View Full Version : Laura ratcliff's new a
Take a look at Laura's latest mandolin #50 with a 100 year old redwood top from an old bridge in California.
jasona
Sep-18-2007, 8:32am
Lovely! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif I could really go for one of those! What kind of finish is that Ken?
jasona
Sep-18-2007, 8:33am
...and is Laura using a dovetail neck join now?
it's a lacquer finish. The sound of this mandolin is incredible with the redwood top. I just finished one with the redwood too and it was the same. All over the neck, powerful.....
#50, eh?
Congratulations, Laura !!
DryBones
Sep-18-2007, 1:00pm
now whats it going to cost to make me a lefty? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Jkf_Alone
Sep-18-2007, 1:21pm
i saw this in the classifieds, seems like a really reasonable price for a well made mando.
Mark Walker
Sep-18-2007, 4:12pm
Laura - great work! #I love that abalone inlay on the binding too - VERY nice!
Thanks for posting her mandolins Ken! #You should be proud of her (and yourself- you taught her well!) #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
bgmando
Sep-18-2007, 6:49pm
Very nice Laura -- I'm curious, Ken can you describe the difference in sound between the red spruce and redwood tops in Laura's A models, or your F models.
The redwood seems to have a different kind of sound, more meaty in all the keys, maybe less dry sounding but woody. The red spruce is a little brighter, but not always. I can't really judge the redwood too much at this point, as I've only used it on two mandolins and one of them was a retop. I can say that the wood is very responsive, very light in weight and very strong. The color is darker than the red spruce, so the burst will be not as bright. I really like the wood so far. I plan on using it alot more. Also, I like Western red Cedar. I've used it quite a bit and always with good results. For the lefty, all that needs to be done to change this mando to a lefty is a different nut and bridge since it is x-braced.
DryBones
Sep-18-2007, 7:11pm
For the lefty, all that needs to be done to change this mando to a lefty is a different nut and bridge since it is x-braced.
any marker dots on the sides? Gotta have those on the correct side for a true lefty! #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
red7flag
Sep-18-2007, 8:47pm
Beautiful work Laura. From my past experience, I bet is sounds as great as it looks.
Tony
B. T. Walker
Sep-18-2007, 9:50pm
Really a very nice a-body. I like it all.
OrienM
Sep-18-2007, 10:06pm
Very pretty! Love the redwood.
buckhorn
Sep-18-2007, 11:47pm
hay...drybones..............about to put color on a F5 lefty.......you intrested?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif???
DryBones
Sep-19-2007, 8:37am
just reread this post. Any reason why X-braced instead of tone bars?
kyken
Sep-19-2007, 11:03am
The last "A" lefty that left here had side dots on both sides just in case he wanted to sell it to a righty some day ,all he would have to do is change the bridge and nut. I like X- bracing better.
JEStanek
Sep-19-2007, 11:52am
Ken - a generic question... When you build with tone bars, are they assymetrically shaped (bass side larger or smaller than treble) or not and with an X braced one, are the braces the same size/shape. #In other threads some folks commented on a possible tonal difference when converting to a lefty (after switching the nut and bridge) due to the tone bars...
BTW, Laura does very nice work, indeed.
Jamie
I build with the same size bars, x or not.
JEStanek
Sep-19-2007, 2:39pm
Thanks! That makes conversions much easier.
Jamie
Bluegrass Boy
Sep-19-2007, 6:31pm
Just to clarify what I think you mean; the redwood tree was cut down about 100 years ago. It could have been much older at the time of harvest, in other words, it wasn't a 100 year old tree, but a 100 year old piece of lumber, right?
right, cut over 100 years ago, used in a bridge construction 100 years ago, from a 3000 year old tree or however long those giants lived.