Newell f model

[Keith Newell]

Well here it is finished and ready for a session debut. I'm taking it to Portland tonight to give it a good workout.
Red spruce top, mahogany neck, striped ebony headstock, and lots of tiny changes to my regular F style. It is 1/2" longer and 1/2" narrower. Same body depth and the points are different. The top point is a lazy style point and the bottom point is about half the size as normal. I call this one the "Subtle F" model. I strung it up the other night and played it for 5 minutes before I went to bed (late) and my wife said I came in with a big smile on my face. I love the tone.
Keith
http://www.newellmandolin.com

[Keith Newell]

A different shot of the top in the sun.
Keith

[Keith Newell]

Scroll side shot. Red maple sides.
Keith

[Keith Newell]

The point side shot. The points are curved and the protector is banana shaped.
Keith

[Keith Newell]

The back. The color is pretty much like the bass out here in Oregon/Idaho. The same greens with a hint of brown in them http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Keith

[Keith Newell]

Front shot of the top point.
Keith

[Keith Newell]

Striped ebony headstock with a abalone sun and a MoP "N" in the center.
Keith

[Keith Newell]

One last picture of the backside scroll. The picture is a bit fuzzy.
Keith

[Ken Sager]

Nice, Keith! I like the lines a lot, and I'm partial to green. I also like the Z/N at the 12th fret. Very cool.
Best,
Ken

[Potosimando]

I like your subtle style changes a lot (a whole lot), except for the green hue (to me green...well, no point in making that subjective comment here).

My gosh, to my eye the top and back woods are indicative of a hair-raising potential for exquisite tone--the two best mandolins that I have ever heard (a pair of Gils) have top and back woods that look just about the same as those on this mando. #In looking at other mandolins that you have made, you seem to have great access to some awfully nice tone wood.

Keep up the good and innovative/creative work, Keith.

[Loren Bailey]

Nice Keith. I have got to say that most of the colored mandos really don't do it for me. But this one is really unique. The Green is very earthy and not over the top. It blends together nicely and the neck color compliments it well. It's also a good color for us Duck fans but you'll have to do one in organge now to please the OSU fans.

Loren

[JEStanek]

Looks cool Kieth. I like the green and the contrast of the reddish neck. Good combo.

Jamie

[MandoSquirrel]

As Ken Sager said, like the lines a lot, & for green, that color ain't half bad, either. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[rekx]

I just think that is a fun and cool looking mando. And very tastefully done, I might add. I love everything about it...the scroll, the tailpiece, the headstock....oh, and the color! Kieth...I hope you are ready to make more of those...I think this might be a great mando for my son...

edit: the inlay on the neck brings the whole piece together.

[Keith Owen]

Love it! #A lot of the details (headstock shape, tailpiece choice, open scroll) are like my #27. But some real nice differences too. Scroll is tighter, headstock overlay is different, mahogany neck is really cool.

I really like the fretboard markers. #Very nice.

[Clyde Clevenger]

Very nice Keith, hope I get a chance to put a pick to it this summer. I could go green. Nikki absolutely loves it.

[steve V. johnson]

Hey Keith,

Nice work, that back is -very- fish-y! Sweet.

I wonder... what was your thinking in changing the body dimensions to the longer and narrower measurements? Ergonomic or aural?

thanks,

stv

[B. T. Walker]

Love the color, love the back, love the headstock, and (oh, yeah) I love the color.

Brian
another happy green mando owner

[Keith Newell]

Thanks all for the support! You know I agonized over what color I wanted it to be for a long time and juggled the "make a popular color/burst" or "go for it do what you #want". I figured that around town at the sessions if someone was talking and mentioned my name and the listener was like "huh? Who now?" then they could say "you know the guy that plays the green mando"
The shape was something I kicked around alot on ideas but I noticed when I lay my templates on top of each other that the A style had so much more area/volume. I didn't like how short the F was compared to the A styles I build. The A has been very popular and I though what if I stretched it a bit and narrowed it. I wouldn't lose and volume inside really. I then noticed that when I get my wood that a lot of it is right at 10" and I have to really pay attention and have everything dead on to get the piece of wood to work. So 1/2" makes a nice buffer on if I can use the wood. My A styles are right at 10" width.
Just a teaser here, I did not use any green dye to stain the instrument.
Keith http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[steve V. johnson]

Hey Keith (that guy with the green mandolin),

That's really interesting about the body volume! Once upon a time I was trying to quantify some differences in sounds among some OMs/zouks (which are so rarely F-styles), and so I asked some questions in the builders section about some variables, top/back plate sizes, rim depth and interior volume. I got my ears boxed by a Ph D over it, but I retained the notion that interior volume and even more so, depth of the box, has a lot to do with timbre.

I'm not enough of a wood/finish guy to even start on the "did not use any green dye" bit, but it's an exquisite tease! LOL!!! Well done!

Thanks,

stv

[Keith Newell]

I have an interesting take on that sliahbstv. I have been in the manufacturing industry for 32 years not including the time growing up in my dads gunsmith shop learning about tools. I have credentials. None need mentioned here because this is a mandolin site. I can study, read, experiment, deduce and hypothesize as well as the next guy on many subjects. When running into a machining problem the books might point one direction but through these 32 years experience I know that they are a "best case" scenario and there are so many variables. When duplicating the best case thing it tends to be that the most productive thing I can use is that small but powerful thing called my brain that not only remembers everything the "books" said but tempers it with experiences that flash through it faster then you can get out a index of footnotes on your favorite theory.
I have faced a few instances of those that tend to tell me I am wrong when I am the one playing, feeling, hearing and listening to others comments that were watching me do all those previous things. And I have reserved a small section of my categorizing of individuals for just those people titled "Hmm Huh". Don't get me wrong, knowledge is a wonderful thing but I can read all the best books on how to fish bass, crappie or other such fish then go out with someone that lives it and learn a heck of alot more in 4 hours then 400 of studying.
All I know is after trying certain things and varying the small things about the mandolin I seemed to have gotten a consistency in sound. It may lean one way or the other but the consistency has come from close attention to types of wood, thickness, perceived stiffness and body depth...oh yeah also the amount of arch/recurve. I may have been just a lucky guy but for the benefit of my ego I like to think I am heading down the right road.
The best thing I can say is I'm doing what I like to do and having fun while doing it. I wish the same for everyone that has a dream, hobby or goal.
Keith

[steve V. johnson]

Amen, sir, and well done.

Many thanks,

stv

[Bryan Monarch]

Beautiful, I am another one of those guys who love Green finishes...I've had my eye on that Madison Moss custom color on the Weber line. Love the headstock.

[Joe F]

I love the green, too, although not all shades of green (http://folkofthewood.com/page3486.htm) work as well as yours.

[fwoompf]

Seafoam green is my favorite color on electric guitars...no comment on the Rigel http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Oh, and I love the green F keith...very awesome.

[Austin Clark]

tell me you didn't use the bass.... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[Keith Newell]

*burp*

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Keith