Pictures of a, a1, a2, h1, d

[Laurence]

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid202/p60d1051c924158ff00950a70e8396fe3/efe1eda5.jpg
New to the forum--thought I'd stop by and say hi, and post
a picture of my mandolins. From right to left, the A is a
1920, the A2-1921, the A1-1916, the H1-1922, the D-1990,
handmade octave mandolin by yours truely.

[Mark Walker]

Wow. That's a collection of oval-holes (and one more round than oval?) one can sure be proud of! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[pathfinder]

Beautiful group of instruments! #Any particular reason for your interest in ovals over f-holes?

[Laurence]

Any particular reason for your interest in ovals over f-holes?
I like the bell-like quality and timbre of the oval holed mandos. I've never owned an F hole, but I've played a few, not very good ones probably. The oval hole seems to work good for celtic.

ClosetMandolinPlayer, I think I'd make the soundhole oval if I had to do it over. I was thinking volume with the round hole on the OM, although an oval hole could have any size you'd want. I just wasn't thinking.

[Antlurz]

Is that one of Brian Dean's tailpieces on the octave?

( nice collection, BTW )

Ron

[Gail Hester]

Very nice family Laurence, your octave looks great. Welcome to the Cafe.

[Laurence]

Is that one of Brian Dean's tailpieces on the octave?
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid223/p16626d05edab6d5446f732da59d82234/eae7a6a6.jpg
I wish! No, this is a generic no-name cheapy. Someone gave
it to me. But, I'm not finished with it. I went the old
style, you know, friction pegs and all, just for aesthetics.
But it holds it's tension good. I never have to retune it
when changing postions with the capo. The back is pretty
(quilted maple) and I put quite a angle on the neck-to-body
ratio for elevation. Lots of pressure on the top this way--
and braced very well.

Thanks to all for the comments.

Kindest regards,
Laurence

[Fliss]

Welcome to the forum, Laurence. Very nice collection, I like the tone of oval holes too. Please can we see a picture of the quilted maple back of your octave?

Fliss

[Mark Walker]

ClosetMandolinPlayer, I think I'd make the soundhole oval if I had to do it over. I was thinking volume with the round hole on the OM, although an oval hole could have any size you'd want. I just wasn't thinking.

Laurence - I think I know what you're saying. #A couple luthiers who have posted on Mandolin Cafe' have indicated the sound holes aren't the 'bottom line' when it comes to volume and tone coming out of the top. #
In fact, one once told me to (carefully of course!) try taping part of one or both F-holes on my mandolin 'shut' and see what it did to the tone and volume. #Apparently (and I'm not a physics major) much of what eminates from an instrument is very much related to the wood within the instrument - and especially the spruce (or whatever species) top - as much as the hole configuration!

[Laurence]

Welcome to the forum, Laurence. #Very nice collection, I like the tone of oval holes too. #Please can we see a picture of the quilted maple back of your octave?
Thank you, Fliss. I couldn't get a pic without a dull spot somewhere
(like center right), but you get the idea how beautiful the grain
is anyway. The whole back is like tiger eye: the grain moves. What
a shame I couldn't find a piece big enough for a one piece back.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid204/p56027b554fe615abc75a05550f1e2a66/ef803f10.jpg
(12½"W x 16"L)[I]

[Laurence]

Laurence - I think I know what you're saying. #A couple luthiers who have posted on Mandolin Cafe' have indicated the sound holes aren't the 'bottom line' when it comes to volume and tone coming out of the top. #
In fact, one once told me to (carefully of course!) try taping part of one or both F-holes on my mandolin 'shut' and see what it did to the tone and volume. #Apparently (and I'm not a physics major) much of what eminates from an instrument is very much related to the wood within the instrument - and especially the spruce (or whatever species) top - as much as the hole configuration!
I agree. Spruce seems brighter than cedar. It seems hole size would affect volume to some degree--not sure how much though. The shape of a round hole looks too guitarish to me now. A D-hole of some kind might have been preferable--hind sight being 20-20 you know!

[JEStanek]

Wow Laurence, that is a very nice collection. Good looking Octave too. What is the scale length on your OM?

Personally, I don't get the fuss over ff holes. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif Actually, I do but, I still like ovals better...

Welcome to the Cafe'.

Jamie

[Laurence]

Wow Laurence, that is a very nice collection. #Good looking Octave too. #What is the scale length on your OM?

Personally, I don't get the fuss over ff holes. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif Actually, I do but, I still like ovals better...

Welcome to the Cafe'.
Thanks for the warm welcome, Jamie.

The scale on the OM is 24½". Too long! I copied the sounding length off my dad's old guitar, a 1938 AJ, thinking 'the longer the strings the better the tone.' If I had to do it over, I'd stop about 3 frets up. I keep this one tuned to ADAD so it gets capo'd frequently. The maple wood I chose for the neck had a natural curve in the grain, sloping down at both ends (the head and body) which keeps the neck straight. When I restring it, if I take all the strings off rather than replacing them one at a time, the neck will settle back to its natural position--which would cause the strings to buzz on the frets. But when I tune it up, the neck straightens out perfect! I didn't place a rod in it, or a verticle piece of hardwood in the center of the neck. My old mandocello's neck is too thick and wide for my taste. I prefer the feel of the OM neck.

[Mark Walker]

Personally, I don't get the fuss over ff holes. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif Actually, I do but, I still like ovals better...

Jamie


Jamie,

I actually have been intrigued by F4's of late. #

If I were more affected by MAS, I might have one in my meager collection - I love the look of #Gail Hester's (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=15;t=36782;hl=hester+f4)! # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[JeffD]

I like the bell-like quality and timbre of the oval holed mandos.
I agree.

[JEStanek]

Gail makes a fine looking F4, Dola, everything.

Jamie

[Laurence]

Speaking of Gibson ovals, I'm curious, has anyone else besides myself found that the A model sounds better than A1, A2, and A3s. The 1916 A1 pumpkin top I have doesn't sound that great. I played the A2 most of my life, but bought the A a few years ago off eBay just for the case. I was going to resell the A, but gradually began to realize it sounded better than the A2. The top is really alive. I'd say the G string on both sound about the same, but that's about it.

The A is a 61498, the A2 a 69745

The only F2 model I've ever played didn't sound that good. It's an older one (early teens) my uncle bought when he was a kid.

I read somewhere that Norman Blake found a 1930's ('35?) A4 and claimed it was the best sounding oval mandolin he's ever had.

[JEStanek]

I think Dan Beimborn of the Mandolin Archive (http://www.mandolinarchive.com/) has said those teens ovals have some variability in their tone. It makes sense that 80 year old instruments that have had different storage / playing conditions may have different tones.

Jamie