New design for critique

[outtakey]

I'm Josh Paine and I've been working in the wood shop for a few years now, mostly flattop construction guitars. Just recently I've started helping my dad out building Pomeroy mandolins.

I'll try to post some pictures of one with a 2 point design that I put together, and I'd be eager to hear any thoughts on what players or builders or anyone thinks of it. Body style? Headstock shape? Overall look? or anything at all...

[outtakey]

I have pictures on my computer as a JPEG image, but I'm not sure how to attach it to a post.
any help?

[Tom C]

Click the "Add Reply" button. At the bottom of this entry scroll there is a "browse" button to select your file to upload. Pay attention to file size or any messages that come back if you do not see the pic.

[Steve Davis]

Don't click preview or it will not post.

[MandoBen]

The "browse button" says "choose file"

[Antlurz]

Yup. Look for this: http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/Skin/Default/images/t_reply.gif to get started.

Ron

[outtakey]

Sorry folks,
I'm having a hard time figuring out how to compress the picture files to post them, but John might be giving me a hand, but sorry for the wait.

Josh

[JEStanek]

Josh.
Use Grandmainger's (http://www.grandmainger.com/picpost/) tutorial for resizing and posting pics. It's great.

Jamie

[johnwalser]

Here is Josh's mando.

[Mark Walker]

Doesn't look too shabby! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[jefflester]

Very pretty.

Is it an illusion, or is the back seam not centered on the neck heel?

[outtakey]

The back center seam does actually line up right through the middle of the button. That illusion is maybe created by the lighting and angle of the picture and how the graduation of the arched back keeps its' arch right up til it comes into the heel.

[outtakey]

John, Thanks so much for posting that for me and Jamie, I'll try grandmaingers next time.... thank you.

anyway, its indian rosewood binding and all the ebony is macassar ebony

[Larry S Sherman]

Body style? Headstock shape? Overall look? or anything at all...
I really like it!

I think that block inlays would look great on this mando.

If it was red with white binding it would have a real Jethro Burns appeal.

Great work!

Larry

[outtakey]

I figured how to put up my own picture, thanks Jamie,
For an incompetent computer user this was quite the feat.

[J.Fick]

Very Nice!
I like the 2 lines running down the back of the neck. Great hidden detail.
The asymmetrical two point is classy and well designed and the rosewood binding is preaty too.
Although I really admire how you went for something original in the head stock, IMHO, I'm sorry to say, it doesn’t work for me. Nonetheless it still is a good looking mando.
The F holes are interesting also, how they're bigger on the bottom. I'm warming up to that detail.
Overall if I saw this hanging in a shop or on a luthiers table at a festival I would definitely be drawn to it and have to check it out!
As I said before,
Very Nice!

[JeffD]

Sound clips?? It looks wonderful. Hows it sound?

[Lee]

Hi Josh,
I saw these on the Pomeroy website. Wow!
How do you and Don share the work?

[billhay4]

Nice neck detail. I do like the headstock as it replicates the offset two-point detail. Work looks very clean. How is it braced?
Bill

[outtakey]

This mandolin has really strong tonal qualities. It has the real classic bluegrass "bark" to it with big volume. It has a pleasant sound that projects well and cuts through the group music setting.

also,
Its braced with tone bars

[outtakey]

Lee,
"How do you and Don share the work?"

#Well I've worked in the same shop on and off on my own projects (mostly guitars) for about 8 years now so my dad knows pretty well about what my work ends up looking like. #I really do 99% of the hands on work on the ones I've been working on(except for when I get frustrated at something and say "hey, fix this for me".
# We're in the shop side by side so I'm always running things by him and having him check quality control, but I'm using his same methods for pretty much everything from carving plates to tone bars to neck joints and the rest of the works.
#So far, he seems very pleased with the workmanship and is finding it some tough competition for who can make the "better" sounding mandolins (maybe too tough?, but you'd have to ask him that I suppose).

If I get brave, I may mess around with trying to post a soundclip sometime late tonight, who know.... with your guys' help I was able to post a picture so perhaps anything is possible as they say.

[RI-Grass]

I like it!

Sal

[Mario Proulx]

I like it, too. Nice!

[MandoSquirrel]

Another vote for "I LIKE"! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[seththedude]

Very Nice. I love two-pointers.

[chipotle]

That is a beautiful piece of work, very nice!

[labraid]

Well the craftsmanship looks top notch. Let me start with that. From a design perspective, the points look a bit exagerrated, and I've been there too, so for what it's worth...
I'm not sure I get a feel for where this shape is going. It feels organic and alive, yet the execution is so perfect and smooth that it almost feels like something's out of place... a fish in the wrong water? It seems to have artistic assymetries, bulges, then I get this "production" feel from something else and it then all begins to feel sort of... Hmmm. I think I see some creativity waiting to jump the fence, but then it sort of hesitates and doesn't quite make the leap, but evidently not from a lack of talent.. Keep working with this one. See what kind of new strides you can make.

[outtakey]

Brian,
Thank You for the thoughtful critique... its good to to get some sincere opinoins.

I also checked out your site and took a look at some of your work there. It all looks very artful and like really nice work.

Thanks, Josh