Sunbursts

[sean parker]

no two sunbursts are the same. tobacco, cherry, brentrup's got a blackburst even. some are pretty ordinary, and some leave the term "finish" way behind and enter the world of sublime, and in doing so, totally transform an instrument.

i'm in the process of choosing finishes & specs for a custom mandola, and have been looking for beautiful 'bursts for inspiration. fellow cafe memebers, have you any faves? post 'em and share their glory http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif i'll start the ball rolling. here's a silverangel that was posted recently. i love this trad 'burst.

[Mark Walker]

Must be why mine looks somewhat similar - it's a Silver Angel from 2005!

The photo doesn't do its color justice - it's really more of a 'tobacco-brown' than reddish.

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

[Russ Partain]

This is plain, understated and beautiful. #It doesn't look like a paintball exploded on the top either. You can clearly see all of the grain. It did not buy this mandolin for the finish. #I bought it for the sound.

[Mark Walker]

Russ - that's a great one too! #That subtle look is a nice change! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[bradeinhorn]

hard to capture, but here's the daley.

[cooper4205]

here are a couple of Will Parsons' sunbursts

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/wesb4217/parsons/closefront.jpg

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/wesb4217/parsonsF5V3.jpg

[Bill Snyder]

All well done.
A higher res picture of the rossete on Gail's F-4 would be nice.

[troika]

Here's my Collings MF5 Varnish. #Nooone does sunbursts better than Collings.

[testore]

MMM 'dola

[cooper4205]

that's sweet 'burst, Gary. I just wish I could see one in person on this side of the country.

here's the burst on my F2

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/wesb4217/closetop1.jpg

[Doug Edwards]

My SA...

[Jim MacDaniel]

I've always been a fan of Mandohack Blue...

[sean parker]

gary, that's so nice, it's practically melting (or i am.) i remember your last 'dola which was also choice.

russ, i agree that it's also nice to see the grain. that's something i like about those brown A's from the teens, which is what i reminded of when i look at cooper4205's parsons and mandoplucker's hester. we should start a thread on rosettes too!

troika, collings do amazing 'bursts on their guitars. i've wanted a 'burst top mahogany backed dred for ages from collings.

another sunburst i like. unfortunately, i only own the one mandolin, and it's more of a duskburst. so here's my '74 Gibson Super 400 CES. i didn't take this photo, it's from www.archtop.com's archive.

[Crowder]

Passernig #42

[Crowder]

Another shot

[ninevah]

Ellis #75, I asked Tom for a dark burst.

[Steve Cantrell]

Wow. That Ellis is easy on the eyes. Nice mando, ninevah.

[buckhorn]

one of my first

[F5G WIZ]

Here is My #5. Nice burst I think.

[buckhorn]

one of my best

[buckhorn]

good try

[buckhorn]

just trying to prefect

[buckhorn]

most of the family of buckhorn mandolins

[buckhorn]

now the front sides

[Lou Scuderi]

Gotta love those sunbursts! My humble contribution:
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/9510/img1045qh4.jpg

[sean parker]

crowder, love your passering. such a great colour.

F5 GWIZ, i was going to post poe#5 too! saw it on his site. that's who's building my mandola. in much admiration.

plamadude30k, that's like a painting. who was the builder?

buckhorn, wow, what is the white mando in the middle? what is it made out of?

ninevah, the ellis is truly tasty. it's given me #inspiration to post my dark burst.

thanks to you all. such amazing instruments. keep 'em coming!

[Brad H]

Had to post...

[sean parker]

goodness!....now, that's a sunburst. brad, how could you not post that? amazing. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

may i humbly ask who made it?

[Brad H]

Sean, thanks for the comment! That is one I built and is now being played by Andy Ball of the Lonesome River Band. You can watch Andy play it and see a couple more pics on my website... http://www.hillmandolins.com/pages/showcase.htm

[buckhorn]

sean # #....that is the one and only .. PANDOLIN.. #it is made from a white enamual (?) bedpan..it has a maple neck and a spruce bridge support..the peghead overlay is walnut...has a great LOUD sound but is a little hard to play..it is tuff to keep tuned and weights as much as a BUICK....i am working on the tuning.....it is signed on the back by Rhonda V.

[MandoBen]

My BRW

[MandoBen]

The back

[red7flag]

Thank you all for your posts. Those are some great bursts. Of the ones posted, my favs were the SA, Collings and the Ellis dark. There was something wonderful about Brad H's and that gets my vote as best so far. Keep em coming, these are great.
Tony

[Steve Perry]

Sumi

[Steve Perry]

Ok... Here's my Sumi... maybe.

[Steve Perry]

The back...

[kyblue]

Brad H.

That is VERY nice. I'm normally anti-burst because I think a lot of them can be very cheesy looking (like someone taped off a round yellow circle and sprayed dark paint around it!) But, don't see how anyone could find fault with that one.

I'm sure Andy enjoys showing it off.

Paula

[K3NTUCKI8oy]

Buckhorn those look good except for the white one. Has it been used??? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[Grandude]

Wow, Brad! #Andy Ball is one of the best pickers I know of. #And if your mandolin is the successor to, or is supplementing his Engelmann topped MM then it must truly be a hoss. #Is that an Engelmann top on the one he plays on your website also?

[pjlama]

redburst-

[cooper4205]

that Ellis is tough, PJ

[Brad H]

Hey, thanks guys. I really like the Passernig, Ellis, and the BRW.

Grandude, the top on that one is red spruce. And yes, Andy is a fantastic player and a very nice fellow. The evening we shot the video of Andy was the first time I had met him, and I was totally blown away at how fluid and precise his playing was. He played off the top of his head for over an hour and I don't think I heard one improper note. I'm truly humbled that a player of Andy's caliber is playing one of my instruments, especially considering the MM he has is such a great sounding mandolin.

Back to the sunbursts!!!!

[pickinNgrinnin]

Hogan F5 - built by Adrian Minarovic. Varnish finish over the burst. I love this Mando http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[buckhorn]

hay bill...i think that the commodian looks more like a resionater (?) type.... i am trying to maintain the total open front area...it was just for a hoot anyway...never would have thought it would have any sound at all ....it sure ain"t a LOAR.....but at those late night campground jams , you can play it or use it.... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[buckhorn]

this says it all

[pjlama]

Yeah, Brad I remember seeing that pic in another thread and being blown away, killer figure and finish. Ditto on the Passernig and BRW too.

[Crowder]

Thanks for the compliments on the Passernig. I wish the pics really captured the subtlety of it.

There are some very pretty ones being shown off here. That Hogan looks sweet, and I love the look that Ellis gets. He made the pickguard and cut the inlay on my Passernig. Can't wait to play one of his instruments.

[squirrelabama]

Love Gary's burst..........

[sean parker]

buckhorn, your pandolin is fantastic! and yes it does look like a resonator. when i first saw it from the back, i thought it was some crazy fibre glass bowlback, but then i saw the front and was wanting to ask if it was a toilet seat, but was being very cautious #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif #i wasn't far off! #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

mandoben, your brentrup is sweet. two pointers are so underrated.

and again, brad that sunBURST back is a knockout.

[Darryl Wolfe]

Nice pickguard on the Vessel http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[tnpathfinder]

Glenn varnished

[Antlurz]

Sunburst with a bit lower intensity...

Ron

[Lou Scuderi]

@ Sean (sorry it took so long to reply)
That is an Old Wave instrument built by Bill Bussmann. One of my favorite people I've met so far in the mandolin community.

[sean parker]

plamadude30k, no problem, thanks for getting back to me. your old wave has a warm painterly look to it. looks great. i haven't met or talked with bill bussman, but from all his postings, he seems to have a welcoming persona, great sense of humour and hius enthusiasm is catching.

antlurz, , i like yours! who built it? what's the top? and i'm interested in your fretboard inlays. thanks.

you know, i am interested in seeking out inspiration for a sunburst of my own, but deep down i think it's an unconscious wish to see many amazing mandolins, and it has been granted! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif thanks for taking the time to show your instruments.

[Yonkle]

#6

[Stanley Cox]

Hey Yonkle, Me thinks someones tummy is going to get "sunburst" burn. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif
Kidding aside that looks great!

Stanley http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[sean parker]

yonkle, that is intense. mystical.

[danb]

Wiens #9

http://www.mandolinarchive.com/images/9_wiens_back_detail.jpg

[mandobando]

Hey Dan, That's great! Thanks for posting. Is there any way you could show the front?

[oldwave maker]

tru-oil fp over 2 coats 1.5# shellac over alcohol and h20 based stains, inspired by an ellis I MASsed over at the ASIA symposium

[markishandsome]

Bill, if you've got MAS what hope is there for the rest of us!

Great looking mando by the way.

[Kent Barnes]

Harlan #4

http://www.kentium.net/mandolin/mando4pics/completeback2.JPG

[Ted Eschliman]

http://www.jazzmando.com/images/JazzboWallpaper640x480.jpg

[Matt Bowe]

74753 looks best from the back.

[evanreilly]

The Hand of the Dude holding #38.

[cooper4205]

that's one classy mando, Evan!

[Narayan Kersak]

Here's some sunburst...

[Narayan Kersak]

and a close up.

[danb]

Hey Dan, That's great! Thanks for posting. Is there any way you could show the front?
http://www.mandolinarchive.com/images/9_wiens_face.jpg

[danb]

http://www.mandolinarchive.com/images/9_wiens_front.jpg

[Celtic-Grass]

rather than post a pic, I'll just second the finish on the picture above. Mmmm. love that warm golden brown glow. That gentle subtle gradient! That's the finish I'll be shooting for with the mandolin I'm building.

[Kevin Briggs]

The satin finishes are really blowing me away. I love 'em!