[thiggins]

I think what you're seeing is the effect of perfectly cut quarter sawn spruce. I believe it's due to you looking at the "top" of the grain in a symetrical view. The overall grain does go up and down in the normal way.

BTW: I just got this baby home, and it is LOUD! It really pops. Can't wait to use it on stage. Lon has created a wonderful thing.

Tim http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif